SCPS Middle School Gifted Services

Hello! I am Melony Star Kiesau, Coordinator of Gifted Education K-12. My family and I moved to Stafford in 2007 and both of my children graduated from Stafford County Public Schools. Originally from South Carolina, I earned my Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in Secondary Education from Converse College. I have taught elementary, middle and high school students in both public and private schools.While teaching in Dillon, South Carolina, I earned my endorsement in Gifted Education with a combination of courses at Coastal Carolina University and Francis Marion University. My husband’s job brought us to Virginia in 2007 and we settled in Stafford where I began teaching at Mountain View High School, later becoming the gifted resource teacher there. I earned a Master of Education in Educational Leadership with a concentration in Administration and Supervision from Regent University during that time and worked as the administrator for summer school for a number of years. I was the School Test Coordinator at Colonial Forge High School for three years before working as a contractor in the role of Senior Communications Officer at the Staff Noncommissioned Officer Academy on Quantico. I rejoined Stafford County Schools in 2023 to continue working with all stakeholders in our community to support learners and educators in my current role.

Welcome back to school and make it the best year yet! Prepare your opening moves!

Academically identified students have access to a gifted resource teacher at their school and students are clustered in one core content during the day when possible.

The gifted resource teacher (GRT) at each school provides services and resources to students, families, and general education classroom teachers to meet the instructional needs of students receiving gifted education services.

The local gifted plan provides opportunities for our gifted students to interact with their intellectual peers and participate in educational experiences with higher levels of depth and rigor.

Key Components of the Gifted Plan:

• Differentiate instruction
• Collaborative planning with classroom teachers
• Offer specialized educational experiences
• Provide support for the growth of gifted students both academically and in social-emotional learning

Hello, I am Mr. Trotta . . . or Mr. T! I am originally from Pittsburgh, but this will be the 30th year that I have lived in Stafford/Fredericksburg. My undergraduate work was completed at Clarion University of Pennsylvania, and I have graduate degrees from the University of Mary Washington. Over the years, I taught elementary and middle school, including all core content areas. By far, I have enjoyed teaching gifted education the most because of the unique things we do, the content we experience, and the depth of knowledge we can explore!

While I would love to say I was a world or galaxy traveler this summer, I spent most of my time teaching the Math Extensions program, where students can bridge to a higher-level math class or over the summer. My loved ones and I had plenty of long weekends to enjoy the outdoors stargazing before the start of school. This year, I am most excited to see our school full of students, working together and engaging in "out of this world" opportunities!

A strategy game I have always liked is called Risk! I have always enjoyed Risk because, like Chess, Risk involves foresight and an intellectual competition of "risk and reward" that involves a blend of defensive and offensive strategies to achieve a goal. In life, I am a conflict resolver, so it appeals to my sense of compromise and understanding others' points of view to predict how they may react. Unlike Chess, in Risk you can play against multiple opponents and form alliances and make treaties. Those who build the strongest relationships with other players are the most successful. It appeals to something that I feel strongly about, which is the adage that a team is always stronger than any one individual. Treating others with respect and dignity and creating positive relationships is always a better strategy than the alternative.

With that said, I hope that together we can create an alliance to set high goals, collaborate together to achieve them, and celebrate each others' victories and successes along the way!

My name is Mrs. DeFiore Wood, and I have lived in Virginia since 2005. I am originally from Allegany, a small town in Western New York. I completed my undergraduate degree at Niagara University. I have a Master's degree from the University of Mary Washington and earned my Gifted Endorsement through UVA. Prior to becoming H. H. Poole's Gifted Resource Teacher in 2015, I taught eighth grade English and was the English department lead. I love that working with our GATES students constantly requires me to reexamine my understandings and to learn new things.

When I'm not at school, I spend my time working with my daughter's Girl Scout troop, cheering on my kids at swim meets and dance recitals, reading, and singing showtunes.

