Haralson County Gifted Association

Dear Parents,

Thank you to all who were able to attend the first meeting of the Haralson County Chapter of GAGC. Also, thank you to Susan Secord, Gifted Coordinator for Haralson County School System, for her attendance and support of our efforts. We hope you found the meeting productive and look forward to our next meeting. The following are some of the topics the group discussed:

Haralson County GAGC meeting Thursday, September 10, 2009

Held in the Tallapoosa Library at 6:30 pm

The coordinator for the gifted program for Haralson County, Susan Secord, was present and went over many aspects of our current gifted program in Haralson County. She also told us about other GAGC chapters and we as a group discussed issues facing the county’s gifted students and families.

Ms. Secord noted how the only programs for gifted students in the middle school level consist of advanced content. In high school, mentorships are available.

We discussed other local chapters and it was noted that Rome/Floyd County has a very strong chapter. Also, Douglas county just started a new chapter and won “chapter of the year.” We discussed the possibility of networking with these other chapters to seek advice on getting started.

Other ideas that were discussed included different ideas for fund-raising and contacting the local paper to educate the local public about GAGC. We also talked about how Carroll County has sponsored a “Gifted Awareness Day” and brought a local author to speak to the community.
Susan Secord also brought up a good point, that, due to funding, the schools can only test so many children. This allows many children to slip through the cracks. Our county is not a rich one, and our tax dollars can only go so far. Because of this financial lack, it is even more important for us to have such a group in place to help supplement those gaps. As we are learning, gifted children struggle in many ways in and out of the classroom. If they can be tested and excepted into gifted programs, they will find some of the help they need. Lots of children are mistakenly labeled "lazy," "hyperactive," "stubborn," "trouble,"or "ambivalent," when all they need is additional help; help to grow and achieve at an accelerated pace and be around peers who understand and can relate to the way their minds work.

We would like to keep the Haralson County Chapter of the GAGC open to all who are interested in being advocates for the Gifted Education program. As noted before, schools do not have enough funds nor enough teachers to reach every child in need, and there are many students that are on the cusp who cannot receive those limited benefits because of a lack of money. We firmly believe it's important to identify gifted children so that they can become successful in both school and life. We will strive to keep the level of events and activities at the highest quality and represent a variety of interests. Our definition of "gifted" will be based on the guideline of the Georgia Department of Education - Gifted Education's :

Gifted Student - a student who demonstrates a high degree of intellectual and/or creative ability(ies), exhibits an exceptionally high degree of motivation, and/or excels in specific academic fields, and who needs special instruction and/or special ancillary services to achieve at levels commensurate with his or her abilities. (SBOE Rule 160-4-2-.38, p. 1)

We feel that we need to strongly emphasize the "academic" part of this definition, simply because, while each child has "gifts/talents," this group is to help students in the gifted programs that are already in place in schools that are based on academics and to help expand those programs.

Our group can help by raising funds to help purchase the testing materials that are needed to help identify these children in need (some of the first programs that get cut back are the special education programs of which gifted education is a part). We can also help to connect mentors with interested students. We would like to see events were the children get together while parents learn how teach, reach and elevate their child(ren)'s learning experience. It would be great if we can plan field trips to museums, art galleries, and camps that the school, especially during this economic time, can not fund. We hope to make this group a benefit to the community, by keeping our brightest here and showing them where they can grow.

And we need your help. We need your participation, opinions, and leadership. At our next meeting, we would like to identify people who can help really get this group started. If you have any gifts or talents or connections, bring them with you. We are all parents, which, of course, leaves us with little time on our hands. The more we delegate responsibilities and find our strong leaders, the further we can grow, and the more goals we can achieve. We would also like to come up with a tentative list some events and fund-raising projects.

Please help us decide on the best times to hold meetings by answering this poll. We want everyone to be able to attend. Please vote as soon as you can so we can schedule our next meeting.

For anyone who would like a full copy of the GAGC resource guide, part of which was handed out at the meeting, you can view, download and print from here.

The website Susan recommended as one of the best to start with is www.hoagiesgifted.org, and if you have a Facebook account, please join our group.

If you have any questions before the next meeting, feel free to call or email Rhonda Prather **** or Susan Nason ****.

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Thank you,

Haralson County Chapter of the GAGC