The Gifted Advocate

Dear Worthington Families,

Winter is a great time to pause, reflect, and start looking ahead—especially for our gifted learners. In this winter edition of The Gifted Advocate, we’re excited to share opportunities and resources to help you plan for the months ahead. You’ll find information about summer programs, parent resources, scholarship opportunities, important test dates, and details about a newly formed parent advocacy group focused on supporting gifted students and families across our district. We hope this newsletter supports you as you make decisions for your child and reinforces our commitment to partnering with families to nurture students’ strengths, curiosity, and love of learning.

Warm regards,

Suzanne Palmer, Gifted Services Coordinator

This winter the Gifted Services Department is sponsoring an 8th Grade Gifted Transition Night that will assist parents with plans for their child for the 2026-27 school year. On Thursday, February 5th, at 6:30 PM, we will host parents of 8th grade gifted students who will be transitioning to high school next fall. The transition night will be held at the Worthington Education Center, 200 E. Wilson Bridge Road.

This informational night provides an opportunity for parents to hear from various faculty members at the high school level regarding the social and emotional needs of the gifted adolescent and appropriate coursework for the gifted learner. Staff will be present to give an overview of available programs, course offerings, and other valuable information as well as be on-hand to answer questions from attendees. The purpose of this transition night is to provide a smaller environment for parents to have dialogue about advanced learner issues before the formal scheduling process begins for students.

Parents who are unable to attend may check the Gifted Services website or call 450-6056 to have a copy of the presentation emailed to them after the scheduled meeting date. For additional questions, please contact Suzanne Palmer, Gifted Services Coordinator, at spalmer@wscloud.org.

As parents of gifted children, you’re likely familiar with the unique challenges and opportunities that come with raising a child who is intellectually advanced, creative, or highly talented. Soon you may have the opportunity to attend parent-teacher conferences. These conferences are a critical opportunity for you to gain insights into your child’s academic, social, and emotional development. These meetings are an essential part of fostering a successful partnership between home and school, ensuring your child’s needs are being met and helping you support their continued growth. Here are some recommendations to make the most of your next parent-teacher conference:

1. Prepare Ahead of Time

Start by thinking about the areas where your child might need support, whether it’s academically, socially, or emotionally. Do they feel challenged in their schoolwork? Are they struggling to connect with peers? Are there specific behaviors or tendencies that you’ve noticed at home that you’d like to address? Make a list of your questions or concerns ahead of time, so you don’t forget to bring them up during the conference.

2. Share Your Child’s Strengths and Needs

Gifted children often excel in certain areas but may require different strategies to thrive in others. It’s important to share what you know about your child with the teacher. For example, if your child is highly creative, they may need opportunities for open-ended problem-solving or artistic expression. If they’re a perfectionist, they might struggle with failure or frustration. Let the teacher know what strategies have worked well at home and what might help at school to ensure consistency and support in both environments.

3. Discuss Social and Emotional Development

Gifted children can experience social and emotional challenges that differ from their peers. They might feel isolated because they think differently or struggle with issues like perfectionism, intense feelings, or boredom in class. Be open with the teacher about how your child handles these challenges and ask how the school is addressing these needs. A great way to approach this is by discussing whether the teacher has noticed your child’s social dynamics in class or any emotional responses to academic challenges.

4. Talk About Enrichment and Acceleration Options

Gifted children can often become disengaged when their academic needs are not being met. It’s important to have a conversation about how the teacher is differentiating the curriculum for your child, and whether there are any opportunities for acceleration (moving ahead in subjects or grade levels) or enrichment (providing deeper exploration of topics). Ask about how your child’s strengths are being utilized in the classroom and what adjustments might be made to further challenge them.

5. Collaborate on Goals

Parent-teacher conferences are an opportunity to set goals for the upcoming semester or year. Work with the teacher to create a clear set of achievable goals that support your child’s academic growth as well as their social and emotional well-being. These might include setting academic targets, but they could also involve social development goals, such as fostering new friendships or learning how to manage frustration.

6. Request Resources

If your child is struggling with certain aspects of their education, whether it's finding the right balance of challenge or navigating social situations, ask the teacher for recommendations. There may be specific resources available, like gifted programs, enrichment clubs, or extracurricular activities, that can further support your child’s growth. Teachers may also recommend books, websites, or tools that can help you support your child at home. Parents are also welcome to reach out to Gifted Services if they are searching for resources.

