Upcoming Event:

Saturday, November 8, 2008
Two presentations from Nationally Recognized Psychologist: Dr. Patty Gatto-Walden

Cafeteria at Explorer K-8
Quest Academy for Gifted Education
10252 Northcliffe Blvd.
Spring Hill, FL 34608
1-352-797-7094

Dr. Patty Gatto-Walden is a nationally recognized psychologist, who has worked holistically with thousands of gifted and talented children, adolescents and adults for three decades. Sponsored by the Florida Department of Education, she has presented to parents, teachers and administrators throughout the state on the innate complexities of being gifted. Dr. Patty is a featured speaker at international and national conferences and educational workshops.

Parents are invited from 9:30-11:30 for:

Understanding Your Gifted Child from the Inside Out

We often take for granted that we understand our child, however, gifted children are complex and being gifted adds unique dimensions to one’s inner experience. From a holistic and developmental perspective, the inner world of the gifted child will be presented. What you can do to help your child thrive and be happy will be enumerated.

Teachers are invited from 1:30-3:30 for:

Characteristics and Complexities of Gifted Children

As a teacher, do you find yourself pondering questions, such as: what truly are the differences between gifted children and other children? Or, if this child is gifted, why can’t he perform well in all subjects? In thinking about emotionally intense gifted children, you might ask: how can I help reduce stress and still keep him motivated? Or you may wonder if the gifted program is a good fit for a certain child. Please join us to receive answers to these questions, to finally grasp the innate complexities of gifted children, and to learn ways to collaborate effectively with these children.

Both presentations are taking place in the Cafeteria at Explorer K-8.

Graciously sponsored through the generosity of Dr. Brian and Mrs. Lisa Kroll and the First Choice Family Medical Center.

To schedule an individual or family consultation on Friday, November 7th, contact Dr. Patty via email: pgwalden@msn.com or call 904-491-6964.

Did you know…

• A parent can request a review of their child’s Educational Plan (EP) at any time?

• An EP should provide a clear picture of the student, how the student is gifted, and the student’s special needs related to the giftedness?

• An EP should include a determination of the measurable goals, including benchmarks or short-term objectives, that align with the needs of the student - along with a clear statement of how the student’s progress toward the stated goals will be measured and reported to the parents?

• An EP should also include the special needs the child evidences as a result of his or her giftedness; such as, priority educational needs or a determination of whether the student is an underachiever, a perfectionist, or whether there are social and emotional concerns related to gifted characteristics to consider?

Many parents are not aware of the incredible role they can play during the EP process: a role that enables them to effectively advocate for their child - to ensure that their child’s academic needs will be met. Knowing your rights is power - power to make a difference in the education of your child.

View the Department of Education’s Technical Assistance Paper for the Development of Educational Plans (EP) (in .pdf format). Pages 2-9 are in an easy to understand Q&A format. You may find pages 3 and 6-9 to be of particular interest.

Announcement:

WOGI (Working on Gifted Issues) has received a grant from the Dept. of Education to fund the addition of a Parent Page to their website http://www.unfwogi.com/. Consultants from the University of Florida and parent advocates will be developing this page.

They hope to provide parents with a question and answer page that will address their concerns and requests for information in a succinct and parent friendly manner with direct links to the data and research necessary to substantiate and expand upon the answers.

What they need from us are the questions! They also would like permission to use your first name and last initial should they decide to present the questions in that manner.

So… think back and think about the present - what were the questions or concerns you had when you first found out your child was gifted? What issues have you encountered along the way that would have been easier to handle if you had had access to some quick answers? What questions and concerns have you heard from fellow gifted parents? What questions have your children had that you struggled to answer for them?

The audience will span the gamut - from parents who assume their children can’t possibly be gifted because they’re not prodigies to parents who have read everything published on parenting gifted children - so we need to hear it all… the simplest of questions to the most erudite.

Send your questions to cindy@pagesofhernando.com. Thanks.

School Program:

Check out the International Baccalaureate (IB) program currently being developed for Lecanto High School!

Neighboring Support Groups:

Hernando: PAGES (Partners Allied for Gifted Education & Support)

Pasco: The Gifted Round Table

Pinellas: GAP (Gifted Association of Pinellas)

Hillsborough: GACH (Gifted Advocacy Council of Hillsborough)

Publications:

"Acceleration is simply placement according to competence, a principle that goes unquestioned in athletics and in the arts." -- C. Benbow (1998) Excellence in Educating Gifted and Talented Learners.

A Nation Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America’s Brightest Students
by Nicholas Colangelo, Susan G. Assouline, Miraca U. M. Gross

Genius Denied How to Stop Wasting Our Brightest Young Minds
by Bob and Jan Davidson with Laura Vanderkam, published in 2004 by Simon & Schuster
Hailed as a "manifesto for change" by gifted education advocates and experts.

In the News:

Don’t Overlook Gifted Students
By DEL SIEGLE, President of the National Association for Gifted Children
Published: September 13, 2008 in the Tampa Tribune.

A recent national study by a leading education think tank has confirmed what many of us have long recognized - our education system as a whole is neglecting the needs of our highest-achieving performers, and the majority of our teachers are neither adequately trained nor encouraged to help these students maximize their potential…

…Our nation faces a clear choice: We can continue deluding ourselves with the belief that gifted students exist only in certain populations and can thrive educationally without prudent attention to their learning needs. Or we can begin working toward a solution that finally leaves no child behind.

Read more news articles…

What Would Happen If…

We Ran Our Football Teams As We Do Our Classrooms

or…

We Ran Our Classrooms As We Do Our Football Teams

A new take on the football analogy - from Hoagies Gifted