GT LEADers in Action!

December 2017

Kindergarten Gifted and Talented Identification Meeting

The two week window for nominating your child for gifted and talented testing opens on Monday, December 4 and lasts until Friday, December 15.  Please contact the homeroom teacher or myself if you are interested in having your child tested, which will begin after the winter holiday break in January.  A digital parent survey and permission-to-test form will be shared through email, or you can pick up a paper copy from the Cannon front office. GT LEAD classes for these young scholars will begin in February and will be 45 minutes each week. 

The district presentation from the parent meeting in November is now available on the district website under Advanced Academics, or you can click on this link.  

Kindergarten GT Identification Meeting

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5TH Grade GT LEAD/ASPIRE/Middle School 
Gifted and Talented Meeting

There will be a meeting on Tuesday, December 12 at  6:00 pm at the Professional Development Center, at 5800 Colleyville Blvd., Colleyville  for parents who are interested in the Middle School GT program for their:

• current 5th grader (non-GT identified) student testing for the gifted and talented program, or
• current 5th grader (Identified GT) student testing for the Aspire Academy, or
• current 5th grader (Identified GT) student looking for their placement options for Middle School.

There will be one district-wide meeting, and the presentation will be put on the Advanced Academics website.  The referral window for parents to refer their child for gifted testing is December 4-15, and please contact either your child's homeroom teacher or email me if you are planning to do so.  The actual fifth grade testing will occur January 10-17th. 

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What's Going On in the GT LEAD Classroom?

1st Grade

Creative Engineering!

We really love learning!

2nd Grade

Young archeologist identifying artifacts to recreate an extinct species

3rd Grade

Cubelet's Robotic Blocks have unlimited, modular potential.

4th Grade

LittleBits circuits allow us to add various preprogrammed components to our circuits.

Clever, cozy learning spots

Thank you, Ft. Worth Cowgirl Museum, for loaning us this amazing collection of authentic artifacts!

5th Grade

Dyson Corporation Breaker Space

Innovative Protypes Using Electrical Circuits

Arduino technology allowed us to program our own circuits!

Rubik's Cube coding is cool. By the way, we made this with our eyes closed.

We've created a breadboard that blinks a light-emitting diode and another one that uses a potentiometer. 
Christmas lights will never be same with these talented scholars!

GT LEADers in Action!

November     2017

Thank you, Walmart of Colleyville,  
for this fantastic fan and the room deodorizers. 
These donations make us even COOLer LEADers!
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Kindergarten Gifted and Talented Identification Parent Informational Meeting

Professional Development and Education Center (PDEC)  

          Panther Den  5800 Colleyville Blvd., Colleyville, TX 76034

Thursday, Nov. 16th at 6:00 - 7:00.       

Please join us to learn about gifted and talented identification referral, testing

and program services for kindergarten students.

A recording of the meeting will be posted on the Advanced Academics website for those unable to attend.

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I ran into sweet Cannon cubs while working at Grapefest.

Thank you, PTA, for a blast picnic!

SAGE parent meeting at Dave & Busters was a great chance to see other GT families.
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Highlights in the GT LEAD Classroom

1st Grade

Life maps allow us to reflect on our own timelines.

Collaborative teammates working on tessellations. 

2nd Grade

Rubik cubes really challenge our thinking.

Creative endangered and extinct animal challenge

3rd-5th Grade Tech Infusion in LEAD

Google Classroom allows us to share our voice with other scholars.

Metacognition....reflecting on our own thinking

Drones allow us to get that much closer to Harry Potter!

Focusing on Structures and Functions of technology

Spheros are really amazing to program.

Rubik Cube algorithms are trickier than we expected!

Monument construction is underway.

What surprises await us next week from the Cowgirl Hall of Fame Museum?

5th Grade

Writing code for Ozobot robots 

Thrively.com allows us to reflect on ourselves and to understand our strengths as GT scholars.

Mind Maps energize our thinking to flow naturally, like brain patterns.

Future sound engineers, right here!

Ozobot robots use optical sensors to follow code.

GT LEADers in Action!

September     2017

Greetings, families!  
And welcome back for another exciting and innovative year in GT LEAD.  I hope your summer was fantastic and full of family joy.  I traveled to Missouri, Florida, and various parts of Texas, watching my high school senior son play baseball.  It was such a gift to see him on the field and to spend so much quality time together.  He even hit three home runs!  My daughter spent her days swimming, dancing and painting art in as many corners of the house as she could.  It was a great summer.  

What's Going on GT LEAD

Class will begin next week, and I'm so ready to get started!  There will be a shortened schedule, due to the holiday on Monday.

