GIFTED in FRANCE
November 07, 2008

...not every child has an equal talent or an equal ability or equal motivation,
but they should have the equal right to develop their talent and
their ability and their motivation,
to make something of themselves.
- John F. Kennedy

Dear Friends,
Please take a moment to screen quickly the meetings you are interested in attending and RSVP at your earliest convenience. Also please note that there has been a change of date with guest speaker event that was originally scheduled for Dec 4th. Mme Rincon will speak on December 11th instead.

As usual, RSVPs are mandatory; email giftedinfrance@gmail.com. Thanks for any feedback, ideas and suggestions you can provide. More to come on other activities and news, in the next few days.

FOR PARENTS

IS MY CHILD GIFTED? IF SO, WHAT CAN I EXPECT? (45 mins)
DO GIFTED CHILDREN NEED SPECIAL HELP (40 mins)
Friday Morning November 14th, 09h30-12h00.
We will watch these two DVDs by James T. Webb, www.giftedbooks.com/authors.asp?id=60
Come join us for a cup of coffee and croissants.
RSVP by Nov 10th. Subject: DVD presentation


LEARNING DIFFERENCES IN GIFTED CHILDREN

Date: Thursday Dec 4th: 19h30-22h00
Discussion to be led by parents who will to share their experience to better educate the rest of us.
Please email me if you would like to contribute to the discussion and please pass the word to other parents as this is an increasingly important topic that touches more children we realize. We don't have all the answers, but networking and sharing is a good place to start. Children seeking help often receive incomplete or inaccurate information or are misdiagnosed even by well meaning professionals and family members. This is a way to share information, shed some common myths and build a base for much needed support with other parents and like-minded organizations.
Must RSVP by November 25, space is limited. Meeting will be advertised outside of this group, but priority is given to GiF members. Subject: Learning Differences

Do you wonder why your child 'does not like' to read, struggles with his homework, seems to have difficulty in reading or math despite his gifted traits and characteristics? Is he making the same mistakes even after having mastered a lesson? Has he been criticized for his penmanship? Is he showing signs of underachievement?
Learning differences may include difficulties with reading, listening, thinking, talking, writing, spelling, arithmetic, organization or ability to focus. Without identification and proper instruction, these difficulties can eventually impede a child's self-esteem, their ability to learn, and their potential.
Come and hear parents share their own stories with Learning Differences. Topics will include: Convergence Insufficiency; Dyslexia, ADHD, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, Autism, Sensory Processing Disorders and more. If you would like to share a particular experience, please email me.

HELPING YOUR CHILD REACH HIS POTENTIAL
INTO ADOLESCENCE AND BEYOND
New Date: Thursday December 11, 2008 19h30-22h00
(PLEASE NOTE ** CHANGE OF DATE ** FOR THIS EVENT, it was originally scheduled for Dec 4th)
Guest Speaker: Mme. Pilar Rincon
Psychologist, specializing in Cognitive Development,
Gifted Education, University of Connecticut
What are the factors that help or hinder a child from realizing his/her potential, and
what parents can do to help? This is a follow-up to the IQ Testing presentation, but it's OK if you missed that meeting.
Must RSVP by December 3rd, Subject: GiF: Helping Your Child

GIFTED in FRANCE
September 22, 2008

A mind once stretched by a new idea never regains its original dimension.
~Oliver Wendell Holmes

10 Common Gifted Education Myths


Dear Friends,

I hope everyone has survived the spending frenzy of la rentrée and that the children are getting settled into their new classes and schools. Already, however, some people are concerned about the bored or frustrated child, here's a related article from the US to pinpoint that the problem is quite common: Brightness at Risk

This coming year, with your support, we hope to continue to help parents understand the emotional,
educational and social needs of gifted children; and encourage dialogue with schools, organizations and professionals. We also hope to continue building on some of the children's activities we started last Spring.

Please feel free to give us your input by emailing us your suggestions, ideas, contacts and resources. If all goes well, by late this year or early next year we will hopefully be able to function officially as an association loi 1901 and will have the means to collect dues, qualify for free or discounted space rentals and work on fundraising and grants to actualize some of our goals. (More info to come on that subject.)

So, don't sit back and watch it all happen from your desks, if there's something that you're excited about please come forward and help as little or as much as you can. If you have contacts with influential people in the arts, big companies, universities, professionals... people who can contribute ideas, resources; people who can give inspirational lectures and demonstrations to children who have leadership, math, science, poetry, sports, artistic, musical and writing abilities -- we want to hear from them, and you.


