Gifted Jaguars and Eagles

We had a great tour to Macalester today. I hope you'll ask your student about what they learned and to start discussing as a family what your student is looking for in a college: -big versus small school -urban versus rural -close to home versus far -public versus private Next year as juniors we recommend that students start thinking about colleges and start investigating so that they can get their applications in the fall of their senior year.

Our DA 10th graders in DA History (AP World and AP European history) had a great meeting with Tsione Wolde-Michael on Zoom on 2/17. She talked with our cohort about her work as a professional historian. She was a part of building the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture from the ground up and talked about how they collected artifacts and oral histories to build exhibits for this important museum. She is now at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History where she is the director and curator of the Center for Restorative History. Her slideshow is here if you want to see what was talked about with your student. I hope you'll ask your student about what they learned about being a professional historian. ;)

Registration is open for the Supporting Gifted Children During Stress event on March 5th in Bloomington. We are excited to announce that the Bloomington Chapter will cover the registration fees for MCGT Bloomington Chapter Members (and Bloomington staff) to attend the Parent and Children Programs for FREE. Join MCGT online now and choose Bloomington as your chapter. Then, contact info@mct.net or bloomington@mcgt.net to receive an email with the code and instructions to register for FREE. Supporting Gifted Children During Stress Co-Sponsored by Bloomington Public Schools, Bloomington Chapter of the Minnesota Council for Gifted and Talented, Minnesota Council for Gifted and Talented March 5, 2022, 9-11am with Teresa Argo Boatman, Ph.D Virtual and In-Person Parent Presentation Gifted children and their parents have been experiencing the rise of stress and anxiety during the COVID 19 pandemic. Expand your knowledge of anxiety and gifted children, strategies to help, and how to ...

Dear DA 10th graders and parents/guardians, Our current DA sophomores will have access to a 3rd year of DA which is a new feature of our program.  We designed this because of parent and student feedback that PSEO and current BPS courses were not meeting the academic and social emotional needs of our gifted students.   I have had some parents ask about the difference between DA and PSEO so I'm sharing this slideshow with you.  I am also willing to answer questions if that's not helpful enough.   Our hope is that your student will choose to continue in the DA program but we also understand that we cannot possibly design a program that is a perfect fit for all our high ability students.   If you are planning on sending your student PSEO next year BPS will still make you register this month as if you aren't because that decision will happen later but the college.  However, for our purposes the GT dept would like to know how many students will not be continuing so I can try to ...

February 7, 2022 Dear Parents/guardians and advanced 8th grade learners, Thank you for applying to Dimensions Academy High School! On Monday, February 21st the Gifted and Talented Department will conduct PreACT testing for Dimensions Academy High School applicants at Kennedy High School. We will use your student’s PreACT score as one of our data points in our selection process for DAHS. Additionally, the test results will be helpful to your family in selecting courses for your student as they go to KHS and JHS. Lastly, research shows that practice taking high-stakes tests helps students go into their junior year more prepared for tests like the ACT and the SAT, which results in higher scores. The PreACT will be given on paper and include multiple choice tests in English, math, reading, and science. Please drop off your student at Kennedy High School, 9701 Nicollet Ave in Bloomington, by 8am and pick them up around noon. We will be in the cafeteria starting at 7:30 am. Stude...

November 4, 2021 Dear Parents and Guardians of DA 10 cohort, We have noticed that this semester is significantly more difficult for some of our DAHS students than previous years. We appreciate that many of you answered the survey the GT department sent out. The data demonstrated what we are seeing in class - we have a wide range of experiences right now in the DA STEM program and some of our students are very stressed. What we are seeing in Bloomington is similar to the experiences of educators (including other AP teachers and gifted advocates) across the country. Many of our students are struggling in ways which hadn’t manifested in pre-pandemic times. We are now seeing many members of our cohort struggle with self-regulation, the ability to focus on their work, their ability to ask questions, their ability to work with peers on an academic task, and are struggling with issues of depression and anxiety. We want to be responsive and support our gifted learners. I have met wit...

MCGT Bloomington Chapter Coffee Talk Join the Bloomington Chapter of the Minnesota Council for the Gifted & Talented via Zoom on Tuesday, October 5 at 7:00pm for the first Virtual Coffee Talk of the new school year. This will be an opportunity to connect with other GT Parents, discuss issues/questions/concerns and discuss programming that you would like to see from the Bloomington Chapter this year. Hope to see you there! Click here to join via Zoom at 7pm on Tues, Oct 5. You do not need to be an MCGT member to attend, but membership does provide benefits, including reduced fees for MCGT events such as this year's MCGT 2021 Virtual Annual Conference that will be held Saturday, Nov 6, 2021 from 9am - 12:30pm via Zoom. If you become an MCGT Member, please designate Bloomington as your Chapter. Let the MCGT Bloomington Chapter know if you have any questions. CONTACT THE MCGT BLOOMINGTON CHAPTER: bloomington@mcgt.net https://www.facebook.com/MCGTBloomington Join u...

