Celebrating Gifted

We hope that you are getting settled into your school routine and things are running smoothly. It's tough to embrace September when the temperatures are so high, but try to think cool thoughts, pick up a pumpkin spice treat, and enjoy this month's GT newsletter!

Of note this month is our GT Parent Advisory Committee (GTPAC). Parents of GT-Identified students are invited to complete an interest form to represent their child's campus in the Committee! Also, our Monthly GT Information Download is starting back up in just a few weeks.

We hope you will join us!

Sincerely,

FBISD GT Department.

We will be identifying each item of the newsletter with the grade band icon that it references:

📘 Elementary 📙 Middle School 📗 High School

You will also see these icons in the Table of Contents at the top left of the page (Table of Contents not visible on mobile devices). We hope you like this new feature for quick reference!

The GT Department is pleased to announce the following campuses have reached the maximum amount of three GT PAC representatives to represent their campus. Thank you for volunteering to serve on the 2023-24 GT PAC!

• Commonwealth ES

• Scanlan Oaks ES

• Settlers Way ES

• Sullivan ES

• Walker Station ES

If you are interested in joining the GT PAC, please take a moment to complete the 2023-24 GT PAC Interest Form. The GT PAC provides parents of gifted students the opportunity to serve as liaisons between the GT PAC and their school community. In addition, GT PAC members offer feedback related to GT programming. The GT PAC meets every second Wednesday of the month. For more detailed information please visit the GT PAC Web Page.

Returning this year is the monthly GT Parent Advisory Committee “Information Download” and meeting. All parents of gifted students are invited to join the “Information Download” portion of the monthly GT PAC meeting. The Information Download will begin promptly at 6:30 PM and be joined by clicking the link below. This is an opportunity for parents to hear updates on District and GT PAC initiatives.

September's Information Download will take place on Wednesday, September 13, 2023, at 6:30 p.m., and the GT Parent Advisory Committee will meet directly afterward at 7:00 p.m.

To access this meeting, use the following link:

FBISD GT Department Information Download Link

Every student who is identified for gifted and talented services is automatically added to a Schoology Course titled "GT Communications." This course is used by both campus and district GT personnel to send messages or store files GT-identified students may need to access. The Gifted and Talented Department also posts the Monthly Newsletter and the Quarterly Report in these courses.

All of FBISD's GT teachers received training in Depth and Complexity through the use of icons this summer. To share that learning with our community, each of our monthly newsletters will feature an "Icon of the Month" so you can practice with your child(ren) at home! Each newsletter will provide an explanation of the icon selected for that month with sample questions that spark deeper thinking or complexity of a topic. We hope you will enjoy challenging yourselves as well!

The September Icon of the Month is Language of the Discipline. Any field (or discipline) has a set of language that experts use in order to communicate quickly and clearly. As our students are learning more specific vocabulary in all of their new classes, consider helping them go deeper by asking some of the following questions:

What words would a ______ use to tell about _____?

What kind of specialized language is needed to define and/or describe ________ (event or situation)?

How would ______ be best described by people working in this field?

This year, GT students will continue to develop academic and social/emotional goals to demonstrate student ownership of learning for their GT Learning Plan. Setting goals as part of their GT Learning Plans helps students create objectives that gives them specific direction and focus for the school year. Goals provide GT students a distinct picture of their academic and social & emotional (affective) achievement. During the first three weeks of September, students will identify goals and develop their action steps (if needed) to reach their goals. You may support your child in developing their action steps to meet their goals by helping them to identify clear weekly targets for action steps.

GT Learning Plan Web Page

The GT Department is excited to welcome our Innovation Hour campuses for this school year:

ASE*, BRE, CME, CSE, CVME, DE*, LCE, LGE, LLE, ME, PE, JPE, MYE, RPE*, SWE, WSE, MGMS, SMS

*new campus this year

Please visit the Innovation Hour Web Page for information, and stay tuned to your campus GT web page for specific details about your campus implementation plan.

The Texas Performance Standards Project (GT Showcase) is designed to provide Fort Bend's Gifted and Talented population rigorous, differentiated independent research opportunities that are aligned with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). TPSP creations are an opportunity for every gifted and talented student on every campus. In grades 1-8, participation in TPSP is mandatory. For grades 9-12, TPSP is optional but strongly encouraged. The projects are designed to support reaching the state goals for gifted and talented students. Each month, the newsletter will outline the month's tasks on TPSP to ensure both parents and students are on track with the TPSP timeline for the school year.

August

• Introduction to students

• Student Profile and Participation Agreement (forms received by students at school)

September

• Letters to Students and Parents

• Topic Submission Form

• Research Plan/Proposal

Please see the campus GT webpage for specific dates for your child’s campus.

TPSP Webpage

Curricular Alternatives are available to any elementary student reaching proficiency in a unit or concept being taught in the core classes. Students demonstrating early proficiency will be offered an alternate assignment that allows the student to experience more depth, breadth, and original thought processing on the unit or concept. This alternative assignment will be completed during classtime as a replacement for materials they have already mastered. While working on Curricular Alternatives, students work independently while the teacher facilitates the learning experience during regular instruction. Curricular Alternatives are different, not more work.

The Take Care of Texas Video Contest is a fun way for young people to learn about protecting the environment and come up with creative ways to share this knowledge with others! Students create a 30-second video that shows positive ways to Take Care of Texas. Contest sponsor Waste Management of Texas, Inc. will award prizes to the creators of the best videos. Click on the picture for all of the information.

Contest opens on September 11, 2023!