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The GSP at Fairglen is an enrichment program specially designed to develop critical, analytical, and creative problem solving skills. Our students develop a strong sense of civics by studying government, participating in debates and investigating currents events which leads to community service projects. Our students also work on real world projects designed for the student to solve problems creatively while adhering to strict pre determined criteria. Students in the Gifted program meet all state and county requirements. |
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Fairglen Education Enrichment Program (FEEP)
Students placed in the FEEP are superior students that demonstrate an expressed need for enrichment, but currently do not qualify to meet all state and county GSP requirements. These students participate fully with the gifted program.
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Code of Conduct, Expectations, Grading ScaleClassroom Rules:1. I will be prepared. 2. I will be respectful to others. 3. I will respect property. 4. I will have a positive attitude. |
Expectations:
All student work is due on date specified. Students are expected to put forth their best attitude and effort.
Grading Scales and Evaluations:
In the GSP/FEEP authentic forms of assessment are used to fully evaluate a student's performance. Numerical grades, while simple to understand, do not offer a true representation of a student's strong and weak aspects of a task or project completed.In the GSP a project is a process. Students are given "problems" or tasks with specific pre determined criteria that they will be judged upon. Student work is evaluated based on the given criteria. All criteria and directions for projects will be sent home with the student and will also be posted on this web page.
Detailed evaluation sheets will go home with each student following each unit. In addition to my comments, an important component in learning process is through self evaluation. Therefore, the students will also evaluate him or her self’s performance.
A formal semester report will go home with all GSP and FEEP students.
FEEP Expectations: Performance in the regular classroom is first and foremost of importance. You are expected to work to your full ability and complete all class work and homework on the specified due date. As members of the FEEP you are required to earn the specified Reading Counts points for each month. Failure to meet these expectations can be cause for removal from this program.
You are expected to act as school leaders. You will lead by example. Proper behavior in the class, around the school and in the FEEP is required. Failure to meet these expectations can be cause for removal from this program.
You will be expected to complete all FEEP work on time and be prepared to come to FEEP with all required materials needed to complete the days work.
Time spent in FEEP is scarce. You are expected to take advantage of all class time to work productively.
You are expected to be happy and enjoy learning. You are expected to have your own views and visions. This class will give you the outlet to express your views and create what you have envisioned. You will be expected to take risks and meet challenges. You will be given the opportunity to live up to and exceed these expectations.
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Students in this club are responsible for putting on our daily morning announcement program that is broadcast school wide. These students will utilize computer video editing, video and audio mixing, access digital video and cameras to create films, commercials and other student/school related projects. Students are also responsible for setting up all sound/video equipment at school events. Students must be sixth graders to be in this program. |
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Odyssey of the Mind
OM is a long term creative problem solving competition that is offered to our students in grades 3 through six. OM requires students to work as a team to creatively create plays, inventions, scenery and more!!! Students compete against students in their age division from all over the county. Top teams at county go on to State Competition and the top teams go on to World competition!! |
"The Year of the Eagle"
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Relay For Life
Relay For LifeThis is a program where students form teams to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Each team raises money in various creative ways. The money is then donated when all the students spend the night at Cocoa Beach High School "walking" around the track. Students meet students from all over the county and participate in a lot of fun activities. Relay for Life is one of the most moving and beneficial charities. |
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4H Tropicana Public Speaking Contest
4H Tropicana Public Speaking Contest is for all students in grades five and six. Every student in these grades will give a speech. When the class selects it's top four speakers, I work with these students to further sharpen their public speaking skills by using video, multiple audiences as well as group and self evaluation. These students will compete in our formal school level contests. The top winner from fifth and sixth grade will go on to represent Fairglen at county competition. |
- OM February 22, 2003
- 6th grade McNair Recruitment March 25, 9:30 Mr. G's Room
- Tropicana 4H Contest County March 27 TBA
- TV Production: In Progress
Primary GSP K - 3
Movie Making Magic!!!
Our primary students have developed their research skills, note taking and a variety writing skills to create a historical movie on George Washington. Our students have studied just like the older students why we became an independent country, what our constitution is and where are rights come from. From this information our students Created George Washington... American's First President and More. Our Primary Students learned pre production, filming, post production techniques including: story boarding, prop creation, filming and lighting, video editing, sound mixing, acting, animation and more to create their film that depicted an historical character. Congratulation to our primary students for creating their finished movie on George Washington.Our Primary students are now working on a community service project to help Coons Run Animal Sanctuary. Our students first learned telephone and interviewing skills to start this project off. We then used Mrs. Fleming's speaker phone to have a teleconference to gain the needed information about the organization and how we can help. Our students now will begin a plan that will result in a school wide program.
In addition our students are working on Video Story Books. In this unit students learn to tell stories by using storyboards. From the story boards comes a script. Each student will turn their story board panels into full color illustrated art. The students will then use digital video and editing equipment to film and narrate their Video Story Books. These productions will be shown on morning announcements.