Dimensions Academy (STEM and Humanities) Outreach Meeting 12/9 Nobel High School Outreach Meeting 12/14 Dimensions Academy (STEM and Humanities) Outreach Meeting 1/11 All meetings will start at 7pm and be online. Zoom links are below: Dimensions Academy High School (STEM & Humanities) Outreach Meeting Time: Dec 9, 2021 07:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/97172811340?pwd=MTBMRjFPdmxUQ0t0dVhBeE5GanZNQT09 Meeting ID: 971 7281 1340 Passcode: 2iz1sb Nobel High School Creativity Outreach Meeting Time: Dec 14, 2021 07:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/97616148795?pwd=NDBjaXVtN21VNjgrVXNyVTVBNUluZz09 Meeting ID: 976 1614 8795 Passcode: P1hWq0 Dimensions Academy High School (STEM & Humanities) Outreach Meeting Time: Jan 11, 2022 07:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/95179900672?pwd=amk2eHRWeGl1TXJtNUdpRjVRcCtpZz09 Meeting ID: 951 7990 0672 Passcode: pq1Ktx

Welcome to Dimensions Academy High School! We are excited to work with you in our program. Throughout the year if you have any questions about the DA program feel free to reach out. This email will have a lot of information about the 2021-22 school year. Feel free to email me with any questions you have. ;) Sincerely, Meredith Aby-Keirstead Gifted and Talented Coordinator maby@isd271.org 952-806-7811 Schedules for Week 1 The two high schools have different schedules for the first day of school. The good thing is that this will allow us to be able to make sure the DA kids have a smooth transition back and forth between the schools. The bad thing is the KHS STEM students will miss meeting their advisory teacher and the JHS Humanities students will miss their Pep Fest. KHS First Week Schedule DA STEM students will miss their advisory time the first 2 days. I believe I am the advisor at KHS for all the DA students. ;) I will email them any information they will miss...

Dear parents, I am getting a lot of emails from you about what the recent school board decision means for the DA HS program. I am meeting with the principals of both high schools and Erin Boltik, the GT director, tomorrow. I hope to have the ability to answer your questions at that time. Thanks for your patience. ;) Sincerely, Meredith

This is a video I made to replace the meeting we normally have in January. We can't meet this year because of the Corona virus so I'm hoping this can help parents and student who are trying to figure out which classes to register for. Feel free to email me any questions at maby@isd271.org. https://youtu.be/MEqx8jF1JN0

Join the GT Department and Erin Walsh, of Spark and Stitch Institute, for our second session in the "Parenting in a Pandemic" series. Wednesday, January 13 at 7:00p.m. Topic: The Many Faces of Stress Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84006576556?pwd=UjQ2ZElIYmlpWTlZbDdPeGhpM2hkUT09 Passcode is SPARK We hope to see you there!

In February students will be asked to register for next year. If you were not able to come to this morning's meeting I encourage you to watch the video. I'm including links to the resources I used: Video from today's Post DA Planning Meeting - https://youtu.be/2FmnXmsSvXg My PSEO planning guide document - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YkEVqdHSB_JR_2Z1ofjscKp7VGv6-xQ1mGmWnyKItkg/edit?usp=sharing The slideshow I used - https://tinyurl.com/yd9epeuu After the meeting Carl Pearson and I found this list: https://www.mnmsa.org/files/8013/1723/8071/PSEO_College_List.pdf Take care, Meredith

The Bloomington Public Schools gifted/talented department is proud to sponsor Erin Walsh from the Spark & Stitch Institute. Erin will lead three virtual sessions that are guaranteed to be engaging, helpful and relevant. Each will last one hour. All sessions will be held via Zoom. No need to RSVP. Join for one session or, hopefully, attend them all! Wednesday, December 9 7PM “Staying Engaged in Learning: The Science of Motivation” Wednesday, January 13 7PM “Parenting in a Pandemic: The Many Faces of Stress” Wednesday, February 10 7PM “Parenting in a Pandemic: Setting Limits and Avoiding Power Struggles” Zoom link for all three webinars; passcode is SPARK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84006576556?pwd=UjQ2ZElIYmlpWTlZbDdPeGhpM2hkUT09 Or Telephone: Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 646 558 8656 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 669 900 9128 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 Webinar ID: 840 0657 6556 ...

