Center for Talent Development Spring 2011

Saturday Enrichment Program
April 9th through May 21st
Courses for academically talented students in PreK through 9th grade
Northwestern University Center for Development will soon be beginning there Spring Sessions.
The Saturday Enrichment Program application is only avalable online or by calling to ask for an application to be mailed to you.
Contact Information:
www.ctd.northwestern.edu/sep.
or
e-mail at, sep@northwestern.edu
or
by phoning, 847/491-3792, extension 4

Third Grade

Students have just completed reading a short, but powerful book called, "The Green Book" and will now be using their creative thinking skills to make boardgames based off of the book. The Green Book is a story of a group of people who need to leave Earth and travel to a distant planet that they will colonize as their own. It is a story of survival, friendship and more. The activity of game making incorporates learning concepts in the fields of math, science, social studies, and language arts, along with some physical challenges. In fact, games have proven to be an effective learning tool for kids who have had difficulty with other more traditional, learning methods. We incorporate the category of "Synthesis" from Bloom's Taxonomy of having the students create a new game from their knowledge of the story they have just completed reading and discussing.

Race To Nowhere

Race to Nowhere

IPPA PTA is hosting a screening of a film highlighting the high-stakes, high-pressure culture that has invaded our schools. Q&A session to follow the screening. See this website for more information on the film: www.racetonowhere.com

February 24th at 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
WVHS Auditorium
Tickets are available at this link: www.rtnwaubonsiehs.eventbrite.com
Ticket prices are $10 online and $15 at the door, both prices at the discretion of the film distributor.

Questions on this event should be directed to ippa.pta@gmail.com

Project Arrow Testing

There will be NO Project Arrow Classes for students during the week of January 24th through to January 28th, so that I may conduct testing on students who may be eligible for Project Arrow next year. Testing takes place this week and next week for first grade and only this week for second, third and fourth grade students. Fourth and fifth grade students have projects that they can work on in their classroom. Third grade students just completed a writing assignment and will begin a novel study when they return to class. Second grade students can work on their project, as well as, an adjective worksheet packet we have been discussing. Classroom teachers will also have an opportunity to work with students, differentiating where they see fit.

Second Grade Project

Second Grade Project Arrow students have been discussing "Language" and how we communicate. Students currently have a project where they are learning how our language has changed over the years. Even in the short time they have been alive, words they used when they were a baby to communicate to you what their wants were, and words they use today to communicate the same thing.
In class students are creating self portraits using only words, adjectivies to be exact, that describe a little about who they are.

Research Project

Fourth Grade PA students are currently working on "Real World" problems, at least that affect them! Students will need to interview and survey, parents, teachers, children and others, as well as, research problems. Then write a report and come back to class to report their findings.

Some of the topics being researched are:

At what age should children get their own cell phones?
Should fourth grade students have a set bedtime on the weekends?
Should elementary schools have a uniform policy?
Should our schools lunch and recess time be extended?
Should students have to wear a seatbelt on a school bus?

So don't be surprised if your child begins questioning you or handing you a survey to complete.

Project Arrow Testing

During the weeks of January 24th through to February 4th I will be testing students in the building for next years Project Arrow participation. There will be no Project Arrow classes during the week of January 24th. Classes will resume the following week.