Kate Simkowiak

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2012 Fall Fundraiser

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It’s that time of year that we ask you to consider donating to the Challenge Parents Association (CPA).  If you noticed our pledge forms in the Wednesday packets and have already donated, thank you!

We have heard that there has been some confusion (especially for new families to the Challenge program) as to what CPA does, how we differ from the PTA and where CPA’s funds come from.

To be clear, CPA’s primary goal is to support the needs of gifted students, their families and teachers in the Challenge Program at Terrace Park and the Highly Capable Program at Brier Terrace Middle School.

CPA does this through:

  1. Classroom Support – $300 stipend to each of the 16 Challenge and Highly Capable teachers to enhance teaching materials
  2. Curriculum Enrichment – provide grant support across all grades to enrich curriculum.
  3. Teacher Professional Development – provide support to send all Challenge and Highly Capable teachers to WAETAG (Washington Association of Educators of Talented and Gifted) Conference in October as well as other staff training with a focus on gifted learning.
  4. Gifted Education Advocacy – participate in Gifted Education Day (G.E.D.) in Olympia on March, 19, 2013
  5. Social Activities – Back-to-School Potluck, Family BINGO Night and Swim Parties

Terrace Park PTA serves the needs of the entire school (including Challenge students) and CPA is secondary to PTA. PTA Membership and support is crucial for every family at Terrace Park and every student benefits from it. Because the two organizations have different goals, it is important to note that CPA does its own fundraising, primarily through our Fall and Spring pledge drive. CPA only receives funds when families donate directly to CPA. CPA does not receive funds from the Terrace Park Annual Donation Drive.

Hopefully, that clears up some of the confusion.  If you still have questions, please email us at challengeparents@gmail.com.

If you would like to donate to the CPA and haven’t done so yet, please download the pledge form and return it to your child’s teacher by October 12th.

Thank you for your support!!

The CPA Board

Fall 2012 Pledge Form

SEABURY SCHOOL 2012 SENG Parent Group •PRE-K—GRADE 8•

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We all know raising gifted children is a blessing – but can also be exhausting! This intensive eight-week workshop focuses on supporting the emotional needs of your gifted child while providing tools for parenting.

Beginning Sept. 26th and running through Nov. 14th, this SENG (Supporting Emotional Needs of Gifted) group is led by Callie Stoker-Graham, parent of two gifted children, and Dr. Kelly Brown, Seabury parent and licensed psychologist.

Cost to attend the workshop is only $125 for the whole 8-week session (only $12 per class!) and includes a copy of A Parent’s Guide to Gifted Children by James T. Webb (a $25 value); this is an opportunity you won’t want to miss.

Workshops run each Wednesday, Sept. 26 – Nov. 14, from 7:00-8:30 p.m., at Seabury’s middle school campus, 925 Court C, downtown Tacoma.
The workshop will be capped at 15 participants, so reserve your place now!

Seabury School will be sponsoring an “Evening with Jim Webb” on Thursday, October 18th, 7:00pm, at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center, Commerce Room, in downtown Tacoma.  Dr. Webb founded SENG and has contributed many books and lectures on gifted education.  Mark your calendars to spend an evening with one of the “gurus” of gifted education and parenting of gifted children.

Robinson Center’s Saturday Enrichment Program (Current Grades K-11) at the University of Washington

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SATURDAY FALL 2012 CLASSES

Math, Writing, Science, and Dance Classes

The Robinson Center will offer a full slate of math classes from K/1 (including one with parents) to Grade 11; creative writing classes for grades 4-8; and, NEW THIS TERM, an exciting astrophysics class for grades 6-8 and a dance and movement class to nurture both brain and body. These classes are intended to provide intellectually ambitious students with challenge, inspiration, and fun, in a collaborative, supportive learning environment.

Students should register for the course according to their CURRENT grade in school.Placement is determined by grade, not age. Class size is limited, and so it is first come/first served; waitlists will be established if necessary.

Tuition is $225 for our 50 minute classes and $425 for our 100 minute classes. There is a $25 registration fee for all classes. Tuition is to be paid in full when the student registers for the course. Go to the Robinson Center website for more about how to register for the classes.

Limited financial assistance is available for Saturday classes. Students who receive Free or Reduced Lunch in their school district may receive reduced tuition. Please find more information on the federal income eligibility guidelines for free and reduced price lunch here.

Parking is available for free on the University of Washington campus as of 12:00 noon on Saturdays. Before noon, we recommend the W14 lot near Gould Hall and across 15th Avenue from the Robinson Center. Go to the 40th Street gate entrance to campus for your $5.00 parking pass for W14.

