DCSD Gifted Education News
February 2020
Douglas County School District Gifted Education
Director's Corner
Doogie Howser, Matilda, Sheldon Cooper...gifted young people are often portrayed in media as unpopular, studious, non-athletic, and even obnoxious characters. They typically have an unbelievably high IQ, exaggerated behavior or personality traits, and may appear arrogant, or emotionally detached. While there are some common characteristics of advanced/high-potential/gifted children, it is important to realize that students with atypical learning needs (like all humans) are much more diverse than these stereotypes.
Oftentimes, I talk with parents or family members who are uncertain how to approach the topic of giftedness or discuss a need for "something different" because their child doesn't match one of these stereotypes, or they fear being seen as "that parent," or they have tried to approach the subject and feel they were never really heard.
Because you witness your child in situations, environments, and timeframes unavailable to the people in our schools, the information you share with teachers and other school staff helps us create engaging and inviting learning opportunities to help your child thrive. For this reason, we invite and encourage you to seek out ways to help us better understand the unique brilliances and challenges specific to your child.
The resources below provide some easy tips to support strong partnerships with your child's teachers and other school staff:
Six Tips for Communicating with Your Child's Teacher - The Davidson Institute
Parent Teacher Conferences: Advocating for Your Gifted Child - Psychology Today
10 Steps to a Better Parent-School Partnership: Pre-action, Not Re-action - Gifted Guru
What Do Gifted Teens Say About Their Struggles - Your Rainforest Mind
Natasha Langjahr Straayer
Director, Advanced Academics and Gifted Programming
Updates/News
Gifted Kids Are Gonna Gift
By Colleen at RaisingLifelongLearners.com
I shrug a lot, shake my head with a smile, even chuckle. My kids are a blast. They’re different and difficult and quite the handful, but at the end of the day I don’t know what I’d do without the constant excitement of their excitabilities or the quick wit (that also gets them into trouble). They do something in the back seat or an adult comes to tell me something they’ve said, and all I can do is shrug, shake my head, and laugh. Gifted kids, man.
They’re gonna gift.
There’s this belief that floats around from time to time, that gifted programming is elitist. A small group of kids being taken from the general classroom and attended to apart from the rest of their peers, it just doesn’t sit well with everyone. “They’re getting enrichment opportunities that not everyone else has access to!” is the battle cry. “Why don’t all kids get to do extra work on the solar system?” The perception is that it’s a club, something exclusive that denies entry and opportunity, something kids get into rather than something they need. But there’s the truth – gifted services are a need. An academic, intellectual, social, even emotional need.
Read the rest of this article at: https://raisinglifelonglearners.com/gifted-kids-are-gonna-gift/
Building Compassionate Learning Communities
Please join us March 27 and 28, 2020
ThunderRidge High School
1991 W. Wildcat Reserve Parkway, Highlands Ranch
This conference will foster thriving and compassionate communities of students and adults by building further capacity for Social Emotional Learning amongst teachers, parents, and community members. Learning at this conference will include training for teachers and parents around mental health and well-being, strategies for students and staff to assist with stress and anxiety, and considerations for parents in supporting their children to be successful students.
Keynote Speaker: Donna Y. Ford
for more information: https://www.dcsdk12.org/cms/one.aspx?pageId=11250596
Early Access for Highly Advanced Gifted Children under Age Six
The window for Early Access to Kindergarten or First Grade is NOW OPEN through April 1, 2020.
Early Access is designed for “highly advanced gifted” 4 or 5 year old children. It allows early access to kindergarten or first-grade for students who are academically gifted, socially and emotionally mature, in the top 2% or less of the gifted peer group, motivated to learn, ready for advanced placement, and who have exhausted the resources of preschool or home schooling.
Please visit our website here for more information and the online application. If you have further questions, please contact the GT Facilitator at your neighborhood school or Heather Groff, DCSD Gifted and Talented Team Lead, at Heather.Groff@dcsdk12.org.
Elementary Discovery Program - Information
The initial application window for 2020-2021 has closed; however, if you believe your child would benefit from this intensive gifted programming option and missed this application deadline, please connect with the gifted education facilitator at your child's school or call the DCSD Gifted Education Office at 303-387-0191 for more information.
