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One designated weekday per grade level
Students attend lunch, recess, and specials with their general education class.
Students will receive over 200 minutes of gifted instruction per week. The state requires 150 minutes.
Push-in lessons will be provided to grades
K-1 at least 3 times per year in the general classroom setting.

(as of Aug.09)
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
1st gr.
2nd gr.
3rd gr.
4th gr.
5th gr.
Boys
Girls

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Mondays – 1st Grade
Tuesdays – 4 th Grade
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Wednesdays – 5 th Grade
Thursdays – 2 nd Grade
Fridays – 3 rd Grade

(ex: 4 th grade)
9:05-10:10 Specials (attend with regular class)
10:10-10:40 Thinking Skills activity
10:40-11:40 Special Unit lesson or project
11:40-12:10 Affective Needs lesson
12:10-12:40 Spanish
12:40-1:05 Math or Vocabulary
1:05-1:40 Lunch/Recess
1:40-2:05 Literature and/or Writing
2:05-2:30 Choice Time (choice of thinking game)
2:30-3:35 Students in regular classroom
(This is my screening and K-1 push-in lesson time.)

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http://www.pkwy.k12.mo.us/CandD/Curric ulumAreas/Gifted/index.html

Student understanding will be assessed each trimester according to the following areas:
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Research
Communication
Creative and Critical Thinking
Affective Thinking / Responsibility
Work Habits

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Math – challenge math, mystery math
Thinking Skills – Stories with Holes, strategy games, logic puzzles, etc.
Social/Emotional lessons – various sources
Language Arts – pertinent and awardwinning literature, projects that go along with readings, advanced vocabulary, analogies, creative writing
Research projects
Beginning conversational Spanish

An example of units each grade level will complete at some point during the school year…
1 st grade: Friends Around the World
2 nd grade: Inventors and Inventions
3 rd grade: Really Seeing Art
4 th grade: Ancient Egypt
5 th grade: Architecture
All units are cross-curricular and include research components!

4.
5.
6.
7.
1.
2.
3.
Because we are absent from school on certain days more than others, we have come up with a plan to even out the number of days each grade level attends MOSAICS per school year. Please note these changes on your calendar.
Tuesday, October 6 will be 1 st grade
Wednesday, November 11 will be 3 rd grade
Thursday, November 19 will be 3 rd grade
Tuesday, December 1 will be 2 nd grade
Tuesday, February 16 will be 1 st grade
Wednesday, February 17 will be 3 rd grade
Thursday, March 25 will be 3 rd grade

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Respect others.
Don’t talk over the teacher.
Always follow directions.
No inappropriate words or stories.
Share your ideas knowing that we are all friends.
Have fun!

When rules are broken, the sequence of consequences is as follows…
1 st time: Warning – name goes on chart
2 nd time: Thinking time – sheet is filled out by student
3 rd time: Lose choice time, get a second thinking time, fill out another sheet
4 th time: Mrs. Zurmuehlen calls home
5 th time: Talk with Mr. Dutton or Mr. Schultz

Every day that a student does not get his or her name on the behavior chart, a sticker is given.
Stickers are for exceptional behavior and it is expected that every student will have off-days and lose his/her sticker at some point. Students can save these up for the following rewards…
1 sticker: one piece of candy
5 stickers: 15 minutes of extra choice time
8 stickers: school supply prize
12 stickers: teach the class a 20 minute lesson of choice (with teacher approval)

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1 package of pencils to share
2 spiral notebooks (with holes for binder)
1 two-pocket folder to take home papers
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A box of tissue, Ziploc bags, and paper towels are also much appreciated but not required!
More information will be sent home if the need arises.

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Expanding on academic areas studied in the general classroom
Incorporating student interests into the classroom
Allowing students to be creative and implementing their ideas as well as parent ideas
Giving parents the opportunity to play an active role in our gifted community
Creating cultural awareness and helping give students a vehicle for making a difference in our community
Differentiating the curriculum - The goal is to challenge, not to completely overwhelm.
Addressing the affective needs of my students, as they are an at-risk population with differing emotional needs

My classroom door will always be open to parent visitors. No appointment is necessary!
If you wish to visit us and introduce a special lesson, please contact me and I would be thrilled to include you in our school day!

Please feel free to contact me anytime…
At Barretts Elementary: 314-415-4025
Via email: jzurmuehlen@pkwy.k12.mo.us

• GAM (Gifted Association of MO) www.mogam.org
• NAGC (National Association for Gifted
Children) www.nagc.org
• SAGE (St. Louis Association for Gifted
Education) www.giftedsage.com
• Parkway PAGE (Parents Advocating for
Gifted Education) http://parkwaypage.edublogs.org/ Contact me about joining!!!!

for your continued support!