The 2024-2025 school year is off to a great start! Students have settled in to their new schedules, are forming new friendships, and are ready to learn. Math teachers are building thinking classrooms as students move about the room working together to solve problems. Science teachers have reviewed lab safety and are reinforcing concepts through engaging labs. Students will develop critical thinking skills and engage with content in a meaningful way as teachers continue to use the Depth & Complexity icons. Read more about the icons using the link at the end of this newsletter.

Our first round of mini courses offers a variety of interesting topics including photography, animal behaviorism, the stock market, aviation, genetics, medieval times, civics, origami, anatomy, and more! These courses are designed to offer students opportunities to dive into topics not typically covered in their core content classes. The goal is to explore a new topic, connect with others who share the same interest, and create something to share what you have learned.

Many students will be traveling off campus on field experiences to apply and extend their learning. We encourage parents to join us as guest speakers and chaperones. Parents can reach out to teachers to express interest. Don't forget to complete the Parent and Community Partnership form and the PISD background check before volunteering. Links are located at the bottom of this newsletter.

During the first session of soft skills rotations, students were taught various skills and strategies to improve executive functioning and real world skills such as time management, organization, working memory, communicating with teachers, and academic integrity.

With parents, teachers, and students working together, there is no limit to what we can accomplish this year!

It takes time to develop a new habit, and the beginning of a new school year is a great time to start. Follow these tips and you are sure to see results.

• Use a planner - One of the easiest ways to keep up with project due dates, upcoming tests, homework, and club meetings is to write it down. All students are expected to use a planner of some kind. Post-it notes and color colored folders are a big help too. Folders and backpacks should be cleaned out once a week.
• Check Skyward -All students are given time at least once a week, during study hall or enrichment, to check Skyward for any missing assignments or low grades. Checking several times throughout the week is recommended, so there are no surprises at the end of the grading period. There is no reason to have a zero on an assignment. Turning in partially complete work is better than nothing at all.
• Learn how to study - Starting junior high can be quite an adjustment for some students. In addition to learning to balance a full schedule, it may be the first time a student has to learn how to study, especially for gifted kids, who may be used to hearing something once and understanding it enough to ace the test. All students should practice a variety of study techniques to find what works best for them. Take a look at the examples shared by Mrs. Sanderlin and the video below.
• Ask for help- If you don't understand an assignment or are struggling in any way, ask for help. Attend tutorials. Email your teacher. Talk to a counselor. Reach out to a friend. Chances are, others have the same question or struggle.
• Get involved - In addition to getting involved in extra curricular clubs and competitions, it is important for students to get involved in daily classroom discussions, activities, and projects. School is much more fun when students take an active role in their learning. We encourage you to ask questions, explore your creativity, and connect with your classmates.

Brain Dump:

• Start writing or typing everything you remember about several topics or key lessons on paper or a blank document.

• Use your notes, a study guide, or other class materials to check your answers for accuracy after you have recorded everything you know.

• If you got something wrong, correct it.

• If you forgot concepts, add those to your document.

• Repeat this method later for additional practice.

Create Flashcards:

• Record key terms, concepts, or slide titles on one side of an index card or small piece of paper to create flashcards.

• Record the definition or key details on the other side.

• Quiz yourself by trying to guess what is on the back of the card.

• Be sure to pause after reading one side of the card and come up with your answer before looking at the other.

• Once you correctly recall the information on the back of the card, set that flashcard off to the side so you can focus on the ones you have yet to guess correctly.

• Create Something New:

  • Put the information you need to know for the test in a song, cartoon, acronym, rhyme, diagram, mind map, sketch note, or chart.

  • You can create anything as long as it helps you remember important details!

  
  

  Quiz Yourself:

  • Use flashcards to see what you know.

  • Place small sticky notes or pieces of paper over key concepts in your class notes to see if you can fill in the blank.

  • If you have digital documents, highlight select text with a black background or make the text white.

  • Use your study guide or class materials to create a practice quiz or test.

