We recently added a list on the district’s email list server. If you would like to keep in touch and get email updates, be sure to sign up on this new list.
Sign up at http://www.husd.org/listserver/. Our group name is “Supporters of Gifted Students”
The HUSD Gifted Writing Contest encourages gifted students in grades K-8 to express themselves through writing and to challenge their writing ability. It can also be an important creative release to help children develop self-esteem.
Each year will have a new theme. The theme for this year is “One Hundred Years…” in celebration of HUSD’s centennial birthday (1909-2009).
The student must specify a category for his/her work. Please pay attention to the length restrictions and other criteria below. Compositions that do not conform to the maximum length or other criteria will not be eligible to win an award.
POETRY – Poetry is “an imaginative statement expressed in words used with utmost economy and resonance,” or “the overflow of powerful emotion recollected in tranquility.” District Contest rules specify no limits for form, length, or subject. No collections of poems please.
PERSONAL NARRATIVE – Personal narrative writing is about an actual experience, not an invented one. Selections are true stories of real events experienced first hand, observed, or learned through study. Students’ subjects may be about themselves, others, or things. The selections may be written in traditional composition form, as a letter, a journal, diary entry, a memoir, or in dramatic form.
Length:
ESSAY – An essay is a piece of expository writing in any one of the traditional forms: comparison/contrast, persuasion, process, cause/effect, or definition. The emphasis should be on a personal point of view about a topic of general interest. Internal citations may be given for sources, but the essay should represent a researched paper as opposed to a research paper.
Length: Selections should be written in multi-paragraph manuscript form and must not exceed more than 1000 words.
IMAGINATIVE WRITING – Imaginative writing invents a situation or story based on the writer’s imagination. The writer may create a scene, situation, or character; predict what might happen under hypothetical circumstances; or use his/her creativity to solve a hypothetical problem. The writer may use his/her knowledge of the world to bring a unique flair or flavor to the writing but is not bound by the constraints of reality. Imaginative writing may contain elements of fantasy.
Length: Selections should be written in multi-paragraph manuscript form and must not exceed more than 1000 words.
Please give all entries to your school’s Gifted Specialist or to your self-contained gifted teacher. All entries are due by the end of the school day on Friday, March 12, 2010. One original and one copy are to be submitted for each entry. Each entry is required to have an entry form attached which should be obtained through your school’s Gifted Specialist or self-contained gifted teacher. It is very important that all rules and directions be followed.
STUDENT ENTRY FORM
All participants are required to completely fill out and sign the Student Entry Form. Students who have not completely filled out the entry form will not be eligible to participate in the program. In situations where the child cannot fill out the entry form or write legibly, a parent may complete the form.
Students have the option of titling their works. If a work has a title, the title must be included on the Student Entry Form. If the work has no title, please write “Untitled”.
A link to the entry form will be posted soon.
NOTE: Enjoy the process! This is a neat opportunity to see what you can do!
If you have questions or comments, speak with your school’s gifted specialist, post a comment below, or see additional contact information.
One-day workshop for teens in Scottsdale
Genius Coaching is co-sponsoring a fun, one-day workshop that helps teens learn about themselves, identifying and managing their own genius (or unique talents), and play to learn about financial literacy. For information: http://www.geniuscoaching.com/TeensCamp.htm
Free Parent Forum
Smart Parenting Roundtable, conference call for parents of bright children. Every second Monday, two times to choose from, 11am or 6pm. For more information and free registration http://www.geniuscoaching.com/Roundtable.htm
Webinar Series for Parents
6 week series for Parents of Gifted Children
Participate from home via phone and computer
Information and Registration http://www.geniuscoaching.com/ParentWebSeries.htm
50% discount for AAGT members $49, enter Coupon Code “AAGT” (All HSG parent members qualify for this)
Come join us for this educational seminar. 12/08 4:15 to 6:15 at Cortina Elementary. All parents are invited (your child does not need to attend Cortina Elementary).
Gifted students usually have social and emotional needs that are more complex than the average child. This class will help you become more familiar with these issues and more compassionate. This is a special group of children whose brain development often is much more accelerated than the other components of their personality development. We will help you get more understanding of these awesome children.
