1. Welcome to Curriculum Night at Briarlake Elementary School!
This session: DISCOVERY
Instructors: Ms. Melissa McMillan
Ms. Tanya Fields
Moving Students Forward in the 21st Century

2. Gifted or not, we all have our moments. 

3. Words to live by…
Finish each day and be done with it.  You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can.  Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.  --Ralph Waldo Emerson
A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions. - Oliver Wendell Holmes
 Any activity becomes creative when the doer cares about doing it right, or doing it better.  
- John Updike

4. What is Discovery?
Discovery is the name given to the gifted program at the elementary level (grades 1-5) in the DeKalb County School System.
Discovery falls under the umbrella of Exceptional Education and is funded by the state.
Discovery is taught by a certified Teacher of the Gifted for a minimum of 225 minutes per week.

5. DeKalb County’s Gifted Program Goals
To bring gifted children together to experience a variety of challenging activities.
To support teachers in the area of educating gifted children.
To educate and support parents of the gifted.

6. Gifted Delivery Models
Resource Model- more commonly referred to as a “pull out” model where students are served for a minimum of 225 minutes per week by a certified Teacher of the Gifted. During this time, students experience interdisciplinary enrichment or extension activities.

7. Gifted Delivery Models
Cluster Grouping Model- ten or fewer identified gifted students served in a regular classroom setting by a certified Teacher of the Gifted.
Collaborative Model- gifted resource teacher collaborates and plans with the homeroom teacher to differentiate instruction for gifted students. The homeroom teacher delivers the instruction.

8. Qualifications for Gifted
In Dekalb, students are automatically tested for the gifted program in grades 1, 3, 5 and 7.
Students are given the CoGAT (a mental ability test) and the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (an achievement test) in October. The Renzulli is an assessment that measures creativity and motivation and is given in November.
Students testing into the gifted program must qualify in 3 out of the 4 areas of gifted- mental ability, achievement, creativity and motivation.

9. Qualifications for Gifted
These test scores are good for 2 years.
Students new to DeKalb County Schools in grades 2, 4 and 6 may be referred to the gifted program to receive testing.

10. Qualifications for Gifted
Mental Ability
Achievement
Creativity
Motivation
Minimum of 96% in at least one sub-test area (CogAT)
Minimum of 90% on the total reading, total math,
or complete composite (ITBS)
Minimum of 90% on an assessment for creativity (Renzulli)
Minimum of 90% on an assessment
for motivation (Renzulli)

11. Gifted Curriculum
The curriculum for Discovery at every grade level is the GPS, the Georgia Performance Standards.
Each interdisciplinary unit correlates to the Georgia Performance Standards for that grade level, and possibly, the grade level above.
Previous Units of Study- Interdependence, Money, Inventions, Chemistry, Life Cycles, Matter, Botany, Geology, Fables, Economics, Culture, Water and many more. Units typically last 4-6 weeks.

12. Curriculum Extras
*Social Studies Fair (for 5th grade; school fair by Dec. 3, county fair on Jan. 11) *Spelling Bee (school bee Dec. 17-Jan. 21; county bee Feb. 8) *Essay/Poetry/Art Contests (ongoing - see teacher websites) *Serendipity Summer Enrichment Program

13. 21st Century Skills Inventive Thinking
-Adapting and Managing Complexity
-Self-Direction
-Curiosity
-Risk Taking
-Higher Order Thinking and Sound Reasoning
Effective Communication
-Teaming and Collaborating
-Interpersonal Skills
-Personal Responsibility
-Social and Civic Responsibility
-Interactive Communication 13

14. 21st Century Skills High Productivity
-Prioritizing, Planning, and Managing for Results
-Effective Use of Real-World Tools
-Ability to Produce Relevant, High Quality Products 14

15. Grading System E = 100-90 S = 89-80 N = 79-70 U = 69 and below
Conduct S, N or U
40% - participation & classwork
30% - tests/quizzes
25% - projects
5% - homework

16. Classroom Management System
Our Classroom Agreements for
We agree to be polite and respectful to everyone at Briarlake.
We agree to be responsible- bring our supplies everyday, carry notes home, complete our work and PARTICIPATE.
We agree to follow directions the first time they are given.
We agree to raise our hand to speak.
We agree to respect personal space by keeping our hands, our feet and other objects to ourselves.
See Ms. Fields’ website for her slightly modified version of classroom rules.

17. Classroom Management System
Rewards
The last Friday of each month is Fun Friday. Students who have not had an action plan, phone call home for behavior or a visit to the office for that month may participate in Fun Friday.
Consequences
Verbal warning
Time Out/Action Plan
Phone call home
Office visit

18. 1st Grade Discovery- TBD
Discovery Schedule
McMillan
Fields
8:00-8:45
5th Grade Discovery
Taylor & Laster
Bouda
8:45-9:30
4th Grade Discovery
McDaniel & Rich
8:45-9:42
McLarty
(Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri)
9:30-10:15
3rd Grade Discovery
Francis & Cernoch
9:45-10:30
Davis/Pittman
10:15-11:00
2nd Grade Discovery
all classes
11:15-12:00
1st Grade Discovery- TBD
12:30-1:15
1st Grade Discovery TBD

19. Useful Websites
This is the DeKalb County School System web page for gifted.
Georgia Association for Gifted Children
National Association for Gifted Children
Ms. McMillan’s web page
Ms. Fields’ web page

20. Questions and Answers