February 2017 Newsletter
www.OAGCT.org
President's Corner
On February 10th, gifted educators from across the state of Oklahoma will gather for our annual conference. This conference has been an excellent source of knowledge and encouragement for educators and parents of gifted students around the state. Considering the current climate of uncertainty around the US Department of Education, I believe that an environment of collaboration and mutual encouragement is exactly what we all need.
As the representative for OAGCT at the National Association for Gifted Children conference, I had the opportunity to learn about the current direction of our national association. NAGC is gearing up to help us at the state level so that states will be able to band together to make a difference at the national level. As a state organization, we are looking at the direction we need to turn in order to make effective changes to gifted education in Oklahoma.
NAGC has three themes to focus on as they move forward to effect change. Those themes are:
· Change Minds
· Change Policies
· Change Practices
The National organization feels that these ideas create a sequential driving force for teachers of gifted children across the country. By changing minds about gifted education, we are then able to change policy. Once policy is changed, we will then be able to focus on changing educational practices.
In the state of Oklahoma, we have some policies to address, specifically in relation to certification and continuing education requirements. We also need to ensure that identification is available to students who are younger than 3rd grade. It may be necessary to consider addressing age/birthday requirements for early entrance to school or acceleration at early ages.
We need to address practices around the state. Those who have very little training or education in gifted are placed in g/t classrooms and entrusted to develop appropriate strategies for students of whom they have little understanding. Often, research, instruction, and policy are disconnected, particularly in relation to g/t education.
2017 OAGCT CONFERENCE
100 N University Dr, Edmond, OK
Keynote Speaker: Brian Housand
Stay tuned for more details at www.oagct.org
Friday, Feb 10, 2017, 08:00 AM
University of Central Oklahoma
* “The Genius Hour Guidebook”
By: Denise Krebs and Gallit Zvi
Book Review By Andrea L. Schafer
This proved to be an amazingly useful book as I was just getting started with Genius Hour in my school, along with the companion website http://www.geniushourguide.org/. The first part of the book deals with what exactly is Genius Hour and how do you introduce it to your class. This would be the motivation behind Genius Hour, the “why”. It gives benefits for learners that are doing GH, sample projects, other names for Genius Hour, as well as teacher tips and a summary for the chapters. At the end of each chapter are some Notes. These are websites you can navigate to from the geniushourguide website that have to do with that section topics. It outlines how to Inspire, Brainstorm, Model, Scaffold, and Create a project.
The next part of the book discusses how to have the students dive into their work! This is where Genius Hour Projects get VERY messy…there is no right or wrong way for the students to go about their work. But these chapters give a rough idea of how it might go as well as discussing problems that might come up.
The middle of this book talks about deadlines –soft and hard, and how to work through these with your students. It also takes a look at the standards that Genius Hour hits on, so when our Administration asks why we are doing what we are doing, we will be prepared with an answer. This part also talks about how the students can make their learning visible to their audience.
The main idea behind Genius Hour is allowing students to pursue their passions and make a positive change in the world in some way. There is an FAQ section with the burning questions most have about GH as well as several well laid out lesson plans to help you get going with your own Genius Hour. I highly recommend you checking out this website as well as the book, but most importantly – if you want to learn more come see my session at the conference! See ya!
Instagram Jam at OAGCT
#growinggiftedoagct
Come find the Twitter booth at the conference to win some great prizes. You don’t have to tweet like “the Donald” to win. Just come by our booth, sign up on our Twitter page, and you can WIN! We also will be having the “best tweet” is “Sweet” contest for those who post popular and fun things during the conference. It’s going to be more fun than voting for President! Share your favorite conference moments with the world!
Conference Tie-In
*Design Thinking in the Maker Classroom
by Melony Carey and Donna Pillars, Muskogee Public Schools
Many schools are turning to maker-spaces, Fab Labs, robotics, and STEAM rooms to engage students in creative, innovative learning. Our gifted and talented students especially benefit from these labs because they allow students to pursue ideas about which they are passionate and to get lost in the flow experience so important to creative ventures.
Two essential by-products stemming from these experiences, however, are design thinking and student agency. One is taught overtly, the other is cultivated through the iterative process of hanging in there with a design idea, thereby developing the traits of grit, perseverance, and growth mindset. Design thinking is imperative for students to see the big picture underlying all systems, whether one is examining simple machines or something less tangible, like political or economic structures. Student agency is imperative because many gifted students often succumb to self-doubt, fixed mindset, and other psychological hindrances when they experience failure or encounter a subject that does not come easily to them.
Harvard researchers at Project Zero have developed thinking routines to help students explore and understand design thinking when working with systems. They realized an unexpected outcome in their research on maker-centered classrooms was agency. They have put these together in a course through the Harvard Graduate School of Education called Thinking and Learning in the Maker-Centered Classroom. Teachers can access materials at their website, Agency by Design. Four thinking routines form the basis of instruction on systems thinking – Parts, Purposes, Complexities; Parts, People, Interactions; Think, Feel, Care; and Imagine If. A new book just released in December about their research is Maker-Centered Learning: Empowering Young People to Shape Their Worlds by Clapp, Ross, Ryan, and Tishman.
On February 10, we will present a workshop on how to use these thinking routines to help students understand systems and develop personal agency that will help them be more successful in their thinking and creative processes. Participants will leave with experience in using the routines and how they can be applied throughout the curriculum.
Resources:
Are Gifted Education Services Necessary?
According to the Education of Gifted and Talented Children Act (1981) all Oklahoma public schools are required to provide gifted child educational services which includes “special instructional programs, support services, unique educational materials, learning settings and other educational services which differentiate, supplement and support the regular educational program in meeting the needs of the gifted and talented child.” Oklahoma’s gifted education act was designed to ensure that students served in such programs not only are provided with academic programs that differentiate from the normal curriculum but in addition provide guidance and counseling that assists students in their academic careers and address the specific social-emotional needs of gifted children. There are more reasons to meet the needs of gifted students than just because the law says we should do it.
