Celebrating Gifted

Welcome back to school to all of our families! We hope the first few weeks of school have gone smoothly and the students are excited to be back in the classrooms. This issue of Celebrating Gifted contains a wealth of information about contacts, programming, and events, so be sure to read to the end!

Your child's campus GT website is a great resource of campus-specific and district-wide information about GT events, programming, and assessment opportunities. From your campus home page, you will find the GT website under the "Parents and Students" tab.

Welcome Back! The GT Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) is currently recruiting members for the 2021-22 school year. The PAC is comprised of parents of gifted students in Fort Bend ISD. The PAC collaborates with Gifted and Talented Department by providing feedback relating to GT programming. Please take a moment to view the PAC Open Meeting held on Wednesday, August 18th. After viewing the PAC Open Meeting, if you are interested in joining the PAC complete and submit the PAC Interest Form no later than Tuesday, September 7, 2021. We look forward to partnering with you this school year!

The GT website contains information on who to contact for specific information, as well as a searchable database for each campus' GT Administrator, GT Counselor, and COGS see more about COGS below). The database is currently being updated for the 2021-22 school year, and our goal is to have it completed by mid-September.

Each campus has a COGS (Champion of Gifted Services) that serves as a liaison between the GT department and the campus GT teachers. COGS are classroom teachers on the campus who coordinate the implementation of the GT Showcase (TPSP), communicate about GT opportunities at the campus and district level, and serve on the campus selection committee. Please see your campus GT webpage or the searchable database mentioned above to locate the name and contact information of your child(ren)'s campus(es) COGS.

Any elementary student in grades 1-5 who shows early proficiency in a core content concept has the option to participate in the concept's alternate assignment. The assignment is designed to expand the depth and breadth of the concept for students to further their learning. Curricular alternatives are to be implemented instead of the regular curriculum activities, not in addition to them. You are encouraged to speak with your child's classroom teacher to learn more about curricular alternatives.

• September 1-3: Letter to Students, Letter to Parents, and Topic Submission forms sent home

• September 4 - 19: Topic Exploration

• Week of September 20: Turn in Topic Submission form; Research Plan/Proposal distributed to students

• Week of September 27: Teacher-Student conferences; Project Due Date forms completed

TPSP in Fort Bend ISD Webpage

The GT Learning Plan will kick off in September on pilot campuses with initial conferences and goal setting during the first six weeks, followed by an opportunity for parent communication and collaboration on final goals. Parents will be asked to electronically sign the finalized goals in Skyward at the end of the month. Please contact your campus COGS with any questions, or visit the GT Learning Plan Reimagined Webpage.

Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented is hosting a free parent webinar on Tuesday, September 14, 2021, from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. The topic is "Sparking Curiosity and Delight," led by Amber O'Neal Johnston.

TAGT Parent Webinar Website

The GT Mentorship Program class of 2022 is underway and actively seeking mentors! Students are looking for mentorship for the spring of 2022 in the fields of biomedical engineering, neurology, psychology, and neonatology. We would love to have mentors from our parent community! Please contact Nancy Bryant, GT Mentorship Specialist, at Nancy.Bryant@fortbendisd.org or (281) 634-2123 if you would like to be part of this exceptional program.

September Mentor Spotlights!

Community Health and Life Center, Methodist Research Institute, Children At Risk, Houston Federal Credit Union, and Skin Cancer Specialists are returning mentors for the class of 2022, and we couldn't be more pleased! We know that the students will have a superior mentorship experience in the spring. We would also like to thank Fort Bend County's offices and court system: The Office of the Fort Bend County Judge, The Fort Bend County Public Defender's Office, and the Fort Bend County Court at Law #4.

Email: gtfbisd@fortbendisd.com
Website: www.fortbendisd.com/gifted
Location: 16431 Lexington Boulevard, Sugar Land, TX, USA
Phone: (281) 634-1143
Twitter: @FBISDGT