Volume 4,
Issue 2
Winter
Klein ISD Gifted and Talented Students Shine at the TAGT State Showcase
Eight of Klein’s gifted and talented students presented their
Texas Performance Standards Projects (TPSP) at the Texas
Association of Gifted and Talented Showcase at the George R.
Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas on December 5,
2013. The students amazed administrators, educators, and state
officials with their presentations of the process they went
through and the product they developed for their TPSPs from
last school year.
Michael P. has been selected as an
exemplar for the entire state and his project can be viewed at http://
www.texaspsp.org/primary/primary-sample.php Michael demonstrated the
proper handling of an earthworm as he educated the crowd about his investigation
“Animal Nation” on earthworms. Through an interactive learning environment,
Michael captivated his audience with his depth of knowledge regarding
earthworms and the ability they have to sustain their environment.
“Innovation Celebration: Triple Sip” was the original
creation by Sheha S. Sheha has been selected as an
exemplar for the entire state and her project can be viewed at http://
www.texaspsp.org/intermediate/intermediate-sample.php
Visitors at the showcase were intrigued by her idea that allows consumers to
simultaneously enjoy three different beverages at
different temperatures.
Theiija B. stunned listeners when she shared her “Pursuit of Passion” over
Biomimicry and the Pompeii Worm. This worm’s ability to endure extreme heat
inspired Theiija to create a fire retardant detergent to help reduce the degree of
burn injuries people suffer from fires. Dr. Cain stopped by to learn more as did
the Assistant Arson Investigator from the Houston Fire Department. She was
interested in sharing Theiija’s ideas and research with her superiors in the fire
department.
(Continued on page 3)
Inside this Issue
2014 TPSP District
Showcase
2013 TAGT Teaching
Scholarship Recipient
2014 GT Super Saturday
TAGT Showcase
continued from page 1
Duke TIP
2
2
3
3
4
Academic Competitions
4
SAT/ACT Important
Dates
4
Klein ISD Specialist is State Presenter
Caroline Daniel, Area Specialist for Advanced Academic Services, was selected
to present Developing Investigative Research Processes with the Texas
Performance Standard Projects (TPSP). Mrs. Daniel shared best practices on
how to implement the Texas Performance Standards Project in mixed ability
classrooms. The TPSP is specifically listed in the Texas State Plan for the
Education of Gifted and Talented Students, so many districts are eager to
effectively integrate this into the curriculum. Audience members acquired a
month-to-month scope and sequence for implementing investigative research
skills and ways to guide gifted students to the synthesis level with research
methodology and product development. With Mrs. Daniel’s expertise, districts across the state now have
a new toolbox of ideas and best practices necessary for implementation.
KlSD Advanced Academics Newsletter
Page 2
2013 TAGT Teaching Scholarship Recipient
Carie Barber received a TAGT teaching scholarship to attend
the 2013 TAGT conference. Ms. Barber is a fourth grade
language and social studies teacher in Klein ISD. Her teaching
philosophy of setting high standards and challenging all
students motivates her as she finds the best ways to meet their
needs. Her scholarship allowed her to continue to do just that
as she attended various trainings on meeting the needs of gifted
and talented students.
Join the Global Conversation on Gifted and Talented
Education and Issues through #gtchat
How do I participate?
Gifted and Talented Parent Organization (GTPO)

Log on to Twitter.com and enter #gtchat in the subject search box.

To join in the stream of tweets, enter in #gtchat at
the beginning or end of your tweet and post.
Spring Meetings
For more information on #gtchat, please visit:
The GTPO provides parents of identified gifted and talented students an
opportunity to learn more about gifted education and working with gifted
children, helps facilitate out-of-school activities for the district’s GT population,
and provides a resource for others interested in knowing more about living and
working with gifted children.
GT Identification Timeline
Location:
Klein Multipurpose Center
7500 FM-2920, Spring, TX 77379
http://txgifted.org/gtchat
1/06/14
K-11 Testing window continues
2/28/14 Kindergarten GT Notification letters sent
home
3/03/14 Kindergarten services begin
3/21/14 Grades 1-11 Parent Notification Letters sent
home.
3/14/14 Last Day for parents of Kindergarten students
to request a campus appeal
4/04/14 Last Day for parents of Grades 1-11 students
to request a campus appeal
4/21/14 Campus appeal decision sent home
Time:
6-7pm
Dates:
Monday, January 27
Monday, February 17
Monday, March 24
Monday, April 14
5/05/14 Last day for parent request for district
appeal
Services begin the following year for grades 1-11.
SAVE THE DATE!
3rd Annual Klein ISD
TPSP District Showcase
Tuesday
May 20, 2014
Klein Multipurpose Center
TAGT 2013 Legacy Book Award for Parents
To receive the Legacy Book Award for Parents, the book
needs to increase the understanding of the unique needs of
G/T children and help ensure they are met, both at home
and in the classroom. This year’s winner is Raising
Creative Kids by Susan Daniels, Ph.D. and Daniel B.
Peters, Ph.D.; published by
Great Potential Press, Inc.
Whether your child is "artistic"
or not, this book is intended to
help parents inspire, foster and
nurture the myriad traits and
personality benefits that come
from learning how to be
creative, think creatively and
see the world creatively.
Volume 4, Issue 2
Page 3
GT students in grades 3-5 were offered an out-of-school opportunity through the GT Parent
Organization (GTPO). Registration information was sent to all campuses as well as to
parents via the GTPO Parent email bank and over 100 students are now registered to
participate! Below are the four activities:
Physics in Motion I – Students will participate in hands-on experiences including balancing act, beanbag drop, center of gravity
towers, shuffle bowling, launch cup game, parachute challenge, magnetic mazes, magnetic toss.
