We all

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• We all
• have our moments.
• ?

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Briarlake Elementary School

• Welcome to Curriculum Night 2014!
• Discovery Instructors
• Ms. Melissa McMillan
• Ms. Tanya Fields
• Moving Students Forward in the 21st Century

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What is Discovery?

• Discovery is the name given to the gifted program
  at the elementary level in the Dekalb County
  School District.
• Discovery falls under the umbrella of Exceptional
  Education and is funded by the state.
• Discovery is taught by a certified Teacher of the
  Gifted for a minimum of 225 minutes per week.

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Why should we look after our gifted children?

• This statement by the National Association for
  Gifted Children answers this nicely. "Each person
  has the right to learn and to be provided
  challenges for learning at the most appropriate
  level where growth proceeds most
  effectively.....Providing for our finest minds
  allows both individual and societal needs to be
  met."
• Let's work together to foster our talented youth!

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Gifted Program Goals

• To bring gifted children together to experience a
  variety of challenging activities.
• To support teachers in the area of educating
  gifted children.
• To educate and support parents of the gifted.

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Gifted Delivery

• Resource Model - Students are served outside of
  the regular education classroom for a minimum of
  225 minutes per week by a certified Teacher of
  the Gifted. During this time, students experience
  interdisciplinary enrichment or extension
  activities.

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Gifted Curriculum

• Georgia Performance Standards
• Common Core Standards
• Each interdisciplinary unit correlates to the
  Georgia Performance Standards and/or the Common
  Core Standards for that grade level, and
  possibly, the next grade level.

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2014-2015 Enrichment Units
Grade Level Units
1st Pastabilities! Noodling Around the Italian Culture
2nd Science Matters, Animal Life Cycles/Mealworms, Money, Information Please
3rd Interdependence, Traveling Through the Nifty Fifty, Peles Peak/Volcanoes
4th Go With the Flow, Ancient Egypt, Invention Convention
5th Claymation/Technology Fair, Science Fair, Human Body
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Curriculum Extras

• Academic Competitions
• Social Studies Fair (5th Grade)
• Academic Bowl (5th Grade)
• Science Fair (5th Grade)
• Geography Bee (4th/5th Grade)
• Spelling Bee (4th/5th Grade)
• Essay/Poetry/Art Contests (all grades)
• Science Olympiad (3rd-5th Grade)
• Math Tournament (3rd-5th Grade)
• Technology Fair
• Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl (4th/5th Grade)

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21st Century Skills

• Inventive Thinking
• -Self-Direction
• -Curiosity
• -Risk Taking
• -Higher Order Thinking and Sound Reasoning

• Effective Communication
• -Teaming and Collaborating
• -Interpersonal Skills
• -Personal Responsibility
• -Social and Civic Responsibility
• -Interactive Communication

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21st Century Skills

• High Productivity
• -Prioritizing, Planning, and Managing for Results
• -Effective Use of Real-World Tools
• -Ability to Produce Relevant, High Quality
  Products

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Grading System

• 100-70 Pass
• 69-0 Fail
• Conduct S, N or U

• Grade Category Weights
• 0 Pre-Assessments
• 25 Assessment During
• the Learning
• 45 Guided, Independent
• or Group Practice
• 30 Summative
• Assessments

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Continuation Policy Change

• If students do not maintain an 80 average in
  their content area classes or in their Discovery
  class, they will be placed on probation in
  Discovery, and will have the next semester to
  improve their grade.
• If they have not raised their grade by the end of
  that semester, they will not attend Discovery
  classes until their progress report reflects that
  their grades meet the minimum 80 requirement.

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Classroom Management System

• Discovery Expectations for 2014-2015
• We agree to BE SAFE.
• We agree to BE RESPECTFUL.
• We agree to BE RESPONSIBLE.

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Classroom Management System

• Rewards
• The last Friday of each month is Choice Day.
  Students who
• have had an action plan, phone call home for
  behavior, or a
• visit to the office for that month, may not
  participate in
• Choice Day.
• Consequences
• Verbal warning
• Time Out (in class)
• Time Out/Action Plan
• Phone call home
• Office visit

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Discovery Schedule
Time Class
800-845 5th Grade- Alvan
850-935 1st Grade
1030-1115 4th Grade- Russo
1115-1200 2nd Grade
1235-120 3rd Grade
120-210 5th Grade- Francis
125 210 4th Grade Spencer with Ms. Fields
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Useful Websites

• www.gifteddekalb.com This is the Dekalb County
  School System web page for gifted.
• www.gagc.org Georgia Association for Gifted
  Children
• www.nagc.org National Association for Gifted
  Children
• http//fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us/melissa_a_mcmillan/
  Ms. McMillans personal web page
• www.MsFieldsClass.com
• Ms. Fields personal web page

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Questions and Answers