Barnes and Noble Bookfair

Barnes and Noble 

Bookfair

WCSD – GATE Program

Friday, December 13, 2013

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Barnes & Noble

5555 S. Virginia Street, Reno

Come do your holiday shopping and help raise money for

the GATE  program & its wonderful students!

• 3:00 – 9:00 p.m. Book Signing by Distinguished Author David Slater

(Mr. Slater is one of our own GT teachers at Pine Middle School, come and meet him in person!)

• 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. Staff Appreciation Tea

(Come have tea or coffee with your GATE teacher and director in the cafe! Cafe purchases also

benefit the GATE Program)

• 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Bring your children in pajamas for stories and popcorn while you shop!

Have family out of town who wants to support GATE in our Bookfair?

Visit BN.COM/bookfairs to support us 

online from 12/13/13 till 12/18/13 by entering Bookfair ID 11210747 at checkout.

Infinite Campus App

There is a VERY easy way for you to see your children's assignments/grades/attendance often!

On your smart phone just type in Infinite Campus to find the app. On my Android, it's called Campus Portal (I'm pretty sure it's called the same thing by Apple).  Download the app, enter your IC login and password and the code below for the District ID. And voilà... instant access. Under settings you can set up to be notified (or not) when assignments/attendance/grades are updated.

Infinite Campus Mobile Application

Infinite Campus has a mobile application available for both Android and IOS mobile operating systems
Code: BSVMMD

"The Project" Semester 1

Dear Parents,                                                                                Click HERE to view original document

As you know the students have been working very hard this year on (what they’ve titled) “The Project.” I wanted to give you some information about what the project is and what will be happening over the next few weeks. The question the students will have to answer during the presentation is:

How does force affect the landscape and people of Nevada Past and Present?

In Science the students have learned about the laws of motion and how force from earthquakes changes landforms. They are also going to study how force from moving water or wind can create power and how that effects people in Nevada.

In Social Studies the students have learned about how a different type of force affected the relationship between the interactions of the Pioneers and American Indians. They have learned how to cite evidence from text to support answers. They are also going to learn about mining and how this is beneficial to Nevadans and can also affect the landscape.

On December 17^th the students and their partners will be presenting information on these topics as they explain how force affects the landscape and people of Nevada Past and Present.

Below is a calendar to show what we will be working on in the next few weeks. If you would like to get involved here are some ways:

-Chaperone the fieldtrip to UNR on Dec. 3^rd

-Volunteer in class the day the students build their models of hydroelectric and wind generators on Dec. 4^th.

-Volunteer in class as students practice their presentations to give them constructive feedback on Dec. 12-13

-Volunteer in class the day the students make their 3D maps of Nevada Dec. 6^th and 9^th.

-Volunteer to be a panel member scoring the student’s presentations, asking reflective questions to the groups, and providing feedback. If you’re not interested but know someone who would please have them email me.  **Presenting to an authentic audience is a vital piece of these projects. It allows the students have experience speaking and interacting with an audience.

Nov. 25 Energy	Nov. 26 Energy	Nov. 27 Thanksgiving Break	Nov. 28 Thanksgiving Break	Nov. 29 Thanksgiving Break
Dec. 2 Energy	Dec. 3 UNR Field trip	Dec. 4 Building Generators	Dec. 5 Mining	Dec. 6 Mining Make 3D Map of Nevada
Dec. 9 PowerPoint Finish 3D Map	Dec. 10 PowerPoint Practice Presentation	Dec. 11 PowerPoint Practice Presentation	Dec. 12 Practice Presentation	Dec. 13 Practice Presentation
Dec. 16 Practice Presentation	Dec. 17 Presentation Night 6:00-7:00	Dec. 18	Dec. 19 Holiday Party 12:45-2:00	Dec. 20 No School Winter break begins

UNR Field Trip

                       Click HERE to access this form                    

            UNR Field Trip        

Whitehead ¾ SWAS

When: December 3rd 9:30-1:30

Where/When:

9:30 Leave Whitehead

10:00-11:00 Mackay School of Mines: tour with information about mining in Nevada

            11:00-11:30 Mackay School of Mines: Speaker- How mining effects the environment.

