If you need to get in touch with me, feel free to contact me Mondays through Fridays at Lufkin Road Middle School:Email: mchristesen@wcpss.net
Phone: (919) 363-1072
I look forward to working with you.
Mirka Christesen, Ph.D.
MAY YOU HAVE A VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING WHEREVER YOU MAY BE!
ATTENTION 7th GRADE TIP STUDENTS!
Registration Deadline for SAT Extended
Good news! The online enrollment deadline for January SAT and February ACT testing has been extended to 12/7/09. The paper application postmark deadline for these dates is now 11/13/09. (Enrollment for a December test date has passed.)
Duke TIP's philosophy on preparation for the SAT at the middle school age:
"Talent Search testing is diagnostic in nature; unnecessary anxiety is often the only obvious result from some preparation programs. It is sufficient preparation to be familiar with the structure of the test and guessing strategies as they are presented and to complete the practice test provided. This testing experience does not have a pass or fail component. Along with other academic indicators such as grades, it can provide additional information for parents to evaluate."
If you wnat to have access to more SAT infoarmation, go to: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/prep_one/prep_one.html
All DEP's and DCP's went home with AG students from September 21st - October 12th, 2009. Please keep these two types of forms (Differentiated Education Plan and Differentiated Course Plan) at home for your records. Annual review will occur in the second semester.
I. ATTENTION * DUKE University TIP!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's an honor.
TIP = Talent Identification Program for 7th graders
Congratulate your 7th grader if he/she received an invitation to take the SAT or ACT in December 2009 or in January 2010. SAT is the preferred test of the two by colleges in this area, and the January date is recommended. TIP invitations and materials went to teams September 2nd - 4th.
According to the DUKE guidelines, any 7th grader who scored 95% or higher on recent EOG's may register. The instructions on how to do so are in the letter, together with further information, which can be found in the enclosed flyer.
Science/Math Enrichment - www.science-house.org
Students seaking enrichment in Science and Math, check out the IMHOTEP series of sessions starting on October 3rd, 2009 at NCSU. IMHOTEP ACADEMY.
What: Focus on Math, Science and Technology
Dates: October 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31 = Saturdays
Time: 8:45 AM - 1:00 PM
Place: NCSU Science House, Raleigh
Cost: $125
Registration Deadline: September 1, 2009
Enrollment: 36 places maximum
Mandatory Family Orientation on Tue, 9/24/09
*************WELCOME to rising 6th graders!
If you were AG in elementary school, you are automatically AG in middle school. The services look different, though. There are no pull-outs in middle school. Teachers differentiate instruction in many different ways. Math comes in two levels. Advanced Math is for AG students with a strong level of service. Moderates may be served in either 6th Grade Math or Advanced Math.
For more information and Enrichment Opportunities at Lufkin: see II and III below.
Students may access Media Center resources from home. From the school website, click on the Media Center tab and then choose Research Links OR copy and paste this link into your browser to go directly to the Research Links page: http://lufkinroad.wcpss.net/media_center/researchlinks.htm
Lufkin Road Middle School serves about 490 academically gifted students this year. In accordance with the Wake County Public School System Academically Gifted Program, Lufkin teachers strive "to provide an appropriately challenging program for students who perform, or show potential for performing, at remarkably high levels of accomplishment when compared to others of their age, experience or environment."
Students identified as Strong or Very Strong in Language Arts are clustered for instruction with the emphasis in Language Arts on development of creative and critical thinking skills to improve reading comprehension, literary analysis, and composition.
Students identified as Strong or Very Strong in Math are enrolled in specific courses in the mathematics sequence so that they may complete Algebra I and/or Geometry prior to high school. These advanced-level courses are designated to develop conceptual understanding and abstract reasoning in mathematics.
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III. ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES AT LUFKIN
A. BATTLE OF THE BOOKS - for readers with good memory for details
B. Newbery Club - for avid readers interested in critiquing new books
C. MATH COUNTS and AMERICAN MATH COMPETITION - for those seeking challenge in math
D. ART CLUB - for the artists
E. DRAMA CLUB/PLAY/MUSICAL - for the actors and actresses
and many other clubs
IV. ANNUAL OPPORTUNITIES BEYOND OUR SCHOOL
A. TIP (TALENT IDENTIFICATION PROGRAM) - FOR 7TH GRADERS who scored at least 95% on recent EOG's - taking SAT OR ACT (SAT is preferred)- SAT Prep. sessions at Lufkin in the fall.
B. IMHOTEP - www.science-house.org - program of NCSU for middle school students interested in Math, Science, and Technology; registration online; $100 The form must be sent to NCSU with a check after computer registration.
