December 21, 2013

GIFTED in FRANCE

December 14, 2013
“The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas." 
~ Linus Pauling




ELECTRICITY!
with Matt Black 
Saturday January 11, 2014 
at 15h00-16h30

Presented by GiF’s Little Mad Scientists' Club
Ages 7-9 years-old

"We use electricity every day, but what is it and how does it work? Which materials conduct electricity and which ones are resistors? Come explore this electrifying topic with Matt Black as we build our own circuits and test out various household objects to check their conductivity. It all concludes with the world-famous "Pickle Day" experiment, you have to see it to believe it!" 

How to reserve your spot? Please be sure to follow steps 1-3 below. First come, first served. GiF members have priority until the given date:
  1. Please note the age group, location and date, then email Bettina de Catalogne and Marcia Uriu at gifmadscientists@gmail.com  Subject: Electricity

  2. Registration form: fill out the online registration form by clicking here . 
  3. Participation fee, 12€, must be received no later than December 22 for members and December  29 for non-members. If payment is not received by given date the spot will go to the person on the waiting list.  Check payable to Gifted in France, 39 ave de Versailles, 75016. Confirmation is sent once payment is received.   Please note that payment is non-refundable as we have fixed costs associated with this activity. Thank you for helping us stay organized.

  4. Location: Champs de Mars 75007.  Address and meeting point will be emailed following confirmation and payment.

SAVE THE DATES:

NEXT meeting for Parents, teachers and professionals:

  • Wednesday evening January 8, 19h30-21h00 or Thursday morning January 9, 12h00-14h00, choose your date and time:                     Differential Diagnosis: A Logical Approach to Understanding Commonly Misdiagnosed Features of Gifted Childrenrecorded webinar in PowerPoint format presented by Paul Beljan, PsyD, Click here to reserve your spot. Location: near Radio France.

Next Children's activities:
  • Saturday February 8, 15h00-16h00 -- Little Mad Scientists-- Rocks and Minerals. (Sign up link coming soon.)
  • Saturday January 25, 12h00-14h00 -- Language Comes to Life: Prefixes and Suffixes at the American Library in Paris. To reserve your spot for this activity, email Celeste at rhoads@americanlibraryinparis.org
Gifted in France is a loi 1901 non-profit association. GiF does not endorse speakers or their material, but aims to provide a wide variety of ideas and discussions about the educational, emotional and social needs of the gifted and twice-exceptional population

Best regards,
Helen Sahin Connelly
giftedinfrance.blogspot.com
parisfrancespellingbee.wordpress.com

October 6, 2013


GIFTED IN FRANCE
October 6, 2013
 "You don’t have the moral right to hold one child back 
to make another child feel better."
 – Stephanie Tolan

Dear Friends,

You are invited to join us for a meeting on understanding gifted children and their common and not so common characteristics. It will be held on Thursday October 17.  Choose from either midday or evening session. You are welcome to join us even if you've already attended this meeting in the past.
Please feel free to pass the word to others who might be interested.

Gifted 101:
Thursday October 17:

Two presentations, choose one: 
Midday: 12h00-14h00 (Bring your lunch)
Evening 19h45-21h00 (Bring a small snack or a drink to add to the nibbles)

Location:  Paris 75016, Near Maison Radio France.  
IMPORTANT: Click here to reserve your spot. RSVP closes Oct 14. Space is limited, event is held at a private residence.
Participation Fee: Free for current GiF members and current Message members, 10€ for non-members. 
Payment needs to be mailed in advance to Gifted in France, 39 ave de Versailles, 75016. 


Two DVD presentations featuring, James T. Webb, 45 minutes each:
Followed by a brief discussion and getting to know other parents. 

A. IS MY CHILD GIFTED? IF SO, WHAT CAN I EXPECT? (45 mins)
 
"Dr.Webb describes the most common basic characteristics of gifted children and shows how/why some of these traits can actually result in underachievement, power struggles and failure to be recognized as bright."

B. D
O GIFTED CHILDREN NEED SPECIAL HELP (40 mins)
 
"As they enter school, gifted children are frequently criticized for the very characteristics that make them who they are. Dr. Webb describes the traits, common behaviors, and challenges for gifted children from preschool through adolescence."


Resources: 

1. A useful book that is often used as a companion to the DVD is called: A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children, by Webb, Gore, Amend and DeVries.) I'll have a copy or two you can have a look at.
2. What is Giftednesshttp://www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=574&ir
3. Gifted 101http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/gifted_101.htm

September 22, 2013


GIFTED in FRANCE

September 21, 2013
“To learn more about science, 
turn off your electronic device and go outside and look around a bit. 
Nature is calling you. Go on. The internet will still be here.”
~ Neil deGrasse Tyson




BACKYARD BIRDS!
Sunday October 13, 2013
at 15h00-16h30
Presented by GiF’s Little Mad Scientists' Club
Ages 7-9 years-old


No matter where you live, you have amazing wildlife all around you - especially birds!  Some are colorful, others have good camouflage, some sing beautiful songs, others are quiet, some meekly eat seeds, while others are fierce predators!  Some of the birds you might encounter have lived their whole lives near Paris, but others might be in the middle of their fall migration from the Arctic Circle to the southern tip of Africa, traveling thousands of kilometers on the wing.  Bring binoculars (if you have them) to catch a close-up glimpse of these fascinating but often hidden creatures.  Rain or shine, so dress for the weather - the birds always do!


