May 2014
Vol. III
New Prospect Elementary
“Catch the WAVE of Learning”
Every moment is important to a gifted student. Every
moment holds potential for learning something new, facing a
new challenge, or creating a new thought. Time is the greatest
gift we can give these students.
Sometimes, gifted students do not yet know what they are
interested in or passionate about, particularly young children.
It’s important for us to suggest topics, provide new
experiences, and expose gifted students to new opportunities
to increase their comfort with risk taking and to help them
identify fields of study that eventually will hold their interest
through adulthood. A great way to provide enrichment is
through summer camps that take students outside their core
curriculum and expose them to different topics as well as
open-ended thinking and learning.
Be on the LOOKOUT in the newspaper and on the Excel
webpage for upcoming SUMMER opportunities for your child
to ENJOY while learning something NEW!
Brady
No. #8
May 2....PASS Pep Rally
May 5….Cinco de Mayo
May 6….National Teacher Day
May 6....PASS Testing Week
May 9….Relay for Life and Nurse’s Day
May 11...Mother’s Day
May 13...National Teacher Appreciation Week
May 14...Library Books Due – AR Ends
May 15...Flag Ceremony/Field Day/ Annual Day
May 16...Excel 5th Grade Trip- Titanic Museum
May 19...Excel 4th Grade Trip- Clemson CSI Camp
May 22...Excel 3rd Grade Trip-Children’s Museum
May 26…Memorial Day (No School)
May 27…Sixth Grade Class of 2014 Graduation
May 28…Awards Day (1st –5th Grades)
May 30...Half Day-Dismiss at 11:00
June 2….Last Day of School (Dismiss at 11:00)
Watch Out for
Field Trip
Information!
PASS Testing
May 6-9
Final Day of School
Monday, June 2
As a result of days missed
due to snow and ice, our
last day June 2nd.
Mission Statement
The mission of gifted education in Spartanburg District One is to maximize the potential of gifted and talented
learners by providing programs and services which match their unique characteristics and goals.
NPE Invention Convention
School Winners
Displayed Inventions at the
District 1 Board Meeting
April 14, 2014
1st Place: Brett Jackson: Fast Food Tube
2nd Place: Katie Gossett: Handy Hand
3rd Place: Brodie Mahaffey: Super Soccer Sock
and
Duke Energy Invention Convention
Sixth Grade 2nd Place Prize Winner:
Lexi Irby: Extend A Seat
Converse College will host The Lawson Academy Fine
Arts Day Camp. The camp will feature traditional games,
food, and fun in an exciting, creative atmosphere.
Campers will attend daily classes in art, music, theatre,
creative writing and dance. Activities in each session will
revolve around a theme, so campers may attend all four
sessions, if they wish. Each of the four two-week sessions
culminates with a Family Day Program in which campers
will showcase what they have learned and created.
2014 Lawson Academy Fine Arts Camp Sessions
Session I: June 2–13 — A Blockbuster Summer
Session II: June 16–27 — The Wild, Wild West
Session III: July 7–18 — I ♥ the ’80s
Session IV: July 21–August 1 — Dream On
To read more about the Fine Arts Camp or to register, please
visit the Converse Summer Camp and Activities website.
EXCEL
Innovative, student-centered instruction for the
Academically Gifted and Talented
ONE Team, ONE Mission,
EVERY CHILD
If you have any questions or concerns,
please contact: Barbara.Brady@Spart1.org
District One sixth grade Excel
students participated in the Duke
Energy Invention Convention held
in Greenville. The objective was to
challenge the imagination,
innovation, and creativity of
students in the development of
solutions to everyday issues. Of the
over 1600 inventions, 935
inventions were in the sixth grade
level. Lexi Irby, a student at New
Prospect Elementary School, won
second place in the sixth grade level
with her invention, Extend-A Seat.
The invention idea was the result of
a problem Lexi’s little brother,
Brantley has since he has spent
much of his first year of life in full
casts. Securing him in a car seat
was a struggle for the family.
Extend A Seat became the perfect
solution. The Extend A Seat is a
device that extends the straps of a
baby’s car seat so the child is
comfortably and safely strapped in
the car.
Lexi’s success demonstrates her
dedication and commitment to
being an “EXCEL-lent” student in
everything she does. We, at
Spartanburg District 1, are proud of
Lexi Irby and all our student
inventors!
Lexi’s prizes included
$50 Ingles gift card,
tickets to Children’s
Museum, Richard’s
Comic & Collectibles
Prize Pack, tickets to
the Greenville Drive,
$20 Jack in the Box
gift card, $50 Simon
Visa gift card, and
Wilderness at the
Smokies Day Passes.
Units of Study
A Snapshot of Our Month...
Third Grade
Chasing Vermeer Novel
Spanish Language
Field Trip: Children’s Museum
Fourth Grade
Mystery Festival Investigations
Spanish Culture
Field Trip: Clemson CSI Camp
Fifth Grade
French Language
Titanic Research
Field Trip: Titanic Museum
Sixth Grade
French Culture
Creative/Critical Thinking
All units are interwoven, with activities across the curriculum in
language arts, writing, math, social studies, science, and art.