Nuts and Bolts and Computer Programming – Students will be introduced to various aspects of computer programming using
different web based tools and even explore the process of building a web page.
Junior Chef and Movie Making in a Foreign Language – Students will be immersed in another country as they explore the
food, the language, and the culture. They will even make a short movie clip as they present the food using the language of the
country.
Physics in Motion II – Students will participate in hands on experiences with magnetic art, air races, wayward golf, find the
attraction, slow down, odd shapes, and rolling along.
TAGT Showcase continued from page 1
Students in grades 1-8 spend time in
class working on this yearlong
project as a portion of their
differentiated curriculum. There are
a wide array of tasks to select from
on the TPSP website
www.texaspsp.org. Shreyas S.
selected the “Instant Millionaire”
task. At TAGT he displayed his
vision for an intermediate school
auditorium that he carefully planned
with a million dollar budget.
Shreyas was designing his
auditorium to benefit campus
sporting events and fine arts
performances along with offering
an opportunity for the campus to
generate additional revenue. Dr.
Cain took note of the professional
design of the project as well as the
ease which Shreyas explained his
process at the TAGT conference.
Ballet: Is it an art, sport, or both?
This is the question that Katelyn K.
set out to answer in her TPSP task.
With a personal connection to
ballet, Katelyn delved into this
unanswered question and prove her
position to visitors. Because of her
experience, Katelyn had meaningful
data to analyze and share.
Years after the first theories on Big
Foot came to be there was a young
mind who dared to explore a new
perspective. Paige W. took up the
“Enigma” task on Big Foot. She
created a new theory using collected
experimental data on the
misperception of shadows to shed
light on the mystery of Big Foot and
enlighten conference visitors.
The “Pursuit of Passion” that Evan B.
shared with visitors at TAGT was
Tae-Kwon-Do– It’s Not Just About
Kicking and Punching. Evan praised
its unique health benefits including
flexibility, strength, and agility with a
video demonstration and statistical
data. His knowledge of the topic and
his Tae-Kwon-Do uniform brought
his presentation to life.
Madison F. selected the “Instant
Millionaire” task and created a
million dollar budget to fund the
building of a golf course. At TAGT
many stopped by to learn about her
vision and the impact it would have
on a community for additional
leisure options. A goal of the TPSP
is to research a real world impact,
and Madison’s golf course delivered.
KlSD Advanced Academics Newsletter
Page 4
Klein ISD IB Program is Ten Years Old!
College Test Preparation Program in the Klein ISD
Klein ISD’s International Baccalaureate Diploma
Programme celebrates its 10th anniversary this month.
The program which began with only 39 students has
grown to over 300 students in grades 9-12. For the
past four years, 95% of its students have earned the
prestigious IB Diploma and are attending universities
all over the United States and the world.
SAT
The SAT test preparation package includes a series of assessments to help
students be successful after graduation. ReadiStep, PSAT/NMSQT and
SAT are used at critical points to progressively measure the reading,
writing and mathematical knowledge and skills essential for success in
college and careers. Klein ISD offers a district-wide ReadiStep in 8th
grade, PSAT in both grades 10 and 11 in order to fully prepare students for
the SAT.
Destination ImagiNation Regional TournamentDate: March 1, 2014
Location: Humble High School
Destination ImagiNation State Tournament
Date: April 11-12, 2014
Location: John Connally High School, Pflugerville,
Texas
Regional Academic Decathlon
Klein High School placed 1st with 39,350 points and
Klein Collins High School placed 2nd with 39, 160
point in the large school division of the Regional
Academic Decathlon Meet held January 25th in Magnolia ISD. These scores qualified both teams to advance to state competition to be held in San Antonio. The Klein HS team amassed 17 team awards and
the Klein Collins team collected 16 team awards.
Regional Pentathlon
The Klein ISD will host the Regional Pentathlon
Meet at Klein Oak High School on April 26, 2014.
Twenty-five intermediate/middle schools from across
the region compete as individuals and team members
in a series of five academic tests, including: math,
literature, social science, science, and essay.
ACT
The ACT College Readiness Assessment System includes a series of
assessments to help students be successful after graduation. ACT Explore
& Plan have been used to prepare students for the ACT. Explore & Plan
will transition to ACT Aspire beginning with the 2014-2015 school year.
Major universities accept ACT along with SAT in order to determine
college acceptance.
Spring 2014 SAT and ACT Important Dates
Date of
Test
Test
Register By
Get Scores
By
Web
Get Scores
By Mail
Mar. 8
SAT
Feb. 7
(2/21 with late fees)
Mar. 27
Apr. 5
May 8
SAT
Apr. 4
(4/18with late fees)
May 24
May 31
Jun. 7
SAT
May 9
(5/23with late fees)
June 26
July 5
Apr. 12
ACT
Mar. 7
(3/21 with late fees)
Apr. 29
May 3
Jun. 14
ACT
May 9
(5/23with late fees)
Jun. 30
July 5
Duke TIP Scholar Weekend program provide opportunities for academically talented students in grades 8-11 to take short courses during
weekend-long programs at University of Houston campus. To be eligible, students must have participated in the Duke TIP talent search or been
identified as academically gifted/talented by local school criteria. Courses introduce topics that might not be available in students’ local
schools. They provide enrichment, sharpen skills, and help students define pathways to college majors and careers. In addition, they provide a
glimpse into the collegiate experience and an opportunity for students to interact with similarly motivated students. Please visit http://
www.houstonscholarweekends.com/index.html for more information. Scholar weekend is set for April 13 and 14.