Springdale Gifted & Talented
October Newsletter
Mission Statement:
GT Word of the Month: CURRICULUM COMPACTING
Meet Jessica Graham
2020 AGATE GT Parent of the Year
Springdale
National Merit Scholars
BESSIE B. MOORE AWARD WINNERS!
SPRINGDALE GT TEACHERS WIN BESSIE B. MOORE AWARD
Springdale Teachers Honored With Bessie B. Moore Awards
Jennifer Taunton, a gifted and talented teacher at Linda Childers Knapp Elementary School and Jennifer Malugen, a GT instructor at Monitor Elementary, are among the five teachers in Arkansas who have been named Bessie B. Moore Award winners by Economics Arkansas.
After a surprise visit by Associate Director of Economics Arkansas Marsha Masters, Taunton said, “I am grateful for the award. There is a study that says kids develop their financial habits before the age of seven. The way students become productive members of society is to understand how society in the economic world works. The earlier we start teaching economics, the better the kids will be in the long run.
“If I can teach them how the economy works, how they fit into it, how having a job and doing a good job are important, I can help them have a leg up.”
Malugen, also surprised when Masters appeared at the Don Tyson School of Innovation where Malugen is involved in the district’s Virtual Academy, explained, “I created a project on entrepreneurship with children and it was based on ‘Billy Sure Kid Entrepreneur’ and Amelia Bedelia’s book, ‘Amelia Means Business.’ The books gave our kids great opportunities to understand how other kids could be entrepreneurs and how they could be entrepreneurs, too.
“Both stories are based on children who actually were entrepreneurs in their own way. The students learned a lot of economic terms through literature. Amelia Bedelia actually created a lemonade stand and it was great to talk about how she did it.”
Masters, who noted the awards were established in 1995 to honor exemplary teachers for successfully developing outstanding economic and personal financial classroom projects, was not surprised that 40 percent of this year’s awardees were from Springdale.
“Springdale is recognized nationally for its great work and infusing economic education across the curriculum,” Masters said. “It’s an honor to be able to recognize these educators and say thank you for the work they are doing. They are going above and beyond.
“Jennifer Taunton is a leader in economic education. She found ways to infuse economics throughout her classroom the entire year. Whether it was through innovative projects that she was doing or a cooking unit, she found ways to teach her students basic economic concepts.
“Jennifer Malugen did a project all about entrepreneurship through the eyes of a child. She used notable children’s literature to make that connection. Arkansas is a great state for entrepreneurship and she’s feeding the seeds of entrepreneurship with her students.”
Masters added, “The University of Cambridge produced a study that showed children as young as seven years old are beginning to show adult money habits. We think that is true in all areas of economics. Economics is a science of decision making. We want our children at a very young age to learn how to make informed decisions because the decisions they make now will impact their future as well as the future of our community.”
Malugen agreed with Masters, noting, “I wish I would have learned a lot of those economic lessons as an elementary student. It can save a lot of problems of young adulthood. If they can grasp economic concepts now, they will be able to save money that can better prepare their future.”
As a reward for their efforts, Taunton and Malugen were awarded $1,000 grants from Economics Arkansas to enhance their economic instruction.
Taunton and Malugen are two of the many superb economic teachers in the Springdale School District. The lessons they are conveying to future adults in the areas of economics and personal finance will help shape the future of Springdale for years to come. District excellence in teaching economic principles is among the reasons Springdale Public Schools are #THEChoice.
GT Facilitator SPOTLIGHT--Meredith Reeves
K-12 PROGRAM OPTIONS:
K-2 Enrichment
MIDDLE SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT----HELLSTERN MIDDLE SCHOOL
Steffi Teo & Josiah Rippelmeyer
What is the GT Cluster Class Model we use in Springdale Middle Schools?
Take a VIRTUAL FIELDTRIP with ViA DTSOI GT Facilitator JENNIFER MALUGEN
Come visit some of Springdale's GT BITMOJI Classrooms
What does GT look like at the secondary level? MEET ASHLEY MARCUM
Reflection on GT Services with Dalene Paull
GT Library
CARRY ON MR. BOWDITCH
Carry on Mr. Bowditch is a novel by Jean Lee Latham that was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1956. The book is a children's biography of Nathaniel Bowditch, a gifted child with an extraordinary talent for mathematics, becomes a sailor that uses his mathematical skills to published the mammoth and comprehensive reference work for seamen: The American Practical Navigator. This is a great read aloud with lots of discussion on gifted traits and historical significance.
--Tim Smithey, Director of Gifted & Talented
Under the Egg
One of my favorite books is Under the Egg, by Laura Fitzgerald. While learning how to manage a budget and care for her family, Theodora Tenpenny must research and solve the mystery of the egg painting by her late grandfather. I highly recommend this book for all kids who love a good mystery and a kid who saves the day.
--Jennifer Taunton, GT Facilitator
Innovate Inside the Box
--Jennifer Malugen, GT Facilitator
Living With Intensity: Understanding the Sensitivity, Excitability, and the Emotional Development of Gifted Children, Adolescents, and Adults
Gifted children and adults are often misunderstood. Their excitement is viewed as excessive, their high energy as hyperactivity, their persistence as nagging, their imagination as not paying attention, their passion as being disruptive, their strong emotions and sensitivity as immaturity, their creativity and self-directedness as oppositional.
