Welcome to BVGT Insight, a resource to help you support children who are gifted at home and in school, provided by Boulder Valley Gifted and Talented. Your $40 annual membership helps strengthen our efforts to advocate for the needs of gifted individuals in Boulder Valley. JOIN TODAY at bvgt.org!
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To one and all-
Spring has sprung, and as cliche as that sounds, I am still loving it.
The blossoms, the warm breezes, the threat of more snow- wait- maybe not that last one so much...
Even though it has been a year of virtual events, great information was put out into the universe. To recap-
This past fall we were lucky enough to hear Dr. Michelle DuBois, Doug Alexander and Terry Bradley share valuable, rock-solid information and support.
We shared one of the Bright & Quirky conference's talks and held a live Q and A session afterwards that was as heartwarming as it was useful.
Also in the fall, Education Liaisons Jen Lucchesi and Doug Alexander put on events for teachers, but they welcomed parents, too.
This spring we were happy to partner with BVSD to have three authors speaking about 2e kids- with another fabulous Q and A session afterwards.
Bright & Quirky redux, to continue the discussion started in the fall, wrapped up our programming year.
Irons are in the Programming fire already, preparing for next year.
Is there a subject you'd like to hear about?
Send me an email! President@bvgt.org will get it right to me.
Please know we can always use more energetic folks on our Board,
so contact me if you are interested in working where the magic happens.
We're hoping to be back in person next year- what do you think?
Enjoy the summertime rhythm, whatever that is for you.
On this warm day in May I am toasting you with my cold lemonade
(for tomorrow it might need to be hot chocolate).
Cheers!
Jocelyn Gebhardt
President
BVGT
BVGT Summer Playdates!
Are you interested in connecting with other families with gifted students? BVGT will be hosting ten free playdates this summer for students of all ages (and their grown-ups), with opportunities to play board games, build with Legos, share favorite books, do arts and crafts, and more! BVGT playdates will take place at libraries, parks, and other places around the district. Mark your calendars with the below dates and visit bvgt.org or our Facebook page for more details and locations. Questions? Suggestions? Want to help plan and/or run a playdate? Contact Sarah at sdodson-knight@bvgt.org.
Tuesdays at 6:30 pm:
6/7, 6/28, 7/19, 8/9
Thursdays at 2:00 pm:
6/23, 7/14, 8/4
Saturdays at 9:30 am:
6/18, 7/9, 7/30
Coming this Fall - BVGT Member Exclusive Free Access to Bright & Quirky Child Summit 2022
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More viewing and discussion sessions coming this fall! BVGT is making plans to present sessions of the 2022 Bright and Quirky Child Summit which took place in April. More information on the summit (as well as options to purchase videos of the webinars) can be found here.
Committee Updates
Boulder Valley Gifted and Talented (BVGT) continues to welcome Advocacy Committee members, Parent Liaisons, and Educator Liaisons!
BVGT Advocacy Committee: The new Advocacy Committee has been meeting monthly since November to brainstorm ways to partner with our schools in support of GT students. The committee is currently working to develop and organize resources for parents, teachers, and school staff on a variety of topics that affect GT students, as well as generating other ideas to advocate for increased support over the long term. If you are interested in joining our efforts, please contact Stacey Green at sgreen@bvgt.org. The committee will continue to meet throughout the summer.
BVGT Parent Liaisons: Would you like to join a virtual community of parents of gifted children representing various schools around the Boulder area (including both public and private/independent schools and possibly even the homeschool community)? Can you help BVGT by sharing information about GT resources, opportunities, and upcoming events with parents and educators in your school/community? We invite you to get involved as a BVGT Parent Liaison to build a bridge between our organization and your school/community. Please contact Tricia Carpenter, Parent Liaison Co-Chair, at tcarpenter@bvgt.org for more information.
BVGT Educator Liaisons: Attention Educators: Would you like to be part of a virtual community who supports our gifted-identified students? Would you like the chance to discuss highly effective strategies and resources? This is the group for you! Our goal is to identify what we can do to make things better for our colleagues and our students throughout their day. I invite you to join us at our meetings, once each semester this year. If you would like to participate, please email Jennifer Lucchesi, Educator Liaison Chair, at jlucchesi@bvgt.org.
CAGT Conference Registration Now Open!
The Colorado Association of Gifted and Talented, our parent organization, will be hosting its annual conference October 16-18, 2022 at the Embassy Suites in Loveland. Registration; call for proposals, exhibitors and sponsors; and applications and nominations for scholarships and awards are all NOW OPEN. For more information and to register, click here.
