Gifted Services

Phone: 623-445-7452

Email: carmen.giurgiu@dvusd.org

Degrees and Certifications:

*Bachelor Degree in Elementary Education *Full Gifted Education Endorsement *Early Childhood Education Endorsement * SEI Endorsement

Dear parents, guardians and students,

I AM PLEASED TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO WELCOME YOU AND YOUR CHILD TO OUR CLASSROOM.

THIS IS MY 16th YEAR TEACHING IN THE DEER VALLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, ALTHOUGH I’VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH TEACHING KIDS FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS. I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN ROMANIA. BOTH OF MY PARENTS WERE AND STILL ARE HUGE SUPPORTERS OF EDUCATION, AVID READERS, AND AN INSPIRATION TO ME. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AFTER GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL BY BEING A MEMBER OF THE ROMANIAN TAEKWONDO NATIONAL TEAM. AS A TEAM MEMBER, I HAD THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PROMOTING TAEKWONDO IN MY CITY, SO I OPENED A GYM, TRAINED, AND COACHED CHILDREN OF ALL AGES AS WELL AS ADULTS. AFTER MOVING TO THE UNITED STATES, I CONTINUED TO DO THE SAME, AS WELL AS COMPETE ON AN INTERNATIONAL LEVEL. I ALSO TAUGHT PRESCHOOL, KINDERGARTEN, SECOND GRADE, FOURTH GRADE AND PRIVATELY TUTORED 4TH, 5TH AND 6TH GRADE LANGUAGE ARTS AND MATH STUDENTS.

ON A PERSONAL NOTE, I have a daughter named Taylor who is 8 and attends school here at Gavilan Peak. She loves the Mandarn Immersion Program, musical theater, traveling, swimming and is on a Ninja warrior competitive team.

I’VE TRAVELED EXTENSIVELY TO CHINA, AUSTRALIA, AND HAWAII, MANY OF THE CARIBBEAN ISLANDS, EUROPE AND THE UNITED STATES. I LOVE TO LEARN NEW THINGS AS WELL AS EXPLORE NEW CULTURES, AND I KNOW THAT I WILL BRING A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE INTO MY CLASSROOM. WHEN I AM NOT TEACHING, MY HUSBAND AND I LOVE TO READ, SWIM, PLAY TENNIS, HIKE, AND ENTERTAIN OUR FRIENDS (I LOVE TO COOK).

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO TAKE A FEW MINUTES OF YOUR TIME SO THAT YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR CHILD CAN EXPECT THIS YEAR. OUR CLASSROOM WILL HAVE A POSITIVE, RESPECTFUL, MOTIVATING ENVIRONMENT. THE CLASSROOM WILL BE DESIGNED TO ENSURE YOUR CHILD’S PARTICIPATION AND RAISE THEIR EXCITEMENT LEVEL. THE CLASS WILL ALSO BE ORGANIZED WITH CHILDREN ON TASK, MAXIMIZING THEIR TIME AVAILABLE FOR LEARNING AS WELL AS DIFFERENTIATION ACCORDING TO VARIED LEARNING STYLES AND INDIVIDUAL NEEDS.

OUR SUCCESSFUL CLASSROOM WILL ALSO HAVE PARENTAL SUPPORT FOR ACTIVITIES, AND I WILL UTILIZE BOTH ASSERTIVE DISCIPLINE AND POSITIVE RECOGNITION TO HELP MAINTAIN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT IS BOTH EDUCATIONAL AND FUN. YOUR CHILD WILL BE ENGAGED IN SEVERAL EXCITING PROJECTS AND UNITS.

I BELIEVE IN RECOGNIZING OUTSTANDING BEHAVIOR AS WELL AS HAVING CONSEQUENCES FOR POOR CHOICES. I EXPECT THAT WHEN YOUR CHILD LEAVES MY CLASSROOM THEY WILL HAVE LEARNED ABOUT MANNERS, RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY, SELF-DISCIPLINE, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTINUING THEIR EDUCATION. ABOVE ALL, HOWEVER, I EXPECT YOUR CHILD TO LEAVE MY CLASSROOM WITH THE ATTITUDE THAT THEY ARE SPECIAL AND CAN ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING THEY SET THEIR MINDS TO.

I TRULY BELIEVE THAT, FOR ME, EDUCATION WAS THE KEY TO PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS AND FULFILLMENT. I DECIDED TO BECOME A TEACHER IN ORDER TO HELP MY STUDENTS FIND THIS SUCCESS AND TO SHARE MY LOVE FOR DISCOVERY AND KNOWLEDGE .I ALSO WANTED TO HAVE THE CHANCE TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO THE COUNTRY THAT EMBRACED AND OFFERED ME THIS WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY. I AM COMMITTED TO PARTNER WITH MY STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILY IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE A COMMON GOAL, YOUR CHILD’S SUCCESS. MORE SO, I WANT SCHOOL TO BE A PLACE WHERE YOUR CHILD COMES EXCITED, CURIOUS, AND EAGER TO DISCOVER NEW THINGS about the world and about themselves. ONE OF MY PROFESSORS SAID THAT “SCHOOL SHOULD BE A PLACE WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS YOUR NAME AND EVERYBODY’S GLAD YOU CAME”. 

AS YOU CAN SEE, I HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR YOUR CHILD. I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS SCHOOL YEAR AND I HOPE THAT YOU WILL FIND MY CLASSROOM TO BE A WELCOMING AND ENRICHING PLACE TO LEARN AND GROW. I BELIEVE THAT WITH YOUR SUPPORT AND PARTICIPATION THIS WILL BE A VERY SUCCESSFUL YEAR.

 

                                       SINCERELY,

                                          CARMEN GIURGIU  

SAGE (Students Advancement through Gifted Education)

        Mrs. Carmen Giurgiu

         Room 312

         (623)445-7448

                          E-mail: Carmen.giurgiu@dvusd.org

                       Website: https://www.dvusd.org//Domain/2156

 

 

Welcome to the Gavilan Peak Gifted Program-SAGE

Gavilan Peak is a gifted friendly campus! We have one of the highest numbers of identified gifted students in the district. We cater to students not only with SAGE, but through mastery learning, Thinking Maps, Depth of Knowledge Activities, JGB (Junior Great Books), sports, fine arts, and world languages (Mandarin Chinese).

SAGE students enjoy a rich curriculum, showcasing their skills in STEAM and Problem Based Learning activities, Socratic Seminars, Depth and Complexity activities,Passion Projects, Growth Mindset discussions, and leadership seminars provided by guest speakers.

Typically, young gifted students come to us with a great deal of knowledge, yet they enter our classrooms with a variety of intellectual and emotional needs, strengths, weaknesses and learning styles. They are hungry to make sense of the world around them and desire to exercise and expand their minds intellectually and creatively. I believe that when gifted students feel recognized and accepted their motivation to achieve increases and they become more likely to seek challenging learning opportunities.

I plan to encourage and foster my students’ unique talents, to provide them with opportunities to experience intellectual challenge, leadership and a sense of accomplishment, as well as delight in learning. By incorporating my knowledge and resources of gifted strategies like : curriculum compacting and acceleration ,problem-based learning, planning lessons that provide rigor and relevance to the students’ real life experiences, opportunities for project-based learning that incorporate personal interest and novelty, enabling them to produce original and creative work, I hope to encourage them to :

*discover new possibilities for themselves
*experience delight in fresh challenges and the excitement of learning
*think of school as an exhilarating adventure of intellectual and aesthetic discovery
*thrive in a setting created to foster their individual needs
*lead themselves and others
*play an active role as community helpers and leaders
*take pride in their academic progress
*set individual goals and strive to meet them
*use technology as a productivity tool (AZ K-12 Standards)

 

“Challenge “(during SAGE classes)- does not always or only equal acceleration (we are learning things this many grade levels above our own), but it means a more in depth and complex understanding ,as well as an  opportunity to apply ,analyze and synthesize the students’ acquired knowledge. For example in math, exceeding does not  mean solving an algorithm ,or knowing fractions and exponents but a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts, being able to explain mathematical practices and strategies, an ability to collaborate with a group and discuss multiple problem solving strategies ,persevering when a road block comes along as well as leading others to pursue greatness. My goal is to create DISCOURSE in my classroom, to cause the students to think, debate, to respectfully agree to disagree, to see other points of view, to defend their stance on issues and to prove their point or strategy by using research and solid evidence as well as precise, academic vocabulary.

