Big Steps Toward Our Long Term Vision

By Greg Ramos, Governance Board of Directors

Stargate School has long had a vision of being the model for gifted education in the State of Colorado and beyond. The Stargate Board of Directors, as the governance body of the school, are the stewards of that vision. Nearly two years ago, the Board undertook a comprehensive review of the state of the school, identifying several areas that we felt needed to be addressed in order to make that vision come true.

The result was a plan that included several strategic initiatives aimed at addressing the school’s shortcomings that have been impeding our progress towards our vision. Those shortcomings included:

• A lack of an organized and structured curriculum. Our research showed that this presented perhaps the single largest obstacle to fulfilling our educational mission at Stargate.
• A governance model that involved too much involvement by the Board in the day-to-day activities of the school and not enough time spent on planning and other strategic initiatives.
• A lack of a comprehensive middle school program, including sports programs and more robust arts and other specials programs. We found that the limitations on the School’s facilities were perhaps the biggest drawback to creating and offering those programs.

In its strategic plan for the 2006-2007 school year, the Board undertook to address each of these shortcomings. First, we tasked our Head of School with moving ahead on our curriculum project that had its nascent beginnings the year before, but had struggled to get off the ground. The challenge is steep, and the work has been difficult, but we are confident that when the curriculum mapping is complete next year, we will be past the biggest hurdle towards the development of a state-of-the-art curriculum that will truly serve as a model for gifted programs nationwide.

Second, the board completed its restructuring by chartering the Parent-Staff Council (PSC). Jane Baker and June Werner moved from the Board to co-chair the PSC, and the Board, newly staffed to include independent directors, became the Governance Board of Directors. The focus of the PSC is parent and staff communication, committee management and administration support. This change has freed the Governance Board to focus on strategic planning, policy-making, and financial operations, and has left the school operations where it belongs, in the hands of the administration, guided by the input of parents and staff through the PSC.

Another accomplishment, of which you have all seen the tangible results, was the school’s securing of a refinancing of its bonds, so as to permit us to continue on with the next phase of our facilities development. With the help of Lynne Allen, Stargate Business Manager, as well as our underwriters and bond counsel, we were able to secure very favorable rates that allowed us to raise additional funds. Those funds are being used to construct the new gymnasium and middle school wing to be opened next fall.

The entire Governance Board is pleased and excited with the changes and progress toward the long term vision for Stargate, and we are already looking forward to next year and beyond.

Contruction Update

By Patty Crone

CSAP testing has passed, with only minor distractions provided by the construction process; and with every new day, we can see the progress being made by our friends at Ward Construction.  Each Wednesday, representatives of Stargate School, Ward Construction, and Hutton Ford Architects meet to discuss the progress of the project; and thus far the news is that we are on schedule.

In a meeting over Spring Break, Greg Thompson (Superintendent of the project), shared some of the details.  The infamous temporary tunnel, designed to allow access and egress at the rear of the current classroom wing, will have been completed by the time students return from the holiday.  This tunnel, which is being built between Mrs. McLeod’s and Mrs. Bustamante’s classrooms at the request of the Fire Department, will take up three feet of the rear of each room until the end of the school year, after which it will be dismantled.  Thanks for your patience, to all who occupy these rooms for the remainder of the year!

Although Mr. Thompson has done everything in his power to avoid issues with the work or delivery schedule, periodic disruptions to the playground use and traffic flow will inevitably occur.  The construction team has worked with the City of Thornton to provide alternate access to the job site, but thus far we are still waiting for the final word.  In the meantime, the playground area will be diminished or closed off altogether from time to time.  And while the sewer line is being laid, barriers around the work site will close off part of the play area.  However, these are merely temporary challenges that ensure the timely completion of the projects.

The highest priority is the completion of the classroom wing by August.  Consequently, effort is currently being focused in that area.  A close second, of course, is the gymnasium.  Based upon the funds brought in during the bond issue last November, several “alternates”—parts of the project that may need to wait for the availability of funds—include the gym floor, sinks in classrooms, a folding partition to separate two middle school classrooms and allow a larger meeting area when needed, lockers for the 7-8 students, changing room, asphalt play pad to replace the one formerly at the end of the classroom wing, a concrete plaza between the lobby area and the entrance to the gym, and bleachers.  (You might want to consider one or more of these as you write your check to the Annual Fund.)

