Welcome to QUEST

What is QUEST? QUEST is the Lauderdale County School District’s Gifted Program.

State Mandated: The Mississippi Gifted Education Act mandates that each public school provide gifted programs for I.G. students in grades 2-6. It is discretionary for school districts to provide other gifted services such as art gifted.

Our Mission Statement: To inspire gifted students to Question, Understand, Explore, and Serve the world around them, as well as Think using their given capabilities.

Our Philosophy: To prepare our gifted children to assume their place as active, contributing members of an interdependent, complex, and global community.

Our Program’s Purpose: Provide a qualitatively different educational experience not available in the regular classroom. Ensure that gifted children are offered an appropriate education based on their abilities and potential contributions to self and society. - Mississippi Department of Education Regulations for the Gifted Education Program, 2006

Definitions of Giftedness: Mississippi’s Definition: Those who have an exceptionally high degree of intelligence as documented through the identification process. Federal Definition: Those who give evidence of high achievement capability in areas such as intellectual, creative, artistic, leadership, or in specific academic fields, and who need services and activities not ordinarily provided by the school in order to fully develop those capabilities.

Characteristics of Giftedness: Reasons well (good thinker) Learns rapidly Extensive vocabulary Excellent memory Long attention span (if interested) Sensitive (feelings hurt easily) Shows compassion Perfectionist Intense Morally sensitive Strong curiosity Perseverant when interested High degree of energy Prefers older companions/adults Wide range of interests Great sense of humor Early or avid reader Concerned with justice/fairness Judgment mature for age at times Keen observer Vivid imagination Highly creative Tends to question authority Shows ability with numbers Good at jigsaw puzzles

But… I.G. students may not be high academic achievers for a variety of reasons. It is not reasonable to expect I.G. students, by virtue of having been granted a gifted eligibility ruling, to make all A’s and B’s. Intellectually Gifted is not the same as Academically Gifted.

For Example: Einstein was four years old before he could speak and seven before he could read. When Thomas Edison was a boy, his teachers told him he was too stupid to learn anything. A newspaper editor fired Walt Disney because he had "No good ideas“. Winston Churchill failed the sixth grade.

Gifted Services: IG students in grades 2-6 participate in a pull out enrichment program for a minimum of 5 hours per week. Mississippi has developed regulations, standards, outcomes, and process skills that are used to guide what we teach. They can be found at www.mde.k12.ms.us.

Gifted Procedures: By law, students cannot be kept from coming to their gifted class to make up work or tests, finish class work, or to be punished for misbehavior in the regular classroom. Students cannot be given class work as homework on the days that he/she participates in QUEST. Gifted students shall be held accountable for demonstrating mastery of concepts and information on regularly scheduled tests.

Gifted Procedures: On report cards, students will receive an “E” for excellent progress, a “S” for satisfactory progress, a “NI” for needs improvement, or an “U” for unsatisfactory progress. In addition to report cards, your child brings home a QUEST folder with daily evaluations and information. Please check this folder. Feel free to contact us with any questions, comments, or concerns.

Gifted Procedures: The majority of our class work and projects will be kept in the classroom. There will be a district-wide exhibit at the end of the school year in which our work will be displayed. Information on the units of study and projects we are working on will be sent in the QUEST folders. You are also welcome to visit our classrooms to see what is going on!

If WE don’t stand up for Mississippi’s brightest students, Who will ? Become an advocate! Gifted children are the only exceptional learners not protected under federal law for a free and appropriate public education. Gifted children are at a greater risk for underachievement. Many gifted children have mastered 35-50% of the school curriculum before their school year begins. America’s top students do not perform well when compared with their counterparts around the world. If WE don’t stand up for Mississippi’s brightest students, Who will ?

Parent Resources: There are several books available for check out in room 502 concerning parenting gifted students. Online Resources… NEE’s gifted website www.neequest.webs.com National Association for Gifted Children www.nagc.org Mississippi Association for Gifted Children http://magcweb.org/