7. Keep Communication Open

Parent-teacher conferences are just one piece of the puzzle. After the conference, maintain an open line of communication with the teacher. If there are specific strategies discussed during the meeting, check in periodically to see how they’re working and whether any adjustments need to be made. Likewise, stay proactive by sharing any new observations from home that might be helpful for the teacher to know. This ongoing communication ensures that you and the teacher are working together as a team for your child’s success.

8. Consider Your Child’s Needs Beyond the Classroom

Finally, remember that gifted children don’t exist in a vacuum. While it’s essential to address their academic needs, it’s also crucial to consider their overall well-being. Encourage your child to pursue their passions outside of school, whether through hobbies, volunteer work, or extracurricular activities. Gifted children often benefit from a holistic approach to their development that nurtures both their cognitive abilities and their emotional health.

Parent-teacher conferences are an invaluable opportunity for parents of gifted children to advocate for their child's needs and foster a stronger partnership with educators. By preparing in advance, sharing insights into your child’s strengths and challenges, discussing enrichment opportunities, and maintaining open communication, you’ll help ensure that your gifted child receives the support they need to thrive both in and out of the classroom. These conferences are an essential tool for working together with educators to support your child’s success and happiness.

Additional Resources:

• Six Tips for Communicating with your Gifted Child’s Teacher

A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children: A Resource for Caregivers and Advocates, written by Edward R. Amend, et al, is a practical resource for parents of gifted children, providing valuable insights on how to understand, nurture, and advocate for their child's unique needs. The book covers a range of topics, including the characteristics of gifted children, the emotional and social challenges they may face, and how to address their educational needs. It emphasizes the importance of finding the right academic challenges, offering strategies for advocating for appropriate educational services, and fostering a well-rounded development in both intellectual and emotional areas. The book also provides advice on how to support gifted children in building self-confidence, managing perfectionism, and navigating social relationships. Overall, it's an essential guide for parents looking to support their gifted child's growth in all aspects of life.

The newly-formed Gifted Resources of Worthington (GROW) is a parent and community organization dedicated to supporting academically talented students and advanced high-quality educational enrichment in the Worthington School District.

They are an organization that helps parents navigate and support their children in Worthington's programs for advanced learners. Group activities and events are focused on enrichment and gifted education. Learn more about GROW and how you can become involved by visiting their website.

Love GROW's logo? Worthington Hills fifth grader, Ella Yeater's logo was selected by the governing board of GROW as the design that best depicted GROW as an organization.

Destination Imagination is a program designed to encourage a team of students to be creative, curious and critical thinkers. Gifted Services is very pleased to announce that TWELVE teams will be participating in the regional tournament this DI season. Worthington continues to be the most represented school district at the regional tournament.

We wish the following teams the best of luck as they work on their central challenges for this year’s Destination Imagination season:

WES DI coached by Meg Alexis, Worthington Estates

Team 7 Hearts coached by Matthew Haas, Liberty

Slate Hill DI coached by Patricia Melat, Slate Hill

The Kitty Community Helpers coached by Ben Baillieul and Kim Baillieul, Liberty

Star Breaking Leopards coached by Ben Baillieul and Kim Baillieul, Liberty

DI Destroyers coached by Sarah Reeder and Jonathan Spiker, McCord Middle School

Heroic Chicken Nuggets coached by Missy Grimmett and Ben Richards, Liberty

The Peoples coached by Katie Coffman and Courtney Cooke, Wilson Hill

Firesaurs coached by Mandy Bunner & Lauren Southerland, Worthington Park

Bake It 'Til You Make It coached by Mandy Bunner & Lauren Southerland, Worthington Park

Potato Presidents coached by Justin Ross, Liberty

Wilson Hill DI coached by Ross Brown, Wilson Hill

They will highlight their hard work from the last few months as they compete at the Central Ohio Destination Imagination Regional Tournament on Saturday, February 28th, at Circleville HS. Teams have the chance to move on to the State DI tournament to be held on Saturday, March 28th, at Lakota East High School and then onto Globals in Kansas City, MO later this spring.

Consider coming down to Circleville on February 28th to support our teams and perhaps learn more about Destination Imagination.

