Community Forum Scheduled for February 23

Pflugerville ISD invites district parents, students and community members to a community forum, scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. on Feb. 23 at the PISD administration building. Superintendent of Schools Charles Dupre will discuss the state of Pflugerville ISD, including new demographic projections and budget information. Dupre and other District leaders will also take questions from the audience. To submit your question in advance, visit the District’s Solution Seeking Feedback Form. The Pflugerville ISD administration building is located at 1401 West Pecan Street, Pflugerville.  Click here for more information.

PFLEX–January 2010

PFLEX classes will resume the week of January 4.

For Parents

FREE Webinar- Five Levels of Gifted

Dr. Deborah Ruf will present “Five Levels of Gifted: School Issues and Educational Options,” based on her award-winning book. Register today for this educational experience with Dr. Ruf–it’s FREE!

Webinar Details

• Date: Oct. 8, 2009
• Time: 6pm-8pm (CDT)
• Cost: FREE

New Release!

In her new book, Gifted at Risk: Poetic Portraits (to be released Oct. 15th), Dr. Peterson shares 62 brief and intense poems about gifted individuals. Each portrait offers an intimate view into the inner world of gifted teens, and an accompanying narrative provides background and counseling perspectives. Teachers, parents, counselors, and health care professionals will find these portraits moving, insightful, and enlightening, as well as useful for teacher training.

Around Austin:

October 2 – 11, 2009 – The University of Texas Department of Theatre & Dance presents THERE’S A BOY IN THE GIRLS’ BATHROOM at the Oscar G. Brockett Theatre (300 E. 23rd St.), located in the F. Loren Winship Drama Building. A map of the campus: http://texasperformingarts.org/visit/maps_directions. Show times are October 2, 3, 7, 8 & 9 at 8:00p.m, and October 3, 4 & 11 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets ($20 adults, $17 UT faculty & staff, $15 student) are now on sale at the following authorized ticket outlets, which include the Bass Concert Hall Box Office, most H-E-B stores and all Texas Box Office outlets, online at www.TexasPerformingArts.org, or by calling (512) 477-6060 or (800) 982-BEVO.

Families are encouraged to attend a free Family Day workshop on October 11th, 12:30 -1:30 pm in the Winship Drama Building. Family Day includes a pre-performance workshop, discounted tickets to see THERE’S A BOY IN THE GIRLS’ BATHROOM, and the opportunity to meet members of the cast after the show. Space is limited, so please register early. Contact Anne McNamee at annemcnamee@gmail.com to reserve space for you and your family!

Texas Association of the Gifted and Talented (TAGT) Conference coming in December!  Register now to attend parent sessions!  http://www.txgifted.org/

October Calendar

Download the PFLEX newsletter:   October 2009 newsletter.

October 5-9

4^th/5^th graders will learn to play Math Pentathlon (MP) game Contig 60; 2^nd/3^rd graders will learn to play Sum Dominoes & Dice; 1^st graders will learn to play Calla.  Unit task(s):  SHES/CES students will evaluate purposes for moving from agrarian to urban environments.  TES students will design, build, and test a wheelchair to be operated by a person’s breath.

October 12-16

All students will develop strategies for talking to teachers about learning needs.   Unit task(s):  SHES/CES students will explore the lasting impact of various Renaissance-era inventions, inventors, and begin a personal invention study.  TES students will create a piece of art that reflects the point of view of an individual with disabilities; continue to test wheelchair.

October 19-23

4^th/5^th graders will learn to play Stars & Bars; 2^nd/3^rd graders will learn to play FIAR; 1^st graders will learn to play Hex-A-Gone.  Unit task(s):  SHES/CES students will explore inventions devised by Leonardo da Vinci and continue personal invention studies.  TES students will design, build, and test a robotic hand.

October 26-30

All students will develop goal setting strategies and set goals for the school year.  SHES/CES students will examine Renaissance-era art forms and begin a series of self-selected art investigations.  TES students will continue to test robotic hand; begin planning group robotics study.

Note:  There will be no PFLEX classes on early release dates because of the significant changes to class schedules.

