Gifted and Talented

Definition and Identification The purpose of defining and identifying giftedness is to recognise individual and group abilities, qualities and interests. Gifted education is about ensuring that gifted potential is realised, that gifted learners discover their strengths and follow their passions, and that barriers to success are minimised. Students in the Preparatory School who have been identified as gifted and talented are monitored and placed on the Learner Needs Register on the school’s student management system, Synergetic.

Differentiation In the Preparatory School staff provide responsive learning environments in which students are encouraged to become adaptive, creative, and resilient. Curriculum differentiation is a strategy used by staff to cater for the wide range of abilities in classrooms. Differentiation greatly enhances the educational experiences of gifted and talented students. When gifted learners are active participants in their learning and experience appropriately differentiated teaching and learning, well-being is promoted, and achievement and progress is accelerated.

The underlying principles guiding differentiation for gifted and talented students are to: • present content that is related to broad based issues, themes, or problems; • integrate multiple disciplines; • present comprehensive, related, and mutually reinforcing experiences; • develop independent or self-directed study skills; • develop productive, complex, abstract and/or higher order thinking skills; • focus on open-ended tasks; • develop research skills and methods; • evaluate student outcomes by using appropriate and specific criteria through self-appraisal.

Curriculum enrichment is also used widely across all year levels of the Preparatory School. Curriculum enrichment refers to “learning activities providing depth and breadth to regular teaching according to the child’s abilities and needs” (Townsend, 1996). Curriculum enrichment is taught by specialist teachers and include Physical Education, Religious Education, Spanish (Years 1–7), French (Years 7–8), Japanese (Year 8), Music, Dance and Drama, Art, Food, and Materials Technology (Years 7–8).

The provision of appropriate opportunities for all students is at the heart of learning in the Preparatory School.

In 2019 the following areas were provided: classes provided an open-ended platform for students to write creatively with no barriers. She encouraged all students and guided them positively in their learning.

Sessions were run on a Monday and Thursday afternoon, as well as Friday lunchtime, with a variety of competitions entered including Japan Airlines Haiku, New Zealand Poetry Society, Australian Writers’ Competition, New Zealand Gifted Association Competition, and the Otago Daily Times Competition. Over 20 Preparatory School students had works published both nationally and internationally. The year concluded with a Creative Writing Competition held in the Preparatory School for Years 3–5 and Years 6–8. Winners received a cup at the end-of-year assembly.

Writing Enrichment During 2019 Kerrin Davidson worked in the Preparatory School as part of a Writing Enrichment programme. Kerrin is a published author and was Victoria University’s Creative Writing Teacher of the Year 2008. 2019 saw the Writing Enrichment programme in the Preparatory School continue to grow from strength to strength with an increase in classes and three writers’ master classes running from Years 3–6. The purpose of these classes was not only for the students who required extension in literacy but also for those students who have a passion for writing. Kerrin’s Robotics The Preparatory School Robotics programme sees students building and programming robotic devices to help them make sense of the dimensions of light, sound, and motion. At the same time, the course places an exciting and highly engaging new spin on core learning areas such as Mathematics, Literacy, Science, and Social Studies. In 2019, students used the LEGO ‘Mindstorms’ robot construction system to devise solutions to specific technological challenges. The system included planned projects that could be built, but also allowed participants to bring their own ideas to life. Light, sound,

and motion sensors invite students to think carefully and creatively about how their robot might function and what tasks it might perform.

All Year 7–8 classes completed a term of robotics using EV3 robots, running alongside the Digital Technology curriculum. The Middle Syndicate used ‘FlipBots’ in their programmes and the Junior Department experimented with ‘Bee-Bots’. A Years 5–8 Thursday afterschool club was established and ran throughout the year it focused on weekly challenges. This club was run by a Mechatronics student from the University of Canterbury.

In August, five Preparatory School teams from Years 6–8 competed in the regional round of LEGO EV3 RoboCup Junior at the Spreydon Baptist Church. Our teams competed in the Robot Rescue Division. Created in a true co-operative spirit, the RoboCup Junior Educational Competition encompasses not only engineering and IT skills, but extends right across a school curriculum. RoboCup Junior also addresses social development by encouraging sportsmanship, sharing, teamwork, understanding of differences between individuals and nations, co-operation, and organisational skills.

