PHILOSOPHY:
The students served by the Gifted Education Program at the middle school level are unique in both their abilities and achievements. The program recognizes and strives to provide for the diversity of the academic, interpersonal, and emotional needs of each student in an appropriate environment.
YEARLY OBJECTIVES:
Skills Goals: To explore and develop:
- Different approaches to solving problems
- Higher level thinking skills of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation
- Originality, flexibility, fluency, and elaboration in student products
- Processes and skills that will benefit students in their regular class settings
- Curriculum based on the needs and interests of the students
- Access to current information and/or innovative practices in fields of study
- Interdisciplinary approaches to content areas through problem-based learning and research
Interpersonal Affective Goals: To provide an environment conducive to:
- Respect for self and others
- Productive group and individual work within an intellectually risk-free setting
- Fostering the curiosity to be a life-long learner
- Meeting the needs of gifted middle school students
IDENTIFICATION:
In order to receive gifted services, your child must be identified as requiring services by PWCS. Once identified, this placement is implemented for grades 3-12 across all PWCS. If your child was identified by any other county and transferred to Porter, they will still be required to participate in the identification process here at Porter to determine eligibility within PWCS.
If you are interested in having your child tested for services, please fill out this Microsoft form and the Gifted team will respond to you as soon as possible: https://forms.office.com/r/Wxh91V4NxP.
Or if you would like to print and fill out a referral form, you can access it here: PDF (in English) or PDF (en español). Please drop it off at the school with it addressed to Alyssa Ruhlen.
This process is extremely thorough, including six hours of testing, the collection of work samples, and written teacher/student/parent reports. Eligibility is then determined at the county level by a committee of teachers, administrators, and counselors.
GIFTED "LOOK-FORS" AT HOME:
- Curious, questioning attitude
- Keen observer
- Vivid imagination
- Learns quickly
- Sophisticated sense of humor
- Exceptional memory
- Sensitive to human issues, fairness, justice
- Strong communication skills
- Motivated to learn or develop a skill
- Quick to learn a second language
- Intense interests
- Enjoys problem-solving
PORTER GIFTED TEACHERS
|
Grade Level |
Min Per Week |
Gifted Teacher |
|
1st Grade |
45 Min |
Ms. Alyssa Ruhlen Ruhlenac@pwcs.edu |
|
2nd Grade |
45 Min |
Ms. Angela Jackson jacksoap@pwcs.edu |
|
3rd Grade |
90 Min |
Ms. Alyssa Ruhlen Ruhlenac@pwcs.edu |
|
4th Grade |
225 Min |
Ms. Angela Jackson jacksoap@pwcs.edu |
|
5th Grade |
225 Min |
Ms. Angela Jackson jacksoap@pwcs.edu |
|
6th Grade |
Services received through Encore Rotation for two quarters (either 1 & 3 or 2 & 4) |
Ms. Kimberly Wenzel wenzelka@pwcs.edu |
|
7th Grade |
Services received through Encore Rotation for two quarters (either 1 & 3 or 2 & 4) |
Ms. Angela Jackson jacksoap@pwcs.edu |
|
8th Grade |
Services received through Encore Rotation for two quarters (either 1 & 3 or 2 & 4) |
Ms. Alyssa Ruhlen Ruhlenac@pwcs.edu |