The Academically Gifted Gazette
Ronald E. McNair Elementary
Volume 6, Issue 3
Spring 2020
Spring Has Sprung
Hope the colorful renewal finds your family well.
~Mrs. Green
Events
February
10th: TAG Meeting, 3rd Grade Field Trip
12th: 1st Grade Field Trip
14th: Valentine's Day
15th: Community Scrabble Tournament; GPL Black History Celebration
17th: President's Day, Teacher Workday
24th: Interim Reports
27th: Book Fair begins
March
2nd: PTA Candle Fundraiser begins
4th: GCS Elementary Battle of the Books Competition
6th: Mrs. Green at NCAGT Conference (Ms. Kaufman sub)
7th: Dr. Suess Birthday Celebration
11th: Spring Pictures
14th: Pi Day
16th: TAG Meeting, All-County Chorus begins
17th: St. Patrick's Day, Author Visit
20th: PTA Raffle Live Announcement
23rd: Interim Assessment Week
24th: 2nd Grade Field Trip
26th: Quarter 3 Ends
27th: Teacher Workday
28th: GPL Lego Club
April
1st: Report Cards
3rd: Multicultural Celebration, Wolf Pack Day
6th: Spring Break begins
12th: Easter
15th: Tax Day; PK and 5th Graduation Pictures
20th: TAG Meeting
29th: 2nd Grade Field Trip
30th: 3rd Grade Field Trip
WOW Wolves
Accelerated Reader
Taryn Williams
Jasiya Russell
Cameron McCoy
Battle of the Books Team
Justice Akers
Angel Chombo-Magos
Kayla Evans
Kaylah Harris-Rose
Bryson Legrand
Morgan Little
Jennaya Love-Meadows
Janet Nim
Joanna Nim
Esomo Oronsaye
Saniah Pleasant
Kristen Woods
McNair scientists in a parade to celebrate their accomplishments at the GCS Science Fair.
TAG Time!
The Team for the Academically Gifted recently used all available data to identify and welcome a new class of AIG third graders. Service begins immediately.
Who Said It?
Simply guess who said the following quote and click on the link below to check yourself!
Habit of Mind: Applying past knowledge to new situations
"I'm reflective only in the sense that I learn to move forward. I reflect with a purpose."
From the GCS AG Department
Guilford PAGE:
Advocates Needed! What’s an advocate you ask? An advocate is a person who publicly supports a particular cause. For years, the dedicated board members of the Guilford County Partners for the Advancement of Gifted Education (PAGE) have been champions in bringing the academic, social, and emotional needs of gifted students in Guilford County Schools to the forefront. Over the years, the students served in Guilford County Schools’ academically gifted program have benefited from initiatives implemented by Guilford PAGE, such as: parent webinars; seminar presentations; access to online resources; and transportation grants for the Academic All-Star Camp field trips.
The AG Department of Guilford County Schools recognizes the impact Guilford PAGE has had in assisting the district with the implementation of an AIG Plan that aims to address the needs of academically gifted students in grades K – 12. The department depends on Guilford PAGE to be a consistent voice within the community as it relates to the implementation of effective programming for gifted students. Although many of you support Guilford PAGE through membership, we are asking each of you to consider serving as a board member. All students served in the AG program have benefited from the efforts of Guilford PAGE. We must continue to have dedicated advocates who are willing to help others develop a better awareness of the academic, social, and emotional needs of gifted students. Please consider serving on the Guilford PAGE board. For more information, please contact the current Guilford PAGE President, Katherine Humphreys at president@guilfordcountypage.org.
Duke TIP:
In October, elementary and middle schools sent notification to families of students eligible to enroll in the Duke TIP program (achievement score at or above the 95th%ile for the 2018 – 2019 school year). Although we had more students eligible to enroll in the program when compared to previous years; we have recently been informed that enrollment for Guilford County Schools is down. It’s not to late to enroll your child into the Duke TIP program. Registration, for eligible students, may be completed online at the links listed below. Fee waivers are available for qualifying students. Questions about fee waivers and program specifics should be directed to Duke TIP.
· 7th Grade Talent Search – August 1, 2019 – April 30, 2020 https://tip.duke.edu/programs/7th-grade-talent-search
Students who want to engage in summer programs will need to take the ACT or SAT in February or early March in order to have the scores to qualify.