 

I believe that “Bored” is an overused word in our society. As a teacher I often ask myself “What are my goals?”, “What am I doing to achieve them?”, “Is what I’m doing giving me the expected outcomes and if not what am I doing to change that?”, “Am I doing my best? “or “Can I push myself harder?” Students, please ask yourselves the same questions and reflect from time to time. Taking ownership of your learning experiences, goals, decisions and choices as well as asking for support when needed are life skills that will serve you well in the future.

 

• Classroom Community Building

 

I believe in building a strong classroom community. I want our classroom to be a safe space academically and socially, a learning community where I guide and provide opportunities to grow and where students feel cared for by me and each other, and a space where they can make mistakes and learn from them, a place to grow and feel like they belong. Part of this the following will take place:

• 1. Compliment Project-various students volunteer to sit in the “hot seat” facing away from the board. The class takes turns writing compliment to them.
  2. Dialogue Journals-A dialogue journal is an ongoing written interaction between two people to exchange experiences, ideas, or reflections. It is used most often in education as a means of sustained written interaction between students and teachers at all education levels.
  3. Interest inventory
  4. Learning Style Inventory
  5. Growth Mindset discussions
  6. Social Emotional for Gifted

 Scope and Sequence for Reading Grades 3-6

The DVUSD SAGE Reading Curriculum meets and exceeds the Arizona State Standards as well as the Common Core Standards. Besides using the JGB Program (Junior Great Books), award winning novel studies, Socratic Seminars, SAGE Reading students use comprehensive language arts materials provided by the College of William & Mary for Gifted Education and participate in research Passion Projects. Literature studies are also designed and implemented, which provide for expectations of increased depth and complexity that commensurate with the academic abilities and potential of gifted and talented students.

The following will be part of our ELA program:

Poetry

Novels

Socratic Seminars

Chat stations

TQE’s-thoughts, questions, epiphanies

Vocabulary-Wordly Wise

Quick Writes

Response to Text

Current Events-5th and 6th  grade

Writing

Passion Projects

Hexagonal Thinking

Depth and Complexity

Grammar Minutes -4th,5th and 6th 

 

 

3^rd Grade gifted reading students see Mrs. Giurgiu for Enrichment only-novel studies, Socratic seminar discussions, and social –emotional support for students with high abilities. 

 

The Passion Project

The purpose of The Passion Project is to empower students to connect with their best ideas. It is a quarterly opportunity to synthesize your knowledge about something you’ve learned or know about or seek new opportunities to explore a passion, research it, design a choice presentation tool and teach the class about it.

This sounds simple, right? It is! But it is also a lot of work.  At Gavilan Peak we believe in empowering our students with the right to and the responsibility for having a voice in how they learn. By allowing time to connect with their best ideas, we are allowing them to experience learning at its finest while encouraging risk-taking, embracing 'failures' and sharing in creative break-through.

I will send home a revised packet explaining this activity.

 Leadership Seminars

I will schedule them for the upcoming early release days starting in November. Students will participate in interacting with fabulous guest speakers throughout the year and learn about the world, careers, college, cultures and leadership opportunities. Please let me know if you have any leads on great speakers.

 

Communication

I believe that parents, students, teachers, and administrators are a team that has a common goal: your child’s educational success. I believe in weekly classroom news articles. I will let you know what is happening at school, what we are currently learning about, upcoming events as well as learning celebration by posting an article on my website .Also, please contact me first (just as I would contact you) if you have a question, an issue, or need clarification and I will do my best to accommodate you in a timely manner. If we are unable to resolve the matter at hand we will follow procedure and take it to administration, specialist or counselor.

PowerSchool-I will update grades weekly. Let’s stay informed about it so we can correct failing grades, missing assignments, etc. before it becomes too late to do so.

Agenda-please check daily.

E-mail-please check daily.

Organization

Students and parents should take a couple of minutes at the end of each week to go through backpacks and folders. You may want to keep, acknowledge, toss, sign and return to school papers. Our activities are long term rather than daily-please do not toss papers in their folders unless they are graded and feedback from me is written on it. Building good study and organizational habits is an important life skill and will help you stay on top of assignments as well as provide a time for the family to discuss school happenings and learning.

Homework

Read the chapter assigned to you and keep post it notes-be ready to discuss the next day

Finish any work that you did not finish in class.

Behavior

I believe in building a safe learning environment for my students. I will be fair and use positive reinforcement to encourage learning, maximize on task behavior and student engagement, recognize effort and allow risk taking –failure and mistakes often lead to incredible growth. I see myself as a lifelong learner, a facilitator of learning experiences, and a guide and by the end of the year I will hopefully inspire my students to become lifelong seekers of knowledge and discovery themselves. Our class will be a collaborative learning community, where high expectations are seen as challenges and where respect and discipline are required in order to allow learning to take place.

3 classroom infractions will results in a Principal Referral

EXPECTATIONS

Please come to class prepared with:  a positive attitude and willingness to work, materials, homework.

Have a positive, growth mindset and an” I can” attitude

Be a kind and respectful member of our learning community

Ask questions if needed to clarify /speak up

Do you best quality work- apply yourself to the work, do your best, analyze text in depth and provide complete detailed answers based on it, participate in daily classroom discussions. This is not a spectator sport-participation daily is required-you must play the game to learn.

Have material ready-folder, book, etc.

Read chapter assigned and keep detailed post it notes in each chapter that you want to bring to our discussion -we can't discuss it otherwise-this will be your only homework

Complete assigned work in class and if you did not please do so at home that day in order to stay on track.

 

Please show leadership and model good choices when you walk to and from the SAGE classroom .Please be on time and quiet as you come and go from your classroom (students in your rooms should be able to continue learning).Also, please wait by the wall patiently and quietly outside the SAGE room as we switch classes.

 

PHONES – Phones and apple watch type devices at GP gate to gate are to be powered off and kept in backpacks. If students need to call home ,please ask a teacher to use the classroom phone. 

 

GRADING

 

PERFORMANCE LEVEL INDICATORS-will be part of the reporting system. They do not correlate with the letter grades A, B, C, D, F (which still show an average of earned points for assignments) but explain student performance on state standards.

 

Description of Performance levels
The Performance Levels indicated by 1-4 are not based on a percentage. It is a performance indicator based on the student’s performance toward meeting grade level standards

• 1. 4 = Demonstrates above grade level proficiency independently
     • The student consistently demonstrates above grade level proficiency independently* for this reporting period
  2. 3 = Demonstrates grade level proficiency independently
     • The student consistently demonstrates proficiency for the grade level concepts and skills independently* for this reporting period
  3. 2 = Demonstrates grade level proficiency with support
     • The student usually demonstrates the skill or understands the concepts and meets grade level expectations with support for this reporting period
  4. 1 = Demonstrates below grade level proficiency with support
     • The student performs below grade level with support and is not meeting expectations for this reporting period

 

Independently: The ability to demonstrate proficiency of standards without assistance after being taught a concept or skill

 

AZ College and Career Readiness Standards Tagging

What is tagging?

• 1. Associating a specific standard or standards to an assessment entered into Power Teacher Grade Book. After tagging, teachers enter a Performance Level (1-4) based on how the student performed on the task linked to the given standard(s).   

*Independently: The ability to demonstrate proficiency of standards without assistance after being taught a concept or skill

 

Students will earn points based on classroom work, tests, quizzes, presentations and special projects. I will update PowerSchool weekly. Nothing new regarding this aspect.

SAGE Reading students will receive a reading grade from me 4^th , 5^th and 6th Spelling and Writing are part of their regular classroom and will be graded accordingly.

SAGE Math students will receive a math grade from their Walk UP to Math teacher or if they are in 6^th grade from the 7^th grade teacher assigned to meet their needs.

 

GRADING SCALES

Deer Valley Unified School District will employ two grade scales (except Kindergarten) to calculate grades using a traditional averaging calculation method.  

 

One grade scale will be used to mark student proficiency of the standards.

 

One grade scale will be used to calculate the overall course grade.

 

GRADES 3-12

Students in 3rd through 12th grades will receive marks for their proficiency toward the grade level standards using the following scale. All gradebook entries in the "Assessment" category will have at least one standard tagged and scored.  Gradebook entries in the "Coursework"  category can also have standards tagged and scored. 

4 = Highly Proficient

3 = Proficient

2 = Partially Proficient

1 = Minimally Proficient

NE = No Evidence

Students in 3rd - 12th grades will receive marks for their overall performance in each course of study using the following traditional letter grade scale.

                                 A = 90-100%

                                 B = 80-89%

                                 C = 70-79%

                                 D = 60-69%

                                 F = 0-59%

ASSESSMENT (weighted 80%) 

This category includes all items used to measure a student’s proficiency toward the learning standards once the student has had sufficient practice. This category can include summative tests, performance assessments, reports, unit or module assessments, quizzes, long-term projects, short-term projects, presentations, capstone projects, research papers, and lab reports. 

