February Newsletter
February 2023
In this edition of AIG All Day Everyday
- Coordinator's Message
- AIG program updates
- AIG Referral Process
- AIG Settings
- Parents' Corner
- AIG Advisory Board Updates
- NC Governor's School Information
- Scripps National Spelling Bee
- Websites and Digital Resources
π Coordinator's Message π
We have had some exciting events this month in the area of Advanced Learning. We are looking forward to what awaits in the remaining days of February as well.
Our AIG students are showing out and are on the move. We are celebrating so many of our AIG students as they use their gifts and talents to shine. We are so proud of all the hard work and effort they are putting forth this year!
The word of the month for February is Honesty. See Dr. McLean and GCPS BOE member Danielle Hayes talk about honesty below. Checkout all the monthly videos from this school year here.
We are gearing up for Battle of the Books competitions at our middle and elementary schools and the Winter Student Leadership Summit this month. Looking ahead we have CogAT assessments and are working on a Spring Showcase.
Please be sure to complete our survey in this edition. There is one for GCPS staff and one for parents. GCPS staff click here to access your survey. The parent survey can be found below in the parents' corner. Please feel free to complete both if applicable.
β GCPS AIG Program Updates β
CogAT Update:
The AIG department has set the Spring CogAT assessment window. All second grade students will be participating district-wide as follows. (Granville Academy will have a different schedule based on their unique schedule.)
Monday, March 27th - Tutorial and Nonverbal battery
Wednesday, March 29th - Quantitative Battery
Thursday, March 30th - Verbal Battery
Friday, March 31st - Make-ups
Second-grade teachers will receive training from their AIG Specialist between March 6th - 15th.
AIG Best Practice - As a best practice students who are pulled out to receive advanced interventions with our AIG Specialist should be exempt from classwork in the regular ed classroom. If they miss an assignment that is graded or will directly impact their grade it can be completed when given an appropriate grace period to ensure they have what they need to complete the task.
We strive to follow the βAIG is not more work, it is appropriately challenging workβ approach for our students.
π Our Busy Classroomsπ
There are so many great things happen in our elementary and middle school AIG classrooms.
Second graders at West Oxford and Mount Energy who work with Dr. Webster-Caroon engaged in a multi-disciplinary unit on Thomas Edison. They did a deep dive into his biography and learned to make complete circuits.
Third through fifth grade AIG students around the district participated in a unit of study on Wilson Bentley, also known as, Snowflake Bentley. They too did a biographical study. They also had the opportunity to use microscopes and make different kinds of snowflakes.
Middle School AIG students are participating in the National Public Radio (NPR) Student Podcast Challenge. Sixth, Seventh and Eighth grade students are learning the ins and outs of a "great podcast". They are also working in small groups to create their own about a topic they are interested in. The student groups will submit their finished and edited podcast to the contest at the end of April. Find out more here!
π GCPS AIG Referral Process π
We are continuing to talk about the referral process. Many thanks to teachers, admin, parents, and counselors who have taken the time to refer students already this year.
As part of the Board-approved AIG Program Plan, student referrals can happen any time of the year and at any grade level within GCPS.
The process begins when the GCPS AIG Referral Form is completed. It can be found on the AIG website. This form should be completed by someone who has first-hand knowledge of the student's abilities.
Once the form is complete the appropriate AIG Specialist will complete a parent/guardian consent form, that allows us to gather the student's data to determine eligibility, will go home with the student. Once the form is returned to the AIG specialist, the student's teacher and the AIG Specialist will begin data collection.
The AIG Team will determine the eligibility for AIG identification and services based on the data presented to the team. The AIG specialist will schedule a face-to-face or virtual conference with the parents/guardians to discuss the decisions made by the AIG team.
Eligibility meetings will take place most months. Dates are posted on the AIG webpage, along with additional resources.
