SLE GT LEAD
September 27, 2019
Traducción: Ahora puede desplazarse a la parte inferior de este boletín y haga clic en el botón de traducir a otro idioma.
Translation: You can now scroll to the bottom of this newsletter and click on the button to translate to another language.
MESSAGE TO PARENTS
Dear Parents,
Thank you for your warm welcome and generosity!
It was a pleasure to meet so many parents during the PTA Curriculum Night earlier this month. If you were unable to attend, I've included the google slide presentation in the resources section of this newsletter. And I am happy to schedule a meeting with you if needed.
Many of you purchased gifts from our Amazon Wish List, ranging from compasses to measuring devices, even googly eyes! Just today, SAGE representatives presented our classroom with a $100 check for materials and supplies. Our garden was launched with grant funds from the Grapevine Gard Club, and with these funds, we were able to purchase soil, handtools, a hose and indigenous plants such as lilac, sage, and lantana.
However, the most cherished gift of all, you send every day, is your children. They delight and surprise me with their wit and enthusiasm. Together, we are going to create fantastic adventures in learning!
Sincerely,
Ms. Callaway
SLE GT LEAD Specialist
Ms. Callaway
Email: Kristina.Callaway@gcisd.net
Website: https://sles.gcisd.net/cms/One.aspx?portalId=98634&pageId=210565
Location: Silver Lake Elementary School, North Dooley Street, Grapevine, TX, USA
Phone: (817) 251-5750
FIRST SEMESTER GT LEAD GRADE LEVEL PROJECTS
In addition to our year-long focus on LEADERSHIP and DEPTH & COMPLEXITY, students will work in collaborative groups on the following projects during the first semester.
FIRST GRADE - TREND SPOTTING
This is a mathematics unit that allows students to observe, analyze, and predict trends in their everyday environments. You can support this project by having discussions with your child about trends in your home and in your neighborhood. It could be as simple as, What are the colors of cars in our neighborhood? or Which cereals in the grocery store are packaged to appeal to adults and which to children, and how can you tell?
SECOND GRADE - HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?
This is a science unit that allows students to study how plants grow and plan a garden at Silver Lake Elementary. If you would like to support this unit, please consider sprouting seeds at home and sending in small plants for our garden. We would like to plant brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cilantro lettuce, parsley, and pumpkins.
THIRD GRADE - DESIGN A GARDEN
This is a science and mathematics unit that allows students to explore and gain knowledge about planning a garden space at Silver Lake Elementary. If you would like to support this unit, please consider sending in small plants for us to grow such as marigolds (a natural insecticide) and ornamental peppers. We need tools such as shovels, rakes, a garden cart, garden clippers, and sprinklers.
FOURTH GRADE - WE ARE TEXANS
This project generates a deeper understanding of population groups that have settled in Texas. Students will study immigrant groups of the past and present. Students will understand how physical geography is vital to the decisions and choices people have made or will make. Additionally, students will learn concepts of cultural geography. What did population groups bring with them from their old homes? What contributions have they made to Texas? This project promotes understanding of others through the discovery of similarities and differences among population groups who come from various places around the globe to live in one place. The culminating project will be a student-created, pop-up museum.
Fourth-grade students will also be making scarecrows to compliment our garden (see 2nd and 3rd grades), and we will be asking for parents to send in old clothing, hats, shoes, bales of straw, and other scarecrow accessories. We plan to display the scarecrows along the front entrance fence that borders the garden through Thanksgiving.
FIFTH GRADE - TOYS THAT MATTER
This is a science unit that allows students to study the physical properties of matter and relate these to products in everyday life, and to propose an original toy and market it based on its physical properties. Fifth-grade students will pitch (present) their concepts to another group of students who will select/vote on the presentations and rank them according to originality and desirability.
Instead of asking them how their day was, ask them about their toy or game and its appealing physical properties of matter (e.g., mass, magnetism, physical state, relative density, solubility in water, the ability to conduct or insulate thermal or electric energy).
GT LEAD SCHEDULE
- Fifth Grade: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays 2:05-2:50 pm
- Fourth Grade: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays 1:20-2:05 pm
- Third Grade: Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays 7:55-8:45 am
- Second Grade: Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays 10:40-11:20 am
- First Grade: Mondays and Wednesdays 8:55-9:40 am
- Kindergarten: Mondays 11:35 am-12:15 pm (beginning in March)
DESTINATION IMAGINATION CLUB BEGINS OCTOBER 21
WHO: Third, fourth, and fifth-grade students can join the club. Students will create teams of up to seven members to work on instant and major challenges.
WHEN: Weekly club meetings begin October 21st and run every Monday from 3:00-5:00 pm. Parents must provide an after school snack and ride home.
WHERE: Ms. Callaway will host Monday club meetings in her classroom, B122.
HOW: Students must submit a signed permission form to Ms. Callaway by October 21st. Permission forms will be distributed in their homeroom classes and available in the main office.
RESOURCES
CURRICULUM NIGHT
Here is the Google Slide presentation that I shared with parents during SLE PTA Curriculum Night, 09/05/19.
ARTICLE
Sarah Young. "De-Escalating: Helping Gifted Children Identify Their Emotions and Regain Control," online article published by SENG, 01/26/18.
TECH ACADEMY
GCISD chief technology officer does monthly "tech academy" meetings w/ parents. Here's a summary video about this month's meeting: Apps kids are using that parents should know about. Video = 3:39 min. More info here.
WEBSITES TO EXPLORE AND LEARN MORE ABOUT GIFTED STUDENTS
SAGE
One way you can stay connected and advocate for your child is through SAGE (Supporting and Advocating for Gifted Education), our parent advocacy group for gifted learners.
SAGE often brings in guest speakers, invite representatives for camps/programs to share, and provide scholarships for teachers to attend gifted conferences. Please consider joining this dynamic group.
NAGC
National Association for Gifted Education's mission is to support those who enhance the growth and development of gifted and talented children through education, advocacy, community building, and research. We aim to help parents and families, K-12 education professionals including support service personnel, and members of the research and higher education community who work to help gifted and talented children as they strive to achieve their personal best and contribute to their communities.
TAGT
The Texas Association for the Gifted & Talented connects and empowers educators and parents to meet the unique needs of gifted and talented students from every cultural background who see the world in unique ways and are developing minds that just might discover innovative answers to the most challenging questions of their generation.
SENG
Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted is a nonprofit network of people who guide gifted, talented, and twice-exceptional individuals to reach their goals intellectually, physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.
MENSA
Mensa has three stated purposes: to identify and foster human intelligence for the benefit of humanity, to encourage research in the nature, characteristics, and uses of intelligence, and to promote stimulating intellectual and social opportunities for its members.
PRUFROCK PRESS
Prufrock Press is the nation’s leading publisher supporting the education of gifted and advanced learners. Over 500 titles offer teachers and parents exciting, research-based ideas for helping gifted, advanced, and special needs learners.
FREE SPIRIT
Free Spirit has had the same mission for more than 30 years: to provide children and teens—and the adults who care for and about them—with the tools they need to think for themselves, overcome challenges, and make a difference in the world.