What's Happening in HiCap?

Perseverance, that's what! Students at our Central magnet program receive instruction in Verbal and Quantitative groups, year round 3x/week. HiCap students at all other SWSD elementaries receive instruction on a 6-week rotation, 2x/year. Our units are a mix of verbal and quantitative skills, hands-on activities and art appreciation. Please see the schedule below to know when your student receives HiCap.

Ms Gildnes attempts to attend all conferences for her HiCap students at Central School. Please request if you would ever like to meet with her.

This HiCap sponsored writing contest received 100 submissions! You can enjoy the Pet of the Year slideshow here. The winner will receive a trophy for their classroom and a special treat for their pet. Winner to be announced next week! *This process has not been easy - we feel that EVERY pet is a winner! It is wonderful to see them honored here. There is a lot of love in these entries, so be warned!

Since 2013, March Mammal Madness has asked the question “Who Would Win?” when two animals encounter each other in an absurdly complex and wonderfully nerdy way… a simulated tournament within a structured game universe! Did you KNOW that a platypus could defeat a grizzly bear - well only in March during mating season when they have their poison spur ready to defend their mate. It has been challenging to "dig for details" that present the underdog with evidence to win.

HiCap referrals are closed until next Fall. At this point in the school year, all 2nd and 6th grade students have been screened. Testing for students referred for HiCap (who are not in grade 2 or 6) is currently underway. Letters inviting students to participate in the Highly Capable Program will be sent in the Spring after they have been qualified by the SWSD Highly Capable Committee. Families may make the decision to join our year-round magnet program at Central School or receive HiCap services at the student's home school on a 6-week rotating basis.

Several of our HiCap students committed to learning EVEN MORE MATH every Wednesday after school for the past 6 months! We thank Mr & Mrs Pope for organizing and leading Math Olympiad and Ms Gildnes for driving students to and from. It was a fun partnership between Central and Big Lake Schools for our math students.

Only fourteen women have ever won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Dr. Mary Brunkow (of Seattle) became the latest this past December -- and in her acceptance speech, she made clear how much the gift of curiosity meant to her.

On March 6, the Clear Lake Visions Program hosted their auction. We hope that you had a chance to bid on our HiCap Strategy Games Basket created with input from our Clear Lake HiCap groups. The basket included their favorite games.

Vera had a plan, so we are going with it.

Museum of NW Art

3/31 Lyman / Mary Purcell

5/19 Samish / Clear Lake

5/20 Central

Optical Illusions TBD

Escape the Library (Mary Purcell Escape Room) 1st week of April

Geocaching at Northern State Recreation Center June

Sometimes, students want to access work from home or add an extra challenge.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NP8b3hiqIujiGvCOiysQPSPW7H1PE_7J/view?usp=sharing

Hello HiCap Families!

I am excited to continue working with these unique and wonderful people! I look forward to seeing the way their minds process new ideas, persevere on the hard stuff - and how they strategize and use their creativity to problem solve. My work has been in K-12 public and private education overseas and in Washington where my focus has been on differentiated learning within dual language environments. This summer, I began the process of National Board Certification - in Gifted education and I am excited to gain more specialization in this area. In my off time, I love to cheer on the Mariners, travel a bit and you can often find me locally out on the trail or swimming in an alpine lake. While working as a teacher and administrator in Paris, France, I trained at Le Cordon Bleu and in 2015 opened Maison Monet, a small French immersion summer art and culinary STEAM program for students ages 5 - 15. I look forward to working with your students over the course of this school year!

Email: egildnes@swsd101.org

Website: https://www.swsd.k12.wa.us/domain/546

Location: Central Elementary School, Talcott Street, Sedro-Woolley, WA, USA Phone: (360)855.3728