Families of GATE students gathered for a social/support night to discuss the movie Shrek (PG-13) October 24 at 6:00 P.M. Participants met in the library to enjoy pizza and discuss the movie as an example of differentiated curriculum. It also gave parents a chance to form parent support systems which will be helpful in raising a GATE child. Students played ping pong in the MPR while parents met.

Windsor Middle School GATE Advisory Council new parent members are: Betsy Prestis - 8th grade

Bryan St. Amant - 7th grade

Mark Archambault - 6th grade

Todd Milliken - member at large

These parents represent the interests of families of GATE students in program guidance and funds disbursement at Windsor Middle School. The first meeting for this year is November 13. Contact them after that date with questions, requests, suggestions, and concerns about the GATE program.

Parents and teachers are encouraged to attend the CAG (California Association for the Gifted) in Santa Clara this spring. Reservation and cost information on the CAG website:

October 24 GATE Family Night WMS

6:00 P.M. Library

26-27 Parent/Teacher Institute

Oakland

November 13 WMS GATE Advisory

Council 3:30 P.M. Room D106

March 7-9 CAG Conference

Santa Clara

Parents of Windsor Middle School GATE students met in the WMS library September 24 for information about the district's new GATE plan presented by Principal Loren Barker, Counselor Debbie Olcott, and teacher Katherine Sterling This plan will be implemented over the next two years, guided by a Gate Advisory Council for each of the schools in the district. Parents were asked to apply for the four vacant positions on the council.

Louis Gonzalez, parent of a Windsor High School GATE student, spoke of opportunities available through the Johns Hopkins University program. Mr. Gonzales discussed entrance requirements and application procedures, as well as the exciting activities and benefits available for qualified candidates. Thank you to Mr. Gonzalez for his time and valuable information.

Other extended opportunities are available for WMS students, also. These were listed, and parents were asked to volunteer to coach and help implement others. Parents willing to volunteer are requested to contact Katherine Sterling or Debbie Olcott by phone or e-mail.

Andrea Nortz and Katherine Sterling presented sample lessons demonstrating differentiated curriculum in the areas of math and language arts.

Refreshments followed a question/answer session. Recommended reading materials and other resources were available for check-out and discussion.

Listed below are a number of books that are highly recommended for gifted students and their parents. Some of these titles were available for perusal at our first GATE parent meeting. I will be ordering the last book on the list, along with some other books for my own use. I am ordering through Paperbacks for Educators, an excellent resource for just about any book. They offer the lowest prices that I have seen, along with a 21% discount if you order on-line and use a credit card. Their web address is:
www.any-book-in-print.com. They also offer volume discounts for purchases of the same title. I would be happy to place an order for books if people are interested. Just e-mail me at dolcott@wusd.org.

- The Survival Guide for Parents of Gifted Kids...14.95
- Perfectionism What's Bad about Being Too Good?...12.95
- Fighting Invisible Tigers...12.95
- The Gifted Kids' Survival Guide--A Teen Handbook...15.95
- When Gifted Kids Don't Have all the Answers. How to Meet Their Social and Emotional Needs ...17.95

I would also like to recommend a visit to the California Association for the Gifted web site: www.cagifted.org. Not only does the site have all kinds of information and articles about gifted students and education, it also lists conferences and other educational opportunities for parents and students.

CAG - California Association for the Gifted web site:

www.cagifted.org

HOAGIES -social and emotional needs of gifted students:

www.hoagiesgifted.org/social_e

motional.htm

Debbie Olcott - dolcott@wusd.org

Katherine Sterling - ksterling@wusd.org

Extra curricular activities available for students this year include:

Odyssey of the Mind is an extra-curricular activity for students, designed to stimulate creative thinking and problem-solving skills while providing a team-building experience in a criticism-free environment. A team of 5 to 7 motivated and responsible students (helped by at least 2 adult coaches), solve open-ended problems, usually involving designing and building an object or vehicle or creating an original performance. Teams compete at an annual state-wide event, this year held at Redwood High in Visalia on April 5, 2003. Our new math teacher, Dan Cutler, is willing to provide a classroom for meetings and to mentor the adult coaches. Team meetings should start soon in order to be ready for the April 5, 2003 state-wide competition with the winning team going to the national competition. For more information see www.odysseyofthemind.com or a similar program called Destination Imagination at www.destinationimagination.org. Please contact Dan Cutler at dcutler@wusd.org. with additional questions or to sign-up.

Academic Pentathlon is open only to 8th graders. Academic Pentathlon is an academic competition for the middle schools of Sonoma County. A WMS team is formed when students sign up in December. Students compete in February and March. Students will take multiple choice quizzes in math, literature, and social studies. They will compose a short essay. As a final, they participate in a public quiz called the "Super Quiz." The preparation is fun, the competition is a "blast", and there are lots of awards given. Don Rasmussen is the coordinator for WMS. More in future GATE newsletters. Students should listen for announcements in the Daily Bulletin.