COURSEWORK (weighted 20%) 

This category includes formative work that provides students with the opportunity to learn content and skills and to receive feedback on their learning.  Coursework is assigned to provide meaningful, independent practice, reinforce learning targets, and extend learning. This category can include in-class assignments, quizzes, exit tickets, checks-for-understanding, and daily activities.           

PRACTICE (weighted 0%)  

This category includes formative student work that a student completes while in the process of learning specific skills.  Student work that is done inside and outside of the classroom, such as classwork and homework, falls into this category. 

            

The overall course grades for students in 3rd-12th grades will be calculated by averaging the assignment scores entered during the term.

Students and parents will be able to see the overall standards scores for each standard measured which is calculated by averaging the most recent 3 scores for each standard.  The standards scores do not impact the course grade.  These scores are informational.      

AI/CHAT GPT DISTRICT STATEMENT      

K-8 Syllabus Statement

After careful consideration and in alignment with the developmental needs of our students and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), DVUSD has determined that the use of Large Language Models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT,  are not suitable for students in grades K-8 (under 13 years of age) and will not be utilized or endorsed in academic contexts unless specified by a teacher for research purposes for a specific part of the project.

Website

Please check the website if possible before emailing me for general information.

 Agendas

Please check with your child daily

 

Parent Conferences

At parent conference time I will hold student led conferences. Students will conference with you by using their Data Folders/Portfolios and taking charge and responsibility of their own learning growth. They will discuss their data, goals, reflections, areas of strength, celebrations as well as opportunities for improvement. You can always schedule one on one conferences with me to discuss the needs of your student.

 

I am looking forward to an enriching year,

Carmen Giurgiu

FAQ About SAGE-Student Advancement through Gifted Education

What is SAGE?

SAGE is the Deer Valley Unified School Districts program of Gifted and Talented students in grades 3-8. Students receive instruction in the area of math and reading daily. Below is a brief description of the Districts 3-6 program. 

3-6 Math
Enriched with problem based learning units and Accelerated at least 1 grade level based on student readiness.Mastery of grade level standards is insured first.

3-6 Language Arts

The Language Arts Program replaces reading content with literature studies and units of study from the College for Gifted Education of William and Mary. Processes include critical and creative thinking skills, discovery learning, passion projects,open-ended problem solving, choice of learning activities, small group interaction, greater variety, and Socratic Seminar Discussions.

Is there a lot of homework in the SAGE classes?

No, when students use their time wisely there is only about 20 minutes in math daily and probably about the same or less in language arts besides independent reading time.I believe that homework is an opportunity to practice and master concepts introduced in the classroom and not busy work.I also believe in quality versus quantity .Students must have time to unplug ,give their brains a rest and participate in unstructured down time so they can be ready for the next school day.

How does a students qualify for the program?

Students qualify by scoring in the 97 percentile or Standard Age Score of 132 on the Cognitive Abilities Test or another test accepted by the Arizona Department of Education for gifted identification. Deer Valley will accept students scoring 95th percentile in verbal or quantitative provisionally for one subject area. Deer Valley Schools provide testing using the Cognitive Abilities Test three time during the year. Students may be referred by teachers, parents, or themselves for testing. More information can be obtained from classroom teachers.

How can I prepare my child for the test?

You can't. Because this is a test of reasoning skills there is no way to prepare. Just make sure they are rested and relaxed.

If my child is in SAGE do they retest each year?

No. Once a student qualifies with the above criteria they do not retest.

 

Testing DVUSD Students

 

DVUSD offers testing for gifted identification three times per year at all K-6 and K-8 schools. We honor parents requests for gifted testing but recommend that parents first read Characteristics of Gifted Students. Should you decide to have your child tested, contact the SAGE teacher or Gifted Coach at your school. For more information about the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) and the testing process, visit DVUSD's Gifted Services page.
 

Testing Students Not Enrolled in a DVUSD School

 

DVUSD provides testing for a fee for students enrolled in a charter or private school or neighboring district schools. We will schedule out of district students for testing at the DVUSD District Office. Please call 623-445-5000.
 

Outside Testing

 

DVUSD accepts any gifted identification assessment that is approved by the state board of education and administered by a trained and qualified administrator. Submit your report to Mrs. Schubert and it will be submitted to the district for varification.
 

Students New to DVUSD

 

When you enroll your student in a DVUSD school, it is important that you notify the office staff and of your child’s gifted status. Services can continue without delay if you provide documentation of gifted test scores. With a verified gifted identification report, your child will be placed in a gifted cluster classroom upon enrollment.

If you are new to the state and your child was tested using an identification tool that is not acknowledged in Arizona, you will need to refer your child to take the Cognitive Abilities Test. Please bring any documentation that you have, and communicate with the school's registrar and SAGE teacher or Gifted Coach regarding your child’s status and history with gifted identification.
 

What If Your Child Does Not Qualify for Gifted Services?

 

Test administration guidelines require that 12 months pass before the same test is administered again. It is generally recommended to wait two years before retesting. If the student scores are in the high 80’s to mid 90’s, parents and teachers may consider retesting in the future. Retesting a child more than twice usually does not provide drastically different results. Keep in mind that high grades and/or high scores on standardized achievement tests are not necessarily indicators that a student is gifted. You may find the following article informative:
The High Achiever, The Gifted Learner, The Creative Thinker.

 

GP Mission Statement : Our Vision is to lay the learning foundation for a rapidly changing future.We will use a global perspective to think critically,collaborate and solve problems affecting our world. 

Welcome to the Gavilan Peak SAGE Program

GIFTED

Having  an ability or an aptitude significantly above what is expected at a given age.A POTENTIAL for high performance.

Gavilan Peak is a gifted friendly campus! We have one of the highest numbers of identified gifted students in the district. We cater to students not only with SAGE, but through honors/flex groups, HOTS (Higher Order Thinking Skills), Thinking Maps, , JGB (Junior Great Books), PBL, sports, fine arts, and world languages (Mandarin Chinese) while they are with their  homeroom teachers.We provide gifted strategies for all students!

SAGE students an accelerated and enriching curriculum,social emotioanl support,Passion Projects and participate in leadership seminars provided by guest speakers.

Besides using JGB (Junior Great Books), award winning novel studies, SAGE Reading students use comprehensive language arts materials provided by the College for Gifted Education of William & Mary and participate in research Passion Projects.

SAGE math students move at an accelerated rate, at least one year ahead of the basic curriculum. Six grade SAGE math students receive instruction from a highly-qualified middle school Algebra teacher. We continuously work on problem solving skill by using the ACE strategy (answer,compute,explain), Math Investigations, Math in the Real World (applying mathematics to real world situations),problem of the day, problem of the month as well as Exemplars. Students have the opportunity to work in math stations,with partners and in small groups and always have to defend their answers with explanations of the applied strategies as well as use math academic vocabulary where fitting.

All SAGE students are a part of a program that involves acceleration, enrichment, individualization, choice, and leadership development. Their individual progress is documented and kept in their own personal mailbox within the SAGE classroom. Student-led conferences and private conferences with the SAGE teacher (by appointment) are available throughout the year.

Typically, young gifted students come to us with a great deal of knowledge, yet they enter our classrooms with a variety of intellectual and emotional needs, strengths, weaknesses and learning styles. Just because they are gifted,it does not mean that they are always ready to be accelerated,that they have organization skills,work ethic and are straight A students.Servicing gifted students is not just a matter of pure acceleration,a constant feeding of content and lost of work.They have needs just like any other students,different levels of readiness and development and I believe in meeting their individual needs where they are at the moment.They are hungry to make sense of the world around them and desire to exercise and expand their minds intellectually and creatively. I believe that when gifted students feel recognized and accepted their motivation to achieve increases and they become more likely to seek challenging learning opportunities.

I plan to encourage and foster my students’ unique talents, to provide them with opportunities to experience intellectual challenge, leadership and a sense of accomplishment as well as delight in learning. By incorporating my knowledge and resources of gifted strategies like curriculum compacting and acceleration ,problem based learning, planning lessons that provide rigor and relevance to the students’ real life experiences, opportunities for project based learning that incorporate personal interest and novelty enabling them to produce original and creative work I hope to encourage them to :

*discover new possibilities for themselves

*experience delight in fresh challenges and the excitement of learning

*think of school as an exhilarating adventure of intellectual and aesthetic discovery

*thrive in a setting created to foster their individual needs

*lead themselves and others

*play an active role as community helpers and leaders

*take pride in their academic progress

*set individual goals and strive to meet them

*use technology as a productivity tool (AZ K-12 Standards)

Parents, I value your input and I believe that by communicating and working together as a team we can ensure your child’s academic success and growth as well as meeting all of their emotional and social needs.

