PAMS Gifted Program Update, 11/15/23
In this blog post, please find information about the applications for ODS gifted programs; November and December Gifted Club meetings; Parent Meet and Greet Workshop on executive functioning skills; William & Mary offerings for enrichment; Attendance Works; and report card reminder.
Applications for Gifted Programs: For information about the application process for ODS-Brickell Academy, the Gifted Dance Program, and the Gifted Visual Arts Program, please refer to the November 8 PAMS Gifted Blog entry for important deadlines.
The November 27 Gifted Club is a board games/art/LEGOs kind of day to unwind after the Thanksgiving holiday break. We have just a few spots left, so make sure to sign up your child ASAP. Thank you to the parents who have volunteered to help monitor the afternoon activity–we have several.
The Holiday Gifted Club Meeting will be on December 11, 2023–and it will be a hilarious time for those who attend! I will send the RSVP link right after Thanksgiving. I polled the gifted students for what they would like to have at the party and used their suggestions and preferences to come up with the following:
The activities will include:
- An ice cream sundae station
- A trivia contest
- Team contest: Santa’s Beard
- Holiday card-making station
- Holiday baby photo guessing game (if we get enough pictures!)*
- The ever-popular Weird Candy Cane Reindeer craft
- Mini-canvas painting ornament craft
- Holiday Song LEGO contest
- Gift Exchange game
I have created a Sign-Up Genius for items that are needed for the afternoon. Thank you for any donations you can pass along. Items can be sent in as soon as possible labeled with “Gifted Club, Mrs. C. Smith”–students can bring them to my office (C208), or parents/guardians can drop them at the Security Desk. Please drop off all items (except ice cream donations) by Friday, December 8.
And yes, I will need several volunteers!! You can sign up on the Sign-Up Genius link below.
Please click SIGNUP GENIUS LINK FOR GIFTED CLUB DECEMBER HOLIDAY PARTY to sign up for donations.
*If you can send me a baby picture (ages 0-3) of your child from a previous winter holiday, I’d love to surprise them by having their picture on our photo wall for the “Guess the Holiday Baby” contest. You can send it to me as an attachment to an email–(cue Grinch laugh…). I will need it electronically by December 8 at the latest.
Executive Functioning Skills Gifted Parent Meet and Greet Workshop: Goal-directed persistence. Task initiation. Planning and prioritization. Emotional control. Working memory. Time management. Shifting. Flexibility. Sustained attention. Our next Gifted Program Parent Meet and Greet Workshop on Supporting Lifelong Success–Introduction to Executive Function Skills will be held on Tuesday, November 28 at two different times. For the morning session, we will meet from 10:30-11:30 AM. For the afternoon repeat session, we will meet at 4:45-5:45 PM. Both meeting places will be in the STEM Lab (C106). Please RSVP on the link–I promise to remind you! Please note: This workshop will be open to all PAMS parents, with a limit of 50 adults at each session. Sign up early!
RSVP Link for November 28 Parent Workshop on Executive Functioning Skills
The Center for Gifted Education at the College of William & Mary is offering two programs this spring that you might want to explore. First, Focusing on the Future (FOF) exposes forward-thinking learners to career opportunities related to the arts, humanities, mathematics, and sciences. The program also informs parents of considerations and guidelines for effective career and academic planning. Students have the opportunity to learn about four career areas. Students are exposed to
- (a) information about work habits and “habits of mind” (e.g., precision and objectivity in math; skepticism and curiosity in science) that lead to successful careers in various fields,
- (b) an interactive discussion about a variety of career opportunities in a particular field, and
- (c) steps to take to prepare for specific careers.
Parents have the opportunity to attend a variety of workshops, which will assist them in guiding their children with academic and career planning. FOF will be on March 16, 2024, from 8:45 AM -3:30 PM. See below for the brochure and registration information.
Link to Register for FOF at William & Mary
The second program is William and Mary’s Saturday Enrichment Program (SEP). In 2024, CFGE will be offering monthly Saturday Enrichment Programs. Registration will open no later than 2 months before the program date, so please check the website frequently to ensure you secure a spot in the program and keep up to date with any program adjustments that may occur. For specific monthly class offerings, please click on the dates below.
New Offering for February – SEP PARENT SESSION! This February we will provide an opportunity for parents of our students to attend a session with Dr. Jennifer Cross about Meeting Your Child’s Emotional Needs.
January 27th – REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!(pdf)
February 24th – REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!(pdf)
Attendance Matters! Parents want their children to do well in school, but many don’t fully understand the connection between chronic absence and a student’s academic achievement. The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has been supporting schools with an attendance campaign across the Commonwealth knowing that we must ALL work together to ensure students are engaged in school every day #AttendanceMattersVA.
DID YOU KNOW?
• Students should miss no more than 9 days of school each year to stay engaged, successful, and on-track to graduation.
• Frequent absences can be a sign that a student is losing interest in school, struggling with school work, dealing with a bully or facing some other difficulty.
• By 6th grade, absenteeism is one of three signs that a student may drop out of high school.
• By 9th grade, attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than 8th-grade test scores.
• Missing 10%, or 2 days a month, over the course of the school year, can affect a student’s academic success.
Click Attendance_Works_Middle_High_family_handout_091623 for more information about Attendance Works!
Report cards for the first quarter can be found in Parent Vue. If you cannot access your child’s report card, please contact your child’s school counselor or the main office for assistance. I will be reviewing the grades of the gifted students and will work with the teachers and school counselors for any who are underachieving to see how I can be of assistance to help the students be more successful in their learning.
Please let me know if there is anything I can do for your child in the gifted program!
Mrs. Cathy Smith, PAMS Gifted Resource Teacher