P A R E N T M E E T I N GO C T O B E R 1 , 2 0 1 4

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MAPLE ELEMENTARY

GIFTED & TALENTED EDUCATION

2014- 2015

GATE COORDINATOR

•GATE Facilitator:

•Mrs. Anne-Marie Cavanah• acavanah@conejousd.org

•Parent Representative: • Karrie Markrud

• karrbeary@me.com2V

GATE FACILITATOR’S ROLE

• Assist teachers with GATE classroom strategies

• Provide GATE parents the following:

• resources

• articles

• activities

• Attend monthly meetings with Dr. Castro & other district teachers to learn and discuss new information

• Attend conferences and in-services such as “Best Practices” and “Gating to the Common Core”

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REFERRAL/IDENTIFICATION

• Teacher and/or parent request for GATE referral.

• Teacher completes GATE referral forms… parent might be asked to write a letter to explain the reason for referral.

• Criteria: SRI score more than 100 points above grade level, CELDT score increasing 2 or more levels in one year, trimester benchmark assessments for math.

• Referral Deadline: December 15, 2014

• Face-to-Face Group Testing Dates: January 24, 2015 & February 7, 2015

• Individual follow-up testing as needed.

• Parent & school notified of results in June.

• School clusters students in fall when making classes.

• Teacher, parent, & student write ILP in October and monitor progress throughout the year.

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GUIDELINES FOR GATE REFERRALS

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Bright Child Gifted Learner

Knows the answers Asks the questions

Is interested Is highly curious

Is attentive Is mentally & physically

involved

Has good ideas Has wild, silly ideas

Works hard Plays around, yet tests well

Answers the questions Discusses in detail, elaborates

Top group Beyond the group

Listens with interest Shows strong feelings &

opinions

Listens with ease Already knows

6-8 repetitions for mastery 1-2 repetitions for mastery

Understands ideas Constructs abstractions

Enjoys peers Enjoys adults

MORE GUIDELINES

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Bright Child Gifted Learner

Understands ideas Constructs abstractions

Enjoys peers Prefers adults

Grasps the meaning Draws inferences

Completes assignments Initiates projects

Is receptive Is intense

Copies accurately Creates a new design

Enjoys school Enjoys learning

Absorbs information Manipulates information

Technician Inventor

Good memorizer Good guesser

Enjoys straightforward,

sequential presentation

Thrives on complexity

Is alert Is keenly observant

Is pleased with own learning Is highly critical

MYTHS ABOUT BEING GIFTED

• High Academic Performance

• High Measured Ability or IQ

• Completes assignments quickly

• Completes all work all the time

• Well organized

• Persistent

• Excellent social & peer relationships

• Highly verbal

• Responds in mature ways

• Very concerned about details

• Self motivated

• Never “lazy”

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WHAT DO GIFTED CHILDREN NEED FROM THEIR PARENTS?

• 1. What every child needs: Your time, love, acceptance,

support, discipline, & stability

• 2. Encourage original thinking; encourage to go outside

comfort zone

• 3. Provide wide range of experiences & encourage

development of personal interests/passions

• 4. Focus on child as a person… be careful not to

overemphasize achievement at the expense of being well-

rounded

• 5. Teach & model stress management & organizational skills

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MAPLE’S GATE PLAN/PROGRAM

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MAPLE’S GOALS

Maple Site Plan Goals for GATE Students:• To achieve in academic areas to levels

commensurate with abilities.

• To develop critical, problem solving and creative thinking skills.

• To enhance self-esteem and related areas in the affective domain.

• To develop organizational and study skills.

• To develop research/reference skills.

• To develop abilities in the areas of visual and/or performing arts.

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SANDRA KAPLAN’S PROMPTS

• Used to differentiate the core

curriculum

• Key questions

Depth and Complexity –

Thinking Skills:

• Critical Thinking

• Creative Thinking

• Problem Solving

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ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNTIES

1.L.E.A.D.- Problem SolvingGATE students and Advanced Students in 4th and 5th grades are grouped together daily for 30 minutes of enrichment. Details for this year are not yet finalized.

Note: Interventions take priority for GATE students.

2.Monthly Assembly ProductionWork with Mr. Santos on developing Maple Marty (character education) presentations for assemblies. Student-initiated project… see Dr. Santos.

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ODYSSEY OF THE MIND

• Participants are K-College, competing by age group

• Groups of 5-7

• 1-2 coaches per team (coaches meeting Oct. 11)

• Parent coaches

• Meet at coach’s house for about 1 hour/week

• Teams meet weekly from Oct./Nov. through Feb.

• All teams participate at regional competition – likely late Feb. in Pasadena

• Parents provide transportation to meetings and regional competition

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STANFORD INTERNATIONALMATH LEAGUE

• Over 1 million students from the U.S. and Canada participate

• Every contest has questions for different areas of mathematics

• The goal is to encourage student interest and confidence in mathematics

• Each contest consists of 30 multiple-choice questions that can be done in 30 minutes. They get progressively more difficult.

• 4th and 5th grade results are not used for inter-school comparisons.

• More information can be found at www.mathleague.com

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SAMPLE 5TH GRADE MATH LEAGUE CONTEST QUESTION

Maria had 28 dreams last month. If 16 of them

involved monkeys, 15 involved squirrels, and 4

involved no animals, then at least how many dreams

involved both monkeys and squirrels?

A) 3 B) 7 C) 9 D)11

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AFTER SCHOOL FIELD TRIPS

• Parent planned & parent led

• Parent drivers for transportation

Possible Ideas:

Amgen lab

Other work sites

Art/Music studios

Museums

Cooking

Moorpark Zoo

Popsicle bridge weight-bearing contest

The options are endless!

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PARENT VOLUNTEERS

• Ways you can get involved:

• Become a coach for Odyssey of the Mind.

Coaches meeting on Saturday, October 11 at

3:00 – 4:30 p.m. at Cypress in Room 20.

• Plan and lead a field trip (to your work place, to a

point of interest, etc.)

• Coach a Math League team

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RESOURCES

Odyssey of the Mind www.odysseyofthemind.org

Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted www.sengifted.org

California Association for the Gifted www.cagifted.org

Hoagies’ Gifted Education Page www.Hoagiesgifted.org

National Association for Gifted Children www.nagc.org

Maple Elementary www.conejo.k12.ca.us/mapleParents / GATE

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RESOURCES

• A Parent’s Guide to Gifted Children • by: James Webb PhD et al

• The Gifted Kids Survival Guide (For Ages 10 and Under)

• by: Judy Galbraith and Jim Delisle

• The Way They Learn • by: Cynthia Ulrich Tobias

• “Mellow Out” They Say. If I Only Could:

Intensities and Sensitivities of the Young and Bright

• by: Michael M. Piechowski

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LOCAL GATE SUPPORT

• District GATE parent meetings

• Tri-County GATE Council (tri-countygate.org) • an affiliate of the California Association for the Gifted

(CAG).

• Parents, educators, and community members are welcome to attend monthly meetings, where information and resources are shared.

• SENG (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted)

• Parent Groups offering education and support to parents of gifted children & teens

• Contact Judy Wiener at Judy Wiener@gmail.com

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WHAT’S NEXT?

•Get involved as a parent volunteer!

•Check out our website and district website for current information

•Exchange contact information

• Share ideas and articles concerning best practices with GATE students

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