I am thrilled to start another spectacular year at Gavilan Peak.

Sincerely,
Carmen Giurgiu
Carmen.giurgiu@dvusd.org

How do the two programs work together?

Do I have to choose between mandarin and SAGE once my child starts 3^rd grade if he/she has qualified for gifted services but is also in the immersion program?

First of all I am a huge supporter of the Mandarin Immersion Program and a believer in foreign language acquisition. Both are immensely beneficial to the gifted student population and a wonderful way to develop new brain pathways and connection than could be applied to all learning areas in the future.

The gifted and immersion programs at Gavilan Peak do not compete but complement each other, in other words, your children will participate in both and you do not have to opt out of either program. Gifted students who are in the immersion program will be clustered into one classroom as of 3^rd grade, for example class A .In the morning when class A receives instruction in English for reading and social studies, the reading gifted students will see me for a class period for accelerated/enriched reading instruction while the homeroom students receive on grade level reading instruction .They will then return to class for the rest of the morning to participate in more reading activities . As they switch for their immersion part of the day, the other half of the day taught in mandarin math/science, gifted math students will see me for a math period(about 45 minutes) of accelerated/enriched math instruction and activities while the rest of the class receives on grade level math instruction in mandarin. Then, students will return to class and participate in mandarin math alongside their peers for the rest of the instruction period which is another 30 minutes (this will be the more guided, independent practice, centers part of math). This way they receive accelerated instruction from me while their peers receive on grade level instruction and then continue the mandarin side of math instruction for 30 more minutes which for them will be practicing the math in mandarin as well as on level math skill practice.

How does the mandarin Immersion Program and the Gifted Cluster work for K-2 students?

Grade Level	Gifted Services Provided	Description Of Services
Kindergarten	*Gifted Cluster Placement	All gifted students are clustered together with a gifted trained teacher for the majority of the school day.     Reading: enrichment activities and literature, tiered centers and small group instruction.     Math: enrichment activities/acceleration.
Grades 1-2	*Gifted Cluster Placement	All gifted students are clustered together with a gifted trained teacher for the majority of the school day.     Reading: enrichment activities and literature, tiered centers and small group instruction. Literature studies and Junior Grade Books.     Math: pretesting/compacting grade level content, enrichment and acceleration.In 2nd grade students will be given opportunities to accelerate into 3rd grade curriculum as they show readiness to more forward.   Mandarin Immersion Math-challenge is provided through math instruction in a foreign language.In 2nd grade students will be given the opportunity to accelerate into 3rd grade curriculum as they show readiness to move forward.

 

2023-2024 GIFTED Testing at Gavilan Peak

FALL  1 AND 2 BY REQUEST ONLY. New students to our school or parent requests.

WINTER  Biggest testing session

SPRING -PARENT REQUESTS AND MISSED STUDENTS FROM WINTER SESSION

Gifted Students Handbook

Bright student vs. Gifted learner -please see the link before before referring a student for testing

http://gleigh.tripod.com/brightvG.htm

Homeroom Teacher Referral  

Giftedness and the Gifted: What's It All About?

ERIC Identifier: ED321481
Publication Date: 1990-00-00
Source: ERIC Clearinghouse on Handicapped and Gifted Children Reston VA.

What does giftedness mean?
Who are gifted children?
Other viewpoints
General Characteristics
A quick look at intelligence
The gifted child is called many things
What does giftedness mean?

Many parents say, "I know what giftedness is, but I can't put it into words." This generally is followed by reference to a particular child who seems to manifest gifted behaviors. Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions of the term, all of which become deterrents to understanding and catering to the needs of children identified as gifted. Let's study the following statement:

"Giftedness is that precious endowment of potentially outstanding abilities which allows a person to interact with the environment with remarkably high levels of achievement and creativity."

This statement is the product of a small neighborhood group of parents who took a comprehensive view of the concept of giftedness before focusing on any attempt to define the gifted child. They thought, first, that within giftedness is a quality of innateness (or, as they said, "a gift conferred by nature"), and second, that one's environment is the arena in which the gifts come into play and develop. Therefore, they reasoned that the "remarkably high levels of achievement and creativity" result from a continuous and functional interaction between a person's inherent and acquired abilities and characteristics.

We often hear statements such as "She's a born artist," or "He's a natural athlete," or conversely, "Success never came easy for me; I had to learn the hard way," or "He's a self-made man." Those who manifest giftedness obviously have some inherent or inborn factors plus the motivation and stamina to learn from and cope with the rigors of living.

We suggest that you wrestle with the term in your own way, looking at giftedness as a concept that demands the investment of time, money, and energy. This will help you discuss giftedness more meaningfully with other parents, school administrators, school board members, or anyone who needs to understand the dynamics of the term.

Who are gifted children?

Former U. S. Commissioner of Education Sidney P. Marland, Jr., in his August 1971 report to Congress, stated,

"Gifted and talented children are those identified by professionally qualified persons who by virtue of outstanding abilities are capable of high performance. These are children who require differentiated educational programs and/or services beyond those normally provided by the regular school program in order to realize their contribution to self and society" (Marland, 1972).

The same report continued,

Children capable of high performance include those with demonstrated achievement and/or potential ability in any of the following areas, singly or in combination:

1. general intellectual ability
2. specific academic aptitude
3. creative or productive thinking
4. leadership ability
5. visual or performing arts
6. psychomotor ability.

Using a broad definition of giftedness, a school system could expect to identify 10% to 15% or more of its student population as gifted and talented. A brief description of each area of giftedness or talent as defined by the Office of Gifted and Talented will help you understand this definition.

General intellectual ability or talent. Laypersons and educators alike usually define this in terms of a high intelligence test score--usually two standard deviations above the mean--on individual or group measures. Parents and teachers often recognize students with general intellectual talent by their wide-ranging fund of general information and high levels of vocabulary, memory, abstract word knowledge, and abstract reasoning.

Specific academic aptitude or talent. Students with specific academic aptitudes are identified by their outstanding performance on an achievement or aptitude test in one area such as mathematics or language arts. The organizers of talent searches sponsored by a number of universities and colleges identify students with specific academic aptitude who score at the 97th percentile or higher on standard achievement tests and then give these students the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Remarkably large numbers of students score at these high levels.

Creative and productive thinking. This is the ability to produce new ideas by bringing together elements usually thought of as independent or dissimilar and the aptitude for developing new meanings that have social value. Characteristics of creative and productive students include openness to experience, setting personal standards for evaluation, ability to play with ideas, willingness to take risks, preference for complexity, tolerance for ambiguity, positive self-image, and the ability to become submerged in a task. Creative and productive students are identified through the use of tests such as the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking or through demonstrated creative performance.

Leadership Ability. Leadership can be defined as the ability to direct individuals or groups to a common decision or action. Students who demonstrate giftedness in leadership ability use group skills and negotiate in difficult situations. Many teachers recognize leadership through a student's keen interest and skill in problem solving. Leadership characteristics include self-confidence, responsibility, cooperation, a tendency to dominate, and the ability to adapt readily to new situations. These students can be identified through instruments such as the Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation Behavior (FIRO-B).

Visual and Performing Arts. Gifted students with talent in the arts demonstrate special talents in visual art, music, dance, drama, or other related studies. These students can be identified by using task descriptions such as the Creative Products Scales, which were developed for the Detroit Public Schools by Patrick Byrons and Beverly Ness Parke of Wayne State University.

Psychomotor Ability. This involves kinesthetic motor abilities such as practical, spatial, mechanical, and physical skills. It is seldom used as a criterion in gifted programs.

Other Viewpoints

Robert Sternberg and Robert Wagner (1982) have suggested that giftedness is a kind of mental self-management. The mental management of one's life in a constructive, purposeful way has three basic elements: adapting to environments, selecting new environments, and shaping environments. According to Sternberg and Wagner, the key psychological basis of intellectual giftedness resides in insight skills that include three main processes: (1) separating relevant from irrelevant information, (2) combining isolated pieces of information into a unified whole, and (3) relating newly acquired information to information acquired in the past.

Sternberg and Wagner emphasized problem-solving abilities and viewed the gifted student as one who processes information rapidly and uses insight abilities. Howard Gardner (1983) also suggested a concept of multiple intelligences, stating that there are several ways of viewing the world: linguistic, logical/mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal intelligence.

