BES GT LEADers April News
Learning Experiences for Academic Discovery
Lori Kirkhuff
Email: lori.kirkhuff@gcisd.net
Location: Bransford Elementary School, Glade Road, Colleyville, TX, United States
Phone: 817-305-4920
Twitter: @BESGTLEAD
WELCOME to GT LEAD New Parents in Grades 1st-4th!
Spring testing is completed and I would like to welcome our new 1st-4th grade parents to GT LEAD ! I wanted to include them on this newsletter to share the resources available to them and give them a preview of the exciting things going on in our classes. I look forward to working with your students and providing them with an opportunity to grow and extend their learning. Spring is a busy time in GT LEAD as we take the skills learned in the fall and extend them with some challenging projects. It is important for our students to learn to work in cooperative groups, self-regulate their progress and meet project deadlines.
GCISD has a new website. Here is the updated link to my BES Webpage:
http://bes.gcisd.net/cms/One.aspx?portalId=96645&pageId=384360
Upcoming Dates and Events:
4/21st Math Telescoping Test (registration required)
4/24 SAGE Event: LEARNING DIFFERENCES @BES 6:00pm: Speaker &
Breakout Sessions on 2E, Gifted Students, Dyslexia, ADHD and Autism
4/35 SAGE Playdate at PARR Park 3:00-5:00pm
5/7 5th GT LEAD Field Trip
5/14 - 5/16 STAAR Testing
*Ongoing: GCISD Summer Enrichment Classes: use code GT2018 to register for the GT Courses. See district website for more information. http://www.gcisd-k12.org/
5/18 Last Day to Join SAGE for free (New Parents to LEAD)
5/23 Deadline to register for Summer Telescoping Test
6/20 Math Telescoping Test (registration required)
Kindergarten LEADers are making connections!
Kindergarten News: Discoveries
Welcome kindergarten parents! We are busy in GT LEAD learning to make connections in order to form relationships. Students are learning to look at things from multiple perspectives. They analyzed everyday objects in order to think of another use for that object. They used their creativity to produce an original design using a muffin liner and practiced their presentation skills sharing their ideas with others. Looking ahead, the students will practice grouping objects allowing them to think critically and creatively about how objects are alike and different. Students will also learn to make "forced" relationships with objects that don't usually fit into the same category such as: hammock, shoe and balloons to make the connection that they all have strings. We will be learning how to classify with multiple attributes in order to demonstrate accelerated learning, advanced language, multiple perspectives and analytical thinking.
First Grade LEADers are making connections to Geometry!
First Grade News: Contributions
First grade LEADers recently completed their 3-D Castle Projects. The students really enjoyed learning about how 3-D shapes are used in architecture and which shapes could carry the load in the design. We learned about NETS and made predictions on which 3-D shape could be formed by looking at the 2-D layout. It was a great way to introduce the geometric vocabulary of faces, edges and vertices. The students were then challenged to design a symmetrical castle using 3-D shapes. They presented their designs, named the 3-D shapes used, proved that it was symmetrical and shared the total number of faces used in their castles. What a fun project to support the learning going on in the classroom!
Next, our first grade LEADERS learned to use "Tolerance for Ambiguity" to look at objects from multiple perspectives. The book, Not a Stick by Antoinette Portis, inspired us to think of a stick in multiple ways. We collected our sticks from the BES campus and set out to work on our original designs. We began by brainstorming a list of possible ideas, narrowed our list by evaluating our ideas for originality and then created our final products. The students then used critical thinking by forcing a connection in words that usually don’t go together such cave, robot, and egg. These words were then used to create a story about their picture they designed. This is a great skill that we practice often in GT LEAD.
Second Grade LEADers are Mapping the Brain!
Second Grade News : Systems
Second graders are busy analyzing the six main parts of the human brain. We used the 3-D Brain App to introduce our new concept. During the first week of study, students learned how the brain works and used this new knowledge to compare the human brain to an everyday object like a computer. As we focused on the functions of each part of the brain, the students completed a creative project using cutouts of the brain to form an original picture. Next, they used this to illustrate how the brain helps them complete the activity in their design. The students also had an opportunity to practice their debate skills as they planned compelling arguments to determine which part of the brain was the most important. The winning team made up Megan, Addison and Katie edged out the competition with a well -prepared digital presentation for the brain stem. Currently 2nd grade LEADers are preparing for the Brain Expo. The focus for the event is to provide students the opportunity to choose a topic related to brain research and create a product to share their learning with an authentic audience. The students will be sharing their research on the central nervous system, explaining the functions of the six parts of the brain, demonstrating on how neurons send messages, how to improve your memory and the dominance of the left vs right side of the brain. Second grade parents are welcome to attend the Expo on April 24th or April 26th from 1:00-2:00pm.
Third Grade LEADERS are analyzing through multiple lens!
Third Grade News: Power
This week we will be starting our new project called 3-D Discoveries. The purpose of this project is to look at things from multiple points of view. In GT LEAD, we refer to the term "Tolerance for Ambiguity" to help students extend their imagination and value the uniqueness of ideas. Students will use the components of creative thinking, generate many ideas and will respond creatively to a prompt in order to build an original product. Next, they will be challenged to write a creative story to accompany their creation using the literary device of alliteration. I look forward to their upcoming presentations where products will be evaluated for originality and elaboration. Creativity will play a big part in the future of these students.
