City of Salem Schools Gifted Programs An Overview

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City of Salem Schools Gifted Programs An
Overview We hope you and your family have a
great 2010-2011 School Year!

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Gifted Programs Overview

• In-Class Differentiation is the cornerstone of
  the gifted program at all schools.   
• Students are encouraged to go beyond the regular
  curriculum by teachers who use a variety of
  Differentiation techniques. 
•  
• Examples of these include
• Higher level and critical/analytical thinking in
  both independent and group tasks. 
• Tiered activities/centers/projects
• Open-ended questions
• Research
  
• Pretesting/post testing
• Choice Menus
• Alternate Assignments
• Creative Thinking Opportunities

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Gifted Program Overview

• Gifted support service to

-Staff Coordinators meet with approximately
seven to ten teachers a week to assist them with
planning differentiation opportunities,
conferencing about individual students needs,
developing curriculum, etc

-Students Salem has two gifted program
coordinators for 256 students. The students
participate in an array of differentiated
opportunities in their own classrooms, as well as
attend workshops in their areas of interest.
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Gifted Program Overview Cont.

• Gifted support service to
• Parents Coordinators send home differentiation
  opportunity logs which describe differentiation
  opportunities students have in the classroom. In
  addition, coordinators meet with parents as
  needed to discuss their childrens particular
  needs.
• Community Various community members volunteer
  in programs such as our partnership with General
  Electric and our annual Elementary Art Show we
  assist with put on by the Friends of the Salem
  Public Library.

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Elementary

• Support for Parents
• Meeting with parents as needed to discuss their
  childrens individual needs
• Resources
• Support for Teachers
• Resource materials
• Ideas of how to use differentiation strategies in
  the classroom
• Team Planning and Teaching
• In-service opportunities
• Workshops/Field Trips for Students
• In-school
• After-school
• Saturday Workshops
• Field Trips

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Middle School

• Support for Parents
• Meeting with parents as needed to discuss their
  childrens individual needs
• Resources
• Support for Teachers
• Resource materials
• Ideas of how to use differentiation strategies
• In-service opportunities
• Co-teaching
• Tutorials
• Gifted Programs Coordinators go to 6th and 7th
  grade tutorials periodically to assist and
  support students
• Workshops/Field Trips for Students
• Before-school
• After-school
• Saturday Workshops
• Field Trips

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High School

• Support for Teachers
• Assist in planning
• Working with small groups
• Co-teaching
• Resource materials and ideas
• Support for Students
• Individual assistance
• -schedules
• -applications
• -college planning
• -college recommendations
• Partnership with General Electric and Job
  Shadowing Opportunities
• Workshops
• Governors School
• Field Trips
• Support for Parents
• College Planning in conjunction with Salem High
  Schools Guidance Department

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Highlights

• We purchased Rosetta Stone, an online foreign
  language learning program for our identified
  gifted elementary students in which they are able
  to learn a language by immersing themselves in
  the language. They are able to utilize this
  program both in the classroom and at home. We
  have also been able to offer this program to a
  number of teachers as well who have embraced the
  program too.
• Our Middle and High School Students went on a
  fieldtrip to General Electric where they
  participated in hands on learning labs and toured
  the facility with the Engineers of the Facility.
  Engineers from GE later went into various
  classrooms at ALMS and SHS to promote engineering
  as a possible future career choice.
• All Introduction to Elementary School Movies for
  new students coming to our schools have been
  completed. The gifted students at each elementary
  school created and produced the movies for the
  new students coming to their schools.

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Highlights

• Several Students at ALMS and SHS participated in
  the Big Read.  The Big Read is a nationwide
  program that was created by the National
  Endowment for the Arts. 
• The Big Read invites members of communities
  throughout the United States to read a single
  book of American literature in their home towns
  and communities, and then join together for
  activities including book discussion groups,
  panels, lectures, film screenings and other
  activities related to the book to name several.
• Our identified gifted fifth grade students took a
  field trip to the Roanoke Valley Governor School
  to participate in Hands On Learning Activities in
  Science, Math, and Technology.
• Our Gifted Program Surveys were once again placed
  online allowing students, parents, and teachers
  to give us valuable feedback regarding the Gifted
  program.

