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March, 2006

SSSSocial & Emotional Needs of Gifted Learnersocial & Emotional Needs of Gifted Learnersocial & Emotional Needs of Gifted Learnersocial & Emotional Needs of Gifted Learners Tuesday, April 4, 2006 � 7 - 8:30 pm � Johnston Middle School Auditorium

Friends of Johnston ELP will host Sally Beisser, PhD, Associate Professor in the School of Education at Drake University on Tuesday, April 4 from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Johnston Middle School Auditorium. She will share a presentation with us about the Social and Emotional Needs of Gifted Learners. Some of the information she will share includes: 1. Parent's Perspective 2. Questions for Parents to Ask 3. Introversion and Extroversion Continuum 4. How to Live Successfully with the Gifted Child 5. Teaching the Gifted Child 6. Characteristics of G/T Students 7. Strategies for Teaching Gifted Students This is a topic of interest to parents of high-ability students of all ages. Please join us for an informative and interesting evening.

2005-2006 Board Members

Our group needs and welcomes

your input. Feel free to contact any

board member listed below with

questions about our organization. If

you’d like to help with any of our

activities, please let us know!

Rita Pray, President (515) 252-1967 [email protected] Sue Nagel, Secretary 334-0999 [email protected] Rosanne Brown, Treasurer (515) 276-2172 [email protected] Ellie Holland, Member at Large 252-6158 [email protected] Jane McDowell, Member at Large 270-0012 [email protected] Teresa Ikeda, Member at Large (515) 251-3171 [email protected] Janet Petersma, Member at Large (515) 270-0561 [email protected]

2005-2006 ELP Staff Kathy Paul

ELP Coordinator for JCSD, assist with 7th, MS 8-9 ELP, assessment & training; 278-0476; [email protected]; Easiest to contact by e-mail

Sue Cline

ELP teacher at Johnston High School / Advanced Placement; 278-0449 [email protected]; Contact before 8:45 AM or after 1:40 PM

Mitzi Hetherton Judie Horka

ELP teacher at Horizon and Lawson; 986-1121 (Horizon) 278-0478 (Lawson); [email protected]; Contact by e-mail or phone Part-time ELP teacher at Wallace Elementary; 278-6977 [email protected]; Contact by e-mail or phone on Mondays and Thursdays

Nancy McGill

ELP teacher at Beaver Creek; 278-6228; [email protected]; Call between 3 and 4 PM, or e-mail her for a convenient time

Connie Pruitt

Part-time ELP teacher at Summit – 6th and 7th grade exploratory classes; 986-0318, [email protected]; Contact by e-mail or phone

Advanced Math Staff Barb Sersland

Johnston Middle School math teacher, math testing; 278-0476 or 986-0318; [email protected]; Contact by e-mail or phone

June 15, 1879June 15, 1879June 15, 1879June 15, 1879

Dear Editor, I am sitting here at my kitchen table writing this letter very quickly because the sun is setting and my candle is burning out, but my life is going to change soon. I read that Thomas Edison has just invented the first light bulb to use in my house. The light bulb will create more hours in my day. I will no longer be dependent on the sun’s light. I will also be looking forward to not making candles any longer. My family’s life will change too. My baby will sleep peacefully with a night-light. She will no longer have to be afraid of the deep darkness. My husband and I are looking forward to having light bulbs in our barn so we can check on our animals without using a lantern. Also, I will be looking forward to string light bulbs on my Christmas tree instead of candles because last year our Christmas tree almost caught on fire, because of the candles. The streets in our town are very dark and seem frightening at night. Everyone in our community will feel safer with streetlights. The eerie night is creeping in; I can barely see my paper. I look forward to having this new light.

Your faithful reader, Abigail Gorsche

ELP News from Beaver Creek Elementary Submitted by Nancy McGill, ELP Teacher

We have some exciting news to share as several of the contest and competitions have drawn to a close. The Reader’s Digest Word Power Challenge ended with both a fourth and

