Mrs. Happe March & April News 15-16
Gifted Education: Weaver Lake & Oak View Elementary Schools
Verbal Seminars Begin in April!!
Grade 4: Code Your Own Adventure
Grade 5: Improv
Grades 3-6 Verbal Seminars
Students who need the Gifted Education Verbal classes
may show evidence of the following abilities:
- Multiple Intelligence strength in verbal
- Strong academic performance and/or potential in reading/language arts (Evidence may include reading RIT score, MCA score, classroom performance)
- Strong verbal communication skills
- Makes distinction between minute verbal differences/inconsistencies
- Strong interest in reading and/or writing and/or communication
Cognitive Abilities Test? Results Come in the Mail! April or May
For formal identification, until the end of elementary school, we are looking for results in the 96th percentile (a comparison to 100 other students) or higher in one or more of the three areas we test.
Although students are regularly identified with the CogAT, there are other ways to be invited to participate. MAP test scores this spring will be used to identify students who will be invited to participate in GE for one school year.
Feel free to get in touch with me after you receive your child's test results if you need clarification.
What should I tell my child about being formally identified (or not) to receive gifted services?
- Explain that he or she did very well on the tests.
- Show that you are happy or pleased, but limit your expectations to current learning.
- Say: “It sounds like a good opportunity for you. I hope you like it.”
- Not: “You should really be able to make something of yourself now.”
- Tell her or him that the program (or class) is designed for kids who learn particularly well and that you are proud of them.
- Tell your child that the school was finding kids that need extra enrichment to think about subjects deeply and explore subjects in different ways. Your child may find more students with similar interests in the program.
- Go ahead and talk about it with your child. Ignoring the identification, or avoiding the subject when it comes up, will make them think it is an embarrassment, or they are.
- Although your child has been identified for our gifted pullout program, remember that not all aspects of a gifted child are necessarily advanced. They may excel in one content area, but struggle in others. Your child’s emotional, social or physical development may or may not be similar to children the same age.
What should I tell my child about not being formally identified to receive gifted services?
- Explain that the Cognitive Abilities Test is only one way to participate in GE pull-out classes.
- Tell your child the GE teacher will also look at MAP test scores for Reading and Math this spring to find students who should participate in classes. Teacher, parent and student advocacy for a student matters a great deal as well.
- Remind your child that ‘smart’ doesn’t necessarily mean high test scores.
- Explain that experts in the area of gifted education cannot agree on an actual definition of giftedness. So… they may not be labeled ‘gifted’ for school, however that does not mean they are not advanced in some way. It may be that school can’t or has difficulty testing their area of advancement.
What about siblings?
- Focus on the individual differences and achievements of all children.
- Show each child that he or she is valued – that many different qualities are extremely desirable and valued (such as humor, spirit, honesty, loyalty, effort, caring). Acknowledge the feelings of brothers and sisters. The feelings are real, whether they are jealousy, anger, rejection, admiration, confusion, or inferiority. Talking it out is better than suppressing or ignoring it.
- Discuss what “gifted” means – it is an educational term, not a value judgment.
- Remember this is not a competition where a child “wins” being identified for the Gifted Program and “loses” if not identified. A child is the same child as before identification.
- Save the majority of your praise for the gifted child in private; focus on effort not innate ability. Reinforce all children in public.
- Make sure you give each child as much one-to-one time as possible; don’t let the gifted child’s talent take up all your time.
*Based on the work and writing of Judy Galbraith, author of various works on the social and emotional needs of the gifted
Ten Strategies for Parenting Gifted Children
- Listening. Listen attentively and actively to your child. Respect your child’s feelings.
- Perspective. A sense of humor goes a long way in parenting, as in life. It is very important to maintain a healthy perspective on the ups and downs of daily life and our children’s experiences, as well as our own.
- Attunement. Stay attuned to your child’s world. Pay attention to the various factors that might be affecting his emotional, social, behavioral and/or academic functioning.
- Clarification. Clarify everyone’s expectations-your own, your child’s, the school’s, and others’, such as extended family members’. Are the various demands being placed on the child well-defined, fair, and flexible? If not, think together about ways to improve matters.
- Information. Seek information about high-level development. Pay close attention to sources that provide insight into the particular kinds of support that your child requires.
- Exploration. Expose your child to a wide range of extracurricular opportunities for play, exploration, and learning in response to his individual abilities, interests, and needs.
- Consultation. Consult with professionals and other parents to explore possibilities such as alternative learning opportunities in your child’s school, within the community, and beyond.
- Advocacy. When necessary, advocate for appropriate learning options that will suit your child’s individual needs and levels of advancement in different areas.
- Co-operation. Work with educators, other parents, and members of the community to create as rich and engaging a learning environment as possible for your child and others.
- Awareness of Special Needs. Be aware of your child’s special needs, whether these relate to gender, ethnicity, disability, or specific talents or abilities, and be prepared to offer support.
While all of these perspectives are important, parents should also realize that they can best strengthen a child’s learning spirit and help sustain her drive to mastery by respecting her choices, nurturing her independence, and allowing that sometimes the most valuable learning of all is that which happens serendipitous-ly through the many experiences of daily life with friends, neighbors, classmates, and family members.
Matthew, Dona J., Ph. D & Foster, Joanne F., Ed.D, Being Smart about Gifted Children, pp. 318 & 319, Great Potential Press, Inc, 2005.
Fun Stuff
1. Iranian Tessellations
Love these elaborately intricate tessellated ceilings from Iran.
2. Snow Murals from Snowshoes
Wow. Check out these murals in snow created by one man using his snow shoes.
3. Suspenseful Moments
Talk about building suspense! I love these photos of soon-to-be disasters. The rock and matches is my fav.
4. A Musical Marble Machine
Many of you sent this one in! A machine that makes music out of 2,000 marbles!
5. Precarious Cities
Photos of cities with buildings precariously hovering over cliffs.
Thanks for subscribing. Please pass this email along to your friends, and let me know if you see any great curiosities out there :)
Further Resources
- Here are some possible ideas for using the curiosities.
- Links come from many sources, including: Kottke, The Kid Should See This, and Colossal.
Previous Newsletters From Mrs. Happe
November/December: https://www.smore.com/hsr6r
January: https://www.smore.com/f11qb
Contact Kris Happe
Email: happek@district279.org
Location: Weaver Lake Elementary School, Weaver Lake Road, Maple Grove, MN, United States
Phone: 612-598-8571
Twitter: @happekris