Joseph Renzulli (1986) stated that gifted behavior reflects an interaction among three basic clusters of human traits: above-average general and/or specific abilities, high levels of task commitment (motivation), and high levels of creativity. According to Renzulli, gifted and talented children are those who possess or are capable of developing this composite of traits and applying them to any potentially valuable area of human performance.

A good source for pursuing the characteristics of giftedness in depth is Barbara Clark's informative book, GROWING UP GIFTED (1988), which presents an exhaustive list of characteristics under five major headings: Cognitive (thinking), Affective (feeling), Physical, Intuitive, and Societal.

No one child manifests all of the attributes described by researchers and the Office of Gifted and Talented. Nevertheless, it is important for parents to be fully aware of the ways in which giftedness can be recognized. Often, certain behaviors such as constantly having unique solutions to problems, asking endless, probing questions, or even the masterful manipulation of others are regarded by parents as unnatural, unlike other children, and trying to parental patience. Therefore, our recommendation is to study the characteristics of gifted children with an open mind. Do not use the list as a scorecard; simply discuss and appreciate the characteristics and let common sense, coupled with love, take over.

Some General Characteristics

(These are typical factors stressed by educational authorities as being indicative of giftedness. Obviously, no child is outstanding in all characteristics.)

1. Shows superior reasoning powers and marked ability to handle ideas; can generalize readily from specific facts and can see subtle relationships; has outstanding problem-solving ability.
2. Shows persistent intellectual curiosity; asks searching questions; shows exceptional interest in the nature of man and the universe. 
3. Has a wide range of interests, often of an intellectual kind; develops one or more interests to considerable depth.
4. Is markedly superior in quality and quantity of written and/or spoken vocabulary; is interested in the subtleties of words and their uses.
5. Reads avidly and absorbs books well beyond his or her years.
6. Learns quickly and easily and retains what is learned; recalls important details, concepts and principles; comprehends readily. 
7. Shows insight into arithmetical problems that require careful reasoning and grasps mathematical concepts readily.
8. Shows creative ability or imaginative expression in such things as music, art, dance, drama; shows sensitivity and finesse in rhythm, movement, and bodily control.
9. Sustains concentration for lengthy periods and shows outstanding responsibility and independence in classroom work.
10. Sets realistically high standards for self; is self-critical in evaluating and correcting his or her own efforts.
11. Shows initiative and originality in intellectual work; shows flexibility in thinking and considers problems from a number of viewpoints. 
12. Observes keenly and is responsive to new ideas.
13. Shows social poise and an ability to communicate with adults in a mature way.
14. Gets excitement and pleasure from intellectual challenge; shows an alert and subtle sense of humor.

A Quick Look at Intelligence

The attempts to define giftedness refer in one way or another to so-called "inborn" attributes, which, for lack of a better term, are called intelligence.

Significant efforts have been made to measure intelligence, but, because the concept is elusive, test constructors simply aim at testing what they feel are typical manifestations of intelligence in behaviors. Perhaps a little rhyme used for years by kindergarten teachers will help to describe this elusiveness:

"Nobody sees the wind; neither you, nor I. But when the trees bow down their heads, the wind is passing by."

Just as we cannot see the wind, we cannot find, operate on, or transplant intelligence. Yet we see the working or manifestations of intelligence in the behaviors of people.

The man-made computation of an intelligence quotient, or IQ, is probably the best general indicator of intelligence, but in no way is it infallible. All too often, a child's IQ is misunderstood and becomes a lifelong "handle." However, given our present knowledge, the results of a standardized intelligence test administered by a competent examiner provide as reliable an indication as possible of a person's potential ability to learn and cope. Until some scientific breakthrough is developed, we will rely on the IQ score to approximate how mentally gifted a person may be.

The nature of intelligence was once explained in this way: If intelligence were something you could see, touch, and weigh, it would be something like a can of paint. The genius would have a gallon, the person who has severe retardation, only half a pint. The rest of us would have varying amounts between these extremes, with the majority possessing about two quarts. This is clear enough, but it is only half the story.

Each can of paint contains the same five or six ingredients in varying amounts. One can may be "long" on oil, another on pigment, a third on turpentine, the fourth on gloss or drying agent. So, although two cans contain the same amount of paint, the paint may be of vastly different consistency, color, or character.

Good painters want to know the elements in the paint with which they are working. Parents and teachers want to know the kinds of intelligence with which they are working. What are the special qualities of this intelligence? In what proportions are these elements present? Most important, how can these elements be used?

We recommend that you do not become bogged down in probing into the concept of intelligence. Its intricacies and mysteries are fascinating, but it must not become a convenient synonym for giftedness. An excellent coverage of the concept of intelligence is provided by Barbara Clark in GROWING UP GIFTED.

The exciting advances in research on brain functioning, coupled with the realization that a child's intelligence is only one key to understanding giftedness, have underscored the importance of studying all characteristics of the gifted child.

The Gifted Child Is Called Many Things

Often parents are confused by the many terms used in referring to the gifted child. Many parents hear these terms used--sometimes adopting them in their own conversations--without knowing whether they are synonymous with "gifted" or are just words that help to explain the concept.

The term "genius" used to be widely employed but now it is reserved for reference only to the phenomenally gifted person. "Talented" tends to be used when referring to a particular strength or ability of a person. Thought should be given to whether the talent is truly a gift or is, rather, an ability that has become a highly developed skill through practice. It is safe to say that generally the person identified as gifted is one who has multiple talents of a high order.

The terms "prodigy" and "precocious" are most commonly used when a child evidences a decidedly advanced degree of skill in a particular endeavor at a very early age, as well as a very disciplined type of motivation. It is interesting to note that the derivation of the words precocious or precocity comes from the ancient Greek word for "precooked" and connotes the idea of early ripening.

"Superior" is a comparative term. When a child is classified as "superior," we would like to know to whom, or what group, he or she is superior, and to what degree. A child may be markedly superior to the majority of children in a specific mental ability such as verbal comprehension and at the same time be equally inferior in spatial relations or memory. The looseness of the term limits its usage in most cases to broad generalization. A "high IQ" may be anything, depending on what it is higher than.

"Rapid learner" is a helpful term in understanding giftedness, because it is a distinct characteristic manifested by the identified gifted child.

The term "exceptional" is appropriate when referring to the gifted child as being different in the characteristics listed earlier.

At this point it is important to bring into focus a term that continues to be tossed around altogether too loosely in reference to education of the gifted. That term is "elitism."

By derivation, elite means the choice, or best, or superior part of a body or class of persons. However, time and an overemphasis on egalitarianism have imparted a negative connotation to the word, implying snobbishness, selectivity, and unfair special attention.

But in fact, gifted children are elite in the same way that anyone becomes a champion, a record-holder, a soloist, an inventor, or a leader in important realms of human endeavor. Therefore, their parents have a distinct responsibility to challenge those who cry "elitism" and explain to them the true meaning of the term.

The only reason for mentioning these terms--and there are many more--is to caution parents that semantics and language usage can be tricky and confusing. Thus, your personal understanding and application of the term gifted becomes doubly important.


ReferencesClark, B. (1988). GROWING UP GIFTED (3rd ed.). Columbus, OH: Charles E. Merrill.

Gardner, H. (1983). FRAMES OF MIND. New York: Bantam Books.

Marland, S. (1972). "Education of the Gifted and Talented." Report to Congress. Washington, DC: U. S. Government Printing Office.

Renzulli, J. (1986). "The three ring conception of giftedness: A developmental model for creative productivity." In R. J. Sternberg & J. E. Davidson (Eds.), CONCEPTIONS OF GIFTEDNESS (pp.53-92). New York: Cambridge University Press.

Sternberg, R., & Wagner, R. (1982). "A revolutionary look at intelligence." GIFTED CHILDREN NEWSLETTER, 3, 11.

Adapted from D. W. Russell, D. G. Hayes, & L. B. Dockery, "MY CHILD IS GIFTED! NOW WHAT DO I DO?" (2nd ed. 1988), North Carolina Association for the Gifted and Talented, Inc., P. O. Box 5394, Winston-Salem, NC 27113-5394; and D. Sisk, "The State of Gifted Education: Toward a Bright Future", MUSIC EDUCATORS JOURNAL, (March 1990), pp. 35-39. Adapted by permission.

E-Ready is funded by a grant from the NEC Foundation of America

Copyright © 2001-2006 by The Source for Learning, Inc.
All rights reserved.

