1. FUTURA Please Sign In On front table
Developing the Intellect through Inquiry and Investigation
Show this slide as people enter.
Structures - Fall 2016

2. Meet Mr. Charlish This is me!
Ms. Chona – translator for tonight and school bookeeper
My name is Steven Charlish and I am so excited to be joining the Forest Grove Team this year!
I have been a teacher in the county for the past ten years, and have been teaching in various places around the world for the past twenty!
I was born in England, just outside of London and then moved to the west of England to study education. Before coming to the United States in 2006 I had been teaching third through fifth grade at schools in the city of Bristol in the west of England. I was also lucky enough to teach in New Zealand and Nicaragua.
I graduated with honors from Bath Spa University earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Creative English and Studies of Childhood with Qualified Teacher Status. Since then I have earned my Masters in Education from Shenandoah University, and my endorsement in gifted education. I am currently studying to earn my certificate in educational leadership. What can I say, I love learning!
Outside of school I am an avid football (soccer) and I am beginning to understand many American sports, such as baseball. I enjoy playing golf, traveling and generally anything that can help me be outside!

3. Meet the Administration
Assistant Principal: Shaniqua Medley
Principal:
Shontel Simon

4. Forest Grove FUTURA Center Schedule
Serving:
Monday- Guilford and Sully 4th and 5th
Tuesday- Forest Grove, 4th Grade
Wednesday- Forest Grove, 5th Grade
Thursday- Sterling 4th and 5th Grade
Friday- Rolling Ridge 4th and 5th Grade

5. FUTURA Goals #1 To become divergent creative thinkers who recognize
problems and solve them.
#2 To construct personal meaning and
understanding of others
and of the world around them.
FUTURA Goals:
#1 To become divergent creative thinkers who recognize problems and solve them.
#2 To construct personal meaning and understanding of others and of the world around them.
#3 To develop the capacity for self assessment. (ownership of the learning)
Main Skills
Complex Thinking Skills
Research Skills
Independent Learning Skills
Interactive Skills
Additional Skills
Creative Expression
Affective Education and Leadership
THINKING & ACADEMIC RIGOR:
Experiences Qualitatively Different Academic Environments (More In-Depth, Complex and Abstract Concepts and Ideas)
Builds Upon Interests, Strengths, and Personal Goals
Engages Consistently in Sophisticated Investigations of Materials, Texts, Interactive Technologies and Learning Activities
Employs Advanced Critical and Creative Processes
Investigative and Open-Ended Learning Processes
#3 To develop the capacity for self
assessment. (ownership of the learning)

6. Expectations Involvement Collaboration Ownership Problem Solving
Involvement in active learning
Development and use of planning strategies
Utilization of problem solving techniques
Application of core content learning to projects and products
Flexibility and critical thinking
Collaboration with fellow students
Perseverance and task commitment
Maintenance of proper classroom decorum
Students will sign the FUTURA honor code, which we go back to time and time again
Passion: Feeling very strongly about a subject
I will find a new passion for some of the topics we study, and become excited to learn more about them. Being an active participant in all we do will open up some new interests for me.
Faith: A belief in the trustworthiness of an idea
I will have faith in my abilities. Things in FUTURA will be challenging, but if I set my mind to it, I can do it! It is important to persevere at difficult tasks.
Work Ethic: A set of values based on the virtues of hard work and diligence
I am expected to work hard in FUTURA all the time, giving my best effort no matter what I am working on.
Sportsmanship: Conformance to the rules, spirit, and etiquette of sport
In FUTURA I will work with many different people. I am expected to cooperate and collaborate with fellow students and teachers, maintaining a positive attitude.

7. Take risks, make mistakes..
Growth Mindset – Carol Dweck
In a fixed mindset, people believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits. They spend their time documenting their intelligence or talent instead of developing them. They also believe that talent alone creates success—without effort. They’re wrong.
In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment. Virtually all great people have had these qualities.

8. Who had a fabulous struggle today?
Mistakes are a natural part of learning, it is what happens when you take on challenges.
Children often say “I never tried anything I can’t do.” They say it so often that it becomes part of the personality. When they are finally challenged and fail this experience can be devastating. In FUTURA this year we are going to be encouraging mistakes and celebrating them, we want to use them and our failures to help us learn.

9. Structures: Discover The Essential Understandings
meet the needs of the designer /user.
provide frameworks.
are self-supporting.
can be modified.
are a meaningful arrangement of elements.