FOR PARENTS

AN OVERVIEW OF THE WISC IV IQ TEST
Date: Thursday October 9, 19h30-22h00
Guest speaker: Pilar Rincon
Psychologist, specializing in Cognitive Development,
Gifted Education,University of Connecticut
Must RSVP by Friday October 3rd, Subject: IQ Testing
Mme Rincon is coming back again to talk about IQ tests, namely the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) developed by David Wechsler for children 6 and 16 years-old. Mrs Rincon is Colombian and speaks French. She presented in English last December, with a little help from us.

At this meeting we're going to look at basics of IQ testing, what these tests measure, what the scores mean and what you should expect from the psychologist after the test. We know that IQ tests are the focus of much controversy, yet so long as the tests are taking place we still need to understand what it is supposed to tell us about our children. There are many parents who walk away with one final number and no explanation whatsoever of what took place during the test, what the subtest scores mean and what the test is able to say or not say about the child.

Understanding test results can help parents learn about potential learning issues as well as the child's strengths and weaknesses, which in turn might help the family make important decisions for their child. --"Remember, IQ tests are best seen as predictors of academic achievement. An IQ score only tells us how a certain child has performed on a certain test at a certain time, and says little about that child's true potential. Children can be gifted in many ways that are not measured on IQ tests." ~ Parent's Guide to IQ Testing and Gifted Education, by David Palmer.
Reading background on IQ testing: Frequently Asked Questions About Testing;
Why Should I Have My Child Tested?


HELPING YOUR CHILD REACH HIS POTENTIAL
INTO ADOLESCENCE AND BEYOND
Date: Thursday December 4, 2008 19h30-22h00
Guest Speaker: Pilar Rincon
What are the factors that help or hinder a child from realizing his/her potential, and what parents
can do to help. This will be a follow-up to the IQ Testing presentation.

DVD PRESENTATION
PARENTING SUCCESSFUL CHILDREN
Date: Friday October 3, 2008, 19h30-22h00
James Webb, in this DVD, talks to parents about how, "frequent breakups of families, the fast pace of technology, the information explosion, and other changes in today's evolving world make parenting more difficult. Learn more than two dozen strategies to set successful limits, avoid power struggles, minimize sibling rivalry, promote self-esteem, and more." Must RSVP by Monday September 29th. (Subject: Parenting DVD Oct. 3) Providing there's space, you are welcome to attend even if you've already seen it once.

Note: For those of you who would like to see the first two DVDs: Is My Child Gifted? Do Gifted Children Need Special Help? please email me and we can arrange for a showing on Tuesday morning September 30th at 09h30-12h00 (Must RSVP by Sunday September 28, Subject: Is My Child Gifted, Sept 30)


FOR CHILDREN:

2009 PARIS SPELLING BEE: Watch here for more information on the 2nd annual Paris Spelling Bee to be held in the Spring of 2009. Please come forward asap if you can help me out with the preparations, practice sessions and mock competitions so that we can help our bees prepare for the main event. Help asap! giftedinfrance@gmail.com, Subject: '09 Paris Spelling Bee.

2009 SCIENCE AND INVENTION DAY: GiF will host its first Science and Invention Day in 2009, date to be set at a later time. We need volunteers, science teachers, scientists, inventors, mathematicians and sponsors to help with planning and working with different teams of children who will embark on different journeys, depending on the child's interest. We also need speakers to come and give lively discussions on a host of topics to our young scientists and inventors in meetings or workshops leading up to the actual event next Spring. Please email: giftedinfrance@gmail.com Subject: '09 Paris Science Invention Day, asap if you have any information, resources, contacts, and suggestions for a venue for the final event in March/April. Our goal is to encourage and instill problem solving and critical thinking skills in children as well as developing an appreciation for the presence of science and math in their everyday lives. We would encourage children to express this appreciation through traditional means but also through art and dance. This sounds quite ambitious for a new organization, many questions remain, but we can start small and then build from there.

SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS - FOR BUDDING INVESTIGATORS with Karen
(So far, we have one volunteer, Karen , who taught Science in the US before moving here)
Saturday October 18/ Sunday November 23/ Sunday December 14th 14h30-17h30*

Karen has agreed to take on a small group of children, 8-16 years -old, maximum of 6-8 children. There will be at least 4 obligatory* meetings between October and March. The first three obligatory meetings are listed above.
Karen says that, "Each child will choose their own area of interest and will develop an experiment to test/answer their own question. The developmental age, maturity and sophistication of the child will determine the scope of the work done. Going through the whole process will require tenacity and strong interest, as well as willingness to be guided and occasionally redirected. Children must be interested in working on their own at home. The process will take place over a span of several months. Younger children will need to be self-directed…they’re going to be working on their own ideas and their own experiments…and must be able to think for themselves, using what we do as examples for how to proceed. Rest assured that all participants will receive support and guidance as they work through their individual projects. " If you are sure you're child would like to commit to this atelier, Please RSVP by October 4th giftedinfrance@gmail.com, Subject: Science with Karen,so that we can start the preparations asap.. If we have more replies than we can accommodate, we will try to establish other ateliers. Again, it depends on our volunteers and resources.

CALLING ALL MINI MAD SCIENTISTS!! (This is from Alison)
For those of us with children aged 3-6 years old-
How about meeting this coming Sunday 28 September, 10am, at the Palais de Decouverte? For those who haven't been, it is a small science museum with some good hands-on exhibits and demonstrations. We could meet at the cafe inside at 10am and then visit the exhibits and hopefully catch one of the demonstrations -static electricity, rat school (nice!), earthquakes etc. It will depend on the schedule on the day. The museum is on Ave Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 8th, not far from the Champs Elysee. Their website is http://www.palais-decouverte.fr/ if you need more info.
If there is enough interest, we could try to do something once a month. Perhaps you have a suggestion of somewhere your kids loved, or somewhere you've been meaning to take them. It doesn't have to be science related of course. Just anything you think would be fun. If you are interested in meeting up this week, or if you have some ideas, please contact giftedinfrance@gmail.com Subject: Mini Mad Scientist Sunday Sept 28.

Embracing Challenges in Learning
Saturday 27th September 2008

9.00am-5.30pm
Forest International School,
Mareil-Marly, 78750, France
Email: r.gouriou@forest-international-school.com

Forest International School Educational Services In association with ADDISS
(Attention Deficit Disorder Information Support Services, UK)

An intensive and comprehensive one day course combining lectures, workshops
and discussions for teachers, parents and professionals working
with children
Seminar topics include:
Working with Pupils with Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties
Fintan O’Regan – Independent Educational Consultant and one of the
UK’s leading experts on ADHD, Behaviour and Learning.

Dyslexia and Other SpLD- Practical Solutions in Everyday Situations
Lee Pascal- One of the UK’s leading experts on Dyslexia and study skills

Enhancing Learning Through Inhibition of Primary Reflexes
Gwyneth Jeyes- Primary Movement Therapist, EASIE programme
trainer

Fees: Full day (lunch included) 90€ or 35€ per seminar for individuals. Different
fees apply for schools and organizations and concessionary rates are available.
Please book early as places are limited.

Participants will receive CPD (Continuous professional Development) Certificates.
Parking available on site. The venue can be reached by suburban trains from Paris.

For more information or to book a place at this event contact Ruta Gouriou
Tel. 06.07.88.47.31 E-mail r.gouriou@forest-international-school.com

GIFTED in FRANCE
June 16, 2008
"To avoid criticism do nothing, say nothing, be nothing."
Elbert Hubbard

EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION- FUTURE MINDS. JULY 1- 4th, BOULOGNE-PARIS
Link: www.icieconference.net/index.php
It seems that most of this conference/workshop will be in English. Experts from several countries including USA, Canada and UK will cover many areas including giftedness and creativity. This is a rare chance for us to hear and meet some of the most well known names in gifted research and education: Keynote speakers include: Educating for Creativity by Robert J. Sternberg School of Arts and Sciences, Tufts University-- Future Possibilities for Education and Learning by the Year 2030 Jerome Clayton Glenn Director, the Millennium Project -- Application of the Schoolwide Enrichment Model Joseph S. Renzulli, Director, The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented The University of Connecticut-- The Science of Creative Thinking Steve Smith Department of Psychology, Texas A & M University-- ACTIVE LEARNING AND PASSIVE STUDENTS Douglas A. Bernstein Education Advisor, School of Psychology, University of Southampton, UK-- Recognizing and Nurturing Creativity: Recognizing and Nurturing Creativity: Powerful Tools for Managing Change Donald J. Treffinger President, Center for Creative Learning, Inc., in Sarasota, Florida. Furthermore, one of the workshops will include ADHD: Disorder or Gift? Ken McCluskey & Phil Baker University of Winnipeg, Canada. Over 70 countries will be represented. Please pass this information to others who might be interested, including educators, psychologists, teachers, parents, etc. Note: the link takes you to the pre-conference workshops (July1), after looking those over, click on the left on Keynote Speakers (July 2-4) to get more information on the above mentioned guests and more workshops.

