GRO

The Gifted Reach Out Program

The GRO program is dedicated to nurturing and supporting the unique gifts and talents of our highly capable students.  GRO encourages independent learning, research, and individual product development through the use of creative problem solving and critical thinking skills.   Students are exposed to new subjects with the intent to broaden their interests and enhance their present grade level core curriculum.
Students eligible for the GRO program are evaluated in June by formal assessments as well as parent and teacher questionnaires.  First graders and students new to the district may be tested in December.

Units of study for the 2011-2012 school year:

Grades 1, 2,  & 3  Medieval Times

Our Medieval Unit is well under way.  We have been learning about castles and discovered that the Keep, the safest part of the castle, housed the banquet hall, similar to where we will be enjoying our Medieval Festival and Banquet on March 21 at the P.A.L.  We are meeting the people who lived during that time, including knights, craftsmen and the nobility.  We are also learning about falconry, medieval games, and stained glass windows in Cathedrals.  Students have been writing their own medieval legends.   For our unit-end project, the students will be asked to select a relevant topic, research it, and create a poster with their findings.

Grade 4  Visual Arts

The fourth graders will have the opportunity to  create a variety of works of art in the style of several artists as they learn about their techniques.  We are examining line, shape, texture, and form while experimenting with color and tint.  We will also be learning to critique art by recognizing imitationalism, formalism, and expressionism.
            The unit end project will entail having each fourth grader select an artist of his/her choice, researching the artist’s life while focusing on the artist’s technique and background.  Students will conduct an interactive art exhibit for their classmates.

5th Grade Brain Unit

During this unit the fifth graders will be learning about the history of the study of the Brain. The students will be introduced to the Multiple Intelligences Theory and a variety of Learning styles as well as Hemisphericity (right brain/left brain).
Students will be discovering the psychology of the brain (extrovert, optimist, personality, etc.) as it applies to them.  Students will also recognize various aspects of the physiology of the brain (cerebrum, cerebellum, thalamus, hippocampus, etc.).
We will be visiting Thomas Edison’s Laboratory to understand how this New Jersey genius used his brain to become the foremost inventor in American history.

Ms. Judyth Elzer
Gifted Reach Out Teacher/Facilitator