Gifted Cluster Class News:
Larkspur Middle School Newsletter for Parents of Gifted Students
Tracy Patterson
Gifted Resource Teacher
648-4800, Ext. 50856
Tracy.Patterson@vbschools.com
http://larkspurgifted.edublogs.org
April 16, 2015
General Information from your Gifted Resource Teacher (GRT):
The intention of this newsletter is to share with you as a parent in our Larkspur community what is happening in your child’s core
classes and to keep you posted on upcoming events. We are very excited to have a gifted program that strives to meet the
instructional needs of gifted students. The gifted program at Larkspur Middle School serves students through a Cluster-Resource
Model. In this model, our intellectually gifted students are clustered together and placed on specific teams. Our gifted program
provides differentiated instruction through collaboration of core teachers and the gifted resource teacher. The gifted resource
teacher, who serves as a resource to the teacher and the class, may instruct the whole class, may co-teach with the classroom
teacher, or may work with small groups of students. The classroom teacher and gifted resource teacher also strive to work together
to plan units of study and lessons that incorporate the subject’s SOLs with higher level thinking skills. We also focus on the Virginia
Beach gifted benchmarks which include the following goals:
Goal #1: To develop an understanding for systems of knowledge, themes, issues, and problems that frame the external world.
Goal #2: To develop critical thinking and creative abilities and problem solving skills.
Goal #3: To develop metacognitive skills that foster independent and self-directed learning in order to develop understanding.
Check out the gifted blog, The Lion’s Mane, for more information.
A Brief Overview from your Cluster Teachers:
Grade 6: The Eagles
In 6th Grade Social Studies we have been working our way to the West! Students have assumed a pioneer
identity and have been busy mapping and journaling through this unit. As we study the territories gained
between 1800 and 1860, students have been introduced to the many reasons why Americans migrated west,
along with the different obstacles encountered by these pioneers. We have had to decide how their pioneer
would react to these situations, and how it would impact their journey. Once we successfully arrival on the
west coast, our final task is the creation of an advertisement either encouraging or discouraging future
Americans to join in this migration west. Through this unit, students have been given a better understanding
of how America spread across the continent, and the measures Americans will go through to create a better
life for themselves.
In Pre-Algebra we are currently working our way through measurement and geometry, which is a unit of study
that is filled with 7th and 8th grade objectives. We will continue learning challenging new material through
April and test for the unit on May 4th. In May we begin our SOL review to prepare for the 8th grade math SOL
on June 11th. Many pre-algebra students are used to very high scores on math SOL tests and this might be the
first one that really challenges them because we have learned so many new objectives this year. Please
encourage your student to take the review seriously and aim for the best score s/he is able to get.
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Students in Ms. Coronato’s Advanced Science classes learned about the science behind the fun at their trip to
Laser Quest. Instructors taught how reflection, refraction, and visible light applies to the game.
Students in Ms. Jordan’s Advanced English classes are using computer programs such as Newsela and
ReadTheory and working on skills and stories from the textbook. During Literacy Wednesday, they are fine
tuning their persuasive writing skills. They have taken a mock SOL test to determine their readiness for the
SOL test on June 2 and had an opportunity to demonstrate growth on their SRI (Student Reading Inventory)
tests.
Grade 7: The Spartans
Students in Mrs. Godfrey’s Social Studies classes have just finished learning about the 1920's and 1930's.
While working on the 1920s students collaborated to create magazines about a topic area of interest (Politics,
Pop Culture, Harlem Renaissance, Art and Literature, Sports, and Technology). While exploring the 1930's
students examined primary source documents to understand the impact the Great Depression had on the
American people. We are beginning our study of WWII.
Students in Mr. Pancho’s Advanced Science classes are working to improve their research, study, computer,
and presentation skills as they learn about interactions of living things. Each group has selected one of three
subtopics: everything is connected, living things need energy, and types of interaction. After three days of
researching and preparing, students will be presenting their research next week to the class.
Algebra students in Ms. Garrahan’s classes will be working on factoring polynomials and solving quadratic
equations. Students will continue to work on our statistics unit, in finding the standard deviation, variance
and z-score of a group of data. One Jefferson Lab is due each Friday, 20 questions until SOL testing on Friday,
5/29.
Students in Ms. Keigher’s English classes are becoming globally aware as they learn about service learning and
perseverance through studying the novel, A Long Walk to Water. Here is the summary told by the author,
Linda Sue Park.