fifth grade champion. Hannah Soyer, from Mr. Short’s class, battled her way through a number of tiebreakers to be named Vocabulary Champ at Summit/Beaver Creek! Madeline Taylor from Mr. Loy’s class defined her way to the top of the fourth grade this year. Congratulations to them both! All fourth and fifth graders participated in the National Geographic “Geo-Bee” for the first time this year. While very difficult, this is a worthwhile activity that will be repeated in the future. Each school can have only one winner and our own Harrison Baymiller, from Ms. William’s class, took top honors in this challenging event. Congratulations, Harry! Math Olympiads is almost done with our fifth and final competition scheduled for March. We have a very tight race in the fifth grade this year between Edwin Wu, Joy Yang, and Hannah Soyer. The rest of the participants are working hard and making excellent progress as their problem-solving skills deepen with each contest. This is one of the most challenging math contests available to fourth and fifth graders and those who choose to participate are to be commended for their perseverance. We are anxiously awaiting news from the Letters About Literature contest! Please look for the results of this favorite in the last newsletter of the year. And finally, we have results from the All About Light Contest! that some third graders entered in the fall. Participants were asked to imagine themselves able to travel back in time to the year 1879. Someone named Thomas Edison had invented the first light bulb for use in people’s homes. They then wrote letters to the Editor of the 1879 Times News explaining three ways in which the people’s lives would change as a result of this exciting invention. Of a possible three grand prizewinners, our own Abby Gorsche (Mrs. Brinker’s class) was one! Abby’s entry is included in this newsletter for your reading pleasure. She was de“LIGHT”ed to learn of her winning entry as it comes with a $5,000 saving bond, an Inventor’s Gift Pack of books from Scholastic and a classroom visit from an Olympic athlete!! We have no details at this time as to when or how the prizes will be awarded, so please check this space in the next newsletter for additional details of this exciting contest! Congratulations, Abby! Thank you for your continued support of and interest in the Extended Learning Program!

ELP News from Horizon and Lawson ElementariesELP News from Horizon and Lawson ElementariesELP News from Horizon and Lawson ElementariesELP News from Horizon and Lawson Elementaries Submitted by Mitzi Hetherton, ELP Teacher

Results of the Bees from the second trimester are available! We are anticipating news of any students who may advance on to the next level of competition. Both the Geography Bee and Vocabulary Bee were given to nearly all 4th and 5th grade students at both schools. The Reader’s Digest Word Power Challenge (Vocabulary Bee) champions:

• Lawson: Emily Rasmussen (gr. 4) and Rachel Janousek (gr. 5)

• Horizon: Riley Deutsch (gr. 4) and Olivia Guns The Geography Bee winners were Logan Walkup (Lawson) and Hailey Kromminga (Horizon).

Lawson Learning Michael K. and Logan W., Lawson 5th graders, took the ExploraVision Technology Challenge, with the assistance of 3rd grader Jack Dolde and the mentorship of technology expert, Mrs. Cathy Burns. The students invented a new technology for use in the schools. Their “Smart Book” is the solution to having to haul heavy books to and from school. Visit their webpage at: http://www.johnston.k12.ia.us/lawson/WebSite/homepage.html. ExploraVision is a competition for all students in grades K-12 attending a public, private

or home school in the U.S., Canada, or U.S. Territories. It encourages students to combine their imagination with their knowledge of science and technology to explore visions of the future. Teams of students select a technology, research how it works and why it was invented, and then project how that technology may change in the future. They must then identify what breakthroughs are required for their vision to become a reality and describe the positive and negative consequences of their technology on society. Winning ideas have focused on things as simple as ballpoint pens and as complex as satellite communications. The student teams write a paper and draw a series of webpage graphics to describe their idea. Regional winners make a website and a prototype of their future vision.

Horizon HappeningsHorizon HappeningsHorizon HappeningsHorizon Happenings

The 5th grade students at Horizon have completed a one-month Stock Market mentorship with Mr. Tim Hanstad, a Horizon parent. Students are now ready to apply their new knowledge in The Stock Market Game. The SMG gives students the chance to invest a hypothetical $100,000 in a real-time portfolio. They will be competing against other schools around the country. Our home contact is the University of Northern Iowa. This program teaches and reinforces these essential skills and concepts:

• Math, language arts, and social studies

• Critical thinking

• Decision-making

• Cooperation and communication

• Independent research

• Saving, investing, and economics Students use real Internet research and news updates, making the simulation an even better mirror of the real marketplace. While the competitive game play creates student excitement, the educational experience delivers the biggest impact. They think they're playing a game, but they are really learning economic and financial concepts they'll use for the rest of their lives. To learn more about the SMG, visit the following website http://www.smg2000.org/aboutsmg.htm.

ELP News from Wallace Elementary Submitted by Judie Horka, ELP Teacher

ELP students at Wallace have been working hard! Take a look at what they’ve been doing this winter.

