No. Once a student qualifies for Quest services, they do not need to be retested each year. Ongoing placement is based on continued participation.

If your child misses the Quest bus, you may transport them to Quest for the day. Please notify the Quest teacher so we know your child will be arriving separately.

Families and students may decide whether to attend Quest or stay at the home school for that event. There is no penalty for either choice, and we trust families to make the decision that is right for their child.

If your child will be absent, please communicate directly with the Quest teacher. An email, call, or message through ParentSquare or Seesaw is appreciated.

You may contact the Quest teacher by email, phone, ParentSquare, or Seesaw. 

Yes. Students receive the same school lunch they would receive at their home school, or they may bring a cold lunch from home.

Students are responsible for the learning, not for completing all missed classroom work. Quest replaces, rather than adds to, part of the school day. If making up work becomes a concern, please reach out. We are happy to support a conversation with the home school to ensure expectations remain reasonable and appropriate.

“Bored” is often a catch-all word children use when they are experiencing something they do not yet have the language to explain. It can mean many things.  The work feels too easy, too difficult, too repetitive, confusing, or simply uninteresting.  We encourage families to share these concerns with us so we can look more closely, ask thoughtful questions, and partner with parents, the student and teachers to understand what your child truly needs.

If a child is considering exiting Quest, we ask families to begin with a conversation. Please contact the Quest teacher or Gifted & Talented Liaison so we can discuss your child’s experience and determine next steps together. Sometimes a concern can be addressed with support or adjustment; other times, a change is the right fit. We approach this thoughtfully and collaboratively.

Families often wonder whether their child will be placed with close friends as they move into the 4–5 Quest program.

In grades 2–3, there is one Quest classroom, and students quickly become comfortable learning with peers from different schools. When students move into grades 4–5, the program expands to three Quest classrooms serving more schools across the city. As a result, students are more dispersed, and friends may not always be in the same classroom.

This transition is carefully supported. Building new friendships, learning to collaborate with unfamiliar peers, and gaining confidence in new social settings are important parts of gifted development. Teachers place strong emphasis on community-building and helping students feel known, safe, and connected.

The 4th and 5th grade Quest classrooms share recess and regularly collaborate, so students see one another often and work together across classes. Over time, students come to see the larger Quest group as their learning community.

While this change can feel challenging at first, it is also a valuable opportunity for growth. With family support, students learn resilience, flexibility, and confidence, skills that prepare them well for middle school and beyond.

Unlike elementary Quest, which brings students together one day per week at a central location, middle school Quest is served at students’ home schools. This allows learning to be more fully integrated into the school day while supporting growth and independence.

Middle school Quest students are expected to take greater ownership of their learning. Projects are longer and more complex and collaboration is more purposeful.

Socially, students are learning to navigate a larger, more varied peer group. Teachers intentionally support this transition by emphasizing collaboration, respectful discourse, and shared problem solving.