C. After-school community activities for teens:
For information on Teen Scene programs, please call Cindi King at the Herbert C. Young Community Center at (919) 460-4965 or visit www.townofcary.org under Recreation & Entertainment. Here is a sample of activities offered each year: Jam Fest, Dances, Movie Night, Ropes Course After Dark, Haunted Hayride, Band Night, Ski-Wintergreen, Earrings for Valentines, etc. Browse classes online at www.classweb.townofcary.org.
D. SUPER SATURDAY
Learning Enrichment Classes for K-8 Children
For a complete list of classes and registration form, go to www.PAGEpage.org and click on "Super Saturday."
You may also contact Barb Fair, Page President, at barbsf16@thefairs.org or 380-1329. Cost for PAGE membership is $15.00 per year. There will be a Super Saturday in the spring.
E. Duke University Scholar Weekends - www.tip.duke.edu
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V. SOURCES OF INFORMATION ON/FOR THE ACADEMICALLY GIFTED:
A. PAGE NEWS!!!(Partners for the Advancement of Gifted Education)
For More Information on all events: Visit www.pagepage.org or email us at info@PAGEpage.org. Email: info@pagepage.org
B. National Society for the Gifted & Talented website at www.nsgt.org.
C. Duke GIFTED LETTER, a newsletter for parents of Gifted Children,
available at www.tip.duke.edu.
D. Summer Camps
http://www.wakefieldtheatre.net/Summer.html
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VI. HOMEWORK
A. Can parents help an adolescent child if they do not know the subject matter taught in school? Certainly! How? I recommend the following web site: http://academicresources.org/learning.html
B. Homework Trouble
There may be one of the two causes.Read below:
Question from a parent:
I am having a hard time getting my gifted child into the habit of doing his homework. This is his first year in "middle school" and he has habitually avoided his assignments. Now he has "A" grades in classwork but a "D" or "F" in homework, which brings down his entire GPA. I'm worried that his disinterest in homework now will continue and affect his future academic endeavors. How can I convince him that homework is not a "waste of time?
Expert's Answer: (Ask the Gifted and Talented Expert
Summer Institute for the Gifted)
First you need to assess whether or not the homework is a waste of time. In many cases, homework provides a way for students to practice skills and processes that they have learned during class time. This practice can be worthwhile for those who need it. It sounds like your son is mastering the work assigned during class and he may rightly feel that doing more of what he already knows is a waste of his time. If you find that this is the case, you should address the problem with his school. It could well be that he needs different homework that is more challenging and more individualized to his academic interests. He might be asked to pursue the assigned topic at more complex or more advanced levels, or he may be able to substitute projects that excite him more than the regular assignment.
If, on the other hand, you find that the homework being assigned is appropriate, there are a couple of approaches you might take. 1/You may want to do some goal-setting with him to help him see what logical consequences there can be when students do not fulfill their expectations; 2/you might try a reward system for goals achieved; 3/you might engage in discussions about why he is not doing his homework and address his concerns, or 4/ you might just want to be patient and see if this is something that will change as he gets older. Sometimes, as students enter high school, they become engaged in courses and activities that are more specialized to their interests and homework is no longer an issue.
Barbara Swicord
V.P. of Academics
Summer Institute for the Gifted
I agree with the above, except for #4. In my long-year experience with students, just waiting for a miraculous change is not productive. You want to at least discuss the homework situation with your child and introduce consequences/rewards.
Mirka Christesen
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VII. Competitions
A. Essay Writing
Laws of Life - NC Essay Contest
Cash and savings bonds ($500, $250 and $150) are awarded to the top three finishers in the middle school division. Students are free to choose their own law of life, an experience, lesson or principle they have learned and recommend to others to live by.
Length: no more than 1.200 words, typed, double spaced,
___________________________________
B. Poetry Writing
Check out http://www.ncarts.org for poems by North Carolina writers (changing weekly), books by NC poets (changing monthly), online discussions of NC poetry, and online writing workshops. For more info. contact Literature Director of the NC Arts Council, Debbie McGill, at debbie.mcgill@ncmail.net.
C. Special Contests and Community Service Opportunities: For more informations see: newsobserver.com/nie.
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VIII. Books
A. For AG Parents:
Gifted Children: Myths and Realities, by Ellen Winner
The Survival Guide for Parents of Gifted Kids, by Sally Yahnke Walker
Bringing Out the Best, by Jacquelyn Saunders
Keys to Parenting the Gifted Child, by Sylvia B. Rimm, Ph.D.
