INSPIRE

Dear DVUSD Community,

It is my honor and a pleasure to welcome you to the 2023 – 2024 school year! I hope you all have had a relaxing and fun summer break. I am extremely proud to serve our community as Manager of Gifted and Advanced Academics in Deer Valley. Whether you are new to DVUSD or a returning family, please know that Gifted Services is excited to partner with you to provide #EXTRAORDINARY educational experiences.

In this issue, you'll read about two of our upcoming Gifted Parent Seminars. DVUSD Gifted Services is excited to offer two Parent Seminars at the start of the 2023-24 school year. Our kick-off seminar will guide parents through understanding Deer Valley's Gifted Service Model. Subsequent opportunities will provide families with key strategies to support their child's cognitive skills, emotional competencies and social/ interpersonal skills. You won't want to miss our fall lineup! Take a look below for more information.

FALL Gifted Testing is just around the corner. This year, Fall Gifted Testing will occur between August 21st and September 9th. Students in grades 1 and 3 thru 12 are eligible to participate in Fall Gifted Testing. Read on for additional information.

As Deer Valley continues to grow its gifted programming, we are excited to showcase our Gifted Pre-K Academy at Las Brisas Elementary! This unique program provides hands-on, developmentally appropriate instruction to meet the individual academic and affective needs of our students. Additional information is provided below.

This summer, over 150 gifted educators participated in Depth and Complexity Training from The Center of Depth and Complexity over two days. We are incredibly proud of the way our teachers foster student success by participating in meaningful training. Read on to learn how our teachers are differentiating to meet students' individualized needs.

Starting back to school means realigning family schedules. Deer Valley Gifted Services has you covered with strategies and ideas to support healthy family practices! Check out the featured article 30 Tips For Parents of Gifted Kids From Parents of Gifted Kids by the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. Looking for additional ideas to help your child get that good night's sleep? Be sure to read Sleep Foundation: Back To School Sleep Tips.

We couldn't be more excited to start the year together!

Sincerely,

Aimee Sulit, Ed.D.

The Gifted Pre-K Academy at Las Brisas Elementary School is in FULL swing! Deer Valley's Gifted Pre-K Academy at Las Brisas provides an enriched academic foundation for gifted and talented learners. The Gifted Pre-K Academy environment is structured to provide a personalized approach to learning within socially appropriate contexts. Come see what all the BUZZzzz is about! Our first Gifted Pre-K Academy Tour starts in September.

(Click HERE to Learn More.)

Over 150 DVUSD gifted educators came together on May 25th and May 26th to participate in Depth and Complexity Training from The Center of Depth and Complexity. Our gifted teachers learned how to promote students' ability to self-question and use evaluative thinking across all classroom contexts. Gifted teachers learned how to leverage the Depth and Complexity Framework to provide differentiated lessons and tiered assignments that allow students to be independent thinkers and creative problem solvers.

Presenter: Dr. Aimee Sulit, Manager of Gifted & Advanced Academics

Join Dr. Aimee Sulit as she provides an overview of the continuum of gifted services available in DVUSD. Parents will gain insights into various program models to determine which services best fit their children’s distinctive needs.

Date/ Time:

Thursday, August 24, 2023 (6:00 – 7:00 p.m.)

Location:

Las Brisas Elementary

Registration:

Click HERE to Register

Presenter: Dr. Laura Wingers, Founder of CENTER Psychology & Consulting

Do you know a gifted learner with anxiety, trouble focusing, and/or executive function challenges? Then join us!

◦ Identify COGNITIVE SKILLS (executive functions, and beliefs and attitudes about learning) impacting your gifted learner.

◦ Identify EMOTIONAL COMPETENCIES (how to recognize and manage emotions, understand others’ emotions and perspectives, and cope with frustration) that every child needs.

◦ Identify SOCIAL and INTERPERSONAL SKILLS (resolving conflicts, working effectively in a team, demonstrating empathy and compassion) as they related to the unique needs of highly and profoundly gifted students.

◦ Find BALANCE and MAKE A PLAN to improve well-being and support healthy functioning at school and at home.

Date/ Time:

September 12, 2023 (6:00 – 7:30 p.m.)

Location:

Deer Valley Innovation Center

Registration:

Coming Soon...

This year, Fall Gifted Testing will occur between August 21st and September 9th. Students in grades 1, 3 thru 12 are eligible to participate in Fall Gifted Testing. Registration will be available thru May 20th on our DVUSD Gifted Website.

Fall GIFTED TESTING (2023)

REGISTRATION: July 20 - August 9, 2023

FALL TESTING: August 21 – September 9, 2023
Grades 1, 3-12: CogAT

(CLICK HERE TO REGISTER)

Email: giftedservices@dvusd.org
Website: https://www.dvusd.org/Page/40276
Phone: (623) 445-5588