GT GA ZETTEJEFFCO

Volume 3 | Issue 3| January 2019

Be sure to check out our Student Opportunities webpage for travel experiences, camps, resources, etc. Also, our Parent Resources webpage has info on upcoming and past parent seminars, presentations and useful links for families of gifted learners.

Spaces are still available for 2nd semester in Jeffco?s Online GT Courses! This new program currently offers 7th grade core classes: GT Language Arts 7, GT Math 7/8, GT Science 7, and GT Social Studies 7. Classes are taught by certified GT teachers and offer the opportunity for GT students to participate in an engaging online curriculum that incorporates both the academic and social-emotional needs of gifted students. Families may work with JVA and their home schools in order to arrange for their gifted children to take one or more GT classes during their school day in their area(s) of strength. Please see our website for more information or feel free to contact us with

additional questions.

Our district GT Advisory Council (GTAC) had its first meeting this past Nov 30 -- thanks to those parents, students and educators who have volunteered for this vital committee! We reviewed the feedback from our Colorado Gifted Education Review (C-GER) in 2017 and discussed how GTAC could best provide input and guidance on next steps. We decided to focus on how we can improve our Advanced Learning Plans (ALPs) and outline gifted programming expectations for all schools. For more info on GTAC and a link to the notes from this meeting, see our GTAC website.

Ear ly Access

Early Access to Kindergarten and first grade is for four and five -year-olds, respectively, as an exception to the normal age requirements per Board Policy JEB. This is for children who are highly gifted (97th percentile or higher) and who would benefit from acceleration. The early access application is open January 2, 2019-April 1, 2019. Please click here for a link to the early access module. For more information about early access please click here.

GT Advisory Council GTAC

GT Parent & St udent Resource Page

ht t p:/ /www.jef fcopublicschools.org/program s/gif t ed_t alent ed

Jef fco Vir t ual Academ y Online GT St udent Courses

Parent Sem inars

EnrollJef fco

Jeffco has a new online enrollment system! All families will use EnrollJeffco for the 2019-20 school year. The online enrollment system is open from Jan 22 - Feb 8, 2019. Click here for more information.

As an ongoing service to our GT community, the Jeffco Gifted and Talented department will be hosting a parent seminar on Monday January 28th in the 5th Floor Board Room at the Jefferson County District Office. Please click here for further information. Jeffco GT will also host ?An Evening with JAGC? on Feb 25, where a panel of GT students, parents and educators will share their experiences to help you navigate the gifted journey -- see this flyer for more info.

Twenty-four 6th and 7th graders at Carmody Middle School participated in a special section of their Connections class this semester. Each of the students is identified as a Gifted and Talented student with an advanced learning plan.

The once-a-week session has allowed students to meet with other gifted

learners, explore what it means to be gifted, and to research and design a

presentation for a self-selected area of study. Final presentations ranged

from student-created videos about litt le-known sports to an in-depth study

of Nuclear Reactor Unit #4 at Chernobyl.

Led by counselor Randy Gilder, this pilot cluster program will continue

through next semester, allowing gifted students time to pursue their passion

areas of study and fulfill their advanced learning goals.

Kendrick Lakes Elementary is the proud recipient of the 2018 National Blue Ribbon Schools award. The Colorado Department of Education looks for schools whose CMAS growth outpaces other schools in the district and in 2017, Kendrick Lakes? growth scores went from the 80th percentile to the 94th percentile in reading, and they improved their median growth percentile from 60 to 73.5. As a staff, they described in great detail all that Kendrick Lakes does from curriculum to clubs, from PTA to Pumpkin Patch field trip to Principal?s Leadership style, from reading instructional strategies to relationships teachers build with students and families. When asked to identify the one strategy that supported their performance, they selected the Professional Learning Community model of planning for, evaluating, and responding to student learning. Sharper focus on fewer things along with targeted interventions all played a role in their success. To celebrate the receipt of the award, local dignitaries and School Board members attended a Blue Ribbon Celebration on November 12, 2018. Students wrote poetry and speeches, performed songs, and waved blue ribbons to celebrate. Congratulations

Kendrick Lakes!

Congratulat ions Kendrick Lakes Elementary!

Carm ody Middle School Of fers GT Clust er Tim e

JAGC NEWSLETTER

The Jef fco Associat ion for Gif t ed Children (JAGC), an affiliate of our state GT organization, the Colorado Association for Gifted & Talented (CAGT, coloradogifted.org) has just release a new newsletter with great info for GT families Check it out at jef fcogif t ed.org.

Wheat Ridge High School & Prospect Valley Elem ent ary

Recently a group of Wheat Ridge High School Stem students supported the 5th grade GT Robotics Teams at Prospect Valley. Over a few short visits, the students engaged in critical thinking and problem solving skills as they collaboratively worked to program their creations into moving robotic hands. The intense level of concentration and commitment by both groups made for an outstanding process.

Jef fco Wr it ing Challenge

Jeffco students should start planning now for the 2019 Jeffco Writing challenge! This year we will have differentiated prompts for high school students and K-8 students. First place winners in each grade win $100; 2nd & 3rd place win Tattered Cover Gift Cards!. Select the link above for the appropriate flyer information. Submissions are due by February 28!