Monday, Nov 2 at 7pm: MCGT Bloomington Chapter Monthly Virtual Coffee Chat MCGT Bloomington Chapter's next Monthly Virtual Coffee Chat will be on Monday, November 2 from 7:00 - 8:00pm via Zoom. Click here to join via Zoom. Click here for the FB Event. Join in to discuss organization and executive functioning resources, as well as any other areas of interest: challenges, ideas, things that are going well, etc. Find out more about game nights and book clubs for the kids. Mark your calendars for each month - all event dates and Zoom links are included on the attached pdf. CONTACT THE MCGT BLOOMINGTON CHAPTER: bloomington@mcgt.net https://www.facebook.com/MCGTBloomington

High School Outreach Meetings for the Bloomington Gifted and Talented Department Bloomington has two programs for gifted students at the high school level, Dimensions Academy and Nobel. Dimensions Academy Dimensions Academy High School (DAHS) is an innovative approach to gifted education at the high school level. Students can apply for the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and /or the Humanities (English and social studies) strand. Advanced learners have the opportunity to participate in a cohort taking college-level courses at college pacing. Courses are taught by high school teachers with specific training in teaching advanced learners, with support from Gifted and Talented team specialists. We use a dual-campus model in order for students at both high schools to access either or both programs. A shuttle will be provided for transportation between the high schools. Students must apply for DAHS regardless of past participation in gifted and talented programs in e...

2020 Virtual Annual Conference: Intensity, Social Emotional Health, and Gifted Children Online via Zoom Date: October 24, 2020 9:00 AM CDT REGISTER NOW! MCGT 2020 Virtual Annual Conference ~ Intensity, Social Emotional Health, and Gifted Children Saturday, October 24, 2020, 9am - 12:30pm Dr. Matt Zakreski Schedule: 9am-10am Riding out the Storm: Where Big Emotions Come From 10am - 10:15am MCGT Annual Meeting 10:15am - 11:15am How to Manage Yourself when Big Feelings Come 11:15am - 11:30am MCGT News & FAQ 11:30am - 12:30pm How to Build the Skills to Manage Interpersonally when Big Feelings Come Riding out the Storm: Where Big Emotions Come From with Dr. Matt Zakreski. Gifted and twice-exceptional students are an underserved and misunderstood population within clinical and school psychology. The "gifted brain" has aspects that are quantifiably different than neurotypical brains and those differences can manifest as challenging diagnostic considerations. Th...

Dear DA 9 parents, Your student is now a month into DA! Some students are doing a great job of developing their self advocacy skills and are checking in with their teachers via email when they are absent or have questions.  Please encourage your student to work on this skill.  It is probably the most important college skill they will learn all year!  Also please check in with your student to see how often they are checking Canvas, the Hub and their school email account.  Please sit down with them and look at Infinite Campus to have them show you their grade. We are approaching mid tri and patterns are starting to develop. I met with Ms. Woods last week and am meeting with Mr. Carufel this week so I will soon be following up with parents if we see concerning patterns developing. If students need help studying for their DA classes please encourage them to talk to me about getting an appropriate tutor.  Additionally, as I said in our intro meeting this fall, please keep an eye on your ...

MCGT Bloomington Chapter Monthly Virtual Coffee Chats MCGT Bloomington Chapter's first Monthly Virtual Coffee Chat will be on Tuesday, October 6 from 7:00 - 8:00pm via Zoom. Click here to join via Zoom. Click here for the FB Event Mark your calendars for each month - all event dates and Zoom links are included on the attached pdf and as links below. Join us from 7:00 – 8:00pm via Zoom for informal chats to share information, ideas, and resources: • October 6, 2020 https://zoom.us/j/97179104219 Oct 6 Virtual Coffee Chat FB Event • November 2, 2020 https://zoom.us/j/92609513265 Nov 2 Virtual Coffee Chat FB Event • December 8, 2020 https://zoom.us/j/91965752325 Dec 8 Virtual Coffee Chat FB Event • January 5, 2021 https://zoom.us/j/95108765742 Jan 5 Virtual Coffee Chat FB Event • February 2, 2021 https://zoom.us/j/92525380022 Feb 2 Virtual Coffee Chat FB Event • March 2, 2021 https://zoom.us/j/93441589927 Mar 2 Virtual Coffee Chat FB Event • Apri...

  BPS Families, Bloomington Public Schools offers a variety of gifted and talented programs and services for students at the elementary, middle school and high school levels. Learn more about our programs on the  district website .  Please join us for an informational meeting about program application and deadlines for the 2021-22 school year.  Tuesday, September 29 - Elementary GT Programs Informational Mtg. Elements (Grades 2&3) & Dimensions Academy (Grades 4&5) 6:30-7:30p.m. Join virtually @  meet.google.com/xbx-kxhh-qnx Monday, October 5 - Middle School GT Programs Informational Mtg. Dimensions Academy 6:00-6:45p.m. Join virtually:  meet.google.com/mmg-dgyh-gva Nobel 7:00-7:45p.m. Join virtually:  meet.google.com/qjf-djep-fbk Tuesday, October 6 - Kennedy High School GT Nobel Program Info. Mtg. Nobel 7:00-8:00p.m. Join virtually: https://us02web. zoom.us/j/82644102118?pwd= RkozYXcxWHJTQStqeUdjNEVQMjU5UT 09 Information meetings for Dimens...