  • Ask someone else to quiz you on key concepts, or you could quiz a classmate.

  • Check your work for accuracy to avoid accidentally studying the wrong information.

  
  

  Teach Someone:

  • Have a friend or family member ask what you are learning about in your class or ask for more specific prompts about different concepts from your study guide or class materials.

  • Without using your materials, answer their questions or explain the different concepts from the unit.

  • If you do not have anyone else to teach, consider recording a voice message or video of yourself going over the concept.

• TMSCA - Our Math/Science club (Texas Math & Science Coaches Association) is a great option for students who enjoy and excel in math and science. You will have several opportunities to test your skills in General Math, Number Sense, Calculator and General Science at Saturday competitions. Students who qualify are invited to represent our Sab/West team at the state competition in San Antonio.
• FPS - Our Future Problem Solvers work together in groups of four to investigate "future scene based on current trends centered on a given topic. Topics vary through out the year for each competition and deal with concepts from the strands of Business & Economics, Social & Political, and Science & Technology." Students who qualify are invited to represent Sab and West at the state competition in Waco and possibly the International competition in Indiana this summer.
• Quiz Bowl - In addition to building strong study skills, Quiz Bowl prepares students for participation in Academic Decathlon at the high school level. This year's theme is "Water" and students will study a variety of resources to prepare for challenging questions at the district competition in the spring. Students can also participate in the general trivia part of the competition. If you enjoy being a part of a team that is highly motivated to excel in academic challenges, this club is for you!
• Robotics - Applications have been reviewed and this year's teams have been announced. We are excited to get started building and programming bots as we prepare for competition. Sab teams will participate in the First Lego League competitions and our annual spring competition with Friendswood Junior High. PJHW teams will participate in the First Tech Challenge.
• Chess - Anyone who enjoys chess, from beginners to experts, is invited to chess club. Our top players will represent us at three Pasadena ISD tournaments throughout the year.
• Destination Imagination - We are excited to start another fun season of creative problem solving! DI teams consist of 5-7 students and a team manager. Teams meet weekly to create a solution to a chosen challenge and will present it to appraisers at the Gulf Coast Destination Imagination competition at Dulles High School on February 15, 2025.
• Student Council, PAWS, Table Top Games, CITY, Book Club, and Running Club are other awesome clubs that are offered and do not involve competitions. What a great way to connect with peers!

A good time was had by all who attended the annual GTA Family Picnic at Independence Park on September 6th. The stormy weather held off so that families could connect and kids could enjoy time together outside. Thank you to our GTAB board for organizing this back to school event. The next family event will be the Winter Hoopla, GTAB's main fundraiser for the Academy. It will be held once again in the Sablatura cafeteria 6:00-8:00 p.m. February 7, 2025.

A big thank you goes out to GTAB for the funding already provided this year. From supporting club sponsors to contributing to the cost of upcoming field experiences, purchasing mini course supplies, and treating our teachers, we appreciate all you do.

We encourage all parents to join GTAB as a member or volunteer to help with an event. Check out the GTAB website to learn about Winter Hoopla, Color Run, and the Quilt Auction and join us at the next general meeting on October 9th in the PJHW library @ 6:30 p.m.

• September 13 - Sab "Go Gold" Day - Wear gold or yellow to show support for Childhood Cancer Awareness
• September 20 - Staff Development - No school for students
• September 25 - Reading Rainbow field experience
• September 26 - Animal Behaviorism field experience
• October 1- Oregon Trail field experience
• October 2 - Mythology field experience
• October 3 - Zen Den, Journalism, Medieval Madness, Anatomy, Photography, Meet the Masters, and Aviation field experiences
• October 3 - GT Academy Information Meeting 6:00 p.m. - For new families interested in attending GTA 2025-2026
• October 4 - Texas State Parks, Genetics, Podcasting, Calligraphy, and Marine Biology field experiences
• October 19 - Walk4Hearing event @ University of Houston 9:00 a.m. (ASL mini course)
• October 31 - Team Purdue's field experience to the International Quilt Festival