Quest Academy
for Gifted Education
Gifted Advisory Council
Stay informed about GAC and Quest! To be added to our contact list, click here.
Q - Questioning personal values and feelings
U - Understanding personal, unique capabilities
E - Educating to full potential
S - Searching new ideas and new ways to view the world
T - Thinking through problems for the best solution
Latest News
**IMPORTANT NOTICE!**
The GAC will be holding an election for council members at 6:00 PM on May 3, 2012 in the CK-8 media center. Voting is open to all who attend. If you are interested in serving on the council, please submit a Notice of Interest Form.
For more information and to download the Election Notice and Notice of Interest Form, click here.
04/04/12: The April GAC meeting will be held on April 12, 2012 at 6:30.
03/14/12: The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation's Young Scholars Program is accepting applications for 7th graders. The program was founded on the idea that if you give high-achieving students with financial need the guidance and resources necessary for them to excel during high school, college, and beyond, their greatness will emerge. Deadline is April 16, 2012.
For more information and to apply, click here.
02/25/12: Congratulations to our students that received awards at this year's District History Fair!
Holly Miranda, 3rd Place in the Individual Exhibit Junior Division for "Do You Want Lies With That?"
Caroline Johnston, 4th Place in the Individual Exhibit Junior Division for "Titanic: A Maritime Revolution"
Brice Bennett and Bradley Pearce, 3rd Place in the Group Exhibit Junior Division for "Tanks"
02/12: The FLAG (Florida Association for the Gifted) has scheduled their annual state conference for Saturday, May 5, 2012 at Pine View School for the Gifted in Osprey, FL. Registration for the event also includes one year FLAG membership. For more information and to register, click here.
02/12: FLAG (Florida Association for the Gifted) is offering a FREE seminar on March 7 and 8. Dr. Richard Courtright, Gifted Education Specialist, Duke TIP is coming to Tampa to discuss Gifted Education. The March 7 topic will be "Understanding the Social and Emotional Needs of Gifted and Talented Children." The March 8 topic will be "Tests and Test Scores." Both sessions are 6-7:30 PM EST and can be attended live or online. No fee to attend but registration is required and limited to the first 150 people. For more information and to register, click here.
02/12: Quest Academy car magnets are in! Show your support for gifted education in Hernando County. To get your magnet, click here.
02/12/12: Congratulations to Emily Gustafson! The Springstead High School Senior and Hernando County gifted student was named in the 2012 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program – one of the highest honors that graduating seniors can receive. Good job Emily! Read the entire article here.
01/12: Dianne Azzarelli, Quest Academy’s Administrator, has recently been appointed to the board of the Florida Association for Gifted. Congrats, Dianne, and thank you for representing our county!
05/11/11: Important letter to all Quest parents regarding the elimination of several state-wide gifted programs and the release of the new State Plan for Gifted Education. Click here.
ATTENTION MIDDLE SCHOOL PARENTS: End of Course (EOC) exam information for all middle school grades can be accessed here. For information regarding the Algebra I EOC guidelines, click here. Note, for the 2010-2011 school year, only middle school students currently taking Algebra I are required to take the EOC assessment. If your child took Algebra I in previous years, he/she is NOT required to take the EOC assessment. Click here for more information on this waiver.
INTERESTED IN ATTENDING THE GAC MEETINGS?
Open to the public, they are held in Challenger's Media Center the 1st Thursday of each school month, and the YMCA provides free child care in the cafeteria for all parents wishing to attend these meetings. If you would like to be included on our contact list for information and meeting reminders please click here.
INTERESTED IN BECOMING A GAC MEMBER?
Vacancies are filled by a majority vote of the council. If you are interested in filling a vacancy, please complete the online Notice of Interest form at the bottom of this page. Upon receipt of your form, a council member will contact you. Terms are two years in duration, and our next election will be held in May of 2012.
For more information about the GAC, click here.
For more information about joining the GAC, bylaws, subcommittees and becoming a Quest Classroom Parent Coordinator, click here.
NEW SENGinars!
The GAC has purchased the recordings and slides to several of SENG's past webinars, and you can now access them via the links below! Many thanks to SENG for their generosity in allowing us to share and distribute this valuable information to our parents and faculty. Visit SENG (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted) at http://www.sengifted.org/
Taming the Worry Monster: Anxiety in Gifted and Twice-Exceptional (2e) Youth
Presented by Dr. Dan Peters, PhD.
In this SENGinar, teachers, parents, and counselors learn to identify the warning signs of anxiety; the process which anxiety uses to become powerful; and, practical and effective techniques for managing and overcoming anxiety.
For the recording, click here. For the slides, click here.
Stress, Anxiety and Gifted: Coping with Everyday Life
Presented by Michele Kane, Ed.D. on April 26, 2011
Stressors in the life of a gifted child abound. Perfectionism, sensitivities, moral concerns, peers, expectations, and career confusion are only some of the issues facing youngsters. This SENGingar examines the sources of stress and explores specific strategies designed to minimize stress and develop self-awareness. Since each gifted child has a unique, differentiated profile of affective characteristics, there will be a discussion surrounding matching specific strategies to specific affective profiles to reduce stress and enhance well-being.
For the recording, click here. Slides, click here.
"You Can't Make Me Do It!" - How to Encourage Motivation from the Inside
Presented by Cheryl Franklin-Rohr on March 24, 2011
This presentation focuses on intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation, different perspectives of the key players, factors that help and hinder achieving the desired state, practical strategies to encourage a positive change, and brain research regarding motivation. Carol Dweck's book, Mindset, will also be discussed. Also included are suggestions for teachers as well as practical alternatives to using rewards.
For the recording, click here. Slides, click here.
Understanding Overexcitabilities: The Joys and the Challenges
Presented by Susan Daniels, Ph.D. on January 31, 2011
This SENGinar provides an overview of overexcitabilities - psychomotor, sensual, intellectual, imaginational and emotional. Along with strategies for channeling their expression most positively, this presentation helps us to understand how OE's contribute to the talent development as well as the social-emotional development of gifted children, youth, and adults. If misunderstood and misinterpreted, OE's can result in inappropriate pathologizing of these qualities - especially in twice exceptional students. Attention is also focused on the role of OE's in contributing to the optimal development potential of the gifted as grounded in Dabrowski's Theory of Positive Disintegration.
For the recording, click here. Slides, click here.
Letters to Parents from Cathy Dofka, ESE Director
05/07/10: Update regarding gifted open house dates, the upcoming Gifted Advisory Council meeting and election, and the progression of the Academy's transition to Challenger K8. Click here.
02/17/10: Update regarding the progression of Quest Academy's transition to Challenger K8. Click here.
01/04/10: Letter regarding move to Challenger K8. Click here.