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Accelerate
Bloomington Public Schools
Gifted & Talented Newsletter
Spring 2023
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Join us for our annual picnic on August 22, 2023 at Moir Park from 5:30-7:30 pm |
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Education Opportunities for GT Families |
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The U of M Department of Computer Science and Engineering is hosting:
One-week: June 12 to June 16, for students with no computer experience now finishing grade 6 or above. Registration fee $75.00.
Two-week: June 19 to June 29, for students with some computer familiarity now finishing grade 8 or above. Registration fee $125.00.
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Nobel Teacher Receives Award |
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Good in the 'Hood Teacher of the Year |
Jamie Morrison, Director of Operations/Human Resources with Good in the ‘Hood, in partnership with Cricket, nominated Stephanie Kristjanson as teacher of the year:
"Stephanie is extremely dedicated to educating her students, preparing them for high school and beyond. She also encourages her students to get involved with non-profits that benefit communities of need. She does this by doing on-site volunteerism, doing fundraisers, and giving donations to support local charities that benefit the lives of others.
We love Stephanie, her students, and the amazing work she does. She is not just a teacher, but a compass that points her students in the right direction."
Congratulations, Stephanie!
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The GT Department is growing and changing!
We asked our new staff members to share a fun fact about themselves, what excites them about their new role, and a current learning adventure.
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Kelly McQuillan
High School GT Coordinator
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I’ve been on an archaeological dig in Pompeii, Italy (I did not find any bodies:)).
I am excited to continue to build on the incredible work the GT team in BPS has been doing and to be a part of this community of students, teachers, and families.
I am currently taking a coaching course taught by Google employees. It is really interesting to see the connection between the tech industry leadership styles and the Pk- 12 education system. We have a lot in common!
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Lisa Kiner
Middle School Coordinator
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Elephants are an obsession of mine. They are amazing animals!
I taught middle school for 23 years and am excited to return to the age group I know so well.
My most exciting learning adventure this spring and summer is exploring my sons' passions and finding the joy in topics and disciplines I haven't considered before.
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Arielle Thomas
Grade 2 Renaissance Teacher
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One fun fact is that I have traveled to over 20 countries, from Indonesia to Israel! I also have identical twin sons who will start Kindergarten in the fall.
I am so excited to join the GT community to help foster a love of learning and help students realize their potential.
Currently, I am getting my Master's in Literacy Education.
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Rebekah Cole
Grade 2 Renaissance Para
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I love a good hiking adventure. Recently, I pushed my limits and climbed to (almost!) the top of Bell Rock in Sedona, AZ.
I’m exited to be on the teaching side of the Bloomington G & T Program, having two of my children go through it. The Renaissance Program sounds like an amazing opportunity!
I was fascinated by the varieties of cacti on a recent trip to Arizona. I bought a book and have been learning about them. I’d like to add some cacti to my plant collection.
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Chris Thomas
Javits Grant Para at IM
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I absolutely love to travel and my family of five is headed to Spain in a couple of weeks.
This position is an extension of what I have been doing the past couple of years working as a tutor for Americorps at Westwood.
I have been trying to learn some conversational Spanish!
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Mikaela Koch
Javits Grant Para at WB
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I enjoy being outside and spending time with my family.
I’m excited to encourage and support students in their educational journey.
My newest learning adventure is learning to paint with watercolor.
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Jennifer Elsen
Javits Grant Para at OGE
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I had the amazing opportunity to hike with wild chimpanzees at the Gombe Stream Research Center in Tanzania.
I’m excited about joining the GT community because as a lifelong learner, I strive to help others find the best way they learn.
This year I’m learning about how to prevent erosion on a slope in my backyard with different landscaping materials and plants. Wish me luck!
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Cheryl Lewis
Javits Grant Para at WW
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I am an aspiring writer. I’ve had one short story published, and I’m working on a mystery novel set in New Orleans right after Hurricane Katrina.
I’ve always loved working with kindergarteners and 1st graders, and I’m very excited to be involved with the new Javits Grant program at the ground level. It promises to be both challenging and rewarding.
Being an Elementary Literacy Tutor with Minnesota Reading Corps for five years was an amazing learning adventure. I had the privilege of working with an awesome group of students from kindergarten through third grade -- it was a joyful, inspiring experience watching them learn and grow.
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Amy Coleman
Javits Grant Para at VVE
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I am a retired elementary teacher and still enjoy working in the schools with the students.
I am looking forward to joining the GT community as this will be a new experience for me.
I am interested in learning more about aptitude levels and how they are related to student’s abilities, skills, and competencies.
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Elementary Gifted Programs |
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Students in 4th and 5th-grade Dimensions Academy set up colonial-era shops as a way to learn more about life in the 17th century. |
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Students in third grade Elements at Oak Grove have been practicing the concept of compromise and had to work together - and compromise - in order to choreograph an original dance. |
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Renaissance prospective families tour Washburn Elementary |
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Terrell X, rapper and human beat boxer, and Shakun Maheshwari, impermanent artist extraordinaire, worked with first graders at four schools as part of our $2.5 million Javits grant initiative.
