Looking ahead – classroom placements
Dear Parents,
I truly enjoy working with your children each and every year. I love to listen to their creative questions and discussions — they are a joy to have in class…with this curiosity and interest in learning — it livens most conversations.
Sometimes when a child is newly identified there are questions about what becomes of them in the next school year. The following is a brief description of what to expect in the years ahead.
Once a child is identified as gifted in VBCPS he/she is always considered gifted and in need of services. You do not need to reapply each year to be placed in the resource cluster classes. Every year from now until their 5th grade year your child will be included in all cluster classroom placements — meaning they will always be placed with other identified students and working with a classroom teacher and myself. Sometimes there will be one class at a grade level and sometimes two…it just depends on numbers and the administration’s decisions… but I will always be there working with the teacher.
Towards the middle of their 5th grade year… in November we begin to look at middle schools… each child is eligible at that point to apply to Kemps Landing (a school for all identified students), Plaza’s International Baccalaureate Program (an academic academy within the school that focuses on the world and community service) as well as his/her home middle school with advanced classes and gifted services. All support a child that is need of gifted services and they will continue to receive these services until he/she graduates from High School.
Application only needs to be made if your child is planning on attending another “academy” school within the school district, but they would always receive gifted services and have a Gifted Resource Teacher to assist and guide their learning anywhere within this district.
I hope that clarifies any confusion…if you would like to come in and talk, please just let me know. Thank you for all of your support with your child and of the gifted program… it truly makes a difference.