A Long Walk to Water is based on the true story of Salva, one of some 3,800 Sudanese "Lost Boys" airlifted to the United States
beginning in the mid 1990s.
Before leaving Africa, Salva's life is one of harrowing tragedy. Separated from his family by war and forced to travel on foot through
hundreds of miles of hostile territory, he survives starvation, animal attacks, and disease, and ultimately leads a group of about 150
boys to safety in Kenya. Relocated to upstate New York, Salva resourcefully learns English and continues on to college. Eventually he
returns to his home region in southern Sudan to establish a foundation that installs deep-water wells in remote villages in dire need
of clean water. This poignant story of Salva's life is told side-by-side with the story of Nya, a young girl who lives today in one of
those villages.
Grade 8: The Griffins
Students in Mrs. Schober’s advanced English classes have started reading a classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird.
They are currently being introduced to literature circles and will be assigned roles designed in their expertise.
In preparation, each role is being modeled during class, and then practiced. Since we’ve returned from spring
break, the roles have been activated and in session! Students initially were able to choose their desired role,
and are now rotating to experience each role. They act as group leaders (directing discussions), word wizards
(seeking new and interesting words), literary luminaries (finding rich passages that include point of view,
figurative language, symbols, and dialogue), summarizers, illustrators, and connectors (connecting ideas to
self, world, etc.). They are excited to be learning about the time period, 1930s, and the themes that are
interwoven throughout. Parallel to the reading of the novel, they will be studying the writing elements that
Harper Lee uses and learning to use these in their own writing. Lastly, students will be working in groups to
create a newspaper representative of the events and the times within the novel.
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Greetings from Mr. Riberdy’s Civics class. The year is finally waning down and your students will soon be
preparing for the leap to High School. The 4th quarter Civics curriculum is very light on new material. We will
be introducing Unit 8-State and Local Governments. Once we couple this new information with the three
branches of the federal government, your student will have a better understanding of the concept of
Federalism. The majority of the 9 weeks will be dedicated to reviewing for the SOL that they will take on June
11. Your child will be creating an all-encompassing review booklet that will facilitate the preparation for the
8th grade Civics SOL. Feel free to follow your child’s progress, by checking out the class website
(http://teacherweb.com/VA/LarkspurMiddleSchool/Riberdy/apt1.aspx ) or simply Google-“Riberdy Civics”.
Thank you for all of your continued support throughout the year.
Griffins Earth Science
The students in Mrs. Jackson's Earth Science classes have been studying rocks and minerals recently. They are
becoming able to identify rocks and minerals and know their uses. During core plus time we will be studying
the Virginia Providences and their characteristics. Since the Earth Science End of Course test is June 3, the
students are required to turn in a 20-question test from Jefferson’s Lab, which is due each Friday. There are
many chances to receive extra credit this 9 weeks as shown in the Earth Science End of Course sheet.
Griffins Physical Science
The students in Mrs. Jackson’s Physical Science class have been finishing up their study of sound. We will then
begin Light and Color followed by Electricity and Mechanical Energy. Since the Science 8 SOL test is on June 9,
the students are required to turn in a 20 question test from Jefferson Lab each Friday. Ask to see their Science
8 Jefferson lab requirement sheet which includes extra credit opportunities.
Students in Ms. Watts’s Geometry classes are studying surface area, volume, and similar figures. In Algebra,
students are learning about quadratic functions and will soon be exploring many ways to analyze data as they
begin their unit on statistics.
Mark Your Calendar:
Spring 2015 Parent Workshop: What Does it Mean to be Gifted?
You are invited to attend a parent workshop on Tuesday, May 5, from 6:00 to 7:00 PM in the Larkspur Middle
School Library. In this workshop, we will discuss gifted characteristics and needs of gifted learners, how VBCPS
responds to those needs using the Cluster-Resource Model, program goals, and gifted benchmarks, as well as
the gifted referral process. This workshop is for parents of both identified and non-identified gifted parents.
Please respond by email at Tracy.Patterson@vbschools.com if you plan to attend. I look forward to seeing you
there!
Parent Presentation on Mindsets
Jill Reid is offering a presentation for parents or anyone interested on April 21st from 6:30-7:30 at the Princess
Anne Elementary School Library. See the flyer on the gifted blog for more information.
Gifted Testing at LKMS
If you are new to the school system, or would like to have your child tested for gifted identification, please
contact the GRT. More information and parent referral forms can be found on the gifted blog. The testing date
is June 4, 2015. Parent referral and teacher information forms are due to the GRT by May 25, 2015.
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