Ateliers in English at Musée d'Orsay: on Weds and Saturdays in July! 90 minutes, 4.70 euros. (Here are the details!)
http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/visits/individuals/guided-tours-for-children/presentation-generale-va/article/visites-pour-le-jeune-public-758.html?tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=426&cHash=b72f3e1a3f


2008 PARIS SPELLING BEE: 18 children made history on June 8th at the 2008 Paris Spelling Bee, organized by GiF and held at the American Library in Paris. There were two groups: Gazelles (7-9 year-olds) and Cheetahs (10-13 year-olds) The winner of each group was presented with a trophy.

All the children showed amazing courage and talent in this unforgiving sport, which eliminates participants after a single error. The children came from a cross-section of schools in Paris: public, bilingual and private. This will become an annual event, and eventually we hope to encourage different schools throughout Paris, as well as home schoolers, to hold qualifying bees and send their winners to a main GiF event at the end of each year. The spelling bee was open to any child who attended at least two practice sessions and met the age limits. The first requirement was aimed at encouraging like-minded children to find friendship and get a bit of training leading up to the final event. A majority of the participants came to all 5 preliminary meetings. We took our lead from the official site of the Scripps National Spelling Bee and contacted them about finding a sponsor so that perhaps one day our Paris winner can qualify for their annual competition in Washington. We are extremely grateful to the American Library in Paris for their support and for opening up the library on a Sunday for the finals of the bee and to our pronouncers, Director of ALP Charles Trueheart and his wife, journalist Anne Swardson.
If you would like to help organize a spelling bee at your school please contact me so that we can begin to build a list of potential participating schools and organizations.

GiF 2009 SCIENCE FAIR: GiF hopes to organize a Science Fair for kids (age 7-15?) in the next academic year. If you would like to help out with this project, if you have organized such events, are a scientist, inventor, teacher or know one please contact me. Also, if you know individuals and companies who can support us, financially (for a large room rental and logistics for the main event which we hope will be March '09) please come forward. The primary goal is to get children involved in the process of creating, thinking of solutions to existing global problems or existing barriers in their own day to day lives... invent a better back-pack, metro card system, recycling machine, sky is the limit. But, supervision and guidance is needed. Subject: GiF '09 Science Fair.

5. USEFUL LINKS: Here are some links for you and your kids to explore this summer. Please credit: "Building a Gifted Program: Identifying and Educating Gifted Students in Your School," by Monita R. Leavitt, M.S. Great Potential Press.

DESTINATION IMAGINATION
http://www.idodi.org/

FUTURE PROBLEM SOLVING
http://www.fpspi.org/

INVENTION CONVENTION
http://www.inventionconvention.com/

JANE GOODALL-ROOTS AND SHOOTS
http://www.janegoodall.org/

KIDS TO KIDS INTERNATIONAL
http://www.ktki.org/

MATH OLYMPIADS
http://www.moems.org/

NSEA SOLAR CARS
http://www.nesea.org/education/workshops/

ODYSSES OF THE MIND
http://www.odysseyofthemind.com/

RENZULLI LEARNING SYSTEM
http://renzullilearning.com/
---------------------------------------------------------------
(note: that Mr. Renzulli is going to be at the July conference in Boulogne, France.)
For math, also check out: http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/projectm3/
(just click on 'for students,' or 'for parents.' While you're here, feel free to explore http://www.gifted.uconn.edu/.

Coordinator,
GiF
giftedinfrance@gmail.com

GIFTED in FRANCE
Newsletter - June 1, 2008

"The Best Way to Cope with Change is to Help Create it."
--Japanese proverb

UPCOMING EDUCATIONAL MEETINGS FOR PARENTS

PARENTING SUCCESSFUL CHILDREN** - June 13th, Friday
DVD presentation: Parenting Successful Children, James T. Webb. Synopsis: "The frequent breakups of families, the fast pace of technology, the information explosion, and other changes in today's evolving world make parenting more difficult. Learn more than two dozen strategies to set successful limits, avoid power struggles, minimize sibling rivalry, promote self-esteem, and much more." Link: www.giftedbooks.com/authors.asp?id=60

IS MY CHILD GIFTED? IF SO, WHAT CAN I EXPECT?** June 12th
We will watch the following DVD presentations by James T. Webb: Is My Child Gifted? If so, what can I expect? (45 mins), Do Gifted Children Need Special Help? (40 mins). Link : www.giftedbooks.com/authors.asp?id=60

WHERE HAVE WE (GiF) BEEN?

