Our 7th & 8th graders are participating in a short literacy unit using the book Seedfolks. It introduces students to various elements of narrative writing, including: plot, point of view, first-person narrative, conflict and resolution. The students will engage in issues of diversity, acceptance, and community involvement.
This unit of study will have the ALPS students reviving our gardens beds at Monterey Park. We are in need of the following donations:
• Gardening hand tools
• Seeds(vegetables & flower)
• Garden gloves
• Plastic milk and soda bottles
• Coffee cans
Our students will learn firsthand about plants, planting and harvesting, how to care from plants and more. They will gain pride as they work with their school community to create a place of pride and accomplishment.

Congratulations!

ALPS Students Alex(fourth from left)Capitol School and Chaisty,(second from right) Herrera School recently competed in the District's Annual Spelling Bee.

Ken Robinson: Changing Education Paradigms

Click on this link to view this wonderful animated video which highlight the changes in education.

Smart Boys by Dr. Sanford J. Cohn
Parents of Gifted Middle School Children Seminar Series
Jan. 12, 6-7:30 p.m.
Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College
CLCC 299, ASU West campus

Smart boys are often ignored, as they are already doing above
average work. In the absence of appropriate learning opportunities,
these boys find avenues for learning outside of school; most
often, they retreat to their computers. In this session, Dr. Cohn describes some of the
problems gifted boys face in school and how we might improve
schooling for them.

Sanford J. Cohn, Ph.D., is a professor in ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton
Teachers College. He has co-authored with Barbara A. Kerr,
“Smart Boys: Talent, Manhood, and the Search for Meaning,” coedited
with William C. George and Julian C. Stanley, “Educating
the Gifted: Acceleration and Enrichment,” and written numerous
publications that provide understanding of the needs of intellectual
youths. Dr. Cohn is a psychologist in Arizona with a clinical
practice devoted to highly able youths and their families.

Open to Public
Event contact information:
herbergeracademy@asu.edu
602-543-8274
http://education.asu.edu/content/gary-k-herberger-young-scholars-academy

Valley Dish-Kid Reporter

ALPS student Mark from Faith North is a featured reporter on valley televison show. Great job Mark!

November 30-December 17

Your student has the power to transform his or her community.

We understand that our students will be future leaders of the world. We believe our students need to understand the immediate needs for their commuities. As a members of the community, ALPS students will be participating in a food drive to help community members who are in need this holiday season. Each day students will bring non-perishable food items to school or money to donate to a local food bank.

We are finalizing graphics for our historical timeline. The students have begun incorporating multimedia into final product. We continue to find amazing discoveries.
Did you know that in 1918 ALL the schools were closed for two months due to the Spanish Flu Epidemic?
Look for a sneak preview of our final project in January.

Your assistance is needed in reminding students of their commitment to:
• Attend the ALPS program weekly
• Be responsible for completing the material, homework, and tests covered in the
regular classroom as well as complete all ALPS work and activities

THE OFRENDA
November 1-5
ALPS will be celebrating Dias De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead). As part of this unique learning celebration students will be creating poetry, storytelling, geography, skull mathematics, and designing sugar skulls.
As a school, students will build an Ofrenda.

Students are encouraged to bring a personal item for the Ofrenda. Everyone will be given their mementos back.

Your assistance is need in providing one or more of the following items for this activity:
• Apples
• Bananas
• Chocolate
• Corn
• Oranges
• Pumpkins-Squash
• Toys
• Loteria (Mexican Bingo)
• Nuts
• Photo of a Deceased Relative
• Personal Mementos

Some Signs that Your Student May be Gifted

Gifted children typically like to play with words. They may enjoy creating rhymes or retelling stories. They may begin to create poems and stories at a seemingly very young age.

Many gifted children learn to read on their own. They have a strong imagination and may have imaginary friends.

Gifted children often have a strong sense of humor. They may understand jokes and humor that other children their age do not understand.

Gifted children may have a desire to play with and interact with older children. They get along with adults. However they are also content working alone.

Gifted children often gain a quicker understanding of time than other children. They may become interested in clocks and calendars and other time concepts at an early age.

Gifted children may develop some other concepts quicker than other children. For example they may understand cause and effect at an earlier age than their peers. They also have a stronger grasp on abstract thinking.

OPEN HOUSE
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
5:00 P.M. -7:00 P.M.

Our Open House provides a great opportunity to see the campus,
meet with faculty, and hear about our program.
Teachers, Students, and Parents
are encouraged to attend.

ALPS Classes begin this Week.

SCHOOL - Pickup Time

MONDAY
Lowell 8:40
Garfield 8:50
Shaw 8:40
Faith North 8:50

TUESDAY
Kenilworth 8:50
Capitol 8:40
Bethune 8:50

THURSDAY
Herrera 8:40
Edison 8:50
Whittier 8:40
Emerson 8:50

FRIDAY
Heard 8:40
Magnet 8:50
Dunbar 8:40

1st-4th Grade Field Trip-May 18, 2010
Sea Life Arizona is an awesome place for students to discover, explore, and learn. Students meet creatures of the ocean deep and learned how to maintain this precious world for future generations. The students enjoyed interactive attractions. SEA LIFE Arizona offers a sea of change from the classroom and textbooks.

