💡G1FT3D Newsletter💡
Gifted Classroom - First Semester (2025-2026)
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This first semester of the 2025-26 school year has been exciting, filled with many projects, engaging challenges, and competitions for our gifted learners. I am proud of their innovation and very impressed with the work that they are doing through all learning opportunities!
~Dr. Schucker
G1FT3D Website: https://sites.google.com/schuylkillvalley.org/svgiftedprogram/home
G1FT3D Highlights: Gifted student projects and guest speakers:
Newton in Motion: Designing a Rube Goldberg machine to complete a school task!
Newton in Motion: Designing a Rube Goldberg machine to complete a school task!
In this project-based learning challenge, fifth-grade students explored Newton’s Three Laws of Motion through investigating real-world motion, forces, and cause-and-effect relationships using hands-on experiments and problem-solving tasks.
Students then applied their understanding by analyzing how Newton’s Laws power the chain reactions behind a Rube Goldberg machine, ultimately using physics concepts to plan, design, and explain their own creative machine.👏🏻
Programming is hard work! I am so proud of the 5th grade students as they share amazing ideas to show off their technical skills!
We researched and created blueprints for our Rube Goldberg designs!
We explored many Rube Goldberg designs, but it was challenging to design something that performs a school-based task!
Students used different forms of technology for their designs. Here, Piper explores how to build and program 'Little Bits'.
In this project-based learning challenge, fifth-grade gifted students stepped into the role of tech entrepreneurs tasked with designing an innovative product that integrated Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, or wearable technology into collegiate athletics. Students researched emerging technologies, analyzed real-world applications in sports performance and fan engagement, and identified authentic problems within athletic programs.
Using creative and critical thinking, they developed an original tech solution and prepared a professional pitch to present to a hypothetical university athletic department.
This challenge pushed gifted learners to synthesize STEM knowledge, strategic thinking, persuasive communication, and real-world problem-solving as they defended why their innovation deserved investment.
The fifth-grade students also created the innaugural G1FT3D Chess Masters Tournament! This new event is dedicated to crowning a reining chess master across all the middle school gifted classes!👏🏻♟️⬇️
It is not enough to have a good mind; the main thing is to use it well.
– Rene Descartes
Counterfactual History Challenge:
Counterfactual History Challenge:
"What if the (insert historically significant event) never happened?"😲
"What if the (insert historically significant event) never happened?"😲
What patterns do you notice in the aspects of our world most shaped by the impact of a historically significant event?
(6th and 7th grade)
Counterfactual history becomes gamification: Alex and Quinn created an interactive game board to explore 'What if Rome had not fallen'?
Mackenzie explores Apollo 11 micro and macro effects of the moon landing!
Gamification and history... the perfect combination for engagement!
Kendall and Victoria created a reader's theater skit that explored the history surrounding WWII.
Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.
– Ronald E. Osborn
Unless Contest 🌍Philadelphia Zoo 🐯
Unless Contest 🌍Philadelphia Zoo 🐯
The award-winning Albert M. Greenfield Foundation UNLESS Contest https://www.philadelphiazoo.org/unless-contest/ has empowered thousands of K-12 students to take action for wildlife. This year-long, project-based contest encourages students to create real solutions to environmental issues in their lives. Join us to cheer on our sixth grade team as they become civically involved in this multi-tiered PBL challenge!
The student team, The Hellbender Heroes, are working to create engaging learning experiences for the community. Through their work, they are highlighting how habitat loss and water quality impact a local Pennsylvania state amphibian, the Eastern Hellbender, as well as a zoo's featured endangered species, the Amur Tiger.
To bring this learning to life, the students have designed two unique pathways for visitors to explore these issues. Attendees will have the opportunity to investigate a story that the students produced, which was inspired by the Stranger Things series. We will also feature 4 STEM projects where students will engage visitors with hands-on activities that teach a lesson! The “STEM Stewards” and “Literacy Leaders” will be featured at 2 upcoming locations:
Nolde Forest (date forthcoming), offering hands-on, inquiry-based experiences in both science and literacy throughout the trail! Come out for their 'Story walk' and 'STEM path' experience at Nolde Forest in the Spring.
Reading Public Library on Thursday, March 19th, with additional details to be shared soon. (Special thanks to Mrs. Ketterer for helping us to launch this fun and informative event at the Reading Library!📚)
The Unless Contest project through the Philadelphia Zoo
https://www.philadelphiazoo.org/unless-contest/
Let's empower our gifted students as leaders with civic involvement!
The students will visit the zoo to learn more about the devastating affects of habitat loss for the Amur Tiger.
Through the zoo's efforts, and our students teams' awareness campaigns, we are making a difference for the future of these amazing creatures! Connecting to local wildlife and concerns anchors this initiative➡️
➡️The Eastern Hellbender is facing population decline: As of late 2024, only about 2,000 are estimated to remain in Pennsylvania, with76% of all historical populations across their range considered extirpated or declining.
Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your actions.
-Dalai Lama
Seventh grade's capstone project: 'What's So Cool About Manufacturing' Video Production Contest
Seventh grade's capstone project: 'What's So Cool About Manufacturing' Video Production Contest
Welcome to the 2025-2026 What's So Cool About Manufacturing Contest! The seventh-grade gifted students are more than halfway through their unique digital storytelling challenge as they work with MRC (Manufacturer's Resource Center) 'What's So Cool About Manufacturing' contest! https://www.whatssocool.org/
This PBL opportunity invites teams from around the state in county-wide competitions to use digital media 🎙️📸to tell the story of the company, include highlights about these stand-out leaders in manufacturing. The students present a theatrical, unique, and creative video, which will be evaluated by the MRC judging team through public voting and an assessment panel. Last year, our student team proudly produced their video called 'Container Tank' after partnering with local manufacturer, EasyPak.