Pine Valley Astronomy ProgramSat, February 15, 5:30pm – 7:30pmPine Valley Ranch Park, 30400 Crystal Lake Rd, Pine, CO 80470 Celebrate your love of astronomy and drop by to tour the historic observatory. Volunteers will be on hand with additional telescopes to allow you and your family a chance to peer at the lovely Valentine’s sky. Dress warm and be prepared to hike for ½ mile uphill. Protect our night vision, if you bring a flashlight please cover it with cellophane. Registration is required. https://secure.rec1.com/CO/jefferson-county-open-space/catalog/index?filter=c2VhcmNoPWFzdHJvbm9teQ== | Beyond Giftedness: Parent/Family Conference - 2/28/20Parent Half-Day Conference 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM* MST This year's parent conference will again be a thread within the full-day general conference and parents may choose to attend either the parent sessions or general conference (educator-focused) sessions that run at the same time as the parent conference. Lunch and Dr. Andi McNair's keynote, The Possibility of the Unexplored, are included. Parents are also welcome to attend the Mental Health Panel during the last session of the general conference (2:45 - 4 PM) | Genius Girls Gathering at Mackintosh AcademySat, February 22, 1pm – 4pmMackintosh Academy, 7018 S Prince St, Littleton, CO 80120 Do you know a girl who likes to create, innovate, build, design, code, explore, or discover? Mackintosh Academy is hosting a gathering for girls just like her! For girls ages 9 -13 & their parents, this FREE event will offer fun hands-on workshops and an interactive discussion led by women scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs. The goal? To inspire and empower girls to maintain and grow their interest in science, design, innovation and exploration. |
Pine Valley Astronomy Program
Sat, February 15, 5:30pm – 7:30pmPine Valley Ranch Park, 30400 Crystal Lake Rd, Pine, CO 80470
Celebrate your love of astronomy and drop by to tour the historic observatory. Volunteers will be on hand with additional telescopes to allow you and your family a chance to peer at the lovely Valentine’s sky. Dress warm and be prepared to hike for ½ mile uphill. Protect our night vision, if you bring a flashlight please cover it with cellophane.
Registration is required. https://secure.rec1.com/CO/jefferson-county-open-space/catalog/index?filter=c2VhcmNoPWFzdHJvbm9teQ==
Beyond Giftedness: Parent/Family Conference - 2/28/20
Parent Half-Day Conference 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM* MST
This year's parent conference will again be a thread within the full-day general conference and parents may choose to attend either the parent sessions or general conference (educator-focused) sessions that run at the same time as the parent conference.
Lunch and Dr. Andi McNair's keynote, The Possibility of the Unexplored, are included. Parents are also welcome to attend the Mental Health Panel during the last session of the general conference (2:45 - 4 PM)
Genius Girls Gathering at Mackintosh Academy
Sat, February 22, 1pm – 4pmMackintosh Academy, 7018 S Prince St, Littleton, CO 80120
Do you know a girl who likes to create, innovate, build, design, code, explore, or discover? Mackintosh Academy is hosting a gathering for girls just like her!
For girls ages 9 -13 & their parents, this FREE event will offer fun hands-on workshops and an interactive discussion led by women scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs. The goal? To inspire and empower girls to maintain and grow their interest in science, design, innovation and exploration.
Counselors' Corner | DCSD Mental Health Resources | Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted |
Get Involved!
Douglas County Association for Gifted and Talented is a parent advocacy organization supporting gifted children and families in Douglas County, Colorado.
Douglas County Affiliate for the Colorado Association for Gifted and Talented (DCAGT)
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!!!
As many of you know, DCAGT is run completely by volunteers. We realize that being a full-time board member isn’t possible for everyone, so we came up with other ways other people could contribute! Currently, we are looking for the following: Someone who can help us rework the DCAGT website. If you are interested in helping us with the website, please contact info@dcagt.org.
Read more information in the February DCGAT Newsletter linked HERE.
STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES
21st Annual Legislative Day at the Capitol
Thursday, February 20, 2020
Registration Information (Linked)
Legislative Day Parent Permission/Teacher Recommendation
Legislative Day Flyer
The Davidson Fellows ScholarshipApplication DEADLINE - February 12, 2020 The Davidson Fellows Scholarship awards $50,000, $25,000 and $10,000 scholarships to extraordinary young people, 18 and under, who have completed a significant piece of work. Application categories are Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Literature, Music, Philosophy and Outside the Box. Davidson Fellows are honored every year in Washington, D.C. with Congressional meetings and a special reception. Davidson Fellows named as one of "The 10 Biggest Scholarships in the World" by TheBestColleges.org and one of "7 Prestigious Undergrad Scholarships" in U.S. News & World Report. Click HERE to find out more! | The 2020 Douglas County Outstanding Youth Awards!The Youth Award is an award that recognizes teenagers between the ages of 13 and 19 who have overcome personal adversity and created positive change in their lives. The awards program provides business, community and civic leaders an opportunity to actively demonstrate their belief in and support for the young people in our community. For more info click here! | MathCONMathCON Registration is now open! Register your school for only $200. One single school registration includes an unlimited number of student registrations. You can also choose to register an individual. If you have only one student to register, you may do so using the same link above for $15 per student. (Parents/Guardians may register their child as an individual.) After signing up, you will receive further instructions on how to register your student(s) for the online test. MathCON is a nonprofit national mathematics organization recognized for its annual student math competition for students in grades 4-12, with more than 200,000 participants since 2008. More info click here! |
The Davidson Fellows Scholarship
Application DEADLINE - February 12, 2020
The Davidson Fellows Scholarship awards $50,000, $25,000 and $10,000 scholarships to extraordinary young people, 18 and under, who have completed a significant piece of work.
Application categories are Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Literature, Music, Philosophy and Outside the Box. Davidson Fellows are honored every year in Washington, D.C. with Congressional meetings and a special reception.
Davidson Fellows named as one of "The 10 Biggest Scholarships in the World" by TheBestColleges.org and one of "7 Prestigious Undergrad Scholarships" in U.S. News & World Report.
