Gifted and Talented

ANNOUNCING!

ELEMENTS for

Gifted 2nd and 3rd Grade students

to open in the 2010-2011 school year.

ELEMENTS is a program for 2nd and 3rd grade students whose outstanding academic talent, advanced motivation, performance (or potential for performance) at high levels of accomplishment indicate their need for in-depth, complex and rigorous curriculum and instruction.

The ELEMENTS program will open its doors at Ridgeview Elementary School (9400 Nesbitt Av, Bloomington, MN 55438) next fall.  Watch this site for more information, meeting dates, and application deadline.

ELEMENTS

INFORMATION MEETINGS

Thursday, February 25

Tuesday, March 16

Thursday, April 15

All meetings:

6:00 pm-7:00 pm

at Ridgeview Elementary School, Media Center

9400 Nesbitt Av

Bloomington, MN 55438

(NO child care is provided)

Information handout

Tours of Ridgeview for Parents interested in the Elements Program

Friday, February 19, 2010

1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

10:00 - 11:00 a.m.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Monday, April 26, 2010

9:30 - 10:30 a.m.

Please RSVP via e-mail to

Leanne Halaska (lhalaska@bloomington.k12.mn.us) with your name and the date you plan to attend the tour. 

This tour is for parents of interested students.

Application deadline: May, 14, 2010

Click here for more information about

2010-2011 Application-click here

Dimension Academy to Expand to

Olson Middle School in 2010

Beginning with 6th grade in the 2010-2011 school year, the Dimensions Academy program will expand to a full middle school program at Hubert Olson Middle School.

Grade 7 will be added in the 2011-2012 school year and grade 8 will be added in the 2012-2013 school.

 The expansion of the program opens up more seats for students at the grades 6-8 level!

The Oak Grove Middle School program will continue.

INFORMATION MEETING REGARDING

THE MIDDLE SCHOOL

DIMENSIONS ACADEMY PROGRAM

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

6:00 pm-7:00 pm

Olson Middle School

4551 W102nd ST

Media Center

2010-2011 GENERAL INFORMATION MEETINGS:

December 10, 2009

February 4, 2010

March 2, 2010

All meetings:

6:00 pm-7:00 pm

at Ridgeview Elementary School, Media Center

9400 Nesbitt Av

Bloomington, MN 55438

(NO child care is provided)

A 45 minute tour of Ridgeview Elementary School is held every Tuesday. 

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New Process for Honors Placement

Grade 8 to 9

For resident students (those students currently attending Oak Grove Middle School, Olson Middle School or Valley View Middle School) click here

For resident students who would like to appeal into honors courses, click here

For non-resident students (students currently attending a public school outside of Bloomington, private or non-public schools or home schooled students) click here

TIMELINE FOR HONORS PLACEMENT

GRADE 8 TO 9 for the 2010-2011 School Year

Late January, 2010: Students AUTOMATICALLY PLACED IN HONORS will receive a letter notifying them if they have been automatically placed in honors courses.  STUDENTS WHO DO NOT RECEIVE A LETTER MUST APPEAL INTO HONORS.

February 19, 2010: Deadline for Honors Appeals applications.

Late March, 2010: Outcome of Honors Appeals made known to families

Late May, 2010: Notification of all students placed in honors courses.

9TH GRADE HONORS APPEALS FORMS:

Student Recommendation form

One form PER subject is required

Teacher Recommendation form

One teacher recommendation PER subject is required

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Program Philosophy

The Bloomington Public Schools Gifted and Talented Programs serve gifted, talented and creative children of  both genders and all cultural and socioeconomic groups in Kindergarten through Grade 12.  Gifted, talented and creative children have the potential to perform at remarkably high levels for their age, experience, or environment.  The Gifted and Talented Programs help these students thrive by offering challenging and supportive educational experiences and services.  Together, these programs and services nurture the academic, creative, artistic, leadership abilities, and social/emotional needs of gifted, talented and creative children.

