A note of thanks...

I want to extend a note of gratitude for all of the Teacher Appreciation Week gifts and kind words. It is a sincere joy to have time with your student each week. As the year draws to a close, I can say with honest reflection that this has been our best year in GT yet!

With many thanks for this time, I look forward to the fall and another year of learning and growth. 

 If more than one session is missed in a semester due to a disrupted calendar (scheduled holidays, snow days, etc...), students will have optional enrichment work in the Google Classroom they can access during the week to be reviewed at our next GT session. This does not apply to individual student absences.  

A few points to note: 

• If your child's is missing, have them come see me. This is a great opportunity to practice self-advocacy. 

• Students receiving Talent Pool services in the classroom will have comments from classroom teachers about their performance next quarter. 

• Students in grades 3-5 also completed self-evaluations. A copy of those responses is in their school gmail. If your child missed this opportunity, they will have another chance 2nd quarter. 

• All students should be "meeting expectations" or "on track to meet expectations". If your child is not meeting expectations, next steps are noted in the progress report. 

• Affective goal progress is noted for students with an ALP only. 

A few points to note: 

• 2nd Grade Families will receive Universal Screener scores on October 21st 

• Kinder Families will be notified of Universal Screener scores after all students have been tested. (Makeups for those who were absent will take place in early November.)

• Students who took the Iowa assessment will get their results within two weeks.

• Families who requested cognitive testing (directly from the DPS Central Office) will receive scores directly from Central Office after December 12th. 

Cognitive/Cog-AT Testing:  by request only,  October 20-27th 

IOWA Testing: based on teacher/data recommendation, October 19-27th 

Observation Scales (survey): completed by classroom teacher, GT Teacher, previous years' teacher, etc...., completed by November 1st 

The month of October is going to be busy! Each year, our GT schedule shifts a bit to accommodate all of the testing. Please reassure your child that we will back to regular sessions as soon as possible. The tentative plan is to make up sessions for groups that have had multiple schedule disruptions each quarter. 

If your child is taking part in any assessments, you will receive additional information closer to time. 

​In the GT classroom, we begin every session with a mindfulness practice. This is a prime opportunity for students to reset and refocus on themselves, their needs and their learning in the GT space. 

I am sharing our practices here in the hopes that they would serve your child in other spaces.

Mindfulness Practice 1: Breath Work

This is our go-to practice… nothing re-centers the kiddos better than breath work. Students sit safely in a comfortable position. Eyes are closed if that feels safe for them or they may soften their gaze to a spot on the table or carpet in front of them. 

Four square breathing: inhale for a count of four, hold for four, breath out for four, breath out for four more, repeat as needed

Steady Breath:  inhale for 6 or 8, exhale for 6 or 8, repeat as needed

Bear Belly Breath: students lay on their back, a counting bear or any other small object is placed on the belly, children begin by taking slow inhales and exhales focusing on the bear rising and sinking as s-l-o-w-l-y as possible. Next, have the kids take as full breaths as possible. The focus is on the bear rising as high in the air as possible on a deep inhale and sink as low as possible as they exhale completely.

Energizing Breath: inhale for 6 and exhale sharp for 1, repeat as needed 

Animal Breath: this fun for littles! Lion breath- giant inhale and wide-mouth exhale, Cat/cow yoga breath, Snake breath- breathe flat on stomach, etc….

Mindfulness Practice 2: Visualization

Kids sit safely in a comfortable position. Eyes are closed if that feels safe for them or they may soften their gaze to a spot in front of them. 

Oceans: Kids are encouraged to imagine their feelings like waves coming to shore. None are permanent. So whatever emotion or struggle they are having, they inhale and imagine it coming to their beach (take a moment to feel those feelings) and then exhale letting go of those feelings. Repeat a few times. 

Balloons: Kids imagine they are a balloon. Guide them through a neighborhood of what they would encounter, focussing on the five senses. As the balloon, they are carried on a soft breeze. They may notice the orange, gold and red leaves gently gliding to the ground. They would hear a dog barking in a park nearby….

Guide them back home safely.

Full Body Check-in: Start at the head and have students intentionally relax or “soften” each area as they move down their body. (i.e. notice if your shoulders are tight or tense. Relax the shoulders and allow them to drop slowly. Follow down your arms and release any muscles that are contracted. Relax your wrist. And take a moment to soften each finger… one at a time.) 

Mindfulness Practice 3: Affirmations

Children sit carefully in a comfortable position in a safe, independent space where they can write without disturbing.

I statements:  Kids are prompted with I statements to redirect to positive thinking. “I am strongest when I ….”, “I feel my best when I…”, “I love me because…”

Journaling: The kids may want to journal how they are feeling and close with affirming statements.

Word Cloud: They will draw an outline of their head (or whole body) and fill the space with positive attributes they enjoy about themselves or are proud of. 

Things In Our GT Learning Space That Just Make Sense

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