Hazelwood Elementary is once again offering a wonderful parenting class (Parenting the Love and Logic Way) this Winter. Click here for the flier. The focus of this class is upon elementary age children. It is a five-week parent training program designed by the Love and Logic® Institute, Inc.
A number of Legislative positions (in the 17th and, possibly, the 47th Legislative districts) will not be decided until recounts are concluded in early December. Otherwise the makeup of the Legislature is pretty well settled. If you want to check it out, go to www.vote.wa.gov and click on election returns.
The Quality Education Council (QEC) and the Joint Task Force on Education Funding (JTF) are getting close to finalizing their recommendations to the Legislature. The Coalition has made presentations to both groups at their public meetings and submitted a position statement to them on Highly Capable funding.
Based on the most recent revenue forecast, it appears there will not be sufficient revenue to fund the increase in basic education funding necessary to meet the requirements of the McCleary decision. Governor Gregoire will be submitting her proposed budget in December (as required by law) and Governor-elect Inslee will submit his proposal after he takes office in January. No doubt there will be several budget proposals floated in the Legislature from both houses and both parties. All of this is going to make for a most difficult session. There are unverified rumors that some parts of basic education may be suspended for a year or two. I do not know if this is possible; the Coalition will do its best to keep you informed as to what is happening and to let you know when you need to contact your Legislators about HCP funding or other vital issues. Look for our regular messages and follow us on Facebook.
Gifted Education Day on March 19th is going to be an important piece of our advocacy efforts. Please plan to join us in Olympia. An XXL turn-out is vital to our chances to get a new, more equitable, funding formula for HCP into the budget.
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We invite you to join us at our general meeting on Friday, November 30 at the Burien Community Center, 14700 6th Avenue SW, Burien, beginning at 10 am. We will be planning our strategy for the legislative session and begin organizing for Gifted Education Day. If you live in the Puget Sound area, please join us. Everyone is welcome!
On the agenda are (1) HCP funding issues, (2) The McCleary Decision and what it means for HCP, (3) Strategy for the upcoming legislative session, (4) Reports from observers at the QEC and JTF meetings, (5) Discussion on continuing to offer the Joint Membership with WAETAG and NWGCA, (6) Planning for Gifted Education Day.
If you plan to attend, please RSVP to wagifted@earthlink.net so we know how many to plan for.
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Opportunity for Training.
The League of Education Voters is holding their 3rd advocacy training session in January. Click here for more information.
Another opportunity to learn about gifted.
The World Council for Gifted and Talented Children will hold its biennial 2013 conference August 10 through 14, 2013 in Louisville Kentucky. For more information, go to http://www.worldgifted2013.org/
Here are some family gathering opportunities for profoundly gifted (PG) children and their families. Membership in the organizations is required, so if you are interested in these possibilities for summer family vacations, you should start looking into membership soon.
PG Retreat is a community of families with profoundly gifted children and teens.
Two Summer Retreats 2013!
Colorado Springs, Colorado: July 4th – July 8th, 2013
Breckenridge, Colorado: July 10th – 14th, 2013
Visit http://pgr.shuttlepod.org/ for more information.
Davidson Summit
Young Scholars are invited to attend a summertime get-together called the Summit, where relationships are fostered between Young Scholars, their parents and the Davidson Family Consultant team.
http://www.davidsongifted.org/youngscholars/Article/Davidson_Young_Scholars___Summit_376.aspx
Mensa Annual Gathering
“Culture in Cowtown”: July 3rd to July 7th, 2013 in Fort Worth, Texas
Mensa of Western Washington (MWW) is a local group of American Mensa, which in turn is a national member of International Mensa, a society that is apolitical and free from all racial or religious distinctions. We welcome people from every walk of life whose IQs are in the top 2% of the population. Our primary objective is to enjoy a wide range of social and cultural activities. MWW currently has more than 1200 members and is the ninth largest group in American Mensa.
http://www.mensaww.org/gatherings-2/national-2/
HCP funding is our primary issue for the next legislative session. First, at a minimum, to retain the funding that we have and second to have the funding formula changed to reflect the realities of having HCP as a part of basic education. A change could mean a substantial increase in state funding.
Across the state, new and re-elected legislators will be preparing for the next session in Olympia. Since Legislators are in an information-gathering stage, NOW is the time to contact your legislators to introduce yourself as a constituent and to tell them that you support Highly Capable Programs. Tell them the 2.314% funding basis is too low. We currently serve 4.62%, with the vast majority of that funding local levy funds; every task force that’s looked at it said 2.314% was inadequate and that 5% was more appropriate; and that in the end we want the inclusion of HCP in Basic Ed to be meaningful, providing adequate and appropriate programming
Attached is the position statement on funding submitted by the Coalition to the Joint Task Force on Education Funding and the Quality Education Council. Both will be submitting recommendations to the Legislature before the end of the year. Also attached is the joint comment on the proposed revision of the Washington Administrative Code. As you might expect, the comment deals with the issue of funding.
Adequate funding will be the theme of Gifted Education Day, March 19, 2013. Plan to join advocates in Olympia to talk with legislators about the needs of highly capable students. We’ll be sending out more information as we get closer to the date. Preparation of the new Gifted Education Day Handbook is underway.
