Mar 2026 GATEWAY Depart Newsletter

GATEWAY (Gifted and Talented Education With All Youth) Vision Statement:

All Barnstable Public School students will experience joyful and inclusive learning environments that pave the way to continuous learning, curiosity, change-making and meaningful engagement with the world around them. We aspire to create a learning community with students and educators engaging in challenging, authentic, adventurous, meaningful, and affirming experiences so that learning, independence, and achievement may flourish for all.

Learning in GATEWAY will provide opportunities for students to

• develop talents based on interests
• engage in enrichment and extension, through thought-provoking topics, which reflect their own experiences and those of others
• engage in advanced, rigorous learning beyond the grade level standards
• think critically and creatively about their learning and communicate effectively with others
• build growth mindset and perseverance for task commitment
• develop civic mindedness that prepares them to make meaningful contributions in their communities and beyond
• experience connections in multiple content areas which align to instruction in various educational settings within a student’s day

Our goal is to create learning environments where educators and students achieve more than they imagined possible.

Students in Mrs. Clark's Grade 5 STEM classes are participating in a STEM Fair!

The students STEM projects will be on display during BUES Outside the Pod night.

When: April 9th

Time: 5:30-7:00

Where: BUES Library

BUES Outside the Pod Night

Click on the links below for more information.

English

Portuguese

Spanish

The Barnstable GATEWAY Program sponsors and supports Future Problem Solving & Scenario Writing, and Mock Trial as formal competitive programs.

This is an annual state-wide competition sponsored by the Massachusetts Bar Association. This is the 41st year of the competition. Schools who compete are given a fictional court case which includes the Mock trial rules, the stipulations of the case that both parties have agreed to, 3 sworn witness affidavits for each side of the case (Prosecution/Plaintiff and Defense),and pertinent statutes and case law.

This year's case was a first degree murder trial. The defendant was accused of knowingly giving a lethal allergen (almond milk) to the decedent, which led to her death. In criminal trials the burden of proof is on the prosecution and the case must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The prosecution attempted to prove motive and premeditation, while the defense tried to create doubt and possible other suspects who had a stronger motive to murder the decedent.

Schools compete by region in the preliminary rounds. Schools must prepare both sides of the case and assign roles (Lawyers and witnesses) for both sides. There are three trials in this round and the school who wins the most trials advances to the Regional Competition. This year Barnstable was the prosecution in two trials and the defense in one. Ultimately, we lost all three trials on our performance, but the scores for all three were close. We did get a verdict in our favor at our last trial where we represented the defendant.

Please reach out to the Teaching and Learning Office or your school's GATEWAY Specialist for more information.