Alabama Association for Gifted Children

Dear Friends of Gifted,

Recently you received an email regarding the meeting the AAGC Board members had concerning our efforts to obtain funding for gifted services in Alabama.  We appreciate the emails, letters, and calls that you have made to your state senators and legislators.   In further conversation with our legislative contacts, they advised us that a letter writing campaign will be more effective in reaching our representatives.

We need teachers, parents, and students to take a few minutes to write their state senators and representatives.  Included in this letter is a sample letter that you, your students, and parents may want to use.  We have also included a copy of the information presented by the AAGC Board to Rep. Jay Love and Rep. Paul Lee, supportive state legislators.

The following is the website to find the list of state legislators:

http://www.legislature.state.al.us/

Please find attached the sample letter and presentation.

Investing in Gifted Students is an Investment in Alabama

Sample Letter to Representative

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at: audrey.fine@gmail.com

Thank you so much for your help.

Audrey Fine, President

Alabama Association for Gifted Children

http://alabamagifted.org

Dear Friends of Gifted:

Many of you know that a few of the AAGC board members had the opportunity to meet with Jay Love, Alabama legislator, and chairman of the Education Ways and Means Committee.  We were also fortunate to meet with Paul Lee, legislator from the Dothan area.  Both gentlemen were very appreciative of the information we presented for the need of funding for gifted services in Alabama.  Jay Love assured us that he would do his best to make gifted funding a “line item” on the upcoming new budget.  While he could not promise this year to be fully funded, he felt something could be appropriated to assist the needs of the gifted.

Now is the time that we all need your help to take action to assure that this “line item” is truly achieved.  Please, take a few minutes to contact your state senator and legislator for the desperate need for gifted funding.

Please see attached the document I have included of the presentation given to Mr. Love and we think this would be an excellent resource for you to share with your senator/legislator.

To find out the name and contact information for your state senator, go to:

Senate

House of Representative

Thank you so much for your help.

Audrey Fine

Investing in Gifted Students is an Investment in Alabama

Jay Love and Paul Lee with AAGC Board

It’s time again to register for the Alabama Stock Market Game.The SMG Spring Session starts January 30.  Please see the attached flyers.

Stock Market Game 2012 – How to register!

Stock Market Game 2012 – What teachers are say!

Dear Parents, Teachers, and Friends of Gifted,

As you may or may not know, gifted education is mandated in Alabama but not funded. Because of this and our budget shortfalls for education, districts are looking for ways to cut spending. You may have already seen a difference in what is being offered in your school. I’ve heard of teachers having huge caseloads, to gifted totally being cut out of the middle and high schools.

The Alabama Association for Gifted Children (AAGC) has been invited to present to the Ways and Means Education chairman at the capitol on January 18.  The ad hoc committee will be presenting a 30 minute presentation on the state of gifted in Alabama.

Below is the link to “Ways and Means” Education committee members in case you know some of them or are your representative.

You may reach me at this email (audrey.fine@gmail.com).

Thank you for your help.

Audrey Fine, Gifted Specialist, Birmingham City Schools, EPIC
President, Alabama Association for Gifted Children
http://alabamagifted.org/

http://www.legislature.state.al.us/house/housecommittees.html#Anchor-EDUCATIO-54121

One of our AAGC members has just been honored by the Hoover school system.  Congratulations, Mandy Fox!  Click on her picture for a link to the news article.

If you have news for our page, please email us at alabamagifted@gmail.com

The AAGC Newsletter is hot off the press!  Click here for up to date news.  If you have articles for our newsletter, please send your information to Susan Seagraves.

It was so great to see each of you who were able to attend the annual NAGC conference. Several of our AAGC members presented sessions. Shirley Farrell presented two sessions. They were Developing your Personalized, Professional Learning Network (P2LN) through Technology and Response to Instruction (RtI): Helping Classroom Teachers Meet the Needs of Gifted Children.
Patti Wood presented At the Corner of Creativity and Affective Needs and Action Research: Becoming a Teacher
Researcher.  April Coleman presented From Overwhelmed to Organized: Technology asa Friend vs. Foe, Heat Up Reflection With Technology! Engaging Students in Differentiated Reflection Through HOTS and Web 2.0, and Science in Action: Gifted Education and Service-Learning Share Success in Middle School.  Gifted specialist from Bessemer City Schools,
Remeka Little and Jo Dale presented Give ‘em a Break: The Role of Recess in 21st Century Classrooms.  You can see links to their presentation at the Bessemer district website.

We had our very first AAGC contest!  Thanks to all you parents, teachers, and especially the students for all the wonderful products you sent in to us.   We had over 400 entries.  Below are the winners and a link to their product.

Grades 3 – 5

Written Word

1st Place – Kalisa Barnett

2nd Place – Emma Culhane

Honorable Mention – Caleb Simmons

Graphic

1st Place – Drake Bishop

2nd Place – Audrey Osborne

Video

1st Place – Sarah Wright

2nd Place – Emilie Adams

Grades 6-8

Written Word  

1st Place – Anna Clay Adams

2nd Place – Caleb Wood

Graphic

1st Place – Merritt Harmon

2nd Place – Chloe Adkins

Video

1st Place – Sophie Olszak

2nd Place – Byron Emory

Grades 9-12

Written Word

1st Place – Neil Grandberry

2nd Place – Karen McNeil

The student contest finalist have been chosen.  If you were not contacted we hope you enter again next spring.  Watch for more information later about the new contest.

Thank you, students, for all your great work.  We had over 400 entries and you all gave the judges so much great material, it was a hard decision.

Our conference is here!  I am so excited to see many of you at the McWane Science Center.  It’s not too late to come.  You can register onsite.  See the “Conference” tab for more information.  Parents – you will probably want to come on Friday.  We have special sessions for you AND the winners of our first ever contest will be announced.