What's been happening in the gifted program at Cox High School? The Gifted Program at Cox continues its mission to support gifted students to become future-ready through the development of the goals of critical thinking, creative abilities, and problem-solving skills, as well as the development of metacognitive skills that foster independent and self-directed learning for self-understanding. These align perfectly with the VBCPS Graduate Profile, and we are so excited to report on the great things that have been happening. Think Tank, the gifted elective for 9th and 10th grade gifted students, has been hard at work exploring their interests and transforming those areas of passion into goals and visions for the future. The students have students have reflected on their personality traits after completing the 16 personalities assessment to identify patterns and trends in their abilities and interests. Additionally, students developed their own Vision Boards which illustrate their strengths, struggles, resources and obstacles which also identifies goals for the next 1, 3 and 5 years. From these vision boards, students will focus on researching an are of passion that will connect them to the professional world. The focus is on deep meaningful work and is consequently aligns seamlessly with the Compass 2015 Strategic Action Agenda of Using Integrated Systems of sThe final products will reflect the products and tools of practicing professionals and will further make excellent additions to the students’ Curated Workds of Substance and are part of the Signature Gifted Experience. SPARKS students have hit the ground running this year with an area of research that inspires them whether that is a philanthropic, professional, or philosophical pathway. Each student has reflected upon their personal legacy and an area of research that is framed by overarching essential question. The topics under consideration are: “What are the benefits and possible harm of aspartame?, How can community participation and support of the CHKD Love Run be maximized?; and What are the most pressing environmental issues in the Cox community? The final product of the course will be a presentation of findings to a panel of professionals.. This aligns expertly with the Compass 2025 Strategic Action Agenda Pathway of Creating Future-Ready Students. Dr. Fratrik’s Algebra 2/ Trig cluster students began the term with a math autobiography which shared their experiences, patterns and habits as math learners. At the end of their inequalities unit, students reflected on their progress with the help of the Kapln frame thought organizer. Through this frame, students were prompted to reflect on their performance through evidence of details, patterns, and unanswered questions. The students will be utilizing this tool throughout the term as a means of appraising their progress and targeting next steps for continuous growth. Mrs. Kopacz's AP Seminar explored the overarching concept of Identity with Mrs. Roberson in preparation for crafting their research question for their Mock Performance Task 2 and Multimedia presentation. The students reflected on the different components of identity such as time, place, beliefs, family, ethnicity, nationality and the many associated details that define these components and their subsets. Students further discussed the characteristics which these subsets have in common. Alternatively, students noted their individual traits and opinions which they differ from the subset group. One example noted was that though being an American often means celebrating Super Bowl Sunday watching the game together with friends, some Americans do not watch football at all. The class offered astute insights about identity such as twin sibling experiences as well as the omission of some key identity components such as gender and ability vs. disability. Gifted Assembly- The first Gifted Assembly was hosted on Friday, Sept.8, 2023 during one lunch in the auditorium. The agenda included information about gifted opportunities such as gifted electives, Gifted Advisory Board meeting dates, and upcoming workshops to be offered. Assemblies will be planned for each quarter and will feature timely topics curated for gifted students. Governor’s School for the Arts, the region’s premier magnet program for the Visual and Performing Arts, will host a face-to-face Open House to prospective students who are interested in applying for 2024-25 school year on Oct. 24, 2024. GSARTS Students- Please make sure to let Mrs. Roberson know if your transportation needs have changed and/or you plan to stay behind for 4th block. There will be a GSARTS monthly meeting held on Fri. Oct. 20 in the library at the beginning of one lunch. Please plan to be there. Snacks will be served. Visit gsarts.org for upcoming performance information. An SAT/PSAT mini-workshop was offered on Fri. Sept. 29 during one lunch in the library just in time to prepare for the PSAT exam administered at Cox on Oct. 3. Students were provided an overview of the structure of both the SAT and PSAT, some handy test tips, and a sample of the types of questions to expect on the exam. Additionally, students were armed with a handy list of resources to explore for preparation including the College Board, Khan Academy and Peterson’s Test prep websites. Students can access wonderful detailed resources through the Virginia Beach Public Library digital library with their public library number or the VBCPS student number with S in front. Contact Mrs. Roberson formore information about additional college prep resources from the Cox Gifted Reference library. A Gifted Parent workshop will be offered virtually on Thurs. October 19, 2023 at 5:30pm on the Topic of Transitioning to the High School Gifted Program. Please RSVP to Mrs. Roberson at [email protected] by Wed. Oct. 18 to reserve your spot. A zoom link will be sent out the morning of Oct. 19, 2023. Gifted Advisory Board, the club whose mission is to provide a gifted voice on campus while developing student leadership skills and providing opportunities for community service and building relationships, hosted its first meeting on Fri. Sept. 15 during one lunch in the library. Officer applications are now being accepted for the 2023-24 GAB officers. Interested students should complete the attached application by no later than Oct. 12. Students interested in the offices of President and Vice President require membership participation at the bronze level in the previous school year, while the offices of Secretary, HIstorian, and Publicity Manager are opent to any other interested gifted students.All applicants will require two teacher endorsements to be submitted prior to that deadline. A vote will take place at the next meeting on Fri. Oct. 13 at the beginning of one lunch in the library. Contact Mrs. Roberson at [email protected] for more information. Meetings take place on Fridays in the library during one lunch. Be sure to mark these dates on your calendar 10/13, 11/17, 12/8, 1/12, 2/9, 3 / 8, 4/12, 5/10, 6/7 It’s fall and that means it’s Summer Residential Governor’s School Application season. Summer Residential Governor’s Schools, an opportunity especially for gifted students from all across the state of Virginia to participate in pre-college experiences in a 4 week campus experience. This prestigious program involves a multistep application process that begins in October with the informational flyer which is sent to all 10th and 11th grade students in Virginia Beach City Public Schools. So please be on the look out in your mailboxes for communication from the Virginia Beach City Public Schools Office of Gifted Education and the Virginia Department of Education. For more information about this amazing opportunity contact the Gifted Resource Teacher, Mrs. Roberson at [email protected] More information will be forthcoming about the application process and the Intent to Apply submission details and visit for specific information about each of the individual Summer Residential Governor’s School academies. https://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching-learning-assessment/specialized-instruction/governor-s-schools/summer-residential-governor-s-schools
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