May 2016

May 2016 Newsletter

A Note from our Parent Groups Chair
What Parents Need to Know about Smart Kids
Job Openings
The BIG List of Summer Programs!
Online Courses for Fall & Summer
SENG Conference 2016
Highly Capable Programs Handbook
Invite us to speak to your group!
Calling all Parent Groups!

A Note From Our Parent Groups Chair

"Quality of Gifted Education exists in places where there are strong parent groups." 
           -- NAGC, National Assoc. for Gifted Children

Did you know we have over 15 parent groups across the state of Washington?  Our state's parent groups fill many different roles and are important for advocacy, education, and most importantly fostering community and connection. If you live in an area with an active parent group, we encourage you to connect with them and add your voice. Several parent groups that have websites can be found on the NWGCA website. If your local group is not listed, please let us know so we can add contact information to our site. 

And while we have many great organizations across the state, there's always room for more.  If your area does not currently have a parent group, then why not start one?  Starting a parent group may seem daunting at first but it only takes a few passionate parents to get one started. NWGCA is here to help and we can provide tips and resources for launching a group in your area. 

Check out many of the amazing stories and reasons to join, help, or start a local parent group in April's Hoagies Blog Hop: Forming Parent and Other Groups (Sanity in Numbers)    

Check out this free ebook from NAGC: Starting & Sustaining a Parent Group to Support Gifted Children

NWGCA would like to recognize all of our state parent groups. Keep up the good work!  
 
Marcella
Parent Groups Chair

What Parents (and Educators, Coaches, Grandparents...) Need to Know About Smart Kids
June 14, TBD, Burien
October 13, 6pm, Kelso
Addresses will be posted on our website soon    
Many parents are surprised to learn that their child's unique "quirks" are actually well-studied social & emotional behavior patterns that appear across large populations of highly intelligent children. Whether it's refusing to wear shirts with buttons or tags, overreacting to the slightest criticism, gravitating towards adults and older children, forgetting to turn in their homework, trouble with handwriting, anxiety about trying something new, or preferring a book to a party, these and many other perplexing behaviors are common in this population. Learn what's normal, what to expect as they grow, and why genuine challenge is vitally important for kids' social and emotional development, as well as developing their academic talents, from the preschool and elementary years all the way to high school and beyond. Presented by Austina De Bonte, President of NWGCA.

Job Openings
This is the season for job openings. Feel free to send HiCap related job openings to info@nwgca.org to get included in upcoming newsletters. You can also post on our Facebook group.

HiCap Teacher - 5th Grade Discovery Program
Renton School District, Kennydale Elementary School
If you know of any strong teacher candidates who would be a great fit for a highly capable program and who is skilled in working with twice exceptional children, please encourage them to apply at our district website. They may also contact me by email: h.schmitz@rentonschools.us John Schmitz, Principal

HiCap Teacher - Elementary
Mount Vernon School District
Our Highly Capable program is in transition toward multiple self-contained classrooms in one elementary school in fall 2017. We are looking for a dynamic teacher who is interested in working in a team environment to promote the social and academic needs of students who are traditionally underserved in highly capable programs. For more information, contact David Anderson, Assistant Superintendent danderson@mvsd320.org or see the online job listing at www.mountvernonschools.org (Employment, certificated, highly capable teacher)

Junior High School Principal
Northshore School District, Leota Junior High
This school hosts the Advanced Academics Program (AAP) which is a magnet HiCap program in the district. In 2017, the district will be transitioning to grade 6-8 middle schools, and Leota will have multiple AAP sections at each grade level for core academic courses. More information

Superintendent of Schools
Northshore School District, Bothell/Woodinville/Kenmore
Seeking a new superintendent of schools for a district of 21,000 students that is about to open a new high school and significant grade reconfiguration in 2017. This district has made significant investments in their Highly Capable Programs over the past few years and has a vibrant school board that is supportive of the needs of highly capable students. More information

The BIG LIST of Summer Camps

Still thinking about summer plans?  Check out our big list of camps. Some of them have already finished registration, but many are still available...
Get the BIG LIST of Summer Camps

Invite us to speak to your group
The mission of NWGCA is to support parents of gifted children across the state and provide resources, information, and coaching about raising gifted children.  
NWGCA Board Members love to speak to parent groups, and we're even doing more and more professional development for educators these days. Our talks are FREE, and are available on a variety of topics that can be customized to the needs of your community. Please email us if you would like to schedule a speaker.

Join our List!
Was this newsletter forwarded to you by a friend?  Join our free mailing list to get future newsletters and other member benefits.
More Info
Resources & Links 
Meet our Board of Directors
Join our Mailing ListWe love to hear your feedback and ideas...  Please don't be shy, we are here to serve you. Email us

Donate to NWGCA!   
Looking for a great place to make a tax-deductible donation that really counts? We appreciate all donations, large and small, to help us reach out to parent groups across the state, provide resources and workshops. Donate to NWGCA   
Online Courses
Thinking about an online course for your child for the fall - or summer? Don't wait too long to register!

Athena's Advanced Academy (including a few courses taught by board member Deborah Simon!!!)
Online G3
Art of Problem Solving
EPGY
SIG
Johns Hopkins CTY

SENG parent
discussion groups
Joining a SENG Model Parent Discussion Group is a great way to connect with other families and deepen your understanding of your child's needs.
- Bellevue
- Seattle
- Spokane
- Tacoma
- Washougal
- Woodinville
- Online Groups
More information about SENG discussion groups

2016 SENG Conference   
Heading out east over the summer? SENG is holding their annual conference in colonial Williamsburg, Virginia July 22-24. It's always a great conference, and has a terrific kids program, so bring the whole family!
More information 

Highly Capable Programs Handbook 
The UW Robinson Center for Young Scholars has published an online handbook for school districts that are developing and/or reworking their HiCap programs to be in compliance with the new laws. Please feel free to use this in your advocacy, or share with your district administrators as a valuable resource.
Download the Handbook  

Calling all Parent Groups!
We are slowly collecting contact information for more and more parent groups across the state, but we know there are still more out there. If you belong to a group, whether it's associated with a school district or not, would you please drop us a line about where you are located and how best to reach your group? Or, are you hoping to create a group but not sure how to do it? We can help you get started.
Email us