IN THIS ISSUE
●Director's Corner
-Melinda Stewart, MSW
●Feature Article
-Katerina Tsomi, M.A., M.Sc.
●Feature Article
-Andrea Brucella Finnegan
●Feature Article
-Dr. Nicole Tetreault
●Feature Article
-Mark Talaga
●SENG & Partners May Mental Health Month
-Month of FREE Events & Resources
●SENG Partner Spotlight
-GHF
●SENG Community Voice Spotlight
-Brianne Hudak, SENG Liaison
●Upcoming SENGChat
-Tales of Giftedness: Stories We've Never Shared
●Upcoming Professional Development Course
-New Ways to Identify Twice-Exceptional Learners on the WISC-V
●2023 SENG Annual Conference
-Family Friendly - Registration - Limited Space
-Call for Sponsors & Vendors
●SENGJ: Exploring the Psychology of Giftedness
-Volume 2, Issue 1 now available! Free Open Access
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Director's Corner
Room for Grief, for Relief, for Misery, for Joy
By Melinda Stewart, MSW
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It is no secret that our entire nation, and perhaps the entire world, is suffering from an “Epidemic of Loneliness” and disconnection. The COVID 19 pandemic with its attendant isolation and losses has amplified an already brewing crisis into a national emergency. In The New York Times Sunday, April 30 Edition, Vivek H. Murthy, US Surgeon General, writes about his three point plan to attack this problem nationwide:
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Feature Article
Play in the Service of Growth: The Sailboat Metaphor
By Katerina Tsomi, M.A., M.Sc.
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I literally stumbled upon the term “gifted” a couple of years ago, when as a play therapist, I met a five-year-old child who displayed a perplexing profile. He was asynchronous, fast, smart, sensitive and intense. The adults around him seemed to misunderstand his motives and behaviour, but I soon realized that he was driven by various needs which remained unfulfilled. Although the child was safe, his needs for connection, belonging, esteem and self-actualization were clearly not addressed adequately. This resulted in him either suffering from anxiety or experiencing outbursts of rage which he couldn’t regulate.
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Feature Article
The Emotional Implications of Gifted & Twice Exceptional Students
A Mental Health Analysis of An Animal School: A Tale of Gifts Film
By Andrea Brucella Finnegan
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What do the beloved characters Gharial, Sugar Glider Possum, Margay, Okapi, Peacock Mantis Shrimp, and Bumblebee all have in common? They are all bright, neurodivergent students who are, unfortunately, not thriving at the Animal School. Some of them are suffering silently without anyone knowing. Why?
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Feature Article
Compassionate Communication; How Do We Practice?
By Dr. Nicole Tetreault
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I believe that compassion is the pillar for effective communication, and is essential in growing your emotional intelligence. Compassion arises from tender acceptance centered in non-judgment and can also be thought of as an empathetic, conscious effort to relieve the suffering of another.
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Feature Article
Developing False Mastery: The Siren Song of Video Games
By Mark Talaga
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Mom is walking up the stairs again, exasperated, knowing what she’s going to find when she walks into her son’s room. Once again, he will be on his computer playing games instead of working on his Spanish assignment. This is the third time in an hour that she’s had to remind him to stop playing and start getting to work. She’s at her wits end on what to do about the gaming. She has tried setting timers and rules about playing on school nights, but it always ends in an argument. Her son is convinced that the boys he plays games with are his closest friends; playing together is the only way he can stay socially connected. She yells at him to get off his game, and he pleads with her for more time. This has to stop.
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SENG & Partner May Mental Health Month
Month of FREE Events & Resources
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SENG Partner Spotlight
GHF
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GHF is a community forged out of parents’ need to connect in their quest to create learning environments for their gifted and 2e children to thrive. From humble beginnings as a lively chat group that preceded Facebook, it has grown, more than 18 years later, to be a full-fledged collective that provides gifted and 2e families the support, resources and agency to choose from a wide palette of education options, with individual families always being in control, regardless of their circumstances.
In addition to its original group on Facebook, and its well-respected, longstanding Press (https://ghflearners.org/press/) , GHF hosts a Forum that is always abuzz with chats, weekly groups, monthly Expert interviews, Conversations mini-cons (unique for the equal time given between the presentations of wonderful guest leaders and discussion/Q&A), and the indispensable DIY Home Education course that elucidates everything families need to know for their own home ed path. More exciting new features are in the works that parents and kids are going to love.
