SCPS Middle School Gifted Services
February 2024
From the Desk of Melony Star Kiesau, M.Ed., Coordinator of Gifted Education K-12 Gifted, Advanced Placement (AP), & Commonwealth Governor's School (CGS)
Sometimes we see resilience when we least expect it.
While visiting a school, I saw a team of students win big on a proposal – and that was a huge
achievement! What I found interesting was the social and intellectual maturity of one student in
particular. She was on a different team but jumped at the opportunity to support others and to
open herself up for more learning.
I thought about what type of experiences have built resilience and the social-emotional
intelligence of that particular student as I was thinking about the February focus of this
newsletter. That one student’s actions also set the tone for other students to support and work
on the winning proposal.
Adults who are supportive and allow children to make mistakes (and learn from them) foster a
spirit of resilience. There is always a path for growth – even if it is not the path one initially
anticipates.
The next few weeks will be exciting, especially as our eighth graders begin to make
decisions about their high school studies based on acceptances into programs to which they
have applied. Some students will not get their first choice, but they will still have the opportunity
to learn and pursue their interests–it may just be on a different path than they had initially
hoped.
I encourage families to read this month’s newsletter and continue to build the social and
emotional skills that will benefit students for a lifetime.
Congratulations HH Poole and Dixon-Smith Middle School Teams in the "Building Round"
The Challenges? Design an experiement to test on a high-altitude balloon or rocket-powered lander!
- High-Altitude Balloon with approximately four hours of flight time at 70,000 feet and exposure to Earth’s atmosphere, high-altitude radiation, and perspective views of our planet
- Rocket-Powered Lander that will fly for approximately two minutes at an altitude of 80 ft (~25 m) over a test field designed to look like the Moon’s surface
This challenge is open nationally for grades 6-12! Many apply but only 60 teams (30 for High-Altitude Balloon and 30 for Rocket-Powered Lander) are chosen by NASA to move from design to BUILD! Way to go, H.H. Poole and Dixon-Smith Middle Schools!
A total of 60 winning teams will be selected to build their proposed experiment. Each winning team will be awarded:
- $1,500 to build their experiment
- A flight box in which to build it
- An assigned spot to test their experiment on a NASA-sponsored flight
- Technical support during the experiment build phase from Future Engineers advisors, who will help students learn the skills they need to turn their experiment idea into reality.
Genes in Space
Design a DNA experiment that addresses challenges in space travel and deep space exploration. From bacterial cell growth to the human immune system, everything works a little differently in space.
Students can work independently or with one partner.
https://www.genesinspace.org/?mc_cid=b4c1a9ac7e&mc_eid=e7ee4a755e
8th Grade 2024 Student Visual Art Contest - Virginia Holocaust Museum - Submission due March 31, 2024
About The Contest
Richmond has become home to many Holocaust and contemporary genocide survivors and refugees. The Virginia Holocaust Museum’s mission is to tell those stories, educating and helping to ensure that the words “Never Again” are someday realized.
This contest is made possible by a generous grant from Marcus and Carole Weinstein.