A favorite game of mine right now is Carcassonne, a tile-laying game in which players collaboratively build an area in a medieval countryside. The game is deceptively simple as there are endless ways to arrange the tiles and place your meeples to score the most points. There are lots of expansions available that add tiles and change the mechanics of the game. I love that since you have a very limited number of meeples, you really have to think before placing them. Depending on the tiles on which you focus, you can score so many points or have completely disastrous results.

Greetings! I am Mrs. Arthur, Gifted Resource Teacher at Dixon-Smith Middle School. This is my seventh year as a middle school GATES teacher; I previously taught 8th-grade English. Currently, I am the sponsor of NJHS, drone club, beautification team, and chess club at DSMS. Education is not where I started my career. My undergraduate degrees are in English and Nursing, and my Masters work for Gifted Education was completed at Liberty University.

My husband is a retired Air Force pilot, and we've experienced life in some terrific cities, including Philadelphia (NJ base), Charleston, SC, Pebble Beach, CA, and Fredericksburg, VA! I am originally from the Philly area and am an avid Eagles and Phillies fan!! GO BIRDS and GO PHILS!

We have three grown children: identical twin boys who graduated from college in 2021, and our daughter, who graduated from college in 2023 and is in clinical rotations in a Physician Assistant program this fall.

I have a love for Disney, cooking, reading, traveling, puzzles, and strategic games! My favorite classic strategy game is Risk, but currently, I am very into Catan. I appreciate the need to be two steps ahead of my opponents and love to find ways to make worthwhile trades, even when others are not interested in my sheep or bricks! It's all in the game!

Hello! I am Mrs. Matern. I am excited to work with each of my students this school year. I am originally from Bel Air, Maryland, and came to Virginia to attend Randolph-Macon College, where I played Lacrosse and earned a degree in History. I continued at the University of Mary Washington, where I earned my Masters of Teaching in Middle Education. I then completed an add-on endorsement from the University of Virginia in Gifted Education. I currently live in Stafford with my husband and our two children.

This summer, my family and I enjoyed marking things off our ABC Bucket List. Some of my favorites were Creating Milk Carton Bird Houses, Drawing Outside, Visiting Messicks Farm, Gold Mining Museum of VA, Ink Blot Butterflies, Kreate Painted Rocks, Lounging at the Pool, A Quiet Movie Night (the Sandlot), Visiting family in Raleigh, NC, Tye Dye with Cousins, Visiting Washington's House, and [Learning to play] Yahtzee.

As the school year begins, I am looking forward to watching my children out on their sports fields.

This summer, my sister in law and I had the opportunity to teach my kids how to play the game Yahtzee. To win at Yahtzee you have to earn the most points. To do this, you have to carefully determine which "roll of the dice" will count towards the upper and lower sections. Will you count your three 3s as a 3 of a kind or as your total of 3s? Will you Count your four 5s as a four of a kind or as your total of 5s?

Hey everyone! My name is Mrs. Swanson, and I am the gifted resource teacher at Drew Middle School! I’ve been teaching at Drew for the past eight years, where I taught Pre-Algebra and Honors Geometry before becoming the GATES teacher. I’m originally from West Virginia and earned my undergraduate degree from Marshall University (yes—like the movie!). I double-majored in Applied Mathematics and Secondary Education in Math, and I also minored in Spanish.

My favorite game to play is volleyball. While it might look like a game of athleticism, it involves a lot of strategy. All six players on the court have to make split-second decisions based on a variety of factors. Setters run the offense, deciding who gets the ball based on the opponent's defense, the pass quality, and which hitter has been scoring the most points. Passers constantly read the server and hitters to predict where the ball will land before it is even hit. Meanwhile, hitters have to adjust mid-air to exploit holes in the defense and beat the block. The best players use physical skills and mental calculations.

