KCS AIG Second Semester Newsletter
February 25, 2022
KCS AIG District Update
The KCS AIG department is committed to identifying and serving AIG and high-ability learners at all grade levels–meeting students’ needs all day, every day. This newsletter will give you a better idea of what’s taking place right now at each level in the district, as well as a few things to keep on your radar for the future.
First, here are a couple of district-level updates:
Upcoming AIG Family Events
We are excited to announce two AIG events will resume this semester that we have had to put on hold in past years:
1. Rube Goldberg Night
This fun event for AIG families involves plenty of building, teamwork, and creative problem-solving. Mark your calendars for Wednesday, March 23rd from 5:30-6:30 at the KMS 7th-8th building cafeteria. These flyers will be sent home with students soon, and also shared through Class Dojo, Canvas, and the KCS AIG Facebook group (be sure to join the FB group if you haven't already!)2. AIG Research Presentation Gala
At this event students in grades 3-8 will present researched-based projects they created in AIG pull-out (elementary) or Advanced/Honors ELA and English 1 (middle). It will be held in early May at KMS. Detailed information with the exact date and time will be sent home with your child as the event draws closer.
Summer Learning
1. Transition Camps
The AIG department holds summer transition camps for AIG/Nurturing/Honors students who are transitioning from one school to the next (rising 6th, 7th, and 9th grade students). This year, these transition camps will be built into existing camps through an acceleration strand in the Moving to Middle (rising 6th), Extended Learning (rising 7th), and Bridge to Brown (rising 9th). More information about specific dates and registering for the camps will be provided to parents.
2. Additional Summer Enrichment Opportunities
There are a number of ways for your child to continue to extend and enrich their learning outside of the district. Visit this page to view a list of opportunities that may be of interest to your child!
KCS AIG Plan Revision
This year is an AIG plan revision year. It’s a process that all districts in the state undergo every three years. As part of it, we have surveyed parents and students, held multiple meetings with advisory committees, and are using stakeholder input to make our already strong plan even better equipped to serve our district. This updated plan will be presented to the school board in April.
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The remainder of this newsletter is organized by grade level. You can read through all of it if you like, or just scroll down to the areas that pertain to your child. We appreciate your support and involvement in the KCS AIG program.
If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to steve.fulton@kcs.k12.nc.us.
Elementary
Lower Elementary update (1st-3rd)
1st grade students have been working on their divergent/inventive thinking skills with Isabel the Inventor. They have been learning to brainstorm, look at ordinary things in a new and different way, see the bigger picture, think outside the box, elaborate, and be original. They are drawing, designing, and inventing!
2nd grade students are working on their divergent/creative writing skills with Yolonda the Yarnspinner. They have been brainstorming, seeing things creatively, using their imagination, and using colorful words and figurative language while writing winter poems and stories. They are learning to be writers!
3rd grade students are working on their convergent/critical thinking skills with Dudley the Detective by solving deductive logic grids. They began with single logic elimination grids and then moved on to more complex double logic elimination grids. They are now creating their own grids and writing their own problems and clues to share with their classmates and friends!
Upper Elementary Update (4th-5th)
Students in 4th and 5th grade have continued to meet through the weekly pull-out class to think through Problem-Based Learning experiences (PBLs), advanced math problems, and Social-Emotional activities.
4th grade students have finished the PBL where they applied what they knew about magnetic forces to design an invention that uses magnets to help make life easier. They wrote an essay, built a model, and filmed a commercial. Be sure to ask your child to show you his or her work and completed rubric in Showbie. In the upcoming PBL, students will be applying and extending what they have learned about area and perimeter to think like city planners and design a new town center, much like what is happening in the downtown revitalization of Kannapolis.
The upcoming Social-Emotional unit will focus on something that is part of life but can be hard to deal with….stress! Students will learn to consider sources of their stress, how much control they have over different stressors, and brainstorm healthy ways of coping.
5th grade students are in the final stages of the PBL where they were thinking like superhero creators! This project extended on what students have been learning in science related to genetics and traits. They researched the inherited and acquired traits of two Marvel superheroes (who were the parents), then created the origin story and an image/comic of a new superhero character that had a mix of traits from the parents. Some students even teamed up to write about how their two characters’ lives came together. Be sure to ask your child to show you his or her work in process in Google Docs, and when the project is complete, their final product and graded rubric and Showbie! In the next PBL, students will be applying and extending what they had learned in Science about ecosystems to design a living museum exhibit, where they take on the role of the living organism they research.
