Hello Patriot Families!  I'm Ms. Holly Newman, your Talent Development Resource Teacher and Gifted Specialist here at AHS! When I'm not in your classrooms teaching, my office is located in Room 97H (which is in the library).  Students can email me to request a 1:1 appointment during the school day.

So, what does Gifted/Talent Development programming include?

• growth opportunities (also called enrichment activities) outside the classroom (Let's Go, Let's GROW)*

• help balancing your workload + new study/organizational strategies

• post high-school future planning/resume growth*

• college essay-writing

• building/designing your own research-based class and project (Independent Study Tab)

• help communicating with teachers or mentors

• 10th and 11th graders work with me if they want to apply for Summer Residential Governor's School Academies (see the Gov School Tab)

• Language courses you can take through Virtual Virginia that we don't offer here at AHS

• National History Day (see the NHD tab)

So you can ask Ms. Newman these questions....

• -I'd like to chat about my classes for next year, the Scholar Studios (learning pathways at ACPS), Early College Scholars, or CATEC classes

• -I’d like to talk about how my classes are going this year—both favorite classes, classes that are too easy or too difficult or getting academic tutoring for a specific class

• -I’d like more information about Academic Clubs offered at AHS during Patriot Period/enrichment period

• -I’d like more information about applying for an Honors Society here at AHS

• -I’d like to talk about my goals for college/career

• -I’d like to look for activities outside of school that would help me build my resume or grow in an area of interest

• -I’m interested in hearing about summer programs outside of school

• -I’d like to workshop an essay that I wrote for an application (college, a summer program, a job)

• -I’d like to connect with the Career Specialist about a possible job or internship

• -I’d like to connect with the PVCC representative about PVCC classes (in summer or for college/career)

• -I’d like to learn how to use Schoolinks to begin the process of searching for a college or a scholarship or for searching for a local job or volunteering position

• -I’d like more information about designing my own research-based class through Independent Study or Design your Future Capstone

• -I’d like more information about joining National History Day, a yearlong history project for young historians

• -I’d like more information about Summer Residential Governor’s Schools (we have 16 different pre-college programs for gifted students that you can apply for during the fall of your Sophomore or Junior year).  They are by competitive application only but WE PAY FOR YOUR TUITION if you get in

• -I’d like help with an application for a summer program, Governor’s School program (for advanced learners) or College.

• -I’d like help learning how to use the Talent Development website to find opportunities to grow and learn.

• Here are some things I help Seniors with the Spring of their Senior Year (reach out if you would like to meet about any of these things):

• -If you are still in the process of applying for college, don’t forget that I help seniors with writing the college essay (the personal statement or your supplemental essays) so I’m still available to meet with you to help with that. 

• -If you’ve been accepted to a college and plan to attend, we can sit and research what that school has to offer.  For example, some colleges offer summer programs to help students onboard.  We can look at what clubs/activities the school offers, research professors and majors, and take a look at special programs that you may be interested in (like, an honors program that focuses your course of study of executive leadership, etc.)

• -If you are a senior interested in information about PVCC, I’d be happy to connect you with our PVCC representative Ms. CayLee Ratliff who is here Tuesdays and Wednesdays to help with that.

• -If you have received a deferral or waitlist and it’s your TOP TOP TOP choice school, let’s talk about drafting a Letter of Continuing Interest.  I can help with that!

• -If you need help using Schoolinks to look for local Scholarships or Job openings, I can help you with that and also connect you with our College Advisor, Ms. Jada Smith.

I can also help with:

• help with an application 

• essay feedback (for college applications or pre-college applications)

• find a pre-college program that you might be interested in

• talk through the new ACPS academic pathways

• look for activities and programs (in school or out of school) based on your interests that help build your academic resume

• I want to design my own research-based class (independent study)

• I want to join National History Day or the Young Diplomats/Economists discussion group

• I want to find a summer program

• I want to find a volunteering opportunity

• I want to write a resume or letter of interest or get help preparing for an academic interview

Services for Advanced Learners 

Honors Courses:  Honors courses are open to high school students who seek additional academic rigor.  Students who demonstrate high achievement, interest, and/or potential to achieve in one more more areas of academic strength may participate in Honors courses in core academic subject areas.  Honors courses use curriculum with increased depth and complexity.  Honors classes seek to provide opportunities to build on individual student strengths, develop critical and creative thinking skills, and prepare students for AP or dual enrollment classes.

AP Advanced Placement:  AP courses provide rigorous academic coursework with course content designed at the college level.  Albemarle offers 25 different AP courses in English, social studies, world languages, mathematics, fine arts, engineering courses.  High school students who complete AP courses demonstrate mastery of subject material by earning qualifying scores on AP examinations in May.

Dual Enrollment:  Dual enrollment courses are offered in conjunction with PVCC and allow students to earn both high school credits and community college credit.  Courses are taught by local high school teachers who are credentialed with advanced degrees in their content area.

Independent Study:  Advanced learners who wish to design their own project and research based class can sign up for Independent Study with Ms. Newman!  It's a 1.0 credit, Pass/Fail class.  Advanced students are offered the opportunity to investigate, research and work independently through in-depth scholarly study of a student-selected topic.  Students must find a field mentor (someone who is an expert in their area of study) to work with each month to help grow in their expertise.  See the Independent Study tab for more information.

CAPSTONE:  Students who wish to seek high school credit for work-based learning (on the job learning) should consider the Design Your Future class with our Career Specialist, Tim Hamlette.

CATEC:  Advanced learners in technical trades can take classes with Charlottesville Albemarle Technical Education Center as part of their high school course of study.

Scholar Studios:  ACPS learning pathways afford students the opportunity to focus their high school course of study around academic areas of interest.  Check out the bulletin board outside the 1:1 bathrooms downstairs for an overview of the pathways offered right here at AHS.  For the full list of programs including programs where you would travel to another ACPS site (WAHS, MOHS, Center I or II), 

Ask your counselor if you would like to sign up for a learning pathway. https://www.k12albemarle.org/for-students/high-school-program-of-studies/scholars-studios 

AHS Clubs:  AHS offers students the opportunity to grow their intellectual, academic, social, and leadership skills and nurture their passions alongside both age-level peers and intellectual/academic/interest peers through Patriot Periods daily with LOTS of different Clubs and Honor Societies.  Are you a Mathlete?  Check out the Math Club!  Love learning physics:  check out Physics club?  Interested in learning more about the Constitution?  Join We the People.  Do you dream of becoming a diplomat?  Try Model UN!

Enrichment:  National History Day and the AHS Science Fair (see the NHD tab and Current Opportunities page for more on the AHS Science Fair)

For enrichment BEYOND ACPS, check out the Summer Tab and the Current Opportunities Tab.

Summer Residential Governor's School Programming in 16 different academic areas (by competitive application and run by the Virginia Department of Education), Gov School are concentrated, residential courses of study for gifted/advanced learners.  If an AHS student is selected by the state of Virginia, ACPS pays the tuition for the student to be able to attend.

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