            11:30-12:00 Lunch in Student Union

            12:00-1:00 Geography Department- map making

            1:30 Return to Whitehead

1:45-3:00 Students will prepare for their Socratic Seminar the following day on the topic: Mining beneficial or detrimental?

The Focus this semester has been this Driving Question: How does force affect the landscape and people of Nevada, past and present? The students will be gaining pertinent information this day they will use to support their answer to this question on Presentation Night, December 17^th.

If you would like to help chaperon on the field trip, and have completed the parent volunteer paper work required by the district, please let me know.

I look forward to this amazing experience!

Mrs. Hoffman                                   

Wonderful Resources!!!! Must Read

Last weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to hear Dr. Rimm speak. I was in awe listening to what she had to say about gifted children. Every other sentence she spoke I was internally whooping , "I know a kid who thinks like that! I know I kid who acts like that! I know parents who'd love to hear this!" 

I've included in this post, a list of articles on her site that you would love to read. I've also included a picture of one of her books. Though the topic might not pertain to you or your child, others will benefit from reading it. 

"Dr. Rimm is a welcome voice of calm and reason— someone who offers practical advice, with almost immediate results. She’s a guardian angel for families who need a little or a lot of guidance." — says Katie Couric, former NBC Today show host.

Click HERE to go view Rimm's site

(Go to the site to access the articles)

Titles of Dr. Rimm's Articles for Parents and Teachers:

ACHIEVEMENT

See Jane Win™: The Rimm Report on How 100 Girls Became Successful Women 
High Expectations Encourage Achievement
Money and Achievement
School Pays Off

UNDERACHIEVEMENT

Bright Kids, Poor Grades: And What You Can Do About It 
The Pressures Bright Children Feel and Why They Underachieve
Solving the Mysterious Underachievement Problem
Marching to the Beat of a Different Drummer
What's Wrong With Perfect

Guiding Anxious Children Toward Achievement and Confidence

PARENTING

How To Parent so Children Will Learn 
Parents Make a Difference
You're the Greatest! - When Praise Can Cause Problems
A United Front between Parents
A United Front between Parents and Teachers
Helping Your Children Cope With Divorce
Suggestions for Single Parents
Step-Parenting
How to Talk to Your Kids
Protection Without Over protection - A Delicate Balance
Making Bedtime Pleasant
Anti-Nag Morning Routine
Discipline for Little, Middle & Big Kids
Rimm's Laws
Rimm's Laws en Español

FAMILY

The Changing Family
Families That Play Together, Stay Together
Balancing Family Holiday Celebrations with Careers
Military Families Need Support
Grandparenting Do's and Don'ts
Relatively Speaking - That Favorite Aunt or Uncle

ADHD & DISABILITIES

ADHD
ADHD Epidemic
Learning Disabilities

GENDER ISSUES

Gender Effects on Achievement
Helping Girls Build Optimism and Resilience-"The I Can Girl" 
Encouraging Strength and Sensitivity in our Boys and Girls
Raising Amazing Boys
Take Our Daughters to Work - And Take Our Sons Too
How Jane Won

Whitehead T-Shirts

Whitehead Spirit Wear for sale starting today !! 

Orders made by Dec 4th to the school office, will be here in time for Christmas. 

Your child is bringing home a green flyer today with the information. 

T-shirts , long sleeve t-shirts or sweatshirts.
Child and adult sizes
Purple, grey, or white

Please make checks out to Jerry Whitehead Elementary School. 

Show your school spirit !!

Amazing Opportunity!

