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Considerations for Gifted Children |
| Are you thinking of
putting your child in the Odyssey program? There are
many ways to design a program that works well for a
gifted child (acceleration to a new grade, acceleration
in a subject, home schooling, etc.) and the Odyssey
program is one option to consider for your highly gifted
child. But, it is right for him or her? The goal of the
Odyssey program is to bring together highly gifted
learners in a stimulating classroom environment that
expands traditional options and where students can learn
at a pace, depth and scope that more fits their needs.
Here are some things you and your child should be aware
of as you consider a move into Odyssey. |
| You, as a parent, also
need to consider how moving your child to this program
will affect you and the rest of your family. You can
expect that you will see changes in these areas:
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- Transportation
– Our program is at Highlands Elementary School.
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- Homework
load – Your child will
have a larger homework load as the program is
designed to challenge highly gifted students. We
use the AASD guidelines of an average of 10
minutes of homework per grade level outside the
school day. The students may need a lot of support
with getting and staying organized, using their time
wisely, staying focused on a task, dealing with
higher expectations and making mistakes, and other
issues, especially during the first quarter of each
grade as they adjust to higher expectations.
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- Communication
– We send home planners for signatures daily, we
send home newsletters weekly, we ask for parent
signatures on important papers (tests, project
assignments, etc.), etc. We also try to communicate
quickly via phone or e-mail regarding concerns, and
hope you will do so as well.
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- Emotions in your
child – Children may blossom and open up in this
environment. They will learn that they can make
friends with kids like themselves and they can feel
challenged by school work. They may also feel
frightened when they don’t come in first, insist
that they can’t do something because it didn’t work
right the first time they tried it, and believe that
they aren’t as valuable when they see others who
excel in areas in which they don’t. They may also be
angry that they were made to leave their old school
and their old friends and be unwilling to give this
new place a fair chance. They need a lot of support
and encouragement through the whole transition from
the teachers but more especially from you.
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| Many highly gifted
students have never had to work hard in a class before.
Learning important study and organizational skills that
might seem basic to us can be hard for them. These are
skills your child will need at some point in his/her
education and can learn more easily earlier rather than
later. Odyssey provides an environment where students
will be expected to learn to: |
- Ask questions when
they don’t understand something
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- Manage long-term
projects and follow suggested timelines
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- Take risks and try
something new
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- Communicate
information about what is happening at school with
parents regularly via a daily planner, project and
assignment explanation sheets, etc.
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- Make presentations
in front of the class
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- Be flexible when
schedules change and/or the classroom teacher
decides to pursue an interesting tangent with the
class
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- Keep materials and
supplies organized
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| Many highly gifted
students have also had difficulty forming friendships
with peers. They often feel more comfortable with adults
than with children. They can be socially awkward. They
may be used to being the class "star" and getting
attention for being right often. This can lead to major
adjustments when the students will need to: |
- Share the attention
of the teacher
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- Work with others in
groups
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- Be willing to
really listen to someone who has an idea that is
different
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- Take risks in front
of others
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- Take and give
constructive criticism
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- Accept the
authority of all adults in the building
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- Take responsibility
for his or her own actions
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- Conform to school,
program, and classroom rules
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Some highly gifted
students also have unique issues such as anxiety
disorders, perfectionism, or can be "twice exceptional"
with learning disorders of many kinds. These can
include Asperger’s Syndrome, Autism, Speech and Language
needs, physical disabilities, etc. It is important to
take any special needs your child has into consideration
when you choose the Odyssey program. We do not have
dedicated special education staffing, but do have access
to available staff at
Highlands
Elementary School. However, if a program does not
exist at Highlands, it will not be available for your
child. |
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| We hope that this
information will help you to understand all that is
involved in your Odyssey decision. Please come, visit,
and ask questions in your search to learn if Odyssey is
the program with the best fit for your child. |
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