Celebrating Gifted

Ah, the summer is so close! STAAR testing, final exams, and AP tests are all a thing of the past, and the stress is slowly melting away...but before you go, check out what is in this issue to get you prepared EARLY for the 2021-2022 school year!

• Communications Survey: We would like to know how to better share messaging with our GT community!
• GT Audit Online Survey: Your feedback will be requested this week!
• Skyward vs. Blackboard: Be better connected by adding users and customizing your messaging preferences!
• The GT PAC Executive Board for 2021-22 has been elected. See who will be leading the Parent Advisory Committee for the upcoming school year.
• GT Teacher Summer Professional Development: Get to know what our awesome teachers are learning so you can get a sneak peek at what is to come!
• GT Mentorship Showcase Class of 2021 is now available for viewing!
• Congratulations to the graduating class of 2021!

Please provide your feedback so we can improve our communication with the GT community in Fort Bend ISD. If you have GT children on multiple campuses, please complete one survey for each campus. Click on the button below to get started.

As part of the Fort Bend ISD internal audit program to support continuous improvement, the District has contracted with Gibson Consulting Group Inc. (Gibson) to conduct an audit of the Gifted and Talented (GT) Department. The primary objective of this audit is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the GT Department in order to better meet the needs of the District’s gifted and talented students. The results of the audit will be shared with the District in August 2021.

As part of this audit, Gibson will be administering an online survey to all parents of students in the G/T program in order to solicit feedback about their child’s learning experience. Results of the parent survey will be used to inform recommendations for improving the District’s programs and services for G/T students.

This week, all parents of GT students will receive an email from Gibson that will include a link to the online survey. Please take the time to complete this survey, as parent input is extremely important to the District’s continuous improvement process. All responses will be reported to the District in aggregate and are completely confidential. If you have any questions about the survey, please contact Laurie Westphal at Laurie.Westphal@fortbendisd.com.

Skyward Family Access provides information on grades, attendance, schedules, and calendars, among other functions. It is in Skyward Family Access that the parent or guardian may select the primary account user information. It is this primary account that receives the messaging from the district by default.

If you would like to enable additional members of your household or family to receive district messages, you must use your Skyward Family Access login credentials to log in to Blackboard Connect - the district's mass notification system. When you go to the Blackboard Connect page, you will find a very brief yet detailed instructional video on how to add a member. You will also be able to set your preferences for email, phone calls, and text messages.

We would like to include secondary students in our Gifted and Talented messaging. Secondary students who have served on our Task Force and Communications subcommittee have expressed a desire to be included in the messaging coming from the GT Department, especially if it pertains to programming or opportunities that affect them. One of the best ways for us to share messaging directly with students is by having them added to Blackboard Connect (see information and links above). Blackboard Connect allows users to determine which messages they receive and how they receive them. Please consider adding your secondary student to our communications loop.

The GT PAC (Parent Advisory Committee) recently held its annual election to select members of the GT PAC Executive Board for the 2021-22 School year. Please meet the new executive board members:

President, Ms. Wendy Pennings

President-Elect, Mr. Amit Kumar

Parliamentarian, Dr. Sharon Thorne-Green

Secretary, Ms. Kim Hibsh

The FBISD GT team is looking forward to ongoing collaboration with the GT PAC. Please be looking for information on representing your GT child's school when we return in the fall!

Here is a sneak peek of their GT learning options*:

• Creativity Influencer: Fostering Creativity in the Gifted Learner
• Curricular Alternatives: Planning Ahead for Seamless Success (Elementary)
• Differentiating Instruction by Embracing Social Media (Secondary)
• Getting the Most Out of Your Questioning
• GT Learning Plan II: Procedure-Process-Purpose (pilot campuses)
• Implementing the Texas Performance Standards Project Process (1-6)
• Innovation Hour: Tools for Success (pilot campuses)
• Using Interest Inventories to Differentiate Instruction for Gifted Learners

*These options are for teachers who have already completed 30-hours of foundational training in Gifted and Talented. Teachers who are new to GT will be required to take 30-hours of training in the nature and needs of gifted learners, the social/emotional needs of gifted learners, identification and assessment, differentiation, and creativity.

The student presentations from the GT Mentorship Showcase Class of 2021 have been published on the GT Mentorship Webpage. Feel free to view any (or all) of the 23 stellar presentations spanning across several professional fields.

GT students are eligible to apply to the GT Mentorship Program for their senior year. Please visit the Application Process page for details.