10. Possible Topics Under Structures
History of Architecture
Concepts in Architecture
Structures in Nature
Manmade Structures
Structure of Language: Stories, Speaking, Writing, Acting
Mathematics of Structures
Physics of Structures
Aesthetics of Structures
(All subject areas are integrated within these topics)

11. Independent Interest Centers
Satisfy curiosities
Develop tenacity
Foster independence
Goals:
To provide FUTURA students with opportunities to both satisfy and elicit their intense curiosity.
Provide real world application of knowledge and interactions with the thinking of professionals within the field of interest or topic.
FUTURA students have the opportunity to choose activities based on interest and learning style while working at their own individual pace.
Encourage independent thinking, risk-taking, creative and critical thinking.
Students learn task commitment and time management skills.
Reflect on individual accomplishments and set goals.
Some possible center topics: Art, Strategy Games, Geometry, Medieval Times, Immigration, Titanic, Wordplay, Newspapers, and more….

12. Assessments 1st Skill 2nd 1 2 3 4 5 6 S T Goal Setting
Given the opportunity, the student does not demonstrate this skill
Attempts to set goals but unable to meet them
Sets appropriate goals and works to meet them with guidance
Independently sets appropriate goals and works to meet them
Independently sets and meets appropriate goals
Independently sets and meets appropriately challenging goals
Formal Assessments are given at the end of each semester.
(late January and June)
Informal Assessments are ongoing. These will be in your child’s FUTURA binder with major projects/centers work.
Students are often asked to complete self-assessments prior to teacher evaluation of various products. This allows them to reflect on their learning and make comments/suggestions prior to another’s evaluation.
Have a copy of the assessment to hand out to parents at event.

13. Our Typical Day Interest Centers Structures Curriculum
Enrichment
Lunch and Recess
Recess usually at 10:30
Lunch is at 12:15
Return to base school at 1:45
Students are transported by bus from their home school to and from Forest Grove Elementary.

14. Your Attendance Is Important To Us!
Please call both
your home school and
Forest Grove
Students don’t get to opt in and out of FUTURA. FUTURA Attendance Policy!!! (new)
If there is an issue at the home school (special event, stressed out about work) please let us know so we can intervene
If your child is going to be late to school, please drive him or her to FUTURA center and our office will alert the base school when your child arrives
Tardy? Bring your child directly to FUTURA, not base school.

15. Hungry?
Students may bring their lunches from home or buy at the FUTURA center.
The lunch account is connected to your child’s base school. Please make sure your child has money on his/her account if he/she plans to buy lunch when at FUTURA.
Please send your child with a nutritious, nut-free, mid-morning snack.
Lunch Time is 12:15

16. Communication Binder FUTURA News Completed Assignments and Graded
Rubrics
FUTURA News

17. Gifted Information Night @ Sully Elementary Tues 27th
FUTURA Website
Gifted Information Sully Elementary Tues 27th

18. Required Forms at FUTURA
Emergency Form
Media Release/Acceptable Use Policy Form
Emergency form (comes from the home school)
Student rights and responsibilities form also includes Internet Access Form
Permission for Video Taping and Photograph Form.
Even though you signed one with your student’s first day packet we need our own at this center.
Emergency

19. Other Forms.. Gifted Information Night Remind Forms
Behavior Management
Growth Mindset Language

20. Medicines at FUTURA Treatment Plans Medications
Please speak to the school nurse

21. Make-Up Work Policy
2 Days to make up work
Let us know…

22. Worried? At Base School I have trouble getting them to understand me.
It’s hard to get along with kids my own age.
I don’t like being labeled “gifted” by kids.
I dislike being teased about being smart.
I don’t like it when somebody gives me the brush off for doing better than they do.
I have trouble coping with the way peers act. Sometimes they seem so slow to learn.
I think I should be the leader because I know more. Sometimes, I’m bossy, and my friends don’t like it.
It can be hard for me to work in a group because I want the work to be perfect.
Sometimes I think I know more than the teacher.
I am scared to fail
At FUTURA
Status change
Too many leaders
Missing base school
Make up work
Overcoming academic challenge

23. Withdrawals or Changes in Placement
If, for any reason, a student needs to withdraw from the program, a parent conference will be scheduled. There is a form to be filled out, signed and returned to your child’s SEARCH teacher or us, and we will forward it to the GT office. Your child may choose to opt back in at any time beginning the NEXT school year.
Mention FUTURA Attendance Policy: 4 absences = possible conference

24. Parent Concerns/Conferences
Forest Grove Elementary
Best times to call:
7:30-8:00 am
2:00-2:20 pm
Hand out the forms for using remind.
(best option)
Remind

25. Thanks for coming out tonight!