JA BizTown-March 26

March 26 students in grades 5-6 participated in JA BizTown. The students learn about the free enterprise system by participating in a simulated town. Students' experiences varied from working in a bank, a television station, or a retail store, to managing personal finance, writing checks and accounting.

We want to thank our parent volunteers wholeheartly for donating their valuable time to attend training and serve as a volunteer for the students' visit to JA BIZTOWN. Volunteers played a crucial role in this program, and without their assistance, our vist would not have been possible,nor would it have been nearly as successful.

CONGRATULATIONS SPELLING BEE CHAMPS

The District Spelling Bee was held recently and the
following ALPS students were champions:
1st Place: Samihan Muppirala, 3rd grade Faith North
3rd Place: Octavio Rodriguez, 7th grade Heard
Samihan is show with his trophy in the above photo.

Congratulations, Samihan and Octavio!

Hot Air Balloon

Third and Fourth Graders launched their hot air balloons last week. Visit Mr. Roman's blog to check out the video.

2010 Barrett Summer School Program

The program allows students to learn about Barrett, the Honors College, explore ASU’s campuses, attend presentations and events created exclusively for BSS, and discover career interests through engaging class activities and field trips.
Students interested in applying to program must be enrolled in 7th or 8th grade during the 2009-2010 school year. Deadline March 1.
For more information contact office or visit the BSS website at www.asu.edu/barrettsummer

Achieving a College Education Program (ACE) is a nationally recognized program; the program is designed to help students make a smooth transition from high school through community college and on to a university and completion of a bachelor's degree.


Phoenix College JR ACE targets students entering 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th grade who are interested in taking Math, Science or Technology, Engineering class and a College Survival course. JR ACE is a five week program that runs for the first summer session. Students can earn 3 college credits. The program is design to expose students to those core areas and develop academic skills needed for college and university success.


Please encourage and support your student in apply for this awesome educational opportunity.

Applications are due FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12. Please contact any staff member if assistance is needed in completing applications.

2010 AAGT Parent Institute: Parenting High Ability Children
Arizona Association for Gifted and Talented
2010 Parent Institute:
Parenting High Ability Children

Who: Arizona’s Parents, Grandparents, & Educators
What: Seminars on parenting gifted children
Where: Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at ASU
Date: Saturday, March, 27th, 2010
Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Price: $25
Click here registration information

 Expert speakers
Social and emotional development • Characteristics of gifted children • Balancing family life • Educational alternatives • Underachievement • Parenting tips by age group - preschool/ elementary /MS /HS •
Academic competitions • Preparing and applying for college

 Resource fair
After-school and summer programs • articles to take home • local gifted programs and educational alternatives • parent groups and experts
 Books, games, and more for purchase from invited vendors
 Lunch with other parents and educators while you browse
 Free parking, easy access from loop 202 at Rural Road
 Spanish interpretation on request
 Kids programs offered by Motivating Minds for ages 5-17
For more info, contact the AAGT office at 602.882.1848
The Phoenix Elementary School District neither endorses nor sponsors the organization or activity represented in this material. The distribution or display of this material is provided as a community service.

Gifts for the Gifted

Finding the right gifted for a gifted child, parent or professional can be stressful, and overexcitabilities of the gifted can make stress seem... even more stressful. Modern advertising can be frustrating and misleading to even the strongest individual. And we get caught up in the craziness...

When shopping for gifts for the gifted, think about the unusual. Consider making a donation to a charity instead of another toy, for our globally aware children. Some gifted families boycott "giving" altogether, opting instead to spend extra time with other family members, perhaps cherishing each other's company, or perhaps donating their family time to help those less fortunate.

When gifts are appropriate (even a gift to yourself!), Hoagies' Shopping Guide offers a variety of ideas, from Smart Toys to play with, Software Favorites to play, Nerd Shirts to wear, Kids & Teens Books and Magazines for kids and young adults, Books for Parents & Professionals, Journals, and Educational Products for parents and professionals, Music for the eclectic gifted ear, and Movies Featuring Gifted Characters.
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/shopping_guide.htm#toys

Early signs of giftedness include:
-unusual alertness in infancy
-less need for sleep in infancy
-long attention span
-high activity level
-smiling or recognizing caretakers early
-intense reactions to noise, pain, frustration
-advanced progression through the developmental milestones
-extraordinary memory
-enjoyment and speed of learning
-early and extensive language development
-fascination with books
-curiosity
-excellent sense of humor
-abstract reasoning and problem-solving skills
-vivid imagination (e.g., imaginary companions)
-sensitivity and compassion
If a child exhibits a majority of these characteristics, parents may wish to have the child assessed by an experienced examiner to find out if the child is gifted. Firstborn children tend to be recognized more often than their siblings. When one child in the family is gifted, it is quite possible that others may also be gifted. Early identification is recommended because it permits early intervention, as important for gifted as for any other children with special needs.