Emory Youth Symphony Orchestra presents a free concert next week
Here’s a chance to expose your child to classical music and — even better — offer them the inspiration that comes from seeing their peers performing it.
The Emory Youth Symphony Orchestra will perform at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 16, at the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts on the Emory campus. The show is free and open to the public.
The orchestra is comprised of 9th-12th graders of exceptional ability in strings, wind instruments or percussion.
Tellus’ family science night aimed at space lovers
Space travel enthusiasts, take note: This Friday night, you can hear an astronaut, see a moon rock, and gaze at the stars at Tellus Museum in Cartersville.
The highlight of the evening will be remarks by Al Worden, pilot of the command module of Apollo 15, the first mission to put a rover on the moon. Visitors to the museum can also see a moon rock brought back from that mission and engage in hands-on activities related to space.
The observatory will be open for solar viewing until sundown, and then after dark, the telescope will be pointed either at the moon or Jupiter.
The special event is free for Tellus members and is included with regular admission for non-members. Another perk for members: They can attend a members-only reception with Worden from 5-6:30 p.m. for an additional $15 per person.
For more information, call (770) 606-5700.
Gwinnett Alliance for Gifted Education (GAGE) to hold fall consortium
Gwinnett Alliance for Gifted Education, one of the most active gifted advocacy groups in metro Atlanta, will hold its Fall Consortium on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011 at Mason Elementary School in Duluth.
The meeting will begin with a keynote address by Janet Aeker Smith, who has 30 years of experience in education, including creating gifted education policy in Australia. Attendees can then choose from a variety of breakout sessions covering topics such as math, reading, STEM projects, humor and attitude, critical thinking and differentiation.
Registration opens at 8 a.m.; the keynote speech will begin at 8:30 a.m. The event is scheduled to end at 12:30 p.m.
Admission is free for GAGE members; non-members may join GAGE at the door for $25. Gwinnett County teachers and administrators can become members for $20.
For more information, contact Laura Magner of Gwinnett County Schools.
Summer Institute for the Gifted accepting applications for summer 2012
Seems like it’s never too early to start thinking about summer opportunities. One of the first programs to release its summer 2012 schedule and application is the Summer Institute for the Gifted, which will offer both day camp and residential options at Emory University. Both camps are scheduled for June 24 to July 14, 2012.
The day camp is open to kids ages 4-12; the residential camp is open to ages 9-17. The residential camp has a commuter option if you prefer for your child to live at home. It saves you a little money but the word is, it also keeps your child from having the complete social experience they get from living on campus with their peers.
SIG is a selective program that requires “evidence of giftedness” for admission.
My son attended SIG’s day program at Emory last summer and absolutely loved it. The faculty and the kids were just great.
If you have an older child who is starting to explore college options, a SIG residential camp could also be an opportunity for an extended visit to a campus they’re considering. SIG locations for 2012 include Amherst, Dartmouth, Princeton, UCLA, Berkeley, Vassar and Yale.
Informal meeting in Gwinnett for parents of gifted children
It’s not easy being the parent of a gifted child, and sometimes it’s lonely, when no one around us understands — or even wants to hear about — our struggles with what other parents may think is an easy task.
If you’d like to sit down with other parents of gifted kids, you’ll have that chance this Sunday, from 2-4 p.m. at Atlanta Bread Company, 1708 Scenic Hwy. in Snellville.
The meeting is being organized by Kathy Courchene and Muriel Knope, two local facilitators trained by SENG (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted). SENG aims to raise awareness of the challenges gifted children face, and to help parents, teachers and caregivers better support gifted children.
If you have questions about SENG or the upcoming meeting, contact Muriel Knope at knope – at – mindspring – dot – com (e-mail address deconstructed to curb spam; rebuild it to contact her).
Second chance to get into fall CEISMIC Saturday class at Georgia Tech
I just received a notice from the CEISMIC program at Georgia Tech. Because of very high demand, they’ve expanded the Saturday K.I.D.S. Club program for this fall. As of 10 a.m., they had 20 open spaces for 2nd and 3rd grade students, and 13 for kids in 4th or 5th grades. Spots will fill quickly!
Open house and application season has begun for area magnet schools
We’ve got plenty of the 2011-12 school year left, but it’s already time to start thinking about 2012-13, especially if you’d like your child to attend one of the charter schools around the metro Atlanta area. Here’s a round-up of application deadlines and open houses, county by county.
Note that some magnet schools will open a certain number of spaces for people who live outside the county. Check with the individual schools to see if they expect to have openings for non-residents next year.
