Challenge and Hi-Cap Families,
The CPA Board wishes you a bright and fulfilling year exploring our world with your children.
Thank you for your generous contributions during our fall fund raiser. This fall, we raised over $14,000 in support of our school and state-funded instruction for highly capable students.
Our organization’s mission is to grow a strong community of connected families while providing additional support to our teachers and schools. We also take very seriously our role as one of the foremost parent organizations representing gifted children in the State of Washington. This is a key year for education funding, and together we will make opportunities to voice support for our priorities with legislators in Olympia. More on that soon.
We are excited to share with you these great opportunities to kick off 2015. Below, you will find upcoming parent networking, education, and discussion opportunities, followed by a few January enrichment activities that we think your kids will love.
This year, we encourage you to make stronger bonds with other parents. In fostering an open, connected community, we create a strong support network for our children: peers and adults to turn to in times of joy and need.
All the best,
Amy McCarthy & Valerie Rosman
Co-Presidents, Challenge Parents Association
C O N N E C T I O N S
Challenge Spot Coffee Hours at Caffe Ladro Lynnwood [map]
Gather with CPA Board & other parents of current and prospective Challenge / Hi-Cap students.
Saturday, February 7, 10:30am – 12:00pm
Sunday, February 22, 2:30pm – 4:00pm
Parent Discussion Groups at Terrace Park
Our own SENG-certified facilitators invite parents to an open group discussion regarding the social and emotional needs of gifted children, beginning with the topics of motivation and time management. All are welcome to attend.
Thursday, February 12, 7:00pm – 8:30pm (topic: Motivation)
Thursday, March 12, 7:00pm – 8:30pm (topic: Time Management)
Contact Stephanie Bates or Valerie Rosman
P A R E N T E D U C A T I O N
Andrew Keen: The Internet’s Unseen Consequences
Thursday, January 22, 2015, 6:00pm
Young Children and Anxiety at Bellevue Discovery Preschool
Monday, January 26, 6:00-7:00pm
Vision Therapy Workshop at Alderwood Vision Therapy
Tuesday, January 27, 6:45pm
S A V E T H E D A T E
CPA General Meeting followed by
Ordinary Magic for Extraordinary Kids:
Teaching Resilience to Gifted and Twice Exceptional Kids
with Marcia Jenson, Ph.D. and Leah Altemeier, Ph.D.
Wednesday, February 4, 6:00pm
These two Seattle-based psychologists will address cultivating resilience in children, drawing on research from the field of positive psychology and cognitive behavioral therapy, as well as their own clinical experience with gifted and twice exceptional children. CPA General Meeting at 6:00pm (all are welcome!); talk begins promptly at 6:30pm.
F U N E N R I C H M E N T A C T I V I T I E S
Future of Flight Maker Mondays
Mondays, 3:00pm – 8:00pm
Design, experiment, and create using the museum’s 3D-modeling stations. Ages 11+.
Skagit Eagle Festival in Concrete, Washington
Saturdays & Sundays in January, 9:00am-4:00pm
Free tours, walks, and educational programs about eagles and other wildlife on the Skagit River.
The Bushwick Book Club Seattle: A.A. Milne’s ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’
Saturday, January 24, 2015, 11:00am
Gardner Center for Asian Art and Ideas Lecture: Egypt: Center of the Ancient World
Sunday, January 25, 2:00 pm
UW World Series International Music Performance: The Nile Project (listen)
Friday, January 30, 8:00pm in Meany Hall
Middle School Science Bowl
January 31, 7:00am at University of Portland
D O N ‘ T M I S S T H I S !
Fifth Graders Ski Free
At Stevens Pass and Mt Baker Resort
V O L U N T E E R O P P O R T U N I T Y
Brier-Terrace Middle School Pollinator Garden,
created to nurture a population of the rare western bumble bee, which was discovered in Brier in 2013. In the last 18 months an area of bare grass along the south wall of the middle school has been mulched and planted with 85 individual shrubs and perennials. The combination of native and garden plants has been densely planted to offer nectar and pollen from mid-winter through late autumn. Bumble bees, butterflies and birds have made immediate use of the new plants.
Needs: weeding, mulching parties, take part in the pollinator observation project
Contact: BTMS or Julie O’Donald, Brier Habitat Project Coordinator
If you know of similar opportunities that may be of interest to other families, feel free to send information along to us at challengeparents@gmail.com.
Please note that we list these activities as a service to our group. Challenge Parents Association does not endorse or receive sponsorship from any of the programs or organizations mentioned here.