Hello to all! My name is Dr. Joseph "Jack" Harding. I was born in Virginia and raised in the Fredericksburg area. I have been a Social Studies and Gifted teacher for 19 years. This is my 7th year at Shirley Heim middle school. I have a BLS in History, MED from the University of Mary Washington, and EdD in Educational Administration and Supervision from Liberty University. Some of my hobbies include reading science fiction/fantasy, jamming with my bass guitar, and playing fetch with my dog, Miss Lola.

My favorite strategy game to play is Mancala. The game is easy to learn to learn and fun to play. There are so many strategies that you can use to win; however, the most fun is the experience of enjoying a great time with friends and family. Sometimes games are more than strategies and winning, they are often a way to learn how to work with others. Now that school is starting, I look forward to engaging and interacting with students.

It is a pleasure to be starting the 2026–2027 school year at A.G. Wright Middle School as the school’s new GATES teacher! I am excited to join the Tiger Family and look forward to getting to know our students, families, and staff throughout the year.

This is my 28th year in education, and I have had the opportunity to teach in two countries—New Zealand and the United States—two states, Michigan and Virginia, and six different grade levels, from 3rd through 8th grade. I earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from Oakland University, with majors in Language Arts and Political Science. After five years of teaching, I returned to Oakland University to earn my Master of Education in Language Arts. More recently, I completed a Gifted Education Add-On Endorsement, preparing me for this exciting new chapter as a GATES teacher.

I am originally from the Midwest and was born and raised in a suburb of Detroit with three siblings—two older brothers and a younger sister. I am married and have ten nieces and nephews whom I love to spoil and spend time with whenever I am back home in Michigan.

When I'm not teaching, I enjoy reading, gardening, exercising, cooking, watching movies, playing games, traveling, and simply spending time with the people I love. A few of my favorite things include coffee and tea, cheesecake and apple pie, anything pumpkin, fall, bonfires, popcorn, sea salt caramels, seafood, the Michigan Wolverines, soccer, football, holidays, and the color red. I especially love being near the water with my feet in the sand, listening to the sound of crashing waves.

I also LOVE playing strategy games, and one of my absolute favorites is Blokus! I enjoy games that make me think, plan ahead, look at problems from different perspectives, and change my strategy when my original plan doesn't work. One thing you should know about me is that I don't mind getting blocked. In fact, that's one of the things I love about Blokus. When someone blocks my plan, I have to stop, look at the board differently, and figure out another way forward. I think that's a pretty good metaphor for GATES—and for life!

Those are some of the same skills I hope we will practice in GATES this year: thinking creatively, taking different perspectives, solving problems, adapting when things don't go as planned, and finding another way forward. And don't be surprised if Blokus—or another strategy game—makes an appearance in our classroom!

I'm excited to be opening up my 11th season on the Stafford Middle board. Time to shape the next generation of grandmasters!

I am originally from Pennsylvania, graduating from Kutztown University with a BS in Secondary Education Social Studies. I moved to the Fredericksburg area in 2006, and taught high school and middle school social studies and math for thirteen years, before receiving my gifted endorsement at Longwood University. This is my third year as the SMS gifted resource teacher.

In my free time, I love to read, craft, and spend time with my family. I have four children-three girls and a boy who take up much of my time away from school! They are spread between three schools this year, with my two oldest daughters in high school, my youngest daughter in middle school, and my son in fourth grade. As a family, we enjoy trips to the beach, historical places, and Disney World.

We enjoy playing games as a family, so most of my favorite strategy games are "kid-friendly." I especially love playing Blokus with my son as he teaches me his strategies so I could win!

Hi Gifted Artists!

I am Mrs. Clarke, the Gifted Art teacher. This is my 8th year as the Gifted Art teacher but my 22nd year of teaching overall. I started my teaching career in 2005 at Lafayette Upper Elementary in Fredericksburg City, teaching art to 3rd-5th grade. In 2011 I moved to Stafford to begin teaching art at Drew Middle School. Eight years later in 2019, I began my gifted art teaching career and now travel to all eight of our Stafford County middle schools. Before being a teacher, I studied art education at Radford University and got to work with some amazing professors and mentor teachers. I grew up in Caroline County, VA where my parents still live in the house I grew up in. I have one brother, and we are very close in age. I live in Stafford County with my husband, two kids, and our dog, Finley.