 

Classroom Teacher Testing Information

Each year you will be asked to refer students for the gifted program. It is sometimes very difficult to know who to refer if you aren't familiar with what being "gifted " really means. Perhaps, you have an identified gifted student in your class and you're searching for ways to keep him/her busy, or just searching to better understand the student's behavior. Whatever the reasons, I am so glad you're here. Please, take a few minutes to search through the resources below. Thank you for caring enough to find out more about our gifted children. They may or may not demonstrate it, but they need you. They need someone to care enough to provide differentiated instruction, provide understanding, and to provide acceptance. Take a look, I promise it will be worth your time. -- I am always here to help.... **If you have a student you would like to refer, please print out the Teacher Recommendation above, fill it out and send it to me via email or put it in my mailbox.  I will send home a permission slip for testing as soon as possible. Thanks so much for your help! 

Identification Information - Gifted or High Achiever(bright student)?
 Some things to think about.... Identifying The Gifted Einstein was four years old before he could speak and seven before he could read. Isaac Newton did poorly in grade school. When Thomas Edison was a boy, his teachers told him he was too stupid to learn anything. F.W.Woolworth got a job in a dry goods store when he was 21. But his employers would not let him wait on a customer because he "Didn't have enough sense." A newspaper editor fired Walt Disney because he had "No good ideas"

HIGH ACHIEVER(bright student)..... Knows the answers, Is interested, Is attentive, Has good ideas, Works hard, Commits time and effort to learning, Absorbs information, Copies and responds accurately, Is a top student, Understands ideas, Grasps meanings, Is a technician, Is receptive, Prefers sequential presentation of material, Is pleased with his/her own learning, Needs 6/8 repetitions for mastery, Listens with interest, Is a good memorizer, Answers questions

GIFTED... Asks the questions, Is highly curious, Is intellectually engaged, Has original ideas, Performs with ease, May need less time to excel, Manipulates information, Creates new and original products, Is beyond her/his age peers, Constructs abstractions, Draws inferences, Initiates projects, Is an innovator, Is intense, Thrives on complexity, Is highly self-critical, Needs 1-2 repetitions for mastery, Shows strong feelings, opinions, perspective, Is insightful; makes connections with ease, Responds with detail & unique perspectives Based on a concept from : "The Gifted and Talented Child" by Janice Szabos, Maryland Council for Gifted & Talented, Inc.

 

 

 Gifted Testing Schedule 2015-2016 at Gavialn Peak 

Testing will occur in August, December, and March  using the Cognitive Abilities Test. Students may test again a calendar year later from previous testing if they don't place into the gifted program or a gifted class the first time.  Parent permission forms for testing will be sent to parents to sign and return once the nomination is given to Mrs.Giurgiu or the child’s teacher. 

Gifted Testing Schedule 2015-2016 District Office 

 

Spring K-2           February 27,2016

Spring 3-7            March 5 ,2016

Summer K-1        May 31st ,2016

Summer 2-8          June 2nd,2016 

Gifted Education SAGE SCHEDULE 2024-2025

Mrs. Giurgiu

Room # 312

 

8:15-9:30          Walk up to Math school wide-support as needed –fluid

8:20-8:55          2^nd Grade Gifted Reading Enrichment - Tuesday and Thursday

9:30-10:40        4^th Grade  Gifted Sage Reading

10:40-11:25      Teacher Prep

11:25-11:55      Teacher Lunch 

11:55-1:05         5th Grade Gifted Sage Reading

1:05-1:35           3rd Grade Gifted Reading Enrichment

1:55-3:00           6th Grade Gifted Sage Reading

 

FRIDAYS PLC –EARLY RELEASE AT 1:30

Behavior Expectations matrix 

Classroom management

Intervention 1

Reteach expectations

Student completes student behavior reflection

Teacher documents infraction 1

Intervention 2

Reteach expectations

Student completes student behavior reflection

Parent is contacted 

Teacher documents Infraction 2

Intervention 3

Office Referral 

Parents contacted

Infraction Log documentation is submitted to administration

Parents and students:

Please check the Lesson Plans tab for daily lessons and homework assignments as well as the Assignments tab for long term projects.

Curriculum for Gifted Education of William and Mary

The Integrated Curriculum Model (ICM)

The development of exemplary curriculum frameworks and units of study for classroom use with high ability learners has been an emphasis at the Center for Gifted Education since its inception. Center materials are grounded in the Integrated Curriculum Model (VanTassel-Baska, 1986, 1995, 2002), which is designed to respond to gifted learners' characteristics of precocity, intensity, and complexity through its three dimensions of advanced content, higher level processes and product development, and interdisciplinary concepts, issues, and themes. The Integrated Curriculum Model (ICM) is comprised of three interrelated dimensions.

The ICM has been translated into a curricular framework and set of teaching units in the areas of language arts, social studies, and science.

ICM Features

Overarching Concepts	Advanced Content	Process-Product
Change	In-depth	Elements of Reasoning
Systems	Advanced Reading	Research
Patterns	Primary Sources	Problem-based Learning
Cause and Effect	Advanced Skills	Inquiry Skills
VanTassel-Baska, J. (2003). Content-based curriculum for high-ability learners: An introduction. In J. VanTassel-Baska & C. A. Little (Eds.), Content-based curriculum for high-ability learners (pp. 1-23). Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.

 

What Works:  20 Years of Curriculum Development and Research

This  document highlights “what works” based on the curriculum development and research work of the Center for Gifted Education during the past 20 years. Research findings include the areas of curriculum development, instruction, assessment, and professional development. Through the use of the Integrated Curriculum Model as a template for design, coupled with curriculum reform emphases in content areas, the Center curriculum has produced positive outcomes in student achievement and teacher use of differentiated strategies.  

ELA Websites FOR STUDENTS

Your Next Read
Word Dynamo
Shakespeare for Kids
Library of Congres

Storyline Onlin

http://interactivesites.weebly.com/ 

3rd   school year will study " Journeys and Destinations" provided by the Center for Gifted Education Language Arts College of William and Mary

 

The Guiding Theme of this unit is the recognition that change affects people and their relationships,as well as the world around them.The literature selections of the unit illustrate this theme.The student activities engage students in discussing and writing about what they have read,and in independent and group learning opportunities that promote skill development in vocabulary,persuasive writing,literary analysis,oral communication and thinking.Discussion emphasizes the search for meaning in literature.Students also engage in  researching the role of memory in their lives and the role of technology in preserving memories.

WILLIAM AND MARY INSTRUCTIONAL MODELS 

Taba Model for Concept Development (Change Model) 

Literature Web 

Vocabulary Web 

Paul’s Reasoning Model 

Standards of Reasoning integrated with Persuasive Writing 

Research Model resulting in students’ written and oral presentations 

 

THIS IS THE LIST OF READING RESOURCES THAT 3/4TH GRADE SAGE READING STUDENTS WILL USE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.It also explains the unit rational and goals ,samples of resources used in class and rubrics.

Resources link 

4th Grade this school year will study "PATTERNS OF CHANGE"from the Center for Gifted Education of William and Mary as well as the new Into Reading Curriculum.

 

The concept of cyclic patterns of change was chosen as the unifying theme for this unit. Selected literary works deal with cycles in nature, knowledge, history, and human life. Students in grades 4–6 are introduced to some of the important approaches and ideas of literary criticism. Students are encouraged to use journals, literature webs, essays, and visual projects to organize and express their ideas about various literary selections. Works studied in the unit include My Daniel by Conrad, “The Helpful Badger” by Lawrence Yep, and poetry by Dickinson, Sandburg, Angelou, and Shakespeare.

5th Grade THIS school year will study" Literary Reflections "from the Center for Gifted Education of William and Mary as well as the new Into Reading Curriculum.

 

 

Although all four language arts strands of literature, writing, language study, and oral communication are integrated into this unit for grades 4–5, the core involves students interacting with literature while enhancing reading comprehension and textual analysis skills. The literature selections, including The Secret Garden and world-class short stories by such authors as Tolstoy and Singer, serve as a basis for discussion. 

1997 Winner of a National Association for Gifted Children Curriculum Division Award for Outstanding Curriculum

 

WILLIAM AND MARY INSTRUCTIONAL MODELS 

 

Taba Model for Concept Development (Change Model) 

Literature Web 

Vocabulary Web 

Paul’s Reasoning Model 

Standards of Reasoning integrated with Persuasive Writing 

Research Model resulting in students’ written and oral presentations 

 

THESE ARE THE LISTS OF READING RESOURCES THAT 5TH  GRADE WILL USE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. THERE ARE ALSO VISUAL ARTS AND MUSIC RESOURCES THAT WE WILL USE..It also explains the unit rational and goals ,samples of resources used in class and rubrics.

Resources Link 

6th Grade  THIS school year will study" Persuasion "from the Center for Gifted Education of William and Mary as well as Collections.

