Cassidy Gifted and Talented News
August 27, 2018
Announcements
Welcome Back!
Hello families and welcome back to school! We are off to a great start to the school year! More and more services are rolling out each week and all should be up and running soon. I will be sending a service plan home with your child by September 15 that goes over all of the details so you know exactly what they are getting for PTP/GT so keep an eye out for that.The district will be entering new referrals for PTP/GT from the end of last year over the next few weeks so if you are waiting to hear back about that, I will send news as soon as I get it. I will send newsletters out each week with reports on what your child is up to as well as any announcements. Keep reading to the end to find out all the ways you can see what your child is learning at Cassidy and to make note of some important dates.
Parent Night Information:
If you are unable to attend the parent info night, here is the slideshow I reviewed with everyone. As always, don't hesitate to contact me with questions. I am happy to help!
Important Dates:
PTP/GT Parent Information Night, September 12, 5:30-6:30, Cassidy Library:
This event is open to all parents at Cassidy. I will go over information about the processes and procedures for referral, identification, and services for the district/Cassidy.
Fall Showcase, December 18, 5:30-6:30, Cassidy Cafeteria:
This event is an opportunity for PTP/GT students to showcase what they have been working on during the fall semester.
3rd Grade PTP Parent Night, 5:30-6:30, January 30, Library:
This is an informational meeting for 3rd grade parents about the process for exiting PTP (which ends at the end of third grade) and being referred/identified for Gifted and Talented (grades 4-12).
Spring Showcase, May 23, 5:30-6:30, Cassidy Cafeteria:
This event is an opportunity for PTP/GT students to showcase what they have been working on during the spring semester.
Accelerated Program:
If you are interested in having your child considered for the Accelerated Program, click the link and complete the form by October 8: https://dna.fcps.net/SpecProgApp/login. This is the Gifted and Talented Program at Ashland Elementary or Winburn Middle that begins at 4th grade for students who have qualifying scores on the tests for reading, math, and general intellectual ability.
What We Are Up to This Week!
We will be working on book clubs using informational text. Students have chosen their books and groups and then we will learn a variety of comprehension strategies and discussion techniques to use as students read, comprehend, and chat about their books over the next few weeks.
1st/2nd/3rd Grade Art and Creativity:
We are learning about the elements of art (click here if you want to learn more about it) and creating representations of each element to gear up for our next big project - Improbable Baubles - click here to learn more!
5th Grade Language Arts:
We are beginning a unit on informational/argumentative text. Students will read, research, and develop their own argumentative text in the style of a documentary or podcast. So far, we have watched and listened to examples of podcasts and documentaries and read examples of informational and argumentative text to get our heads around where we are going. Then we will select topics and start to learn comprehension strategies to help us read and understand the structure and content of informational/argumentative text.
5th Grade Dance/Drama:
The drama students are learning about the elements of effective drama to gear up for writing and producing their own dramatic performance. We also selected some performances at the Lexington Children's Theater that we want to go see to enjoy and learn about how to put together a show (more info forthcoming about this).
The dance students are working on a comparative dance project where they compare and contrast two different styles of dance to explore how different elements of dance are used to convey meaning. The goal is to use this to inform the development of their own dance piece.
5th Grade Leadership:
We had a big brainstorm this past week with lots of ideas for projects that we want to do and help out with around the building this year. Ideas included doing community service projects, assisting with Dance Blue and SNAP week, and doing service projects within our school.
2nd/3rd Grade Leadership:
Students will be learning about the elements of what makes a good leader using the "Leader in Me" program. They will then develop some videos that we will share on the morning news show about how to be a good leader.
5th Grade Social Studies:
We will be focusing on U.S. History and began the year off going all the way back to the 1600's by studying the Powhatans. Students put on their archeological hats as they examined artifacts from the time period and put together clues to make hypotheses about what life was like back then.
5th Grade STEM (GI, Science, and Math)
We are starting a unit on using the Engineering Design Process to build a bridge that can withstand several tests of strength, stability, speed, and cost efficiency. This week students will explore different types of bridges and what gives them strength and stability.
2nd Grade (GI/Math) and 3rd Grade (GI/Science) STEM:
Students will be exploring the Engineering Design Process (find out more here) by using a variety of STEM activities where they have to solve a proposed problem using the provided materials.
Resources and Opportunities
KAGE (Kentucky Association for Gifted Education) Parent Night
Topic - Working with the School to Meet the Needs of Your Gifted Child, September 24, 7pm - Downtown Hilton. Click here for more info.
Cassidy App
Make sure to download our Cassidy App! I will use the app to distribute newsletters and announce events. Here is a link to directions on how to get the app and load the group PTP/GT into your settings so that you can get info/dates/notifications from me about PTP/GT through the app. If you already have the app, just skip down to the part that says to add PTP/GT.
Homeroom
Within the app, we will also have a Homeroom button where I will post pictures, videos, and notes about what we have been up to in PTP/GT. To link to our homeroom, you will click here and set up an account. It will then populate in your Homeroom button on the app. If you already had this setup from last year, it should be the same.
Seesaw
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. Right now, we have it all set up in the following classes:
5th Grade STEM (GI, Science, and Math)
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.
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