Before we begin. *Only Rule: you may only use 6 words for your story*

Before we begin…

1. Please SIGN IN at the circulation desk

2. On a notecard - create a 6 word memoir

that describes what having a child who is

gifted means to you...

*Only Rule: you may only use 6 words for your

story*

1

2

Back-to-School Back to START & SIGNET

Parent Information Night

October 18, 2019

Mrs. Willemann

WillemKA@pwcs.edu Gifted Resource Teacher Grades K-5

About Me:

• 11

year teaching in PWCS

• 6

year as a Gifted Resource Teacher

• Previous Experiences:

– K-3 START

• Alvey, Haymarket, Buckland, and Neabsco Elementary Schools

– 4

grade for 5 years at Rosa Parks Elementary

• Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology &

Elementary Education

• MAEd in Curriculum & Instruction in Gifted

Education from The College of William & Mary

3

4

Gifted K-3

• Gifted Services for Kindergarten through Third Grade Kindergarten: 45 minutes every 2 weeks

1^st Grade: 45 minutes per week 2^nd Grade: 45 minutes per week

3^rd Grade: 90 minutes per week

• Students are identified for services in Math, Language Arts, or both. The gifted curriculum is multi-disciplinary— students work on Math,

Language, Science, and/or Social Studies in the START classroom.

• Students are offered a variety of educational opportunities that extend and enrich the county curriculum and support the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs).

Universal Screeners

2

Grade: Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test

Test Date: Late October/Mid November

3

Grade: Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT)

Test Date: Late October/Mid November

All 2

and 3

grade students enrolled in PWCS

are tested.

6

SIGNET

Schools Involved in Gifted Needs in Education Today

• SIGNET is a pull-out resource program designed for identified gifted students in grades 4 through 12.

• Students in 4^th and 5^th grade will receive 225 minutes (3 hours 45 minutes) of

instruction per week directly from the Gifted Resource teacher at Covington-Harper

• Students are identified for services in specific aptitudes: language arts and/or mathematics.

• Our goal is to challenge students, develop their skills in thinking critically, creatively, and reflectively, and to problem-solve.

• The SIGNET teacher plans and collaborates with the 4^th and 5^th grade classroom teachers, provides instructional support and strategies, and assists with

identification.

Weekly Schedule

7

Day Class

Mondays

TBD

Tuesdays

Covington-Harper Elementary

Wednesdays

Covington-Harper Elementary

Thursdays

Covington-Harper Elementary

Fridays

Push-In Activities, Committee meetings, Assessments

START Schedule

Tuesdays

8

Tuesdays: Covington-Harper Elementary

9:05-9:25 Arrival & Morning Announcements 9:25-10:25 2^nd Grade Direct Gifted Services 10:30-11:15 1^st Grade Direct Gifted Services 11:25-12:00 Kindergarten Collaboration

12:00-12:30 Lunch/Planning

12:45 –1:20 1^st Grade Push-In Lessons

1:30-3:00 3^rd Grade Direct Gifted Services 3:05-3:45 2^nd Grade Push-In Lessons

SIGNET Schedule

Wednesdays

Wednesdays: Palmer’s 4^th grade & 5^th grade 9:20-10:15

Hands On Algebra & Independent Learning Centers with 4^th Grade

10:20-12:05

Hands On Algebra & Independent Learning Centers with 5^th Grade

12:05-12:35 Lunch 1:00-1:30 Centers

1:30-2:00 FFOE/Problem of the Day/STEAM Challenge 2:00-3:15 TAG Unit Work & Daily Reflection

3:15-3:45 4/5 RTI Time 3:50 Dismissal Duty

SIGNET Schedule

Thursdays

Thursdays: 4^th grade – Street, Akins, Seals, Parker 9:20-10:15 Hands On Algebra

10:15-11:05 Planning with 4^th grade teachers 11:05 – 12:15 Independent Learning Centers 12:15-12:45 Lunch

12:50-1:30 Independent Learning Centers

1:30-2:00 FFOE/Problem of the Day/STEAM Challenge 2:00-3:15 TAG Unit Work & Daily Reflections

3:15-3:45 4/5 RTI Time 3:50 Dismissal Duty

Push In/Resource Support

• Quarterly Whole Class Push-In Lessons

– Kindergarten

– 1

grade

– 2

grade

• 2 ^nd grade Spatial Reasoning Lesson

• 3 ^rd grade Analogies/Spatial Reasoning Lesson

• Resource support to grade levels through

planning meetings

11

12

A Typical START Session

• Warm-Up

• Interdisciplinary Unit

• Choice Time (not every session)

• Reflection

Throughout the year, your child will also engage

in STEAM activities

Through these activities we will:

• Learn about design briefs

• Test and re-test ideas

• Use engineering design process or scientific method

• Make improvements to existing designs

• Work individually and with groups

• Work with a range of tools and materials

• Use technology to enhance our ideas

• Write about our experiences

First Semester Units

Exploring Shapes Games (math)

First grade START students will develop an understanding of the properties of two-dimensional shapes, the

relationships among shapes, symmetry, and congruence. They will be engaged as practicing mathematicians as they

learn to clarify their thinking, explain their reasoning, justify their ideas, and

communicate with others. They will help create, test, and provide feedback about geometry-based games.