The Many Faces of Giftedness: Lifting the Mask, by Alexinia Baldwin
Growing Up Gifted: Developing the Potential of Children at Home and at School, by Barbara Clark
B. For AG Children
The Gifted Kids Survival Guide; For Ages 10 and Under, by Judy Galbraith
Coping for Capable Kids: Strategies for Students, Parents, and Teachers, by Leonora Cohen and Erica Frydenber
IX. INTERESTING WEBSITES FOR AG STUDENTS AND PARENTS
A. Website Brainchild.com offers testing opportunities for students who want to practice for EOG's or other tests at their grade levels.
B. EOG REVIEW PRACTICE: Review Sample End-of-Grade Test Questions
http://lufkinroad.wcpss.net
C. www.PAGEpage.org
D. Technology skills - robotics, etc.: www.internalDrive.com
E. Books on Gifted Education Website: www.giftedbooks.com
F. "Star Sites for Vocabulary Development" recommended by AG Office of Wake County
:
Vocabulary University: www.vocabulary.com
(-used in home-schooling and as preparation for SAT/ACT)
Focusing on Words: www.wordfocus.com
Illustrated Vocabulary: www.wordphiles.com
Top 100 words: www.kaptest.com/repository
A Year's Worth of Words: cctc2.commnet.edu
5000 Collegiate:www.freevocabulary.com
www.ncpublicschools.org/schoolimprovement/effective/resources/
Algebra, Geometry, and Much More Math Website:
http://mathforum.org/library/topics/geometry/
A. SIG website (Summer Institute for the Gifted): http://www.giftedstudy.com/Summer Studies
B. Educational Opportunity Guide,published by Duke University Talent Identification Program. It informs about the numerous Summer Study opportunities for AG middle school students offered across our state - in Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Asheville, Boone, Cedar Mountain, and Charlotte.
C. www.internalDrive.com - Technology summer camps at Chapel Hill
At our summer programs, we offer various courses that are of interest to Gifted and Talented students. Courses include website design, digital video production, video game creation, programming & robotics and more. Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, Canon, HP and others have partnered with iD Tech Camps to raise the bar in technology education.
D. Camp information for students interested in drama is online at: www.wakefieldhs.net/arts/theatre
E. For 8th Grade Students/Rising 8th Graders Only:
*** Enterpreneurs & Science Week-long Workshops for High School Teens: http://www.contemporarysciencecenter.org/pages/3/index.htm
F. For Rising 9th Graders
NC State Teen Writers' Workshop (fiction writing)
June, Cost: $125
G. Raleigh Latin High School,
1120 Sawmill Road; $450; More info. at 848-8334.
H. Russian Summer Courses for Wake County students at Enloe High
Levels I and II; http://enloehs.wcpss.net/summerschool
Teacher: Richard Uzzell ruzzell@wcpss.net
I. A great possibility for high school students: University of Cambridge, England, summer course: www.cambridgeUK.org
Got raving reviews from one of LUFKIN teachers whose son participated in the propgram.
J. Music, engineering, drama, design, and other summer programs offered at colleges for middle and high school students.
A directory of college preparation programs in NC is available: http://itom1.appstate.edu/kiefertat/PrecollegeDirectory/index.cfm
K. SCIENCE CAMP for Middle School Girls at Saint Mary's
www.saint-marys.edu or call: (919)424-4020(Hesta Monday)
L. Raleigh: NCSU - Young Writers' Workshop, non-residential, grades 4-8, Cost: $200, Contact: (919) 515-4128, Daun Daemon, Director
M. WILMINGTON: UNCW - MarineQuest Summer Camps, ages 12-13 for Coast Trek and Coast Trek-AG or 14-15 for Ocean Lab and Ocean Lab-AG Cost: $485, Contact: Marine Quest, (910) 962-2386,
E-mail: marinequest@uncw.edu; Web site: http://www.encw.edu/marinequest.
N. Durham: Duke University - Duke Young Writers' Camp /Grades: Rising 7- 12, Cost: $1,565
Contact: (919) 684-6259, E-mail: youth@duke.edu
Web sit: http://www.learnmore.duke.edu/youth
O. Durham: Duke TIP Summer Studies Programs- June-July (three-week sessions)Grades: Rising 8-11; Contact:(919) 668-9100, Email: information@tip.duke.edu
Web site: http://www.tip.duke.edu
P. Durham: Duke TIP Independent Learning - year-round, Cost: $29.95-89.95 (plus shipping and handling)The same contact address as above.
Q. Stanford University, CA - Summer Opportunity for AG students; Education Program for Gifted Youth (EPGY); more at http://epgy.stanford.edu/msp
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