Gerrie Clowe
Gifted Specialist
Cortina Elementary
Room 453
480-279-7871
We received the following information from Jennifer Cron at Mark Burnett Prodcutions. If you are interested, the contact information is at the end of this post.
I work in casting at Mark Burnett Productions (Survivor, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader, The Apprentice etc), and we’re working on a new show about child geniuses (aged 6-12) who are experts in a specific field. I was wondering if you can post the below casting notice on your website, or help spread the word somehow, or put me in touch with someone who can. This is very time-sensitive so it’d need to be done asap. I really appreciate anything you can do to help! Please contact me at 310-903-5598.
Best,
Jennifer Cron
casting.jennifer@gmail.comBelow is the casting info for our new show for a MAJOR network. We have a limited time to narrow down our candidates for the project so the sooner you respond, the better your chances are of being selected.
Are you the parent of a little genius? Is your child a walking encyclopedia of knowledge? Now casting children (ages 6-12) who are extremely bright for a new major network series from Mark Burnett Productions (cast Survivor, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader, etc). We are looking for children who are exceptionally advanced for their age in one or more subjects. Does your child know all there is to know about Baseball, the Presidents of the United States, English Literature, etc.? If so, then we want to meet you! Parents, this is your chance to let your child’s genius shine.
If you are interested, email casting.jennifer@gmail.com with: your name, phone number, your child’s name & age, the city in which you live, a brief description of their genius, and several photos of all of you (please note your photos will not be returned).
Welcome everyone! We are currently working on this website to allow all supporters of Higley gifted kids a place to learn more and to work together. For now, click here to make sure you take note of the gifted information our district has made available. This is just part of the positive changes that are going on currently in our district.
We were organized on July 9, 2009. We have a full board and would love to see our group grow with you in it! There are really neat things we can accomplish together. In order to fund things, we are asking for an optional $15 donation per family per year which will fund our quarterly activities, AAGT membership (they are Arizona’s parent gifted group), help train teachers, and provide our Gifted Specialists with things they are in need of with any remaining balance. Contact Jay Twitchell, our Treasurer, at twitch1@cox.net with any questions or to make a payment.
Now, more good news! We have a Communications Specialist as part of our HSG Board–Gordon Hopper. He is currently working on turning this website into more fun and interactive for our kids, as well as informative for you. Check back soon to see how things are coming!
Also, if you are attending the new self-contained program at Centennial and are in need of help to coordinate a ride, click on “Carpooling” under “Parents”. You will be given a form to fill out and will be contacted.
And finally, as our parent group continues to grow, please share this website with any you know within our district that may benefit.
Thank you!
Debbie Niu
President of Higley Supporters of the Gifted (HSG)
Many of the strengths of gifted children can become problems when taken to the extreme.
If you notice these characteristics in your children, try to emphasis the strengths.