FOR CHILDREN: In addition to the Passionate Reader's Journey at the American Library, Let's Dance at AADP (http://www.aadp-fr.org/) and Poetry Writing workshop with Heidi Mordhorst, we've been organizing practice sessions for the upcoming 2008 Paris Spelling Bee competition on June 8th for kids 7-13 years-old. We've have a wonderful group of about 20 children, and they have been an absolute gem on this spelling bee journey. The practice sessions are over and registration is closed. We wish them luck!! If you are interested in attending, you need to RSVP me ahead of time because I’m not sure how many people the room can accommodate and we don’t want to overwhelm the children.

4-6 year olds: Almost all of the activities this Spring were for children 7 and up. In the fall we hope to organize activities also for kids 4-6 years-old. There are several moms who are interested and I hope we can get two or three fall gatherings for this group underway. Come forward if you’d like to help. (subject: GiF 4-6)

FOR PARENTS: We had three very informative meetings in March and April.

1. LEARNING DIFFERENCES IN GIFTED CHILDREN (March 20th)
2. GRADE SKIPPING/ACCELERATION/FRUSTRATION & BOREDOM IN SCHOOL (March 27th)
3. IS HOMESCHOOLING FOR ME? (April 17th)

LEARNING DIFFERENCES IN GIFTED CHILDREN brought together parents with experience in areas including Dysgraphia, Dyspraxia, ADD/ADHD, Visual Processing Disorders (including Convergence Insufficiency) and hyper intense/sensitive children. We also watched a 15-minute documentary in the making by SENG, “Misdiagnosis of gifted children is a widespread problem, but still largely unknown to health professionals, counseling professionals, educators and parents. To save our children from inappropriate treatment, and to prevent their social and intellectual hindrance, we must educate people about the potential for misinterpreting characteristics of giftedness as symptoms of pathology,” http://www.sengifted.org/.

Following the March 20th meeting one of our members, Brenda, prepared: "What is 2E? And Why Do We Care?" This attachment is a synopsis of some of the areas that were covered at the meeting by different parents. The aim of this document is to give some clues to parents and professionals about some learning and sensory issues. For example: reasons why their child does not like school; why he might not like writing or reading; why the child is up late every night concerned about matters beyond his age; why does she resist socks with seams and clothes with tags?

Then there is the Twice-Exceptional (2E) child: the gifted child with a learning disability such as a gifted child who is also dyslexic, or a gifted child with an auditory processing issues. This attachment is pertinent regardless if we suspect anything in our child or not because one way or another these and other issues will come up amongst our families, relatives or friends when discussing gifted children. To be gifted, however, does not mean the child will have learning issues, or need therapy. The attachment also has excellent resources such as a book called The Mislabeled Child by Drs. Brock and Fernette (http://mislabeledchild.com/).

To understand the gifted child, parents and relatives need to join them (the so-called oddballs, those known also as quirky, dreamy, the geeks, bookworms, eccentric leaders…) on their journey and explore what it means to be gifted, learn common myths and misdiagnoses and be able to understand what is 'normal' for a gifted child from what is not. The more we know, the more relaxed and empowered we will feel as parents because we'll be able to distinguish what might be a cause for concern from what is a common trait for this type of child. We will learn how to cope with issues that might simply be fixed by enrichment or acceleration or extracurricular activities that stimulates the child's inborn capacity or area of interest.

We live in a country that still has a long way to go in understanding gifted children, so we often find that the needs of these children are ignored. If they sit and mind their business quietly in school, passing one day after another in absolute boredom, this could eventually lead the child to dislike school or become an underachiever. Gifted children who are terribly bored and have problems sitting still can be labeled inattentive, hyper or a troublemaker. A gifted child with an IQ of 130 but who has, yet-to-be-detected, mild to severe visual convergence issues can be relegated to feeling incompetent due to his/her dislike for or slowness in writing or copying material from the board. These are some of the issues that continue to come up in our meetings. It’s worse for the Twice Exceptional Child as we are finding that, generally speaking, this is another country that gives only ‘one label per child.’ “Dyslexic,” but not, “Gifted and Dyslexic.” “ADHD,” but not, “ADHD and Gifted,” and usually it's the disability that gets the attention thereby robbing the child of fully realizing his 'gift.'

