Author Fair Coming to Town

The Batavia CANDO is sponsoring an Author Fair featuring author/illustrator team France and Tad Mitchell of Where Is The Sears Tower? and  Liesl Shurtliff, Chicago author of Rump:  The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin.   All students, families and educators are invited to this event.  Come learn what inspired these authors and learn about their journey from  elementary student writers to published authors today!

Saturday, February 8, 2014   1pm-3pm  at the Batavia Public Library

Parent and Educator Seminar

Batavia's CANDO (Challenge Advocacy Network Development Organization) is sponsoring a seminar for parents, educators, and community members about the unique characteristics of gifted children. Liz Hutchins, an Aurora University instructor and a former BPS gifted coordinator will be the key speaker for the evening. Ms. Hutchins teaches a gifted seminar offered through Aurora University and has a great deal of experience and expertise in the field of giftedness.  

This event is free and open to all community members.  Anyone who is interested in learning more about what it means for a child to be gifted would find this seminar very helpful as Liz will be discussing characteristics of giftedness as well as the differences between gifted and talented children.  

The seminar, "How Well Do You Know Your Gifted Child?" will be held on January 6^th, 2014 at the Rotolo Middle School Learning Resource Center from 7:00 to 9:00 PM.   For more information about CANDO or this seminar, interested attendees should go to: http://bataviacando.weebly.com or email BataviaCANDO@gmail.com.  

 

Enrichment Opportunities

The fall newsletter for Northwestern University's Center for Talent Development is now available (see the link below.) You will find a variety of course offerings and other opportunities for enrichment. Enjoy!

                           http://www.ctd.northwestern.edu/

Great Math Videos

The link below is a compilation of math "how to" videos - check them out! The videos cover a wide range of concepts and levels. We hope you like it!

http://www.adaptedmind.com/videos.php

2013 Notable Children's Books

Teachers and parents are always on the lookout for books that will inspire and engage young readers. The  Association for Library Service to Children (http://www.ala.org/alsc/) is a great source.

According to the ALSC, "Each year a committee of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) identifies the best of the best in children's books. According to the Notables Criteria, "notable" is defined as: Worthy of note or notice, important, distinguished, outstanding. As applied to children's books, notable should be thought to include books of especially commendable quality, books that exhibit venturesome creativity, and books of fiction, information, poetry and pictures for all age levels (birth through age 14) that reflect and encourage children's interests in exemplary ways."

The following is a link to this year's recommended books:

http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/notalists/ncb

Welcome Back!

Welcome to the 2013-2014 school year! This year our gifted team has changed - Mrs. Julie Allen will be working with the students and parents at JBN and GMS schools and Ms. Julie Preble will be assuming the role of gifted specialist for HCS and HWS schools. Once again we are thrilled to be partnering with you as advocates for our gifted student population. Our goal is to keep you informed on what is happening in and around our schools in order to enrich, engage and challenge our students' young minds. To get the ball rolling, take a look at what the Center for Gifted (a Northern Illinois University partner) is offering this fall. Click on the link below:

http://www.centerforgifted.org/index.html

 

 

Here's to a wonderful year for all!

Sincerely,

Dr. Ciway, Gifted Specialist for AGS & LWS

 

 



2013-2014 Gifted Handbook

The newly revised 2013-2014 Gifted Handbook has been added to the blog. Please take a moment to check it out!

2013-2014 Gifted Handbook

The 2013-2014 Gifted Handbook is currently under revision and will be reposted upon completion. Thanks!

March 4 - 8th CogAT testing for 2nd Grade

Next week begins CogAT testing for second graders who are being considered for gifted services in the district.  As a reminder, students who are not taking the CogAT next week CAN be considered for talented reading or math services.  The process of identifying and evaluating students for talented groups will begin after ISAT testing for grades 3 - 5 and after CogATs have been administered.

Postponed - Gifted Seminar

Unfortunately, the seminar to be presented by Elizabeth Selander Hutchins Feb. 12 at 7 pm at RMS must be postponed. 

A medical emergency in Mrs. Hutchins's family necessitates her being out-of-state, with an uncertain return date.  CANDO and BPS Gifted Services look forward to notifying you of a new date and time for this seminar, and our thoughts are with Mrs. Hutchins and her family. 

Gifted Child Seminar 2/12/13

CANDO and the Gifted Specialists are co-sponsoring a seminar for parents, educators, and community members about the unique characteristics of gifted children.   Liz Selander-Hutchins, who is an Aurora University Instructor and a former BPS Gifted Coordinator will be the key speaker for the evening.  Ms. Selander-Hutchins teaches a gifted course frequently through Aurora University and has a great deal of experience and expertise.  The event is free and open to all community members.  Anyone who is interested in learning more about what it means for a child to be gifted would find this seminar very helpful as Liz will be discussing characteristics of giftedness as well as the differences between gifted and talented children.  

