Maximizing Learning Potential: Exhilarating Week

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Exhilarating Week

Our friends, the Duffys came to visit for the 4th of July. We all had a very good time with them. The weather was not optimal, but we did get some swimming in. A lot of the neighbors were shooting off hundreds of $ in fireworks, so we sat in the drive and watched them. They also played a friendly game of basketball: Duffys against the Nuehrings. Brian and Joel joined in with the girls as Hunter rode his scooter in and around the game.

Haley started her MEGSSS classes this week. She is taking two courses: Propositional Calculus and Operational Systems. She absolutely LOVES class. At the end of the week she told me the only drawback was that she didn't have any time to read all week. She spent a good 4 hours + a day doing homework. This was in addition to the 9 hours she spent in class last week! She's doing great and has an "A" average so far in the class. I couldn't be more proud of my "little nerd." :)

The kids had their piano recital on Wednesday evening and had a fabulous performance! Hunter got up to the bench without any issues and played as if no one else was in the room! (of course this was after a lot of prodding and bribery beforehand!) We celebrated with ice cream from Fritz's after the recital.

They also had a swim lesson this week on Tuesday. Ms. Rachel comes out and works with the kids. Maddie is working hard at her front crawl; getting the breathing down with the stroke. Haley is working on polishing the strokes she is familiar with. Hunter refused to work with Ms. Rachel this week, so he lost his swimming treat.

Haley took her friend, Zeke, to the library for a Harry Potter activity. The kids were invited to Hogwarts and had to do some "shopping" while they were there. They had all kinds of crafts set up. Haley and Zeke made an owl for a pet, magic wand, magic jelly beans, crest, and a few other things. They had a blast. Maddie stayed at Ella's house while Haley was gone and had a great time playing with Ella's American Dolls! She is very excited for our upcoming vacation to Chicago.

All in all it was a very busy and FUN week. We took this weekend to unwind from all the excitement!

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Is it a Cheetah?

When we think of cheetahs we are likely to think first of their speed. It's flashy. It is impressive. It's unique. If a cheetah is confined to a 10 X 12 foot cage, though it may pace or fling itself against the bars in restless frustration, it won't run 70 mph.

IS IT STILL A CHEETAH?

If a cheetah has only 20 mph rabbits to chase for food, it won't run 70 mph while hunting.

A school system that defines giftedness (or talent) as behavior, achievement and performance is as compromised in its ability to recognize its highly gifted students and to give them what they need as a zoo would be to recognize and provide for its cheetahs if it looked only for speed.

However, schools are to extraordinarily intelligent children what zoos are to cheetahs. Many schools provide a 10 x 12 foot cage, giving the unusual mind no room to get up to speed. Many highly gifted children sit in the classroom the way big cats sit in their cages, dull-eyed and silent. Some, unable to resist the urge from inside even though they can't exercise it, pace the bars, snarl and lash out at their keepers, or throw themselves against the bars until they do themselves damage.
In some schools brilliant children are asked to do what they were never designed to do while the attributes that are a natural aspect of unusual mental capacity -- intensity, passion, high energy, independence, moral reasoning, curiosity, humor, unusual interests and insistence on truth and accuracy -- are considered problems that need fixing.

Exerpts from Stephanie S. Tolan ©1996

Work Samples

Manatees (unedited)
By Haley
05/14/09

Manatees are very different than other animals. Manatees are aquatic mammals. They are also endangered. Manatees live in warm waters. They are very slow. Manatees are related to elephants. Manatees never hurt any other animal.

Manatees are funny looking creatures. Manatees are a grey- brown color. They are known as sea cows. A baby manatee weighs about 60 pounds. A grown manatee weighs about 1000 pounds. Sharp propellers from motor boats scar the manatees back.

Manatees have to lots of things after they have a baby. A mother manatee always stays near her calf. Manatees always teach there calf which plants are safe to eat. Manatees usally have one baby at a time every three years. The first thing a baby manatee does after it gets born it rises to the surface to breath. Last, a female manatee becomes an adult when it is five.

Manatees were used in lots of different ways. Its skin was burned as fuel. Also its bones where used as medican and jewelry. Its skin was made into shoes. Manatees fed many people.

Manatees are endangered animals. People need to protect them and not hurt them so they don’t dye out!