First graders are completing a study of ants. We read poetry, fiction and nonfiction books about ants. We had a little contest--a search for words containing 'ant' and found that they're are almost as plentiful as ants. Students are almost finished writing and illustrating books with ant facts. We can hardly wait for ants to reappear outside to do some live sidewalk observations! Second grade students have been working on a yearlong literature unit for gifted students, Beyond Words. We have been studying some of the ways writers create imagery through similes, metaphors and analogies. Students have also studied change in themselves and our language. They have also been using the "Hamburger Model of Persuasive Writing". It is a very helpful way to organize thinking when writing persuasive paragraphs. To go along with this study, we're reading the book Frindle by Andrew Clements. It is the story of a student who invented a new word and which resulted in many changes in his community. Third grade students have been working on a yearlong unit developed at the College of William and Mary, Ancient Egypt, Gift of the Nile. It is a study of ancient Egyptian history and culture. We have studied the concept of systems to help us compare and understand the systems of agriculture, education, society and division of labor within civilizations. It has been interesting to learn about hieroglyphics, the number system, and changes that occur in languages throughout the world. Students soon will study some of Egypt's ancient rulers, and we already have discovered some were very interesting. Fourth and fifth grade students recently concluded the fifth and final meet of the Math Olympiads program. Study and practice on problem solving strategies helped with this very challenging mathematical program. It became more and more clear with every meet just how important careful reading of the problems is. Ramith Jayatilleka in fifth

grade and Isabella North in fourth grade were our high scorers. The school level Reader's Digest Vocabulary Bee was held in January. Our fourth grade winner was David Rice, and Richard Bui was the top fifth grader. After spring break, our fourth and fifth graders will begin a dissection unit consisting of three dissections—squid, frogs and a pig or sheep brain. We will observe the structure and adaptations of an economically important marine species, the squid. We will continue with an in depth examination of frogs using preserved specimens. Finally, we'll study the inner structures of a mammalian brain, looking for similarities and differences in structures across the species. Four students at various grade levels have been working on advanced level math enrichment throughout the year. On Thursday before spring break, all Thursday groups will take the day off our current activities in order to try out our new Proscope microscope and stand. It links up with the computer and accepts photos to which students can add text descriptions. We have three lenses: 50X, 100X and 200X. It will be exciting to discover the many possible applications for this new tool. It will be great to use as we do the dissection unit. We are most grateful for the Wallace PTO grant that funded this purchase. Finally, two groups of prospective ELP students from kindergarten, first and second grades are participating in primary thinking skills groups. It provides an opportunity for us to get acquainted and practice some thinking skills together as we begin to assess student ELP needs for next year.

Whatever lies before me is Whatever lies before me is Whatever lies before me is Whatever lies before me is not blocking my next step; not blocking my next step; not blocking my next step; not blocking my next step;

itititit is my next step. is my next step. is my next step. is my next step. Maureen Brady

Johnston & Summit Middle School UpdatesJohnston & Summit Middle School UpdatesJohnston & Summit Middle School UpdatesJohnston & Summit Middle School Updates

Submitted by Kathy Paul, ELP Coordinator and Teacher

Knowledge Bowl

What is the only positive number whose square is its double? Which part of the earth’s atmosphere, a region of electrically charged particles, reflects radio signals back to earth? Name the mythological pair who caused the Trojan War? These were the types of questions the Johnston Quiz Kids answered as part of the Knowledge Bowl competition. Students began with a computer round with over 80 teams in the area participating. The top 24 teams were placed in a buzzer-rounds competition on March 9 at Merle Hay Mall. Johnston was the only school in the area to have four teams qualify for the final rounds, and those teams placed 3rd, 7th, 13th and 20th in the district competition. 3rd place: 8th grade team A. Students Mitchell Bell, William McDowell, Joe Payne, Bailey Petersma, and Kyle Soyer were coached by Kathy Paul. 7th place: 7th graders coached by Stacey Irvine: Kyle Naig, Mathew Beary, Kevin Han, Keo Corak, and Tommy Schwanderer 13th place: 8th graders coached by Kathy Paul: Alex Knee, Kallen Kramer, Megan Parker, Philip Mortens, and John Temple, 20th place: 7th graders coached by Linda Lewis: Leah Bowman,

Chris Dockum, Ashlee Hulbert, Mike Shi, and Julia Henning

Above: Mrs. Paul’s 8th Grade Teams By the way, did you get the questions correct? The answers are: 2, ionosphere, Paris and Helen.