Under Ohio Revised Code 3324 we are mandated to identify students as gifted in the area of the visual and performing arts. We are currently accepting referrals for students in this area which includes the visual arts, music, dance, and theatre. While there is a mandate for gifted identification in the area of the arts, there is no mandate for gifted services in this area.

Students who are referred for evaluation in this area of gifted identification, will be evaluated using one to three different instruments. The first phase of the evaluation is the completion of a state approved checklist of gifted traits in the arts. An arts educator who is familiar with your child and the area in which he/she is being assessed will complete the checklist based on observations from the beginning of the school year.

Students who meet the state screening score, but not the state qualifying score, will be assessed with a second checklist. Students who earn a qualifying score on either checklist assessment will be invited to participate in the second phase of assessment. This phase is a display of talent using a portfolio of visual art or an original music, dance, or drama performance coupled with a display of requested technical skills as appropriate to the area being assessed. A full explanation of the process and the referral form can be found on the Gifted Services Website.

Below are the remaining National test dates held in Worthington. If for some reason our district SAT and ACT test dates conflict with your student’s schedule, he/she is welcome to take these tests at any of our neighboring districts on alternate dates as long as they register in advance. PSAT testing is sponsored by the high school guidance departments. Please contact your high school for information about PSAT test dates.

Advanced Placement (AP)

• Dates: May 4-15, 2026
• AP exam registration is open through February 20th. Please visit our AP Newsletter for all exam information.

ACT

Registration: http://www.act.org/

Location: Thomas Worthington High School

Dates:

• April 11, 2026
• July 11, 2026

SAT

Registration: https://satreg.collegeboard.org

Location: Worthington Kilbourne High School

Dates:

• March 14, 2026
• May 2, 2026
• June 6, 2026

If for some reason our district SAT and ACT tests dates conflict with your student's schedule, they are welcome to take these tests at any of our neighboring districts on alternate dates. For more information on how to register for either of these tests, please visit www.act.org or www.collegeboard.org.

BigFuture from College Board is a free online resource that helps students take the best first step after high school. They will help you and your high schooler explore careers, plan for college, and pay for college. Whether they're interested in a four-year university, community college, or career training, BigFuture has what they need to start planning their future, their way.

To learn more about the resources available from Big Future, including how to win a $40,000 scholarship visit the Big Future website.

The Ohio Association for Gifted Children (OAGC) is a non-profit organization with a mission to promote and support the development of gifted students. Each year OAGC awards college scholarships to Ohio students identified as gifted in one or more of the following areas: cognitive ability, specific academic ability, visual/performing arts, or creative thinking. Students must also be about to enroll fulltime in their first year of college or are currently enrolled fulltime in an undergraduate program of an accredited university. An ACT composite of 27 or higher or SAT composite of 1200 or higher is also required for students to be eligible to apply for the college scholarship. Information about the college scholarship can be found at: Scholarships – OAGC.

Applications for the scholarship are to be submitted no later than April 15, 2026.

The Carol Strip Whitney Scholarship represents a life of passion, as she has taught gifted children for 45 years.

Applicants must be graduating HS seniors with a minimum 3.75 GPA on a 4.0 scale or a 4.0 on a 5.0 scale and reside in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, or Ohio. Candidates must be participating in extracurricular activities and be considered gifted. Candidates must demonstrate high moral character in his or her daily life and attend or plan to attend an educational institution in the US.

Deadline to apply is March 1, 2026.

For Elementary & Middle School

We are incredibly excited to announce the return of the Worthington Summer Enrichment Academy in 2026! We are looking forward to hosting this amazing program once again! We have experienced great growth and program enhancements over the years and can’t wait to welcome students back this summer.

This four-day program is open to all students currently in grades K-8. WSEA will be held June 1-4, 2026 at Worthingway Middle School.

The morning session runs from 9:00 – 11:30 AM, and the afternoon session runs from 12:30 – 3:00 PM. We offer a supervised lunch hour for an additional fee for those students participating in both the morning and afternoon session.

WSEA information, including registration details and course offerings, can be found by visiting the Worthington Summer School website. The course offering list and registration will be available mid-February.

We hope to see you at WSEA this summer!