COLLECTIONS  

 

 

This unit highlights persuasion,especially as it relates to oral communication.Emphasis is placed on providing evidence for opinions.Students must give passages from literature to defend their points of view in discussions as well as in written arguments.Opportunities are presented for impromptu speeches,informative and persuasive speeches,debate,small and large group discussion,and critical listening skills.

The literature for this unit  includes both conventional forms of persuasive text such as political speeches(Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address,Martin Luther King's " I have a Dream Speech") as well as novels and poems in which authors' or characters' persuasive intent manifests itself in more subtle ways.Many of the pieces in this unit have profound historical significance and in that way also address content learning in social studies.

In addition to exploring persuasive elements in literature ,this unit also focuses on some key elements of  the  structure of  narrative story-telling that are not introduced in units designed for younger population:the inciting moment and the turning point.The structural elements are first introduced to the students in the analysis of the chapter from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and are also addressed in the one act play,The Valliant.However ,the main opportunity for students to grapple with these elements is through the reading of the unit novels.

Finally,the research component of this unit centers on the examination of the issue of censorship.In addition to using formal research methods to investigate two sides of this important issue,students will make an oral presentation of their opinions and supporting evidence at the end of the unit.

THIS IS THE LIST OF READING RESOURCES THAT 6th  GRADE SAGE READING STUDENTS WILL USE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.It also explains the unit rational and goals ,samples of resources used in class and rubrics.
 

Resources Link 

DRAGONWINGS BY LAWRENCE YEP ACTIVITIES

 

Dragonwings Activities 

 

 COMMON CORE OFFICIAL WEBSITE LINK

http://www.corestandards.org

Item and Task Prototypes

The primary purpose of sharing item and task prototypes is to provide information and to support educators as they transition to the CCSS and the PARCC assessments. The dynamic, online prototypes presented on the PARCC website are designed to shine a light on important elements of the CCSS and to show how critical content in the standards may be manifested on PARCC’s next-generation, technology-based assessments.

The PARCC sample items and tasks can and should be viewed as one of the many types of materials educators can use during the transition to the CCSS and PARCC.

In addition to educators, students and parents may also find the sample items and tasks to be a useful resource for learning more about the CCSS and how state assessments may appear in the future.
 

The prototypes provided to date represent just a beginning to the complement of items and tasks that will be shared over time to represent the full range of assessment tasks that will be included on actual PARCC assessments beginning in 2014-2015. Additional prototypes and rubrics will be added over the coming months to paint a more complete picture of the PARCC assessment design in each content area and grade level.

 

Math

 

3rd Grade

 

4th Grade

 

6th Grade

 

7th Grade

 

 

ELA/Literacy

 

3rd Grade

 

6th Grade

 

GENERIC RUBRICS (DRAFT) - ELA/LITERACY

 

3rd Grade

 

4th-5th Grade

 

6th-11th Grade

STUDENT WEBSITES TO EXPLORE

http://interactivesites.weebly.com/ 

Typing Practice
More Keyboarding
Hoagie's Kids and Teens
Book list featuring gifted children as main characters.
GiftedKids' Bill of Rights 
NASA Kids
Audiobooks
Website with Lots of Choices
Create Animations 
Create custom Flash Cards
Free SAT Prep (It's never too early)
Note-Taking Practices
Pre-Fab Flashcards
Classroom Collaboration Online
Learn a new Language
Speed Reader and Comprehension
Vocabulary Flashcards
How we learn
Graphic Organizers
Online Mapping and Brainstorming

Dynamic presentations and Prezi

Research Links

tecnology videos

Research Links

tecnology videos

 

 

Websites and RESOURCES for Parents

Gifted students presentation 

DVUSD Gifted Information- This website has information regarding District policies.

Parentpals for Gifted -Find various links that will get you to information especially selected for parents of gifted students.

National Association For Gifted Children -This association provides information on giftedness to parents and teachers. Parents may also find resources for support groups and materials to help in raising a gifted child.

American Association for Gifted Children   -This is another association that has information for parents and teachers.
GT World GT World offers on-line support for parents.

Pre-K Smarties -This website offers information in raising gifted infants and preschoolers.

How Parents Can Support Gifted Children -Article by Linda Kreger Silverman, a leading researcher in gifted education.

How to Recognize and Develop Your Children's Special Talents -This article gives ideas for what families can do at home to develop giftedness in children.

How to Nurture Gifted Children -This article discusses many issues parents must face with gifted children, including gifted myths and whether or not to know your child's IQ score.
Legal Rights in Gifted Education -Learn about your gifted child's legal rights to an education.

Hoagies' Gifted Education Page -This is a great site for information on parenting or educating gifted children.Free 

Parents of gifted children meeting

Meeting for parents of gifted students 

Articles  

How to parent Gifted Children 

Bright child poor grades/underachievement 

Arizona law requires that public schools provide supplies required for academic success. This list represents optional, supplementary items which you may supply, at your discretion. If you have questions, feel free to contact the school. Any extra supplies donated are very much appreciated.

Gifted Program SAGE

1^st and 2^nd grade -nothing

NEW SAGE STUDENTS ONLY 3^rd grade -6^th grade

*1 1/2 inch (please do not get bigger as it does not fit into our data folder slots) three ring binder (hard cover) for data collection and work samples. Please add 10 top load sheet protectors and 6 tabbed dividers to it before bringing to school.

This will be our Data Folder/Portfolio.

ALL READING SAGE STUDENTS 3^rd-6^th grade

*All SAGE reading students need a PLASTIC (soft cover OK) pronged 2 pocket folder (for SAGE ONLY), labeled with student name and SAGE READING at the top (please use black sharpie).

 A composition notebook is needed and will be used in the classroom for daily work.

 Post it notes

*All SAGE math students-please see your supply list from your Walk UP to Math Teacher

*Optional Donations Greatly Appreciated\

*pencils

*dry erase markers

*Kleenex

*Lysol wipes

Deer Valley Unified School District Gifted Website-please click this active link

The District website includes information and registration for:

• Gifted Testing
• Gifted District News
• Parent Resources

FALL 2024-2025 GIFTED TESTING

Please  open the link below and register:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScp247Ne_EE99HeEYldI-1Tc51gYc-ZfJ57zNVcIMqXuuApMQ/viewform

2024-25 FALL Gifted Test Registration

FALL GIFTED TESTING (2024-25)
REGISTRATION: July 8, 2024 - August 9, 2024
FALL TESTING:  August 19 – August 30, 2024

Kindergarten - NOT AVAILABLE

Grade 1:  CogAT (online)

Grade 2: NOT AVAILABLE

Grades 3-8:  CogAT (online)
Grades 9+:  CogAT (online)

*FAMILIES MAY REGISTER THEIR CHILDREN ONLINE. ALL REGISTRATIONS ARE MADE ON OUR GIFTED WEBSITE.  CLICK THE ICON BELOW.

Websites and RESOURCES for Parents

DVUSD Gifted Cluster Website

DVUSD Gifted Services Website

Arizona Department of Ed., Gifted Unit

National Association for Gifted Children

Gifted Services Handbook 

Gifted students presentation 

DVUSD Gifted Information- This website has information regarding District policies.

Parentpals for Gifted -Find various links that will get you to information especially selected for parents of gifted students.

National Association For Gifted Children -This association provides information on giftedness to parents and teachers. Parents may also find resources for support groups and materials to help in raising a gifted child.

American Association for Gifted Children   -This is another association that has information for parents and teachers.
GT World GT World offers on-line support for parents.

Pre-K Smarties -This website offers information in raising gifted infants and preschoolers.

How Parents Can Support Gifted Children -Article by Linda Kreger Silverman, a leading researcher in gifted education.

How to Recognize and Develop Your Children's Special Talents -This article gives ideas for what families can do at home to develop giftedness in children.

How to Nurture Gifted Children -This article discusses many issues parents must face with gifted children, including gifted myths and whether or not to know your child's IQ score.
Legal Rights in Gifted Education -Learn about your gifted child's legal rights to an education.

Hoagies' Gifted Education Page -This is a great site for information on parenting or educating gifted children.Free 

Parents of gifted children meeting

Meeting for parents of gifted students 

Articles  

How to parent Gifted Children 

Bright child poor grades/underachievement 

Gifted Cluster Model

Cluster grouping is a full day service model. Gifted students are grouped (4-8 identified students) together in a classroom with teachers who are trained to adapt the curriculum and environment for gifted students. These teachers understand and value the unique academic and emotional needs of gifted students, and have built a classroom environment that challenges students in every content area. Gifted students benefit from being grouped with their intellectual peers within a differentiated and enriching classroom. They participate in critical thinking, inquiry, and problem solving. Students are empowered to become organized, self-directed, lifelong learners.

