Parent-Teacher Conference Time

For many ATYP students it's the time of year when you have parent-teacher conferences at your regular school - and you're probably wondering why we're talking about that on the ATYP blog. First of all, this is a great time to double check and make sure that everything is going well at school, at least as it pertains to ATYP. Is the check-out/carpool process working okay? Does your student have a quiet place to work during their study hall? Are they focused on homework during that time? Talk to the school counselor/dean/principal to confirm that things are going smoothly.

Second, even though your student is being challenged in ATYP, he or she may still  have classes at school where they are not being challenged. The parent-teacher conference is the best opportunity you have to ask for what your child needs. More feedback on English papers? Projects that allow him/her to go deeper into material? Independent study opportunities if pre-tests show the curriculum is already mastered? Or at this point in the year is it becoming apparent that this year's material is already known? Do you need to think about accelerating a year in a particular subject? In other words, what can you do to make sure your student is learning something new every day?

Sometimes it is helpful to take your student with you. If the child can say "there's nothing that challenges me in this class," the teacher should take that statement seriously. Don't let your child use the dreaded "b" word...no teacher likes to hear that a child is bored in class! This suggests that it's the teacher's responsibility to entertain the student. But a child who says "I already know this, I'd like to be challenged, I'd like to learn more" should find a partner in his or her teacher. Remember, it's important that your student take on some self-advocacy. Learning to speak up for him or herself a valuable lesson, too!

Coop is forwarding this note from the 2015 Scholastic Awards: 

Happy fall, Region-at-Large Participants!

It's been a month since the launch of the 2015 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards and submissions are slowly trickling in. Please be aware that this year's deadline is December 17!

Enter in five easy steps!   

1.  Create an account
2. Upload work
3. Print and sign submission form(s)
4. Obtain a check or money order to pay your submission fee(s), or obtain a fee waiver 
5. Mail in your submission form and payment Individual Category - $5.00, Portfolios $20.00, Fee waivers are available

Be prepared! Learn the criteria! Take a moment to visit our Category Descriptions and Copyright and Plagiarism pages. 

Find inspiration! Click HERE to see examples of works from past National Medalists. 

To learn more about the Awards or to log in to your account go to www.artandwriting.org.

The deadline for Region-at-Large is 

December 17, 2014 
at 11:59 p.m. EST. 

We encourage all of our ATYP students to submit their work! Good luck!

This weekend I had the great honor of being a presenter at the Michigan Association for Gifted Children (MAGC) Annual Conference. I was actually filling in for Dr. Kelly, who had a family emergency, but it was still an exciting and educational experience.

There are several reasons why ATYP staff are so active with MAGC. MAGC is the statewide voice for gifted education in Michigan. It advocates for services for gifted students with legislators and policy makers. Currently, we are working on legislation requiring schools to identify gifted students. This would be the first step towards future legislation that would mandate services - a lofty goal, but one which is long overdue.

MAGC also offers professional development opportunities for educators on how to provide appropriately challenging curriculum in the classroom, as well as informational sessions for parents and others who care about gifted kids. One-on-one help for parents who are struggling to find appropriate services is also available.

If you are interested in learning more about MAGC, please visit their website at migiftedchild.org. You can also check out their local chapter, Partners in Learning for Unlimited Success (PLUS), at plusofswmi.org. Every person who learns more and speaks out about the needs of gifted students increases the opportunities available to kids both here in Southwest Michigan and across the state.