Celebrating Gifted

Hello and Happy September!

We’re excited to bring you this month’s newsletter, full of the latest updates on our Gifted and Talented programming across the District.

We’d love for you to be part of our GT Parent Advisory Committee—your voice and perspective make a difference! You’ll find more information below if you’re interested in getting involved.

As the school year gets underway, take a moment to explore (or revisit) our GT Learning Plans, Innovation Hour, and TPSP (Texas Performance Standards Project). We’re looking forward to a great year ahead and can’t wait to share more exciting news and opportunities with you throughout the year.

Warmly,
FBISD GT Department

The Fort Bend ISD Gifted and Talented (GT) Department is now seeking parent volunteers to serve on the GT Parent Advisory Committee (GT PAC) for the 2025–2026 school year.

The GT PAC is made up of parents of gifted students who are committed to supporting and strengthening GT services in Fort Bend ISD. This committee provides a valuable opportunity for parents to partner with the GT Department, share insights, and offer feedback on gifted programming across the district.

Our GT PAC Membership Drive will run from August 12 through September 5, 2025.

If you are interested in serving, please complete the 2025 GT PAC Interest Form by Friday, September 5, 2025.

For additional information, please contact Aisha Coleman-Holmes (Aisha.ColemanHolmes@fortbendisd.gov).

For more detailed information please visit the GT PAC Web Page.

Every student who is identified for gifted and talented services is automatically added to a Schoology Course titled "GT Communications." This course is used by both campus and district GT personnel to send messages or store files GT-identified students may need to access. The Gifted and Talented Department also posts the Monthly Newsletter and the Quarterly Report in these courses.

Curricular Alternatives are offered to any elementary student who achieves proficiency in a unit or concept taught in core classes. For students who demonstrate early mastery, an alternate assignment will be provided, allowing them to explore the concept with greater depth, breadth, and original thinking. This alternative assignment will replace the material they have demonstrate proficiency on and will be completed during class time. While engaging with Curricular Alternatives, students work independently, with the teacher facilitating the learning experience alongside regular instruction. These alternatives provide a different learning experience, not additional work.

Get ready for some Fall fun at this year's Fall Fest, happening right in the heart of Sugar Land! This seasonal bash is packed with pumpkins, awesome fall attractions, and tasty festive eats that you won’t want to miss. Gather your friends and family, and come join us for a fantastic time filled with laughter and beautiful photo opportunities. Let’s make some unforgettable memories together this Autumn!

Sugar Land Fall Fest Website

Texas High School Aerospace Scholars is an authentic STEM learning experience for Texas high school juniors to engage with NASA’s missions and become the next generation of explorers. HAS is a year-long commitment for Texas high school juniors which starts in the fall with a five-month online learning experience related to space exploration, Earth science, technology, and aeronautics. Through this program, students will gain valuable skills in coding, computer-aided design (CAD), and engineering, which are essential for preparing them for a potential future in the aerospace workforce. The highest achieving students will receive an invitation to a five-day virtual summer experience (Moonshot) mentored by NASA scientists and engineers. The top performing teams from Moonshot will be invited to an all expense paid residential experience to NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

CLICK HERE for more detailed information!

Fort Bend ISD's Community Education department is offering students in grades 10-12 the opportunity to take a full SAT Practice test in a simulated test environment. This will help students gain an understanding of the material covered on the SAT and what the testing experience is like. Students can also receive their test scores and trend analysis at no cost by an individual appointment following the test. Register your student at SAT Practice Test.

Learn more about before and after school programs for all ages on the Extended Learning Webpage.

The Texas Association of Gifted and Talented is offering a FREE Parent Webinar on Tuesday, September 23, at 6:30 p.m. The webinar is titled "'They Started It!!' Raising Gifted and Neurotypical Siblings Together," and will be led by clinical psychologist Matthew "Dr. Matt" Zakreski. This presentation will focus on how to manage the relationships between gifted and non-gifted siblings with emphasis on communication, navigating asynchronous development across peers, and setting internal expectations.

To learn more about the webinar, Matt Zakreski, and to RSVP (required), please see the TAGT Webinar Web Page.

TAGT (Texas Association of Gifted and Talented) offers a podcast series supporting the GT community by providing a platform for insightful discussions, inspiring stories, and valuable resources. Podcasts include interviews, insights, parenting support, advocacy and action, and spotlights. Please see the TAGT Podcast web page for details on programming and to peruse their catalog.

TAGT Podcast Web Page

As we begin the 25-26 school year, the GT Department would like to welcome the new campuses that will be joining Innovation Hour and celebrate those that are continuing to participate. Our Innovation Hour campuses for this year include:

Elementary Campuses

Aldridge

Arizona Fleming

Austin Parkway

Bhuchar

*Barrington Place

Brazos Bend

*Colony Bend

Cornerstone

Commonwealth

Dulles

Goodman

*Highlands

Holley

Juan Sequin

Lantern Lane

Lexington Creek

Madden

Malala

Meadows

Neill

Oakland

Palmer

Patterson

Rosa Parks

Scanlan Oaks

*Sienna Crossing

Settlers Way

Sullivan

Walker Station

Secondary Campuses

Bowie Middle School

Garcia Middle School

Sartartia Middle School – Cambridge Innovation Lab

*New Campuses for 2025-2026

For more information on Innovation Hour, please visit the Innovation Hour Web Page.

The Texas Performance Standards Project (GT Showcase) aims to offer Fort Bend's Gifted and Talented students challenging, differentiated research opportunities that align with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). TPSP projects are available to every gifted and talented student on every campus. Participation in TPSP is mandatory for students in grades 1-10 and optional, though strongly recommended, for those in grades 11-12. These projects are designed to help students meet the state's goals for gifted and talented education. Each month, the newsletter will highlight the specific TPSP tasks to keep both parents and students on track with the project's timeline for the school year.

August

Introduction to students

Student Profile and Participation Agreement (forms received by students at school)

September

Letters to Students and Parents

Topic Submission Form

Research Plan/Proposal

Please see the campus GT webpage for specific dates for your child’s campus.

District TPSP Web Page

If you have an elementary age child who has been GT-identified by FBISD, the Gifted and Talented Academy (GTA) at Quail Valley Middle School is a program you need to know about. Every year in February, 5th grade students in FBISD who are GT-identified have the opportunity to apply to attend middle school at the GTA. The GTA is the only middle school academy in FBISD. The GTA has been housed at QVMS for over 15 years as a unique school-of-choice program for middle school learners. It offers specialized programming tailored to the learning needs of middle school students who are GT-identified by FBISD. For more information about the GTA and its unique programming, consult the GTA website at https://www.fortbendisd.com/gtacademy. We look forward to sharing information about happenings in the GTA in forthcoming newsletters.

The GT Learning Plan process has started for the 2025-26 school year. Parents should be seeing their children bringing home academic and affective goals to share with their parents and guardians. In the past, once these goals were reviewed at home and returned to school, teachers would enter the goals into Skyward and parents could review them. Unfortunately, the GT Department has discovered that the transition to Skyward Q has impacted teachers' ability to enter information into GT Learning Plan. So, although the goal-setting process is in motion on paper, parents will not see completed GT Learning Plana in Skyward Q until the transition impacts have been addressed. Thank you for your patience.

GT Learning Plan Web Page

We are pleased to partner with Memorial Hermann and Houston Methodist hospital systems for the sixth consecutive year! Students in the mentorship program are offered a multitude of experiences with medical professionals throughout the spring semester, and we are grateful for their partnerships with the Fort Bend ISD GT Mentorship Program.