Happy New Year, Families!
I’m excited to welcome our Gifted and Talented students into a new year of thinking, exploring, and discovering. During the month of January, our GT lessons will focus on building spatial reasoning and advanced thinking skills through engaging, hands-on activities.
Throughout January, students will participate in lessons and challenges centered around:
Students will explore lines of symmetry, balanced designs, and patterns found in art, nature, and mathematics. They will analyze, create, and justify symmetrical designs using reasoning and creativity.
Students will practice visualizing objects as they are turned, flipped, or rotated in space. These activities strengthen problem-solving skills and flexible thinking—important foundations for advanced math, engineering, and science learning.
Students will study visual models and reproduce them accurately, requiring careful observation, attention to detail, and strategic thinking. Tasks may increase in complexity as students revise and improve their designs.
Learners will identify, extend, and create complex spatial patterns. They will explain the “rules” behind patterns and test their own ideas—just like real mathematicians and designers.
All January lessons are intentionally designed to meet Kentucky Gifted and Talented Education (704 KAR 3:285) requirements by:
✔️ Providing differentiated and accelerated learning experiences beyond the regular classroom curriculum
✔️ Developing higher-level thinking skills, including reasoning, visualization, and problem solving
✔️ Encouraging creativity and originality through open-ended tasks and multiple solution paths
✔️ Emphasizing critical thinking and metacognition, as students explain their strategies and revise their ideas
✔️ Supporting strengths in general intellectual ability and specific academic aptitude, particularly in mathematics and spatial reasoning
These lessons help ensure that GT students are challenged appropriately while nurturing their unique abilities and ways of thinking.
You may hear your child:
Talking about patterns, shapes, or “seeing things in their head”
Explaining different ways to solve a problem
Wanting to build, draw, or design symmetrical or patterned creations
These are wonderful signs of growing spatial awareness and advanced thinking!
Thank you for supporting our Gifted and Talented learners. January is going to be a month full of curiosity, creativity, and challenge!
Warmly,
Mrs. Candi Flatt
Gifted & Talented Teacher
February Gifted & Talented Newsletter
Mrs. Candice Flatt – Gifted & Talented Services
February is a month of thinking deeply, seeing patterns, and expressing ideas in creative ways. Our Gifted & Talented (GT) curriculum continues to emphasize critical thinking, reasoning, and creativity, aligned with Kentucky Gifted Education Regulations (704 KAR 3:285).
Students will engage in activities that challenge them to think flexibly, analyze relationships, and communicate their ideas clearly.
Throughout February, GT students will explore:
Logic & Reasoning – Solving puzzles, identifying rules, and justifying thinking
Spatial & Visual Thinking – Mental rotation, symmetry, and model-based challenges
Creative Problem Solving – Generating multiple solutions and revising ideas
Pattern Analysis – Recognizing, extending, and creating complex patterns
Communication of Thinking – Explaining reasoning through drawings, models, and discussion
These skills support both academic growth and real-world problem solving.
Students may participate in activities such as:
Logic grid puzzles and sorting-rule challenges
Symmetry and design investigations
Mental rotation and model-copying tasks
Open-ended problem-solving challenges
Creative extensions connected to seasonal themes (Valentine’s Day & Presidents Day)
All activities are differentiated to encourage depth, complexity, and higher-level thinking.
February lessons are intentionally designed to align with Kentucky’s Gifted Education requirements by:
Providing qualitative differentiation beyond the regular classroom
Encouraging higher-order thinking skills (analysis, evaluation, creation)
Allowing students to work at an advanced pace or level of complexity
Supporting identified areas such as general intellectual ability, creativity, and specific academic aptitude
Instruction reflects the expectation that gifted learners receive services matched to their strengths and needs.
You can support your child’s gifted development by:
Asking them to explain how they solved a problem
Encouraging puzzles, strategy games, and building activities
Valuing multiple solutions—not just one “right” answer
Celebrating effort, creativity, and persistence
As we move toward spring, students will continue building advanced thinking skills through investigation, creativity, and collaboration. Thank you for supporting Gifted & Talented learning and celebrating the unique abilities of our students!
Please feel free to reach out with any questions.
Mrs. Candice Flatt
Gifted & Talented Teacher