Cassidy Gifted and Talented News
September 17 , 2018
Announcements
Opportunities:
STEM Workshop for Grades 4-5 at Winburn Middle
Important Dates:
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.
What We Are Up to This Week!
1st Grade LA/Math PTP:
This week, we met to start to learn how to use our Chromebooks and a tool called Seesaw to share with you what we are learning about in PTP. More coming along about that as we get our tech savvy skills rolling!
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!
2nd Grade Language Arts:
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.
2nd/3rd Grade Leadership:
Students will be learning about the elements of what makes a good leader using the "Leader in Me" program (find out more here). Our first focus - beginning with the end in mind. Right now, students are creating a vision for the projects that they want to do for leadership.
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.
3rd Grade Language Arts:
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.
3rd Grade Math:
Students are working away on learning multiplication and division facts. This is such an important skill to master! As math gets increasingly complex for students, they will need to be able to multiply/divide quickly. Here's a link to some great math apps for kids - look for the ones that are about multiplication.
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. Students have also selected their topics. We are now in the research phase where students are gathering facts. We will have some guest speakers from the Lexington Public Library visiting to share with us how to plan a multimedia project!
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 will be planning a craft drive for patients at the Pediatric Oncology Unit at UK.
5th Grade Social Studies:
This week, students will explore what it was like for Columbus and the Native Americans to meet. We will also kick off our Cassidy's Catalog of Cool Current Events website where students will explore and write about what they are learning about current events.
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.
Resources and Opportunities
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