NEWS!  

Updated 16 May 2012

2012 GATE Testing - Completed (last makeup day Monday 14 May)
  
Notices regarding eligibility will be sent to families this May.  After receiving your letter, if you have further questions about your child's test score, call the GATE office on Wednesday 30 May from 1 to 5 PM, or Thursday 31 May between 8:30 AM and 12:30 PM.


Nomination letter and rating scales - English and Spanish

Always good to remember.......
Many factors affect group test scores ( the GATE testing is group testing), including age and experience of the student, work speed, and attitude toward testing, so scores may not always reflect a student's true potential.  CUSD attempts to adjust for these inequities when possible, but individual testing is not possible for the number of students referred (usually more than 300 per year).  Private testing is available in the community and the GATE office maintains a list of professionals licensed to do such testing; parents may wish to contact them regarding fees and services.

                 INFORMATION

PARENTS
If you are new to the GATE program, and would like your email address to be included on a list of parents to receive occasional updates and requests for feedback, please send your email address to Pamela Beeman, pbeeman@chicousd.org  For all GATE questions, call Marilyn at the GATE office: 891-3000, ext 157.

If you are NOT new to the GATE program and would like to provide comments about the program for parents of newly-identified students (our last parent surveys were in 2008), please use the email above, and specify which program your student participated in.

ANOTHER GREAT NEW LINK - STAY TUNED FOR MORE...
Lots on the web about academic achievement, but try this link for information about "Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted."  SENGifted.org


SUMMER 2012 OPPORTUNITY
The GATE office has information on Southern Oregon University's "ACADEMY 2012" for students completing grades 5 through 8 this spring.  Sessions are 17-23 June and 24-30 June, fees are $675, and the web site is sou.edu/youth.  The GATE office (891-3000 x 157) also has information and applications.

GATE Teachers for 2011-2012   2012-2013 all GATE classes will be at PARKVIEW

   3rd grade at Parkview School: Debbie Henry     
   4th grade at Parkview School: Sharon Sloan
   5th grade at Parkview School: Janet Carroll
   6th grade at Marigold School: Mary Schoenthaler

    7th & 8th grades at all three junior highs have teams of teachers providing GATE classes in English, history and science.

Johns Hopkins Information

If you are interested in participating in the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth Talent Search, the web site and phone number are as follows: www.cty.jhu.edu
(410)735-6278. In recent years, two of our CUSD GATE students have participated in this program locally and parents were very enthusiastic about the opportunities.


Read This Article
If you only read one article this year related to GATE, click this link and read about praise, intellectual ability, effort, and students' belief systems.  

Check this web link for more on "the science of raising happy kids:"  http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/half_full/ You can also sign up to receive emailings on timely topics from Dr Carter, who came to Chico to speak to GATE parents in spring 2009 (see "old news," below), and was recently in Chico again speaking at her book-release event in March; the 2010 book is titled Raising Happiness.

More on "If you only read one article..."
Here is another excellent article on the importance of how we talk to our children about their abilities. There are huge implications for lifelong success and satisfaction. Click here!

January 2012: Just ran across this one about helping our kids find some trouble!  It has a good example of how to describe the "growth mindset" to a six-year-old. http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/a_new_years_resolution_find_yourself_some_trouble/

Click HERE for another timely article on how we encourage our children to tackle chores without bribery.

Some other interesting links and articles
Duke University's Gifted Letter
Also the National Association for Gifted Children, NAGC
 
TIME Magazine Article
Click this link for an interesting article in a recent issue of Time magazine. The article focuses on acceleration more than grouping gifted students with age peers, but raises a number of interesting issues. Thanks to an interested GATE parent for sending this information.

Link
Try www.giftedbooks.com, the site for Great Potential Press, for titles that include Smart Girls, Smart Boys, Raisin' Brains, Intelligent Life in the Classroom, Cradles of Eminence, Helping Gifted Children Soar, Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children and Adults, Being Smart about Gifted Children, Losing our Minds: Gifted Children Left Behind, and Some of My Best Friends are Books.


California Association for the Gifted (CAG)
If you are interested in getting more information about CAG, including scholarships and grants, click on www.CAGifted.org


CUSD LINKS ...

2007-2010 GATE plan
GATE Handbook and 2005 Plan

• 24 February 2009 Parent Advisory Committee meeting notes
• 2008 parent survey results: PULLOUT, SELF-CONTAINED, CJHS, BJHS, MJHS
• 2007 parent survey results: PULLOUT, SELF-CONTAINED, CJHS, BJHS, MJHS
• 24 January 2007 planning committee notes
• 26 February 2007 planning committee meeting notes
• January 2007 information for principals and teachers
• 2006 (6 December) advisory/planning committee notes
• 2006 (22 May) advisory committee notes
• 2005 committee minutes
• archives (previous newsletters and committee minutes),
• information for families (written by Dr. Jean Peterson),
• links to other web sites (see below).

OLDER NEWS
 
Dire Budget News for GATE PullOut Program
GATE funding is included in the state's "block grant" method of increasing local flexibility in school spending during this economic crisis. This means that GATE (and other) funds can be reallocated to areas of greatest need in the district. While the self-contained GATE classes generate ADA funds, the PullOut GATE program does not, and it has fallen victim to the budget shortfall; PullOut will not be available in 2009-2010. For more information, click on the parent committee meeting minutes below.

Click HERE to see the communication CUSD received about block grant funding, SBX3  4.  

Parent Committee Meeting Tuesday 24 February 2009 at 6:00 PM at CUSD downtown office
For minutes from this meeting, click  here

CUSD Housing Recommendations
The school board approved moving the self-contained GATE program, currently at Marigold Elementary, to Parkview Elementary on a phased-in basis, beginning with 3rd grade in the fall of 2009 (then 3rd plus 4th in fall 2010, 3rd 4th and 5th in fall 2011, and all grades in 2012.)
Four parent-input meetings were held, with school district administrators present representing finance, transportation, categorical funding, elementary education, K-12 support and testing, innovative programs, special education and human resources.  A board workshop was also held on 14 January to gather input. To read comments put forth at these meetings, click here.

Good news :  The Chico USD GATE plan for 2007 was approved at the three year, EXEMPLARY level.  This is believed to be a first time for "exemplary" status for CUSD.  Many thanks to the dedicated parent committee that worked on the plan!   The plan is available by clicking here. Additionally, in the 2008 Program Compliance Review, the CUSD GATE program was approved with no corrective actions.