While we find some schools are more enlightened, some of our members are hitting a brick wall with teachers and school directors, at both public and private schools, even when presenting psychological evaluation/IQ tests supporting acceleration especially for a child who is becoming increasingly at-risk.

There is no doubt that this is going to get better because change is definitely in the making… take ICIE's Excellence in Education -- Future Minds conference in Boulogne July 1-4, for example. It is in everyone's interest, and the aim of GiF, to work with our French counterparts and schools in a constructive manner.

Sometimes the unhappy or unsettled gifted child is one who is overly intense and overly sensitive thereby picking up on the slightest or even ‘unacknowledged’ tension at home between parents or other family members. We talked about how easy this is to pinpoint: just look back through the different difficult periods in a family's life and see what your sensitive child was like during that time. This is an encouragement for us parents -- to look inwards as well, not just at the child’s intellectual and academic needs. This is why GiF tries to follow SENG's model for parent support groups. The meeting on Learning Differences brought many examples of the misunderstood and misdiagnosed child, from different angles. As it’s been said many times, most often it's not the giftedness that is a problem, the problem is that we as a society aren't making the necessary changes in our schools, homes and professions to help them reach their potential and feel accepted.

GRADE SKIPPING/ACCELERATION/FRUSTRATION AND BOREDOM IN SCHOOL - On March 27th we were joined by two guest speakers and covered a lot of ground on the subject of skipping: when it might be appropriate and when it might not be; which grades are better to skip than others, what can parents do if schools resist acceleration even after a psychological evaluation that supports the child's need to receive enrichment courses or an accelerated program. background: (http://www.nationdeceived.org/) .

IS HOMESCHOOLING FOR ME? (April 17th) This meeting brought together several parents who are homeschooling now, were homeschooled themselves or thinking of homeschooling in the future. We are hoping to continue to build a network of parents who are homeschooling their children, gifted or not. If you want to be part of this network please email homeschoolinginparis@gmail.com.

OTHER EVENTS AROUND PARIS TO CHECK OUT -- Hosted by friends of GiF:
American Library in Paris, www.americanlibraryinparis.org
AFEP (Association Française pour les Enfants Précoces), www.afep.asso.fr/accueil. Notice the upcoming AFEP conference/debate (June 19th, Paris, 7ème) and summer acting and singing ateliers for kids. Also, recently I received a catalog for summer theme-based camps by Telligo www.telligo.fr, 'Destination découverte' for kids 4-18 years of age. (I think they used to be called Aventure Scientifique.)

Kind regards,
Coordinator, GiF
giftedinfrance@gmail.com

POETRY WORKSHOP

Squeeze the Juice Out of Your Universe

with Heidi Mordhorst, author of

Squeeze: Poems from a Juicy Universe
Sunday April 13, 2008
14h00-16h00
ages: 8-12
RSVP: by April 8th giftedinfrance@gmail.com
(limited space, open to 12 children)

Wherever you are

is somewhere sour or sweet—

a lemon heaven

full of juice to squeeze.

When you’ve noticed something that no one else has ever noticed, when something makes you wonder, when something strikes you strange or funny, a poem is the perfect way to capture it. And it only takes a few juicy words to make a good poem.

Come notice, read and write with a writing teacher

who thinks a poem should sound good to your ears

and feel good in your mouth!

(more information about Heidi: www.heidimordhorst.com)

IS HOMESCHOOLING FOR ME?
Thursday April 17, 2008
19h30-22h00
RSVP: by April 14
homeschoolinginparis@gmail.com

We would like to provide a parent-to-parent forum for you to consider these questions: Are you feeling uncomfortable with your child’s education or educational options here in Paris? Do you wish you had more time with your child? Are you interested in Homeschooling but feeling insecure about teaching?

There are English-speaking Homeschoolers in Paris and Homeschooling is legal here, although not common. This is an opportunity for you to learn more about Homeschooling as an alternative to regular school. While it is not for every family, if it’s an option you want to learn about, please join us. There are many choices for Homeschoolers -- from internet curriculum to French correspondence courses. We are not experts on Homeschooling and will not have specific legal information, but can answer some general legal issues and can point you to the French legal info. We will have both current Homeschool parents (children between ages 5 and 11) and an American who was homeschooled and is now an adult living & teaching in Paris.