All live content hosted on the GHF Forum ( https://forum.ghflearners.org/ ) is free. Sustaining Choices Members enjoy unlimited access to the recorded content libraries, among other “thank-you” perks, for a very low annual contribution.
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Join in time for GHF’s 3rd Annual Gifted Home Ed Conference (https://ghflearners.org/choices/ghf-conferences/ghf-conference-2023/) , June 2-4, featuring “three edifying days brimming with compassionate gifted community leaders (including many familiar faces) sharing their time and expertise to empower you to make intentional educational choices for your family.” This year’s theme is Come As You Are: Authenticity and Acceptance.
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SENG Community Voice Spotlight
Brianne Hudak - SENG Liaison
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Mrs. Brianne Hudak, M. Ed., is passionate about gifted education, driven to help students succeed both academically and social-emotionally, and enjoys serving her community. She has worked in many roles and sectors of education (public, private and charter) for the past fifteen years including as a certified gifted and talented educator, curriculum specialist, student activities director, theatre arts and STEM teacher, dean of students, assistant principal, educational consultant, adjunct professor, and school leader of a K-12 charter school. She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in educational leadership with an emphasis on combating underachievement in the gifted population. She is a member of the National Association of Gifted Children (NAGC) serving on various committees, the North Carolina Association of the Gifted and Talented (NCAGT), the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children (WCGTC) and Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG) serving as a state liaison. She lives in the mountains of Western North Carolina with her husband, son, two dogs and two cats.
Please provide a word/phrase that represents what SENG means to you/your family:
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”- Lao Tzu.
"SENG provides an opportunity to champion the gifted and talented. Just imagine what we can do as a united front to ensure success for these communities, families and individuals."-Brianne Hudak
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WHY SENG?
Her belief in holistic success for gifted students aligns with the mission of SENG: to empower families and communities to guide gifted and talented individuals to reach their goals intellectually, physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually. She wants to create a universal and equitable understanding of this population through advocacy and understanding.
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Upcoming SENGChat
Tales of Giftedness: Stories We've Never Shared
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Back in the nineties during the Hollingworth Conferences about the Highly Gifted, we--the organizers of those conferences--began sharing publicly the stories families had shared with us over the years about their children's (or their own) life experiences that did not fit within our culture's rational-materialist paradigm. The more we shared, the more parents began to tell their own and their children's stories that they had not spoken of publicly before. In Michael Piechowski's book "Mellow Out," They Say--If Only I Could he devotes Part Six to a discussion of Emotional and Spiritual Giftedness, and includes many stories that challenge the rational-materialist paradigm that is still the dominant world-view. This chat will be an opportunity to share stories and experiences that have not always been well-received in the larger world. I would add that the times are a-changin! |
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Stephanie S. Tolan is a playwright and Newbery Honor-winning author (Surviving the Applewhites) of twenty-seven books for children and young adults, co-author of Guiding the Gifted Child, and the author of “Is It a Cheetah?” an essay that has been translated into 40 languages. Tolan has written and spoken about the social, emotional and spiritual needs of the gifted for 40 years—much of that writing collected in the book Out of Sync (Royal Fireworks Press, 2016). Her most recent nonfiction work for adults is Change Your Story, Change Your Life, available through Amazon and Kindle. |
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Upcoming Professional Development Course
APA CEUs Available!
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Not all parts of an IQ test have equal ability to identify advanced ability. Subtests loaded in abstract reasoning reveal the stunning cognitive power of the gifted mind. There are now new ways to identify gifted and twice exceptional (2e) children that provide more accurate estimates of the abilities of gifted children than the Full Scale IQ. According to the NAGC Position Statement, “Use of the WISC-V for Gifted and Twice Exceptional Identification,” 7 different composite scores should be acceptable for selection to gifted programs, provided that the score falls within the confidence interval of the selection criterion. A gifted lens is needed to obtain accurate assessments of twice exceptional children. The most important diagnostic question is, “To what extent does the discrepancy between the child’s strengths and weaknesses cause frustration and interfere with the full development of the child’s abilities?”
Learning Objectives
1. Participants will learn about new index scores of the WISC-V and their benefit in the identification of twice exceptional students.
2. Participants will become familiar with the NAGC Position Statement, “Use of the WISC-V for Gifted and Twice Exceptional Identification.”
3. Participants will learn how to interpret the strengths separately from the weaknesses in complex WISC-V protocols of twice exceptional students.
