SCPS Middle School Gifted Services

I love the hope and energy that is a hallmark of the beginning of a new school year.

Please give new activities and sports a try, but be mindful of the time and commitments that you are making. Leave yourself time to rest and recover.

One very exciting opportunity has a deadline that is soon after the release of this month’s newsletter. If you are planning to sign up for the Stafford County Model United Nations, reply soon, as the deadline is Friday, September 5, and each school has a limited number of slots for participants.

Now is a great time to learn time management skills and how to prioritize tasks, assignments, and projects.

Have a great year and get involved in your learning and in your school!

- Melony Star Kiesau, Coordinator of Gifted Education K-12.

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

Please fill in the form below to provide feedback on what you would like to see in our upcoming newsletters! Your opinion matters to us!

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, Purdue University's Gifted Education Research and Resource Institute is offering open online courses as part of their youth enrichment program. The current offering is a course on desertification. MIT offers the opportunity to offer 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, 2025) 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 (January 14, 2026).

HERA is a habitat at Space Center Houston that is used to simulate the conditions astronauts will experience on deep space missions. Starting in 2026, four missions will take place inside HERA, each simulating a trip to the Moon. Each mission will have four volunteer crew members who live isolated and confined within HERA for 45 days.

NASA and Space Center Houston invite students in grades K-12 to illustrate a patch that represents the goals of HERA’s Campaign 8 missions. Winners will receive a virtual tour of the HERA facility and the grand prize winner will work with a NASA graphic designer to finalize their design for use as the HERA Campaign 8 Missions Patch. Click here to learn more and submit your design.

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 (January 14, 2026).

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!

Casual chess for all experience levels. Grades K-12.

Sep 3rd

Sep 10th

Sep 17th

Sep 24th

Oct 1st

Casual chess for all experience levels. Grades K-12.

Sep 10th

Sep 24th

For grades 6-12. Games, crafts, and more!

Sep 8th, 4:30-5:30 PM - Howell

Sep 18th, 6:00-7:00 PM - Porter

Sep 23rd, 5:30-6:30 PM - Fredericksburg

Read one (or more!) books from a monthly selection, then join in person or online for book chat!

Sep 11th, 5:30-6:30pm Porter branch and online

Sep 22nd, 5-6pm Salem Church branch

For grades 6-12; Create the worst art imaginable and you could win a terrible trophy!

Sep 9th, 6:00-7:00 PM - Fredericksburg

For grades 6-12; Hang, eat popcorn, and get inspiration for the Teen Stop Motion Video Contest with the movie Chicken Run.

Sep 18th, 5:00-7:00 PM - Howell