My favorite strategy game would have to be Battleship. Yes, Battleship is officially classified as a strategy and guessing game. While it involves hidden information and luck, winning requires tactical thinking, probability, and spatial reasoning. Being a visual and tactile learner, I thrive on being able to both see and feel things in order to learn them. Playing Battleship allows me to not only create my playing field by placing the ships where I choose, but to also have a clear vision of where my opponents' vessels might be through the use of the colored pegs marking hits and misses.

I am looking forward to utilizing strategy throughout my planned projects this year!

What is FRGS? Fredericksburg Regional Governor's School (FRGS) is a middle school summer program designed for and only offered to identified gifted students in grades 6-8. An application is required and acceptance is competitive. Selected applicants are able to participate free of charge.

Students participate in a variety of education experiences focused on real-life application in the areas of technology and science. Higher-level thinking skills and rigorous content are embedded in the summer program.

Students were selected from each of the SCPS middle schools. Around January 2027, application information for the summer of 2027 FRGS will be shared by the middle school GATES teachers.

SCPS middle school students participated in the second Summer Enrichment Program, engaging in advanced learning over 2 sessions. Curriculum and activities provided learning opportunities focused on developing leadership, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills through real-world challenges and hands-on experiences. Research projects, field experiences, and culminating activities further deepened students' understanding and ability to apply these skills.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSezIPepsWWt_KuuERZZyl4DzO-PH7CfmIXF-sm25Ee-oXfpvg/viewform?usp=publish-editor

Welcome back, GATES students 🙂

We hope you experienced some great summer reads! Now, on to the new academic year and all the new titles for Battle of the Books and VA Readers Choice!

In keeping with the GATES newsletter theme of strategic moves to "up your game," our first book review is "Keeping Pace," by Laurie Morrison!

See your local library to plan out your reading strategy!

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline) provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, across the United States. The Lifeline is comprised of a national network of over 200 local crisis centers, combining custom local care and resources with national standards and best practices.

Suicide is not inevitable for anyone. By starting the conversation, providing support, and directing help to those who need it, we can prevent suicides and save lives.

Evidence shows that providing support services, talking about suicide, reducing access to means of self-harm, and following up with loved ones are just some of the actions we can all take to help others.

988 Lifeline Chat and Text connects you with caring crisis counselors for emotional support.

To chat with a crisis counselor online 24/7/365, please fill out the form below.

To text with a crisis counselor, send a text to 988 on your phone.

For Veterans and Service Members: Chat with the Veterans Crisis Line

Haga clic aquí para acceder al chat en español.

For Deaf/Hard of hearing: ASL now

RACSB Emergency Line: (540)373-6876
National Suicide Hotline: (800)273-8255 or 988
Mental Health Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741

MOOCs, or massive open online courses, are free online classes that are accessible to anyone with an internet connection. These courses are available through platforms such as edX and prestigious universities including Harvard and MIT. They provide an opportunity for learners to explore topics of personal interest that may not be addressed in middle school or even high school curriculum. For example, MIT offers the opportunity to try out some of their undergraduate courses, like introductory computer science and programming courses, through their OpenCourseWare platform. There are MOOCs available to learn about math, writing, languages, entrepreneurship, and more!

While open online courses may provide gifted learners with opportunities for deeper learning on subjects of their choice, few are developed specifically for children. It is important for parents and students to select any courses together.

Breakthrough Junior challenges students ages 13 (by May 1, 2026) to 18 to create an inventive short video that explains a big idea in the field of physics, mathematics, or life sciences. Prizes include scholarships and more!

