Dear Parents and Gifted Students,

Happy Fall everyone! Our Gifted Learning Lab is in full swing and we are having a blast! We have been learning, researching, thinking, and problem solving each and every week. Each grade level has been hard at work on many different projects. Read on below for some important dates as well as other pertinent information. If you have any questions or concerns please email me at .

1st 2nd Grades

PETS- Primary Education Thinking Skills

Students have been developing and practicing higher order and critical thinking skills. They have been learning about convergent and inventive thinking skills. We have been looking at clues with Dudley the Detective to find the one right answer. In addition, we have been working on our inventive and visual thinking with Isabel the Inventor.

Defined STEM

Students have been researching a mammal of their choice. They have researched information about their animal’s body, food, habitat, life cycle, and adaptations. Students have illustrated their animal and will create an informational writing piece as well as a media presentation.

Spanish

Hola! Students have been learning the following information in Spanish: counting numbers 1-20, colors, body parts, and greetings.

GT Field Trip

Field trip information was sent home last week. If your child did not bring home a flyer from Kelly Tours, please let me know and I will send another one. All GT students in 1st and 2nd grades will have the opportunity to go to the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC on November 4, 2015. Please see the flyer for payment information.

3rd Grade

PETS- Primary Education Thinking Skills

Students have been developing and practicing higher order and critical thinking skills. They have been learning about convergent and divergent thinking skills. We have been looking at clues with Dudley the Detective and Sybil the Scientist to find the one right answer.

Defined STEM

Students have been identifying the 4 productive resources and researching reasons to support buying locally from farms. Additionally, students have illustrated a farm scene with the productive resources labeled. A local farmer will be visiting our class in a few weeks and will help us record the planting season dates on a calendar. Finally, students will write a persuasive piece and create a media presentation that helps their audience realize the importance of buying locally from farmers.

Latin

Salve omnes (hello, everyone). Students have been learning the language of Latin through a family in Vindolanda (current day northern Great Britain). We are learning new vocabulary, noun and adjective agreement, and some famous Greek myth stories.

GT Field Trip

Field trip information was sent home last week. If your child did not bring home a flyer from Kelly Tours, please let me know and I will send another one. All GT students in 3rd and 4thgrades will have the opportunity to go to the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia, SC on March 8, 2016. Please see the flyer for payment information.

Chess

Students have been learning chess basic skills. We know how to set up the chessboard and how to play with pawns and knights. They have been practicing the strategies learned and are totally enjoying this wonderful critical thinking game.

4th Grade

PETS- Primary Education Thinking Skills

Students have been developing and practicing higher order and critical thinking skills. They have been learning about convergent and divergent thinking skills. We have been looking at clues with Dudley the Detective and Sybil the Scientist to find the one right answer. Additionally, we have been creating and solving double matrix logic elimination grids.

Defined STEM

Students have been researching and studying about constellations. Students have created a model of their favorite constellation and are now imaginatively creating their own constellation. Students will write a narrative about how their constellation ended up in the night sky. Also, they will create a media presentation identifying their creation.

Latin

Salve omnes (hello, everyone).  Students have been learning the language of Latin through a family in Vindolanda (current day northern Great Britain). We are learning new vocabulary, noun and adjective agreement, and some famous Greek myth stories.

GT Field Trip

Field trip information was sent home last week. If your child did not bring home a flyer from Kelly Tours, please let me know and I will send another one. All GT students in 3rd and 4th grades will have the opportunity to go to the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia, SC on March 8, 2016. Please see the flyer for payment information.

Chess

Students have been learning chess basic skills. We know how to set up the chessboard and how to play with pawns and knights. They have been practicing the strategies learned and are totally enjoying this wonderful critical thinking game.

5th Grade

Logical and Critical Thinking

Students have been developing and practicing higher order, logical, and critical thinking skills. We have been completing some Perplexors, Logic Grids, and Analogies.

Defined STEM

Students have been researching, studying, and exploring NASA and food in Space. We have indentified the requirements that scientistsmust follow when creating Space food. In addition, students are currently creating a brochure that outlines this information and will begin producing menus based on information we researched from the NASA website. Students will also design some packaging for their food from the menus they have created. Finally, a virtual field trip will (hopefully) conclude our study on this topic before we head out on our real field trip to the Kennedy Space Center in February.

Latin

Salve omnes (hello, everyone).  Students have been learning the language of Latin through a family in Vindolanda (current day northern Great Britain). We are learning new vocabulary, noun and adjective agreement, and some famous Greek myth stories.

GT Field Trip

Field trip information was sent home last week. If your child did not bring home a flyer from Kelly Tours, please let me know and I will send another one. All GT students in 5th grade will have the opportunity to go to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on February 16-17, 2016. Please see the flyer for payment information.

Chess

Students have been learning chess basic skills. We know how to set up the chessboard and how to play with pawns and knights. They have been practicing the strategies learned and are totally enjoying this wonderful critical thinking game.

Thank you students and parents!

Sincerely,

Ms. Sarah Davis