The OWL Camp is a residential summer camp program of challenge and enrichment for central Ohio's gifted and talented middle school students who are currently in grades 5-8. It is sponsored by Ohio Wesleyan University, with major support from corporations, foundations, community service groups and individual contributions. For more information about the camp, please visit the OWL website.

OWL has two types of camp experiences:

Residential Camp for students in grades 6, 7, & 8:

• Week 1 - June 7 to 11, 2026 - grades 6 and 7
• Week 2 - June 14 to 18, 2026 - grades 7 and 8
• Week 3 - June 21 to 25, 2026 - grades 6 and 7

Day Camp for students in grades 5, & 6:

• Week 4 - June 29 to July 2, 2026 - grades 5 and 6
• Week 5 - July 6 to July 9, 2026 - grades 5 and 6

Some important information about the program:

• Applications are available now on OWL's Application Request page.

• Current application deadline is January 31, 2026, however they will continue to take applications for waitlist once the camp is full.

• Notification of Acceptance - email notifications sent around the end of March.

• Financial Aid/Scholarship Applications - due to OWL Office by March 1, 2026.

• Additional scholarship opportunities for gifted students in need of financial assistance may be available from the Ohio Association for Gifted Children (OAGC) and Support For Talented Students (STS). The application period is open until February 15, 2026.

Camp dates: June 15-20, 2026

For 7th & 8th Grade Females

B-Wiser Science Camp is offered at The College of Wooster to females who’ve just completed the 7th or 8th grade and includes courses with a full laboratory experience to empower their skills in both science and engineering.

B-WISER stands for Buckeye Women In Science, Engineering, and Research. This premier science camp serves middle school girls interested in STEM fields throughout the state of Ohio. The residential program includes daily courses with a full laboratory experience to advance campers’ skills in a range of scientific disciplines. Campers stay overnight in college dorms and utilize campus laboratory facilities.

B-Wiser Science Camp is offered at The College of Wooster to females who’ve just completed the 7th or 8th grade and includes courses with a full laboratory experience to empower their skills in both science and engineering.

Through cooperative learning, students take a full daily curriculum with classes in physics, chemistry, biology, geology, and engineering that boost their self-confidence in the sciences. The girls have the opportunity to interact with female career exemplars who share their journeys in many areas of science and then each evening the girls participate in hands-on programs on topics ranging from civil engineering to boomerangs to light and waves.

The camp is scheduled for June 15-20, 2026 on The College of Wooster campus in Wooster, Ohio. Registration opens in January. The application deadline is April 30, 2026.

The cost of running this non-profit program is approximately $1100 per camper; this includes room, board, and supplies, as well as the shared costs of instructors, facilities, and presenters. We ask that families with the ability to pay the full cost consider contributing this amount to support the program. However, B-WISER aims to be accessible to all. Inability to pay should not be a barrier to attending the camp. B-WISER works to raise funds via gifts and grants in order to offer a subsidized rate, so that any interested student might attend. The subsidized camp rate for 2026 is $660. In addition, students who qualify for Ohio’s free and reduced school meals program are encouraged to apply for financial aid scholarships to further reduce the price.

For more information, visit https://bwiser.spaces.wooster.edu/.

If you are looking for other summer opportunities for your child(ren), you are invited to access this compiled LIST of various summer program options available throughout the Central Ohio area, the state, and even throughout the US. Please note: Inclusion on this list does not constitute or imply endorsement by Worthington Schools of any camp or program. You are encouraged to research summer opportunities you might be considering to determine if they would be enriching experiences for your child(ren).

There are many enriching summer opportunities available to the gifted students of Central Ohio. This issue has just highlighted a few of the many available. Most summer programs come at a cost to families, and therefore, may not be possible for some students to participate. Both Support for Talented Students (STS) and the Ohio Association for Gifted Children (OAGC) provide this need-based financial support for families of gifted identified students.

Support for Talented Students (STS) is a local non-profit organization whose purpose is to provide the opportunity for gifted students to participate in activities that families may not otherwise be able to afford.

OAGC, also a non-profit organization, has a mission to promote and support the development of gifted students. They, too, offer a scholarship to gifted students, K-12, for special activities that extend their special talent/interest areas. The deadline to apply for this scholarship is February 15, 2026. You can find more information and apply by visiting the OAGC Scholarship form.