Gifted and Talented Program
The general purpose of the elementary level Gifted and Talented Program is to address the needs of gifted and talented children through enrichment, acceleration and/or modified teaching strategies.
The heart of the elementary programming is helping teachers meet the needs of the identified students in regular classrooms.
The Gifted and Talented resource teacher, classroom teachers, and parents offer input and support for both in-class and out-of-class activities. Optional programming may include differentiated curriculum when appropriate, compacting, enrichment, or acceleration in some academic areas and opportunities for competition within the district and with other districts.
For more information regarding our program, please select the following link http://teachersites.schoolworld.com/webpages/DLandsman/.
Enrichment Opportunities
Junior Great Books (Grades K-5)
Junior Great Books is a reading enrichment program that is sponsored by the PTA.
The program works with students to improve achievement in reading, thinking
and communicating. The program gives students the opportunity to experience
outstanding literature in a small group, interpretive discussion setting. Trained
parent volunteers meet with students once a week for a six-week period during
their lunch/recess time.
Destination Imagination (Grades 3-5)
Destination Imagination is an extra-curricular activity that promotes life-long skills in teamwork, problem-solving, time management, and public speaking. Teams choose one problem from a set of challenges to work on and then think creatively to solve it. Students gain self-confidence by using their knowledge and skills to make decisions, evaluate ideas, and create the final solution. Teams consist of 5-7 students and a parent manager. The work to solve the problem is done outside of school and usually takes a commitment of 1-2 hours per week through January and 3-4 hours per week from February to March.
Lego League Tournament (Stduents ages 9 to 14)
Twenty FIRST lego League (FLL) teams from the Madison area will be competing in a "Power Puzzle" challenge on Saturday, November 3, 2007. The tournament will be held at Memorial High School. The tournament is free and open to the public. Click here for more information.
Spelling Bee (Grades 4-5)
The School Spelling Bee for the 4th and 5th graders will be held in December. Each 4th and 5th Grade classroom will hold their own Spelling Bee
prior to that date and the classroom winners will then compete in the School
Spelling Bee. The top finishers will go on to the District Spelling Bee.
District Math Meet (Grades 5-6)
Fifrth grade students from Sunset Ridge have the opportunity to participate with 5th graders from other elementary schools in the Middleton-Cross Plains Area
School District in the District Math Meet Competition. The competition starts with an elective math test administered during the students' math class. The test consists of a timed, mental math portion followed by a section of pencil-and-paper problems drawing on various areas of mathematics. The top scoring students will be get to participate in the District Math Meet that is held in February at the District Administrative Center. Finalists will compete in the Regional Math Meet.
Regional Math Meet (Grades 5-6)
TBA
National Geographic Geography Bee (Grades 4-5)
The School Geography Bee will be held in January. Each 4th
and 5th Grade classroom will host their own Geography Bee and the winners will
then compete in the School Geography Bee. The winner will then take a written
exam to determine competitors for the State Geography Bee. State Geography
Bee winners will be eligible to win the National Championship and it's first
prize, a $25,000 college scholarship.
Odyssey of the Mind Day Away (Grade 4)
The Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District is offering
fourth grade students the opportunity to participate in a day of "Odyssey of
the Mind" activities. "Odyssey of the Mind" is a creative problem solving
program for teams of kids. About 25 fourth grade students from Sunset Ridge
will be selected to participate in a fun day away at the Union South on the
UW campus.
Engineering Expo (Grade 5)
Select 5th graders will have the opportunity to participate in the Engineering
Expo at the UW Campus. The Engineering Expo event happens every other year.
We will participate in this next year in the Spring of 2007.
Yahara River Writers Contest (Grade 5)
Students in 5th grade have an opportunity to participate in this county-wide
writing contest. Thirty-three school districts in the area send submissions
to this contest. Students may submit editorials, short stories, poems or cartoons.
The 5th grade teachers have specific contest requirements. The deadline for
submission will be announced. Al entries will be
judged and the top ten in each category, per grade level will be selected. From
each top ten group, a first and second place entry will be identified. All
top ten entries will be published in the Yahara River Writers Anthology. All
authors of top ten entries will be invited to attend a workshop on the UW Campus.
Haiku Poetry Contest (Grade 4)
The Haiku Poetry Contest happens in December and January in the fourth grade
classrooms.
Battle of the Books (Grades 3-5)
TBD
Math Acceleration (Grade 5)
Fourth graders can choose to be tested in the spring for placement in Accelerated
Math for 5th grade. During their class's regularly scheduled math time
in 5th grade, Accelerated Math students will go to a separate math class with
other Accelerated Math students in other 5th grade classes. Accelerated
Math students will be learning 6th grade math material.
Classroom Enrichment (Grades K-5)
Classroom enrichment is ongoing during the school year in all classes at all
grade levels.
Philosophy
Sunset Ridge Elementary School strives to offer experiences appropriate to each student's individual needs, interests and capabilities. The gifted and talented programming options include enrichment and acceleration. The classroom teachers are primarily responsible for implementing these modifications with support from the SEARCH resource teachers, administration and parents.
Program Goals
Gifted and Talented programming strives to provide students with opportunity to:
- participate in learning that is a horizontal expansion of the grade level curriculum (enrichment)
- participate in learning that is a vertical expansion of the grade level curriculum (acceleration)
- pursue individual interests
- become a self-directed learner
- explore abstract ideas that require application of critical, logical and creative thinking skills
- develop decision-making skills
- become an effective communicator by expressing ideas in a variety of forms
- develop a positive self-concept
- appreciate culture and beauty
- develop social responsibility both as leaders and as contributors
Resource Teacher
Donna Landsman provides support and resources to classroom teachers, students and parents. Her responsibilities include helping classroom teachers differentiate the curriculum to provide appropriate challenges for each student in their classrooms, developing school-wide and district-wide enrichment opportunities for creative and critical thinking skills, planning and providing for district-wide and county-wide competitions, monitoring and counseling gifted and talented students and parents about appropriate opportunities and placement.
If you have any questions, concerns about your child, or if you would like to discuss the Gifted and Talented Program at Sunset Ridge, please contact Donna at 829-9332 or by email at dlandsman@mcpasd.k12.wi.us. Donna is at Sunset Ridge on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and on Monday, Wednesday & Friday afternoons. Please feel free to stop by Room 120 during these times to introduce yourself.
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