Cassidy Gifted and Talented News
April 27, 2020
Announcements
District PTP/GT Survey:
The FCPS GT District office sent out a survey via email to all PTP/GT families. I have also posted the information and link below. The survey will be open from April 22-30. Please complete the survey as a parent and also have your child/children (if you have more than one in PTP/GT) complete the survey to give Cassidy feedback on what we are doing well and what we can improve upon to best support our PTP/GT students. Thank you for your help with this!The Gifted and Talented Department is seeking your input regarding your attitude toward gifted education in Fayette County! Annually, per our state gifted regulation we must conduct a survey to gain this information from our stakeholders (704 KAR 3:285 Section 5 Program Evaluation. (1) District policies and procedures shall ensure that a program evaluation process shall be conducted on an annual basis and shall address: (b) student, parent and faculty attitudes toward the program).
From April 22 – April 30, all students, parents/guardians of gifted students, as well as faculty members, will have the opportunity to participate in an online survey. Your feedback is valuable and will help us strengthen gifted and talent services across the district.
To access the survey, please CLICK HERE
For more information, please contact the Gifted and Talented Department or your school’s gifted and talented resource teacher or contact.
We appreciate your feedback!
Spring Showcases
Due to school closing for the year, we will unfortunately not be able to have the PTP/GT or arts showcases scheduled for the dates listed below. I know many students will be heartbroken (and I am too) over this because we had big and exciting plans to share everything with our friends and families.
May 7 from 5:30-6:30 for leadership, general intellectual ability, and academic areas
May 21 from 5:30-6:30 for art, dance, drama, music, and creativity
I plan to use the last couple of weeks of school for students to work on a reflective piece to share with you and their classmates about all that they have done this semester to share with you in lieu of this event.
Weekly Update
I have posted updates for what your child can be working on this week for PTP/GT below and I have also posted it in all of their Google Classrooms. Please make sure that they are checking their Google Classroom(s) for each area that they are identified in and doing some work on their PTP/GT classes each week. I do not want this to be an added stress on families/students. I just want to provide them with resources and opportunities to keep going with their projects and learning. They should just pick up where they left off and keep going as they have time.
If you have questions or need help with anything, please reach out to me (my contact info is at the bottom of this newsletter).
Sincerely,
Dr. Angie Madden
Gifted and Talented Teacher
Cassidy Elementary
Plans for This Week
Kindergarten PTP:
All Areas Except Dance:
Students are working on a Pet Parade project where they do a series of activities around a pet they have selected. The activities they can do are listed below in the order that they should complete them so they can pick up where they left off and keep going:
1) Do research and include it on the graphic organizer with research questions about their pet.
2) Complete a life cycle circle graphic organizer about their pet's life cycle.
3) Create a comic about how they would entertain their pet considering what their pet likes to do.
4) Design a toy for their pet based on what their pet might like to play with. Draw a picture of it and write a few sentences describing it.
5) Make a bookmark to show a picture of what their pet looks like and what they would name it.
6) Create a non-fiction picture book about their pet. Include a cover with the title and author's name. Then make pages with pictures, captions, facts, etc.
7) Create a commercial about why their pet is the best pet and post it on Seesaw.
8) Create a supply list and budget for their pet in Google Classroom.
9) Complete a Venn Diagram to compare/contrast your pet to another pet to show why yours is the best in Google Classroom).
Dance:
I have posted a variety of activities students can choose from in Google Classroom.
1st Grade PTP:
Language Arts, Math, and General Intellectual Ability:
Students are doing a project called Curiosity Expedition where they select a topic of interest, research it, and then create a Digital Portfolio to tell others about it. Here are the steps that students can do. They can pick up where they left off and keep going.
1) Topic Train: List topics that they are interested in researching and narrow it down to one.
2) Research Questions: List 6 questions that relate to their topic of interest that they want to know the answer to.
3) Research and Sources: For each of their research questions, they will do research to find the answer and then copy/paste or write in the source that they got the information from.
4) Non-fiction Picture Book: Students will use what they have learned about their topic to make a digital non-fiction book.
5) Create a game to teach others about your topic.
6) Create a code for others to crack to tell them something interesting about your topic.
Art/Creativity
Students have choices for several activities they can do. These are posted in Google Classroom.
Music, Dance, and Drama:
Students have choices for several activities they can do. These are posted in Google Classroom.
2nd Grade PTP:
Language Arts and Math:
Some students have finished their Travel Passport project, so I have posted a new project called Curiosity Expedition where they can research a topic of their choose. This week's task is to choose their research topic. If students are not finished with their Travel Passport project, they should pick up where they left off and keep going.