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Linda Kreger Silverman, Ph.D., licensed psychologist, is the founder and director of Gifted Development Center/ISAD (GDC). Since 1979, GDC has assessed more than 6,500 children, most of whom are twice exceptional. After receiving her Ph.D. from USC in Special Education/ Educational Psychology, under the direction of Dr. Leo Buscaglia, she served on the faculty of the University of Denver in counseling psychology and gifted education. Linda has been studying the assessment, psychology and education of the gifted and twice exceptional since 1961. She has over 300 contributions, including Counseling the Gifted & Talented, Upside-Down Brilliance: The Visual-Spatial Learner, Advanced Development: A Collection of Works on Gifted Adults, and Giftedness 101. She founded Advanced Development, the only juried psychological journal on adult giftedness. With her colleagues, she created the Checklist for Recognizing Twice Exceptional Children. The checklist is available to all participants in this session, along with the National Association for Gifted Children Position Statement, "Use of the WISC-V for Gifted and Twice Exceptional Identification," which is the basis of this session. |
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2023 SENG Annual Conference
Authentic Voices: Community & Belonging
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Preparations for the SENG 2023 Annual Conference in Villanova, PA are well underway! We are proud to be able to offer both an in-person and an a-synchronous virtual option this year! We know being in-person, and being able to bring your family with you to an event like this is an amazing opportunity. Bringing our SENG family together after being apart for the last couple years is very important to us.
Please CLICK HERE to access our conference program! The conference committee and staff will be updating this document each month so please keep checking back for more updates!
IN-PERSON SPOTS ARE ALREADY HALF FULL!
REGISTER SOON TO SECURE YOUR SPOT!
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-Family Friendly with Children, Teen, & Young Adult Programming
One of the things that sets the SENG Conference apart from other conferences is that it is an event for the whole family. We hope that families are able to attend our event and have an enjoyable and meaningful experience to matter what age they are.
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SENG Science & Storytelling Camp is an engaging, academic STEAM day camp where students engage with molecular science, do detective-level sleuthing, weave fantastical yarns of adventure and intrigue, and even create and crack codes. This camp offers mixed-age, high-interest courses, topics, and projects for students ages 5-14, taught by the camp experts at NuMinds Enrichment. We plan on having two or more age-level groups as well as support form Villanova's volunteers.
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This is a chance to hang out with other gifted teens. We are currently coordinating activities but would love to hear from you! If you are a gifted teen whose family is attending, what would you like to do while you are here?
We would love to give you a chance to meet other teens from across the country and participate in fun and meaningful activities. We are thinking time to work on and share passion projects, volunteer at the conference, or just hang out and talk about issues unique to gifted teens.
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YOUNG ADULT PROGRAM
A SENG EXCLUSIVE!
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Are you a gifted Young Adult looking to meet like-minded peers? Join us on Saturday, July 21st for SENG’s annual Young Adult Adventure Day, a one-day experience during SENG’s Annual Conference in which a group of gifted Young Adults leaves the breakout sessions and keynote talks behind and heads out on the town to have some fun!
During this year’s Young Adult Adventure Day, registrants will take a group trip to the Museum of the American Revolution in Downtown Philadelphia. This program is limited to Young Adults (Ages 18-25; Must submit proof of age). Registration INCLUDES conference registration, a ticket to the Museum of the American Revolution, and transportation to and from the museum.
Cost: $250 (& includes conference registration )
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The Inn at Villanova University is a unique venue less than two miles from Villanova’s campus. The Inn blends the historic charm of the Montrose Mansion with the amenities of a modern hotel and conference center.
Guests of the Inn can enjoy a well-equipped fitness center, coffee service with grab-and-go options in the morning, and a small bar and café with food and drink service. The hotel also features free Wi-Fi in guest rooms, meeting rooms and common areas.
The special conference rate for our event is $179 per night. To obtain this rate, please contact the hotel directly at 610-519-8000.
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A budget-friendly option is to stay at Villanova's family campus housing.
The Villanova University has set aside a limited amount of apartments located one mile away from Villanova Inn. Transportation will be provided. Apartments are 2 bedrooms, 4 beds, 1.5-2 Bathrooms, and kitchenette.
Cost to reserve is $42 per person per night. First come, first served availability. The last day to reserve on campus is June 20th.
