Celebrating Gifted
November 2024
Greetings to our GT Community!
Welcome to November! As we move further into the school year, this month provides a solid opportunity to stay on track with our goals, tackle upcoming projects, and reflect on what has been accomplished. In this month's newsletter, we have included several opportunities for our GT friends to engage in new experiences like heading out to a state park or joining us for our Astronomy on Wheels event later this month. We hope you will head out for some fun family time this month!
Sincerely,
FBISD GT Department.
2024 GT Family Game Day Recap! 📘📙📗
Thanks to our GT Families!
We are thrilled to share the success of our recent GT Family Game Day, hosted by the GT Parent Advisory Committee! It was a wonderful afternoon filled with laughter, learning, and friendly competition as our Gifted and Talented (GT) families came together to enjoy a variety of engaging and thought-provoking games.
Event Highlights:
Families collaborated on challenging board games that sparked creativity and strategic thinking.
Students and parents bonded over friendly competitions, showcasing teamwork and problem-solving skills.
We had a great turnout, and it was heartwarming to see our GT community connect in such a fun and interactive way.
Delicious snacks were provided, keeping everyone energized throughout the event!
We want to extend a special thank you to all the families who attended and made the day so memorable. Your participation and enthusiasm truly made the event a success. A big thank you also to the GT Parent Advisory Committee (GT PAC) for organizing this fantastic event!
We look forward to hosting more exciting events in the future and continuing to foster meaningful connections within our GT community.
Thank you for your ongoing support! We will look forward to seeing you at our next family event, Astronomy on Wheels!
Plan a Fall Family Outing! 📘📙📗
Stephen F. Austin State Park
Located just a short distance away in San Felipe, TX, Stephen F. Austin State Park is a great destination for a fun family day trip now that the weather has cooled off! Plan a day trip to explore its nature trails, picnic areas, nature center, or even try geocaching! Park Rangers also offer special events throughout the year. Children under 12 are free, and adults are $5.
Cubes in Space 📙📗
Students ages 11-18 (non-university)
Cubes in Space is a free, global competition offered to students ages 11-18 to design and propose experiments to launch into space or a near space environment on a NASA sounding rocket and zero-pressure scientific balloon. Parents qualify as Educators to register and communicate with iEDU for the contest duration. Get all of the details by clicking on the link below.
Reminder! November GT Family Event! 📘📙📗
Astronomy on Wheels - NEW LOCATION!
The GT PAC is excited to announce the Astronomy on Wheels event, on Thursday, November 21st at 6:00 p.m. This event will be held at Quail Valley Middle School, 3019 FM 1092 Rd., Missouri City, TX, 77459. Please join us as we transform QVMS into a stargazing wonderland, so your child will have the opportunity to explore the wonders of the universe up close!
If interested, take a moment to register by clicking on the registration link below by November 15!
Mindfulness for Kids 📘📙📗
Our friends at TAGT (Texas Association for Gifted and Talented) have shared a parenting resource from Free Spirit Publishing on 5 mindfulness practices for kids to encourage gratitude and calm, whether at home or in the classroom. Please click on the link below to access the article.
Innovation Hour (Participating Campuses) 📘📙
October Overview
Campuses across the district are fostering innovative thinking and enhancing problem-solving skills through Innovation Hour. Students have been introduced to the 6Ps of Innovation Hour and have pitched their project ideas. Throughout November, they will focus on developing their projects. For more information about Innovation Hour, please visit the GT department website or contact your campus COGS.
TPSP in Fort Bend ISD 📘📙📗
October Overview
In October, GT students met with their teachers to discuss their research plans, and now student projects are underway for the upcoming months. It's important to note that the TPSP is a research project for students in grades 1-9, designed to be completed primarily at school. Therefore, most of the work will take place during school hours, not at home. For students in grades 10-12, participation in TPSP is optional, and GT teachers will provide support for these projects.
We look forward to seeing the student projects presented at campus showcases in the spring. To find the specific showcase dates for each campus, please visit the campus web pages in early spring.
GT Learning Plans 📘📙📗
Students will complete the GT Learning Plan (GTLP) progress check this month by reviewing and adjusting (if needed) the actions required to achieve their academic and social/emotional (affective) objectives. From November 12 to November 22, progress checks will be conducted.
Parents will be provided a collaboration opportunity in early December through a method determined by the campus: parent/teacher conferences, phone, email, or hard document. The GT Learning Plan 1st Progress Check report will be posted in Skyward in December.
GT Mentorship Partners 📗
New Introductions
Several of the GT Mentorship Class of 2025 cohort members met their mentors for the first time this past month. These students will be getting up-close experiences with experts in their fields, and we are very excited for them to get started in January!
We will soon be announcing our information session dates for the class of 2026. Stay tuned!
Houston Methodist Sugar Land
The NICU Unit, recently achieving Level III status, will be serving as a mentor group for the 3rd year in a row! We greatly appreciate them welcoming one of our Kempner High School students this year!
Rice University
Also a returning mentor, Dr. Konstantinos Mamouras, in the Department of Computer Science will be sharing his exceptional expertise with another one of our Kempner Cougars!
434th District Court
The Honorable Judge J. Christian Becerra is back for a 4th year with the GT Mentorship Program! Judge Becerra will be showing one of our Travis High School students the legal ropes of both criminal and civil cases!
Unlimited Prosthetics, Inc.
It is a great pleasure to bring Erika Sanchez and her team at Unlimited Prosthetics, Inc. into the GT Mentorship Program as a new mentor this year. UPI will be mentoring one of our Dulles High School students in all aspects of prosthetics and orthotics, including design and manufacturing!
Houston Methodist Orthopedics
We are excited to welcome Dr. Mark Vann, orthopedic surgeon, to our family of mentors this year! Not only will he be a mentor to one of our Dulles High School students, but he is also his surgeon!
Planned Community Developers
Mrs. Wende Buckley and her fantastic staff at Planned Community Developers will be joining us for the first time this year! As they mentor one of our Kempner High School students in real estate development and property management, we hope they will become a years-long partner!