(Unit 1)History of our American Government
Preamble: All Grades
Our students studied the preamble to the American constitution. We examined the importance of "We the People..." Being written so large. The reason was that this was something new. Power was being transferred by the common people and granted to those who would be elected to govern. The Constitution explained how they would govern and the preamble set up the goals that our constitution would meet. 1. Establish Justice
2. Provide for Domestic Tranquility (a stable United States.)
3. Provide for a Common Defense (military)
4. Promote the general welfare of its citizens (Well being)
5. Secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and posterity. (Keep America free for the people who lived in 1787, but posterity means for future generations!!!)After learning about the US preamble, our class created a class preamble. Students listed what they considered need for our class to be successful. Students debated different ideas. As each goal was approved it was listed on the board. From those goals a draft was written. Students then had to approve the draft, make changes if needed. When finally approved each class member will sign.
(Fourth - Sixth Grades)Political Parties in America
Students have learned about the history and current working of America's political parties. Students have learned general characteristics of the Democrats & Republican parties as well as various third parties such as the Greens, and Libertarians. All students have written specific essays where the student declares what party best represents them.Intro to American Government Fourth - Sixth Grade
Gronich Land:
In this simulation, students are introduced to a land where I make all laws, enforce laws and decide if laws are fair. Controlling these three powers, gives me the ruler absolute power. Our students today learned absolute power corrupts absolutely. Following this simulation students learned in a concrete way what rights they do have and have taken for granted. We then covered our Separation of powers and three branches of government. Students were also introduced to our bill of rights. As part of this unit. I have a women named Mrs. Riconte, lived in Communist Romania and suffered with life without our freedoms. She relays her experiences to our students in a way that the children really appreciate.
Fourth Grade GSP
Our Fourth graders have been learning about the history of our American Government, from the pre Revolutionary War era, through the Articles of Confederation, the drafting and ratification of our Constitution and an in depth study of our Bill of Rights. The final project to show mastery of this subject matter will be for our students to choose how best to illustrate what they learned. Our students have created, posters, Patriotic Robots which taught others about our three branches of government. Students also created plays that incorporated their robot. In addition students have written "Constitutional Essays" on a specific part of our form of government or a concept of freedom. These essays are different from FCAT form essays in that they require research and are written from draft to published product. Finally our students have studied our political parties and their philosophies and have written a paper of what best represents them: a Republican or a Democrat. We are now about to begin a new unit studying current events & the media. We will tie these two subjects together using TV technology to create historical TV commercials. More on this shortly. Students currently working on Integrity videos for morning announcements to support Character Education.
Current Events:
Homework:
Stay informed. Nothing Due!
Check Out Mr. G's Current event page for more information about current events!!!Fifth Grade GSP/FEEP
After completing our Government units, our students wrote detailed essays where the goal was to provide a student point of view on a topic relating to our government. These essays have been researched and required the students to cite sources in their work. Our students also have produced individual films on a topic relating to American Government. We have had a game show called Krazy Konstitution teaching about the 1st Amendment, "Two Regular Guys" Debating the 8th Amendment, an animated film on the Preamble and more. Each film has been aired school wide on morning announcements.
Current Events:
Current topics of discussion: Cloning, Affirmative Action, Iraq war.Each student is to bring a Folder to class
Sixth Grade GSP/FEEP
After completing our Government units our students wrote detailed essays where the goal was to provide a student point of view on a topic relating to our government. These essays have been researched and required the students to cite sources in their work. Our students also have produced individual films on everything from brain function, government, to Granny’s giving cookies to students who do good deeds! We have just finished our public speaking unit ending with our school wide 4h Tropicana Public Speaking Contest. We are currently hard at work on OM.
Current Events:
Current topics of discussion: Cloning, Affirmative Action, Iraq war.
Mr. Gronich’s Essay Rubric Click To Enter Mr.G's Essay Page
Current Events Get The Inside Scoop!!!! Click To Enter Mr.G's Current Event Page Tired of Playing Phone Tag? Try EMAIL
Parents and students, if you have a question, comment, or suggestion, please feel free to Email me by clicking the mailbox below!
Gifted Links:
Yahooligan's Search Engine for Children (Safe search engine for kids)
National Association for the Gifted
Florida Today (Current Events)
Gifted and Talented Resources
Official Odyssey of the Mind Home Page
CSPAN (Good source of non biased political and historical information)
Brevard County Odyssey of the Mind Home Page
Fourth Grade
Fifth and Sixth Graders
These students have reviewed the above information and are seeing how today’s headlines tie directly to the Constitution. The Pledge of Allegiance controversy, The Patriot Act and other topical issues have been studied by using primary source information. The primary source is the direct writings of our founding fathers in the form of letters and articles.Our Students will participate in several televised school wide debates. Each student will also work to produce the school wide broadcast of these debates using our TV production equipment. Our sixth graders have already conducted school wide Governor’s Debates live on our Indian Trails Morning TV show!
Current Events
All Fourth through Sixth grade students will study current events as a vehicle to develop critical and analytical thinking skills as well as creating well informed citizens. Credibility of sources, bias and motive will also be carefully examined when studying the media in which our students get their news stories.
Jr.Great Books
All Fourth Through Sixth grade students will also participate in Jr. Great Book (JGB) discussion groups. JGB require students to read stories twice and take notes on which they read. students then take part in a discussion that adheres to a variety of rules. All of which lead to a very meaningful discussion and a deeper meaning of the story.
