GT Academy Newsletter

Sablatura Middle School / March 2021

The GT Academy Student Showcase is coming soon! Students will share their projects in a virtual format this year on May 4th and May 6th. The Texas Performance Standards Project (TPSP) offers students an opportunity to develop advanced products and performances. As part of the Texas State Plan for the Education of GT Students, it is a way for students to study a topic of interest in depth, direct their own learning and demonstrate critical thinking and communication skills.

Currently, all students have completed writing research papers and are in various stages of product development.Sixth grade students have been collaborating with group members in person and virtually to develop products. Students have chosen to create a virtual scrapbook, blog, vlog or an interview. Fifth grade teachers will introduce product choices when students return from Spring Break. Students will choose from three options: a newscast, virtual poster, or prototype demonstration. Each product choice this year reflect real world applications in that students are applying communication and collaboration skills via several technology platforms.

We are looking forward to seeing you (virtually, of course) at the GTA Student Showcase in May!

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Group Dynamics

Before planning final products and TPSP presentations, sixth grade students spent a day focusing on group dynamics skills that will be helpful as they collaborate with group members.The goal of the project management lesson was for students to learn how to create a plan for successfully organizing a long-term project. Students learned about the "Split and Tackle" and "Chunk and Block" strategies. Mrs. MacPhail led a great discussion on the importance of positive self talk. Students took a look inside the mind of a procrastinator with Ms. Hill. They identified their distractors, learned about neuroplasticity, and how to rewire their brains to beat procrastination. Many conflict management techniques were shared by Ms. Hart, and students learned the importance of active listening, considering others ideas, and compromise. One of the favorite lessons involved students discovering their True Colors with Mrs. V. After completing a survey, students discovered that learning about personality characteristics can help identify strengths and weaknesses and allow them to understand group members better. As students work together they are reminded to reflect on these lessons, which results in more successful group projects.

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Spreading Kindness

Middle school can be an exciting time as students begin to develop independence and explore interests. It can also be a challenging time for students as they learn to make new friends and maintain existing friendships.

A group of our fifth grade students met to discuss the importance of kindness and how to lead by example. They have been challenged to keep a calendar to document acts of kindness. They posted signs with positive messages in the hallway, wrote encouraging messages on the sidewalks around campus, and greeted students as they arrived to school.

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GTAB

Thank you to all who participated in the GTAB Hootenanny silent auction! Bids for the baskets and teacher experiences brought in over $4,000! We appreciate all the generous donations to these fun baskets. Because of you, teachers are able to purchase a variety of supplies for their classrooms.

Looking for another way to show your support? GTAB is looking for parents interested in serving on the board or on a subcommittee such as Hospitality, Community Service, Silent Auction, Membership, Spirt Wear or Corporate Donations. Any level of support is welcome. Please reach out to Mr. James Frederick, GTAB president, for more information. jamesfrederick01@gmail.com The next GTAB meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 22nd.

And don't forget to show your GTA support by ordering a nugget tray from Mrs. Mueller's favorite lunch stop on Pearland Parkway March 22 - April 5!

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TMSCA

Congratulations to the following students who made qualifying scores for TMSCA state in the first qualifying meet:

Josh A. -Calculator (3rd place), General Math and Science (1st place)

Alan Y.- Number Sense (10th place), General Math (3rd place)

Justin B.-Number Sense, General Math and Science

Jacob H.-Number Sense, Calculator and General Math

Alex H.-Number Sense and General Math

Faizaan A.- Number Sense and General Math

Alex S.- Number Sense and General Math

Grace J.-General Math

Vedant Y. - General Math

Congratulations also to three students who did exceptionally well on the AMC 10:

Alan (Top 1%), Josh (Top 25%), Justin (Top 25%). The AMC 10 is high school mathematics exam designed to promote the development and enhancement of problem-solving skills. The AMC 10 is for students in 10th grade and below, and covers the high school curriculum up to 10th grade. We are so proud of all of our students who continue to challenge themselves. Keep up the great work!

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Quiz Bowl

Good Luck to our Quiz Bowl teams! They have been working hard as they prepare to compete and recently had a chance to practice the new online format. Our Super Quiz and General Trivia teams will compete virtually among other Pearland ISD middle school and junior high teams on Friday, March 26th.

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Robotics

Sab Robotics teams will celebrate their season on March 30th. Rubble Trouble teams will compete, Whirlibot teams will share the videos submitted to the TCEA contest, and FLL Pearanauts will practice the presentation they will give to judges for the upcoming virtual competition in April. Take a look at the two Sab Robotics Whirlibot videos (below) that got the most views!

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FPS Teams Going to State

Congratulations to the teams moving on to the Future Problem Solving state competition!

5th grade team: Arianna, Elizabeth, Rexford, and Emma

6th grade team: Emmerie , Amudhan, Shine, and Vedant

The FPS state competition will be held virtually on April 14th.

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Student Work

Although much of students' work this year has been completed online or submitted through Canvas, students have continued to produce incredible work simply with paper and pencil.

This month in Mrs. MacPhail's class, students explored the genre of poetry. They reviewed elements of poetry and practiced identifying themes within the genre. They also spent time in small groups sharing a favorite poem, during a poetry analysis project. Mrs. MacPhail said she was "delighted to see how much reflection and thought went into the analysis and small group discussions for this project."