Our Year 6 team achieved first equal placing. Three teams then headed to Dunedin for the national final in September. The PTA have kindly donated funding to purchase two VEX Robotic kits for 2020 which opens different programming and competition options.

Future Problem Solving

To dream and to plan, to be curious about the future and to wonder how much it can be influenced by our efforts are important aspects of being human. Dr E Paul Torrance, founder of FPSNZ

Future Problem Solving (FPS) is a highly regarded and well-researched international educational programme that develops creative, critical, and caring thinking skills in students. Students grapple with global and community issues, identify underlying problems, and create positive solutions to those issues. Above all, it aims to give young people the skills to design and promote positive futures as citizens of the 21st century.

In 2019, the FPS programme was successfully coached by Julie Rogers, who has over 13 years’ experience. There were 10 teams across Years 5–8 with more than 80 students involved in the Preparatory School programme. In 2019 a squad of 13 students travelled to the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Four Year 8 students from St Andrew’s College proved their critical thinking skills were up there with the best in the world, finishing

second in the Junior Division (Year 8 and Below), at the Future Problem Solving International Final.

Megan Simpson (captain), Isobel Forsey, Tama Connelly and Olivia Burdon competed in the Global Issues Problem Solving section and had to consider a scenario set some 30 years into the future, based on the topic of de-extinction, or the process of resurrecting a species which had become extinct.

The students were among more than 2500 problem-solvers from over 13 countries at the competition, in which critical thinking and problem-solving skills are applied to hypothetical future situations.

A second Year 8 team from St Andrew’s finished 11th in the Junior Division at the competition, while the Year 9 team placed 14th in the Middle Division. All three teams made the final round of marking, which is difficult to achieve.

At the national final this year we had one team qualify and two individuals. The students again achieved amazing success winning the Global Issues Dramatic Presentation and placing second in the booklet. Our two individual competitors were placed first and second. In 2020 we head back to the University of Massachusetts to attend the International Final. In the Middle Syndicate a Years 5–6 group attended FPS sessions twice a week in the Stepping Stones –Non-Competitive Division. This division was particularly suitable for students and coaches who were attempting Future Problem Solving for the first time.

Students spent time each week learning about the FPS process and researching various topics. Our teams worked very effectively together, developed critical thinking skills, and built strong foundation for 2019’s programme. The students ran a feedback session and included the following about their FPS time: learnt to work more efficiently with greater time management, more effective research skills, strategies to solve world issues, enjoyed futuristic thinking opportunity, developed effective team building skills.

World Scholars’ Cup In May 2019, St Andrew’s College hosted the regional round of the World Scholar’s Cup for the second time. The World Scholars’ Cup values and vision is to provide an academic competition that aims to be: • encouraging; • interdisciplinary; • discussion-based; • forward-looking; • team-oriented; • whimsical.

The goal is to: • motivate students of all backgrounds to discover new strengths and practise new skills; • inspire a global community of future scholars and leaders.

A group of 20 Preparatory School students competed in the regional round and went on to qualify for the global round in Sydney, where the students achieved excellent results with all teams qualifying for the international final at Yale University.

EPro8 The EPro8 Challenge is an engineering and problem-solving race. In 2019 over 7000 students from 700 schools from throughout New Zealand took part. It is a three-hour event that begins with a tutorial on the equipment teams will be using. Teams will choose which challenges they wish to undertake. The harder the challenge, the more points it is worth. There is not enough time to finish all the challenges –so strategy is required to know which ones to go for.

Teams compete to: • build large sized structures; • solve practical problems; • engineer using pulleys, motors, gears, wheels, and axles; • invent machines that can complete simple tasks; • undertake unusual and fun experiments; • construct basic electronic circuits; • solve interesting problems using practical mathematics.

Our teams competed very strongly with a Years 7–8 team coming top in their heats and progressing to the semi-finals.

Other Enrichment Opportunities Other enrichment opportunities offered in 2019 were: • Rotary Speech Competition; • Kids Lit Quiz; • Extension Mathematics class Years 7–8; • Otago Problem Solving Years 7–8; • Code Club; • 3D Design and Printing Club; • Chess Club Terms 2–3; • D-squared Drama Group.