First, gifted education services provide opportunities for students to develop socially as they share with like-minded peers. Olszewski-Kubilius and Limburg-Weber (1999) found that academically gifted students who had peers with whom to share their interests and aspirations were better able to cope with negative peer pressure. It was also noted that by interacting with students of like-mindedness, gifted children were less likely to develop social problems. According to Vialle, Heaven, and Ciarrochi (2009), where no gifted services were provided such children felt more alone and sadder than their gifted peers who received services.
Second, gifted education resource rooms provide advanced students an opportunity to develop emotionally as they meet with an expert who understands their struggles. Many gifted education specialists were identified as gifted when they were students and are able to share their own experiences. Janos, Fung, and Robinson (1985) revealed that gifted students needed such guidance in order to deal with social acceptance, sensitivity, emotional excitability, high expectations, and perfectionistic tendencies.
Third, gifted education provides students an opportunity to express themselves creatively. Researchers (Boazman Sayler, & Easton-Brooks, 2012; Daniel & Cox, 1988; Fraser, 2003; Kaufman, 2001; Lovecky, 1992; Plucker & Callahan, 2008; Reis & Renzulli, 2010) reported that students allowed to flourish creatively found themselves more motivated and satisfied. With their minds moving faster than their bodies, gifted students need a physical outlet. The gifted education resource room provides the opportunity for students to execute hands-on activities which in turn allow students to be more focused in the regular classroom. Experts (Baer & Kaufman, 2005; Plucker & Callahan, 2008) revealed that the same levels of energy and intensity that can be used for the benefit of gifted children can also be detrimental without a means of release.
For gifted children, their mental development far outpaces their physical development. Advanced learners continually seeking cognitive input find daily activities with their age peers to be unfulfilling, frustrating, and difficult because the average student may not understand the material. Maslow (1943) determined that a person who gains access to a social network where their basic psychological needs can be met will be more motivated toward growth and development or self-actualization.
By providing gifted services, not only are schools meeting the requirements of the law, they are also helping the gifted child grow intuitively, emotionally, cognitively, and through psychomotor development.
References
Baer, J., & Kaufman, J. C. (2005). Theoretical and interdisciplinary perspectives: Bridging
generality and specificity: The amusement park theoretical (APT) model of
creativity. Roeper Review, 27(3), 158.
Boazman, J. K., Sayler, M. F., & Easton-Brooks, D. (2012). Mediating factors of personal well being in gifted college students: Early-college entrants and honors college
students. Journal of Social Research & Policy, 3(2), 111-131.
Daniel, N., Cox, J., ERIC Clearinghouse on Handicapped and Gifted Children, Council for
Exceptional Children, & United States. Office of Educational Research and
Improvement. (1988). Flexible pacing for able learners. Reston, VA: Council for
Exceptional Children.
Fraser, D. (2003). From the playful to the profound: What metaphors tell us about gifted
children. Roeper Review, 25(4), 180-184. doi:10.1080/02783190309554226
Hofmeister, J. (2015, February 1). Gifted and Talented Education. Retrieved June 24, 2015, from http://ok.gov/sde/gifted-and-talented-education
Janos, P. M., Fung, H. C., & Robinson, N. M. (1985). Self-concept, self-esteem, and peer
relations among gifted children who feel "different." Gifted Child Quarterly, 29, 78-
82.
Kaufman, J. (2001). Genius, lunatics, and poets: Mental illness in prize-winning authors.
Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 305-314.
Lovecky, D. (1992). Exploring social and emotional aspects of giftedness in children. Roeper Review, 15(1), 18-25.
Maslow, A. (1943). A Theory of Human Motivation. Psychological Review [Kindle version], 50(4), 370-396. Retrieved from Amazon.com.
Olszewski-Kubilius, P., & Limburg-Weber, L. (1999). Options for middle school and secondary level gifted students. Journal of Advanced Academics, 11(1), 4-10.
doi:10.4219/jsge-1999-615
Plucker, J. & Callahan, C.M. (2008). Critical issues and practices in gifted education: What the research says. Waco, Tex.: Prufrock Press.
Reis, S., & Renzulli, J. (2010). Is there still a need for gifted education? an examination of
current research. Learning and Individual Differences, 20(4), 308-317. ISSN: 1041-
6080 (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/
Vialle, W., Heaven, P., & Ciarrochi, J. (2009). On being gifted, but sad and misunderstood:
Social, emotional, and academic outcomes of gifted students in the Wollongong youth study. Educational Research and Evaluation, 13(6), 569-586.
doi:10.1080/13803610701786046
* Dwarf Planets- What’s the deal?
By Chris Snyder
Have you seen the latest scientific journals talking about “dwarf” planets? Have you wondered what they are talking about? Have you wondered why it is important?
Come to the OAGCT conference! Learn the basics from astronomer Justin DeVinney! Teach your students some cool, cutting-edge stuff! It will be OUT of this WORLD!
* Duke TIP
Since 1980, the not-for-profit Duke Talent Identification Program (Duke TIP) has been a world leader in identifying academically talented students and providing innovative programs to support their educational development. Beginning at critical points in education, Duke TIP gives students a chance to learn more about their abilities through academically challenging opportunities.
As early as 4th grade, qualifying students may participate in Duke TIP’s 4th-6th Grade Talent Search program that helps academically talented young people get inspired to learn through exciting educational involvement. Parents become armed with information about how they can help their children develop their talents, and students are encouraged to continue challenging themselves during a pivotal stage in their growth, such as by taking advantage of an optional, above-level testing experience (the PSAT 8/9 test).
Through Duke TIP’s 7th Grade Talent Search program which focuses on the identification, recognition, and support of high-ability seventh graders, students take college entrance exams alongside high school students. A large number of 7th grade Talent Search participants earn scores that many high school seniors would envy.
Duke TIP also offers educational programs, many available through 12th grade, such as: Summer Studies, Scholar Weekends, Domestic and International Field Studies, online E-Studies Courses offering high-school or college-level coursework, and much more.
Through identification, recognition, information, advocacy, challenging educational programs, and research, TIP offers a wide array of services to students, their parents, educators, and schools. Duke TIP enjoys a long history of supporting and extending local efforts to better understand, motivate, enrich, and academically challenge the brightest students in our nation.