This resource describes these overexcitabilities and strategies for dealing with children and adults who are experiencing them, and provides essential information about Dabrowski s Theory of Positive Disintegration. Learn practical methods for nurturing sensitivity, intensity, perfectionism, and much more.
--Joy Sawyer, GT Facilitator
Teach Your Dragon to Make Friends
--Shelbi Raines, GT Facilitator
Millicent Min---Girl Genius
--Tim Smithey, Director of Gifted & Talented
EVENTS:
"Gifted Leadership in Arkansas: Panel /discussion with Presidents of AAGEA and AGATE"
Thursday, Oct 1, 2020, 07:00 PM
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"Tips for Best Practices in G/T Identification: Making the Case for Universal Screening in Arkansas"
Tuesday, Oct 13, 2020, 07:00 PM
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"The Origins of Covid-19: Fact and Fiction" University of Central Arkansas
Thursday, Oct 1, 2020, 06:00 PM
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"FACE the FACTS: Election 2020 Youth Townhall" with PBS
Tuesday, Oct 6, 2020, 06:00 PM
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"China's Response to Coronavirus" University of Central Arkansas
Thursday, Oct 8, 2020, 06:00 PM
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"Confronting Anti-Asian racism in Communities and Classrooms" University of Central Arkansas
Thursday, Oct 15, 2020, 06:00 PM
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"The Future of US-China Relations" University of Central Arkansas
Thursday, Oct 22, 2020, 06:00 PM
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RESOURCES:
GT Directory for Springdale Schools
Tim Smithey, Director of Gifted & Talented
Shannon Tisher--Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Instruction and Innovation, and Advanced Placement Coordinator
Email: stisher@sdale.org
Location: Springdale Public Schools, AR, USA
Erin Matthews-Bartz-- Administrative Assistant for Gifted & Talented @ the Perry Professional Development Center
Robert Beard---GT Building Designee George Junior High
Jaime Cavitt--GT Facilitator Monitor and Walker Elementary
Email: jcavitt@sdale.org
Website: cavittgt.weebly.org
Location: Monitor & Walker Elementary
Debbie Coffer--GT Designee Southwest Junior High School
Shannon Ewing--GT Facilitator Turnbow and Westwood Elementary
Email: sewing@sdale.org
Location: Turnbow and Westwood Elementary
Melissa Exley--GT Facilitator Central Junior High School
Rene Griep----GT Facilitator Don Tyson School of Innovation (6-9)
Nancy Halsey--GT Facilitator T.G. Smith and Bernice Young Elementary
Email: nhalsey@sdale.org
Location: Smith & Young Elementary
Dr. Marian Hendrickson--GT Designee Don Tyson School of Innovation (10-12)
Alyssa Henley----GT Facilitator J.O. Kelly Middle School
Leanne Johnson--GT Facilitator Elmdale and J.B. Hunt Elementary
Email: jjohnson3@sdale.org
Location: Elmdale and J.B. Hunt Elementary
Jenny Jones---GT Facilitator Helen Tyson Middle School
Melani Kimery--GT Facilitator Sonora Middle School
Email: mkimery@sdale.org
Location: Sonora Middle School, U.S. 412, Springdale, AR, USA
Ty Lee--GT Designee Springdale High School
Amber Livingston--GT Facilitator ViA DTSOI (6-7)
Jennifer Malugen--GT Facilitator and Master Economics Teacher ViA DTSOI (K-4)
Ashley Marcum--Instructional Facilitator and GT Designee Har-Ber High School
Lynn Massey--GT Facilitator Harp and Jones Elementary
Email: lmassey2@sdale.org
Location: Harp & Jones Elementary
Wendy Peters--GT Facilitator T.G. Smith and Bernice Young Elementary
Email: wpeters@sdale.org
Location: Smith & Young Elementary
Shelbi Raines--GT Facilitator Lee and Sonora Elementary
Email: sraines@sdale.org
Location: Lee and Sonora Elementary
Meredith Reeves--GT Facilitator George and John Tyson Elementary
Email: mreeves@sdale.org
Website: https://sites.google.com/sdale.org/mrsreevesgtclass/home
Location: George and John Tyson Elementary
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/georgegiantsgt
Josiah Rippelmeyer---GT Facilitator Hellstern Middle School
Email: jrippelmeyer@sdale.org
Location: Hellstern Middle School
Joy Sawyer---GT Facilitator ViA DTSOI (5-6)
Lisa Stark--GT Facilitator Bayyari and Willis T. Shaw Elementary
Email: lstark@sdale.org
Location: Bayyari and Shaw Elementary
Jennifer Taunton--GT Facilitator & Master Economics Teacher Linda Childers Knapp and Parson Hills Elementary
Steffi Teo--GT Facilitator Hellstern Middle School
Email: steo@sdale.org
Location: Hellstern Middle School