SCPS MS Gifted & Talented Services
August/September 2022
PSAT Testing for All SCPS 8th Grade Students - October 12, 2022
SCPS Middle School Gifted & Talented Educational Services (GATEs)
From the Desk of Dr. Stephenie Fellinger, SCPS Coordinator of Gifted & Secondary Programs
Welcome to the 2022-2023 school year, where anything is possible! Your gifted resource teachers and I are currently planning out the year for our students.
As we return to a more typical school year, the teachers and our students need to build their persistence and resilience muscles. I want to encourage you to strengthen and develop your coping skills. Dr. Dan Peters (2012) makes the following suggestions:
Improve your frustration tolerance (lengthen that fuse!).
Dr. Stephen Covey (The 8th Habit) describes how successful people take more time to think and problem-solve before becoming upset and shutting down.
Learn how to use your great "thinking brain."
Practice how to positively self-talk
Learn how to form a realistic view of self and abilities
Highlight the students' strengths to give them the courage to work on an area of weakness.
Teachers and parents can scaffold and support weaknesses.
Scaffolding allows a tall building to be painted, and for struggling students, it will enable them to complete tasks that they are currently unable to do on their own.
Set up opportunities for success.
Gifted students often struggle with not being perfect or possibly looking inadequate. Set up an environment so they can take chances in a private forum.
Remember your gifted resource teacher is here for you! Please reach out to us so that we can provide any needed support.
Have a wonderful school year.
Dr. Stephenie Fellinger
(Peters, D (2012) Copying 101: Building Persistence and Resilience in Gifted Children. California Association for the Gifted. Vol 43, No 4. Winter 2012)
Getting to Know Dr. Stephenie Fellinger and the SCPS Middle School Gifted Team - On Resilience
I did not have much of a summer, but I look forward to the end of August and through the fall when I will go watch one of my grandchildren play D1Field Hockey. Go Liberty! I'm most excited about seeing all of the students come back to the school buildings. I love seeing all of their bright, shining eyes.
I am a believer in resilience. I did not attend college until my own children were in middle and high school. I had to push myself to be a mom, wife, and student. The mantra I used to motivate myself was from the Little Train That Could..."I think I can; I think I can . . . I can!"
Tyler Clarke - Gifted Art SCPS Middle Schools
Hi Gifted Artists! I am Mrs. Clarke, the Gifted Art teacher. This is my 3rd year as the Gifted Art teacher but my 17th year of teaching. I started my teaching career in 2005 at Lafayette Upper Elementary in Fredericksburg City, teaching art to 3rd-5th grade. In 2011, I moved to Stafford and started teaching art at Drew Middle School. Before being a teacher, I studied art education at Radford University and got to work with some amazing professors and mentor teachers. I grew up in Caroline County, VA, and my parents still live in the house I grew up in. I have one brother, and we are very close in age. I live in Stafford County with my husband, two kids, and our dog, Finley.
This summer, I spent most of my time shuttling my daughter to and from her dance studio. While she was in dance classes, my son and I did a lot of fishing around Stafford County. My family and I spent a week in Avon, NC - a trip I look forward to every summer. This school year, I am excited to be able to be back in person with my students this year and to be able to help them create some awesome collaborative projects.
Resilience plays a part in my life every day as a parent. Being resilient has helped me to model coping strategies for my own children, showing them how to face and overcome the difficulties of everyday life.
Mr. Scott Trotta - Rodney Thompson Middle School
While I would love to say I was a world traveler this summer, I spent most of my time teaching the Math Extensions program, where students can bridge to Algebra from either Math 6X or Math 7. My family and I had plenty of long weekends to enjoy the outdoors and had a great time together visiting extended family in South Carolina before the start of school. This year, I am most excited to see our school full of students, and I cannot wait to return to at least "semi-normalcy" - working together face-to-face and engaging in really cool opportunities!
We all face difficult times. I believe those experiences bring out the best of us and help us to build our personal resiliency. Resilience has played an especially important role in my life. I often tend to focus more on my work and building up the people around me. I believe in the adage that hardship makes us stronger and that difficult times can help us grow. We learn as people when we persevere and stay optimistic about what the future holds.
Mrs. Audra DeFiore Wood - H.H. Poole Middle School
We spent the summer playing on the beach and in the ocean. We made great memories! This school year, something I am excited about is seeing my students on a more regular basis and working closely with the teachers in my building.
