There are students in the Middletown whose intellectual capacity, rate of learning and potential for creative contributions demand experiences apart from, but connected to, the regular classroom. The Middletown School District is committed to the belief that these gifted students require guidance in discovering, challenging, and realizing their potential. The emphasis of this program is to provide these students with experiences that allow them to develop their individual learning styles, to move through the curriculum at a more rapid pace, and to demonstrate higher levels of complex thought or performance. Our goals for gifted and talented education are:
- To provide each child with a differentiated, appropriate educational experience in order to help him/her achieve maximum potential
- To aid each child in understanding and coping more successfully with his/her unique talents and in demonstrating a positive regard for his/her own talents and contributions of others
- To assist each child in becoming self-disciplined and responsible for his/her class work and behavior
To make each year a positive learning experience for each child
Guidelines for the selection of gifted and talented students are in accordance with state law, based upon standards established by the Ohio State Department of Education. Gifted students are defined in the Ohio Revised Code (3324.01) as those who perform or show potential for performing at remarkably high levels of accomplishment when compared to others of their age, experience or environment. Students are identified on the basis of several different criteria. This process includes parent and/or teacher nominations and evaluations, a nationally normed test, portfolios and/or auditions. SELECTION FOR GATE: The following are used for gifted/talented identification, in accordance with Ohio House Bill 282: a nomination, an initial group ability or achievement test, a checklist, (and an audition in the talent areas only). For students who nearly reach the state-determined cut-off scores, another test may be given. Students are identified for placement into the gifted program through the following process: nomination by parents, teachers, administrators, peers, community, and/or self; screening through district-wide aptitude and achievement tests or auditions; and selection and placement.
Students with outstanding intellectual and creative abilities require specially designed instruction not ordinarily provided in the regular education classroom. The GATE program utilizes an interdisciplinary curriculum design approach. In this design, periodic units or courses of study deliberately bring together the full range of disciplines in the curriculum: language arts, math, social studies, science, the arts, music, and physical education.
Mind Matters – All students will participate in 45 minutes of integrated enrichment activities during their GATE day. Activities may include, but are not limited to art, thinking skills, problem solving and games. Spanish – Students in Communications, Creativity and Math/Science learn Spanish for 30 minutes each week. Technology & Thinking Skills – Students in Communications, Creativity and Math/Science spend 30 minutes each week engaged in a variety of opportunities designed to support the learning of the gifted and talented. These opportunities may include, but not limited to: technology applications (Microsoft Office, Garage Band) extension activities (class, unit or theme work) digital media – still and video camera usage games (board, card and/or online)
Mrs. Cheryl Ames – Creativity and Spanish Email: cames@middletowncityschools.comMrs. Dani Ortega /Interim Teacher – Mrs. Kellie Williams – Communications Email: kwilliams@middletowncityschools.com Mrs. Leslie Hicks – Music Email: hicks@middletowncityschools.com Mrs. Karen Kennedy - Art Email: kkennedy@middletowncityschools.com Ms. Laurie Wood - Math/Science Email: lwood@middletowncityschools.com Ms. Libby Birch – Specialist Email: ebirch@middletowncityschools.com Carolyn Mack - Coordinator Email: cmack@middletowncityschools.com
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