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.

WELCOME BACK

ALPS classes will begin on Monday,August 17

Kevin Meets the President-Wednesday, May 13, 2009

ALPS 4th grader Kevin Goddard recently had an opportunity to meet President Obama. Kevin along with his father Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard greeted the President at Sky Habor Airport before his commencement speech at Arizona Sate University. Kevin presented the president a gift of poems and stories written by his classmates at Herrera Elementary.

3rd Grade: Grand Canyon Field Trip-May 11, 2009

Students were able to unravel the mystery of how the Grand Canyon was formed. They explored a fossil bed and a hiked along the rim with several stops for engaging activities focusing on the geologic history of Grand Canyon.

Please join us

ALPS will be recognizing the wonderful academic accomplishments of our

2008-2009 8th Grade Class
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
12:15 P.M.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Phoenix College JR. ACE Participants

Congratulations to the following students:

1. Andy Bach-Kenilworth


2. Isaiah Canez-Kenilworth


3. Genesis Erazo-Magnet Traditional


4. Christopher Estrada-Capitol


5. Magdalia Garcia-Capitol


6. Mireya Lopez-Bethune


7. Hely Rodriguez-Heard


8. Jesus Barcelo-Herrera


9. Johnny Cortez, Jr.-Herrera


10. Pedro Eribes-Herrera


11. Zaina Leyva-Capitol


12. Angel Olivas-Heard


13. Michael Perez-Kenilworth


14. Benjamin Alvarado-Lowell


15. Manuel Carreno-Phoenix Prep. Academy


16. Elijah Chambers-Magnet Traditional


17. Clara Flores-Bethune


18. Lassett Hernandez-Magnet Traditional


19. Celemne Mendoza-Bethune


20. Jasmine Mesa-Magnet Traditional


21. Dominique Parker-Dunbar

• Students will participate in a five week program that runs for the first summer session.


• Students will earn three college credits.


• The program will expose students to core areas and develop academic skills needed for college and university success.


• JR.ACE is a pathway to the ACE program.

Field Trip Day with the Arizona Diamondbacks 2009

ALPS students, staff, and parents attended D-Backs Field Trip Day hosted by the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Arizona Science Center on April 20. This educational event included science and character building presentations.

The Arizona Science Center taught students about extreme temperatures and the different states of matter along with liquid nitrogen experiments. Through various experiments, students learned about combustion and discovered the fire triangle.

Following the science presentation, Diamondback Second Baseman Augie Ojeda discussed character education and encourged the students to read, study, and listen their teachers and parents.

Cerreta's Candy Company-4/18/09

Today, really early in the morning my class and I went to Cerreta's Chocolate Factory. We learned that just a certain temperature, 87°F keeps the chocolate just right. I learned that you can recycle chocolate too. The reason we went there was to make chocolate pizza, but I learned a lot, too! I couldn’t wait to go and only now I know how much I wanted to go. This was a learning experience and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Kinsey

Today in ALPS we had a field trip. We went to Cerreta’s Candy Company. It is really fun. I knew exactly what we were going to do because I’ve been there at least 4 times before, but it was still really fun. When I walked into the factory it was like HEAVEN! The smell of sweet melty oozy chocolate! First, the woman there talked about the chocolate and gave us samples. My favorite was the caramel sample with marshmallows in it. Next, we made candy pizza. I used chocolate, M&M’s, peanut butter chips, and a white chocolate swirl on top. I wanted to buy something but I couldn’t find anything for a $1. That was pretty much it!
Jasper

What lingers in my mind about Cerreta’s is the sweet smell from the delicious chocolate. The sweet treat was so sweet that it warmed my tongue. I bought raspberry chocolate! I can wait till I can eat it. I didn’t know that you have to be concerned about the temperature of the chocolate! I hope I can go again it was so cool! I loved it!
Priscilla

Today we went to Cerreta’s Candy Co. for an ALPS field trip. When we got there we walked into a building where the air was filled with smells of chocolate. The woman talked making chocolate, it was very interesting. She showed us various machines and what they did. After she passed out samples of some of the candies and showed us the different kinds of chocolates there was. Then she picked eight volunteers to come up and make chocolate eggs and bacon or sausage. Finally, we made a chocolate pizza. We had a lot of topping choices like marshmallows, M&M’s. I put on all of the toppings. This field trip was really fun I hope to be able to go back again!
Tehya

Today I went to Cerreta’s Chocolate Factory to learn about chocolate. The bus ride took a while, but when we got to the factory it didn’t look like much. When we got inside I saw machines making chocolate. The smell of the chocolate made me want to eat all of the chocolate. A lady talked to us about chocolate. She told us the hotter it is the shinier it gets. She said four people were going to make breakfast. I was one picked. We had pretzels, white chocolate, and M&M’s. After making breakfast I made a chocolate pizza. I really enjoyed it!
Eric

Summer School Opportunities-Phoenix Country Day School

The five-week summer school (June 8-July 10) presents a variety of courses designed especially for our gifted Scholars. Applications deadline is Friday, May 1, 2009.

Please contact Mrs. Harris for additonal information.

http://community.pcds.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=183

All ALPS classes will be canceled during AIMS Testing. The ALPS staff will be assisting school sites with test administration. ALPS classes will resume on Monday, April 13.

Ways Parents can help

• Make sure your child is at school everyday unless they're sick.
• To prepare for test day, make sure your child is physically ready. Put them to bed a little early each night during test and serve a healthy breakfast.
• Practice relaxation techniques, such as counting from one to ten on taking deep breaths, if your child thinks he/she may be nervous on test day.
• Encourage reading, particularly non-fiction, which often appears on standardized test. Ask questions to ensure they understand what they are reading: What is the main idea? How was the problem resolved? Ask them to express their own ideas or opinions about what they have read.
• Encourage your child to decipher difficult words their own. Don't just provide the answer.
• Make Math a part of every day, asking what time you should leave school to get to ALPS by 9:20 if it takes 25 minutes to get here.