Program Information
The Kitsap Lake Elementary Highly Capable Team:
Kitsap Lake Elementary Principal: Carly Takata
2nd/3rd Grade Highly Capable Teacher: Naomi Lewis
4th /5th Grade Highly Capable Teacher: Sonya Piper
ACADEMICS
The Bremerton School District Highly Capable Program is tailored to meet the needs of gifted students. Because highly capable students are able to master new skills faster than a typically developing student, the program compacts, accelerates, and enriches the common core standards. The program aims to challenge students and to support their curiosity and love of learning.
The Highly Capable Program does this by:
Enhancing, enriching, and supplementing the district adopted curriculum
Compacting, enriching, and accelerating the common core standards
Providing direct instruction in academic subjects where it is important for sequential skill development; for example, computational skills and writing
Integrating subjects and units of study together
Avoiding needless repetition ~ the teachers are close observers of students and provide enough repetition to ensure mastery, but not so much that students are wasting time on material they have already mastered
All students have an individualized learning plan
Content and skills the Highly Capable Program uses to enrich the Common Core Standards
Integrated Language Arts Content and Skills
2nd
Read a variety of genres
Read high quality literature to identify literary elements such as characters, plot, problem, solution, main idea, theme, and to make inferences.
Learn literary terms
Conduct research projects citing sources
Develop and practice presentation skills.
3rd
Read a variety of genres
Read high quality literature to identify literary elements such as characters, plot, problem, solution, main idea, theme, and to make inferences.
Learn literary terms
Conduct research projects citing sources
Develop and practice presentation skills.
4th/5th
Read a variety of genres
Read high quality literature that lends itself to discussion and analysis
Expand comprehension by analyzing, interpreting, and synthesizing information and ideas in literature and informational text
Learn and use literary terms, elements, and figurative language
Participate in Book Club reading and discussions
Examine point-of-view in literature and expository text
Write multi-paragraph research papers, citing primary and secondary sources
Learn MLA formatting
Develop, practice, and refine presentation skills
Integrated Math Content and Skills
2nd/3rd
Use common core math skills in real world applications
Learn coding of robots
Develop critical and divergent thinking skills
Learn structural engineering through projects like building gingerbread houses
Detect and Identify patterns
4th/5th
Use common core math skills in real world applications
Understand and use common measurement methods used in STEM careers
Use variety of coding skills
Record and analyze phenological data
Learn to play chess or have formidable opponents
Develop critical and divergent thinking skills
Integrated Science Content and Skills
2nd/3rd
Learn the engineering design process to create solutions to problems
Care and development of plants
Engage in STEM challenges
Develop observational skills
Care and development of insects
4th/5th
Work with PSNS STEM Outreach for building of STEM projects
Use the scientific method to complete experiments, make observations, and think critically and analytically
Use the engineering design process to create solutions to problems
Engage in collaborative engineering projects, such as Rube Goldberg machines and gingerbread houses
Raise salmon in the classroom, field trip to see salmon spawn, field trip to release salmon raised in classroom
Walking Field Trips to Kitsap Lake for ongoing water analysis
Field trip to UW Engineering Discovery Days to learn about the Engineering fields
Evaluate movement of water on local watershed
Explore uses of green energy
Maintain classroom garden
5th Grade overnight trip to IslandWood Outdoor School on Bainbridge Island
Integrated Social Studies Content and Skills
2nd - 5th
The Washington State K-12 Learning Standards for Social Studies are integrated throughout language arts and other subjects in all grade levels.
Since Time Immemorial: Tribal Sovereignty in Washington State is infused in the social studies/language arts lessons in all grade levels.
Integrated 21st Century Skills
2nd/3rd
Develop and build technology skills including online safety, typing, coding, search skills, and use of Google Suite: Docs, Slides, and Classroom.
Learn the importance of organizational skills
Learn about the importance of peer support and feedback
Learn mindfulness techniques
Learn to work independently and with a group
Learn to write cursive letters
Develop creativity skills
Develop a growth mindset
Engage in goal setting
Learn perseverance when faced with academic challenges
Develop critical thinking skills
4th/5th
Gain proficiency and expand technology skills to include typing, coding, research skills, and use of Google Suite: Docs, Slides, Sheets, Drive, and Classroom
Understand responsible digital citizenship
Develop and improve organizational skills
Actively engage in peer support and feedback
Further develop mindfulness techniques
Develop personal independence and responsibility
Develop collaboration skills
Proficiently sign name in cursive
Develop note taking skills
Explore brain health and how your brain learns
Develop creativity skills
Gain academic independence and develop a growth mindset
Engage in goal setting
Refine critical and analytical thinking skills.
Assessment
Every day teachers are assessing individual students, small groups, and the class as a whole to determine what students already know, what is working and what isn’t, how fast or slow to move through the curriculum, where students interests are, and what they are ready for next. Pre-tests, end-of-unit assessments, end products, and teacher observations are all used to measure student progress.
iReady diagnostic testing is used three times a year to measure student progress on Common Core Standards. Annual standardized testing, SBA, is used as a measurement of student mastery of Common Core Standards.
Information for those who are new to the Highly Capable Program
What is the Highly Capable Program all about?
1. The curriculum focuses on the Common Core standards. The district curriculum of Eureka Math and Wonders ELA is compacted and accelerated.
2. The district ELA curriculum is supplemented with Junior Great Books, book studies, and other high-quality literature to dig deeper into higher level concepts and questioning.
3. Students work at an academic level higher than their grade level in ELA. In math, students are accelerated through their grade level, so they are able to cover math standards at the next academic level up. (For example, 2nd graders cover some of the 3rd grade math standards).
4. In-class and independent projects allow students to explore their own interests.
5. Field trips to enhance in class learning.
6. Incorporate artistic/creative endeavors. A musical production is performed each year for the school and an evening performance for parents.
7. Engage in discussion that is at, and just a little beyond, their current level of reasoning and insight.
What Should My Child Get From The Program?
1. A social environment that is filled with intellectual peers as well as age peers.
2. An opportunity to have their questions answered.
3. The opportunity to have challenging work instead of being done in five minutes.
4. Encouragement to demonstrate and develop their abilities instead of hide them in an attempt to be “normal.”
What is a Highly Capable Classroom Like?
1. The classroom is composed of a wide diversity of students, all of whom have different levels of social understanding. There is a wide range of behaviors, personalities, and needs.
2. High expectations for intellectual engagement and growth.
3. Opportunities for independent and group work.
4. Students are given greater freedom and responsibility for managing time, using resources, and evaluating their own effort and quality of work.
5. Not necessarily more work, but more of our work and instruction involves the use of higher-level thinking skills.
What issues might my child and family have in September?
1. Feeling homesick for the old school, old friends, and old teachers. Being in a new school, new classroom, with new peers can be tough.
2. Friendship. Sometimes it can take a while to make close friends and connections with other students in the class.
3. Feeling stupid. With the advanced level of academic content students may go from the top of the class to the bottom.
4. Frustration: it’s too hard! Students may find the work is not so easy or that it takes a lot more effort than they are used to giving.
5. “Fitting in.” Being such a diverse classroom, students learn/define new social roles for themselves, which takes time.
But, these issues are usually gone by the end of October.
Transfer Bus Information:
The final bus routing details for next year won't be figured until August.
In the meantime, we ask parents of the Highly Capable students who plan to use the transfer buses to email transportation with their student's name and address so plans can be made accordingly. Parents will be notified with the transportation details before school starts in September.
Contact Info:
Kim Schneewind
Office Coordinator-Transportation Department
Bremerton School District
(360)473-0507
kimberly.schneewind@bremertonschools.org