· 4th – 6th Grade Talent Search – October 1, 2019 - March 31, 2020 https://tip.duke.edu/programs/4th-6th-grade-talent-search
CRISIS for 5th and 6th graders will open soon and the campuses fill fast. Students will need to be enrolled in order to register.
Caesar's Corner
Latin Hall of Fame
Leilani Miller
Study Tip
Students have learned all of this year's stems and have launched into the world of vocabulary terms to be mastered through the end of the year. Check out Quizlet for practice and review. You may need to search "Caesar's English 1-10" or "Caesar's English book 1" and check to be sure the list you choose matches our terms for the semester. No login is required. Remember, the final will be cumulative so keep reviewing those terms! It is helpful to look at a few every night during homework time
Tech Times
Sumdog's mathematics contest for Guilford County schools starts Friday, February 7th. Students can play from home or in school, and it only takes about an hour in total to get a good score, which you can follow on the live leaderboard. The winning class will receive a 6 months mathematics subscription, including extra games and our premium teacher tools! Visit the Sumdog site, to join in the fun! See Mrs. Robinson for your login if you forgot.
2nd Grade Talent Development
Second grade thinking class has changed to a small group format for the remainder of the year. If your child is invited to participate, they have already received a letter in their Tuesday folder. This group will meet on Tuesdays. In addition, Mrs. Green will be offering another group of second graders an opportunity to participate in Literature Circles as a way to challenge our advanced second grade readers.
Maximizing Academic Potential
Third: Mondays at 8am
Fourth: Tuesdays at 1:30pm
Fifth: Fridaya at 1:00pm
3rd Grade
AG screening has concluded and all parents of children being screened should have been notified at this time. Every child has an opportunity to be rescreened for AG with a qualifying EOG score at the end of the year.
Explaining the Unexplainable
This semester in ELA, students will explore the concept of truth through the colorful characters of Greek mythology. Students will strengthen their ability to: refer to details when explaining text; determine two main ideas; describe a character's thoughts, words, or actions; determine the meaning of words/phrases; produce clear and coherent writing; use punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and language conventions; and participate in collaborative discussions. This class will meet on Monday mornings.
Algebra Into the Unknown
Using pattern blocks, coins, dominoes and more, students will explore the balanced equation via an undersea adventure. The class will travel through level 1 (Aquatic Equations) and we hope to complete level 2 (Variable Voyage) by the end of the quarter. In a few weeks, ask your child how many seashells they have earned for their team so far and you are likely to get a grin in return. 3rd grade AG math will meet on Monday afternoons.
4th Grade
The Power of Literate People
Students will explore the issue of illiteracy as they research and apply strategies/skills to evaluate the issue and develop solutions that will lead to an action plan and project. The focus of the unit will be on developing research, writing, speaking, listening, and planning skills to help students examine key issues regarding the public concern of Literacy through informational and literary texts and through analyzing community needs related to Literacy. Students will have opportunities to make choices about the direction of the research and action with an emphasis on opportunities to learn to read and to have access to reading materials for the individuals who reside in our community and participate in our schools. However, exploring the issue beyond the boundaries of the school, community and nation will allow students to realize the scope of the issue. By creating oral, written, visual texts, or digital reports, students will undertake an action project that will speak to the needs and concerns of Literacy in their world.
Geometry
These mathematicians will be busy applying their new geometry skills through constructive challenges in this unit. They are collecting geometry products as a means to creating an art portfolio to be shared with you at the end of the quarter. Think Piet Mondrian or Frank Stella.
5th Grade
Let Freedom Ring
As a part of a balanced literacy approach, this unit cultivates the skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening. Students will read a variety of texts, both literary and informational, allowing students the chance to explore and appreciate the craft of reading and writing. Students will integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably. Students will determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language such as metaphors and similes. Students will engage in speaking and listening skills through cooperative groups and Socratic Seminar. Finally, students will become published poets by year end.
Piece by Piece
This unit invites students to think visually about fractions. During the unit, students create visual, numerical, and algebraic representations to explore equivalence and problem solve with fractions. As they explore and critique different problem solving pathways, students extend and generalize their ideas through reasoning, justifying, and proving.
Contact Mrs. Green
Email: greenm2@gcsnc.com
Website: http://mcnair.gcsnc.com/pages/REM/Classes/25025115621499662
Location: Ronald E. McNair Elementary School, Yanceyville Road, Browns Summit, NC, United States
Phone: (336) 691-5460