How has resilience played a role in my life? I would not describe myself as athletic. Running was always a nightmare for me because I couldn't breathe. I dreaded the day we had to run the mile and a half in PE and always ended up in tears when I failed repeatedly. When I was 28, I committed to running a 5K. To prepare, I used a Couch to 5K program and started off walking with only tiny bursts of running. By the end of the six-week program, I could successfully, albeit slowly, run a couple of miles without stopping. While I knew I would never be the fastest, I was so happy to be able to finish the race.
Mrs. Rebecca Musso - Drew Middle School
My family spent the summer having fun at the beach, hanging by the pool, and seeing family and friends. Now, I am focused on this school year, and I'm most excited to learn from my students and see them grow!
I experienced resilience when involved in high school athletics. I was on the golf team in high school, and I came in 4th at an important tournament. I practiced and practiced and placed 2nd in the next one.
Mrs. Lisa Arthur - Dixon-Smith Middle School
We have identical twin boys who graduated from college in 2021. Both are living their dream with one working as a staffer on Capitol Hill and the other working for Disney in Florida. Our daughter is a senior in college and will graduate in May with a Biochemistry Major and Leadership Minor. She is also a collegiate athlete and intends to pursue medical school, so her academic journey is far from over. One of my sons was born with cerebral palsy and required years of therapy and surgeries. I stayed home to provide those services (the nursing never went to waste) but eventually chose education and continued with Master's work in Gifted Education through Liberty University. With all of our moves, I have attended six different colleges . . . and that is how resilience has been a powerful tool in my life.
I am a big fan of Disney and travel to the parks, or cruise, whenever possible . . . my home away from home! I have been to the parks nearly fifty times!
I love meeting my students, having weekly lunch (Gate Grub Time) together, and hearing all the wonderful things they are doing. What a plethora of interests in this group! The past two years were tough for everyone, and we will make the most of this year!
Mr. Joseph "Jack Harding" - Shirley Heim Middle School
Being a history fan, in the summer, I visited historical sites in Virginia that I had never been to before, such as Appomattox Courthouse, where the Civil War ended, and Poplar Forrest, which was Thomas Jefferson's private retreat. Now that school has started, I look forward to engaging and interacting with students.
Resilience is a strategy that has played an important part in my life. When I was 18, I was diagnosed with Barrett's esophagus. This was a scary medical condition for an 18-year-old to deal with. With support from family and friends, I was able to make it through a difficult time.
Mrs. Rachael Matern - Gayle Middle School
This summer, we spent time together as a family enjoying the pool, cooking on the grill, and having movie nights. This school year, I am most excited to have all students back in the building. I love seeing smiling faces.
Resilience has played a major role in my life. I am Dyslexic, which has impacted my entire education, from elementary school through college. Sometimes we like to hide our disabilities, but I believe it can be a superpower that has provided me with understanding, compassion, and patience. I am thankful for all the amazing educators I have had through my own education and strive daily to be just like them.
Mrs. Leigh Wiegert - A.G. Wright Middle School
During the summer, my family took a much-needed break in the Outer Banks. We stayed on Hatteras Island and enjoyed the warm, clear water.
This year I'm excited to get to know and work with the students across the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. This is my fifteenth year teaching, and I knew I wanted to teach even when I was in high school. I love what I do -- it is my hope to pass on that enthusiasm to my students.
I have to be resilient. I am a teacher and a parent, so the challenges of COVID were hard, but through it all, I learned the importance of flexibility and understanding.
Ms. Bryce Barnes - Stafford Middle School
Hello! I am Bryce Barnes, the gifted resource teacher at Stafford Middle School! I am in my 6th year of teaching in SCPS, but my 2nd at SMS, where I was previously the Reading Specialist. I also coach field hockey at Stafford High School and for a local travel club. I have a dog named Millie, and when I am not teaching or coaching field hockey, Millie and I like to go kayaking and to visit new places!
I graduated from Ball State University in 2017 with a BS in Elementary Education and a concentration in reading. While at Ball State I played women’s division I field hockey and was in the Honors College. I completed my student teaching at Ramstein Elementary School in Ramstein, Germany. I earned my Masters in Gifted Education from the University of Virginia in 2021 and am excited to share my passion for working with gifted students, supporting teachers, and extending and enriching curriculum in this new role.