THE GIFTED AND TALENTED DEPARTMENT: Dr. Richard Cash, District Supervisor of Gifted and Talented Programs rcash@bloomington.k12.mn.us 952-681-6438 952-681-6533 (fax) Vita Dr. Cash's presentations at the           National Association for Gifted Children's Annual Convention & Exhibition St. Louis, MO November 5-8, 2009 (click on title to download the handout) I Can't to I Can! Changing the Mindset of Adolescent Underachievers   Acceleration of Young Learners: Anticipating the Perils before the Problems   Using Assessment to Build Student Autonomy (Presentation with Dr. Diane Heacox)   Barbara Dullaghan, Elementary Coordinator of         Gifted Programs bdullagh@bloomington.k12.mn.us 952-806-7155 952-806-7101 (fax) Vita Barbara Dullaghan's presentation at the National Association for Gifted Children's Annual Convention & Exhibition St. Louis, MO November 5-8, 2009 (click on title to download the handout) Practical Strategies for the Gifted Primary Learner: A Crucial Piece of the Puzzle   Julie Donaldson, Middle School Coordinator of Gifted Programs jdonaldson@bloomington.k12.mn.us 952-681-6655 952-681-6601 (fax) Vita

 

Program Goals:

• Identify students who demonstrate exceptional abilities and require services beyond the regular classroom through  appropriate, multi-criteria methods.  A major component of the identification method must seek out more students from underrepresented populations (i.e. children of color and children from low socioeconomic backgrounds).

• Develop programs and services (K-12) that are continuous at all school sites appropriate for the academic, creative,  artistic, leadership abilities, social, and emotional needs of identified gifted/talented/creative students. Programs and services will include: 

• Differentiated curriculum and instructional strategies in all grade  levels for gifted/talented/creative students.

Gifted Program Overview

Every school site has developed services to respond to the varied needs, talents and interests of their students.  The programs and services consist of:

LEVEL 1:  Differentiation of curriculum focuses on expanding, extending and enhancing learning opportunities in the regular classroom for all students.   These options are implemented within the school's curriculum and instruction, and are made possible by the classroom teacher.

LEVEL 2: Enrichment and Extensions are student-selected activities, which focus on enrichment or expansion of experiences beyond the exploration level  of the regular classroom curriculum.  Almost any student could be involved at this level, but not every student will choose to do so. The Gifted and Talented  Specialists will be working with school sites in their investigation and development of plans for implementing greater choices at this level.  

LEVEL 3: Individualized Services focus on creating comprehensive learning plans for those students with unique needs not met by level 1 or 2.  Such services include Cluster Classrooms at the 3rd through 5th grade level, Honors classes at the middle school level, Honors, Advanced Placement (AP) classes at the high school level. DIMENSIONS ACADEMY for the highly/profoundly gifted also serves students in grades 4-8.

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FOR PARENTS:

Bloomington Council for the Gifted and Talented

click here

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Top Math Student Going to Disney World!

Congratulations to Oak Grove Middle student, William Zeng!
William, an 8th grade student in the Dimensions Academy program at OGM, competed in the State Math Counts competition in Plymouth on Saturday -- and ranked among the top 4 math students in the state. He will represent Minnesota in the National Math Counts competition at Disney World in Florida in May.

And our thanks to his Math Team coach, who guided him well ~ Eric Petterson!

MEDICAL MENTORSHIP

Seven Valley View Middle School students in the Medical Mentorship program toured the University of Minnesota's world-renowned Surgical Lab, directed by Dr. Paul Iazzo. The 7th and 8th grade students witnessed a highly technical procedure involving a new medical device for the heart. The goal of the Medical Mentorship program is to expose students to a plethora of healthcare careers.

PROJECT 2EXceL:

Gifted and Talented Department and Special Education Department

Partner on $500,000.00 Javits Grant

Dr. Karen Rogers                Nancy Cohen              Julie Donaldson      Barbara Dullaghan    Dr. Richard Cash

Lead Researcher                  Research Assistant      Middle School        Elementary                Director

                    University of St. Thomas                     Coordinator            Cooridantor               G/T Programs

                                                                                                        Bloomington Pulbic Schools  

 Not Pictured: Dr. Peggy Locke, Lead Autisim Specialist, Bloomington Public Schools       

Project 2EXceL is designed to change the way we look for, serve, and support learners who are gifted and also have various additional exceptionalities, including autism, ADD/ADHD, emotional disorders, and learning disabilities.

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