December Gifted & Talented News

Eldorado Elementary 12/8/24

Eldorado GT News

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

What a past couple of months we have had! Through November and December our gifted students 2nd through 5th have delved into some exciting novels. 2nd grade has been exploring the ramifications of greed with the Chocolate Touch and Chocolate Fever. 3rd grade is finishing up a fantasy story with themes of courage and family with The Castle in the Attic. 4th grade has fallen in the love with mysteries by reading Mr. Lemoncello's Library. And 5th grade has been debating if life is controlled by free will or fate while reading Loteria, a 5/6 Battle of the Books novel. Be sure to ask your student if they were involved with one of the these stories (read mainly by our students with a reading ALP).

As we begin the second week of December we are busy taking the middle of year reading iReady diagnostic. For many of our bright kids this test can be challenging, reading and asking questions well beyond their scope. Please talk with your student about doing their best, allowing themselves think time. We want them to apply what they know to new situations, but sometimes the only option with some questions is to a take an educated guess (not many elementary kids are familiar with Shakespeare). We don’t want them to just guess on every question though. There is a balance between grit, perseverance and simply not knowing.

Beginning the week of December 9th, I will help students reflect and add comments to their ALP tracking forms. Parents, beginning Dec. 16th, I will send you a copy of your child’s tracking form so you can add parent comments.

Holiday Gifts for our Bright and Quirky. ( see more ideas linked below)

Conversations with CAGT

To view current sessions from this year’s Facebook Live, Conversations with CAGT – Season 5, click on the links below:

Meghan Bonde – Navigating the Tedx Journey as a Gifted Entrepreneur – 8/20/24
Cecilia Quintanilla – Signs of Giftedness in the Early Years – 9/3/24

Susan Assouline- Let’s Talk “Acceleration” in a Changing Educational Landscape. 10/1/24

Holiday Gifts for our Bright and Quirky

Wondering what to get your bright and quirky child this holiday season?

I have fond memories of hunting down the perfect thing depending on my kids’ ages and stages of development, like marble runs, games, things for fort building, Lego sets and more.

This year, community member Morgan Jackson shares some hot-off-the-presses exciting new ideas that you may not have heard about yet.

Click here to take a quick peek!

BRIGHT + QUIRKY GIFT LIST

Over 200 gift ideas for kids with ADHD, anxiety, autism, and/or learning differences like dyslexia or dysgraphia.

Social Emotional Wellbeing Corner

As we head into a new year, consider as a family helping strengthen the executive function skills of your neurodiverse gifted children. Planning is a good place to start.

🧠 Executive Function Skill #1: Planning (Neurodivergence, ADHD, 2e / Twice Exceptional)

Video

Gifted and ADHD

ADHD and Motivation - Creating a Motivation Bridge with no gaps in the planks.

Video

Event and Activities for our Gifted

Budgeting for Fun, Saving and Investing

Byrdseed Puzzlements

(watch as a family and discover/discuss together)

What's better than a double rainbow? A full-circle rainbow – as seen from the top of a very tall crane.
Here are The Harlem Globetrotters setting a bunch of world records. Hard to pick a favorite, but "farthest back summersault basketball shot" is high on my list.
Marching bands are an under-appreciated art form! (Yes, of course I was in marching band.) Check out Ohio State's tribute to the Apollo 11 mission. Don't miss those awesome smoke effects around 2:45!
Rogan Brown makes intricate, organic paper art that looks like it was 3D printed. Yet here he is, cutting everything out by hand!