Gifted and Talented Program Testing Registration Form
Testing for placement in Eastern High School’s Gifted and Talented Program will be
held on December 17, 2011 from 8AM-11:30AM in the Senior High School
Cafeteria.
Please complete the form below if you wish to have your child tested.
Name of student
____________________________________________________________________
Grade
_______________________
School
____________________________________________________________________
Home Address
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Phone
____________________________________________________________________
Return this form to Mrs. Donna Donato, Eastern Senior High School, 1401 Laurel
Oak Rd., Voorhees, NJ 08043 or email this information to
donato_donna@eastern.k12.nj.us by December 9, 2011.
To: Parents of 8th grade students in our sending districts
From: Donna V. Donato, Coordinator, Gifted and Talented Seminar Program
Date: November 2011
Topic: An explanation of the Gifted and Talented Seminar Program
I would like to share with you a brief description of the Gifted and Talented
Program at Eastern Regional High Schools. You may be aware that providing
specific opportunities for highly able students is an official requirement of the Core
Curriculum Content Standards issued by the State Department of Education. Our
district offers students Advanced Placement courses in the academic and
performing disciplines as well as an elective series of interdisciplinary courses
entitled Gifted and Talented Seminar. The G/T program is based on the Schoolwide Enrichment Model developed by Dr. Joseph Renzulli of University of
Connecticut National Center for Gifted Education. Within the Gifted and Talented
Program, courses are available 9-12. The initial course for 9th graders is an
introduction into the methodology used to enable students to become autonomous
learners (Dr. George Betts, Univ. of Colo.). Units include the autonomous learner
model, multiple intelligences, goal setting, global issues, Model UN preparation,
critical thinking, an independent study strand and examining eminence. Courses
continue in the following order: Futuristics, Ethics/Philosophy and Community
Problem Solving. Each of the above courses contains an Independent Study strand,
which is based on the Multiple Menu Model, in which researchers use the resources
of professionals in the topic field. The above courses meet two-five days a week. In
addition, a wholly Independent Study course is offered to eligible juniors and
seniors. Multi-age grouping has been introduced to allow more flexibility in student
scheduling.
Course oriented field trips which are experienced by students participating in G/T
Seminar can include museums of art, leadership workshops, performing arts, and
historical museums. Model United Nations and Model Congress conferences are
also part of the G/T curriculum and may be one- day conferences or trips that
include overnight stays. In the past, we have provided students the opportunity to
compete at Cherry Hill, Moorestown, Haddonfield, Harvard, Johns Hopkins,
Princeton, and Georgetown conferences. Student projects also include
conferences/programs organized for the Eastern campus. Students have organized a
Film Festival, a Human Trafficking Benefit, a Volunteer/Internship Expo, Project
H2O and an AIDS Orphans Benefit. We also offer service learning opportunities
related to partnerships with schools located in Malawi and Uganda. G/T students
recently won a grant to create a prototype invention for the Lemelson-MIT
InvenTeams Competition.
Students may self-nominate or may be nominated by a parent, teacher, counselor, or
administrator. Testing occurs in December of each year with sessions held to
include nominees from each sending district as well as current Eastern students. A
testing session takes approximately three hours. A variety of nationally reviewed
evaluation instruments are used and student portfolios may also be submitted.
I am very proud of the accomplishments of the students in our Gifted and Talented
Seminar program and invite you to consider having your child tested for our
program.
Information regarding testing will be available on the Eastern High Schools
website and on Channel 19 after November 15. Our testing date will be
Saturday, December 17th in the Eastern Senior High School.