March 2019 Newsletter

A Message from Our President

We are so excited that the national organization SENG (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted) has chosen Washington for the second year in a row to hold a mini conference! This time the site is in Olympia, which is perfect for our southern region families, and within driving distance for most of the I-5 corridor. There will be SENG model parent group facilitator training as well as many speakers and some unique sessions. Registration info is below. We look forward to seeing you there!

Did you know that another national organization visited our state last month? An ambitious documentary project has been ongoing for the past couple years called "The G Word." They were in Washington filming legislators in Olympia, journalists in Seattle, and the Northshore school district in Bothell, which is being used in the film to demonstrate how powerful universal screening can be for identifying gifted students. The G Word is nearly done filming and is heading to editing soon, and has several exciting trailers posted. Now is your big opportunity to reserve your copy of the film via their Kickstarter campaign, and support a really great cause. We hope this documentary will meaningfully change the national conversation about gifted education.  

On the home front, the HiCap bill is still working its way through the legislature. It passed unanimously on the Senate floor, but still needs to make its way through the House. Sadly, the House version removed universal screening (but there is a chance it could get put back.) Next stop is the House Appropriations committee. If you haven't already, please be sure to send your representatives your thoughts on SB 5354 via the "Comment on this Bill" link on the right - a couple quick sentences is perfect. (Mentioning your thoughts about universal screening would be helpful.) Want to learn more or get involved? Contact the Coalition for Gifted Education

Austina De Bonte
President, NWGCA

SENG is Coming to Washington - For the Second Year in a Row!

May 4, 2019 - NOVA Middle School, 2020 22nd Ave SE, Olympia, WA 8 AM - 5 PM
SENG is pleased to bring the experience of the annual national conference to the local gifted, talented, and twice-exceptional community of the Pacific Northwest! Join us for a dynamic day packed with a morning keynote, valuable breakout sessions, and making connections. SENG Model Parent Group facilitator training will run concurrently. Washington State Clock Hours will be available. CEUs will be available for qualifying sessions. Register: SENG

Upcoming Learning Opportunities

Parents As Advocates
April 15, 2019 - Burlington Library 820 E. Washington Ave, Burlington, WA 6:30 PM

A forum on being a powerful advocate for gifted - your child, your school, your district, our state, our nation. Get caught up on what's new in Washington. Sharpen your advocacy skills so that you will be heard and get results. Share what you know. Learn from others. Collect resources. Presented by NWGCA Secretary and Past President, Marcia Holland.  More information:  Advocacy

SENG Model Parent Groups
SENG Model Parent Groups (SMPGs) bring together 10-20 parents of gifted and talented children to discuss such topics as motivation, discipline, stress management, and peer relationships. The co-facilitators of these groups are knowledgeable about parenting and educating gifted children. However, they do not attempt to give expert advice. Instead, their facilitation provides a non-judgmental and nurturing atmosphere. Additionally, the other participating parents are themselves a rich source of information. 

Skagit County SMPG
Conway School 19710 State Route 534, Mt. Vernon
Co-Sponsored by Skagit County Department of Health and Conway School District
Co-facilitated by Eleven Vexler & Crystal Kombol
8-week series on Thursdays from 6:00 to 7:30 PM: April 18 - June 4
More Information and Registration
 
Woodinville SMPG
Bear Creek United Methodist Church
16530 Avondale Rd NE, Woodinville
Co-Facilitated by Austina De Bonte & Karen Thornton
9-week series on Fridays from 10:00am to 11:30am starting April 19 
More Information and Registration

2E - Twice Exceptional - NOVA Middle School
April 25, 2019 - NOVA  Middle School 2020 22nd Ave SE, Olympia, WA 7 PM - 8:30 PM

Be sure to attend this screening of this acclaimed film that follows the personal journeys of a unique group of high school students who have been identified as "twice exceptional" - gifted or highly gifted individuals with learning disabilities or differences. Free and open to the public. More information: Movie

What Parents & Educators Need to Know About Smart Kids
May 6, 2019 - Lakeridge Middle School, 5909 Myers Rd E, Lake Tapps/Sumner 7:00 - 9:00 PM
Many people are surprised to learn that their child's unique "quirks" are actually well-studied social and 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 NWGCA President, Austina De Bonte.  For more information: Talk

Parenting Your Gifted Worrier
June 5, 2019 - Meridian High School Auditorium 194 West Laurel Road, Bellingham 6:30 PM
Facilitated by Denise Anderson, VP NWGCA, MA Marriage & Family Therapy, Certified SMPG Facilitator
Highly capable (HiCap)/gifted children and teens often experience intense worry and stress. Join other parents of HiCap kids in this facilitated exploration of why gifted kids experience anxiety and an introduction to anxiety-reducing tools. Workshop will include a workbook of resources and worksheets for parents to reference and complete at home. Suggested donation (optional): $5 

SENG Annual Conference (Houston, TX)
The annual SENG conference will be held in Houston, TX this year on July 19-21, 2019. Early bird registration is now open

NAGC Annual Convention (Albuquerque, NM)
The NAGC 66th Annual Convention (NAGC19) will be held in Albuquerque, NM, November 7-10, 2019. 

