By: Olivia, Dani, and Taylor

The smell of sunscreen and sweat filled the air, making our eyes water. Kids all around us were screaming with anticipation. We could not wait for the day to start! We had an exciting Field Day here at Sablatura Middle School! With activities like tug-a-war and frisbee, it was hard not to have a great time. Each team was decorated with their college’s colors and competed in different events. The school organized a game of Bingo and offered cool prizes. After a year of hard work, we had earned a day of play! Tug-Of-War was an all-time favorite. The teams were able to have a friendly competition and practice their sportsmanship. We are all grateful for the water provided by the Booster Club and the volunteers who helped make Field Day possible!

By: Chelsea, Noelle and Allen

Everybody looked sophisticated in their new clothing as the TPSP groups rehearsed and prepared their big presentations. There was excitement in the air because the fifth grade students had never experienced the Student Showcase before. Boarding the bus, it was warm and musty. The new experience was beginning to create a nervous feeling throughout the throng of children. Arriving to the ESC, students rushed to their areas. Although the students were nervous at the sight of the many guests arriving, they warmed up, and began their presentations. In their excellent performances, they explained research topics such as astronomy, service animals, the dangers of concussions in youth, and the role of robotics in medicine. Parents and guests were astonished and flabbergasted by all the hard work put into the project. By the end of the evening students were proud of their own hard work and they are looking forward to starting next year's project!

There seems to be an endless supply of talent permeating through the GTA hallway! Through campus events and activities such as the International Week and our annual Sablatura talent show, many talents have emerged. Terry amazes us as he plays his violin, and Amber performs with the Greater Houston Youth Symphony. Grace, Taylor and Tyler are accomplished pianists and many, including Carolyn, Cabrini and Allen regularly attend piano competitions. Mihir and Amar have opened our eyes to the beautiful rhythm of tabla drums. Richard and Kelley are budding guitar players. Minu showed us exciting Bollywood dancing and Cordelia and Emily have showcased their beautiful dancing on America's Got Talent! And that is just the beginning. We have swimmers (Alex, Nathan, Ryan, Tegan, Jasmine, Canon...) who spend many hours at the Pearland Natatorium, and the ice skating rink (Vanessa). Tori is a competitive bowler, Reece plays water polo, and we even have a few triathletes. The list goes on and on.We are proud of our students for getting involved and staying active. Keep up the good work!

Students:

Thank you for all of the hard work you have put in this year. As you know, it takes GRIT to succeed in middle school, and you have shown it in many ways; from the perseverance it takes to get through your TPSP projects, to the extra effort and many hours you pour into academic clubs and competitions, to the integrity and resiliency it takes to collaborate with your peers on projects. As the quote on our hallway wall states: "There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure." We hope you have a great summer. Relax, enjoy making new memories with your family, and read a good book or two. You have earned it!

- Mrs. Mueller

In addition to traveling, attending camps and enjoying the lazy days of summer, you may want to do some of the following:

Continue ALEKS - Your subscription is good through July!

Visit the library - Get started on the new Bluebonnet books. Mrs. Foreman has lots of great ideas on her summer reading brochure: http://www.pearlandisd.org/webpages/sforeman/summer.cfm

Explore an interesting topic - If you haven't tried Khan Academy yet, now is the time! Lots of interesting topics. www.khanacademy.org

Try coding - Interested in learning how to code? This is a good place to start. www.code.org

*Start thinking now about camps you might want to attend next summer. Two of our students received scholarship to attend STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) camps this summer. For more information on TAGT scholarships, click here:

http://txgifted.org/tagt-summer-scholarship-fund/

This list was compiled by the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented (TAGT).

TAGT Legacy Book Awards:

2014: Make Your Worrier a Warrior - Daniel Peters (Great Potential Press)

2012: Ten Things NOT to Say to Your Gifted Child - Nancy Heilbronner (Great Potential Press)

2009: Raising a Gifted Child - Carol Fertig (Prufrock Press)

Websites about Gifted Education:

National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) www.nagc.org

Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented (TAGT) www.txgifted.org

The Association for the Gifted www.cectag.org

Hoagies' Gifted Education Page www.hoagiesgifted.org

Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG) www.sengifted.org

Duke TIP Digest of Gifted Research http://tip.duke.edu/node.84

2e- Twice Exceptional Newsletter www.2enewsletter.com