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Highlights

• Our Region VI Gifted Consortium has been busy
  collaborating together for many years working as
  one to provide unique learning experiences for
  the gifted children in our region as well as
  provide professional development for the teachers
  in our region that work with our identified
  students.
• Bob Iseminger, author of Demystifying
  Differentiation in Elementary School and
  Demystifying Differentiation in Middle School
  came in April to the Salem Civic Center to do
  professional development for our teachers and
  other teachers around the region.
• the ongoing development of the Region 6 Gifted
  Consortium website that has resources for
  parents, teachers, and coordinators
• We recently worked together to purchase Rosetta
  Stone and Renzulli Learning Systems for the
  students in our region. As a result of our
  collaborative purchase, we were able to save
  money in our school systems.

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Highlights

• We assist the Friends of the Salem Public Library
  in putting an Annual Art Show together that
  features our talented artists in the four
  elementary schools.
• We purchased Renzulli Learning Systems for all
  of our elementary students
• students answer a questionnaire online resulting
  in the development of their unique learning
  profile.
• As a result, the students have opportunities to
  travel to an array of safe informative websites
  based on their learning styles and interests.
• The websites include virtual fieldtrips, summer
  enrichment opportunities, and much more.
• As the result of the purchase of this online
  product, all teachers in our system have access
  to this program which assists teachers in the
  creation and execution of differentiated
  teaching, learning, and assessment activities.

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2009-2010 Workshop Opportunities

• Geocaching
• Introduction to Russian Language and Culture
• Renzulli Learning Systems
• Drama Games/Auditioning
• Constructing Polyhedrons
• College Planning
• Book Club
• Painting with water colors and oils
• Origami
• iPod Touches
• Civil War Reenactment

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2009-2010 Field Trip Opportunities

• The Taubman Art Museum
• -Middle and High School Students November 3rd
• -Elementary Students February 12th
• General Electric
• -Middle and High School Students February 16th
• Roanoke Valley Governors School
• -5th graders

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The Rosetta Stone Foreign Language Web Based
Program

• http//www.rosettastone.com/
• Dynamic Immersion Program
• Getting children started early with second
  language skills gives them a head start to
  succeed in a global economy.
• Research has shown that once a second language
  has been acquired, it is easier to learn a third
  or fourth language. Developing essential language
  skills leads to success in other subject areas as
  well.
• Rosetta Stone is built on a series of common,
  easily recognizable images found in everyday
  situations, which enables young children
  immediately to immerse themselves into the
  program and progress quickly.
• With Rosetta Stone, students can work
  independently at school and at home on this
  program.

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Languages Our Identified Gifted Elementary
Students Can Choose From

• Spanish
• Italian
• German

• Russian
• French
• Mandarin Chinese
• Japanese

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Upcoming Plans

• Continued Teacher workshop series focusing on G/T
  topics
• Continued collaboration with school systems in
  our region
• Continued Foreign Language Learning Opportunities
  for our Gifted Students
• Innovative Technology workshops for our students
  and teachers utilizing technology such as IPod
  Touches, GPS devices, and Web cameras

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Upcoming Plans

• Local, State, and National Government workshops
• Continued Partnerships with local businesses and
  companies such as General Electric
• Continued Opportunities to be Green and expose
  and involve our students in Green efforts
  around the community
• Continued efforts to actively engage our students
  in service projects to heighten their awareness
  of people in need, and teach them how to work
  together to make differences in peoples lives

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Upcoming Plans

• Continued fieldtrips on Parent Teacher Conference
  Days and Early Dismissal Days.
• We are currently planning a fieldtrip to Virginia
  Tech this fall for our Middle and High School
  Students in which they will tour the campus,
  attend an honors program presentation, and eat
  lunch on campus at one of the popular dining
  halls.
• We are planning a fieldtrip to Virginia Tech this
  spring for our elementary students to explore
  hands on learning opportunities, tour the campus,
  etc

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For more information go to

• - http//www.salem.k12.va.us
• - The Gifted Corner at http//agibson.edublogs.org