For more information, please contact Traci Guidry at TIP's Texas Satellite Office in Austin at (512) 473-8400 or email her attguidry@tip.duke.edu. Or visit our website to learn more: www.tip.duke.edu!
Traci Guidry
Southwest Regional Manager
Duke TIP - Texas Office
Gifted Minds, Giftedness Knows No Boundaries
By Dr. Linnea Van Eman
Meeting with school districts’ around Oklahoma, conversations generally come around to EQUITY. Interestingly my district’s first core value is EQUITY. As an advocate for our often overlooked special population, I look for opportunities to guide district conversations to EQUITY issues related to our gifted students.
NAGC our national organization has its pulse on national trends so it’s not surprising that NAGC is taking the lead in promoting EQUITY issues around gifted minority populations.
“National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) has organized the Giftedness Knows No Boundaries Campaign to promote EQUITY and EXCELLENCE in our homes, schools, and communities by sharing key information about the nature and needs of gifted children. It begins with awareness building about children with gifts and talents and improved policies and practices that create supportive environments where gifted children can thrive.” Please visit www.GiftednessKnowsNoBoundaries.org
Four key talking points you can use to start conversations about what EQUITY does and does not look like for all gifted children. Posters are also available:
SEE ME!
Children in poverty and minority groups are often left out of gifted programs. These children are 2.5 times less likely to be identified for, and in, gifted and talented programs in schools. Children deserve fair identification strategies.
UNDERSTAND ME!
Some of the brightest children underachieve in school for a variety of reasons. Children need informed counselors, teachers, and parents who can help them overcome social, emotional, and psychological challenges involved in growing up.
TEACH ME!
Only 1 in 50 states requires all teachers to have pre-service training in gifted education. Gifted and talented children have unique learning needs that set them apart from their peers. These learners benefit most when they are taught by teachers trained to support them. Invest in preservice training and effective professional learning.
CHALLENGE ME!
Imagine sitting through a class for more than 90 days before learning something new. Gifted elementary school children know more than 50 percent of school year material on the first day of class. Imagine how frustrating it is to sit through content you already know.
*Looking at Your Minority Populations; EQUITY in Identification and Service
How many districts include their gifted population in the EQUITY conversation? With NAGC’s EQUITY campaign in mind, how often do districts focus on the number of students who qualify in the top 3% and students who qualify as multi-criteria? But, how often do we compare our gifted demographics to the district as a whole. At the district level, we have the ability to drill down to identify our gifted students by ethnicity, and economic insufficiency. Our October 1 state reports break down those numbers by grade and ethnicity as well.
How do we use this information to analyze how well we are identifying our minority groups and children living in poverty? Often students participating in gifted programs do not reflect the ethnic, socioeconomic or linguistic diversity of the school district as a whole. A court case brought against Illinois School District Gifted Education that focused on identification procedures and programming practices is an example of how districts may unintentionally discriminate against minorities regarding screening, identification, and service.
How can your district determine whether your gifted population appropriately reflects your district’s overall demographic makeup? Are your minority populations under-represented in your gifted program? This conference session will help districts assess current status and some steps to alleviate inequities.
Pre-work if you will attend this session:
*Read through the summary of the McFadden vs. Board of Education for Illinois School District U-46
*Bring your district’s demographic statistics and your gifted demographic information to this session.
Linked is a template: Include any numbers and percentages for your gifted and district demographic
Discrimination in Gifted Education Must End
Article Review by Robin Harris
In his January 4, 2017, Education Week article, “Discrimination in Gifted Education Must End”, Harold O. Levy argues that minority and low-income students are underrepresented in gifted programs. Levy is the former chancellor of New York Public Schools. Levy states that students are being denied access to accelerated, challenging learning. He suggests that what’s more troubling is students are often selected for gifted programs in a discriminatory manner.
Levy sites a 2015 study by the National Bureau of Economic Research in which researchers studied the screening process for gifted abilities in Florida’s Broward County school district. Researchers found that black and Latino students; students who received free or reduced-price lunches; English-language learners; and female students were under-referred to the gifted program. Levy suggests one cause for the gaps is a lack of student referrals from educators. In the study, researchers found when every student is tested for entrance to gifted programs the numbers of minority and low-income students greatly increases. He goes on to offer implications of how we identify students for gifted services. He recommends testing every single student and then making appropriate placements.
*Blooming Fun in the Classroom
By Lisa Harper
Learning is fun!
Can you remember the last time you had fun learning something? I have always loved learning. I love to read. I will watch a documentary about almost anything just for the pleasure of learning something new. However, not everyone was gifted with this love for building new dendrites.
As educators, the questions is, how do we get our students to feel the joy of learning? What if we could teach them how to learn so that they are excited about the process not only in our class, but in life?
I took a poll of several of my adult and teenage friends and asked them if they could remember having fun while learning. I noticed a trend. Everyone either mentioned learning something from a person they loved or that the new information or skills they learned were relevant to their own personal lives. I also noticed that none of them mentioned a lesson from school!
Do you want some creative and memorable techniques to teach all your students? Have you considered using story-telling, the oldest method of instruction, in your classroom? Ever heard of synectics? Come to this session “Blooming Fun in the Classroom” and walk away with specific strategies to increase the fun in your classroom immediately. This is one session you don’t want to miss!
Go Foundation: Teacher Scholarships and Gifted Certification
By Dr. Linnea Van Eman
Gifted Oklahomans (GO) Foundation an affiliate of OAGCT was established to provide scholarships to teachers of gifted students to pursue college course work or a master’s degree in the field of gifted education and who plans to work in an Oklahoma school in gifted education. The scholarship is provided with the stipulation the course work is completed with a B or above, the recipient is willing to submit a syllabus and transcript, turn in a copy of the grade or a letter from the professor with a grade, and is willing to present at the OAGCT spring state convention with other scholarship recipients.
