Meade GATE - Newsletter

What's Happening in GT?

Meade County Gifted & Talented 2019-2020 School Year

District Art Day - March 6, 2020

Students identified for visual arts had the opportunity to participate in Art Day held at MCHS. Art teachers, Kendra Wright, David Craycroft, and Ashley Fackler, shared their expertise with students who were able to choose 2 of 3 session options: Charcoal/Mixed Media, Batik, or Abstract Sculpture. Some of the student products are shown below.

Batik

Charcoal/Mixed Media

Abstract Sculpture

Abstract Sculptures

Breakout EDU

Elementary students are BREAKING out of the box by using their critical thinking skills. Similar to the escape room concept, students are given a problem and they must work within small groups to find clues that will lead them to the combination of various locks in order to break open and find the solution that has been locked away. Perseverance, keen observation skills, and creative thinking are key factors to successfully breaking out.

2020 IdeaFestival - BG

Students across the district identified in Leadership and Creativity traveled to WKU on February 11th to attend IdeaFestival. The morning consisted of various speakers sharing how their creativity or passion lead them to who they are today. In the afternoon, students visited various minds-on hands-on activities ranging from robotics, to relief painting, to creative writing.

2020 Meade County Spelling Bee

On February 5, 2020, spelling bee teams from across the district competed in this year's spelling bee. A big THANKS to each school's spelling bee sponsor who helped to prepare students for competition.

This year's spelling bee champion was Phinn Witkovskie from Flaherty Elementary. She is now eligible to participate in the Derby Festival Spelling Bee held later in March. Second place winner was Kari Hardesty from Payneville Elementary and third place Lily Hewski representing Stuart Pepper Middle. Congratulations to everyone!

Posters representing gifted education from each district across the Commonwealth will be displayed at the State Capital on February 5, 2020 in recognition of GE Month.

Gifted Education Month

February is the month that we recognize the importance of gifted education in the state of Kentucky. Gifted students need educational opportunities that nurture their particular talents. As parents and educators it's critical that we inform district and community leaders as well as our state legislators about the importance and need for gifted education to insure its future in public education.

Performing Arts Day 2020

On January 24th, GT students identified in the Performing Arts (dance, drama, vocal/instrumental) gathered at MCHS for a day of skill development. With the leadership of Derek Crafton, Shaune Rebilas, and Judy Lyons, students rotated through stations that addressed each of these areas. After lunch, students worked together on stage to put together what they had learned. The culminating performance resulted in four scenes from The Lion King. Students not only learned from each other but had a great opportunity to work with their like-minded peers.

Dance

Vocal

Drama

Performance

Elementary Pullout Groups - Coding with Sphero

Elementary students across the district are learning to code robots using Sphero SPRK+. The Sphero works with the Chromebook app and provides multiple ways for students to program the robot. Students apply math skills and concepts to determine the Sphero's distance per second in order to program the robot to move through the maze autonomously.

Dana Ridenour Author & Meade County Alum Visits

On October 3, students had the opportunity to hear Dana Ridenour speak about her life journey to becoming an author. Not only is she an award-winning author of Behind the Mask, Beyond the Cabin, and Below the Radar, she is also a retired FBI undercover operative infiltrating criminal organizations.

MCHS GATE Toy Drive

Thanks to all who participated in the Toy Drive. Toys were donated to local charities.

MCHS - Meade GATE

This year GT students at MCHS have the opportunity to meet throughout the school year. The group discusses upcoming opportunities as well as the technical side of GT - GSSPs and Progress Reports. The group also decided to form a GT Council to help facilitate meetings and upcoming events.

The Lion King at The Kentucky Center

On November 5, Performing Arts students across the district were invited to see The Lion King at the Kentucky Center for the Arts. The evening began with a tasty dinner at The Troll Pub Under the Bridge. Tickets to the show were provided through the generosity of the Louisville Theatrical Association. Their generosity gives our students an incredible opportunity to see a professional Broadway show.

Elementary Pullout Groups

Students at each of the elementary buildings are learning to use Google Sheets - a spreadsheet program. To reinforce their learning, students incorporated their knowledge of Sheets with a science investigation about surface tension. With the guiding questions of "Why can water striders walk on water?" and "How do paper clips float?", students investigated the number of water drops that could fit on a penny. The trials and observations of the investigation lead students to learn that surface tension and cohesion make these things possible.

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