Rain and snow may, of course, cause minor delays, requiring catch-up work on Saturdays.  Once the shells for the building are completed, we will all breathe a sigh of relief.  In the meantime, we thank everyone for their patience and understanding during modifications of traffic patterns, limitations on the use of the playground, and other construction-related inconveniences.  We also thank the Church next door for accommodating tons of dirt on their site and many more vehicles in the parking lot.  We are fortunate indeed to have such great neighbors.

Send happy thoughts to the weather gods!

PARENT VOLUNTEERS PILOT KIDS CARE PROGRAM WITH 5/6 STUDENTS THIS SPRING

By Patty Crone

On January 30, ten Stargate parent volunteers attended a training for Kids Care, which is currently being implemented with two groups of 5/6 students, having begun in early February.  Every 5/6 Specials grouping will have access to this program for a period of six weeks prior to the end of the year.  We hope that the experience of this pilot will lead to a comprehensive and well considered K-8 community service program in the next year or two.

Kids Care is a joint project of the Post-News Educational Services and Post-News community, who provide a free curriculum to Colorado schools.  This unique program teaches students about community service, compassion, philanthropy, responsibility—all high on the priorities of gifted children and their families.  Most important, it helps them to understand that they are never too young to make a difference.

The goals of student participation in the program are that students will…

• Apply academic, social and personal skills to improve the community
• Grow as individuals, gain respect for peers and increase civic participation
• Gain a deeper understanding of themselves, their community and society
• Develop as leaders who take initiative, solve problems, work as a team, and demonstrate their abilities while helping others

Kids Care, available at elementary, middle and high school levels, addresses Colorado Model Content Standards and can be integrated into almost any classroom curriculum.  The program includes a free six-week delivery of the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News on alternating days, as well as supplements including resource information, classroom activities and project ideas.  In the future, parent volunteers will work with classroom teachers to develop activities that will be age appropriate and tied to curricular goals whenever possible.

Tiffany Painter, one of our current volunteers, has this to say about her experience: “After working with the students for the past month, it is clear that all our kids want to make the world a better place and with a little encouragement are ready to act.  The students have been so receptive and have already begun to brainstorm ideas for a class project for next year.  I hope this will become a school-wide program!”

Other volunteers at the moment include Tracy Spalding, Meg Lineham, and Jackie Hahn.  Parents who will lead future groups are Ursula Sagehorn, Linda Tufford, Jody Marquez, Joanne Lee, Michelle Dinsmore, and Kim Reisch.  Check in with them to find out about their experiences. And please let us know if you would be interested in working with this program next year!

Teachers Get Graded, too!
by Patty Crone

Based upon the standards developed by Adams 12 Five-Star District, faculty evaluations are scheduled in three primary categories:

• Probationary teachers, those serving in the District for three consecutive years or less, will be formally observed by the Head of School a minimum of once each semester. For Stargate, the first observation took place during the first trimester and was scheduled with the teacher in advance. The second observation, which is unannounced, will take place during the second half of the year. Both last for approximately one hour and are followed up by a conference between the Head of School and the individual teacher.
• Non-probationary teachers, those serving in the District four or more years, are formally observed twice during every third year, in the same manner.
• All teachers can be observed at any time via a walk-through observation that normally lasts 10-15 minutes. (Excerpted from the Stargate Staff Handbook)

For both types of processes, a standard form is provided; and the faculty members receive copies following the observation and prior to the conference.

Beyond this formal process, Stargate has instituted other expectations for teachers this year. Due to the ongoing emphasis on curriculum development, every faculty member is expected to complete regular curriculum mapping activities in two- or three-month cycles. Following the deadline, mapping progress is evaluated by the Head of School, after which the teachers will receive a narrative response indicating goals for future efforts. Beginning last spring, and throughout this academic year, the teachers have received monthly group sessions on curriculum mapping, provided by our consultant, Chris Palmer. She has also worked with some of our teachers individually or in small groups on the challenges they have faced in implementing this process.

In addition, with our new approach to communication with our families, teachers are now expected to use our website to provide weekly communication with parents and students as to activities in their classrooms, as well as student progress in both academic and behavior arenas. As always, we recognize that some families will not have easy access to electronic communication and so make paper copies available to parents upon request. (If you are not receiving these, but need to, please contact Le Archangeli in the Front Office. If you have any difficulty using our website, Le is also our go-to person.)