If you have specific questions, please send them ahead to homeschoolinginparis@gmail.com so we can better prepare for our evening together. If you are homeschooling or know about legal issues, please don't hesitate to join us and offer us your input.

We hope to build a network of Homeschoolers and those who want to stay in touch for future considerations.

This event is sponsored by Gifted in France & Message, and is open to all families who are interested. RSVP is essential!

GIFTED in FRANCE
March 25, 2008
“The pupil who is never required to do what he cannot do,
never does what he can do.”
--John Stuart Mill

I'm very pleased to report that Mr. Daniel Le Roch, Vice-Président of AFEP has agreed to join
Mme Florence Créneguy for this Thursday's (March 27) discussion on Grade Skipping/Acceleration/Frustration and Boredom in School. Mr. Le Roch will try to address us in English and Mme Créneguy, in addition to her own presentation, will be there to help with the translation.

There were enough people interested in keeping the meeting set for this Thursday March 27, 19h30-22h00. We are grateful to Mme Sophie Côte for recommending Mr. Le Roch to us. The current president of AFEP is Mme Vlinka Antelme, and we hope that she can join us in the future. (AFEP leaders: http://www.afep.asso.fr/accueil.html# on the left column, click on
'presentation' then click on 'organigramme')

If you have not RSVPd and would like to do so, please send in your email soon.
RSVP is essential: giftedinfrance@gmail.com

We need all the help we can get in connecting with our French counterparts who have a deeper understanding of the politics and laws involved in helping gifted children in France, and how to better work with the schools on this issue.

If you want to see AFEP's upcoming meetings and activities please visit:
http://www.afep.asso.fr/accueil.html You will note that they have two events
planned for this Friday and Saturday: March 28 in Rambouillet; and March 29 in Lille.

Reading material: http://www.nationdeceived.org/-- A Nation Deceived: How Schools
Hold Back America's Brightest Students;
http://www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=383 --Position Statement: ACCELERATION;
http://www.newhorizons.org/spneeds/gifted/forschmiedt_2.htm --The Acceleration
Question: Should Gifted Children Skip Grades?

LEARNING DIFFERENCES IN GIFTED CHILDREN:
Thursday March 20: 7:30-10:00pm
RSVP giftedinfrance@gmail.com
"Subject: Learning Differences in Gifted Children"

You are invited to come join a parent-to-parent discussion on common myths, misdiagnosis and an overview of learning differences in gifted children. .

Thanks, in advance, to those parents who have agreed to prepare a short presentation of their personal stories.

AGENDA:

1. INTRODUCTION:
Group's new name (Gifted in France, GiF); upcoming events; goals...

2. DVD PRESENTATION: :15-minute documentary (still in the making) Misdiagnosis of Gifted Children: (Just arrived today!)
"Misdiagnosis of gifted children is a widespread problem, but still largely unknown to health professionals, counseling professionals, educators and parents. To save our children from inappropriate treatment, and to prevent their social and intellectual hindrance, we must educate people about the potential for misinterpreting characteristics of giftedness as symptoms of pathology." https://ss40.shared.server-system.net/~sengifted.org/documentary.shtml
http://www.sengifted.org/articles_counseling/Webb_MisdiagnosisAndDualDiagnosisOfGiftedChildren.shtml

3. INTRODUCTION OF TONIGHT'S TOPIC AND HANDOUT:

4. PRESENTATION OF PERSONAL STORIES BY PARENTS:

1. Overview of Learning Differences; Twice Exceptional Children, and Terminologies.
2. How a child's giftedness can mask or overlap with ADD. What to look for in a professional when you're starting out, what to avoid.
3. What is Dyspraxia? Searching for help.
4. Convergence Insufficiency: What is it, and why is it so difficult to detect when it should/could be so easy. What you should know.

4. Floor open to other parents who would like to contribute their experience.
5. Q and A.
6. Where do we go from here? What are our goals until the end of June and for the rentree 2008?


Recommended Books: http://www.amazon.com/Misdiagnosis-Diagnoses-Gifted-Children-Adults/dp/0910707642
(there'll be more recommendations from other parents.)

