February in GT

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR PARENTS OF STUDENTS WHO WILL COMPLETE FOURTH OR FIFTH GRADE IN JUNE.... There is going to be an awesome opportunity for your child to take part in Adventure Camp at Dubiski High School this summer! This will take place in MarketPlace and sounds like it is going to be super! Stay tuned for more information. Sign up's will begin in April.

GT Update...

Second grade students have finished researching their rare animals of Japan. They are currently working on their technology presentations! These experts on Hondo Stoats, Japanese Macaques, and Puffer Fish will soon be sharing their knowledge with a real live audience!

Third graders are engrossed in A Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. This is always a favorite read! They are writing letters as pen pals with Despereaux the mouse in their journals. It is amazing how quickly Federal Express can get our letters back and forth from Grand Prairie to Despereaux's castle! This week they will write "I Am" poems from the perspective of a character, object, or place (personification) from the book. "Different Points of View" is one of the elements of depth and complexity that we address in GT class regularly. It requires higher level thinking, for sure!

Fourth grade GT students at Whitt are exploring the mysterious world of enigmas. An enigma is a puzzling mystery that has not yet been solved. Each day the students gather their research folders and we head to the library where encyclopedias, websites, and nonfiction books fill their heads with information about their chosen enigmas. Of course, there are still so many UNANSWERED QUESTIONS!

Fifth graders are reading a Newberry award winner entitled Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry. The story of the Boy Who Was Afraid has us on the edges of our seats. Will Mafatu prove through his journey to a distant island that he is deserving of the name Stout Heart after all?