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September 2020 Newsletter
www.cfbgifted.org |
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Welcome to our first newsletter of the school year!
Since we have so many new members, a quick note:
The AGT Newsletter is a volunteer-driven collection of articles, resources, and information that is relevant to the students and families in CFB's gifted programs. These are compiled from various local and national resources, as well as activities from our district and AGT.
We also send out separate announcements for specific AGT events on occasion, so please keep an eye out for those as well.
We will also be sending out a Welcome Email to our new members in the next week, with more information about AGT. In the meantime, please add
newsletter@cfbgifted.org to your contact list so that our emails make it into your inbox. Thank you! |
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A Note from the AGT Board
Dear AGT Families,
Welcome to our new families, and welcome back to our returning members! We are very happy to have so many people coming together to support gifted education in our district. Through our membership drive we have really increased our membership, which is great -- more voices, more advocacy, and more shared resources that can benefit everyone.
As we begin the new school year and get used to the new styles of learning, we want to commend you for doing the best you can, supporting and guiding your children while keeping a sense of "normal" in your house. Teachers and staff, we applaud you as well for the work you do to keep our children learning and engaged.
The biggest help we can provide is to be a space for all of our parents to connect, share information, and help each other as we move into a new type of school year. As an organization, we are growing a large membership, but we are only as strong as our connection and information flow between us. This is your organization -- please take advantage of it:
--Get involved. Volunteer, try something new or share what you know.
--Make connections. Read the emails, click through to the events, meet new parents, exchange information.
--Share and help each other. Each person is experiencing challenges in their own way, and the best way to make a stronger experience for our own children is to be involved and support our schools' and district's efforts. Get involved with AGT, get involved with your local PTA, support the teachers and staff -- help them help our children.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support of your children's learning, and of CFB ISD. From the AGT Board, we see you, we're there with you, and we look forward to working with you.
Best wishes,
AGT Board
P.S. Here is a helpful letter about resilience from Sandra Bond Chapman, PhD, Founder and Chief Director of the Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas. Please click here to read it on the BrainHealth website. |
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A Word About AGT Summer Virtual Events
In May, the AGT Board came together to brainstorm how we could best support our parents and students while in a time of uncertainty. We came together to send our surveys, pull information, and create a series of programs for all of us to learn and enjoy. And for the programming this summer, we have some special thanks:
First, thank you to our very own Dr. Kim Ly, who not only planned out most of the events, but also generously gave of her time, resources (including finding guest speakers), and Zoom account so that we could host so many people on the platform so often. She truly drove this summer.
Thanks to Cherin Escher and the rest of the AGT Board, who supported with their time and various efforts with surveys, announcements, emails, phone calls, and sharing resources.
Thanks for Dr. Kathryn Schaeffer for being a guest speaker and sharing information about this school year with our parents and families.
And finally, thank you to each of you who showed up for an event and participated -- if you asked a question, shared an idea, watched a movie, applauded for a musical performance, or just made a new friend -- we appreciate your participation, and commitment to make AGT a better organization for all of us. |
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Resources from parents shared at Virtual Summer Events:
We recommended the following books:
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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, by Sean Covey
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A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children, by Arlene De Vries, James Webb, Janet Gore
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Parenting Gifted Children 101: An Introduction to Gifted Kids and Their Needs, by Tracy Inman Ed.D, Jana Kirchner
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Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students: Helping Kids Cope with Explosive Feelings, by Christine Fonseca
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On the Social and Emotional Lives of Gifted Children, by Tracy Cross Ph.D.
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Living With Intensity: Understanding the Sensitivity, Excitability, and the Emotional Development of Gifted Children, Adolescents, and Adults, by Susan Daniels, Michael M. Piechowski
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Grit, by Angela Duckworth
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Learning How to Learn, by Barbara Oakley
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Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, by Carol Dweck
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The Five Love Languages of Children, by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell
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Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
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Kid President's Pep Talk to Teachers and Students!
(as shared in GT Announcement in ParentSquare)
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Tuesday, September 15, 2020, 6:30 p.m.
Helping Kids Thrive in Today’s World
Presented by Christine Fonseca
Life can feel overwhelming, especially in today’s world of pandemic illness, school disruptions, and other anxieties our children are facing. This workshop provides parents with real-world tools and strategies to help children thrive in spite of the overwhelming current events. Registration required.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.
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Join the Center for BrainHealth for this FREE virtual seminar on
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Did you know....
You can donate to CFB AGT using Amazon Smile? Link AGT to your Amazon account and donate every time you shop. Visit smile.amazon.com for more details. |
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AGT Board Meetings
The AGT Board is made up of volunteer parents, just like you, who come together to support families of gifted children.
If you are interested in volunteering with the AGT Board or finding out more about what we do, please join us at our next Board Meeting.
Please email us for details. |
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CFBAGT has been around for over 40 years. We are a group of parents and educators advocating for gifted programs in CFBISD. We are definitely in this together.
Please consider volunteering and working with us! |
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••• External Resources •••
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Links to resources outside of CFBISD...
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