This year's seventh-grade team are partnering with brick manufacturing company, Glen Gery, located near Leesport, PA. This year's team is producing a Bob the Builder spin-off called 'Rob the Builder' and we can't wait for you to see their finished video!🧱🎥
The final video is due in March, with voting for 'Fan Favorite' shortly afterwards. Information about voting will be posted soon. Way to go, team!
Students learned about brick design🧱with Scott Dinino, Coordinator
Students learned about brick design🧱with Scott Dinino, Coordinator
We are rolling🎥and learning about how the bricks are made with David Bailey, Glen Gery Plant Manager
We are rolling🎥and learning about how the bricks are made with David Bailey, Glen Gery Plant Manager
The students had a great idea about how to combine animation of their 'Rob the Builder' artwork with our manufacturing partners!
Working with animation is challenging, but really cool when it all comes together!
Great shots and angles to work with from our visit to Glen Gery!
Animations and illustrations were done by 7th grade students, Sheamus and Chloe. Well done!👏🏻
Our 7th grade 'What's So Cool About Manufacturing' team checks out the Glen Gery Facility... and we were rocking the hard hats!🤣
Eric Brown – Manager, Environmental Performance
We had such a great time learning all about manufacturing at Glen-Gery, and we even got to take home a brick that was laser-etched just for us!
Tyler is rollin' in to 'Rob's world'!
Whatever you can do or dream you can begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Future City Award Winners!
Future City Award Winners!
Future City www.futurecity.org is a hands-on, cross-curricular, educational project-based learning program that brings STEM-based challenges to life for students in grades 6th through 8th grades with a global agency-based challenge!
Using the Engineering and Design Process and project management skills, students showcase their solutions to a city-wide sustainability issue. This year's challenge is Reimagining ‘Farm to Table’- Design a city that eliminates food waste from farm to table and keeps your citizens healthy and safe.
Let’s give a huge congratulations to our 8th grade gifted students for all their hard work throughout the Future City competition!
📍2nd place for their model
🏆'Most Efficient City' award
👏🏻Fifth overall out of 13
Our team created:
A mainly agrarian society organized around shared community plots, where residents collectively manage planting and harvesting.
An anaerobic digestion chamber that takes in the leftover agricultural refuse and sewage to produce digestate for hydroponic gardens, biogas for renewable energy, and water for the hydroponic system.
Living walls of buildings use technology popular in the Netherlands that involves moss-covered bricks, which purify the air.
A drone delivery system to reduce transportation, carbon emissions, and infrastructure costs.
This rigorous competition required sustained inquiry, extensive research, applied knowledge of architectural design, knowledge of geography, an understanding of how to apply engineering skills, and a great deal of teamwork.
Our 8th grade team partnered with engineering professors from Alvernia University, who provided our Panthers with a strong foundation in both civil and biomedical engineering.
Learning about how civil and biomedical engineering relates to their Future City project ideas.
Deep in concentration during the final judging round.
Engineering mentor, Mr. Dave Brown leads discussion with the team to help formulate their plan for farm-to-table initiative!
Future City Team Presentation, judging round
Deep in concentration during the final judging round.
Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.
-Albert Einstein
Teacher Spotlight📸: I was truly honored to present and even record podcast episodes for the 'Turning the PAGE Podcast' https://www.giftedpage.org/podcasts/ alongside some incredible leaders in gifted education at the 2025 National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) Conference in Pittsburgh this past November. 🫶🏻 It was especially meaningful because PAGE (the Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Education) served as the host state.
Pennsylvania served as the host site for the national gifted conference (NAGC), and our PAGE board counldn't be more proud!
Speaking to many dedicated teachers, administrators, and parents at the NAGC Conference in Pittsburgh.
This is Emily Kircher-Morris. Her podcast https://neurodiversitypodcast.com/ is a phenomenal resource!
This is Michael Flusche, and he is the host of the TAGT podcast https://txgifted.org/community-resources/podcast/, another excellent resource for all things gifted education!
NAGC's Jonathan Plucker discusses how the term 'gifted' may be better served in our schools by just addressing it as 'advanced learners'. Great conversation! Podcast episode will be coming out soon!🎙️
The one and only, Andi McNair! If you have ever wanted to know more about Genius Hour, here she is!
Andi McNair (Genius Hour guru) always says that project-based learning is messy: "The mess is where the meaning is!"
Fred Bonner highlights the powerful impact gifted education can make in the lives of our students.
Professional Learning through the Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Education (PAGE)
Professional Learning through the Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Education (PAGE)
'Turning the PAGE Podcasts: https://www.giftedpage.org/podcasts/
Teacher to Teacher Webinar Sessions: https://www.giftedpage.org/teacher-2-teacher-program/
Parent to Parent Webinar Sessions: https://www.giftedpage.org/parent2parent/
🧠💡PAGE Website: www.giftedpage.org
G2: Geared Up for Gifted Education Summit! My PAGE partner and I co-created a gifted education teaching and learning opportunity in partnership with DeSales University, Muhlenberg College, and Cedar Crest to offer professional development to pre- and in-service teachers in the Lehigh Valley. Proud moments!🐾🤓
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