To obtain gifted certification in Oklahoma, certified teachers must complete 18 hours of graduate level gifted coursework to take the OGES state certification test. The SDE Gifted and Talented Education webpage provides links to the certification process. Oklahoma is fortunate to have two universities that offer gifted coursework, both aligned with the Oklahoma State Competencies for the Gifted and Talented Specialist:
Oklahoma State University (Stillwater/Tulsa):
The Gifted and Talented Education program has a new home. The program will now be housed in the School of Teaching and Curriculum Leadership in the College of Education. The gifted program offers the 18 hours (six core courses) for certification as well as a Masters of Science in Teaching, Learning, and Leadership, Option: Gifted and Talented Education (36 hours total). All of the courses will be offered in a hybrid format (some online, others will meet face to face). The Differentiation course will be a required common core class, so that really makes 21 hours of gifted coursework for someone in the Master’s program. The program will offer 1 course per semester (2 in the summer) in a cohort format.
GTED 5063 Introduction to Gifted Education
GTED 5163 Counseling Techniques for Teachers of Gifted Learners
GTED 5763 Teaching Techniques and Models for Gifted Education
GTED 5993 Identification and Behavioral Characteristics of Gifted Learners
GTED 5863 Developing Programs for Gifted Learners
GTED 5620 Practicum in Education of Exceptional Learners
Dr. Stephanie Hathcock
School of Teaching and Curriculum Leadership
Oklahoma State University
Stephanie.hathcock@okstate.edu
405-744-7396
University of Central Oklahoma (Edmond)
The gifted program at UCO is housed in the Jackson College of Graduate Studies. The program includes six core courses (18 hours) which does not lead to graduation but to gifted certification. All of the courses, with the exception of the Practicum, are self-paced online courses (SPOC) that are intensive eight-week blocks. There are four blocks offered each semester on a rotating basis, so in any one semester, it is possible to complete two courses.
ESFR 5413 Foundations of Gifted Education
ESFR 5423 Social-Emotional Needs of Gifted Learners
ESFR 5433 Program Development for Gifted Education
ESFR 5443 Identification and Assessment in Gifted Education
ESFR 5453 Leadership and Communication for Gifted Education
ESFR 5900 Practicum in Teacher Education-Gifted Talented and Creative
Dr. Linda Rittner
Department of Educational Sciences, Foundations & Research
University of Central Oklahoma
405-974-3488Why I Belong to Professional Education Organizations
By Rebecca McLaughlin, Oklahoma State Department of Education
One of the best decisions I have made in my life is changing my college major to education! It’s an exciting, rewarding and vibrant field! My career has spanned a few decades now, but still, I am constantly learning new things. Being a part of a larger group of educators has been very helpful. I have belonged to local, state and national organizations in gifted education, the arts, and curriculum development. At certain times, I haven’t recognized the value of them – or just haven’t had the extra money in my pocket for dues. But one of the most valuable investments I’ve made over the years is in joining a few professional organizations.
I recently read a 4C Technology blog about this subject and would like to share some of the main points with you (paraphrased and streamlined). Here are a few of the benefits for us, as educators, in joining a professional organization or two.
Broaden your knowledge: Professional organizations offer conferences, seminars or newsletters to keep themselves and their members up to date on the latest innovations, research, and laws. Staying informed on educational issues will only help you in the long run.
Enhance your network: We all know that networking is key for teachers and administrators. Joining associations give countless opportunities to connect on a local or state level. From this, you are able to support and help one another in reaching your professional goals.
Be a Leader: Professional associations give you an opportunity to develop your skills as a leader, and this is important not only for your personal growth but for your growth in your school and district.
Become a mentor: Giving back can be the greatest reward and benefit. Participating in forums, chat groups or discussion boards sponsored by an association is also a great way to grow your network. This allows you to use your peers as sounding boards and help new educators. I’ve shared ideas and resources and asked other educators a lot of questions in this way.
Strength in Numbers: Our career field often demands working long hours at school and bringing work home when the doors close. At the end of the day, you may have ideas for cultivating new programs or lessons, yet not feel up to shouldering all the responsibility to organize them. In an organization, you have access to an established support system of experienced people who are willing to share and to help you.
Stay Inspired and Stay Motivated: Continue to love what you do! This is the best profession in the world!
*Twice-Exceptional Students: Who Are They and Why Are They So Hard to Figure Out?
by Wendy S. Leader, Ph. D.
Maybe you know this student: He loves your elementary school math class. He answers all your questions, understands number sense, patterns, and data analysis and displays at a deep level. Sometimes he brings you math investigations that he has done at home on his own, work that is far above his grade level. He is the epitome of an engaged, insightful mathematics student.
But in your language arts class, he seems to be another person. He slumps in his chair, plays with his pencil and things in his desk, complains every time he is asked to read silently, and will do anything to avoid having to read aloud in front of his peers. You sympathize with that, because he struggles even with simple sight words, exhibits little skill in decoding new words, and miscalls words frequently, substituting other words with the same initial sound, but that don’t fit the context of the sentence. As a result, his comprehension is very poor. He is barely reading and is far below grade level. How can this be the same boy?
Many educators encounter twice-exceptional (2e) students like this, students who are walking contradictions. They demonstrate brilliance in some areas but struggle in others. Some, like the sample student described above, seem to have a typical specific learning disability (SLD), but in other aspects come across as very advanced, even gifted. Other 2e students demonstrate characteristics of disabilities such as Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), emotional disturbance, or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Twice-exceptional students are those who are identified as gifted under local regulations and identified with one or more disabilities under state and federal criteria for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Oklahoma gifted education statute does not specifically recognize twice-exceptionality but does not exclude it from gifted and talented identification or programming. Nationally, it is estimated that 2%-5% of gifted students also have a disability, although exact statistics are not available. One factor that inhibits the collection of accurate numbers is the difficulty of identifying 2e students.
Teachers of the gifted are more likely than other educators to recognize twice-exceptional students (Nicpon, et al., 2013). Many people, including even special educators, don’t accept that disabilities can coexist with giftedness. The paradoxical characteristics of strengths and weaknesses can make recognition difficult and confusing. Sometimes the strengths of gifted students can their mask their disabilities; conversely, the disability can mask the gifts. And, in an effect called “double-masking,” characteristics of gifts and of disabilities can conflict with each other to the point that the student looks unremarkable in academics and/or behavior (Trail, 2011). Only an astute observer with knowledge of twice-exceptionality may spot the glimpses of giftedness that indicate a need to look deeper.