Know a great event or speaker coming to town?
We're always happy to spread the word!  Email us 

The G Word

The G Word seeks to be the most ambitious and comprehensive film ever made on the topic of Gifted and Talented education in the United States - and part of it was filmed right here in Washington State!  To learn more about the film: The G Word. 
A Kickstarter campaign is currently underway to raise funds to complete the film. To make a contribution or to learn more: Donate.

Summer Opportunities for Your Student

There are so many summer opportunities available in our area. Many of the premier programs have been registering for a while, such as the Robinson Center for Young Scholars at UW Seattle, Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth at Seattle University, Summer Institute for the Gifted at Seattle Country Day School. Further afield you'll find Davidson THINK Summer Institute in Reno, NV, and Northwestern Center for Talent Development in Illinois.
Other programs are just starting registering now, such as Satori Camp in Cheney (registration opens April 1).  Other fun and unique local options include Camp Demigod in Leavenworth that feature Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and fandoms. Don't forget Wilderness Awareness School in Duvall that has kids building their own bow, tracking wolves, and living in the wilderness. And almost every private gifted school has a summer program - including Seabury School in Tacoma, BK Academy in Bellevue, Evergreen School in Shoreline, Open Window School in Bellevue, Seattle Country Day School in Seattle, and Nova School in Olympia.
To explore even more summer opportunities for your gifted child, see our giant compilation at Summer Programs List

OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUR STUDENT

Monthly Math Hour at University of Washington
Students in grades 6 - 10 are invited to participate in the Monthly Math Hour on campus. The series introduces students to the beautiful and exciting world of mathematics. The lectures are free.  There will also be a Math Hour Olympiad that students can sign up for after the Math Hour on April 28. 
 
Upcoming dates:  April 28 1 - 2PM, and May 19 1 - 2PM.  
More information:  Math Hour

Contests/Scholarships

Collegiate Inventors Competition
An exciting competition that encourages invention, entrepreneurship, and creativity in gifted students are working on cutting-edge inventions at their universities. The organization offers over $100,000 in cash awards to the nation's most innovative undergraduate and graduate students showcasing their emerging ideas. Judges evaluate each invention entry based on originality, inventiveness, scope of use, and potential environment or economic value. For more information: Inventor

Career Opportunity

The Seattle School District is searching for a Supervisor of Highly Capable Services and Advanced Learning Programs. For more information, please see Supervisor

Resources

Northwest Gifted Child Association
Visit our website for information, articles, and recommendations. NWGCA

Social Media

Articles
To get lots more articles and event announcements as they get published, "like" us on Facebook. Contribute to the conversation with the #nwgca hashtag on Twitter.

Articles

How to identify, understand, and teach gifted children
The beginning of the 2019 school year will be a time of planning and crystal-gazing. Teachers will plan their instructional agenda in a general way. Students will think about another year at school. Parents will reflect on how their children might progress this year. One group of students who will probably attract less attention are the gifted learners. These students have a capacity for talent, creativity and innovative ideas. They could be our future Einsteins. They will do this only if we support them to learn in an appropriate way. And yet, there is less likely to be explicit planning and provision throughout 2019 to support these students. They're more likely to be overlooked or even ignored. Complete article here. 
5 Tips for Helping Gifted Children Make Friends
Making friends can be hard for any child, but for socially awkward gifted children or twice-exceptional kiddos, the challenge is only multiplied. While their brains are working on overdrive, and they can have an intelligent conversation with an adult expert in the field in which they are interested, put them in the same room with kids their own age, and all bets are off. Complete article here

Friendship 101
In the iconic commercial, the happy, smiling mom gazes around her backyard bursting with neighborhood children, all thrilled to be there because she has Kool-Aid. The phrase "Kool-Aid Mom" became synonymous with perfection in parenting, and it's not just because she has an anthropomorphic pitcher bursting through the fence. The secret hope of virtually every parent is that his or her child will have friends and be liked, as represented in the commercial by the busy backyard. On television, all it takes to have a bevy of friends is a flavor packet and a cup of sugar. In real life, it's a little more complicated, both for kids and adults.Making friends can be hard for any child, but for socially awkward gifted children or twice-exceptional kiddos, the challenge is only multiplied.  Complete article here

Northwest Gifted Child Association |  [email protected] | http://www.nwgca.org/