We would like to thank each of you for welcoming us into your schools this year. We have been very busy coordinating Salem’s Gifted Program activities across the grade levels. We have especially enjoyed coming into the classrooms, and assisting teachers in their planning of differentiated instruction as well as working with the students in a variety of settings.
We have already started our in-school, before-school, after-school, and Saturday workshop sessions offering our identified gifted students an array of opportunities to explore topics such as Drama, Geometry, Painting, and Literature to name several.
This year we will continue providing our Identified Gifted Elementary Students with multiple opportunities to explore foreign languages and culture. All of our identified gifted elementary students have the option of studying a foreign language online through Rosetta Stone. Languages they can choose from include Spanish, French, German, Russian, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, and Japanese. We are also offering our Identified Gifted Elementary Students an Introductory Series of Workshops exploring the Russian Language and Culture with a professor at Roanoke College who is from the Ukraine. These workshops will be held at Salem High School.
We are expanding our use of the online Renzulli Learning Systems which puts our identified gifted students in touch with engaging individualized resources specially chosen for their interest areas and learning styles. After a student’s account is activated, Renzulli Learning Systems, a web-based program can be utilized anywhere a student has internet access. For more information on this incredible program go to http://www.renzullilearning.com/default.aspx
All of our teachers also have access to Renzulli Learning Systems as well. Once logged in teachers can work with their identified gifted students on special projects within the site as well as search for differentiated teaching and learning activities for all of their students. If you would like to learn more about this, please contact us.
We are continuing to offer field trip opportunities to our Identified Gifted Elementary, Middle, and High School Students. In November, while parents are conferencing with their children’s teachers, our Identified Gifted Middle and High School Students will travel to the Taubman Museum of Art in downtown Roanoke and tour the museum as well as participate in a hands-on class interpreting and analyzing artwork from the museum. We are planning another field trip to the Taubman Museum of Art for our Elementary School Students to be held on our Parent Teacher Conference Day in February.
We will be available at the College Planning Series the High School Guidance Counselors have planned for juniors and seniors to answer questions and provide information on the college application process and opportunities available to enhance students’ portfolios as they consider what colleges they want to attend.
Thank you again for all of your support. Please let us know if we can assist you in any way. If you would like more information about the Gifted Programs in the City of Salem Public Schools System, please log on to the City of Salem Schools website, and look in the Central Office section under “Gifted and Talented,” or e-mail us.
There are also teacher resources available to you located on the G Drive in the Common Folder. Once here, open the “Gifted Resources” Folder.
“Genius without education is like silver in the mine.” Benjamin Franklin
Kind regards,
Amanda G. Gibson