McLeod Moments- Teacher Edition
Think Labs for 2016-2017
What is a Think Lab?
CCE is unique as it is one of the only elementary schools in the district that keeps a consistent rotating schedule for Think Labs in the GT classroom. The GT students come to class in the GT classroom Monday-Thursday all year long (except during the testing window), but we want all CCE Eagles to have a chance to come to the GT classroom to think differently. Think Labs are a 30 min class with Mrs. McLeod where students are given different opportunities to use creative thinking. The classes are designed for Kindergarteners-5th graders to practice the 4 elements of creativity- Fluency, Flexibility, Originality and Elaboration. Usually each think lab session will focus particularly on one of those elements. Teachers are invited to stay during their class' think lab time to get inspiration on ways teachers can implement creativity in their own classrooms. The goal is that each and every CCE Eagle will get a chance to participate in think lab 4 times a year. I will send out a school wide schedule for think labs in the coming weeks. Before I get all the think lab dates settled, I am waiting on a few pieces of information such as the Booster Clubs Annual Schedule for International Day, STEM Day, etc., if we have possible additions to grade levels and other school wide events on the calendar. It is my hope that if I wait, little changes will need to be made to schedule throughout the year. That being said, I appreciate your flexibility when a conflict arises and I will be do the same in return.
Kindergarten Think Lab
Brainstorming things with wheels
2nd Grade Think Lab
Build a Tower with only certain objects
1st Grade Think Lab
Newspaper Bridges
Think Lab Schedule
September Think Lab Schedule
This schedule will get us started on Think Labs. I will send out a schedule for the rest of the year before the end of September. Your Think Lab time will be during your FIT time on Fridays. Kindergarten will start in October.
1st Grade 1:30-2:00
9/2- Mattison
9/9- Covington
9/16- Perez
9/23- Walker
2nd Grade 10:10-10:40
9/2- Artz
9/9- Douglass
9/16- Hardiman
9/23- Pusateri
3rd Grade 9:20-9:50
9/2- Chatterjee
9/9- Yanes
9/16- Crump
9/23- Tomasik
4th Grade 8:00-8:30
9/2- Campbell
9/9- Cook
9/16- Frazer
9/23- Perez
9/30- Starks- Time TBA due to International Day ;)
5th Grade 11:10-11:40
9/2- Kreps
9/9- Norman
9/16- Puga
9/23- Raygor
GT Schedule
GT students follow the FIT Time schedule Monday-Thursday. Here are some basic transition rules that I will go over with the students, but I want you to know them because many students don't realize that we talk ;)
- Grades 2-5 come to GT on their own at FIT Time
- Students walk queitly on the right side of the hall to GT and they DO NOT cut through the Commons. If this responsibility isn't handled well, I will escort them to and from GT class.
- I start class on time so if you hold them back, they are missing class
- If students arrive prior to me dismissing my previous class, they need to SIT on the ledge of the butterfly garden and wait quietly for all of the previous class to clear the room.
- iPad need to come with students to EVERY GT class. Students park their iPad in the Parking lot in the GT room until they are needed for class
- I come to pick up students in grades Kindergarten & 1st grade
- Kindergarten students do not start GT until January.
7:50-8:35- 4th Grade
9:20-10:05- 3rd Grade
10:10-10:55-2nd Grade
10:55-11:40- 5th Grade
1:15-2:00- 1st Grade
2:00-2:45- Kinder
No GT Classes
The GT classroom is closed during the testing window and for a few additional days just before the Thanksgiving break in order for project interviews to take place. This year, GT classes will be cancelled from 10/26-11/11 & 11/21, 11/22. I will be happy to put together a project for GT students to work on independently for any grade level that requests this. I request that this be a grade level decision so that all GT students in that grade level will be asked to complete the same tasks for Mrs. McLeod. I will link each grade level's project to what we are studying in GT. Please give me at least a week notice in order to pull the materials together for the students.
Dates for Teachers for Testing & Otherwise
Here are some dates you will need to be aware of surrounding Gifted and Talented Testing at Cedar Creek:
- 9/29-2:00- 2:50- GT Parent Information Meeting- Highly encouraged meeting for parents wishing to have their child tested for the Gifted & Talented Program(Yes, there are two meetings, but it is only necessary to attend one)
- 9/30- Consent to Test Form Available- A link on both the CCE webpage and Mrs. McLeod's webpage will be available on this date. The form is only available online
- 10/14-8:00-9:00-GT Parent Information Meeting- Highly encouraged meeting for parents wishing to have their child tested for the Gifted & Talented Program (Yes, there are two meetings, but it is only necessary to attend one)
- 10/19-10/21- Parent Conferences- This would be a good time to discuss the possibility of testing a students- I am available to come to current GT student's parent conferences. Please let me know if there is a particular conference you would like for me to attend. There is one of me and over 50 students so I can't make them all :)
- 10/24- Consent to Test Form due by 5 PM- at 5 PM, the online form will no longer be available for parents to request for their child to be tested.
- 10/26- Testing Begins- I will send you a testing schedule for those students who are being tested for GT. I will come and pick up students at their scheduled times to come to the GT room to be tested.
- 10/26-11/11- NO GT CLASSES
- 11/3- SIGS Scoring Party-3:00 (See below) I will host a little after school party to help any teachers with scoring their scales for students who are being tested
- 11/11- Scales for Identifying Gifted Students (SIGS) Due to Mrs. McLeod
- 11/17- Project Due- Students who are being tested in grades 2-5 (this is new! 1st grade no longer does a project) will turn in their projects to Mrs. McLeod's room.
- 11/18, 11/21 & 11/22- Project Interviews- I will come and get students one at a time to interview them about the project they turned in for testing. I will most likely not finish in these 3 days. Other times I will come to interview will be in December from 8:40-9:20 or 12:00-1:15.
- 12/13- CCE GT Campus Committee Meets
- 12/15- Letters Mailed- Students who tested will receive a letter in the mail (snail) that states if the student was recommended for the GT program.
- 1/3- New Students Begin GT Class & New Parent Before school meeting
Cara Beth McLeod
Email: cmcleod@eanesisd.net
Website: http://ccemcleod.weebly.com
Location: 3301 Pinnacle Road, Austin, TX, United States
Phone: 5127329120
Twitter: @cbmcleod