November 2017

Upcoming Learning Opportunities
Half Day Workshop Presented by NWGCA

At Risdon Middle School in Newcastle
December 9, 1 PM - 4:30 PM

Enjoy two insightful presentations back-to-back, in the longer workshop format, with opportunities to discuss with fellow parents and educators. 
What Parents & Educators Need to Know About Smart Kids, presented by Austina De Bonte, President NWGCA.org Teaching your Gifted Child Social-Emotional Resilience, presented by Tracy Moncrief, M.A., ABD PhD, M.Ed

Cost:  $45 adult registration ($10 for a second family member). Advanced registration is strongly recommended. Space is limited. 

More Information


SENG Parent Discussion Group


SENG Parent Support Groups bring 10 to 15 interested parents of gifted children together to discuss such topics as communication, motivation, discipline, intensity, perfectionism, and peer relationships. The facilitator of the group is knowledgeable about parenting and about educating gifted children. The parents of the high-ability children are themselves also a rich resource of information, and they are able to get fresh ideas from other parents and
from "A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children," the book around which the discussions are organized.
 
For more information or to get connected with a group, follow the links below:


- General SMPG Information

- Bellevue SMGP

- Seattle SMPG

- Spokane SMPG

- Tacoma SMPG

- Washougal SMPG

- Woodinville SMPG


SENGinars


Born Digital: The 21st Century Social Norms Established by Millennials

November 16, 2017
4:30 - 6:00 PM
Millennials are an amazing generation who are often maligned for they way that they seem to disengage with the world around them. We must remember, however, that millennials did not create the world they were born into to; yet, we asked to navigate it in ways we deem socially acceptable. Millennials did not create the technology infrastructure that permits them perpetually stay connect to a vast social network; yet, we expected to use common sense in how they engage with their peers. Many of the our generation's social norms were created at a time when void of digital technologies; yet, we expect them to apply them to a world that is vastly different. This session will describe the new social norms that millennials are creating and explain how we can help guide them through the tough times that are often associated with adolescence. More Information


Surviving the College Transition: A Gifted Undergraduate's Perspective

November 30, 2017  4:30 PM - 6:00 PM
When a high schooler graduates and prepares to head to college, it's inevitable that they'll be told that college is going to be the best time of their life. But what happens when that isn't true - when who they are just doesn't seem to mesh with college? For gifted students, this is often a reality. Common traits of giftedness such as introversion, impostor syndrome, perfectionism, and intensities, when combined with a sense of pressure to excel at the highest level, can make college anything but perfect.
In this interactive, discussion-oriented presentation, Trent Cash, a gifted second-year Eminence Fellow at The Ohio State University, will start a conversation about how these common traits of giftedness have affected his transition into college while discussing strategies for overcoming the challenges they can present. Join him to be a part of the conversation and learn a little bit about what it feels like to be a first-year gifted college student. More Information

Social Media

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Opportunities for Your Student

2018 THINK Summer Institute - Three-Week Academic Residential Program
 
The Davidson Institute is seeking gifted teens to attend the 2018 Davidson THINK Summer Institute.  THINK is a three-week residential summer program on the campus of the University of Nevada, Reno where students can earn up to six college credits by completing two university courses. The 2018 THINK Summer Institute will run from July 14 through August 4. Tuition is $3,800 and covers course credits, books and materials, room and board, and the cost of planned activities. Need-based scholarships are available. To qualify, students must be 13 to 16 years old during THINK and must submit a SAT or an ACT score report.  The application deadline is March 30, 2018. 

Learn More Here

 
2018 Davidson Fellows $50,000, $25,000 and $10,000 Scholarships

The Davidson Institute for Talent Development offers high-achieving young people across the country the opportunity to be named a 2018, Davidson Fellow, an honor accompanied by a $50,000, $25,000 or $10,000 scholarship in recognition of a significant piece of work in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Music, Literature, Philosophy or Outside the Box. Applicants must submit an original piece of work that is recognized as significant by experts in the field and that has the potential to make a positive contribution to society. The scholarship may be used at any accredited college or university. The deadline to apply is Feb. 14, 2018.

Learn More Here


Articles
Understanding Very, Very Smart People

by Samuel Kohlenberg

Being Smart is Really Hard.  There may be people with high IQs who have an easy time in life; relationships are simple, work and school are a breeze, and they long ago addressed the existentialist questions that some of us might carry with us until the very end. I wish them well, and what follows is not about them.

In my practice, I have been able to observe and experience how the world treats young adults with superior intelligence. At times it can be pretty heartbreaking, and these are a few things that I wish I could tell all gifted young adults (as well as the people in their lives).
Read the Complete Article Here

Emotional Intensity - A challenging and often misunderstood aspect of giftedness

Our plum tree "broke". As did my heart, just a little. Can you tell? We believe it was planted some 80+ years ago; one of only four trees of that age still standing here. As the branches have been sawed and cleared away, I have mourned, my heart sinking a little more with the crack of each one taken. No tears, but a sense of loss nonetheless. Doesn't it sound ridiculous? It's a tree! Thank goodness cutting the grass doesn't elicit this kind of response! Image the guilt! But in actuality for some of our gifted (of all ages), this is a reality. They feel so deeply, so intensely that it can be unbearable. This expression can be misunderstood and considered excessive, unwarranted, and in some contexts, a sign of immaturity (the latter a reason sometimes cited by teachers as to why a child is not being moved a class even though academically they are well and truly ready). This lack of understanding can lead to experiences of isolation, not to mention confusion. If she or she recognizes that their feelings and logical thinking are in-congruent in some way. 

Read the complete article here


A Study Has Been Following Gifted Kids for 45 Years. Here is What We've Learned. 
The study, called the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth never ended and is now nearly 45 years in the making. It has followed countless kids from middle school into their careers as some of America's top politicians, scientists, CEOs, engineers, and military leaders. It's not a stretch to call this the biggest and most in-depth study on intellectual: precociousness." The results of the study thus far are equal parts fascinating and genuinely surprising - a deeply insightful look into the minds and lives of brilliant children. 
Read the complete article here