Cassidy Gifted & Talented News
Week of December 5, 2016
Announcements
Gifted and Talented Showcase - PLEASE RESPOND BELOW:
Mark your calendars! On December 14 at 5:30 in the Cassidy cafeteria, we will have our first Cassidy Gifted and Talented Showcase! This will be an opportunity for students to share what they have been working on this year in PTP/GT with their families. Please click here to respond if you/your child plan to attend or not (please respond either way) so that I can plan accordingly. Thank you!
Gifted and Talented Website Back Up and Running:
Cassidy has a Gifted and Talented webpage on www.cassidyschool.org. You can access it by clicking on the following link: http://cassidyschool.org/gifted-and-talented/
or by going to www.cassidyschool.org and then clicking on Classrooms and then Gifted and Talented/PTP. The cassidyschool.org website has been down for a while, but now it is up and running again! Hooray! I will post announcements, resources for parents/teachers/students, and student work on the site.
Reading
The areas that we focus on in reading are determined based on MAP data for that particular grade level group.
1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade: Students are working on non-fiction pieces. They have all selected their topics and are now conducting and organizing their research. When students develop it into a finished piece, they can self-select what they want their finished product to look like, such as a newspaper, magazine, brochure, poster, speech, website, etc.
NOTE: All 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students (and this is coming soon for 1st grade) are now enrolled in our new fun tool called Google Classroom. It is a web-based classroom platform that allows me to post assignments and for students to post their work and collaborate together. They are able to access this from anywhere (home/school/beyond) by going to www.classroom.google.com and then logging in with their e-mail addresses and passwords. Many students have been asking about this because they have wanted to work on their projects some at home so I thought I would share it with families in case they need a little help learning how to get to it on their home devices. All student e-mail addresses end with @stu.fayette.kyschools.us. They tend to remember the part that goes before the @, but are still learning the rest.
Math
In math, all groups are working on advanced level mathematics to extend their learning in this area. The topics each group is studying are listed below.
1st Grade: Beginning multiplication and division NOTE: With your consent, I will be starting 1st grade math students in Khan Academy, an instructional website that let's them progress at their speed at their level. They can work on this at home and school to advance their math learning. I sent permission slips home last week so please look for those and return them if you wish for your child to participate. If the form didn't make it home, let me know and I can send you one.
2nd Grade: Subtraction strategies with regrouping and multi-digit numbers
3rd Grade: Multiplication and division facts, strategies, and word problems. As we move into division, it is very important that students know their multiplication facts. As they move into more and more advanced math, it will help them with speed and accuracy. Here are some resources for them to practice at home:
https://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/math-trainer-multiply.html
http://www.multiplication.com/games/play/quick-flash-ii
http://www.mathplayground.com/multiplication01.html
http://imaginationsoup.net/2014/10/01/best-multiplication-apps-kids/
Leadership
General Intellectual
Art, Creativity, Music, Dance, and Drama
5th Grade Art: We have been working on self-selected, independent projects involving research on technique or art history combined with the creation of a piece of artwork. Students will present their works at the December showcase. Is anyone a graphic designer or does anyone know a graphic designer? The students mentioned they were interested in learning about digital art and I would love for someone to share with us. My contact info is below.
Resources and Opportunities
Opportunities:
The Kentucky Association for Gifted Education is an excellent resources for families and teachers. Their annual conference is coming up in February and they typically have helpful sessions for families.
Resources:
The National Center for Gifted Studies is housed at our very own Western Kentucky University! They have many resources and programs available for students, teachers, and parents. As students transition to middle/high school, they have some incredible opportunities for camps and travel so keep this resource in mind for when that time comes!