Bridlewood Elementary
Gifted and Talented April 2016
Open House
A big thank you to all of you who stopped by Open House night. The kids worked hard on their projects to show you some of what they have learned.
Spring Conferences
If you would like to schedule a conference to discuss your child's progress this year please contact me at brownjb@lisd.net. My conference times vary from day to day so it would be helpful if you could include in your email what days of the week and times usually work best for you.
End of the Year
The last few months of school can be hectic. Between STAAR testing, field trips, field day, and assemblies, not to mention if your child gets sick...it is very easy for your child to fall behind in my class if they miss a day. If your child misses a day of GT, please encourage them to work on their research project at home. Timelines have been sent home and they are posted on Google classroom. The last day of school might seem like many weeks away but we only meet once a week, less if we miss a day, it will be here before we know it. I don't want anyone stressing over their project as the deadline nears.
Camp Invention
Camp Invention is returning to Bridlewood this summer. Last year was great but this summer is going to be Epic! Camp is from 9:00-3:30, June 13-17. You can register at http://campinvention.org/2016-program. Use the promo code SPRING and receive $15.00 off your registration fee. If you have friends or neighbors that do not go to Bridlewood ES and you think that they might be interested, please feel free to pass the information along.
Third Grade
Third graders have wrapped up their unit study on Enigmas. We all learned some very interesting facts but the mysteries remain unsolved. Our last unit of study will focus on Natural Disasters. Each student has picked a topic and they have begun taking notes using books and internet resources. I have introduced a note taking tool which should help them collect and organize their notes. It should also help when they begin writing and typing their first formal research paper. I will be sending home a project timeline to help the students reach the completion date successfully. Typing skills at this age are still in the hunt and peck stage. Once your child has completed their handwritten draft of their paper, you are welcome to type it for them if you feel it is needed to get the project completed on time. The final project will be due on May 19 which will be our last day of class for the year.
Fourth Grade
We have finished our unit on Symbols and have moved to one of my favorites, National Parks. After learning the history behind the National Park service and its mission, each student has picked a National Park to research. A timeline for the project has been sent home and there is one located in Google classroom as well. There are three parts to this project, a typed report (not a Powerpoint presentation), a park brochure, and a trip plan. Information on how to complete the brochure and the trip plan will come home in a couple of weeks. The due date for the written report is May 3. The brochure and trip plan are due May 17. Our last GT class meeting will be May 24.
Fifth Grade
Fifth grade continues to look at innovation, past, present and future. Students are working on their final Elementary project, a research essay on an innovation topic of their choice. The project timeline is posted in Google classroom and I have given them an example of how to structure their report write up. The due date for their project is May 4th The kids have also been working to solve a global mystery. They were each assigned a Mystery Class that can be located anywhere in the world. They have calculated weekly photoperiods to narrow down hemisphere. Interdisciplinary clues are guiding them closer to an exact longitude and latitude. The final reveal will come in May. . Our last GT class will be May 25th.