The Senate Page Program is an opportunity in which students work as Senate Pages to the Virginia State Senate through an entire legislative session. It is structured similarly to a college preparatory program with organized learning activities to complement the pages’ day-to-day duties. This program is highly selective and requires that participants are able to keep up with their school coursework independently during mandatory evening study halls overseen by certified teacher or at home on weekends. In order to participate, students must be 13 or 14 years old when the legislative session begins (second Wednesday in January).

Each year, the Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates appoints 13- and 14-year-olds from across the Commonwealth to work in the House Clerk’s Office as House Pages during the Regular Session of the Virginia General Assembly. They assist the Delegates and staff in the House Clerk’s Office in performing a wide variety of daily duties required for the successful operation of the House. This program is highly selective and requires that participants are able to keep up with their school coursework independently during mandatory evening study halls overseen by certified teachers and at home on the weekends. In order to participate, students must be 13 or 14 years old when the legislative session begins (second Wednesday in January).

Members of the US House of Representatives challenge students in their districts to submit original apps that they have created and coded using any coding language and on any platform (PC, tablet, mobile, etc.). Student-created apps can be about any topic and can be created by individuals or teams of 2-4. Click here to learn more and register for the challenge.

https://www.nctm.org/Classroom-Resources/Illuminations/Interactives/Fraction-Game/

https://www.nctm.org/Classroom-Resources/Illuminations/Interactives/Product-Game/

https://www.nctm.org/Classroom-Resources/Illuminations/Interactives/Pan-Balance----Expressions/

https://illuminations.nctm.org/Activity.aspx?id=3476

https://www.nctm.org/Classroom-Resources/Illuminations/Interactives/Algebra-Tiles/

While it may be hard to replicate the whisper of wind winding through trees or the roar of a waterfall as the mist moistens your face, there are still ample opportunities to experience Shenandoah from the comfort and safety of your own living room (or couch, or bedroom, or back porch, or...). Take some time to virtually explore the Park and then download the virtual passport stamp to add to your collection! For more information, click on the link below!

Fun Facts About Everything! Click on links for exciting options!

Discover Your World in the link below!

The Notable Children’s Digital Media list includes real-time, dynamic, and interactive media content for children 14 years of age and younger that enables and encourages active engagement and social interaction while informing, educating, and entertaining in exemplary ways. - Find out more in the link below!

• Chess Time

• Casual chess for all experience and grade levels.

• Every Wednesday from 5:30-7:30 pm at Fredericksburg branch

• Second and Fourth Wednesdays from 4-6:00 pm at Porter branch

• Hybrid Teen Book Group

• Hybrid book group for teens and tweens in grades 7-12. Read one (or more!) books from our monthly selection, then join us for a discussion.

• Second Thursday of the month from 5:30-6:30 pm at Porter branch

• Teen Anime & Manga Club

• First Thursday of the Month from 3-4:30 pm (Porter Branch)

• Teen Game Night

• Games, crafts, and more!

• First Monday of the month (closed Labor day) from 5:00-6:00 pm (Salem Church branch)

• Second Monday of the month from 4:30-5:30 pm (Howell branch)

• Third Thursday of the month from 6-7:00 pm (Porter branch)

• Crochet for Beginners

• Every Monday from 4-5:00 pm at Salem Church Branch

• Materials provided for learning basic stitches. Bring your own supplies for any crochet (or knitting) projects. All levels welcome.

• Comic Creators Roundtable

• First Thursday of the month from 6-7:00 pm at IdeaSpace

• Investigate various creative and marketing themes, including dedicated sessions for collective cooperation.

• Other Events

• September 24: Teen Council Presents: Stop Motion Movie Night

• Howell Branch

• 5:30-7 pm

• Showing: The Pirates! Band of Misfits (2012, rated PG)

• Hang, eat popcorn, and get inspiration for the Teen Stop Motion Video Contest in October. Grades 6-12.