SW Campus parents face June 4 deadline for gifted and talented application

Southwest Campus parents must return a completed gifted and talented program application to the Varnett Public School District's office on or before June 4 for the 2010-11 school year.

The application procedures for acceptance into the gifted and talented program are outlined below for parents and guardians:

*Parent picks up an application packet from The Varnett Public School District's office.

*Parent completes Application and Observation forms as accurately as possible.

*Parent returns the completed forms to The Varnett Public School District's office by June 4, 2010. Student information received after June 4 will not be processed for the 2010-11 school year. All incomplete applications will not be processed.

*Upon receipt of the completed application, the Admissions Committee will notify the parent/guardian and schedule student testing. Students must bring at least two (2) No. 2 pencils and an eraser to the testing site.

After your child has been tested and the results of the test are in, the school will notify the parent/guardian to set up an interview appointment. Please do not call the school. All notifications will be done either in writing or by a telephone call from a representative of the Admissions Committee.

This is a great opportunity for your child to participate in the highly competitive gifted and talented program. If you feel your child is gifted, please take the time to apply. If there are any questions concerning your application or our program, please call me at 713-667-4051.

Thank you for your interest in our program. We look forward to working with your child during the school year.

Sincerely,
M. Annette Cluff
Superintendent


Meanwhile, 15 parents attended a 6 p.m. meeting, May 13, at the Southwest Campus to receive information about the gifted and talented program.

"If we don't invest in our children for the future, there will be no future that will be successful for us," said Dianne Blackmon, a kindergarten teacher and coordinator of the gifted and talented program. "That's why we have to take the time to make sure that our children have the foundation on how to cope in our society because they are the ones who will be running this country."

Ms. Blackmon said 50 to 75 students generally enroll in the gifted and talented program from grades 1-5. "We are expecting that next year or a little more," she said.

She said the program is designed to enhance the opportunity for gifted and talented students to advance.
"Some children sit in regular classrooms and you can only go so far," she said. "So you give children a chance to explore their learning through projects and putting things together on their own. These things are meaningful to them and it enhances them to advance to different stages."

Click here for more information on gifted and talented programs. Source: Texas Education Agency.
Published