 

Important Dates

SEPTEMBER 17: REGISTRATION BEGINS (online registration via our Robinson Center website)
OCTOBER 6: CLASSES BEGIN
NOVEMBER 24: NO CLASS
DECEMBER 8: LAST DAY OF CLASSES

Apply Now!

Message from The Washington Coalition For Gifted Education – Sept. 10th

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Campaign Season In Full Swing; General Election Coming Up

• Due to retirements and redistricting, many of you are finding yourself in a new district and/or with new candidates to consider.

• We will have a new Governor and education seems to be a major issue in the campaign.

• 20% of the seats in the Legislature are open.

• Supt. of Public Instruction Randy Dorn will be unopposed on the ballot.

• Initiative 1240 on charter schools is among the issues before the voters.

Do visit the web page of the Secretary of State for more voter information, a voters’ guide and make use of your custom-tailored voter guide. http://blogs.sos.wa.gov/FromOurCorner/index.php/2012/09/heres-your-wa-2012-electionataglance/

If you missed the gubernatorial debate on education (August 29) and the presentations on the initiatives, they are archived on TVW and can be viewed on your computer.  http://www.tvw.org/index.php?option=com_tvwsearch&year=2012&contentCode=G

Please attend candidate forums and presentations and ask key questions about the candidate’s support for Highly Capable Programs.

The following are some key points to be made when questioning candidates.

– Washington is on the cutting edge in establishing a quality education for Highly Capable students. We are the first state to make it a part of basic education.

– To retain the educated business community and their families, we need to provide a high quality education system for children who will be our future leaders.  Support for Highly Capable Programs is an opportunity to move forward in raising standards and promoting economic growth in Washington.

– Three important pieces are now in place:

Effective with the school year 2012-2013, Highly Capable Programs are part of basic education for students in K – 12.
Highly Capable Program Technical Work Force was given the mission to standardize state-level procedures, including definition, identification, and criteria for programs. This task is completed and the Report is available at http://www.k12.wa.us/HighlyCapable/Workgroup/default.aspx
Special Endorsement – Washington State now offers educators a special endorsement in gifted education.

– The challenge is to insure that districts have the support needed to fully implement highly capable programs K-12 as part of basic education.

Tell candidates that we need them to:

SENG Webinar Event – Sept. 20th: Joyful Living in 6 Easy Steps

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Presented by: Dianne Allen, MA, CAP

Gifted individuals can take life very seriously and often miss the power of living joy filled. By learning the steps to living joyfully, one can establish and maintain a lighter life which leads to a healthier lifestyle on all levels, especially emotionally.

This presentation discusses joy as a vital part of life. The importance of joy and the 6 easy steps to living joy will be presented. How to establish and maintain a joyful daily life will be presented.

Register Now!

Thank you for coming to the potluck!

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What a wonderful turnout we had for the Back-to-School Potluck!

Thank you all for bringing such an amazing selection of food to share with one another. It wouldn’t have been as successful without your help. We hope that you had a great time, had a chance to reconnect and made some new friends before the new school year.

We on the board would like to especially thank Mary Freitas and all the teachers that took the time out of their busy schedules to come out and meet with everyone.

Thanks to you all again, for making this such a success this year!

Back-to-School Potluck Picnic

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When: Sunday, August 26th from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm

Where: North Lynnwood Neighborhood Park: 18510 44th Ave. West, Lynnwood
Please respect the neighbors by parking in the elementary school parking lot or a block down in the lot across from the fire station.

Bring your favorite dish to share!

CPA will be providing beverages, desserts and paper goods.

This is a great opportunity for new students to meet returning students and for families to get to know each other and catch up after the summer.

Please RSVP by August 23rd with the number of adults and kids in your group.

The CPA Board Members will be available for any questions, suggestions and introductions.

Don’t Forget: Blankets, chairs, sunscreen & swimsuits (there’s a spray structure). Balls, frisbees, bubbles, etc. are always good as well!

Do We Know How to Teach Highly Able Learners?

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Article by Peter DeWitt on Education Week’s blogs

The reality is that we need to look at this issue as achievement versus growth. Many highly able learners may achieve high grades without ever growing at all.

Teaching highly able learners is a topic that we often ignore in education. We discuss how to teach struggling learners and spend a great deal of time discussing how to meet the needs of special education students. However, when parents state that their children are gifted, some teachers (and a few administrators) politely smile and roll their eyes when the parents leave the room.

There are a few sad excuses why this happens. Sometimes parents will enter a new school and tell a teacher that their child is highly able, and then after testing and other authentic assessments, the teacher finds out the students is not highly able at all. There are parents who want their children to be gifted so they tell everyone around them that there child has special capabilities. In a nation that pushes children to the breaking point, some parents want their children to be more academically gifted than they really are because it helps them stick out in a crowd.

