HIGH ABILITY LEARNERS VISION STATEMENT

At St. Patrick’s, we recognize that students learn in diverse and unique ways.  We will provide challenging and engaging learning experiences as well as opportunities for growth, enabling children with exceptional learning capabilities to reach their potentials. 

Following are some samples of things that teachers at St. Patrick’s are doing to challenge learners with exceptional capabilities.

Pre-Kindergarten – Preschoolers who are reading have the opportunity to read to their peers.  Students with high math skills are offered manipulates to work on their own (one to one games, blocks with patterns, etc.).  The teachers also provide an increase in independent skills opportunity by giving the child a project and letting them do it on their own.  These students are also given the opportunity to write and/or dictate as given by the teacher.  Students with higher ability are also given more thought provoking questions like: “Where does the white go when it melts?

Kindergarten – In the kindergarten, classroom the teachers teach higher level phonics skills, they write words rather than first letter, they put words into sentences, when reading paper has sentences, read and make them write responses, and they use the mobile computer lab to write their sentences.

First Grade – In First Grade math, the teachers change the math boxes as needed to challenge the students at their learning ability.  The teachers are also adjusting the math activities and games to meet the learner’s needs. In each reading unit, students are placed in the appropriate reading group that will challenge them at their level.  Students are also challenged with supplemental reading stories, chapter books, and activities.

Second Grade - Students are given mad minutes where they can work at their own pace.  Math boxes are modified to make them more challenging.  Students get math packets (of extra practice sheets) based on their math needs.  Students are also given novels to read that are at a higher level than their reading basal.  The students read the novels and answer questions about what they read.  Extension pages are given to students who need an extra challenge.  

Third Grade - Students are working on extensions from the chapters in their math books.  They also use the laptops once a week to engage in different math web sites.  Students do the extend pages rather than the workbook practice pages in reading.  They read novels and complete independent packets during the week.  They turn work in on Fridays, at which time the work is graded and discussed.  We are also in the process of using Junior Great Books.

Fourth Grade - Students accelerate through the math chapter and then complete extension and critical thinking activities.   In reading, students contract, learn, and read novels at a pace that allows them to be challenged.  They are given post-reading activities that challenge them to develop their higher-level thinking skills.  Students are able to participate in the “Genre Challenge” which allows them to read books and complete activities from each genre of literature.

Fifth Grade – In Math, the students are given a pretest; once they demonstrate mastery, they are given enrichment worksheets.  Students’ individual needs are addressed in reading with class novels.  Some students work in an oral group with the teacher, while others work with independent novels.  Both groups create end-of-the-book presentations for the other group, as a means to convince them to read more books by the same author (debates, poster boards, and skits are the products we have created thus far).   In Science, the students are encouraged to give mini presentations to their class once they have researched material relating to covered units.  We have had presentations about sharks, fungus, the rain forest, different species, space, & protecting our environment this year.

Sixth – Seventh – Eighth Grades – In Math, we are using an elevated curriculum textbook, the students participate in math contests and they work in math groups.  The seventh graders are studying Pre Algebra and the eighth graders are studying Algebra I.

Following are some of the activities that are happening in Science:   Science Fair, 4H explorations, Exploring with microscopes, Measuring:  Using the Metric System, Rubber band cannon experiment, Soap viscosity, GPS:  Global Positioning System, Bridges and Structures, Current Events (Electricity), Kitchen Science, Robotics, Characteristics of Acids and Bases, Polymers, Metric System, Bacteriology, Blue Sky Below My Feet—Model Rocketry.  All of these activities provide extension learning challenges for all students.  In Reading and English, students are studying Latin and Greek roots via student led activities.  They are also reading high school novels such as (To Kill a Mockingbird; the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn).  They also have differentiated group levels in seventh grade.  They use an extensive vocabulary study through student led activities.

While students are writing, they are expected to write all of their papers in all of their classes to be the best of their ability.  They are expected to utilize the six traits of writing, use a variety of writing genre, and they are involved in a number of writing contests.

All grades and teachers are implementing differentiated learning.  The teachers continue to work very hard to challenge the students so they can develop their talents and abilities.  We want to thank all parents for supporting our challenging program.