14

Designing a Shape Gallery Students will explore two- and

three-dimensional shapes and the relationships among them. They will be engaged as practicing mathematicians as they learn to clarify their thinking, explain their reasoning, justify their ideas, and communicate with others. As a final product, students will use the concepts of geometry to create a playground design and a wall mural as part of a shape gallery.

15

What’s the ME in Measurement? (Math: Measurement)

Students will explore measurement concepts. They will be engaged as practicing mathematicians as they learn to clarify their thinking, explain their reasoning, justify their ideas, and communicate with others.

Students will practice with estimation, develop benchmark units, and apply the concept of doubling.

16

Second Semester START

Curriculum

1 ^st Grade:

The World of Wild, Wacky, Wonderful Words

2 ^nd Grade: Case of the Broken Fish Bowl

3 ^rd Grade: Fairy Tales on Trial

17

Choice Time

• Choice Packets: Links to Logic, Gotta Think, Are you thinking? Waker-Uppers, Letter Links, T is for Think Alphabet Riddles, Mental Math, Quotes to Think About, Tangram Animals,

Thinkercises, Analogy Puzzlers

• Differentiated Learning Menus

• Independent Learning Centers/Research Projects

• Creativity/Verbal Thinking Exercises: Creativity Journal Prompts & 20 Questions

• Hands-On Thinking Games:

– Language: Scrabble, Bananagrams, Pathwords, Apples to Apples, Speedeebee, TopiCubes

– Visual Spatial: Blokus, SET, Tangrams, Q-Bitz, Qwirkle, Logic Links, Izzi – Strategy/Logic: Chess, Othello, Rush Hour, Go

– Mathematics: Game of 24, Sudoku, Dominos, 7 Ate 9, Math Dice

18

19

Did I…

1. Stay on task?

2. Share my ideas?

3. Listen to others?

4. Ask questions?

5. Solve problems?

6. Create quality work?

Reflection

20

• Hands on Algebra

• Independent Learning Centers

• FFOE/Problem of the Day/STEAM Challenge

• TAG Unit

• Daily Reflection

21

• What Centers are offered?

• What is the goal of centers?

• What is a contract?

• How many centers must a student complete

by the end of the year?

• How are students evaluated?

• What are teacher expectations?

• Provide student options and choice

• Are designed to accommodate

different learning styles

• Include hands-on activities and

independent investigations

Independent Learning Centers

at Covington-Harper Elementary School

• Ancient Egypt

• Automotive Engineering

• Cartooning

• Computer Intro (Office 365 tools)

• Fashion Design

• Geoboards

• Geometry

• Greek Mythology

• Hands on Algebra

• Horses

• Inventors Workshop

• Italian

• Knights and Castles

• Linkages

• Mechanical Engineering

• Math in Art

• Mythology

• Newsroom

• Origami

• Ozobot Color Codes

• Pentominoes

• Poetry

• Shapes & Tangrams

• Solar System

• Spanish

• Structural Engineering

• Super Sleuth

• The Unexplained

Over 28 Different Centers to Choose From

Yearlong TAG Unit

SIGNET Adventureland

In this year-long unit, students will study architecture,

physics, and advertising in the context of creating an

amusement park. Students simulate design teams as they

plan, design, construct, and present projects like

professionals in those fields. End products include an

architectural model of a building, a model roller coaster,

and a television commercial.

How do I know what

gifted services my child

receives?

Differentiated Services Plans

(DSP’s)

• What is a DSP?

• A plan for instruction for the

school year for your child

• Written collaboratively by

gifted education resource

teacher and your child’s

classroom teacher.

• Plans what activities and

practices will be done in the

classroom and at SIGNET

to meet your child’s needs.

26

When do I receive the DSP?

• In November at your parent teacher

conference or with the first quarter report

card

What will the DSP tell me about gifted services?

• Describes the units planned for the school

year

Sign and return the DSP to me!

Progress Reports

When do I get these?

• End of January & June

• At the end of each semester, accompanied by student

reflections and rubrics from completed centers and units

What does the progress report show me?

• It evaluates your child in the areas of:

✓ Critical thinking

✓ Creative thinking

✓ Communication

✓ Collaboration

✓ Conceptual Thinking

✓ Self-directed Learning

Future Events

• START & SIGNET Family Nights

– Wednesday, November 20

from 5:30-6:30pm

– Wednesday, April 22

from 5:30-6:30pm

• 3 ^rd grade parents

– Be on the look out for an upcoming

information session regarding the

reevaluation process for SIGNET placement

– Spring of 2019

29

30

Questions for Mrs. Willemann?

• Visit the Covington-Harper website to access this

presentation, referral forms, newsletters, and other

resources

• I will send paper newsletters

& choice calendars throughout the year

• E-mail any future questions and/or concerns to

WillemKA@pwcs.edu

• Follow me on Twitter -

@giftedches

31

Thank You for Coming!