Those with experience and training in gifted education should raise their awareness and familiarity with this sub-population of students. Given that giftedness can take many forms and that disabilities are associated with a wide variety of behaviors, 2e students can look very different from each other. Their needs, therefore, are also diverse, and educators of the gifted may be the first ones to recognize and begin meeting those unique needs.
References
Nicpon, M. F., Assouline, S. G., & Colangelo, N. (2013). Twice-exceptional learners: Who needs to know what? Gifted Child Quarterly, 57(3), 169-180.
Trail, B. (2011). Twice-exceptional gifted children: Understanding, teaching, and counseling gifted students. Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.
Student Showcase!
Mrs. Jennifer Starr the Gifted teacher at Eisenhower International School , Tulsa Public Schools:
Eliza Fultz is a 5th grader at Eisenhower International School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Eliza’s love for writing arose from her love for reading. She has always had a fondness for the way stories and characters come to life in a book, and Eliza wants to bring stories and characters to life for others.
Saving Daniella
By Eliza Fultz
Kira sat cross-legged on her bed, a book in her lap. Her green eyes bright with excitement, her trembling fingers ran down the dirt-stained spine of the book. She placed her hand gently on the leather-bound cover.
Kira opened the book gingerly. She stared at the inside cover, where someone's name... Daniella Allen Mouton… was scribbled in the bottom left corner in messy cursive. She blinked. Maybe that name would become significant later.
Kira shook her head. Emptying her mind of any thoughts about this woman’s name, she turned the page. In that same messy cursive was what looked like a journal entry.
1932, June 12th
Dear Diary,
Father bought me a book filled with blank pages yesterday. He told me to record my thoughts and to 'go slowly and wisely'. I truly do not know what that means, but I did know something was bothering father. He seemed to be distant and sad. I approached him while he was in his study, knowing fully well that I probably shouldn't be in there. I asked him what was troubling him.
Father looked as if he was noticing my presence for the first time. He looked up from his papers and told me in a cold voice to leave his study.
He was usually so sharp and observant. I had knocked on the door before walking in. Maybe I had knocked too quietly. But I am still sure there is something pestering him. I will surely remember to ask him about it tomorrow.
Signing off,
Daniella Allen Mouton
Kira read this over and over again. Daniella. A young girl it seemed. Kira had thought this book was going to give her some secret as to why they still lived by Allen Mosson's rules of life.
Allen Mosson had been mayor of the small village of Reddy in the 1920s-1930s. He had constructed a sort of experiment he had chosen a few families and eliminated some core things from their daily routine. He restricted what types of books, music, clothes and toys they could buy and radio shows they could listen to.
His 'experiment' grew and grew until it enveloped the whole village. Mosson took away certain foods, clothes and drinks. Riots broke out soon after Mosson regulated the money each family earned, with most only making $1,200-$1,400 a year.
Still, in present day Reddy, the money is regulated, nearly every family getting the same amount of money a year. Some foods and clothes also are still restricted, but people could listen to most songs, read most books, and listen to most radio shows.
Kira ached to learn more about this Daniella, but she knew she should be sleeping; her eyelids were becoming heavy anyway. She turned off her lamp and pushed the journal under her bed. She leaned back, stretching out her legs and rested her head on her pillow.
~~~~~
Kira awoke to the sound of her mother bustling around in her room. "Up and at 'em, Kira!"
Kira groaned. Today she had to go to school. Kira covered her head with her pillow, trying to block out her mother. Her mother laughed and pulled the pillow off her head. "Kira, you have a field trip to the City Hall!"
Kira opened her eyes and sighed. She had forgotten about that field trip. She threw back the covers just as her mother left, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. Kira stood, stretching her arms and walked to the mirror hanging on the wall in the hallway. She looked at herself for a moment in the mirror, at her long, straight brown hair and green eyes. Kira blinked and turned away.
After getting dressed for school Kira rushed into the kitchen. All girls had to wear the same thing -plaid skirts down to their knees, dark green shirts that must be tucked in, and hair that had to be in a neat bun.
Kira grabbed an apple, which in Reddy was considered more of a dessert food. She would probably get scolded for it later, but she was in a rush. She grabbed her backpack and ran out the front door. "Goodbye!" her mother called after her. Kira waved her hand in a gesture that meant she had heard her.
When she was about a block away from her house, Kira slowed to a walk. She took a bite out of the apple and wiped off the juice that ran down her chin with the back of her hand. She walked at a slow pace; she didn't want to go to school today, much less to City Hall.
Maybe she would go to the library after school and try to find some things about Daniella. No. Yes. She would go to the library, but first, she had to get this field trip over with.
~~~~~
That day was one of the longest and most boring days at school. First, Kira had arrived at school, of course. The morning had dragged by, with everyone doing mathematics that Kira barely understood. After lunch, they had walked to the city hall, which was nearly 10 blocks away.
They had had a tour of the building, which all of her classmates, including her, had been in nearly a hundred times. The tour guide, an elderly man with thin white hair and wrinkled skin, talked very quietly, and then at times he would startle all of them by almost screaming.
The afternoon went by even slower than that morning. Finally, as they were walking back to school, Kira remembered about going to the library to find out more about Daniella.
The day seemed to speed up, just a little bit. Kira was walking to the library in less than an hour. Finally, she reached her destination. Swinging open one of the burnished brown doors of the smaller blue building, she felt excitement bubble in her stomach.
Kira reminded herself not to have very high expectations because she might not find anything. That dampened her spirits slightly, but nonetheless, she was excited to at least try to find something about Daniella.
Kira walked up to the big circular desk in the center of the library. A woman, probably in her mid-thirties, sat in a desk chair staring at a computer screen. Kira cleared her throat to make herself known. The woman looked up, Kira saw that she had a small gold nametag pinned to her gray shirt. Penelope McClure. The woman's name was Penelope McClure.
Kira smiled. "Hello, Ma'am. I was wondering if you had any articles or anything that mentioned a girl named Daniella Allen Mouton?"
Penelope nodded and moved her hands to the keyboard, typing into the computer. "Yes, we have a few newspaper articles about her in the August 1932 papers. They should be in aisle seven."