In Ms. Hill’s House of Harmony, students implemented figurative language into their writing to create poems of their own. Students’ work is displayed in the hallway on the walls and students had a gallery walk with sticky notes to provide positive feedback to their peers.

Aspiring poets in Mrs. Arnold's class participated in a “Poetry Jam” which allowed students to write a free verse poem. Students and teachers dressed in black, and some even sported berets, as a fun way to experience the feel of a poetry reading at a coffee house.

To culminate a study of the American Revolution, fifth grade students created an illustrated timeline of important events that led up to the war. For each event, they wrote a description and drew an original picture.

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Socratic Seminar

By: Lucy A.

A Socratic Seminar puts your discussion skills to the test. We read the book “Holes” and different articles on juvenile detention centers. After reading the book, we formulated questions, so we could discuss it during the course of 20 minutes. When the Socratic Seminar came, we gathered in a circle on the floor. We brought our pencils, text, and questions with us. As we discussed, we were awarded points for inviting people into the conversation and for responding to questions that others asked. A person in the class was assigned to observe you. As the 20 minutes dwindled, the discussion got more intense. This was a sensational experience, and it was one of the most entertaining things to watch this year!

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Teacher Experiences

Teachers have been having so much fun spending time beyond school hours connecting with students. For the past few years, "teacher experiences" have been part of the GTAB fundraiser. Students get to bid on fun activities and excursions with their favorite teachers. Ms. Hill is looking forward to taking Emily and a friend of her choosing to go bowling! Delaney and Meredith got to know Mrs. Trinh a little better eating frozen yogurt together at Menchies. Gia says "I did a cool project with Mrs. Briggs. I brought along two friends and we met Mrs. Briggs in the science lab. She brought paint, wood, and stencils and we each made a personalized, colorful sign. I’ve been doing school from home since COVID began, so it was nice to go somewhere and to be with friends." Mrs. Mueller met Myla, Emily, Natalie and Ava at Marble Slab for ice cream, games, and great conversation. Ms. Hart spent a Saturday morning with Emma and Ava observing butterflies and exploring all the exhibits at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Team TCU teachers enjoyed game time with several student recently and Team Purdue is looking forward to a fun Nerf War coming soon!

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Summer Scholarship Opportunity

The Texas Association for the Gifted And Talented (TAGT) offers scholarships up to $400 for gifted students planning to attend a summer camp. Several GTA students have received TAGT scholarships in the past. The deadline is March 31st. Click the button below for more information.

Click here for more information about how to share your appreciation for gifted education in Texas during #TAGT GT Awareness Week April 4-9.

TAGT Summer Scholarship Information

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In Case You Missed It:

Course Selection

In preparation for the 2021-2022 school year, all students should have completed the Middle School Course Registration Online Form through Skyward, which was due March 12th. If you have any questions regarding the course registration process, please contact our counselors Mrs. Alvarez and Mrs. Comeaux. Informational videos can also be found on the Sablatura website.

GTA Transfer Forms

This year, all new and returning GT Academy students who are not zoned to attend Sablatura are required to apply for a transfer through the PISD Student Support Services/ Student Transfer department. Emails have been sent with detailed instructions on how to apply. The original deadline has been extended, and all transfer applications should be submitted by March 19th. Because Sablatura will be a closed campus next year, it is important that parents do not neglect this important step. https://supportservices.pearlandisd.org/StudentTransfers/

STAAR

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has announced that students will take STAAR tests this year. Mrs. Tipton, our principal, will send an email to all Sablatura parents explaining the testing schedule and plan for STAAR testing on our campus and will invite parents to attend a meeting via Zoom. Until then, please take note of the following:

On Campus students will take Math STAAR on campus May 11th.
On Campus students will take Reading STAAR on campus May 12th.
ALL (on campus and remote) 5th grade students will take Science STAAR on campus May 13th. All 6th grade students will work asynchronous remote this day.
Remote students will come to campus to take Math STAAR on May 18th.
Remote students will come to campus to take Reading STAAR on May 19th.
ALL On Campus 5th and 6th grade students will work asynchronously remote May 18-19.

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GTA Spotlight

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Student: Aubrey

Aubrey is a model GTA student. She has such a great attitude and a strong work ethic. She is always smiling and willing to help others. She recently competed with her dance team in a production similar to “America’s Got Talent.” She is passionate about all things ballet and has used this in her TPSP work. In addition, she has really showed excellent leadership and motivation strategies when working in small groups for TPSP. Keep up the great work, Aubrey!

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Teacher: Ms. Singleton

There is always something exciting going on in Ms. Singleton's class. Engaging science labs, learning with music, and lively lessons are just the tip of the iceberg. Her Mars Rover, Horticulture and Marine Biology mini courses have been favorites. Ms. Singleton clearly loves what she does, enjoys her students, and sets high expectations for them. This phenomenal teacher does not settle for the status quo and dedicates many extra hours developing excellent lessons.

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Parent: Mrs. Radulescu

Mrs. Radulescu has served on many GTAB committees over the past four years, and is currently the treasurer. She is efficient, full of creative ideas, and willing to step in whenever needed. She is the proud parent of two GTA students who have been involved in several extra curricular clubs and competitions including Quiz Bowl and Robotics. She and her husband have been strong supporters of our Robotics program. We appreciate this family and their enthusiastic support of the GT Academy.