GATE
Dear Parents of GATE students of Los Alisos,
My name is Paula Briones and I am the GATE coordinator for 2008-2009. Your child was identified by a data list, provided by the Assessment and Evaluation Department, of test scores from the state norm-referenced test. Students may also be identified by the Mini Inventory Teacher Perception form, which strives to find students who demonstrate critical thinking skills in discussion and problem solving when compared to their peer groups.
According to the California Association for the Gifted (CAG) and the Norwalk La Mirada Unified School district, your child is offered differentiated instruction to accelerate, offer greater depth, offer more complexity, and various items of novelty to enrich their core subjects. Along with in-class differentiated instruction, GATE students are offered a variety of extra-curricular classes and events such as: Steel band, Plays (High School Musical, etc.), Writing Class (before school), GATE Academy (Saturdays),Art Exhibition (NLMUSD Visual and Performing Arts Showcase), PTA Reflections Contest, Young Male Latino Conference, Women’s Club Art Competition, Norwalk Library Bookmark Competition, and more as they arrive throughout the year. Mrs. Van Lant, our school counselor, is also available to provide support on the emotional and social needs of Los Alisos GATE students.
The Norwalk-La Mirada USD office provides a collection of current books, journals, magazines, audio files, and video/ DVDs on subjects dealing with all aspects of giftedness. Parents may check out material and return them through district mail. The office also provides The GATE Keeper, a newsletter for parents of GATE students, on the district website. If you have any questions you may direct them to me at (562)868-0865 or briopam@aol.com.
Sincerely,
Ms. Paula Briones
GIFTED AND TALENTED EDUCATION (GATE): Our GATE program provides gifted students with differentiated instruction and opportunities to further develop their strengths in academics, leadership, and the visual and performing arts. Students with high scores on standardized tests or whose teachers have recommended them because of exceptional academic abilities qualify for this program. We have one teacher from each grade level who instructs these students by providing depth and complexity to the current curriculum for each content area. These teachers meet regularly to plan and discuss effective practices that would enrich the academic program for students whose ability is above their respective grade levels. Differentiated instruction is a key element in ensuring that our GATE students’ needs are met to ensure their academic growth. During the year each grade level holds a night meeting for parents to provide an overview of the program and research-based classroom strategies that are used in the classroom. The pacing of the GATE curriculum is faster than the regular curriculum. We have adopted a new GATE plan, and the GATE teachers are expected to provide depth and complexity to these students daily so that our students can show progress in both language arts and mathematics.
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