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Middle School Gifted Programs |
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We are delighted to announce the outstanding achievement of Sylvan Redish, an 8th-grade DA student from Olson Middle School in Bloomington. Sylvan emerged as the middle school victor in the 2023 National ArcGIS Online Student Competition organized by Esri. Notably, Sylvan's entry not only secured the top spot in the Minnesota on the Map ArcGIS Online competition at the middle school level, but it also advanced to represent Minnesota in the nationwide contest, competing against middle school entries from 21 states. Sylvan's remarkable accomplishment was achieved through a thought-provoking research project assignment titled "Hennepin Homeless - Proposed Action Towards Helping the Homeless." By employing ArcGIS Online digital mapping technology provided to schools by Esri, Sylvan compellingly presented data on homeless encampments, advocating for the conversion of hotels into shelters using state funding. Sylvan’s conclusion eloquently emphasizes the urgency of addressing the homelessness issue, stressing the importance of providing accessible help and shelter rather than resorting to evictions and destruction. Furthermore, it is noteworthy that Laurie Bohn, Sylvan's social studies teacher, has now guided two national award-winning student entries. Congratulations to Sylvan Redish for this well-deserved accomplishment and to Laurie Bohn for exceptional mentorship!
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It was another very successful year for National History Day in DA social studies. A total of thirty-six student projects from Olson and Oak Grove DA 6th and 7th graders advanced to regional competition. Thirteen of those regional projects advanced to the state competition. You can view all the regional and state-qualifying projects at the links below.
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Oak Grove Middle School 6th-Grade Regional and State Qualifiers |
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Oak Grove 6th Grade Regional Qualifiers
Zoey Rankine, Bjorn Warner, Brennen Leveille, Madeline Yehl-Kennard, Meredith Farrell, Eleanor Bowman, Charles Coulghlin
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Oak Grove 6th Grade State Qualifier: Eleanor Bowman
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Oak Grove 7th-Grade Regional and State Qualifiers |
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Oak Grove 7th Grade Regional Qualifiers
Front Row: Henry Angelov, Henry Peterson, Jasper Ayers Assad, Ruby Delaney
Back Row: Sebastien Arlt, Jaemon McDonald, Matthew Barton, Elijah Beach, Greta Hansen, Clementine Haney, Evelyn Weigel
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State Qualifiers
Amar Farruque, Audrey Gaul, Maya Skibbie, Serrah Ssemukutu, Nawal Mohamoud, Florence Van Hattum
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Olson Middle School 6th-Grade Regional and State Qualifiers |
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Olson 6th-Grade Regional Qualifiers
Niklas Anderson, Felicity Hicks, Mallory Sophaphanh, Grace Kairies, Gabe Desroches
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Olson 6th-Grade State Qualifiers
Molly Cosgrove, Steven Koutroupas, Albert Schmitt, Andrew Marotz, Milo Thompson
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Olson 7th Grade Regional Qualifiers
Nathaniel Johnson, Liam Fergun, Aidan Kelleher, Dylan Takalo
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Olson 7th Grade State Qualifiers
Mason Lowe, Harrison Walker, Keira Abeln, Alexander Frank, Samual Neumann
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Nobel Drama Choros
Use this link to see our Nobel middle schoolers perform! Drama Choros
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8th Grade Nobel Students from VVMS have made strong impacts this spring with completion of their Capstone projects. Adopt-a-Classroom, Warrior Dog Rescue, People Serving People, and the International Wolf Center were a few of the nonprofit organizations that were impacted by students' hard work and efforts. Other projects involved gifting artwork to a children's hospital, food donations, and cleaning up important areas of our community. Thank you, 8th graders for your hard work that will never be forgotten!
"No matter where you come from, who you are, we all live on Earth, and we believe that we should not only treat the planet with respect, but also the people living on it with us." - Emma Jacobson-Dunlop, 8th grade.
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High Altitude Balloon Field Trip |
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The 6th grade DA science classes at Olson and Oak Grove got to observe the launch of two high-altitude balloons from Kenyon, Minnesota on May 23rd. The launch was conducted by the University of Minnesota Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics under the direction of professor James Flaten. The students used digital mapping technology to determine the best place to launch the balloons for a safe recovery. Next year, the 6th grade DA science will launch a high-altitude balloon with their experiments attached. This was an 8th grade DA science activity until the state curriculum was changed last year.
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DA 7th graders made their third and final visit to Richardson Nature Center to collect data for a science research project. |
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High School Gifted Programs |
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Humanities 11th Graders Take on Tough Issues
Students in Ms. Juul's AP Language & Composition and AP Seminar DA Humanities course recently completed their second performance task for AP Seminar, which was a culmination of over 30 class periods of:
- reading and analyzing stimulus sources
- developing research questions
- completing hours and hours of academic research
- writing a 2,000-word academic, research-based argument paper
- delivering a formal presentation
- answering two oral defense questions
Students complete their AP Seminar work on May 19.
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Joseph Shetaye speaks to the DA 9 and DA 10 Humanities classes about his first year at Stanford University. Shetaye graduated from Jefferson last year and is a DA STEM and Humanities graduate. |
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DA 9 social studies class participating in a "6 Thinking Hats" discussion about Chinese demographic changes. |
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DA STEM and Humanities 10th and 11th graders visited St. Olaf and Carleton Colleges on May 25. Students learned about the schools themselves, the application process for college, and took a tour. Above, 11th graders pose outside Scoville Hall. |
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TeamWorks has conducted a variety of surveys, focus groups and interviews over the last month two months to evaluate GT programs and services. They will be finalizing their report soon. The district will take some time this summer to digest the data and create a strategic plan moving forward.
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Erin Boltik - Director of Gifted Talented K-12
Email: eboltik@isd271.org
Phone: 952-681-6497
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