For full disclosure I have been a skeptic. After teaching for eleven years and being a principal for six, I heard my share of “highly able” stories. I often worry that we push kids too much too soon. They need to be Michael Jordan on the court, Tiger Woods on the field and Doogie Houser in the classroom (I’m showing my age). However, I began questioning my own skepticism when I began teaching. I began to feel uncomfortable that I was contributing to the problem and not being a part of the solution.

The truth is that if we have so many students who qualify for Academic Intervention Services (AIS) we must have students on the other side who qualify as highly able. Some times we cannot see it because the child who is highly able does not want to show us what they know. Other times, our own stubbornness blocks us from being able to see that a child has the ability to advance quickly or engage in academics at a much deeper level than their peers.

The issue becomes complicated when we look at the fact that children with special needs or those who qualify for AIS may get extra services by teachers other than their classroom teachers. Highly able children often do not get special services and it is left to their teacher to find engaging and authentic learning experiences for them. If a teacher is working in isolation, which using 21st century skills should never happen, or feels overwhelmed, they may not feel they have the time to search for these activities on their own.

SENG Webinar Event June 21st: Parent Engagement in Promoting a STEM Identity Among Gifted Black Students

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Presented by Dr. Tarek C. Grantham and Kristine Collins

Educators, parents and counselors are invited to join us as we explore how students can help cultivate positive STEM identity.

Identity development is an area that is tied to social and emotional issues. Many Black students’ positive STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) identity is under-developed or frail due to barriers such as low STEM self-esteem, parent misunderstanding of STEM fields, few role models and mentors in STEM fields, and accusations of “acting White” by peers.

Parent engagement in STEM is essential to promote effective school improvement initiatives that promote excellence and equity in STEM education. Parents of gifted Black students are critically important in addressing the quiet crisis that exists in STEM fields. While there is greater ethnic diversity in public schools, educators struggle to cultivate a STEM scholar identity among gifted Black students and to serve the pipeline of advanced courses and experiences that lead to careers in STEM fields. Parents are children’s first teachers, and they can help to shape the social, academic, and career identity that support children’s STEM awareness. Schools need effective STEM parent engagement programs to help gifted Black students navigate threats to their multiple identities as students who are smart and Black and who can be successful in STEM areas.

This presentation will provide research on STEM programs and offer strategies to promote parent engagement in cultivating positive STEM identity in gifted Black students.

Sign Up Now!

Message from The Washington Coalition For Gifted Education – June 12th

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Primary and General Elections are Coming Up

If you take a look at the list of candidates for state legislature, governor and superintendent of public instruction (https://wei.sos.wa.gov/agency/osos/en/Pages/CandidateFilings.aspx or attached pdf file) you will notice there are a lot of open seats due to retirements and redistricting. As well as a new governor, there will be many new legislators in the next session so it is vital that we start the work of educating them about highly capable NOW and not wait until January.

Please attend candidate forums and presentations for both the primary and the general election and ask key questions about the candidate’s support for Highly Capable Programs. As HB 2261, Sec. 708 stated: for highly capable students, access to accelerated learning and enhanced instruction is access to a basic education.

The following are some key points to be made when questioning candidates.

Washington is on the cutting edge in establishing a quality education for Highly Capable students. We are the first state to make it a part of basic education.

To retain the educated business community and their families, we need to provide a high quality education system for children who will be our future leaders. Support for Highly Capable Programs is an opportunity to move forward in raising standards and promoting economic growth in Washington.

Three important pieces are now in place:

  1. Effective with the school year 2012-2013, Highly Capable Programs are part of basic education for students in K – 12.
  2. Highly Capable Program Technical Work Force was given the mission to standardize state-level procedures, including definition, identification, and criteria for programs. This task is completed.
  3. Special Endorsement – Washington State now offers educators a special endorsement in gifted education.

The challenge is to insure that districts have the support needed to implement highly capable programs K-12.

Tell candidates that we need them to:

Support legislation or policies that provide educators with access to appropriate training and/or professional development in identifying highly capable learners and serving their divergent educational needs.

Support for data collection and out of level testing to help measure growth for these students and to assist in determining success of programs.

Summary

Advocacy for maintaining highly capable programs is about giving highly capable learners an appropriate education. As HB 2261, Sec. 708 stated: for highly capable students, access to accelerated learning and enhanced instruction is access to a basic education.

Highly Capable students are found in all populations – rural, urban, socio-economic levels, ethnic groups. Approximately 50,000 students receive services but another 50,000 will be able to have these services with K-12 implementation.

List of Canidates for Election