The Academically Gifted Gazette
Ronald E. McNair Elementary
Volume 6, Issue 1
September 2019
Welcome Back!
Happy new year, students and families! This year you can look for a newsletter with each report card cycle. Don't forget to check your spam. Let's make this our best year yet!
~Mrs. Green
Events
September
2nd: Labor Day Holiday
3rd: AG Testing (4-5)
6th: NC Folk Festival begins
9th: AG Makeup Testing (4-5)
10th: AG 101 session (Sterneberger & Southwest)
12th: AG 101 session (Hunter & Fairview)
14th: Guilford County Passport Fair
26th: Title I Parent Night
30th: Picture Day
October
2nd-4th: CogAT testing (3)
6th: Greensboro Crop Hunger Walk
21st: Happy birthday, Ronald E. McNair!
25th: Quarter 1 Ends
28th: Teacher Workday
TAG Time!
The Team for the Academically Gifted is up and running at McNair! Join me in welcoming back this year's parent representative, Paris Deese. Paris is a mother of 2 former McNair wolves and 3 current ones! She may be reached at parisdeese5@gmail.com. If ever there is a question or concern that you wish to share parent-to-parent, please reach out to her. She can seek answers/solutions from the TAG or share her own experiences with the GCS AG program.
Who Said It?
Simply guess who said the following quote and click on the link below to check yourself!
Habit of Mind: Remaining open to continuous learning
Caesar's Corner
Tech Times
Your child's AG progress may be periodically checked this year using Thinkwave. Here's how it works:
1. Go to ThinkWave.com
2. Click the "Login" button on the top right.
3. Then click "First Time? Start Here..." under ThinkWave 3.0.
4. Establish a Username and Password, and type in the Access Code (email or hard copy).
And you're in! You may begin accessing your child's AG grades immediately for a connected school year.
2nd Grade Talent Development
3rd Grade Building Thinking Skills
Maximizing Academic Potential
4th Grade
The Hero Within
From the original Superman to real-life everyday heroes, this unit takes an in-depth look at the concept of heroism through multiple genres--including biography, graphic novel, short story, and poetry. This group is set to meet on Tuesday mornings. Who is your hero?
Pictured Right: Featured author William Sydney Porter, a.k.a. Greensboro's own O. Henry.
Math Quest
In what world might you find an Arithma Tic attacking water supplies, a Decimalus Rex inserting decimals into team values, or a Geomet Tree full of treasure? Only in the Math Quest world, of course! Math Quest is a role-playing simulation which acquaints students with six strategies for problem solving. Groups of students work cooperatively to travel through several exciting worlds while their fate rests in the card their team draws and the supplies they chose to take with them. Which groups will make it to the treasure chest?
If you are able to send in the following items with your child to keep in their AG cubby for the duration of this quarter, it might just help out their team tremendously (wink):
-one or more baseball caps
-a graham cracker
-a football &/or football helmet
-one or more shower caps
-die or dice
-a new or used calendar with a few random dates circled
The following might also be good to know:
-how to calculate a batting average (and regular average too)
-how to explain any of Newton's 3 simple laws of physics
-what the "C" in Einstein's famous E=mc squared theory stands for
This section will meet on Tuesday in the late morning. LET THE GAMES BEGIN!
5th Grade
The Arts: Wherefore Art They?
Here are some of the essential questions we will explore throughout this semester-long unit:
How can research help me to understand how the Arts are important and valued in the lives of individuals?
What influences creative expression?
In what way is it evident that Nature is an inspiration for artistic expression?
What is Human Nature and how is it expressed through The Arts?
How is feeling and mood conveyed musically? Visually? Through movement?
Does art have a message?
How does a piece of art warrant merit?
What is beauty and who decides?
To what extent do artists have a responsibility to their audiences?
Do audiences have any responsibilities to artists?
How do the arts affect a person’s life?
Is it important for young children to be exposed to The Arts?
What does the lack of arts exposure take away from a person’s life?
What is my responsibility in improving access to the arts in my community?
Why must literate people speak up for the rights of people who have not had the opportunity to participate in the arts?
How can I make a difference in my community’s access to the arts?
Why is the value of The Arts threatened during hard economic times?
How could an individual’s emotions and well-being be affected by a lack of access to The Arts?
How do the arts shape, as well as reflect, a culture?
What can artworks tell us about a culture or society?
How do artists from different eras explore and express similar themes in their work?
This unit will culminate with a service project to promote/save the arts in our community. Please send your ideas and resources our way! Fifth grade math will meet on Monday mornings.
Pictured Right: Featured artist Van Gogh's famous Starry Night.
Beyond Base Ten
This unit builds upon an exponential understanding of place value and will help students explain patterns in the number of zeroes of the product when multiplying a number by powers of 10. On Monday mornings, students will also be able to explain patterns in the placement of the decimal point when a decimal is multiplied or divided by a power of 10 and use whole number exponents to denote powers of 10. Students, click here to witness the "power" of 10. Stay tuned as we explore the depths of number systems from around the world!
Pictured Below: A visual understanding of the Base 5 number system.
AG Classroom Needs
-composition books
-USB flashdrives
-2019-2020 agendas/planners
-volunteers (in school or at home)
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