Click HERE to find out more!
The 2020 Douglas County Outstanding Youth Awards!
The Youth Award is an award that recognizes teenagers between the ages of 13 and 19 who have overcome personal adversity and created positive change in their lives. The awards program provides business, community and civic leaders an opportunity to actively demonstrate their belief in and support for the young people in our community.
For more info click here!
MathCON
MathCON Registration is now open!
Register your school for only $200. One single school registration includes an unlimited number of student registrations. You can also choose to register an individual. If you have only one student to register, you may do so using the same link above for $15 per student. (Parents/Guardians may register their child as an individual.) After signing up, you will receive further instructions on how to register your student(s) for the online test.
MathCON is a nonprofit national mathematics organization recognized for its annual student math competition for students in grades 4-12, with more than 200,000 participants since 2008.
More info click here!
Summer Programs
Center for Bright Kids Summer ProgramsRooted in the talent development model, CBK summer programs offer students the opportunity to study with bright, motivated peers, enhance their preparation for advanced coursework, and establish long-lasting friendships with students from across the country and around the world. Students with exceptional ability entering grades 4-12 or ages 8-17 are offered a varied selection of enrichment and/or acceleration courses on campus at the University of Colorado Boulder. | Colorado School of Mines Summer CampsAcademies for Young Minds The Academies for Young Minds camps encourage children to be innovative and use creative problem-solving by engaging them in fun, hands-on activities. Engineering Design Summer Camps The Engineering Design Summer Camp, offered through the K-12 Student Outreach Program at Colorado School of Mines, provides an opportunity for high school students to attend a weeklong summer camp on the Mines campus in Golden, Colorado. The objective of the camp is to guide participants through a fun and rewarding hands-on experience of authentic engineering design practices. | CU Science Discovery ProgramsCU Science Discovery offers a variety of full-day summer camps and high school classes for kids ages 5-18. These experiential STEM learning experiences are designed to inspire creativity and a thirst for knowledge, while creating lasting memories in a fun environment with like-minded friends. https://www.colorado.edu/sciencediscovery/programs/k-8-summer-camps-and-high-school-classes |
Center for Bright Kids Summer Programs
Rooted in the talent development model, CBK summer programs offer students the opportunity to study with bright, motivated peers, enhance their preparation for advanced coursework, and establish long-lasting friendships with students from across the country and around the world. Students with exceptional ability entering grades 4-12 or ages 8-17 are offered a varied selection of enrichment and/or acceleration courses on campus at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Colorado School of Mines Summer Camps
Academies for Young Minds
The Academies for Young Minds camps encourage children to be innovative and use creative problem-solving by engaging them in fun, hands-on activities.
Engineering Design Summer Camps
The Engineering Design Summer Camp, offered through the K-12 Student Outreach Program at Colorado School of Mines, provides an opportunity for high school students to attend a weeklong summer camp on the Mines campus in Golden, Colorado. The objective of the camp is to guide participants through a fun and rewarding hands-on experience of authentic engineering design practices.
CU Science Discovery Programs
CU Science Discovery offers a variety of full-day summer camps and high school classes for kids ages 5-18. These experiential STEM learning experiences are designed to inspire creativity and a thirst for knowledge, while creating lasting memories in a fun environment with like-minded friends.
https://www.colorado.edu/sciencediscovery/programs/k-8-summer-camps-and-high-school-classes
UNC Summer Enrichment ProgramThe Summer Enrichment Program provides a unique learning experience that addresses the intellectual and affective needs of learners who are gifted, talented, and/or creative. | Yunasa & Yunasa West: Created Specifically for Gifted YouthDesigned and led by eminent experts in the field of gifted youth, Yunasa embraces gifted children for who they are, helping them understand and work with the unique joys and challenges that gifted children face. Many traditional programs for gifted youth focus solely on intellectual abilities, overlooking the need for these children to grow in all aspects of their lives. Yunasa supports the whole gifted child, encouraging growth and support of campers intellectually, socially, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. | Harry Potter Summer CampJoin us Summer 2020 (June 8-12 and July 13-17) as we bring Harry Potter to life with wizard adventures, Study of Magical Creatures, collaborative Harry Potter themed art, science and more! Ages 6 to 15 |
UNC Summer Enrichment Program
The Summer Enrichment Program provides a unique learning experience that addresses the intellectual and affective needs of learners who are gifted, talented, and/or creative.
Yunasa & Yunasa West: Created Specifically for Gifted Youth
Designed and led by eminent experts in the field of gifted youth, Yunasa embraces gifted children for who they are, helping them understand and work with the unique joys and challenges that gifted children face. Many traditional programs for gifted youth focus solely on intellectual abilities, overlooking the need for these children to grow in all aspects of their lives. Yunasa supports the whole gifted child, encouraging growth and support of campers intellectually, socially, emotionally, spiritually, and physically.
Harry Potter Summer Camp
Join us Summer 2020 (June 8-12 and July 13-17) as we bring Harry Potter to life with wizard adventures, Study of Magical Creatures, collaborative Harry Potter themed art, science and more! Ages 6 to 15