Clayton County
Fine Arts Magnet School in Morrow is taking applications for auditions. Application deadline is Dec. 16, 2011 for the first round of auditions. There is also a later deadline in March 2012 for the second round of auditions.
Cobb County
Cobb County has developed a common application for all magnet schools, so you can apply for any and all magnets at once. The deadline for all magnet applications is Dec. 9, 2011.
International Baccalaureate (IB) program at Campbell High School. Open house Nov. 16, 2011 at 7 p.m.
Academy of Math, Science and Technology at Kennesaw Mountain High School. Open house Nov. 17, 2011 at 6:30 p.m.
South Cobb High School Academy of Research and Medical Sciences. Open house Nov. 9, 2011 at 7 p.m.
Center for Advanced Studies in Science, Math and Technology at Wheeler High School. Open house Nov. 8, 2011 at 7 p.m.
DeKalb County
DeKalb’s magnet programs are filled by a lottery that takes place each spring. I didn’t find any fall events. The county has typically held a centralized open house for all magnet programs during the winter.
Fulton County
International Studies magnet at Riverwood International Charter School (an IB Diploma Programme school). Information sessions at 9 a.m. on Nov. 4 and Dec. 2, 2011 and on Jan. 6, 2012. Prospective students open house Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012 at 3:00 p.m. Application is not online yet. Application deadline will likely be in January.
North Springs High School, offering magnet programs in math/science and visual / performing arts. Application deadline Jan. 30, 2012. Open house Nov. 13, 2011 at 2 p.m.
Westlake High School math and science magnet. Open house Nov. 17 at 6:30 p.m. Application will be available in Jan. 2012.
Tri-Cities High School has a magnet program in visual and performing arts. I’ve contacted them and am awaiting a response.
Gwinnett County
Gwinnett School for Math, Science and Technology. Couldn’t find any open house information. Registration will be open in November.
City of Atlanta
The City of Atlanta no longer uses a magnet model; however, the school system has many theme schools, and often more than one theme community within a school. School choice in Atlanta Public Schools is handled via a student transfer process that takes place in spring.
Next session of Saturday School at GSU begins Oct. 29
Saturday School at Georgia State University has announced the line-up of classes for its next session, which will run from Oct. 29 to Dec. 3 (with the Thanksgiving weekend off).
Classes are held in the mornings and afternoons. Class topics, which vary by age group, include chess, math, roller coaster physics, claymation and much more.
Saturday School is open to children in kindergarten through 8th grade. The program is geared toward students who have been identified as gifted by their school, but kids who haven’t been formally identified can be granted provisional enrollment for one year.
The registration deadline is Oct. 16.
Time to enroll for the Duke TIP 7th grade talent search
Duke TIP (Talent Identification Program) is now enrolling 7th-grade students in its annual talent search.
TIP is a renowned program that allows 7th-grade students to take either the SAT or ACT college entrance exam. All participants receive some benefits. Students with exceptional scores can earn special recognition and the privilege of attending summer programs on the Duke University campus.
To qualify for the search, your child must have scored in the 95th percentile or above on a standardized achievement test (such as CogAT, CRCT or ITBS) in their 5th or 6th grade year. A $72 enrollment fee pays for the exam.
Deadlines are approaching fast. To apply by mail, you’ll need to get your application postmarked by Oct. 11. Online applications are due Oct. 21. These dates are for students who will take the SAT or ACT in December. Deadlines are later for students who want to take the test in the winter.
Complete information is available at the TIP web site.
Could conversion to charter system affect gifted services in Fulton County?
A reader recently wrote to me with concerns about Fulton County Schools potentially becoming a charter system. The Charter System Concept Summary presented by the school system shows that under a charter model, local schools could “restructure” the current Talented and Gifted (TAG) model. This reader wondered whether eligibility criteria would change, whether TAG would continue to be offered as a full-day, pull-out class, and even whether schools could opt out of TAG altogether.
I checked in with my sources, and I’m told that state law requires all school systems — even charter systems — to provide gifted education, and the state sets the eligibility criteria for gifted services. However, local schools within a charter system could change the delivery model for gifted services, if they applied for and were granted the flexibility to do so. What exactly they could do in terms of “restructuring” isn’t clear.
Bottom line, if you’re concerned about the TAG program under a charter model, consider attending one of FCS’s three Charter System Town Hall Meetings being held this week:
- Monday, Oct. 3, at Milton Center
- Wednesday, Oct. 5, at Lake Forrest Elementary School
- Thursday, Oct. 6, at Westlake High School
All meetings begin at 6:30 p.m.
Gifted Atlanta 