FAIRFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS Middle School Gifted and Talented Program Maggie Formato-Fairfield Woods

1. FAIRFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS Middle School Gifted and Talented Program Maggie Formato-Fairfield Woods Lisa Friedrichs-Roger Ludlowe Amy Rizzo-Tomlinson

2. Characteristics • High Achiever • Gifted Learner • Knows the answer • Has good ideas • Is in the top group • Learns with ease • Understands ideas • Grasps the meaning • Enjoys school • Pleased with own learning • Good memorizer • Absorbs information • Completes assignments • Copies accurately • Works hard • Is interested • Is alert • Is a technician • Asks the questions • Has wild silly ideas • Is beyond the group • Already knows • Constructs abstractions • Draws inferences • Enjoys learning • Highly self-critical • Good guesser • Manipulates information • Initiates projects • Creates a new design • Plays around, yet tests well • Is highly curious • Is keenly observant • Is an inventor Adapted from Szabo, J.: Challenge Magazine, 1989

3. The Four Components Inquiry Workshops Independent Study Academic Challenges 8th Grade Spring Seminar • For all components: • Students will be pulled from a variety of classes, so they will not to miss too much instructional time from one class. Gifted instructors will work with students at lunchtime or during SSR when possible. • Students are responsible to make up all work missed from their regular classes. • Students participate in the offerings as frequently or seldom as they choose.

4. Component #1 • Inquiry Workshops • One week workshops offered in science, technology, language arts and social studies. • Students will choose ONE of the four offerings. • Students are pulled from different classes on each day of workshop week. • Students are responsible to make up all class work. • Grade 6 – April & May • Grade 7 – February & March • Grade 8 – December & January

5. Independent Study • Students will select their topic and the end product with theguidance of the gifted instructor. • Students will be pulled from various classes both to work on the project and to check in with the gifted instructor on work in progress. Students will also work on their independent study project at home. • Grade 6 – December & January • Grade 7 – April & May • Grade 8 – February & March Component #2

6. Academic Challenges • Throughout the year students will be offered opportunities to participate in various academic challenges, such as NaNoWriMo, The American Math Challenge, and Connecticut History Day. • Grade level, time commitment, and guidelines vary according to the specific challenge. • Students will be informed of challenges via the gifted instructor, flyers, bulletin board postings, morning announcements, etc. • Participation in these challenges is voluntary. Component #3

7. Eighth-Grade Spring Seminar • District-wide seminar offered only to 8th grade gifted and talented students. • Seminar takes place during one school day during the month of May. • Students are responsible for making up any work missed during seminar. • Students will participate in a variety of learning challenges scheduled throughout the day. Component #4

8. Classroom Support Gifted Resource Teachers will offer support to the regular classroom teachers in developing resources and instructional strategies that challenge our gifted learners

9. Check our Gifted & Talented webpage frequently for updates and links to resources and learning opportunities • http://www.fpsenrichment.weebly.com • Maggie Formato FWMS Room B112 • Mformato@fairfieldschools.org • Lisa Friedrichs RLMS Room 289 • lfriedrichs@fairfieldschools.org • Amy Rizzo TMS Room 345 • lfriedrichs@fairfieldschools.org communication

10. Thank you for joining us this evening. We look forward to working with your children and offering them enrichment opportunities throughout the year!