Gifted and Talented
Vision Statement
TSS Prep’s commitment to all boys is to provide them with encouragement, support
and opportunities to achieve their best. Our vision for Gifted and Talented boys
is that they feel supported and encouraged by a community which fosters a
learning environment that both challenges and supports the boys to pursue
excellence and develop a passion for lifelong learning.
We aim to:
- empower the boys who have been identified as Gifted and Talented, and provide
them with opportunities and programs to reach their full potential;
- identify double labeled or underachieving Gifted and Talented students;
- be dynamic in our approach to accommodate the individual needs of our boys;
- provide a pathway for TSS Prep students to enter the G and T/ Honours Program at the Senior School;
- support the teachers in developing differentiated programs to meet the needs of the Gifted and Talented;
- provide information that increases the understanding within the Prep community of what it means to be a Gifted and Talented student; and
- foster a culture, within TSS Prep, that values high academic achievement.
Gifted and Talented Teacher Nomination Form
Gifted and Talented Parent Nomination Form
The Southport School’s Gifted and Talented Program is designed to enrich and
extend those boys from Prep Year to Year 12 who are capable of high achievement
or who demonstrate high levels of potential which may not have yet transformed
into talent.
The G & T and Honours programmes are designed to challenge students, empower
them, encourage risk taking, creative thinking and individual accountability,
foster independent learning and the pursuit of excellence. The needs of bright
and gifted students are fostered through the G & T and Honours Programmes here
at TSS.
The Gifted and Talented (G & T) Programme continues to flourish. It is designed to nurture, support
and extend boys from the Preparatory and the Senior School who demonstrate high
levels of ability and academic potential.
Selection for the G & T Programme in both the Senior and Preparatory
school is multi-dimensional with an emphasis on ability testing and profiling of
the top 5% to 10% of students. Current research indicators of the
characteristics of Gifted and Talented student achievers and non-achievers are
also considered in the identification process. Preparatory boys meet weekly in
cluster withdrawal classes with their G & T teacher and are nurtured in class.
These boys focus on extending their higher order thinking skills; creativity and
innovative learning techniques; emotional intelligence and knowledge seeking.
Senior G & T boys also meet on a weekly basis with a G & T teacher to work in
like-ability groups where they develop their thinking dispositions and skills
while examining topics such as; brain physiology, emotional intelligence,
independent work habits, overcoming thinking blocks, accelerated learning and
successful learning strategies. Looking at the possibilities in life and
exploring these, without necessarily a definitive answer, is the basis for this
learning; as well as viewing issues with multi-perspectives.
Identification and selection for the Gifted and Talented Program is
multi-dimensional with an emphasis on ability testing and selection of the top
10%.
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Identification includes:
- Parent, teacher, self and peer nominations
- General ability testing
- Affective testing for social and emotional development
- Academic records and work samples
- Interviews with parents/students/teachers
- Above year level performance in skill areas
- External test results from current WISC or Stanford Binet assessments conducted
by an Educational Psychologist
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Current research indicators of the characteristics of Gifted and Talented
students are also employed in the identification process.
Characteristics of Gifted and Talented Students include:
- Understanding beyond his peer group
- Creative, divergent thinker, vivid imagination
- Strong sense of justice and humour
- Intense curiosity about subjects
- Task commitment to a chosen topic of interest
- Desire to work independently on self-selected projects
Various models operate at TSS to meet the individual G&T student's needs such
as; G&T withdrawal classes, cluster classes and groupings, curriculum
differentation, telescoping of curriculum, acceleration, Honours Programme, and
concurrent enrolment in University courses
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For further information please contact:
Preparatory School
Senior School