Advanced Learner Newsletter

Study Skills in the Summer??

Summer is actually a good time to explore

the best way to study. Effective study

skills are dependent upon knowing your-

self and how you learn best. Study strate-

gies are most effective if you use your

strengths.

Howard Gardner has identified 8 areas of

personal strengths or natural intelligences:

Verbal/linguistic; Logical/mathematical,

Visual/spatial, Bodily/kinesthetic, Inter-

personal, Intrapersonal and Naturalist.

The district Advanced Learner Website

now has a Study Skills page. On it are

tools that will help in identifying your nat-

ural intelligence(s): a short description of

each, a checklist of descriptors, and an

answer key. Go to http://

www.mcfarland.k12.wi.us/msd/msd.php?

id=0059 or click HERE to access these

resources. Once you have determined

your natural strengths, there are studying

tips for those particular areas. Using those

ideas, pick a strategy, try it out this sum-

mer and see what works best for you!

US News and World Reports posted an

article on study skills. The article sug-

gests that you should:

Hone your reading skills. Take higher

McFarland District Advanced Learner Services May, 2015

Apps that promote thinking

skills:

Equilibrium

PixelogicDaily

TED

iBot

iCut

Lumosity

Mino7 Classic

CohabitLite

IsoBall

KenKen Lite

Word to Word Themes

Little Crane

Summer is a good time to explore and find your

passion!

Control Click

HERE

level courses that will challenge your

reading, writing and comprehension

skills. The same webpage has a list of

100 books you should read before you

leave high school. Summer is a good

time to read!

Gather all the information you need to

know for a test and organize it in one

spot.

Develop a relationship with your in-

structor so you are comfortable with

talking about what is most important

and to glean important study tips

“If high school students truly apply them-selves to experiment with various study methods, fully process assignments, consol-idate information for tests, and understand exactly what relationships with professors can bring to the table, success in college will be on the horizon.” For the complete article, go to: http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/college-admissions-playbook/2013/10/14/practice-college-study-skills-during-high-school or click HERE

Inside this Issue:

“Genius” poem 2

CTD Parent Confer-

ence

2

Entelechia 2

WATG 2

Summer Reads 3

Family Fun Outside 3

Wednesday

Night@the Lab

3

Art of Writing Work- 3

New Resources 4

District Philosophy &

District Staff

4

Entelechia, a community created

by parents of gifted learners, is a non-profit* start-up in the Madison area that

exists to provide gifted kids and their fami-lies with the support and community con-nections they need and to facilitate oppor-

tunities to maximize learning and growth. The organization's name, Entelechia, refers to the condition in which potentiality becoes actuality. Some of Entelechia’s offerings include en-richment opportunities, facilitated parent discussion groups, social and recreational community offerings, lectures, semi-nars, guest speakers on topics f interest, book discussions, support groups, and access to an extensive collection of re-

sources. We invite you to become part of our growing commu-nity as it gets off the ground! For more information check out our website www.madisongiftedcommunity.org, like us on Fa-

cebook, and join our Meetup.

*Non-profit status in process.

Page 2 Advanced Learner Newsletter

Save the Date!

2015 WATG Conference

Surviving or Thriving?

Unlocking Gifted Potential

November 5-6, 2015

Kalahari Resort and Conference Center

Keynote Speakers: Dr. Mary Ruth Coleman and

Lisa Van Gemert

Bring your family and make a weekend of it!

Conference rates apply

GENIUS… was what they called you in high school if you tripped on a shoelace in the hall and all your books went flying. Or if you walked into an open locker door, you would be known as Einstein, who imagined riding a streetcar into infinity. Later, genius became someone who could take a sliver of chalk and square pi a hundred places out beyond the decimal point, or a man painting on his back on a scaffold, or drawing a waterwheel in a margin, or spinning out a little night music. But earlier this week on a wooded path, I thought the swans afloat on the reservoir were the true geniuses, the ones who had figured out how to fly, how to be both beautiful and brutal, and how to mate for life. Twenty-four geniuses in all, for I numbered them as Yeats had done, deployed upon the calm, crystalline surface— forty-eight if we count their white reflections, or an even fifty if you want to throw in me and the dog running up ahead, who were at least smart enough to be out that morning—she sniffing the ground, me with my head up in the bright morning air.

by Billy Collins

Opportunities for the Future Conference

Saturday, June 27, 2015

1:00—5:00 PM

An inspirational afternoon of learning and explora-

tion for gifted students and their family. Keynote address:

Parenting for Talent Development: The Importance of

Non-Cognitive Skills. Parents and students can

select one workshop in each of 4 time slots. Su-

pervised activities for children age 4—grade 3 are

continuous through the afternoon. Student only

workshops offered for Grades 4—6; Grades 7—8

and Grades 9—12. More info HERE

Family Fun Outside!

Summer Reads

50 Resources for Parents and

Teachers of Gifted and Talent-

ed Students: http://www.teachthought.com/learni

ng/50-resources-for-the-parents-

and-teachers-of-gifted-and-talented-

students/. Organizations, Twitter

quips, articles, resources, blog spots

Some of My Best Friends Are

Books by Judith Wynn Halstead: a plethora of excellent suggestions

for readers ages 2 through Senior

High. Book suggestions that tap

into the challenges of emotional and

intellectual intelligence as well as

those that will challenge a gifted

reader.

Enrichment at the Milwaukee Zoo.

Father’s get in FREE on Father’s

Day!

