Graduation Speech : The Gifted Program

I am an active member of my school and community. At school I feel that i've gained the respect of my peers being elected as Student Council representative for the past four years. I have also been elected the treasurer of the choir, and secretary of the band. I am part of the Ross Middle School bucket drumming group and have been casted as part of the school theatre’s annual play. After school on Wednesdays I assist Ms. Rullman in helping students with homework and enhancing study methods. I am currently participating in science olympiad and have in the past. I am also an anchor on the popular Good Morning Ross Middle School weekly news show. In addition, I have been a part of National Junior Honor Society which takes part in service projects

Throughout my life, I feel as though I have had many encounters with special education. Growing up, my grandmothers close friend had a daughter that had down syndrome. She was extremely sweet and loved company. Her parents had six other children who were grown and lived on their own. However, she lived at home with her parents her whole life. In elementary school, I do not remember many encounters with special education students. I do remember some kids being taken out of my class for part of the day, but that was my only experience during that time.

Joining the fifth grade that year made me especially nervous. What if on the first day I had to write a story?what would my teacher think of my sub par work? Why was it so difficult and taxing on my mind to come up with the right word for a phrase? I was beginning to think of all of my problems I faced that year and school hadn't even started. I elected to ask the best source of knowledge I knew of, my mother. If she could raise a kid, she could help me write also, or at least that was the thought. Later I would know my mother affirmed my realization that some people weren’t writers and that I definitely wasn't one when she mentioned how she never was a writer as a child. The craziest thing about my dilemma was how it was only writing i never understood, reading and the rest of my school subjects I understood perfectly, and I even had one the

Middle school is a period of transition for adolescents. Students are no longer the children were once were in elementary school; they are beginning to mature into the adults they will need to become. Gifted learners at the middle-school level face the same developmental and tasks tasks and challenges that their peers do. Yet, gifted learners also possess traits that are different from their peers, which often make them misunderstood or ignored. The need for teachers to identify these students and differentiate instruction in a way that addresses the needs of the gifted students in the classroom is becoming more crucial than ever.

I have the distinct pleasure of welcoming all of you into the National Honor Society, a group built off of high standards of achievement, not only in the area of academics but also in character and leadership. I congratulate each of you and your parents.

I am delighted to announce that I am running for the presidential position of Science National Honors Society, which has truly been one of the most active clubs at Clements High School this year! In doing so the club has genuinely lived up to its motto of "Promoting Science, Service, and Leadership". Hearty congratulations to all the current officers for successfully re-establishing the SNHS standards at Clements High School after a year of hardships. From the establishment of Pat Cave to volunteering at Westbury Community Garden, active involvement in SNHS has given me a rigorous introduction to application of scientific concepts to real life problems. At the same time, this club has taught me how to sincerely appreciate nature, specifically

gifted students within those states, and are not consistent across the United States. “Seven states

Van Tassel-Baska, J. (2000). Theory and research on curriculum development for the gifted. In K.A. Heller, F.J. Monks, R. J. Sternberg & R.F. Subotnik (Eds.). International handbook of giftedness and talent (2nd ed., pp. 365–386). Amsterdam: Elsevier.

My literacy journey had begun earlier than most kids, according to my mother. I started reading in kindergarten, with help with the BOB books and the PBS show Between the Lions. I don’t know when I had started writing exactly, but I remember clearly writing short stories about my cat Stormy in 3rd grade. At that time we had to write weekly short stories, and I only ever wrote about my cat. In 4th grade, I had started exploring writing more; I would write plays for me and my friends to practice during recess. Most of them, I’m happy to say, were actually educational, so my teacher had even let my friends and I perform one about early-American settlers in front of our whole class.

From the early beginning of the school year to the current day, my writing skills and knowledge have improved and broadened over time. If not drastic, the change is noticeable nevertheless. For almost an entirety of eighth grade, assignments of varying difficulty challenged me to a degree. To be frank, some seemed as though they were beyond my comprehension and ability. However, determination amalgamated with knowledge obtained in advance helped me to overcome my doubts, for I exceeded my expectations; surprisingly good grades and comments are a delight, owing to the fact of that I don’t tend to think of myself as being proficient at writing. Consequently, the assignments given to me this school year shaped me into who I am as a writer.

That is exactly what I did. I am glad I fought because if I didn't fight I wouldn't be here today to tell you my story that has made me who I am today. Even though I had some difficulties learning in school I didn't get discouraged I tried my hardest and wouldn't give up and because I didn't give up I am currently nineteen years old and about to graduate from high school and have been on honor roll for four years in a row and was inducted into The National Honor Society my sophomore.

Usually high school students meet with the counselor and follow a determined set of coursework in order to graduate high school. However, if a student has been identified as a special needs student, the process of signing up for classes is not as simple as for other students. When trying to earn a high school diploma, special education students encounter difficulties not faced by their peers. The first step is for parents, school staff, and the student to meet and determine the best option for the student in order to receive a diploma. Determining the student’s path is called an IEP, individualized education plan. All special education students have an IEP that identifies the courses they will take in high school and the plans they will pursue after graduation. Students may choose from four paths: the traditional pathway, the career pathway, the occupational pathway, or the certificate of completion. The traditional pathway, which most advisors put the student on at first, allows the student the option of going to college. The next is the career pathway, which does not require a student to have an eligibility ruling for special education but still is another option if the student cannot obtain a high school diploma through the traditional path. Third, occupational pathway is a way to receive a diploma and not have to achieve as many credits or pass state test, but is still a difficult process. The last option for special education students is certificate of completion.

I was welcomed to Southeast Elementary by Mrs. Becca ElsaMiller. The environment as you walked into her special education classroom felt very open. As soon as I walked in I could tell that the students felt accepted in this classroom. I enjoyed the way that the adults were referred to by their first names. I was referred to as Ms. Caroline and that made me feel like I wasn’t as far off from the students. I saw a lot of trust and good connections among Mrs. ElsaMiller and her students.

The achievement gap is a term that has evolved over the past decades to describe

When I was in the second grade, all of the students at my elementary school were given a special test one day in class. We were told that it was not for a grade, but that it was to help the school know more about us. None of us really understood what the test was, or what the school would use it for, and it is certain that no one in my class that day understood the implications of what those results would mean for us the rest of our lives.