BelinBelinBelinBelin----Blank Summer Institute SelectionsBlank Summer Institute SelectionsBlank Summer Institute SelectionsBlank Summer Institute Selections

We have been notified of scholarship selections for the Belin-Blank Summer Institute for the Arts and Sciences at the University of Iowa. Only 17 students in each category from across the state were selected. These students will spend two weeks in a residential program at the University of Iowa. Congratulations to these students on this high honor!

� Katie Upton (8th grade) – The Arts � Joe Payne (8th grade)- alternate in Advanced Science

� Mitchell Bell (8th grade)- Social Sciences

� Kerrick Staley (8th grade)- Math Problem Solving

� Molly Ward (7th grade) – alternate in Invention and Innovation

Above: Ms. Irvine’s 7th Grade Team

Above: Ms. Lewis’ 7th Grade Team

Look ing Ahead to SummerLook ing Ahead to SummerLook ing Ahead to SummerLook ing Ahead to Summer

Summer time can yawn like a timeless, shapeless cavern for some kids and their parents. Don't let that be you! With a little advance planning, you can organize your summer so that you and your children will look forward to the time as an opportunity to enrich, renew and refresh. Here are some tips from the front-lines for planning a summer for your high-ability kids:

� Do plan ahead. Summer camps and programs usually have their schedules and offerings publicized by February or March. Demand is high for some programs, so if you are set on a specific date, send in your registration as soon as possible.

� Match an activity with your child's passion. If your child doesn't have a passion, find an activity that piques her interest and use it as an opportunity to explore new territory.

� Allow your child to choose to do something non-academic, even though an alternate academic challenge seems too good to pass up.

� Remember that you are parenting a whole child---consider how you can help your child discover or develop a new skill or interest that he may not even know he has.

� Contact a local small business owner and ask if your child could shadow him for a couple of days.

� Use family vacation time as a teaching tool. Have your child research geology, history and culture of the place you will be visiting. After the trip, create a scrapbook to show where you went and what you learned.

� You don't have to pay for a program for your child to have a meaningful summer. Encourage her to write a play and produce it in your backyard with the neighbor kids.

� Take advantage of free nature, museum or recreation area activities.

� Plant and care for a pumpkin or squash patch; experiment on water amounts and document sizes of resulting fruits.

� Adopt a grandparent at a nursing home and make crafts and cookies for her; visit regularly.

� Teach your child kitchen skills; let him learn to make some dishes or baked goods and create a cookbook of his own cuisine.

Midwest Summer Exper iences for HighMidwest Summer Exper iences for HighMidwest Summer Exper iences for HighMidwest Summer Exper iences for High----Abi l i ty K idsAbi l i ty K idsAbi l i ty K idsAbi l i ty K ids Here are a few summer experiences worth researching. Visit the website listed for complete information. From the Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education at the University of Iowa: Students take the out-of-level BESTS or EXPLORE tests to qualify for placement in these programs.

� Challenges for Elementary School Students (CHESS): Multi-week day-camp courses for grades 4-6 such as marine biology, forensics, creative writing, math challenges; Iowa City or Des Moines locations.

� Junior Scholars Academy (JSA): Residential two-week courses at the U of Iowa for grades 6-8 in a variety of areas such as math, archaeology, engineering, computer design, creative writing.

� National Scholars Academy and various Institutes for grades 9-11. www.education.uiowa.edu/belinblank

From OPPTAG at Iowa State University: Students qualify by submitting standardized test scores, grades and/or teacher recommendations.

� Adventures: Day-camp for grades 2-6, various topics.

� Explorations: Week-long residential camps for grades 7-10, various topics such as math, creative writing, science.

� CY-TAG: Three-week long residential camps for grades 7-11 for in-depth exploration of various topics; students can earn high school credit.

www.opptag.iastate.edu/summer/cytag

From Creighton University in Omaha: Students qualify by sending several documents re: giftedness with registration. Both experiences are residential on the Creighton campus.

� Ad Astra: For students entering 7th and 8th grades, a series of four courses exploring different topics. www.creighton.edu/adastra

� Arete: For students entering 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th grades, a series of four courses exploring diverse subjects. www.creighton.edu/arete

From West Des Moines Public Schools: Summer Enrichment Activities is a summer school type program for talented and gifted students grades 1-8. It features many different topics; usually 1-2 hours a day over 2 weeks or so. Out-of-district students may sign up, but do so early in case there is a preference for WDM kids. www.wdm.k12.ia.us From Des Moines Public Schools: Summer Programs for Gifted and Talented are similar to the West Des Moines programs. The classes are in high demand and fill up quickly; the brochure will be posted on the web near the end of March. www.dmps.k12.ia.us

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OTHER LOCAL SUMMER PROGRAMS The following list is of organizations that offer summer activities, open to children of all abilities. They serve as excellent options for high-ability children who have specific interests or want to explore a new area.