National Award Honors Excellence in Publishing for the Gifted and Talented

The Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented (TAGT) is pleased to announce the 2009 Legacy Book™ Awards, nationally recognized awards that honor outstanding literature related to gifted children and their education. TAGT distributes nominated books to a nationwide panel of reviewers who evaluate the books according to their long-term potential for improving the lives of gifted youth, categorized by audience:

For Educators – Strategies for Differentiating Instruction: Best Practices for the Classroom, by Julia L. Roberts and Tracy F. Inman (Prufrock Press)

For Parents – Raising a Gifted Child: A Parenting Success Handbook, by Carol Fertig (Prufrock Press)

For Scholars – Social-Emotional Curriculum with Gifted and Talented Students, edited by Joyce VanTassel-Baska, Ed.D., Tracy L. Cross, Ph.D., and F. Richard Olenchak, Ph.D. (Prufrock Press)

Education in Action’s 2009-2010 Call for Outstanding Student Nominations

Nominate your outstanding 5^th-8^th graders to join delegations of distinguished students from across the state of Texas at the Lone Star Leadership Academy, a weeklong, TEKS-based, experiential leadership development program to Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin or Houston/Galveston during spring break* and summer.  The Lone Star Leadership Academy provides opportunities for students to experience grade level curriculum during visits to historically, politically, scientifically and environmentally significant sites with a focus on leadership throughout.  Participants must be in 5^th-8^th grade, maintain an 85 or higher average, be active in school and/or community activities and receive an educator recommendation (your nomination) based on demonstrated leadership ability.  There is no limit to the number of students you may nominate as long as they meet the eligibility requirements.  For more information visit www.educationinaction.org or call 817-562-4957.

Nominations may be made online at http://www.educationinaction.org/~eiatx84/educators/nominations.php.

FALL NOMINATION DEADLINE:  FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2009.

Resource for Parents

Parents can visit https://natureneedsofgtstudents.wikispaces.com/ to learn more about learners with gifts and talents.

Week of September 28

Session 1:  Spring Hill and Copperfield students evaluate the differences between life/occupations of the Renaissance and the modern world; Fate Card #1.  Timmerman students begin/continue robotics unit.

Session 2:  All students will develop strategies for speaking to teachers about their educational needs; Math Pentathlon games  Calla (grade 1), Par 55 and Sum Dominoes & Dice (grades 2-3), and Contig 60 (grades 4-5).

New Resources for Students

Investing for Kids http://efinancedirectory.com/article_directory/Investing_for_Kids.html What are Exchange Traded Funds? What is the difference between a spread and a bid? What do banks do with the money that you deposit and what does the FDIC have to do with it? How is coin and paper money really made? What is the difference between CDs and bonds? Features on this Web site include kid-friendly tips on avoiding identity theft, the basics of investing, how to create a budget, and how the stock market works.

The Smithsonian for Students http://smithsonianeducation.org/students If the movie Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian whetted your appetite to learn more about the Smithsonian Museum collection, then this site will get you even more excited about the museum’s 142 million objects, including everything from fossils to tapestries. On this site you will find profiles of our nation’s presidents, a “Walking on the Moon” Apollo 11 mission page, and some of the Smithsonian’s collections as well as tips for starting your own collection. The Secrets of the Smithsonian features behind-the-scenes secrets such as the history of the Hope Diamond and even spiders in space!

Willard Wigan Micro Sculptures http://www.willard-wigan.com/default.aspx Read about this artist who creates sculptures of such small proportions that you need a microscope to see them. Each piece typically sits within the eye of a needle or on a pinhead. As a creative outlet to deal with dyslexia at school, Willard started making minute pieces of art from the age of 5. This site features a gallery of his work, including replicas of the Statue of Liberty, Tutankhamen, and Marilyn Monroe.

The Berenstain Bears http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/berenstainbears This Web site features all of the Berenstain Bears books. Students can browse through short descriptions of all of them, find out more information on how to purchase them, and check out a section on new releases. In the activities section, you’ll find an interactive coloring game, a “Money Matters” presentation, coloring sheets, and more.

Classics for Kids http://www.classicsforkids.com Do you know students who are interested in composing their own music? Who want to know more about the different instrument families? Who need to get those musical periods down once and for all? If so, then this Web site is for them. Students can search composers by musical period, by country, or browse for a particular composer on a timeline. One link allows visitors to listen to entire movements of famous pieces by Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Mendelssohn, and more. A musical dictionary might come in handy for those cryptic musical terms. There also are games to play, including Compose Your Own Music and Rockin’ Rhythm Master.