What is “Gifted”? According to The Jacob Javis Gifted and Talented Students Education Act it is defined as “children and youth who give evidence of higher performance capability in such areas as intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership capacity, or in specific academic fields and who require services or activities not ordinarily provided by the schools in order to develop capabilities fully.
Gifted (top 10%) in intellectual, creative, social, and perceptual mental. (Some are born with gifts but they are not always developed overtime).
Talented (top 10%) “learned” skills and capabilities in academics, technology, science, arts, social, business, etc). Talents are not something you are born with but learned and developed overtime.
What if I am not currently enrolled at St. Peter, can I still apply?Yes! Be sure to complete an application and indicate on the form that you are currently at another school. The director will contact you to set up assessment dates. Additional questions can be answered by contacting Amber Nill [email protected] .
Is the program full day? Our GATE program is a pull out program meaning students will be pulled from their classrooms during designated times.
Will students be excluded from specials like gym or art?No, students will be pulled during their general education classroom time.
Parent Testimonies
What has been the greatest benefit of having your student in GATE?
Thinking outside the box. Wondering why and not just accepting whatever answer you’re told
She is excited and happy to be a part of GATE and we are glad she is being challenged.
The challenge of going above and beyond typical grade level curriculum, small group instruction with a master teacher
His mind is engaged and challenged more so than in the traditional math and ELA classes.
Having students be in a small group setting and allowing for individualized instruction to meet students where they are at as well as being able to push students to grow past what might be the grade level expectation. Students being challenged to think differently and more broadly.
Allowing him to be more challenged with his math and reading and allowing him to grow deeper in his understanding
She is now challenged. Just like you said in orientation, she’s had some days where it was tough because she’s not used to working this hard in school. She’s hanging in there and learning resilience which is an incredibly great life skill.
Has there been a moment that stood out to you that showed your student was benefiting from the GATE program?
Lots of them! Insightful little children they have become. Things come out of their mouth and it astonishes me
Their language speeches were amazing to see.
If I get much feedback about the day it is almost always about what was happening and what was being learned about in GATE. Rarely do I hear about what’s going on in the home room. I don’t recall the name, but the time of class where the children can share special prayer intentions is very impactful on them.
When we saw the carry over between school and home when she encountered something difficult with an extra curricular activity and worked through what she has been learning in the GATE classroom as far as effort, perseverance, and not giving up on herself too quickly.
When he was talking about geometry which is what is brother is currently learning and they could both talk about it
She is very shy. She is very anxious about public speaking. We don’t enjoy watching her be uncomfortable, but we know she has to work on battling through these types of challenges, and we’re thankful she’s working through it step by step.
Regarding the classroom environment, do you feel it has helped your student in any specific areas? If you answered yes can you share ?
Smaller class size is always a plus! Each student gets more individualized attention and each has more opportunities to share and express their own thoughts and opinions. It’s helped my student(s) with self confidence and with thoughtful self expression
My student is challenged in positive ways. He is quite smart and was bored sometimes last year and that is not the case this year!
We are very happy that she is in a small group setting, and even more importantly that the environment is one that is safe, supportive, and positive. Our child tells us that she feels like she can always try in this classroom and even if she gets something wrong it’s ok!
Yes, I think it had allowed him to be more confident and I like that he is also presenting and public speaking
She’s learned to be more self sufficient and has been held accountable for being organized. She’s made progress so far this year in these areas.
Would you recommend this program to other families that have a gifted student? Why or why not?
Yes, it is challenging students to think outside the box and extend their thinking.
Absolutely! Gifted and talented children need more than what is available in the home room class. They need to be pushed to higher levels of thinking so that they can reach their full potentials and shine their lights bright in this world. Together the GATE students can hopefully form a bond and encourage and motivate one another to work harder and strive to do their absolute best work.
Yes we would specifically because of the opportunity for individualized instruction that suits the style and pace of learning for their particular child, as well as the learning that occurs in the classroom outside of academics (ie: character development).
Yes. The GATE program is a fun learning experience that allows my child to delve deeper into the material. I think this has allowed him a better understanding of the material. It has made him more confident in his skills.
Yes. While it’s challenging, it’s helping to instill not only book smarts, but also priceless life skills.
Additional comments:
My student(s) seem the most excited and fired up about the math units in GATE. I was happy with the goal setting done at the beginning of the quarter. I thought the goals set were very appropriate to my child(ren). This reinforces what I already knew, that the teacher (Mrs. Nill) truly takes the time and effort to know and understand each individual student and genuinely wants to see them grow and succeed.
Just a giant thank you for always advocating for this program and our students, and for providing such a positive, encouraging environment that always our student to take chances and push boundaries,