Dr. Sylvia Rimm

2-Day Speaking Engagement (November 15 & 16, 2013)

Please join us at these events:

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15TH: 6:30PM-8:00PM

FOR PARENTS:

"Understanding the Emotional

Impact of GT"

by Dr. Sylvia Rimm

FOR STUDENTS:

“Conversations About Being Gifted:

A Workshop for Students”

by local psychologists

Melanie Crawford, Ph.D., Susan

Ayarbe, Ph.D. & Brie Moore, Ph.D.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16TH: 9:00AM-NOON

“How to Understand Our GT

Children & Help Them Maximize

Their Gift”

by Dr. Sylvia Rimm

EVENTS LOCATION:

McQueen High School Auditorium

6055 Lancer St, Reno

About Dr. Rimm:

WORLD RENOWNED EXPERT and

researcher on GT children – their parenting

and their education

CLINICAL PROFESSOR of Psychiatry &

Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University

School of Medicine,

FOUNDER & DIRECTOR of Sylvia Rimm's

Family Achievement Clinic, Inc., OH & WI,

1981-present

COUNSELOR (Part-time), Menlo Park

Academy, 2010-Present

DIRECTOR, Educational Assessment Service,

Inc., Watertown, Wisconsin, 1973-present

FORMER ELEMENTARY Classroom Teacher

CONTRIBUTING CORRESPONDENT to

NBC’s Today Show for 9 years

NATIONALLY SYNDICATED columnist

PH.D., 1976, EDUCATIONAL

PSYCHOLOGY, University of

Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin

Books Written:

See Jane Win -New York Times Best-seller

• How Jane Won

• Dr. Sylvia Rimm's Smart Parenting: How to Raise a Happy

Achieving Child

• How to Parent So Children Will Learn: Strategies For Raising

Happy, Achieving Children

• Growing Up Too Fast: The Rimm Report on the Secret

World of America's Middle Schoolers

• Underachievement Syndrome: Causes and Cures

• Why Bright Kids Get Poor Grades And What You Can Do

About It

• Education of the Gifted and Talented

• Gifted Kids Have Feelings Too

• Sylvia Rimm on Raising Kids

Yikes...bad spelling!

Thank you so much to my student editor, who brought to my attention all my spelling errors on the last post. I am always open to help with spelling and apologize to you for my mistakes! Thanks again student editor!

Welcome Mrs. Jordan

I'd like to officially welcome Mrs. Denice Jordan to our class! Many of you may already know Mrs. Jordan, she is a mother to one of our students, and has been a substitute for our Whitehead SWAS classes for awhile now.

When we received the unfortunate news about not getting a second teacher for our 3/4 class, I asked Ms. Riggs if it would be possible to get a half time aid and she graciously agreed. Yay! Mrs. Jordan will be with us several days a week. With her experience as a former teacher, she will be a tremendous asset to our class. She will assist in working with individual students, small groups and even whole class activities at times. She also brings a wealth of first hand knowledge of the types of needs our precious students have. She is patient, understanding and kind. I am so thrilled to have her with us! I am very excited to see how much quicker and deeper we will be able to go with new content, I know that our students are doing to benefit greatly with her presence in our class.

Classroom help

There are a few things I would love some help with and I have had several parents offer to help out in anyway they can, so I'm going to throw out my "wish list". Please do not feel obligated to help, but if you have the time and interest feel free to send me an email. Some of these things you can do from home at your leaser. No pressure... I just appreciate you offering!
1. Math games- We do Math groups and one rotation does games. Everyday Math (a curriculum that general ed. classes do) has lots of fun games that reinforce math concepts. I'll show you the games I'd like and you can have at it, making copies, game boards, gathering and assembling pieces.
2. Prize Box items- we have a positive reward system in class and one reward student groups can choose is prize box. I would love for someone to go online to Oriental Trading Co. (or another similar site with cheep but fun prizes) and put together an order. If you do this in our classroom I can then pay for it online.
3. Handwriting Packets- I am going to do some handwriting packets for the kids to work on at home, that includes both manuscript as well as cursive. I'd love help making these copies and assembling the packets.
4. Student support for presentations- During the week of December 9-13 the students will be practicing for their presentations. I'd love for parents to come in to watch the students practice and give constructive feedback. They get so nervous and practice make perfect!
5. Popsicle sticks- I'd so appreciate it if anyone had time to get the oversized Popsicle sticks (the big thick ones) and write each student's name on one. I will use these sticks for many different activities in class. I will reimburse you for the cost of the sticks.

Thanks in advance for all your help!