Leadership:
This group finished their spring rotation. However, they can work on putting together a reflective piece about their projects to show all that they did over the course of the year at our showcase. They can do this in Google Slides, Google Sites, or Seesaw. I also posted a Choice Board of leadership projects that they can do in our Google Classroom.
Art/Creativity
Students have choices for several activities they can do. These are posted in Google Classroom.
Dance, Music, and Drama:
Students have choices for several activities they can do. These are posted in Google Classroom.
3rd Grade PTP:
Language Arts:
If students have not finished their non-fiction projects, they will continue to work on those. If they have finished them, then they can begin working on their historical fiction projects by following the steps posted in Google Classroom.
Math:
This week students will be working on a project to classify shapes by their attributes. Students will post their work in Google Classroom.
Leadership:
This group finished their spring rotation. However, they can work on putting together a reflective piece about their projects to show all that they did over the course of the year at our showcase. They can do this in Google Slides, Google Sites, or Seesaw. I also posted a choice board of project ideas in our Google Classroom that they can choose to work on.
Art/Creativity
Students have choices for several activities they can do. These are posted in Google Classroom.
Dance, Music, and Drama:
Students have choices for several activities they can do. These are posted in Google Classroom.
3rd Grade STEM (Science and GI):
Students can continue to work on the sustainability projects that we started at school. However, many of these projects require that we be at school to complete. If they cannot continue with their projects, then they can do a reflection in Seesaw or using any of the Google Tools they have available to show at our showcase. I have also posted a choice board of projects that they can choose from in our Google Classroom. NOTE: The Rube Goldberg machine project has a contest component attached to it that requires parent permission if they wish to do the contest. They can do the project without being in the contest, but I wanted to make sure parents were aware that that was an option in case your child asked you about it.
4th Grade GT
Language Arts:
Students are doing a non-fiction project where they research a topic of interest and then turn it into a product of their choosing (website, TV show, etc.). Students can continue working on these projects in Google Classroom. Many students were doing this in groups. If they need to collaborate with each other, they can do so using tools I share in my website (see link above or all students have access to it through their Google Classroom). If they finished this, then they can explore some of the Language Arts links on my website or Imagine Learning (see directions above or I posted them in Google Classroom).
Math:
This week, students will work on a Honeybee project about classifying shapes by their attributes.
STEM (Science and GI):
This group finished their spring rotation. However, they can work on putting together a reflective piece about their projects to show all that they did over the course of the year at our showcase. They can do this in Google Slides, Google Sites, or Seesaw. I have also posted a choice board of projects that they can choose from in our Google Classroom. NOTE: The Rube Goldberg machine project has a contest component attached to it that requires parent permission if they wish to do the contest. They can do the project without being in the contest, but I wanted to make sure parents were aware that that was an option in case your child asked you about it.
4th Grade Social Studies:
This group is doing a research project on a topic of their choosing based on a selection of topics from the 4th grade Social Studies Standards. They are working on asking research questions about their topics and then doing research, taking notes, and citing their sources. All of this is located in Google Classroom. Many students were doing this in groups. If they need to collaborate with each other, they can do so using tools listed in the website I made for them (see link above or it is also posted in their Google Classroom).
Dance:
This group finished their spring rotation. However, they can continue to practice their dance. They can also work on putting together a reflective piece about what they learned to show all that they did over the course of the year at our showcase. They can do this in Google Slides, Google Sites, or Seesaw.
5th Grade GT
Language Arts:
This group is doing an argumentative documentary project on a topic of their choosing. They are working on doing research, making an outline of their argumentative text, storyboarding to make their project plans, collecting all of their media, and then putting it together using an online program called We Video. All of this is located in Google Classroom. Many students are doing this in groups. If they need to collaborate with each other, they can do so using the tools I describe on the website I made (see link above or they can access it through Google Classroom). I would like for these groups to finish their storyboards by the end of this week if possible.
5th Grade STEM (Science, GI, and Math):
Students can continue to work on the sustainability projects that we started at school. However, many of these projects require that we be at school to complete. If they cannot continue with their projects, then they can do a reflection in Seesaw or using any of the Google Tools they have available to show at our showcase. I have also posted a choice board of projects that they can choose from in our Google Classroom. NOTE: The Rube Goldberg machine project has a contest component attached to it that requires parent permission if they wish to do the contest. They can do the project without being in the contest, but I wanted to make sure parents were aware that that was an option in case your child asked you about it.