The upcoming Social-Emotional unit will focus on emotional intensities, specifically understanding situations and events that trigger negative emotions. Students will better understand themselves and each other, as well as positive strategies to help deal productively with negative emotions.
*In May there will be a rising 6th grade AIG/Nurturing parent meeting to provide you with information on how advanced learning services and opprotunities continue into middle school. Information will be sent home with your child about that meeting during the 4th quarter.
Middle School
It’s been a great first semester at Kannapolis Middle School. We have had a variety of events happen from completing our Holiday Field Trip to most recently, National Junior Honor Society induction. Students are being celebrated and challenged throughout the building as they dig deeper into their various curriculums. We also have several teachers working through the Local AIG Certification process so they can be better prepared to serve our students!.
Math
6th grade AIG math classes are currently in the rational numbers unit. They are about to start multiplying and dividing integers. Students should have an understanding of negative numbers and realize they are below zero. Check with your student to see how they can add and subtract positive and negative numbers.
7th grade AIG math classes are working on angle relationships and triangles. They learned about the Triangle Sum Theorem, where all angles in a triangle add up to 180 degrees. They’re moving into parallel lines and transversals soon and will begin looking at those angles and missing values.
Math I classes have completed working through exponential functions and factoring trinomials. Quiz them! Ask your student to factor b2-5b-14 …. The answer is (b+2)(b-7)! We are now heading to quadratics. If you’re interested in a preview, check this out: bit.ly/Math1Quadratics
ELA
6th grade has been reading The Giver and analyzing the symbolism within it, as well as theme and character development. They have also thrown in a bit of argumentative writing. They’re working through WordlyWise to continue to promote advanced language skills.
7th grade has read the classic Shakespeare, Taming of the Shrew. They took it to the next level as they compared it to the modernized version in 10 Things I Hate About You. They examined the elements of a drama, characterization and theme. They also spent some time working on a five-paragraph argumentative essay.
English I has wrapped up To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Students were able to dig into the character development and analyze thematic concepts throughout the novel. We are also continuing to expand our vocabulary knowledge through our Sadlier Vocabulary Workshop orange book. Check-in with your student to see if they can incorporate these words into their everyday language!
AIG SEL Reach
During second semester, students are working with Mr. Bugaiski to learn about their strengths, gifted complexities and strategies to address any obstacles they are facing. These lessons include:
- Learning about references and recommendations, then writing a letter of recommendation about yourself
- Dealing with and fighting procrastination.
- How can we be of service to others?
- What is integrity and how can we make that a primary part of our character?
- Developing the skill of confidence.
High School
It is a busy time at AL Brown HS. Students are beginning to register for classes for the upcoming 2022-2023 school year. Registration opened February 22nd and will close on March 17th. Students who need assistance with registration should reach out to their grade level Counselor.
In addition, Mr. Deal and Ms. Raboin have been working with the 8th-grade team at KMS to inform and register 8th-grade students for the 2022-2023 school year. Teachers have been trained in the online registration process, and students will attend meetings to learn about their options and how to register. An informational meeting was held on Thursday, February 24th for parents of rising freshmen (8th grade).
Applications for AP Academy (for rising 9th graders) are now available. Who should consider applying?
Entering freshman who wish to enroll in college preparatory coursework emphasizing academic rigor from the start of their high school career.
Students interested in a relevant and challenging educational experience which emphasizes critical/creative problem-solving, effective communication, and community service.
Students who are striving to be more competitive in the college admissions process.
Service hour component required to complete Academy.
For more information, check out the following links:
Students who are interested can access the application through their Canvas Registration, Mrs. Ledbetter, Mrs. Clarkin or use the links above. All paper applications must be submitted to Mrs. Ledbetter or (via email in PDF format) to Ms. Raboin (karen.raboin@kcs.k12.nc.us) no later than 2:15pm on March 3, 2022. Applications received after this deadline will not be accepted.
The high school has implemented the MTSS program, and most recently added a Social-Emotional-Learning (SEL) to Tier 2 of the program. Students who are pulled for SEL will learn about relationship building, emotional regulation and attendance and the impact these have on learning. The goal is to help students to remove obstacles or barriers that students have in order to find their success while in high school.
Seniors who are heading off to college have been given support as they completed applications, are making decisions and completing their FAFSA. As they continue to learn about how to pay for college as well as the colleges where they were accepted, they are learning about scholarships which might help them to afford their college of choice. All students who plan to attend college have until May 1, 2022 to make their final decision.