The St. Elmo Center for Gifted Education and the MCSD Gifted Department is committed to providing an environment that nurtures the unique learning characteristics, interests and capabilities of gifted and talented students.  Within this environment students are encouraged to realize their potential and develop a desire to use their talents and abilities to continue to set higher goals in their educational and social lives.

 SCHOOL AND DEPARTMENT GOALS

To enable the students to:

Develop a global awareness through collaborative learning in order to exchange ideas and communicate effectively.

Provide students with a state approved curriculum that will give them the opportunity to solve problems which will require higher level processes.

Encourage the students to acquire self-directed cognitive skills through research and investigation.

Demonstrate an understanding and acceptance of self and others in a diverse society.

To provide all educators ongoing professional learning necessary for the successful education, mentoring and leadership of gifted learners.

Increase in collaboration and communications for all stakeholders to provide aligned services and instruction that will meet the social, emotional, and cognitive needs of gifted and talented students.

The instruction offered will be in the form of a gifted education resource class and/or cluster groups at the elementary level whereas the middle school and high schools will incorporate pre-advanced, honors, advanced placement and IB programs to ensure rigor and continued student engagement.

VISION STATEMENT

Through rigor, collaboration and higher level learning, students will develop appropriate skills, concepts, and attitudes that will involve their own learning in order to become independent, self-directed life-long learners who will demonstrate and fully understand and accept the diversity of self and others.

After developing appropriate skills, concepts and attitudes, students will become involved with their own learning and, through this involvement, will become independent, self directed life-long learners.

•  Gifted students will develop advanced research skills and methods. Curriculum for gifted students should allow for the in-depth learning of self-selected topics within the area of study.

• Gifted students will develop and practice creative thinking and creative problem-solving skills with a variety of complex topics within the area of study.

• Gifted students will develop and practice critical thinking and logical problem-solving skills in the pertinent academic areas.

• Gifted students will develop advanced communication skills.  Curriculum for gifted students should encourage the use of new techniques, materials, and formats in the development of products that will be shared with real audiences.

• Gifted students will develop an understanding of self and how their unique characteristics may influence interactions with others.