LEARNING DIFFERENCES IN GIFTED CHILDREN:
Thursday March 20: 7:30-10:00pm
(RSVP by giftedinfrance@gmail.com by Sunday March 16, Subject: Learning Differences in Gifted Children)
You are invited to come join a parent-to-parent discussion about the common myths we have about gifted children, and about some common and not so common learning disorders we find in some gifted children. "When a child has inexplicable or apparently careless errors or skill deficit, she should be carefully evaluated for sensory integration deficits, learning disabilities, or other neurological problems. Similarly, parents and professionals should look at the child's reaction to the environment. Some children, for example, experience sensory overload that prevents them from mastering a task... a diagnosis can also help a gifted child better understand her strengths and weaknesses, thus enhancing self-understanding and self-esteem. With twice-exceptional children, the giftedness component should always be incorporated when explaining the diagnosis and in educational planning," quote from Chp 12, "A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children." by Webb, Gore, Amend and DeVries. "Gifted children who suffer from a disorder-- whether vision or hearing impairment, physical handicap, learning disability,or behavior disorder-- often find that their intellectual needs and other gifted characteristics are overlooked."


GRADE SKIPPING/ACCELERATION/FRUSTRATION AND BOREDOM IN SCHOOL. GUEST SPEAKER EVENT.
Thursday March 27: 7:30-10:00pm,
(RSVP giftedinfrance@gmail.com by March 23. Subject-- Grade Skipping/Acceleration)

Guest Speakers are: Sophie Côte, Former President and founder of AFEP (Association Française pour les Enfants Précoces) will be joined by Florence Créneguy. For years, Mme Côte has fought for the needs of gifted children in France. She was also the Directrice of College du Cédre in Le Vesinet, where she started one of the first gifted programs in France. She has also written books on the topic. http://www.afep.asso.fr/accueil.html http://www.decitre.fr/livres/Petit-surdoue-deviendra-grand.aspx/9782226137869 Mme Créneguy is a teacher in the gifted program at Ecole Gerson's college section (r. de la Pompe, 16th). She also gives talks on behalf of AFEP to schools around the country at least a couple of times a year. Mme Créneguy will be on hand to answer questions and to help with any translation we need from Mme Côte.
Reading material: http://www.nationdeceived.org/ A Nation Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America's Brightest Students;
http://www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=383 Position Statement: ACCELERATION; http://www.newhorizons.org/spneeds/gifted/forschmiedt_2.htm
The Acceleration Question: Should Gifted Children Skip Grades?

PASSIONATE READER'S JOURNEY

SATURDAY MARCH 22,
16h-17h30
American Library in Paris 10, rue du Général-Camou, 75007
RSVP giftedinfrance@gmail.com
(by March 15th, Subject: Passionate Reader's Journey)

All passionate readers, aged 9-13, are invited to find out how a library works, the treasures it holds, and participate in a scavenger hunt.
We are grateful to ALP's Children's Librarian Helen Stathopulos for wanting to help nurture the needs of avid readers. She will be organizing and overseeing this activity. Future Passionate Reader’s Journey events will require parent participation from our group. So, come forward if you are interested in helping, even just with one event for our readers.

TO BEE OR NOT TO BEE!
SPELLING BEE IS COMING TO PARIS

We are organizing three or four Spelling Bee events, which will culminate with a final competition on Sunday June 8 at the American Library in Paris. I'm pleased to report that ALP Chairman Charles Trueheart is very enthusiastic about this project. Mr. Trueheart has offered us the use of the library for the final competition, which will be open to participating children and their families. Leading up to the competition, we will host educational meetings and mock-competitions to train the spellers. Please note that we are making this up as we go along, and your support (physical or moral) is very much appreciated.

In order to participate in the June 8th Final Competition, each child must attend at least two of the following events:

Must RSVP: giftedinfrance@gmail.com

Sunday, March 16 15h00-18h00prox
Watch the movie Akeelah and the Bee, review words, and rules
Sunday, March 30 14h30-18h00prox
Watch the documentary Spellbound, practice spelling out loud

Sunday, April 6 15h00-17h00
Training, mock competitions, having fun!
Sunday, May 18 15h00-17h00
Training, preliminary competition.

Sunday June 8, 15h00-17h30prox

Final Spelling Bee Competition
American Library in Paris
10, rue du Général-Camon, 75007

This event is open to any child interested in participating in a Spelling Bee, and mostly having fun. This will be a learning experience for everyone involved, including the organizers! The purpose is to meet, have fun and learn to spell!

Reading material: http://www.spellingbee.com/