Welcome to Horizons Curriculum Night Brookwood Elementary 2011-2012

1. Welcome to HorizonsCurriculum NightBrookwood Elementary2011-2012

2. Teacher • Amy Agramonte • Grades 4-5 • aagramonte@forsyth.k12.ga.us • 678.965.5060. ext 470350 • Please contact me with any questions or concerns.

3. Communication • Brookwood Homepage - Students Services Link • Individual Teacher Web Page • Project Rubrics • Horizons Journal • E-mail/Phone • Formal Progress Reports - (2nd and 4th marking period)

4. HORIZONS Process Standards • Critical Thinking • Effective Communication • Logical Problem Solving • Research • Creative Thinking

5. Horizons Personal Development Standards • Self-Directed Learner • Collaborative Worker • Responsible Citizen

6. Horizons Project/Product Based Performance • Selects and Plans Intricate Projects • Sets High Level Criteria for Success • Follows through to Completion • Asks for Constructive Criticism/Corrects Mistakes • Produces Work of Sophisticated and Exemplary Quality • Evaluates and Reflects on the Quality of the Final Project

7. Excellence vs. Perfection Discuss with students the difference between excellence and perfection. Create a safe atmosphere where students can successfully fail and mistakes are seen as pathways to learning. Help students by sharing examples of goal setting and completing steps necessary to achieve. Guide students to learn to self-evaluate, reflect and develop awareness about the impact of their giftedness on their social and emotional well-being through affective learning.

8. HORIZONS~ A program designed to enrich the gifted and talented student What will my child be doing this year in Horizons? • Creative thinking: fluency, flexibility, originality, elaboration • Logic Puzzles • Deductive Reasoning/Mysteries • Advanced learning of “regular” Classroom curriculum (algebra with Hands on Equations, advanced vocabulary with Caesar’s English, advanced science concepts such as developing dichotomous keys) • Affective Learning~ Learning about ourselves and our giftedness • Group activities~ Learning how to be a valued group member • Hands-on Learning, designing, building • Critical thinking: new ways of thinking (ex: Thinker’s Keys) • Nature Journaling- learning to focus, observe, record and reflect on world around us • Attempting things they have never tried before and having fun • Projects- inspire, research, design, present (Hot Air Balloons, Enigmas…)

9. REFLECTIONS & Contests Reflections theme~ “Diversity is…” Strongly encourage Horizons students to participate! Open-ended learning, choice, opportunity for depth, complexity, novelty, address real problems and deliver solutions, chance to showcase talents…. Reflections is a nationwide PTA sponsored event that encourages students across the country express themselves artistically, inspired by the current theme. Categories include dance choreography, film and video production, literature, musical composition, photography, and visual arts. Research shows that contests are legitimate avenues for higher order learning. They provide real world learning and promote independent thinking, while helping students develop confidence and ownership . (Google Art Contest, Save the Frogs, Inventions, for example)

10. Collaboration Folders • Each student will be provided a collaboration folder detailing in-class enrichment activities that will bridge the regular classroom and Horizons standards. • (These activities are not intended for homework.)

11. Classroom Supplies Each student will need: a one inch binder, paper and dividers with tabs. composition book The binder will mostly stay here in the classroom. Teacher Wish List: tissues, zip-lock baggies, clorox wipes, art supplies lying around the house: yarn, fabric, trim, pipe cleaners, origami paper, etc…

12. Do not look to the ground for your next step. greatness lies with those who look to the horizons. Norwegian proverb