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Dining Area - West Campus-
2-Bedroom Apartment
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Living Room - West Campus-
2-Bedroom Apartment
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Bedroom - West Campus -
2-Bedroom Apartment
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AREA HOTELS
The Alloy King of Prussia a Doubletree by Hilton
301 W Dekalb Pike, King of Prussia, PA 19406
$132.99/night
Extended Stay America Suites Philadelphia King of Prussia
400 American Ave, King of Prussia, PA 19406
$138.49/night
Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites King of Prussia
260 N Gulph Rd, King of Prussia, PA 19406
$144.99/night
Fairfield Inn by Marriott Philadelphia Valley Forge
258 Mall Blvd, King of Prussia, PA 19406 US
$152.10/night
Home2 Suites by Hilton King of Prussia / Valley Forge Pa
550 W Dekalb Pike, King of Prussia, PA 19406
$158.99/night
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-Virtual Presentations Still Available |
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Virtual PRE-RECORDED speaker sessions are still available! Want to share your work and experience with our SENG community? Please CLICK HEREfor the Call for Virtual Proposals.
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-Call for Sponsors & Vendors |
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About our Keynote Speakers |
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Scott Barry Kaufman is a cognitive scientist and humanistic psychologist exploring the mind, creativity, and the depths of human potential. He is a professor at Columbia University and founder and director of the Center for Human Potential. Dr. Kaufman has taught at Columbia University, Yale, NYU, the University of Pennsylvania, and elsewhere. Dr. Kaufman received a B.S. in psychology and human computer interaction from Carnegie Mellon, an M. Phil in experimental psychology from the University of Cambridge under a Gates Cambridge Scholarship, and a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from Yale University. He is also an Honorary Principal Fellow at the University of Melbourne’s Centre for Wellbeing Science.
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Dr. Richard Cash received a bachelor of arts degree in theater from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. After a brief retail career, Dr. Cash attended the University of Minnesota-Minneapolis, where he received a post-baccalaureate degree in elementary education. His first teaching position in a magnet school for gifted children, grades 1–6, in St. Paul, Minnesota, allowed him to use my talents as an actor and director. He created learning spaces that were rich in artistry, music, theater, and dance.
Richard later obtained a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of St. Thomas, in St. Paul, Minnesota. He became a curriculum specialist and developed training modules, curriculum formats, and differentiated learning archetypes that assisted teachers in creating higher-level experiences to meet the needs of all children. Later, he returned to St. Thomas and received a doctoral degree in educational leadership.
Dr. Cash has served as the Administrator of Gifted Programs in Rochester, Minnesota, and the Director of Gifted Programs for the Bloomington Public Schools in Minnesota. In Bloomington, he realigned the gifted programs to service more students during a budget deficit and incorporated differentiated instruction into the total school curriculum. During his tenure with the Bloomington Public Schools, he created a school-within-a-school program for highly/profoundly gifted students, grades 2 – 10.
Dr. Richard Cash has given hundreds of workshops, presentations, and staff-development sessions throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The research-based strategies and techniques he offers are proven to increase student achievement. Others have commended his talent for working with teachers to develop engaging and enriching learning environments that can improve student learning. At the end of the day, his greatest passion is helping teachers recognize the various talents all children possess and create learning experiences to allow those talents to flourish. He is considered by many to be an exceptionally engaging, motivating, and enlightening presenter.
He is also a member of several professional organizations including the National Association for Gifted Children, the Council for Exceptional Children, and ASCD. Cash has authored numerous articles on quality instructional practices and written three popular teacher resource guides:
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Advancing Differentiation: Thinking and Learning for the 21st Century
- Differentiation for Gifted Leaners: Going Beyond the Basics (with Dr. Diane Heacox), and
- Self-Regulation in the Classroom: Helping Students Learn How to Learn
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Questions?
inquries@sengifted.org
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Have you checked out our Free Open Access SENG Journal yet?
SENGJ: Exploring the Psychology of Giftedness - Volume 2, Issue 1 Now Available!
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The SENG Journal: Exploring the Psychology of Giftedness (SENGJ) was created to offer opportunities for diverse voices and points of view on topics important to society as they pertain to the psychology of individuals with the ability or potential to perform or produce at exceptional levels. The aim of SENGJ is to promote the social, emotional, and psychological well-being of these individuals. As the official scholarly publication of the SENG organization, the online open-access journal publishes peer-reviewed, rigorous research, including original studies, reviews of research, meta-analyses, and theoretical explorations. Substantive interviews with leaders and experts in the psychology of individuals in this exceptional population are within the scope of SENGJ. The journal places a priority on diversity, equity, inclusion, and rigor.
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ADVERTISE WITH SENG!
Do you provide gifted services and products that benefit our membership? Visit the SENG Store for more information on how to get your message to over 70,000+ in our monthly SENGVine.
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