JHMS PEAK Program

About Secondary PEAK: We move to a self-select program at the secondary level, so most PEAK opportunities offered through our school are permeable to allow movement in and out of high ability grouping. There are times when students need to choose those activities that they have time for, since so many of them are involved in enriching experiences beyond the school day. We also believe that achievement is linked to effort, so we encourage students to go beyond the assignments and get more depth from their studies. The first tier of our PEAK services includes PEAK clustering in the classrooms, so that students are grouped with a small group of intellectual peers to stimulate academic learning. Math classes are tiered starting in 7th grade with an advanced math option. In rare cases, students are accelerated in math. Teachers also informally group students for various projects. The second tier of our PEAK services is teacher collaboration. There are 96 sections of core classes in grades 6-8, so the PEAK coordinator spends time working with teaching teams to develop strategies to differentiate specific curriculum. For instance, history teachers and other resource people helped to develop a Lit Circle project concerning the Civil War in May of ’08. We are constantly dreaming up new projects that enhance student learning. The third tier of PEAK secondary is direct services. There will be flexible high ability grouping with the PEAK teacher during “TEAM” time, thirty minutes after lunch, for two to three days a week.  Students are included for science seminars in the sixth grade (quarterly) and various other groups as designed by teams of teachers. The forth tier of PEAK secondary is our after school club program. We are currently working with coaches on the following clubs for the coming year: LEGO robotics (Tuesdays 2:35-4:00 starting 9/16) (Square One Systems Design) Youth Philanthropy Club (Second Wednesday of every month) (Community Foundation) Digital Media Club (Thursdays starting in October) (JH Wildlife Film Festival) Latin Club (Hopefully will be offered on Mondays) Stock Market/Investment club (Wednesdays starting in late October with Bob Gordon) Chess Club (still looking for a coach) Other PEAK arenas of activity include High School Academic Bowl team, state champions for the past two years, as well as consulting at the high school with the 8-9 transition teachers, administration, and the elementary PEAK specialist.

About Gifted Learners: One of the defining characteristics of gifted learners is the speed of their learning. They tend to catch on at a rapid pace, as compared to average learners. They also require fewer repetitions, so they need to challenge themselves to build on basic assignments and/or ask for some additional opportunities from their teachers when it is possible. Language Arts and History assignments lend themselves well to greater depth and complexity, although “going the extra mile” is always a worthy goal in all subjects. Parent Notes: Most students at the middle school level are developmentally prepared to be in charge of their own experiences. That is why we offer a menu of opportunities at the middle school; from Lead the Way, to orchestra, and to foreign language. Enrichment goes far beyond the PEAK program. “The surest path to positive self esteem is to succeed at something which one perceived would be difficult. Each time we steal a student’s struggle, we steal the opportunity for them to build self-confidence. They must learn to do hard things to feel good about themselves.” Sylvia Rimm, noted g/t education expert “I asked Mom if I was a gifted child. She said they certainly wouldn’t have PAID for me.” Calvin (Calvin and Hobbes) ***** National Association for Gifted Children website: http://NAGC.org