Classroom compositions are carefully structured with two main goals: to ensure that there is a balance throughout the grade level, and to reduce the learning range found in any given classroom. This system provides opportunities for teachers to more readily respond to the needs of all their students. Acceleration opportunities are available and considered based on individual readiness and needs.                            

Placement Qualifications

Students who score at or above the 97th percentile in any of the three areas will be placed in a Cluster Grouping Classroom. Deer Valley Unified School District has provisional placement (placement in the gifted program as long as the student is successful) when one of the following criteria has been met:

 A percentile score of 95 or 96 in Verbal or Quantitative

 A Verbal or Quantitative score of at least 85 with a Nonverbal score of at least 97 allows for provisional placement in one subject

 

Grade Level	Gifted Services Provided at Gavilan Peak	Description Of Services
Kindergarten	*Gifted Cluster Placement	All gifted students are clustered together with a gifted trained teacher for the majority of the school day.   Reading: enrichment activities and literature, tiered centers and small group instruction.   Math: enrichment activities/acceleration.
Grades 1-2	*Gifted Cluster Placement	All gifted students are clustered together with a gifted trained teacher for the majority of the school day.   Reading: enrichment activities and literature, tiered centers and small group instruction. Literature studies and Junior Grade Books.   Math: pretesting/compacting grade level content, enrichment and acceleration.   Mandarin Immersion Math-challenge is provided through math instruction in a foreign language.

 

Helpful Links

DVUSD Gifted Cluster Website

DVUSD Gifted Services Website

Arizona Department of Ed., Gifted Unit

National Association for Gifted Children

Gifted Services Handbook 

 

Content Replacement Pullout Model (SAGE) 

SAGE is a content replacement program in language arts and math for identified gifted students in grades 3-6. Students meet daily in a self-contained grouping, in lieu of general education classrooms to receive their instruction in English language arts and/or math from an endorsed gifted teacher.

Students meet daily in a self-contained grouping for reading, in lieu of general education classrooms to receive their instruction in Reading from an endorsed gifted education teacher and  Walk Up To Math (go to the next grade level math class with a teacher trained on working with gifted students ) while the gifted education specialist on campus works closely with the math teacher to ensure that the needs of each student are met and pulls out the students daily for Application Math Projects and Enrichment Math Activities STEM during RTI time .Depending on the school master schedule and numbers of students in each class, math could also be like the reading class-a pull out only model with the gifted specialist on campus.

Curriculum, materials, and content are accelerated and enriched at the appropriate challenge level for students. The pace of instruction is quick with discussions probing for breadth and depth as well as precision and clarity. Students are encouraged to problem solve, think critically and persevere to reach their potential for achievement.

SAGE offers an environment of like minds for the duration of a full class period in either English language arts and/or math. The SAGE learning environment provides opportunities to see and make connections from prior learning, across curricular areas, to present learning.

Goals

Academic goals:

Our students will develop…

 A command of content

 flexibility of thought to reach a variety of approaches to solutions

 effort at clarity and expression of thought

 depth of analysis in content areas

 openness to new concepts and ideas

 a love of learning

Cognitive and affective goals:

Students will develop…

 a spirit of collaboration and respect

 acceptance of differences to appreciate and respect not only the content of study but each other

 trust and pride in their ability to produce excellence

 courage to create and take risks with confidence in their own abilities and ideas

 responsibility as self-reliant learners

Specialized classes or pull out programs means fewer repetitive drills and more challenging concepts. - "The achievement level of high ability students falls dramatically when they are required to do routine work at a routine pace." Kulik, James A., "An Analysis of the Research on Ability Grouping." (Spring 1993, pp 8-9). Storrs: University of Connecticut, the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented. http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/nrcgt/newsletter/spring93/sprng935.html

Placement Qualifications

Students who score at or above the 97th percentile will be placed in a SAGE classroom for either English Language Arts and/or Math.

Deer Valley Unified School District has provisional placement (placement in the gifted program as long as the student is successful) when one of the following criteria has been met:

 A percentile score of 95 or 96 in Verbal or Quantitative

 A Verbal or Quantitative score of at least 85 with a Nonverbal score of at least 97 allows for provisional placement in one subject

SPARK PROGRAM 

2nd grade students with a score of 90-94 on reading who do not qualify for Sage Reading will be placed in SPARK-reading enrichment for 3rd grade,one year only and they can retest to see if they qualify for SAGE starting in 4th grade.

 

Grades 3-6     SAGE-Student Advancement /Acceleration through Gifted Education

*SPARK(supporting potential and achievement in remarkable kids) SPARK is the name of DVUSD's content enrichment program. This program is primarily for gifted students, but also applies to high achieving and high potential students.           *SAGE Reading                     *SAGE Math or WALK UP TO MATH( depending on school schedule for the year and student numbers)                                 *Leadership Seminars             *The Passion Project-for Sage Reading students in grades 4-6

3rd grade reading instruction is still provided by the homeroom teacher with differentiation but will see the Gifted Specialist daily for 45 minutes for reading enrichment-novel studies.               Sage Reading-4-6 content replacement/pull out program .The course is taught by the SAGE teacher and utilizes the gifted curriculum by the College of Gifted Education William & Mary. It incorporates novel studies, Socratic seminars, instruction, activities and projects that encourage creativity and are tailored for gifted students as well as technology integration.           Sage Math-Grades 3, 4, 5- content replacement/pull out program. The course is taught by the SAGE teacher and offers acceleration of above grade level material, instruction and activities tailored for gifted students.   6th Grade Gifted Math-students see our middle school math teacher for 7th grade math curriculum.   WALK UP TO MATH- student walk up to the next grade level math class to receive instruction from a teacher trained on working with gifted students while the gifted education specialist on campus works closely with the math teacher to ensure that the needs of each student are met and pulls out the students daily for Application Math Projects and Enrichment Math Activities STEM during RTI time.         Leadership Seminars-monthly seminars offered by community and state leaders to discuss leadership and future career planning.         The Passion Project- The purpose of The Passion Project is to empower students to connect with their best ideas. It is a quarterly opportunity to synthesize your knowledge about something you’ve learned, know about or seek new opportunities to explore a passion, research it, design a choice presentation tool and teach the class about it. This sounds simple, right? It is! But it is also a lot of work.  At Gavilan Peak we believe in empowering our students with the right to and the responsibility for having a voice in how they learn. By allowing time to connect with their best ideas, we are allowing them to experience learning at its finest while encouraging risk-taking, embracing 'failures' and sharing in creative break-through.

  

Helpful Links

DVUSD Gifted Cluster Website

DVUSD Gifted Services Website

Arizona Department of Ed., Gifted Unit

National Association for Gifted Children

Gifted Services Handbook 

 

Middle School Advanced Classes

Program Philosophy

Gifted middle school students require a bridge from elementary content replacement (SAGE) and Cluster grouping classrooms in order to lay a foundation to high school Honors, IB, and AP classes. The advanced content classes provide a revised curriculum that draws on cognitive and affective learning outcomes.

Overview

Advanced content classes in English language arts, science and social studies place gifted identified students and high achieving students in a classroom that is designed with the Parallel Curriculum model.

This curriculum uses four parallels and Ascending Intellectual Demand (AID):

 Core Curriculum (What are the key content standards and learning outcomes?)

 The Curriculum of Connections (How does this content connect across disciplines, time, place, and so on?)

 The Curriculum of Practice (How is this content implemented and applied in the real world?)

 The Curriculum of Identity (What relationship does this content have to an individual learner?)

 AID (How do instruction and curriculumchallenge and engage learners and move them from their present understanding toward expertise in a subject matter?)

Goals

Academic goals- Students will…

1. develop skills to connect content to a personal and global perspective

2. engage in content as a practitioner and scholar in the discipline

3. grapple with ideas and questions using both critical and creative thinking

Cognitive and affective goals- Students will …

1. have confidence in their own abilities and ideas

2. embrace responsibility as self-reliant learners

3. successfully transition to advanced high school courses

Grade Level

Gifted Services Provided at Gavilan Peak

Description Of Services

Grades 7-8

*Advance content classes in all core subject areas   *High School Honors Math(credit transferable to  high school)     * Foreign Language Elective(credit transferable to high school)     *Advance Art

Advance classes are offered in language arts, math, science and socialstudies.     High School Honors Math-Algebra 1 and 2 Honors, Geometry Honors.

 

Helpful Links

DVUSD Gifted Cluster Website

DVUSD Gifted Services Website

Arizona Department of Ed., Gifted Unit

National Association for Gifted Children

Gifted Services Handbook