Aldo Leopold Center Summer

Camps for children of all ages—

even family camps—all summer

UW-Arboretum Public Walks,

trolley tours, family programs, clas-

ses, and more!

Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery

Summer Expeditions a free drop-in

program for students K-8

Explore! Got a day to play? Try a

visit to Blue Mounds State Park,

Cave of the Mounds, House on the

Rock, Governor Dodge State Park,

Devil's Lake State Park, Parfrey’s

Glen, Southern Kettle Moraine

Unit, Madison Children’s Museum,

The Domes in Milwaukee, Milwau-

kee Public Museum, Madison Mu-

seum of Contemporary Art, Over-

ture Center for the Arts Communi-

ty Programs. Wisconsin State Fair

Chazen Museum of Art and more!!

Talent Development Resources

A series of related sites including: Wom-

en and Talent; Depression and Creativity;

High Ability; Highly Sensitive; The Inner

Actor; The Inner writer; The Creative

Mind, Others include the product and

program oriented site The Inner Entre-

preneur, Anxiety Relief Solutions and

Personal Growth Information. Join their

blog at: http://talentdevelop.com

Milwaukee Art Museum

Thursday, July 23

$80 includes museum admis-

sion, morning snack, pizza

lunch, conference materials,

instructions, publication and a

copy of Art of Writing. Writ-

ers: Grades 4—12; Artists:

Grades 6-12 More information

at www.artofwritingconferences.com

Enjoy Summer Days!

Page 3 Advanced Learner Newsletter

Wednesday

Night at the Lab Wednesday nights, 7 PM, 1111 Genet-

ics/Biotechnology Center, 425 Henry

Mall

May 13 On the Lookout for Bacterial Menin-

gitis, Mere Mackaman

May 20, Communicating the Stories of Sci-

ence, Deborah Blum, Journalism

May 27,Mastodons of Wisconsin, Carrie

Eaton, UW Geology Museum

Adult Learning DIY Science Science all grown up—adult lab

experiences

May 27, Wisconsin Idea STEM Fellows Pro-

gram Spring-Summer 2015, Wednesday, 4-

5:30 pm, Discovery Building room 3280

Save the Date! October 22-25 Wisconsin Science Festival,

WN@L is organized by the Wisconsin Alumni Associa-

tion, Science Alliance @ UW-Madison, and by BioTrek, the outreach program of the Biotechnology Center at

UW Madison/Extension.

Social/Emotional Issues

Sylvia Rimm www.sylviarimm.com or

www.seejanewin.com

SENG Supporting the Emotional Needs

of the Gifted :

http://www.sengifted.org/

Twice Exceptional—those who are gift-

ed but have an Exceptional Education

Need

The 2e Newsletter subscription:

www.2eNewsletter.com

Choice Book Titles:

Dweck, Carol (2009) Mindset ; Random

House.

Daniels, Susan and Piechowski, Michael

(2009) Living with Intensity. Great Potential

Press

General Information about

Giftedness:

National Association for Gift-

ed Children www.nagc.org

Hoagies’ Gifted Education

www.hoagiesgifted.org

Davidson Institute: a Website sup-

porting profoundly gifted chil-

dren http://www.ditd.org

Wisconsin Association for Talented

and Gifted www.watg.org

Center for Talent Development at

Northwestern University

www.ctd.northwestern.edu

Wisconsin Center for Academically

Talented Youth www.wcaty.org

Entelechia

http://www.madisongiftedcom

munity.org/

Greenspon, T.S. (2002). Free-

ing Our Families from Perfection-

ism. Free Spirit Publishing

Piechowski, Michael, (2006) Mellow Out, If

Only I Could. Yunasa Books.

More Resources

Prufrock Press Inc

http://www.prufrock.com/

Free Sprit Publishing

www.freespirit.com

Great Potential Press

www.greatpotentialpress.com and

www.giftedbooks.com/products.asp

MindWare www.mindware.com

50 Resources for Parents and Teachers

at Teach Thought http://

www.teachthought.com/learning/50-

resources-for-the-parents-and-teachers

-of-gifted-and-talented-students/

Philosophy

The McFarland School District strives to meet the needs of all of their students,

including those in the gifted population. We recognize outstanding talents in chil-

dren and youth from all cultural groups, across all economic strata and in all

areas of human endeavor. We strive to identify students in the five areas of

giftedness: Intellectual, Academic, Creative, Artistic/Dramatic

and Leadership and to provide them with continuous and systematic services.

McFarland staff and parents work together to sustain the effectiveness of district

G&T Services.

Kitty Ver Kuilen, District Coordinator of Gifted Services

Cindy Clark, High School Gifted Resource

Mary Donagan, Middle School Gifted Resource

Lisa Nyenhuis, Intermediate School Gifted Resource

Carol Greig, Primary Campus Resource Teacher

http://www.mcfarland.k12.w

i.us/msd/msd.php?id=0048

Need Summer Reads?

Every Good Book

Has a customizable reading list. You can

search his historical period, reading, gen-

re and more. Access the link at

http://www.everygoodbook.com/

Enjoy Your Summer!!

JOIN WIS-GIFT-L

Announcements, events & discussions about topics of interest related to gifted education in Wisconsin

Email lyris@listmanager.uww.edu. Type SUBSCRIBE WISGIFT-L. Leave subject line blank

JOIN WIS-GIFTANNOUNCE-L

Get announcements only-no chat

Email lyris@listmanager.uww.edu. Type SUBSCRIBE WISGIFTANNOUNCE-L. Leave subject line blank . Don’t include email signature.