Three opportunities that could be of interest to your GATE student include Journalism (Yearbook), Student Leadership and AVID. These are year-long electives open only to 7th and 8th graders. It is anticipated that these electives will be available next year and students could select one of them when they make their elective selection in the spring.
Journalism (Yearbook) is currently taught by Mark Wayne who uses lots of digital tools to create the Yearbook. This class might interest a GATE student interested in computers, or talented in art or writing.
Student Leadership, currently taught by Andrea Nortz, provides leadership opportunities through-out the school year and access to wonderful leadership conferences held outside of the classroom.
AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is designed for the student who wants to achieve in school but who hasn't figured out how to do that. Emphasis is on organization, note taking, critical thinking and debate, and preparation for college. This class is open to any 8th grader, but space is limited. Students apply for a seat and student and parents sign an AVID contract. There are currently two AVID classes, one taught by Kelley Hunter and one by Katie Benavides

CJSF - California Junior Scholarship Federation. This is the middle school honor society affiliated with the California Scholarship Federation open to 7th and 8th graders. Membership in CJSF provides students with recognition for academic achievement. CJSF is run as a club with monthly or semi-monthly meetings. Meetings can include having a speaker, discussing ideas for school or community service projects, or planning a future event. Club members often serve as tour guides for new students. WMS' enrollment in CJSF lapsed last year. We need to re-activate WMS membership in CJSF, determine which students are qualified for CJSF based on last year's records, keep membership current (students re-apply based on each semester's grades) and make CJSF an active organization with interesting events. We need 2 to 3 adults to co-coordinate CJSF. Once up and running, CJSF students will elect officers so student leadership opportunities are available.

Cybersurfari is a computer search competition available throughout the entire year at http://www.cybersurfari.org Their Fall Contest started October 18th, 3:00 P.M. Eastern time. Students should be able to get to this site in the computer lab or in D106 at lunch.

Sailing Club/ Sea Scouts emphasize boating skills and safety. The club meets Tuesdays in D106 at lunch. Weekend and summer on-the-water activities are available for 8th grade boys and girls who are 14 years old through the Sea Scout program. Visit www.sssorion.org

Last year, GATE funds were used to partially fund two summer classes. Don Rasmussen taught a 9-day Tech class right after school got out. Mark Wayne taught a 2-week Web Design class starting July 1st. At this time, no summer enrichment classes are scheduled, but now would be the time for you and your student to discuss what enrichment classes might be of interest. Let us know your ideas via e-mail to:

ksterling@wusd.org

Young Inventors Awards Program - Invent a new tool or re-think an existing one. This science competition (sponsored by Craftsman and the National Science Teachers Association) is for children in grades 2 through 8. For more information see www.nsta.org/programs/craftsman <www.nsta.org/programs/craftsman> . Entry deadline is March 4, 2003. If your student applies, please inform your student's science teacher.

NASA Design - The Imagine Mars Project (sponsored by NASA and the National Endowment for the Arts) provides a framework for student teams to get ready for life on Mars. How do you do that? Think about the community around you, imagine a community on Mars and then create a visual/auditory representation of your Mars community. Go to www.ImagineMars.jpl.nasa.gov <www.ImagineMars.jpl.nasa.gov> for more information including a downloadable 64 page Program Guide. Adults interested in mentoring student Mission Specialists and interested students in any grade should contact WMS GATE coordinators.

Space Day 2003 is here! The new Design Challenges are here! This year, as the nation prepares to commemorate the Centennial of Flight in the coming year, Space Day 2003 - Celebrating the Future of Flight will honor the past 100 years of aviation and aerospace accomplishments while seeking to inspire the next generation of inventors, innovators, aviators and dreamers.
The Space Day 2003 . . . Celebrating the Future of Flight educational initiative is launching three new Space Day Design Challenges. These challenges are designed to inspire students in grades 4-8 to create innovative solutions to aviation and aerospace challenges. The three 2003 Design Challenges are:
1) Fly to the Future - This project challenges students to envision, design and build a model aircraft of the future. www.spaceday.com/en/designchallenge/teachers/challenge1.php
2) Planetary Explorers - Students design a model spacecraft that can fly on Earth and on another planet or moon in our solar system. www.spaceday.com/en/designchallenge/teachers/challenge2.php

3) Watt Power! - Students build a model aircraft that can remain airborne using a renewable energy source. www.spaceday.com/en/designchallenge/teachers/challenge3.php

Collaborative Resources: Assistance for teachers and their student teams to develop Design Challenges solutions are available online at www.spaceday.com/en/designchallenge/teachers/helper.php

The deadline for submission of Space Day Design Challenges solutions is March 3, 2003. Submissions received by this date will be considered for national recognition. "Stellar" Design Challenges teams will be selected from grades 4-5 and 6-8 by the Space Day Educational Advisory Committee and recognized at the Space Day Opening Ceremony on May 1, 2003 in Washington, D.C.

In other Space Day news, schools are now being accepted for the 2003 Student Signatures in Space (S3) Program! For more information, please visit:
astronomylinks.com/s3overview.htm


So many students are eligible for these activities that we are in desperate need of coaches and advisors. Please notify Debbie Olcott or Katherine Sterling of the activity for which you wish to volunteer.

Susan Winebrenner suggests the following strategies for differentiating curriculum for the GATE student in the classroom:

- Pre-test where the content may have been already mastered

- Regular opportunities to struggle to learn: reduced pressure on perfection

- Alternate activities for those who demonstrate mastery

- Independent study related to curriculum extensions and/or personal interests

- Cooperative learning and tutoring

- Cluster grouping

As Windsor Middle School implements the new district plan, all of these strategies will be considered. A more in-depth explanation of each of these will be considered in the next news letter.