Finally, we are working to develop a culture in which regular, direct and constructive communication is the norm. When I first arrived at Stargate last May, we scheduled formal one-on-one conversations with all faculty and staff members. By the end of January, mid-year conversations with the teachers have been completed; and similar meetings with Classiffed staff are in process. A template has been provided to all concerned; however, our meeting is not confined to these questions.

We all know that lifelong learning and growth are essential to making the educational process the best it can be. We at Stargate are working diligently to ensure that we are always improving what we do and how we do it.

Stretched or Stressed
The Balancing Act of the Gifted Child and Parent
Patty Crone

 Parenting a gifted child is full of challenges. The good news is that there are many resources to assist families. (Check out the Stargate website under “Resources.”) The downside, however, is that most parents can barely get through the Star News in any given week, much less the journal articles, websites, and how-to manuals available.

In some respects, the balance that we all try to strike is not terribly different for any child. However, the intensity level can be off the charts for the G/T student (and often for the parent as well). The school and its staff can be a tremendous support system as we work together on behalf of Stargate’s students. Here are a few thoughts for starters:   

After a demanding day at school, our students often segue into an afternoon and evening filled with enrichment activities such as Scouts, school clubs, sports, religion classes, music lessons, etc. Add homework to the equation, and the week is packed. Weekends can be just as demanding, leaving little time when the family members can enjoy each other. Furthermore, much research emphasizes the need for “reflection” in the life of a gifted student—time to process all the experiences of the day. Focusing on choices that feed a child’s passions and eliminating others that are less meaningful can help as the child’s interests become more clear.

Gifted students are often naturally competitive and therefore can lack patience with others who show less aptitude. Consequently, group projects and team activities can be stressful. At the same time, students need to develop social skills, as well as the understanding that no one is good at absolutely everything. Everyone brings something important to the project/conversation; and G/T energies can well be invested in developing that understanding. You can support these efforts by encouraging your child to seek special qualities in people and new situations.

Perfectionism is often a component of the gifted personality, leading to frustration and often the desire to avoid an assignment or project altogether if “Perfection” is not guaranteed. As students are exposed to greater depth and required to apply basic skills in more sophisticated settings, each new task provides a potential risk of failure in the mind of the student. Supportive parents and teachers can help to put this into perspective, by focusing on the learning experience and by praising the risk-taking. Talk with your child about all the folks who didn’t get it right the first time or every time—notables such as Thomas Edison, Babe Ruth, and Abraham Lincoln. The failure only happens when we stop trying.

PE classes, recess time, and other physical activities are critical for development of a healthy lifestyle. Team sports are only one possibility. So if your child currently lacks confidence in his/her skills, find another (possibly family-oriented) activity that you all can enjoy. Hiking, walking the dog, or jumping rope are easy to arrange and virtually cost free. Individual sports or activities such as martial arts also allow the student to develop self-confidence, respect for others, and physical fitness in a few hours a week.

Many parents lament the fact that their child’s room looks as if a bomb blew up there. For many gifted kids, there can be multiple projects in process, with the resulting chaos. And of course there are the students who find tremendous difficulty simply getting an assignment and materials home, followed by completing the assignment, and then actually submitting it to the classroom teacher when due. Your child’s teacher(s) will have a bag of tricks for helping out with organizational issues. Ask the teachers how long assignments should take, and let them know how long your child had to work to complete it. Your insights will be important. So do take the time to have a three-way meeting with student, parent, and faculty member to work out a strategy that makes sense.

You probably have other questions or suggestions along these lines. We plan to continue the Parent Education series sponsored by the PSC, with the possibility of a parent book club, age- and gender-based parent support groups, as well as the lectures. Let us know how we can help!

Building Expansion by Greg Ramos

   Stargate is in the process of refinancing its bonds. Because of our excellent history of financial management and with the help of some recent state legislation to provide credit support to charter schools, we will be able to substantially reduce our interest rate.  This gives us the flexibility of pulling additional money out for capital construc­tion, while maintaining an affordable debt service payment.

   Those capital funds will be used to expand our space, adding common space, storage and classrooms, without hav­ing to substantially increase enrollment.  The bottom line will be a better facility, reduced crowding, and more programs.

   We are very excited about this step.  As plans are developed with the architect, we will post them in the lobby for