This seminar, "How Well Do You Know Your Gifted Child?," will be held on February 12th, 2013 at the Rotolo Middle School Learning Resource Center at 7:00 PM.   For more information about CANDO or this seminar, interested attendees should go to: http://bataviacando.weebly.com or e-mail BataviaCANDO@gmail.com.  

Parents, educators, and community members can learn more about unique opportunities for gifted and talented students as well as news and information about BPS101 gifted services by visiting http://bps101gat.blogspot.com/.

Registration

Students and parents across the district have begun the school registration and course selection process.  During this time, students in grades five through eleven will collaborate with their parents and guidance counselors to select courses for the 2013/14 school year.   At the elementary level, we are assisting our fifth graders and their families in this process by providing information to help students in their transition to Rotolo Middle School next fall.  While parents of students in kindergarten through fourth grade do not need to select courses, all parents must update their student’s demographic information in PowerSchool.  For more information on the registration and course selection process, please visit: http://www.bps101.net/registration-and-course-selection-process-begins-january-29-2013

Updated Handbook

In an effort to make sure that most current information is available to parents, teachers, and community members, the gifted handbook will be updated twice a year.  This January, minor revisions and updates were made to the handbook to improve clarity in services as well as reflect the ongoing expansion of services offered in BPS101.  The new handbook does include the changes in middle school math course names as well as an updated flowchart for parents to understand how students progress through middle school math courses.  Updates have also been made to the second grade identification information as well.  Testing for cluster or gifted students in second grade will be given to those students who have scored in the 90th percentile or higher in both reading and math.   Parents should have received letters via messenger or classroom teachers about Winter MAP testing for grades 2, 5, 6, and 7 that included this information.

New Middle School Course Offering

The following information was sent by RMS to parents via messenger on Friday, January 25th.  Please take the time to read through this messenger as this is an addition to services at RMS.  A copy of the messenger has been included below.

RMS: 5th Grade MAP test information

Dear 5th, 6th, and 7th Grade Parents,

Over the next few weeks, your child will be taking the Reading and Math winter MAP test as he or she did in the fall.  Please be aware that besides providing a benchmark for student growth and learning, the MAP test is a part of our screening process for our enriched literature/language arts classes.

Fifth, sixth, and seventh grade students who score in the 90th percentile or higher on either the Fall/Winter reading and math MAP tests, will be considered for additional testing. This additional testing will take place in early March.  The testing includes a CogAT assessment as well.  This additional testing along with the winter reading and math MAP scores for fifth, sixth, and seventh grade students will be used to determine qualifications for an enriched literature/language arts course at the middle school next year.  The MAP testing window for Batavia begins on January 28th.

The middle school gifted services mirror those used in grades three through five. The Batavia school district uses a cluster grouping model that utilizes the expertise of the classroom teacher or a gifted specialist to meet the unique needs of identified academically gifted and talented students.  Within this service model, identified students will receive appropriate instruction in an enhanced Literature/Language Arts class.

If your child scores in the 90th percentile or higher on the Fall/Winter MAP test, you will receive a detailed letter in early February further explaining the process for identification which will include dates for the March testing.
For more information about gifted and talented services offered by district 101, please read the Gifted and Talented Handbook found at http://bps101gat.blogspot.com/.  

Sincerely,
Stephen Maciejweski
Principal, Rotolo Middle School

Winter MAP Testing

Winter MAP testing begins this week for elementary and middle school students.  Individual class schedules are set by each building.  Students should try to get plenty of sleep, a good breakfast, and remember to take their time on each test.  In addition to using this information to guide daily instruction and planning, this data also will be used for screening purposes for both 2nd grade gifted and talented identification as well as 5th, 6th, and 7th grade gifted and talented identification.  Students are encouraged to do their best!

More information about MAP testing can be found in the parent guide which is located at http://www.nwea.org/support/article/930.  It is in PDF format.  Be sure to click on the link to download the Parent Toolkit.

Is it Summer Yet?

It is never too early to be thinking about summer! Northwestern University's Center for Talent Development offers a wide variety of enrichment programs for academically gifted students age 4 through grade 12. Many of their programs are offered at an off-campus location - some as close as Elmhurst, Illinois! The application period began January 1, 2013 and the application deadline is May 13, 2013. They recommend that if you are interested you should enroll soon because spots fill quickly! The link below will take you right to their website where you can explore the options available and download a catalog and application. Enjoy! 

http://www.ctd.northwestern.edu/docs/Summer%20Program%202013%20web.pdf

Discover the Dinosaurs

Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Discover the Dinosaurs is for the entire family, and especially kids, to explore the mystery of pre-historic life in an environment of learning, discovery, and fun. Discover the Dinosaurs is a unique hands on exhibit that consists of up to 60 museum quality and animatronic dinosaurs that gives you the opportunity to actually get close and touch the dinosaurs! Beyond the exhibit, additional fun activities are available for kids of all ages, which make spending the day with the dinosaurs a great experience for the entire family.  The exhibit is being held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Il.

Click on this link to find out more:

http://dino.bluestarshows.com/