Kira nodded. "Thank you, Ma'am," she said quietly before making her way towards aisle seven.
Kira stopped in front of the aisle. There were stacks upon stacks upon stacks of newspapers. Kira groaned. She had to look for the August 1932 newspapers.
Kira looked at the stack closest to her left, pulling a random newspaper out of the stack, the stack swayed slightly but did not fall. Kira looked at the top of the first page. 1930, September 3rd. Kira walked farther down the aisle, occasionally stopping to look at the date of a newspaper.
Finally, she found a newspaper with the date 1932, August 1st. Luckily, the stack for that month was tied together with old, yellow string. She picked up the stack and walked out of the musty aisle.
Kira walked to the nearest table and sat, placing the stack gently on the table in front of her. She gingerly undid the knot in the string holding the newspapers together. She slowly picked up the first newspaper on the stack, August 1st, 1932. Kira internally groaned. She had to look through all of these papers until she found what she wanted to know about Daniella.
It wasn't until the newspaper dated 'August 16th, 1932' that she found Daniella's name. Kira bit her lip and began to read;
Earlier this morning, August 16th, 1932, a young girl's body was found in the lake of Reddy. The girl is specified to be Daniella Mouton, thirteen years old. There were no signs of a struggle, nor were there any suspicious injuries. However, there was a very strange object in her skirt pocket, a dagger with 'Skill to do comes of doing' inscribed on the handle.
Kira blinked. 'Skill to do comes of doing.' Kira knew she had heard that somewhere.... But where? Kira had to keep this newspaper. Quickly she put the stack of newspapers away, taking the August 16th one up to the desk where Penelope was still sitting.
"Uh, excuse me, ma'am, but could I check out this newspaper?" Kira asked, placing the newspaper gingerly on the desk. Penelope raised an eyebrow. "I don't think you can check out a newspaper..."
"Please, ma'am, it's for a... school project." Kira lied, she hated lying but she was desperate.
Penelope sighed. "Hm... August 1932. I think you can keep that," She said. "No one has looked at the newspapers before 1960 in a long, long, time," she added. Kira smiled. "Can I really keep it?" She asked, sounding almost like a child who was just about to get a toy they had been wanting.
"Yes, I'm sure no one will notice," Penelope said, smiling gently.
Kira wanted to hug Penelope. She knew she should try to act less enthusiastic. This was supposed to be for a school project, no one would be so excited for a school project. "You're sure?" Kira asked. She didn't want to get in trouble later for keeping the newspaper.
"Yes, yes. Now go on home and start on this 'project' of yours," Penelope said. Kira had a feeling that Penelope knew that the newspaper was not for a school project, but she nodded and took the newspaper off the desk and cautiously placed it in her backpack.
~~~~~
Once Kira was safe inside her room, she sat on her bed and pulled her laptop out of her backpack along with the newspaper. A little more research on Daniella would definitely help. She wanted to get the journal out but decided against it. She shouldn't even have it (she had found and taken it out of her grandfather’s library when he passed away). Her mother might walk in and see her with the journal, and then Kira would never get to learn more about Daniella.
Kira opened her laptop and then clicked the browser. She decided to start with something easy, typing 'Daniella Allen Mouton' into the search bar. She clicked the first link that came up and realized it was a record.
Name: Daniella Allen Dahlia Mouton
Birth date: April 11th, 1919
Date of death: August 16th, 1932
Cause of death: Unknown
Family: Clarissa Olivia Rose Mouton (sister), Derik Gage Mouton (father), Hestia Violet Mouton (mother)
Kira shook her head, not bothering to read the rest of the record. She scrolled down, looking through the rest of the webpage. Most of it was just ads and links to other websites/biographies.
Kira decided to search 'Skill to do comes of doing'. She found almost nothing, until she came across a link that redirected her to a webpage about Keller Dyllan Beckett. Beckett was Kira's last name... Maybe this person was related to her!
Kira began to read the article she had found on the webpage.
Keller Dyllan Beckett was suspected, if not the cause, of several murders, one of the most well-known being that of Daniella Mouton, a young girl who had been a powerful lawyer's daughter. Keller was suspected of this murder mainly because his dagger had been found in the girl’s pocket when they discovered her body. Several men who had been associated with Keller claimed that he had used the dagger to perform other murders. The claims were not taken seriously until one man by the name of Alexander (his last name is unknown) said that 'Skill to do comes of doing' was engraved on the handle. He stated that this had been Keller's motto.
The police asked Keller himself, Keller had said that he had never heard that line before, but some people still believe it was his motto. Less than a week later, Alexander was found dead with a sinister note attached to his clothes that read 'Snitch'.
Kira gasped as this information sunk in. She shut the laptop, pushing it off her lap in an attempt to get as far away from anything mentioning Keller as possible. That quote... Kira knew that it had been her great-grandfather’s motto. He was Daniella's murderer.
Kira suddenly had an idea. She quickly changed into leggings, shorts and a t-shirt before pulling on her tennis shoes and grabbing her backpack, stuffing her laptop and the journal inside.
Kira ran out of her room, dodging her older brother Oliver as she ran down the hall. He said something to her, but she wasn't listening to anyone. Her mother walked towards the stairs, her hands on her hips. "My goodness, Kira. Why are you making so much noise?"
Kira slipped past her mother. "I'm going over to a friend’s house... Project that we really need to finish," she called over her shoulder as she ran out the front door, down the front steps, and down the driveway.
Kira slowed to a fast walk almost a block away from her house. She knew where the boy’s house was, but she barely knew him. How was she going to be able to talk to him? She shook her head, clearing her mind. She just needed to get to his house, then she would think about everything else.
After about 10 minutes, Kira reached the right house, which was large and painted a pale blue. She opened the front gate and walked up the pathway to the porch. She walked up the front steps carefully and slowly. For some reason, she was now nervous.
Kira stood in front of the red front door. She took a deep breath and rang the doorbell, taking a step away from the door. A few moments later, a tall, lanky, blonde woman answered the door. Kira guessed she was in her mid-forties or older.