Art:
This group finished their spring rotation. However, they can work on putting together a reflective piece about their projects to show all that they did over the course of the year at our showcase. They can do this in Google Slides, Google Sites, or Seesaw. There are also a variety of projects that they can choose from posted in our Google Classroom.
Social Studies:
This group finished their spring rotation. However, they can work on putting together a reflective piece about their projects to show all that they did over the course of the year at our showcase. They can do this in Google Slides, Google Sites, or Seesaw. I have also posted several resources that they can explore on my website (posted on Google Classroom).
Leadership
Students are working in groups on a variety of projects related to the playground improvement project. Students can continue working on what they need to do for this from home. Many students are doing this in groups. If they need to collaborate with each other, they can do so using tools I describe on my website (see link above or access it in Google Classroom). I have also put a choice board of leadership projects in their Google Classroom that they can choose from.
Dance:
This group finished their spring rotation. However, they can continue to practice their dance. They can also work on putting together a reflective piece about what they learned to show all that they did over the course of the year at our showcase. They can do this in Google Slides, Google Sites, or Seesaw. There are also a variety of activities posted in our Google Classroom that they can choose from.
Drama:
Students have choices for several activities they can do. These are posted in Google Classroom.
Online Platforms for NTI Work
Imagine Learning
This week, the district added a resource called Imagine Learning for all PTP/GT students. This is an online platform for reading and math. It is adaptive, meaning that it figures out where they are and then will scaffold their learning up. This is super useful for PTP/GT learners because it can take them above grade level content. Students can access this by going to Clever (www.clever.com) and signing in with Google using their FCPS email and password. They can then scroll down to the apps for Imagine Learning (there are several they can choose from for reading and math).
Google Classroom:
I have setup a Google Classroom for each of my classes. This is an online platform that allows me to post notes to students about what they can work on. They can also use this to submit assignments or send me messages. Each week, I will post directions that the students can see in their Google Classroom class(es) if they look under the NTI Days section and then Directions for NTI Days so your child can also check on what they need to work on there. Here are directions for how to setup Google Classroom if your child does not have access and here are the codes. Most of my students already have access to their classes, but several will not, so please check in with your child to see. Please have your child sign in to their Google Classroom and make sure they are set up for any/all of their PTP/GT classes and that they review what they need to work on each week.
Seesaw:
I have also set up Seesaw for each of my classes. Seesaw is an online platform that allows students to post videos, journals, links, documents, etc. for me to see, for you to see, and for others in their classes to see. This will be a great way for students to communicate with me and their classmates about what they have been working on or what they need help with. I have posted directions for all of them in their Google Classrooms so that they can access it that way or here are directions for how to sign your child into Seesaw (click on the option for Email/Google Account Sign In). Here is a list of the codes. Most of my students already have access to their classes, but several will not so check in with your child to see. Parents can also sign up to view their child's work on Seesaw through a parent account. The information for how to do that is located at the end of this newsletter. Please have your child sign in to their Seesaw account and make sure they are set up for any/all of their PTP/GT classes.
Resources
KAGE has some excellent resources for PTP/GT children.
Here is a link for some resources on Social and Emotional Support for GT Learners During Covid.
Here is a link for lots of educational resources for GT Learners.
Dr. Madden's Website
I have made a website to compile a lot of resources for students. Here is the link. I have also posted it to each of their Google Classrooms so they can access it as well.
Sharing Our Work With You!
Seesaw Sign Up Links
Seesaw is an online journal where students can make posts to document and share their learning with you and each other. They can take videos and pictures, make drawings, type notes, etc. I am beginning to use it in several classes and will roll it out to more as we go along so if you do not currently see your child, please continue to check in with them or check back in to see if they have set up Seesaw yet or not. If your child participates in one of these groups, you can sign up with Seesaw to view their work by clicking on the link for their group, choosing their name from the menu, and then signing up for an account. There is also a Seesaw app you can download on your phone.
4th/5th Grade Dance/Drama
4th/5th GT Art (COMING SOON - Students have to setup accounts first)
Homeroom
Homeroom is an app/online site that lets me share pictures with you of what we are up to in PTP/GT. Here is the link to our Homeroom site!
Contact Information
Gifted and Talented Teacher
Cassidy Elementary
859-381-3018 ext 21252
angie.madden@fayette.kyschools.us
Email: angie.madden@fayette.kyschools.us
Website: www.cassidy.fcps.net
Phone: 859-381-3018