INSIDE
SPORTS Lisle takes down Sentinels
www.buglenewspapers.com
PAGE 11
NEWS Downers Grove residents oppose senior housing plan
PAGE 3
Our Community, Our News
FEBRUARY 6, 2013
Vol. 5 No. 10
FRoG LEAPS
FORWARD Friends of the Gifted survived a volunteer shortage to continue offering enrichment classes to area students By Jonathan Samples Staff Reporter
A
bout a year ago, it looked as though the Downers Grove Friends of the Gifted and Talented would have to make a tough decision. The 30-year-old organization, a parent-led effort to support gifted education in District 58, could not muster enough of its most important resource: volunteers. “There was an issue of how do you get parents involved, because we need parents to volunteer,” said Jamie Henderson, president and 10-year member of Friends. “We put up a sign that said, ‘Thanks for participating, this is the end.’” That sign went up during the end of last winter’s session of Super Saturday, a five-week enrichment program put on by Friends that is open to all students in kindergarten through eighth grade.To Henderson’s surprise, a number of parents read the sign and responded to the call.
A petition was circulated as a last-ditch effort to save the organization, and Henderson said it quickly got 25 volunteers. A year later, he said Friends is running strong. Parent participation is up, and efforts are being made to increase membership and make it more appealing to parents. That appeal will come in the form of guest speakers for parents and advanced notice on registration for Super Saturdays.
Jonatha
n Samples/Bugle Staff Jessica Wright (right) shows her mother Lis a a project from her Cupcake Decorat ing class.
Friends to All Students The main goal of Friends, known by the acronym FRoG, is to make sure there are opportunities for the academically gifted students within the district. It does this by working with District 58 to develop challenging curriculum and by creating a sense of community among accelerated students and their families. However, one of Friends’ main programs, Super Saturdays, expands their efforts for enrichment beyond the scope of the academically gifted to See FRoG, page 4
/Bugle Staff
Jonathan Samples
wners ry’s Choice in Do ), owner of Galle ht urban rig d p an l (to i na ck tio re Rose Ja nal, non-tradi tio di tra ts en ud se st ree cour s she Grove, teaches mbers, one of th Nu e th nd yo Be per Saturday. art in Painting nt session of Su rre cu e th r fo is teaching