Other Programming/Events
(Disclaimer: BVGT does not endorse individuals, events, and/or companies, unless explicitly stated. The information in this publication is intended for informational purposes only. Events and programming are free, unless otherwise noted.)
Conversations with CAGT, hosted by the Colorado Association of Gifted and Talented, every Tuesday at 5pm on Facebook Live. Archived presentations from the past two years are available (for free!!) here! Look for new programming in the fall!
Other FREE GT-friendly events at Boulder Public Library:
Spanish classes for kids
Teen Chats with Boulder Teen Advisory Board
Flatirons Mineral Club - Junior Geologist Group
and more!
Click here for a list of ongoing events.
Online Articles and Resources
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(Disclaimer: BVGT does not endorse individuals, events, and/or companies, unless explicitly stated. The information in this publication is intended for informational purposes only. Resources are free, unless otherwise noted.)
Recent Articles of Interest:
“New PBS Documentary ‘Try Harder!’ Examines the Pressures Asian American Students Face in the Quest for Perfection” (Shondaland.com)
“Institute Promotes New Model of Gifted Education” (EdSurge)
“Online Schools for Gifted Children” (Davidson Institute)
“Gifted Children: Life After the Pandemic” (Psychology Today)
Resources & Recordings:
Boulder County and Colorado Teen Mental Health Resources
“No matter what you are going through, you are not alone.”
List of resources to support children who are twice exceptional
“A Guide to Overexcitabilities and Gifted Children” (Raising Gifted Learners podcast)
“Gifted vs. Bright: A New and Improved Perspective” (video)
“10 Things that Gifted Educators Should Know” (The Tech Edvocate)
“Innovating for Gifted Education” (The Teachthought Podcast)
Jocelyn’s Book Reviews
Happy May to everyone!
Books newish and older- check them out.
I hope you see something that grabs you.
All the Ways to be Smart
Written by Davina Bell
Illustrated by Allison Colpoys
2018
A fabulous book with a cheerful rhyme, it starts off
"I can't wait to share with you how smart you are the whole day through."
And ends with "And nobody will ever do...the very same smart things as you."
It's up to YOU to read the middle part- preferably with a child or two.
Love love love the illustrations! Two thumbs up!
AWAKE
Written and Illustrated by Mags DeRoma
2021
How could you not like a book that starts with this on the opening endpapers?
OPEN (symbol of eyes)
OPEN (symbol of brain)
OPEN (symbol of heart)
TO BE AWAKE
This is a story of a young girl and her dog Oscar at bedtime. She is just settling down to sleep, when guess what she sees out of the corner of her eye?
A SPIDER!
Well! She wasn't sleepy anymore. She was AWAKE!
She brainstormed all the things she could do to that spider- (you've GOT to check out these brilliant illustrations!).
Such a clever, sympathetic girl realizes, finally,
"Maybe YOU'RE scared of ME."
A more loving and satisfying resolution to such a dilemma could not be imagined. Two thumbs up!
A New Alphabet For Humanity
Written by Leesa McGragor
Illustrated by Daniela Sosa
2019
Let's hear it for a new alphabet concept. Instead of A is for Apple, how about
A is for Abundance? Then a simple definition of Abundance following a spot-on illustration. B is for Bravery... F is for Forgiveness, S is for Sincere, V is for Vibrant.
Grab a copy of this book to fill in the missing letters yourself.
This would be such a great book for both younger and older kids. I can picture older kids choosing their own words, explaining their definitions and rationale. Why is their word important? Maybe drawing their own illustrations to match. Wonderful, wonderful!
Two thumbs up!
And for our youngest readers/listeners:
Look At Me!
Written by Begin Smart
Illustrated by Elliot Kreloff
2008
"Look at me! I am a BEAR! GRRR!"
This fun board book is such a fun read aloud to young kids! When you open the book there are holes for your eyes and slots for your hands so you can hold it up to your face to delight your audience. "Look at me! I'm a dog! WOOF!" This simple book with bold, colorful illustrations that will tickle your child's funny bone. Not exactly a sleepy bedtime book- this gets everyone energized.
"Look at me! I am a LION! ROAR!"
Two paws up!
Enjoy a summer full of fabulous books-
I certainly plan to!
If your family has a well-loved children's book title or two you think I- or everyone- should know about, feel free to send me the info. I'd love to hear about your favorites.
Thank you!
Jocelyn Gebhardt
president@bvgt.org
Thank you for checking out these resources and for supporting BVGT.
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