� Des Moines Art Center: Classes for all ages throughout the summer in a variety of art-related areas—drawing, painting, sculpture, ceramics etc. www.desmoinesartcenter.org

� Des Moines Playhouse: Day-camp style classes geared around theater-arts topics and activities. www.dmplayhouse.com

� Living History Farms: Day-camps for children entering 1st-8th grade designed to explore historical agriculture, outdoor activities and traditional outdoor skills. Older students may volunteer to work as assistant counselors or interpreters. www.lhf.org

� Blank Park Zoo: Day-camps for younger children featuring zoo and animal related topics and activities. www.blankparkzoo.com

� Science Center of Iowa: Classes and day-camps featuring science-related activities and topics. The brochure was posted on the web on 2/20/06; demand is usually high and classes fill quickly, especially with the new facility. www.sciowa.org

RESIDENTIAL SPECIAL INTEREST CAMPS MUSIC: Many universities offer summer music programs for high school students. These can be used as recruiting opportunities by the music program, but also enables students to get a first-hand look at teachers and facilities of a school they might be considering for college. This is a partial list of known Midwest programs:

� University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls: primarily jazz band and jazz combo camps.

� Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa

� Simpson College, Indianola, Iowa

� St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota

� University of Kansas, Lawrence

� Northwestern University, Chicago

FINE ARTS: There are many Fine Arts camps all over the country, but few in the Midwest, and most do not accept students younger than high school. One notable exception is the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Twin Lakes, Michigan (north of Muskegon near Lake Michigan). This cabin-style in-the-woods camp offers strands in band, orchestra, jazz band, harp, piano, voice, dance, writing, painting, drawing, sculpture, theater, and musical theater (for high schoolers). There are short 5 day sessions for 5th and 6th graders; 12 day sessions for middle schoolers, and 2-4 weeks for high schoolers. www.bluelake.org FOREIGN LANGUAGE: Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota offers summer residential programs in total language immersion for many different languages (e.g.: Arabic, Swedish, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Spanish, French, Danish and more). Students aged 8-18 live in language villages and learn language and culture; no previous exposure to the chosen language is required. www.concordialanguagevillages.org DANCE: Many dance companies, studios and university dance programs offer intensive residential summer dance workshops for dancers ages 12 and up. Two local dance studios offer day-camp style summer dance intensives for younger and older students; call the studios or check the web for dates and details.

� Creative Movement Dance Co., Urbandale 331-1831

� The Pointe Academy (formerly Central Iowa Dance), West Des Moines, www.centraliowadance.org THEATER: Simpson College, Indianola hosts the Summer Theatre Institute, featuring intensive theater arts activities, classes and programs, has two strands. One is a day-camp option for students grades 4-6; the other is a residential program for students 15-18 years old. www.simpson.edu/marketing/news CHESS: There really is a residential camp for chess aficionados in Minneapolis. Check out www.chesscamp.com SPACE: There are at least two Midwestern opportunities for kids interested in space exploration.

� The Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center in Hutchinson, Kansas offers a variety of space camps for all ages, some of them residential. www.cosmo.org

� The Illinois Aerospace Institute offers a week-long residential camp for high schoolers on the campus of the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. www.ae.uiuc.edu/IAI/

WRITING: Carleton College in Northfield, MN offers an intensive residential academic writing program and a liberal arts exploration program for high schoolers. Students can earn college credit for completion. http:/ /apps.carleton.edu/summer/ There are numerous opportunities for science exploration outdoors through some of the following organizations and programs:

� Jester Park Nature Center (Granger) www.co.polk.ia.us

� Des Moines Botanical Center www.botanicalcenter.com

� Saylorville Lake Visitors Center www.saylorvillelake.com

� Reiman Gardens and Butterfly Conservatory (Ames) www.reimangardens.iastate.edu

� Iowa Arboretum (rural Madrid): www.iowaarboretum.org

� Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge Prairie Learning Center (Prairie City) www.tallgrass.org

Don't forget about local library reading programs. By following the program offered by the library, you can be assured that your child will read a variety of types of books over the summer. Besides, there are fun prizes to earn for completing the program.

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