| HORIZONS HANDBOOK |
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Welcome to Horizons! |
| The Columbia County Elementary Gifted Program's mission is to help students reach their highest potential. At the gifted center, students will be given opportunities to expand and develop their talents and skills to become lifelong learners. This program prepares the student to function at the upper limits of personal abilities through self-initiative and provides a differentiated curriculum of content, process, skills, and creative expression. Teachers act as facilitators providing resources, a rich learning environment, and self-development. |
Curriculum and Goals |
The Columbia County Elementary Gifted Program curriculum is organized into overarching concepts and further subdivided by themes. In the primary years (K-2), students make discoveries as they assimilate and connect new information to our existing world. Then, in the intermediate years (3-5), students build upon those discoveries that will lead them toward further explorations as they create new paths to understanding.
The Elementary Gifted Program has been recently aligned to Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) and supports the Curriculum Standards for Gifted Students as outlined by the Georgia Resource Manual for Gifted Educational Services. These standards are the foundation for all gifted program curricula development and translate into the program's goals and objectives. Through these goals, the students will develop and practice the following:
A. Productive Thinking Processes
1. creative thinking
2. critical thinking
3. problem solving
4. leadership and/or decision making
B. Research and Reference Processes
1. planning
2. finding information
3. evaluating information
4. using and/or interpreting information
C. Communication
1. group dynamics
2. discussion skills
3. listening skills
4. visual, oral, and/or written forms of expression
D. Reflective Thinking Processes
1. intellectual curiosity
2. persistence
3. responsibility
4. self-control and respect with ideas and actions
5. quality work and/or ideas
6. independent and/or productive work habits
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Continuation Criteria for the Elementary Gifted Program |
REGULAR CLASSROOM
Students must maintain a combined average of 80 in their core subject areas. If grades drop below this level, the student may be placed on probation for a 9 week period. The home school counselor will monitor the student's progress, and if grades do not meet the continuation criteria at the end of the probation period, the student may be placed on inactive status from the program.
GIFTED CLASSROOM
Students must maintain satisfactory performance in the various areas of study as seen through the work habits and strategies observed by the gifted education teacher. If performance is not satisfactory, the student may be placed on probation for a 9 week period. If performance does not meet the continuation criteria at the end of the probation period, the student may be placed on inactive status from the program.
Participation, attitude, and motivation: Active participation, a positive attitude, and motivation as observed by the gifted education teacher are required.
Attendance: Student attendance for class is mandatory. Upon three unexcused absences, a student may be placed on probation for a 9 week period. Continued unexcused absenteeism may result in the student being placed on inactive status.
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Work Habits |
The student participates effectively.
- Participates in discussions and activities
- Remembers and uses previous learning
The student demonstrates responsibility and organization.
- Comes prepared for class
- Uses time constructively
The student shows motivation and task commitment.
- Contributes to the class by being present
- Exerts effort
- Shows initiative
- Completes activities and projects
- Seeks additional information for tasks
The student exhibits independent and cooperative learning.
- Works productively alone and/or in a group
- Corrects his/her own mistakes
- Finds new ways of doing things
- Expresses imaginative ideas
- Respects the work and opinions of others
- Cooperates with other students and teachers
The student demonstrates appropriate behavior.
- Exhibits positive attitude
- Exhibits self-control
- Displays tolerance
- Listens attentively and follows directions
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Missed Work Guidelines |
The elementary gifted program is an approved part of the curriculum in the Columbia County School System. The students participating in this program have been identified by state criteria as gifted. The following guidelines are designed to clarify any misunderstandings that may arise when students are required to be away from regularly scheduled classes:
1.Students participating in the gifted program are responsible for mastering all concepts and objectives specified according to the state’s standards.
2.Students in the gifted program should be required to complete all tests. They should be given no less time to complete these tests than other students. Major tests should not be assigned on a day when students are attending the gifted program.
3.The gifted students should not be required to complete all missed classroom assignments for homework. Only assignments which, in the professional judgment of the classroom teacher, are essential for mastery of state standards should be required.
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