Adaptation of Seagoe’s list (1974) from Gifted Parent Groups: The SENG Model, 1998
| Strengths | Possible Problems |
| Acquires and retains information quickly | Impatient with slowness of others; dislikes routine and drill; may resist mastering foundation skills; may make concepts unduly complex |
| Inquisitive attitude; intellectual curiosity; intrinsic motivation; searches for significance | Asks embarrassing questions; strong-willed; resists direction; seems excessive in interests; expects same of others |
| Ability to conceptualize, abstract, synthesize; enjoys problem solving and intellectual activity | Rejects or omits details; resists practice or drill; questions teaching procedures |
| Can see cause-effect relations | Difficulty accepting the illogical, such as feelings, traditions, or matters to be taken on faith |
| Love of truth, equity and fair play | Difficulty in being practical; worry about humanitarian concerns |
| Enjoys organizing things and people into structure and order; seeks to systematize | Constructs complicated rules or systems; may be seen as bossy, rude, or domineering |
| Large vocabulary and facile verbal proficiency; broad information in advanced areas | May use words to escape or avoid situations; becomes bored with school and age-peers; seen by others as a “know it all” |
| Thinks critically; has high expectancies; is self-critical and evaluates others | Critical or intolerant towards others; may become discouraged or depressed; perfectionistic |
| Keen observer; willing to consider the unusual; open to new experiences | Overly intense focus; occasional gullibility |
| Creative and inventive; likes new ways of doing things | May disrupt plans or reject what is already known; seen by others as different or out of step |
| Intense concentration; long attention span in areas of interest; goal directed behavior; persistence | Resists interruption; neglects duties or people during periods of focused interests, stubbornness |
| Sensitivity; empathy for others; desire to be accepted by others | Sensitivity to criticism or peer rejection; expects others to have similar values; need for success and recognition; may feel different and alienated |
| High Energy, alertness, eagerness; periods of intense effort | Frustration with inactivity; eagerness may disrupt others’ schedules; need continual stimulation; may be seen as hyperactive |
| Independent; prefers individualized work; self-reliant | May reject parent or peer input; non-conformity; may be unconventional |
| Diverse interests and abilities; versatility | May appear scattered and disorganized; frustrations over lack of time; others may expect continual competence. |
| Strong sense of humor | Sees absurdities of situations; humor may not be understood by peers; may become ‘class clown’ to gain attention |
Differences in Characteristics
| BRIGHT CHILD | GIFTED CHILD |
| Knows the answers | Asks the questions |
| Is interested | Is highly curious |
| Completes assignments | Initiates projects |
| Copies accurately | Creates new design |
| Is alert | Is keenly observant |
| Is receptive | Is intense |
| Answers the questions | Discusses in detail—elaborates |
| Understands ideas | Constructs abstractions |
| Absorbs information | Manipulates information |
| Grasps the meaning | Draws inferences |
| Listens with interest | Shows strong feelings and emotions |
| Top group | Beyond the group |
| Enjoys peers | Prefers adults |
| Enjoys school | Enjoys learning |
| Pleased with own learning | Is highly self-critical |
| Is attentive | Is mentally and physically involved |
| Has good ideas | Has wild, silly ideas |
| Works hard | Plays around, yet tests well |
| Learns with ease | Already knows |
| 6-8 repetitions for mastery | 1-2 repetitions for mastery |
| Technician | Inventor |
| Good memorizer | Good guesser |
| Enjoys straightforward sequential presentation | Thrives on complexity |
Bright Child Gifted Learner, by Janice Szabos Challenge, 1989, issue 34, p. 4
Linda Kreger Silverman, Ph.D.
Fear of Failure
Fear of Success
Fear of lack of acceptance by peer group
Undetected learning disabilities
Lack of basic skills and study habits
Inappropriate educational activities
Too high or too low expectations of parents
Lack of parental support for education
Fear of overshadowing parent
Passive-aggression toward parent
Low frustration tolerance
Lack of impulse control
Low risk-taking abilities
Lack of competitiveness
Guilt for being advantaged intellectually
Interests in activities other that school
Cumulative deficits and belief in failure
“Primarily, teachers and many parents are concerned that placing a gifted child in such a setting will not prepare him to interact well with children of other ability levels…In truth, ability grouping is more likely to make the gifted child more aware that there are other children as bright or brighter than he is. Furthermore, because his cognitive needs are being met consistently, the gifted child may then be more willing to interact socially with children of all ability levels in extracurricular activities outside of school.
The greatest deterrent to [a self-contained program], however, may be practical rather than philosophical. There are not many full-time gifted programs around, and programs that do exist have long waiting lists for entrance. If you are fortunate enough to have such an option available in your locale, you may wish to put your child on the waiting list. The academic and motivational benefits alone may make it worthwhile. It is also likely that your child will form meaningful friendships with others of similar interests and abilities–relationships that may last a lifetime. If your child does attend a full-time gifted program, however, it will be important to provide experiences outside of school that allow him to interact freely with others of varying abilities, whether in sports, music, or arts groups, in community and religious organizations, through work experiences, or in community and neighborhood projects.”
p.214-15, Re-forming Gifted Education