SHORTENED HOLIDAY SCHEDULE
Tuesday  9/5
3rd grade dual         8:00-9:00
2nd grade                9:00-10:00
3rd grade nondual  12:30-1:30

Wednesday 9/6
5th grade nondual   7:55-8:55
5th grade nondual   1:25-2:25

Thursday 9/7
4th grade nondual   9:10-10:10
4th grade dual         12:30-1:30

Friday 9/8
1st grade                  9:00-10:00
5th grade dual         11:30-12:25
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Permanent GT LEAD Class Schedule (starts September 11)

Monday
2nd grade                9:00-11:00

Tuesday
3rd grade dual         8:00-10:00
3rd grade nondual  12:30-2:30

Wednesday
5th grade nondual   7:55-9:10 and 10:00-11:30
5th grade nondual   11:00-12:25 and 1:25-2:55

Thursday
4th grade nondual   9:10-11:30
4th grade dual         12:30-2:55

Friday
1st grade                  9:00-10:30
5th grade dual         11:30-12:25 and 1:30-2:55

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GT LEAD Parent Curriculum Night

Please make plans to join us on Thursday, September 14 at 6:00 pm in the library for the 2017-2018 GT LEAD Curriculum Night meeting.  Here is the link for the presentation, in the event you are unable to come.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1h_fLd1CDSQAP49vbqgd4FS-EB49CkatowWUeRHVVyvM/edit#slide=id.p27

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SUPPLIES FOR THIS YEAR

Your child will need to bring the following supplies as soon as possible:

1st Grade One paper towel roll Ziplock baggies box (any size)	4th Grade: One container of Bleach wipes
2nd Grade: Ultra Fine Point black Sharpie	5th Grade: One craft item package (i.e. rhinestones, twine, beads, stickers, etc. --the possibilities are endless)
3rd Grade: Fine tip black Sharpie	All supplies will be shared by all GT LEAD students.   Thank you for sending them!

It's going to be the best year together!

SAGE:  Supporting & Advocating for Gifted Education

Please consider joining SAGE so your family can remain informed of current issues in gifted education and so your family can network with other families of gifted scholars.  Dana Lamas has graciously offered to serve as our campus rep, so please thank her for her time and commitment to the program.  Meredith Farnam served last year, and we so appreciate her time as well!  For more information on SAGE, go to www.gc-sage.org

GT LEADers in Action!

May 2017 edition

It's truly hard to believe another school year is almost over, and what an amazing one it has been. The GT LEAD classroom has been filled with enthusiastic learners, hungry for more knowledge and challenging experiences, and it has been an absolute joy for me to spend this time with your child!

I would like to thank you for making Teacher Appreciation Week so special.  There is nothing sweeter than having young children excited to drop off a note, or a picture or a gift for their teacher.  It's precious and sincere, and it warms my heart!    

 #bestjobintheworld

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Here's what's going on in the GT LEAD classroom:

Kindergarten loves the brainstorm ball because it helps them creatively come up with fast, original ideas that no other kindergartener might think of!  How does that ball do it???

1st Grade created draw-starts using a single paperclip and then a strand of paper clips.

Ship and a Marble Run

Thanks, Mrs. Boynton, for letting us extend your classroom into GT LEAD with our seguaro pods from cactus. 

2nd Grade concluded their extensive brain research with a Brain Expo where scholars presented self-selected topics and formats.  There were talk show hosts presenting bizarre brain facts, to neuroscientists illuminating emotions and the limbic system.

Always LEAD....never follow!

3rd Grade partnerships used encoding and decoding skills to decipher various encrypted messages.  Secret hide outs, emissaries and cipher wheels are vital to the success of their mission!

4th Grade has been very involved in learning about deductive reasoning through investigative skills needed for Detective School.  We have studied everything from DNA, to trace evidence, to footprints/fingerprints.  A few budding investigators are being created for the future.

Love this, Tanvi!

A first grade treasure we found from precious, Mrs. Walling!

5th Grade did an incredible job on the Battle Bots Robotics Field Trip!  I could not have been more impressed with the focus, teamwork and spirited competition between the Cannon and Bransford Elementary scholars!  They were absolutely perfect, and it was a great day of challenges and innovation.  Some students even brought home a ribbon for their perseverance, or creativity or victory in the Battle Bots ring!

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HAPPY SUMMER, EVERYONE!  

I WILL SPEND MINE CHASING AROUND THESE TWO KIDS.  

ENOY IT, BECAUSE THEY SURE GROW UP QUICKLY!