We are wrapping up our "Think Like a Disciplinarian" project in which students have chosen a career to research, interviewed experts and created a product to share their learning with others. We look forward to our presentations starting this week. You are welcome to attend your child's presentation. Please ask them for the date!
To learn more about the importance of CREATIVITY…check out this video below:
Fourth Grade LEADERS are Testing Newton's Laws of Motion!
Fourth Grade News: Exploration
Focus: Language of the Discipline: Cause/Effect, Newton's Laws of Motion, Force/Motion
Creativity, Problem Solving and Critical Thinking
It's official... We have completed our Rube Goldberg Projects! The project began by learning key vocabulary for force and motion. Through our research, students learned that Rube Goldberg was a Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist, sculptor and author. Did you know that Rube Goldberg is an adjective in Webster's Dictionary?
Teams were then challenged to create a Rube Goldberg machine to complete a simple task showing examples of cause and effect. They created instructional videos to reinforce the "Language of the Discipline" needed for these experiments. Students were asked to extend their thinking as we looked "across the disciplines" to see examples of cause and effect in language arts, social studies and math.
This week students competed in a "friendly" Marble Run Competition. Their knowledge of force, motion and simple machines were used to construct a contraption that initiated a "cause and effect" relationship which delivered a marble into a container. I had to laugh when I saw this video I posted below because this is what my classroom looked like for the past three weeks as the students tested their designs. We had marbles flying all over the room. If you happen to have some marbles laying around your house, we would love to have them for next year since we are still missing several. Learning can be very messy in GT LEAD!
Fifth Grade LEADERS Prepare to Make A Difference Through SPARK Talks!
Fifth Grade News: Change
Our project "Be the Change" is coming to an end as we prepare for our SPARK Talk Presentations. The focus for this project was to use their passions to find a solution to a problem using the "Design Process" to improve themselves or others. We began by reviewing our strength assessments from the Thrively.com website. The students identified problems from various perspectives such as self, world, community and school. They participated in a simulation activity that illustrated how a small problem can have an impact on those around us. This year students had a choice of which level they would like to complete for this project. There was an on-level GT option and a GT advanced option. Both projects required students to prepare a five minute "SPARK Talk" to share their learning in front of an audience. SPARK is an acronym that students created to stand for students Speaking Passionately About Real-World Knowledge.
These speeches are similar to a "TED" Talk where students will be sharing about an area of passion. Please ask your child for the date of their presentation and make plans to attend this event. The top four students chosen will present at the BES SPARK Talk Showcase on Thursday, May 10th from 11:15-12:15am.
Coding will continue to be a focus as we prepare for our 5th grade GT field trip in May.
Please mark your calendars for May 7th when we attend a Robotics Workshop in Grapevine. Students will gone from 8:00-2:30pm that day so please consider that when making appointments.Thank you sending in your payments and permission slips on time! I will send a reminder with last minute details the week before our trip. We look forward to this great opportunity to extend our learning outside our classroom.
Code Stars...Why do kids need to learn Coding?
Resources for Raising Gifted Kids!
Anger -- Please click on link: https://goo.gl/HWwVgA
Anxiety -Please click on link: https://goo.gl/jEFekT
Websites to explore and learn more about Gifted Students!
SAGE: Supporting & Advocating for Gifted Education (GCISD parent group)
https://www.facebook.com/gcsage
NAGC: National Association for Gifted Children
TAGT: Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented
Mensa
SENG: Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted
TED: Riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world
Searching for the perfect book to meet your needs or interests?
● Prufrock Press: http://www.prufrock.com/
● Great Potential Press: http://www.giftedbooks.com/
● Free Spirit Publishing: http://www.freespirit.com/
Please see the GCISD Advanced Academics web page for a full list of links to resources for parents of gifted students!
BES GT Curriculum Video
What is SAGE and how can I join?
SAGE — Supporting and Advocating for Gifted Education — is a Grapevine/Colleyville Gifted & Talented (G/T) support group that collaborates with parents and educators to ensure that gifted children in our community reach their fullest potential.
How does a SAGE membership benefit you?
- A SAGE Membership includes a Parent Affiliate Membership in the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented (TAGT) — a $15 value.
- Members get free admission to SAGE’s monthly events that focus on parenting and teaching exceptional students.
- SAGE Campus Representatives will invite you to GT family events, where you can network with parents, teachers, principals and counselors.
- We’ll send you the monthly SAGE e-newsletter with the latest news that affects your gifted student. Plus, SAGE keeps close tabs on the Texas Legislature’s plans to fund gifted programs.
- Be part of SAGE’s network. Join or renew today!
Call to Action: Gifted Education in Texas Needs Your Voice!
The Texas Commission on Public School Finance has been meeting in Austin to study school finance and draft a recommendation for the Texas Legislature’s consideration in the 2019 legislative session.
Once again, the subject of eliminating the G/T allotment has come up. We need your voice to tell the Commission how important the G/T allotment is for gifted education in Texas.
Please email the Texas Commission on Public School Finance and tell them the importance of the G/T weight and allotment. Explain that it was created to support gifted students for a reason and voice your concerns about how detrimental it would be to eliminate the allotment.
Here is a link or more information: