Author and leadership expert John C. Maxwell said,"The truth is that teamwork is at the heart of great achievement" and this is certainly evident at the GT Academy. In this newsletter, you will see that it is the combined effort and teamwork of dedicated teachers, exceptional students and supportive parents that have made the GT Academy a great place for gifted kids to explore, create and connect.
As we approach Thanksgiving break, we are especially thankful for continued parent support. Parents are volunteering as chaperones for field experiences, coming to share their area of expertise as guest speakers, volunteering as team managers for Destination Imagination, starting our PJHW Coding Club, and serving on GT Academy Booster Club committees. If you are looking for ways to get involved, please use the Parent/Community Partnership Form to let us know! We will be coordinating field experiences for our 7th grade Texas Performance Standards Projects soon and are looking for opportunities to connect.
We are also thankful for students who go above and beyond and continue to dazzle us with their leadership, creativity, and achievement; students who initiate projects and ideas on their own. Daniel created a slide show of his fencing experience to share with the Medieval Times mini course, Mustafa created a Grizzly News presentation for his classmates. Suya volunteers to help Sab students with Number Sense, Roger leads the PJHW Chess Club, Andrew is a Boot Camp counselor, a group of students is organizing a drama club, Beckett has plans to start a D&D club, and Sophie started the Newsletter Crew. You will read about many others in this newsletter.
You will find some helpful resources here too. Take a look at the Depth and Complexity button below for a better understanding of the icons teachers are incorporating in lessons. I've also included critical thinking activity links and encourage students to try the logic games or play SET online during the break.
Thank you to the Newsletter Crew for your contributions to the stories in this newsletter, and thank you to our GTA teachers for your dedication and persistent pursuit of excellence. Some of our teachers have offered tips for success below. I hope everyone enjoys a week of much needed rest and family time.
- Mrs. Mueller
GT Academy Specialist
Tips for a Successful Year
Students, if you are feeling a bit overwhelmed and you need some tips for organization, this section is for you! These tips will help you get through the school year with ease. Here are some useful tips to help made by students from the GTA. We used our firsthand experiences in these tips hoping it would relate to you!
Trust me, you NEED a planner. Using a planner can help you stay organized with assignments and other reminders. Try color coding the subjects for it to be even more helpful.
Checking Skyward is essential for staying on top of things. You should be doing this regularly or at least once a week. This is a responsibility all of us should have to keep our grades up.
Integrity is especially important. You are accountable to be responsible on your devices, and to be honest. A test is to show what YOU know, so do not use help when doing it. If you do not understand something, ask a teacher. They will be glad to help you.
Read the Room. Be aware and stay on top of your assignments. Teachers write reminders on the board for a reason, so that you can be prepared for an upcoming event (like a test or quiz). You should read the room and write any essential information you see in your planner.
Don’t Procrastinate: One of the best ways to avoid incomplete or missing assignments is to not procrastinate. Doing an assignment right away helps ensure that it is complete, so you don’t have to worry about it later, causing less stress!
We hope these tips will help you succeed this year!
Horticulture
Aviation
Marine Biology
Medieval Times
Neuroscience
State Parks
Genetics
Zen Den
Night at the Museum
International Quilt Festival
Fifth grade students traveled to Houston's George R. Brown Convention Center to explore the colors, patterns and stories behind the exceptionally creative quilts at the International Quilt Festival. They were fascinated by the details in the grand champion quilt and enjoyed listening to the quilters share the inspiration behind the their artwork. Students will reflect on this field experience and apply what they have learned as they design and sew their own quilts this spring for the Texas Performance Standards Project. We appreciate the more than fifty parents that joined us for the day as chaperones.
Let the Research Begin!
All GTA students will begin researching for the Texas Performance Standards Projects (TPSP) soon. They will be following the IIM process with notefacts, writing the paper, and creating a final product. Mrs. Mueller hosted meetings to introduce parents to IIM and TPSP so that they support their kids throughout the process.
- Fifth graders will be researching a topic of their interest related to the environment, medicine, education, technology, space, or history.
- Sixth graders will research the culture, government, economy, geography or history of a country.
- Seventh graders will research a topic of interest and explore how it might impact the community.
- Eighth graders will work independently on their TPSP this year. Students can choose from Sudden Impact, What's the Diagnosis, or I Could Do That.
During the TPSP students will need to manage their time and prioritize because it is easy to get overwhelmed. Mrs. Arnold says "Take little steps and pace yourself. Ultimately, our goal is to equip students with the skills they need to conduct research effectively and independently, setting them up for success in their academic careers and beyond."
Dr. Yau leads a research lab at Baylor College of Medicine. He shared interesting slides from his research and taught students about the neuroscience of touch.
Mr. Steven Coleman came by to give his "two cents" and share his tips for financial planning with PJHW students taking the "For the Love of Money" mini course with Mrs. Fitts-Batts.
Mayor Cole came to visit students in the Debate mini course. He discussed skills that have helped him to be a strong leader and communicator, including active listening and gestures. He also informed us that you should always be prepared before heading into a debate; anticipate the questions you will be asked.
Sandy Kelly-Jones came in to kick off the Zentangle mini course. She teaches this art form to people of all ages in the Pearland /Friendswood/Houston area and hosts Today's Tangles on Facebook.
Community Outreach
GTA students always do a great job working together to support the community. In September, Sablatura students raised $307 for Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Family Alliance during our annual Go Gold Childhood Cancer Awareness penny war campaign. In October, we collected 1,145 pairs of socks to donate to Pearland Neighborhood Center and Lord of the Streets!
A Few Club Updates...
