GT LEADers in Action!

September edition II

Curriculum Night is next week, Tuesday October 4 at 6:00 pm in the Cannon Library.  I will post the slide show presentation on my next blog in the event you are unable to attend the meeting.

Here's the blueprint in our classroom:

1st grade took great pride in sharing their first official drawstart with their classmates in LEAD.  It's not easy to look at a short curvy line and be able to "see" and then draw a helicopter or skateboard park or a cliff on the side of the ocean.

Aiden's great idea

2nd grade utilized their critical and creative thinking through brainstorming and writing about dissimilar elements.  Scholars had to use common words, like rock, ring, box and foot, and find a creative connection to develop a clever story that uses those words in an original way. 

Groups brainstorming ideas together

I love my peeps!

3rd grade jumped into research as they investigated their potential future careers.  After careful reflection of their own passions and talents, students looked at various academic disciplines that they saw themselves doing in their futures.  Let me tell you, the world of STEM looks very bright, as the vast majority of scholars predicted they would become engineers, particularly mechanical engineers.

We love puzzles, Mrs. G!

Surprise Minion photobomb

4th grade reflected on a critical piece of STEM....mistakes, and why they are  a valuable life experience.  They identified various kinds of mistakes they have made and what gifts were gained from them.  Ask them about how their double acrostic poem illuminated that life lesson!  Students also wrote goals that not only aligned with GCISD's Portrait of a Graduates expectations, but were also supported through forced connections in different draw starts.

5th grade got started on Computer Science (CS) with Mrs. D'Souza of Heritage Robotics Academy.  The scholars did a fantastic job of focusing on the value of computer programming and why this is such a necessary skill today.  Please remind your scholar to work on SCRATCH computer programming at home. The more they practice it, the better they will get!

We also focused on goal writing, centering around Intellectual Traits.  Students are creating an App that highlights the key elements of that trait, so that it can teach others how to improve in that area.

Students are engaged in the design process,
as they plan and create an App for their Intellectual Trait.

GT LEADers in Action

Learning Experiences for Academic Discoveries
September 2016 edition

SCHEDULE CHANGE!!!!!   Please note on your calendars the GT LEAD Curriculum Night Meeting has been CHANGED to October 4 at 6:00 pm in the Cannon Library, due to GHS Homecoming Parade in Grapevine.

SAGE Parent Group

Please be sure to join SAGE this year to further support gifted education and to remain informed as a parent of a talented scholar. 

What's Going On In LEAD Class?

Just a reminder to bring the classroom supplies as soon as you're able.  

Thank you to all the families that have already done this!

Class times are listed for each grade level (dual and nondual), as doctors appointments and absences come up.  (Between you and me, I don't think they like to miss the LEAD days.)

1st Grade –  Mondays and Fridays 10:00-11:00

First grade heard some terrific stories about different people that are gifted and unique. They reflected on how others might not always understand their individuality, but how precious and important it is to be who we truly are!

1st grade really loved the Dot Day story 4th grade created!

2nd Grade – Monday 8:00-10:00 (Nondual) and 
Friday 8:00-10:00 (Dual) Please try to eat breakfast at home on this day.

Second grade scholars showed their clever ideas, as innovative thoughts poured from their mouths during brainstorming. We figured out that that's how companies like Apple continue to think of new and remarkable ideas. We looked at cause and effect situations and solved challenges from a mystery.

These scholars are discussing possible solutions to a perplexing mystery.

3rd Grade – Tuesday 8:00-10:00 (Dual) and
Tuesday 12:30-2:30 (Nondual)

The third grade scholars focused on great thinkers and leaders in the world. They experienced a puzzle problem and had to reflect carefully on how they showed leadership to their teammates.  
We discovered that LEADership comes in many diverse packages.....some thinkers are bold and vocal; others are silent and encouraging; some give soft little nudges to help a group stay on task. All are assets!

4th Grade -  Thursday 9:10-11:30 (Nondual)
Thursday 12:30-2:55 (Dual)

Dot Day (September 15) was celebrated in the most unusual way. We combined the book Dot Day with the "splot" from the Big Orange Splot story and cleverly wrote an adventurous tale with students from group 4A imagining the beginning and the end of the story, and students from group 4B filling in the middle (plot)! There was no predicting how it would unfold, but these innovative artists and authors wove a masterpiece.
Students were also involved in a videotaped, group design challenge that forced them to recognize which identity they portrayed to their teammates. Were they a leader, or a follower, or an encourage, or a critic, or even a distractor?  
It's not easy to reflect on one's self and be completely objective.

5th Grade – Wednesday 8:00-9:10 and 10:00-11:30 (Nondual)

Wednesday 11:00-12:25 and 1:25-2:55 (Dual)

BOTH 5th GRADE LEAD CLASSES WILL HAVE COMPUTER SCIENCE CLASS EACH WEEK 11:00-11:30. Check out this link to learn more about the coding opportunity provided to our STEM LEAD scholars this year:

http://www.heritageroboticsacademy.com/community-outreach.html

The study of Intellectual Traits left fifth grade inspired to write goals around the trait they hope to develop further in LEAD. The Intellectual Trait of perseverance was the most commonly accepted goal, as the scholars realized sticking to a problem and finding innovative solutions is something that matters most in STEM.

"Ice-breaker" game of figuring out how to stand (as a group) on a quickly melting iceberg!

IT'S GOING TO BE A WONDERFUL YEAR!!!