"Hello, ma'am, I'm looking for Gage...is he here?" Kira asked; she hoped he was.
The woman nodded. "I will go get him," she said before inviting Kira in. Kira waited in the entrance as the woman walked down a hallway and went to the left. Kira was so curious she nearly walked into the room that was only a few yards from her, but she quickly stopped herself; she couldn't snoop. She was already in an upperclassman's house, and she didn't want to feel even more awkward.
Moments later, the woman walked back into the room with someone following her. Kira had only seen Gage in her English class (she was in an advanced class), but she was sure that was him. His hair was blonde like the woman's, who she guessed was his mother; he had blue eyes and was tall, but not quite as thin as the woman.
It almost seemed as if Gage didn't recognize her, but after a moment, recognition flashed across his face. The woman said, "If you need anything, I'll be in the kitchen. Gage, lead our guest to the parlor."
Gage nodded. "C'mon," he said before walking down the same hallway the woman had just gone down Kira walked quickly to catch up with him as he went through a different doorway, this time it was to the right.
The room that Gage led her into was posh and a bit old-fashioned. The furniture looked expensive, as did everything else in the room. The floral wallpaper, the circular rug in the middle of the hardwood floor, the long, burgundy drapes that were pulled to the side so the autumn light could shine through the windows.
Kira also noticed old books that were on large bookshelves, which had glass doors that looked like they could be locked. Gage sat down on one of the chairs. Kira was almost afraid to sit down, but she cautiously sat on a sofa, pulling her backpack off and placing it onto her lap.
Gage raised an eyebrow. "So... Why is a girl that I barely know currently in my house?"
Kira bit her lip. "Well, I have a few things to explain... But I don't know if I can trust you or anyone."
Gage suddenly seemed a bit interested. "You can say anything. I'm sworn to secrecy."
Kira sighed and unzipped her bag, pulling out her laptop. "I need to show you something," she said, opening the laptop. Thankfully, it had been saved so that she was still on the correct webpage, the one about Keller.
Gage moved so that he was sitting next to Kira, looking at the laptop screen. "What do you need to show me?" he asked in a hushed voice.
Kira pulled out the journal and newspaper before closing the laptop. "Sorry, I need to explain a few more things first."
~~~~~
Kira explained everything that had happened in the last 48 hours. She told him about reading the journal entry, she even let him read it, then she showed him the newspaper article.
Gage was silent for a few moments after she finished explaining. "But... What does this have to do with me?"
Kira shrugged. "I'm not sure yet. I don't even know if it has anything to do with you... I just read about something and. I thought maybe you would have an answer?"
Kira opened her laptop and showed him the story about Alexander and Keller. After he had read all of it, she went back to the record about Daniella's family. "Here. Clarissa Olivia Rose Mouton. Wasn't that your great-grandmother?"
Gage bit his lip thoughtfully. "Um... Yeah, I think so... What does that have to do with anything?"
Kira rolled her eyes. "That was Daniella's sister! You just might have something else that will help us figure out what really happened to her."
Gage nodded. "Okay. So- I need to ask my mom."
Kira shook her head. "No. You can't make her suspicious."
"I won't, I'll tell her we're doing a project on ancestry."
Kira bit her lip. "Fine. But hurry. I can't miss dinner. My mom will worry, and then she'll scold me if I'm late."
Gage waved his hand, as if dismissing what Kira had just said. "Just give me a few minutes."
Kira nodded as the boy walked out of the room.
~~~~~
Nearly ten minutes passed before Gage came back. Kira was now flipping through the journal; none of it was useful or important. Just passages about Daniella’s daily life.
Kira looked up when Gage walked in. He was holding a box that looked older than her mother. He set the box down on the sofa beside her, pulling off the lid. Kira gasped as she saw what was inside.
There was a large black coat with a yellowing piece of paper stitched to the front that read 'Snitch'. Kira gently pulled the jacket out of the box, placing it in her lap and running her hand over the fabric.
Kira looked back into the box and saw a small porcelain doll with brown hair, brown eyes and wearing a long pink dress. She pulled out the doll and looked at the bottom of the box.
Kira saw a glint of metal peeking out from beneath the cloth on the bottom of the box. She slowly pulled away the cloth, pulling out a dagger. She ran her hands over its side.
There, on the handle 'Skill to do comes of doing' was engraved. Kira dropped the dagger; it fell to the floor with a thud. "Whoa... Be careful. That could've hurt you," Gage said, picking the dagger up off the floor.
Kira looked at him with wide eyes. "That was the knife that murdered Daniella."
Gage shook his head. "Uh... No, I don't think so. I mean... Wouldn't the police have the knife? Even to this day?"
Kira shook her head, "I don't know how that's here, but that's the knife. I know it is."
Gage raised an eyebrow. "How can you be sure?"
"I really have no idea, but it is. I-I can feel it. I know it is."
Gage sighed, "Kira, if we're ever going to figure out how she died, we need proof. I mean, I believe you but.... Other people might not."
Kira took a shaky deep breath. "You're right... I guess. But how will we find proof?"
Gage shrugged, "I don't know. How about we talk about it tomorrow at school. It's Friday tomorrow; maybe we'll be able to find something somewhere."
Kira nodded. "Yeah. Okay, good idea." She put all of her things back into her backpack.
Gage put the doll, coat and dagger back into the box, putting the lid back onto it.
"Just try not to stress about it too much. We'll figure this whole thing out," Gage said, after walking to the door with Kira.
Kira nodded, again took a deep breath and opened the front door. "Thanks.... for helping me with this whole thing. I'm also kind of sorry, for dragging you into this."
Gage shrugged. "It's fine. Finally, something to do... This town gets too boring sometimes."
Kira smiled and waved as she walked down the front porch steps.
~~~~~
Kira woke up the next morning to her mother gently shaking her.
"Come on, sweetie. You're gonna be late for school!"
As Kira got dressed, she began to worry about all that had happened. What if she didn't find the proof she needed? She told herself not to worry- it would be fine. But she couldn't get that nagging worry out of the back of her mind.
The school day dragged by once again. Kira had put her laptop, the journal and newspaper in her backpack, all of which she knew she shouldn't have in school.