*** Members of the Coalition will be meeting Friday, November 30 at the Burien Community Center, 14700 6th Avenue SW, Burien, beginning at 10 am. We will be planning our strategy for the legislative session and begin planning for Gifted Education Day. If you live in the Puget Sound area, please join us. Everyone is welcome! ***
A large amount of pertinent information is posted to the Coalition’s Facebook page. As of today, we have 611 followers. We would like to reach 750 by the time the legislature goes into session in January. A number that large gives us much more “heft” when talking with legislators.
So, if you use Facebook, please “like” us at http://www.facebook.com/wagifted We also have a blog where many of our messages are posted at http://wcge.wordpress.com
Presented by Lisa Van Gemert, MEd
Lack of motivation factors keenly in underachievement of gifted children, creating interfamilial tension, as well as conflict with school. Internal motivation is the secret to enhancing achievement drive in gifted students. What does the research tell us, and what roles do self-concept and optimism play in helping kids develop their intrinsic motivation? Find out the pitfalls of rewards, and learn about seven strategies you can use right now to light the fire within any child.
2013 Winter Enrichment and Core Essential Online Courses
Must register by December 1, 2012 to receive savings
The cold winter months are a great time to curl up with an online class.
Center for Talent Development’s Gifted LearningLinks online courses allow students from all over the world access to exceptional courses led by instructors with extensive experience teaching gifted students. Nine-week Enrichment and Core Essential courses provide academically talented students in grades 3 through 8 with fun, yet challenging learning opportunities.
Winter 2013 topics include digital storytelling, app invention, new pre-algebra prep courses, grammar sequences based on the work of Michael Clay Thompson and more!
The winter 2013 session begins January 15. Apply today, receive the savings, and enjoy this winter exploring a new subject with like-minded peers!
Questions? Don’t hesitate to contact us at gll@northwestern.edu.
1. Comments on the proposed revision of the Washington Administrative Code sections on Highly Capable (available at http://www.k12.wa.us/HighlyCapable/default.aspx) are due at OSPI by November 19th. Instructions for submission of comments are on the website. Comments may be made by individuals as well as organized groups.
The public hearing is November 28 at 1:00 in the Brouillet Conference Room of OSPI –
Old Capitol Building
600 Washington St. S.E.
Olympia, WA 98504-7200
Driving Directions
2. Attached is a flyer for the Educational Forum at Annie Wright Schools in Tacoma on Sunday, November 4th. The Coalition is not a sponsor of this event and passes this flyer to you for informational purposes only. If you are interested, please check it out.
3. We invite you to join other members of the Coalition at our general meeting November 30, Burien Community Center, located at 14700 6th Avenue SW, Burien, from 10:00 to 1:00. We won’t know which conference room until we get there.
A great many things will have been settled by the 30th – the election will be over and we will know who our new governor and legislators are; the Joint Task Force on Education Funding will be close to completing its work; and the QEC will be finalizing its recommendations to the Legislature. We may even know what SPI Dorn proposes in his budget for HCP.
We will be charting our course for the upcoming 2013 legislative session and making preliminary plans for Gifted Education Day, March 19th.
4. As things stand right now (and this is subject to change depending on what happens between now and Nov. 30th) our focus for the next session will be funding for HCP.
Developing Social and Emotional Growth in the Gifted Child Through Journaling
Presented by Kathleen Casper
Explore the different characteristics of gifted children and how journaling can help these unique individuals express themselves, work through stresses, organize their lives, highlight creativity areas, and increase their social skills. We will also look at ways to support introverted and extroverted gifted children through journaling, and discuss different types of journaling activities and ways to extend writing outside of their journals and into the world.
2012 WAETAG Conference
Gifted 2.0: Hi-Cap Instruction for the Digital Age
Sessions for Teachers, Parents, Counselors, and Administrators!
Check out the schedule now! Click HERE to register for the conference now!
(For a mail in form, click here.)
The attitude still prevails that gifted children need no special help, that they will make it on their own since they already have so much going for them. Particularly neglected are the social and emotional needs of these children. Dr. Webb relates professional and personal experiences demonstrating that simply being bright is not enough. In fact, many responses to bright children make being gifted a liability rather than an asset. Concrete suggestions for parents and teachers are offered to help them re-think their perspectives and their behaviors. Encouragement is given to establish programs that focus on social and emotional needs of these youngsters.
James T. Webb, Ph.D., has been recognized as one of the 24 most influential psychologists nationally on gifted education.
Dr. Webb has written over 70 professional publications, fifteen books, three DVDs, and many research papers for psychology conventions or conferences regarding gifted and talented children. Four of his books on gifted children have won “Best Book” awards.
In 1981, Dr. Webb established SENG (Supporting Emotional Needs of Gifted Children, Inc.), a national nonprofit organization that provides information, training, conferences, and workshops, and he remains as Chair of SENG’s Professional Advisory Committee. In 2011, he was recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Arizona Association for Gifted children, the Community Service Award from the National Association for Gifted Children, and the Upton Sinclair Award by EducationNews.org.