Announcing the iScholars Program

Emerson is proud to announce a new program called iScholars, which will begin in the fall of 2010. Similar to the GATE Special Day Class that Emerson has offered for many years, iScholars will focus on the needs of gifted, talented and advanced learners.

Specifically, the class will be made up of identified GATE students, advanced English Learners as well as other advanced, gifted and talented students as space allows. An intentional effort will be made to identify students who have leadership skills, high achievement, and creativity which previously have not been significant factors in determining class placement. Selection of students for the class will take place at the end of each academic year using GATE and EL program identification criteria, performance data as well as a Behavioral Checklist that will identify a lottery pool of students to participate in the program. Students who are successful in the program may be invited to maintain their program participation in subsequent years.

The curriculum for the class will be based on the same California Content Standards, as well as a renewed and intentional emphasis of the Scope and Sequence of Depth and Complexity: Differentiating for Gifted and Advanced Learners (RUSD 2007). This document is available in my office for your review. A team of teachers is currently making plans for the program and will continue their planning work throughout the summer. Initially, some of the program plans include a foreign/second language component, participation in projects such as History Day, Science Fair, and Reflections. Depth and complexity will be explored through a system that uses icons, or thinking tools, to describe what students will do with the content.

The lottery drawing will occur on June 9, at 3 p.m., outside of the front office, followed by an informational meeting in the library. If you would like to have more information about the iScholars program, please attend an informational meeting on June 9 at 3:30 p.m. in room 14 in the library.