Kira walked into English, tiredly sitting down. This was her last class; she could survive one more hour. As the hour progressed, her mind wandered to other places--to Daniella, to what would happen when she figured all of this out...
Kira was snapped out of her thoughts when the bell rang, signaling the end of the class period, and this time, the end of the school day. She gathered all her books and was one of the first out of the classroom.
Kira quickly walked to her locker, unlocking and opening it. She pulled her backpack out and quickly checked to see that her things were in it: the newspaper, laptop, journal, all of it was there. She sighed and smiled as she zipped up the bag.
Kira closed and made sure her locker was locked. She pulled the backpack over her shoulders before quickly making her way outside. She stood in front of the building and pulled her phone out of her pocket. She quickly texted her mom and told her she was going over to a friend’s house to finish a project, which was almost true.
As soon as Gage walked out of the doors and spotted Kira, he made himself known by gently tapping her shoulder. They began to walk toward the police station, which was only 5 blocks away.
As they walked, Kira watched as a mother called a young girl into a small yellow house. Kira remembered when she was little, she couldn't stay outside past 4:45 PM. As soon as she turned thirteen, though, she had been able to stay outside until 9:30 PM.
Gage pulled Kira out of her thoughts when he began to speak. "What do you think we'll find in the police station?" he asked pensively. Kira shrugged, she had no idea. Maybe they wouldn't find anything... She dismissed the thought quickly. Of course, they would find something. They had to.
They walked in silence the rest of the way. As soon as they were inside the station, Kira had a weird feeling that this wouldn't go well. She shook her head and took a deep breath as she neared a desk where a short man with graying hair was sitting.
Kira explained to the man that they were working on a project, and that they needed a record on a murder. "And what murder might this be?" the man asked boredly. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Uh... The murder of Daniella Allen Dahlia Mouton." The man nodded as he typed into the computer on the desk.
"There is no record of a murder of a 'Daniella Allen Dahlia Mouton.'" the man said, sounding slightly annoyed. Kira blinked, "What? No, there must be one... Are you sure?"
The man nodded. "Yes, I'm sure. Now, maybe you should go on home and stop bothering me."
Kira looked at Gage; he was obviously just as confused as she was. "Sir, I read an article online that talked about the murder of Daniella... I-I know that she died."
The man sighed. "It must've been a hoax. Yes, Daniella passed when she was thirteen, tragic, really. But she drowned. She wasn't killed, just a terrible accident."
The man looked up at Kira. "Now, if you have anything else for me to look up, please tell me. And if you don't, please leave. Thinking that this girl was murdered won't help you or me."
Kira walked out of the building in a kind of dream-ish haze. She sat on a bench that stood in front of the building. This was all too much. She shouldn't be worrying about this, she was only sixteen. She should be a teenager, not worrying about some murder that happened almost 80 years ago.
~~~~~
--4 Years Later--
A young woman, Kira, walked down a hall in City Hall, toward her office. The woman was now the mayor’s assistant, which was an amazing job since she hadn't been able to choose her job; it had been chosen for her After Kira had studied at the community college in Reddy.
Kira turned to the right, opening a door and walking into her office. As she placed her things on her large oak desk, she noticed a small piece of paper lying on top of her closed laptop. She picked it up and read the mayor’s distinguishable handwriting:
Miss Beckett,
I have had to go to an emergency meeting this morning.
I have a file in the bottom left drawer of my desk labeled
'ED356'. I would greatly appreciate it if you could make a
copy.
Kira sighed, she had to do that before she did any of her other work. She stepped out of her office and walked across the hall, opening the door to the mayor’s office slowly. She stepped into the office, looking at the large wooden desk in the middle of the room.
Looking around, Kira walked into the office, closing the door behind her. She moved forward and gasped as she tripped over something. She steadied herself before looking down and seeing a large book. She bent down and picked it up.
Flipping through the pages, Kira realized that the book was Daniella’s journal... but only a copy of the journal. She remembered it very well, this was the same one she had found in high school, but this copy was typed. As she was about to place the journal on the desk, a piece of paper fluttered out from between the pages, landing on the floor.
Picking up the piece of paper, Kira quickly read what was scribbled on it. '6262'. She blinked, her confusion growing. She let her curiosity and ideas take over, walking over to the large bookshelves lining the walls.
All the books were numbered. The current mayor had told Kira that the first mayor had numbered all the books. Apparently, every mayor since then had kept it the same, wanting to maintain some sort of 'authenticity' to the office.
Kira ran her fingers over the bottoms of the books. Each had a number.She walked toward the end of the shelf, stopping when she saw the book labeled 6032. She bent down and smiled as she found book 6261.
Kira blinked. There was no book labeled 6262, only 6261 and 6263. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she pulled both books out, placing them to the side. She gasped when she saw what looked like a small golden plate attached to the back of the bookshelf.
Placing her hand on the plate and pushing gently, Kira hoped that something would happen. As soon as she pressed the plate, a slab of wood from the bookshelf slid out of place slightly. She gingerly pulled on the slab, it came out surprisingly easily.
In the small compartment that followed, was what seemed to be a very old book. Kira pulled out the book, placing it in her lap. She sat cross-legged on the floor, wiping dust off of the leather-bound book. She opened the book to a random page.
The book appeared to be records of what families had bought, and how much money they had earned. Kira blinked; this must be the book that Allen Mosson had kept. Kira shook her head, knowing that she shouldn't be there, shouldn't be holding that book.
Kira sat on the floor, reading through the records, some were of how people had died. She flipped to the end. A cream-colored envelope was placed between the last two pages.
Picking up the envelope, Kira turned it over in her hands. She opened it easily, as it had obviously already been opened. She pulled out a folded piece of thick parchment. She unfolded the parchment and began to read a letter:
Dear Reddy Police General,
I, as your mayor, ask you to erase all evidence of my nephew, Keller Dyllan Beckett. He murdered the young girl, Daniella, and the man named Alexander. He will never set foot in Reddy, or in any city nearby. I will give you a significant amount of money to erase his records. You will tell no one about this letter, or you will lose your job. Thank you for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
Your Mayor,
Allen Mosson
~~~~~
END.