Students must be referred by the 15th of each month to ensure time for parent/guardian consent for review and the appropriate data to be collected prior to our monthly data meeting that will take place on the first Monday of each month. Students who are not referred by the 15th of each will have their review take place the following month once parental/guardian consent is provided. AIG specialists will share the teamβs eligibility decision will all stakeholders after the monthly meeting.
πͺAIG Settings πͺ
Elementary Pull-out Model - Specialists are teaching and supporting our Elem AIG students weekly. Students are getting a minimum of 60 per week, in the areas of Math and Reading. Elem students are participating in Paideia Seminar, Shared Inquiry, BreakoutEDU, advanced math activities, and SEL activities.
Middle School Immersion Model - AIG Specialists are supporting our MS AIG students across the district. Students spend an entire day with their Specialists outside of electives, lunch, and patio time. AIG students in grades 6, 7, and 8 are participating in Paideia Seminars, BreakoutEDU, advanced math activities, and SEL activities.
Talent Development - Specialists are pushing into second-grade classrooms weekly to ensure exposure to advanced and critical thinking opportunities in ELA, Math, and STEM.
π Parents' Corner π
Here you will find items that are specific to parents of AIG students in GCPS.
This is a new section in our newsletter to ensure that parents/guardians are aware of all that is happening in the AIG program, as well, as be an active participant as we continue to grow our program.
You will find two forms below. First, we are seeking your feedback for our AIG Program. The second form is to help me make sure that I have accurate and up-to-date contact information for you.
Resources for Parents
Wonderful partnership opportunities for our student through North Carolina School of Science and Math
ποΈ AIG ADVISORY BOARD ποΈ
NCDPI plan feedback was received the end of December. I am excited and proud to share that we have a complete plan that meets the majority of standards and their practices. Our plan was reviewed and feedback was given based on the growth and trajectory in our current AIG Program Plan.
We had our last meeting on January 26, 2023. During this meeting we reviewed the feedback that was shared by NCDPI Office of Advanced Learning and Gifted Education. You can review the feedback here.
If you would like to share your feedback, ideas or reflections on feedback provided by NCDPI please click here.
We are in need of a few more AIG parent reps for our Advisory Board. Please contact your child's AIG specialist or email me (bishopr@gcs.k12.nc.us) if you would like to be a part of this work.
Our next meeting is February 16, 2023, from 5:00 - 6:00 PM and is virtual.
πΆπ πGovernor's School Information ππ§ͺπ
Governor's School selections are underway at NCDPI. NCDPI plans to release the names of nominees that are selected in late March.
We are excited to announce our Superintendent's Choice candidate
Ms. Chapman Burnette an AIG student at J.F. Webb High School.
π SCRIPPS NATIONAL SPELLING BEE π
Tuesday, February 7, 2023, AIG student Gabriela Benavides Moncada, a 5th-grader at Mount Energy Elem. was declared the District Champ, with Wangari Kihara, a 6th-grader at Butner-Stem Middle as the runner-up. The bee was competitive and went 17 rounds.
Gabriela will go on to the Carolina Panthers Regional Spelling Bee presented by Bank of America in Charlotte, NC on Sunday, March 5, 2023. Wangari will be her alternate.
We are so proud of all the school champions that competed!
Jeffery Earl Adcock - Butner-Stem Elementary*
Wangari Kihara - Butner-Stem Middle*
KiβMya Shavonne Seaman - C.G. Credle*
Easton Cooper Miller - Creedmoor Elementary*
Jameson Hurley-Huffman - Granville Academy
Tatum Currin -G.C. Hawley*
Gabriela Benavides Moncada -Mount Energy*
Kendall Perry - Northern Granville
Gracie Adcock -Stovall-Shaw
Alejandra Paz Gomez -Tar River*
Samuel Brooks -West Oxford*
Nehemiah Andrews -Wilton Elementary (not pictured in photo)
We are extremely grateful to the Granville Education Foundation for their sponsorship of this event!
* denotes student who receives AIG services