- TMSCA - Two busses full of dedicated Sab/PJHW math students traveled to the first practice meet of the season last weekend and did an incredible job. Our team placed first in calculator, second in general math and science, and third in number sense which resulted in a second place overall sweepstakes award. What a great start to the season!
- Chess - On Saturday, October 14th, several of our chess enthusiasts participated in Pasadena ISD 's thirteenth annual Fall Chess Tournament at Beverly Hills Intermediate School. Forty campuses, which included over 250 students, participated. Our fifth grade team placed 2nd - Mikael, Shrivardhan, and Connor. Our sixth grade team placed 3rd - Stephen , Katherine, Bryce, and Arhan . Our junior high team placed 7th - Roger and Anthony. In addition, individuals who placed in the top ten included Roger, Katherine, Stephen, and Shrivardhan. Mikael placed first for all of 5th grade! The next Pasadena tournament will be in January.
- Quiz Bowl - Our 2024 competition teams have been announced. Congratulations to students who will represent Sab and our district champions PJHW at the PISD Quiz Bowl competition in March. Keep studying!
- FPS - Sab FPS is so excited to have just completed their first practice competition on urbanization. Next up, they tackle challenges in Antarctica. PJHW FPS recently completed their second practice problem. The next competition will be the State qualifier. The PJHW Community Problem Solving teams are busy finding problems in the community that they want to apply the six-step problem solving process to in order to improve our community in some way. Thank you to all who came out to the Game Night fundraiser.
- Robotics - Sab FLL teams and PJHW FTC teams have been working with the high school Pearadox teams to prepare for upcoming competitions. FLL recently participated in a practice competition at Turner High School and will attend a qualifying meet on January 20. The PJHW FTC Robotics team will also be attending their first meet on January 20th. Sab TCEA teams are working to program their bots to build pizzas and deliver them on the game mat. Plans to host a local TCEA competition are in the works.
- Destination Imagination - We have 13 DI teams this year! They have been brainstorming creative solutions, practicing Instant Challenges and writing clever scripts. After the Thanksgiving break teams will begin creating props and costumes as they prepare for the Gulf Coast Regional Competition in February.
- PJHW Coding Club - The news is spreading among GTA coding enthusiasts and this club is growing. Students meet with Mr. Cui on Monday mornings in the GTA Suite.
GTAB News:
A big thank you to GTAB for funding mini course supplies and many of our upcoming field experiences. In addition, 6th grade students are able to see the performance of "Motown Christmas" at the Ensemble Theatre and 7th grade students will see "A Christmas Carol" at the Alley Theatre at a reduced rate because of GTAB's support.
If you have not purchased one of the new GTA sweatshirts, now is the time. The deadline to order online is Friday, November 17th.
Make sure to mark your calendar for the annual Winter Hoopla! It will be held in the Sablatura cafeteria on Friday, February 2nd and will include a talent show, basket auction, teacher experiences, and food trucks. Students interested in performing are asked to submit an audition video on flip.com by December 8th.
Mrs. Hill has been a GT Academy teacher for ten years. She sponsors the PJHW Quiz Bowl team and has been instrumental in developing the TPSP for seventh grade. One of Mrs. Hill's favorite things about being a teacher is getting to know her students and listening to their great questions.
You can't think of GTA math without thinking of Mrs. Needler! She is the driving force behind our legacy of success with TMSCA and accelerated math instruction. You might not be able to keep up with her fast pace walking down the hall, but she makes sure all her students are keeping up with their assignments. She is our quilting guru and inspires us to work hard and never give up.
Tomas "always works hard, and is a great example of respectful behavior among his friends." He consistently exhibits integrity. Keep up the great work, Tomas!
Sophie is an excellent student who is hard working and caring. She gives 110% on all tasks. If she doesn’t understand something, she will ask for clarification. When Mrs. Beicker's bearded dragon recently died she made the sweetest gifts and wrote the most beautiful message.
Mark Your Calendar!
November 16 Sablatura International Festival 6:30-8:00 p.m.
November 20-24 Happy Thanksgiving Break!
November 28 8th Grade Panoramic Picture
December 5 7th Grade to Alley Theatre's "A Christmas Carol"
December 6 6th Grade to Ensemble Theatre's "Motown Christmas"
December 7 Sab Robotics Poinsettia Pick Up 4:30 - 6:00 p.m.
December 8 Sab Spelling Bee
December 11 Storybook STEM to iFly
December 11 GTAB Meeting
December 12 Storytellers to Massey & Silvercrest
December 12 Instant Challenge to iFly
December 12 Oregon Trail to George Ranch
December 12 Yoga to Sundance Yoga
December 12 Kuchta's Book Club Bunch to Barnes & Noble
December 12 PJHW Choir Concert 7:00 p.m.
December 13 Synergistics and Break the Code to Escape Game Houston
December 13 Hill's Bookworm Bunch to Barnes & Noble
December 14 PJHW Band Concert
December 15-19 PJHW Semester Exams
December 20 PJHW Winter Social (during school day)
Want more? Take a look at these great resources:
- TAGT - Texas Association for Gifted and Talented
- NAGC - National Association of Gifted Children
- SENG - Social and Emotional Needs of the Gifted
- Byrdseed Gifted - Ian Byrd's website - great articles for parents, teachers and students
- The Gifted Guru - Lisa Van Gemert's website - more great articles for parents, teachers and students
- Hoagies Gifted - more articles than you can possibly read about all things gifted
- SethPerler.com - Executive Function, ADHD, and 2e coach helps struggling kids get unstuck.
- Mensa for Kids - Sponsored by the Mensa Foundation, Mensa for Kids provides free resources for teachers and parents of gifted youth.
- The Kid Should See This - smart videos for curious minds of all ages
- Ted Ed - lessons for kids worth sharing