How to reserve your spot? Please be sure to follow steps 1-3 below by October 3. First come, first served. Space limited to 10-12 children. GiF members have priority:
  1. Please note the age group, location and date, then email Bettina de Catalogne and Marcia Uriu at gifmadscientists@gmail.com  Subject: Birds 

  2. Registration form: fill out the online registration form by clicking here . GiF members have priority within the given deadline.
  3. Participation fee, 12€, must be received no later than October 3rd. If payment is not received by given date the spot will go to the person on the waiting list.  Check payable to Gifted in France, 39 ave de Versailles, 75016. First come, first served. Confirmation is sent once payment is received.   Please note that payment is non-refundable as we have fixed costs associated with this activity.

  4. Location: Champs de Mars 75007.  Address and meeting point will be emailed following confirmation and payment.
Next Little Mad Scientists' event: Sunday November 17: Meet the Planets. Announcement and sign up coming soon.

About Matt Black: Matt Black has been a professional educator for almost two decades, and has always loved making music fun for kids. His interactive performances incorporate humor, movement, silliness, singing, and even some (gulp) learning. Apart from his work as a musician, Matt is a science teacher at the Lennen Bilingual School in Paris, and has previously served as an educator and program director for the Connecticut Audubon Society and the New Canaan Nature Center in Connecticut.  He was formerly on the Executive Board of the Connecticut Outdoor and Environmental Education Association, and has also served as a lecturer at Yale University and with the Yale Alumni College Abroad program. You can learn more about Matt at www.musicwithmattblack.com.

May 20, 2013

GIFTED in FRANCE
May 20, 2013
Whatever you are doing, ask yourself,
"What's the state of my mind?"
~Dalai Lama

Laying Waste to the Elephant in the Living Room:
Solutions for the Anxious Gifted Child

Recorded webinar presented by P. Susan Jackson, MA, RCC
Date: Thursday June 13 , 2013
Two screenings,  choose one:
  • Morning: 11h30-14h00 (bring your lunch)
  • Evening: 19h30-22h00 (bring a light snack for the table)
Location: 75016, near Maison de la Radio
RSVP: By June 5, 2013-  To reserve your spot:
  • Email: giftedinfrance@gmail.com, Subject: Solutions for the Anxious Gifted Child. Please specify which time you are attending. 
  • Online form: Complete the required online rsvp form, by clicking here.
Minimum attendance of 10 people is required. First-come, first-served. Space limited.  Handout: Photocopies of PowerPoint available to those reserved by June 5, latest!  Participation Fee: Free to current GiF and Message members. 10€ for non-members. Meeting is held at a private residence.

This is a 90-minute recorded webinar, presented in PowerPoint format

Webinar Description:
"
Anxiety is the most common mental health problem experienced by children. When left untreated, it causes anxiety-based disorders ranging from simple adjustment disorders to more debilitating maladies such as panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.
The relationship between anxiety and giftedness is largely unexplored in the literature and often overlooked or misconstrued in clinical practice, with potentially disastrous results. Truly insidious, with bona fide indicators eluding easy diagnosis, especially for the gifted, anxiety-based disorders are the 'elephant in the living room': a malady that eludes easy diagnosis, masked entirely or eclipsed by more obvious signs of distress such as perfectionism, underachievement, hyper-vigilance and depression. This interactive presentation provides parents, educators and mental-health professionals with information about the etiology of and powerful strategies for combating anxiety-based disorders."


Please join us and invite your partner, caretaker, friends to participate in this information-rich session.


About the Presenter:
P. Susan Jackson, MA, RCC, is the founder and therapeutic director of The Daimon Institute for the Highly Gifted in White Rock, British Columbia, Canada. This international institute offers service to highly gifted children and adults supporting the educational needs and overall development of this exceptional population. She is an internationally recognized expert in the field and the author of numerous articles and chapters in the gifted education literature. Sue is currently the liaison for Parents and Curriculum for the Network Communications Committee of the National Association to Support Gifted and has served on the editorial board for SENG.

May 19, 2013


GIFTED in FRANCE
May 19, 2013
"Not all those who wander are lost."
~J.R.R. Tolkien
Giftedness and Learning Disabilities:
Unearthing the Missed Diagnosis

Recorded webinar presented by Dr. Paul Beljan
Date: Thursday June 6 , 2013
Two screenings,  choose one:
Morning: 11h30-14h00 (bring your lunch)
Evening: 19h30-22h00 (bring a light snack for the table)
Location: 75016, near Maison de la Radio
RSVP: By June 1, 2013-  To reserve your spot:
  • Email: giftedinfrance@gmail.com, Subject: Giftedness and Learning Disabilities. Please specify which time you are attending. 
  • Online form: Complete the required online rsvp form, by clicking here.
Minimum attendance of 10 people is required. First-come, first-served. Space limited.  Handout: Photocopies of PowerPoint available to those reserved by June 1, latest!  Participation Fee: Free to current GiF and Message members. 10€ for non-members. Meeting is held at a private residence.

This is a 90-minute recorded webinar, presented in PowerPoint format

Webinar Description:
"
Characteristics of gifted and talented children can result in incorrect diagnoses, such as overlooking learning disabilities. Learning disabilities can take the form of academics (reading and math) or innate abilities in general learning that may relate to social learning. In this SENGinar, Dr. Paul Beljan reviews some of the basic tenants of giftedness that include intellect and asynchronous development. He then discusses the nuts and bolts of learning disabilities: what they look like, how to assess them, and what to do about them in the contexts of the gifted population."

Please join us and invite your partner, caretaker, friends to participate in this information-rich session.


About the Presenter:
Paul Beljan, PsyD, ABPdN, ABN, is a past president of the American Board of Pediatric Neuropsychology.

January 5, 2013


GIFTED IN FRANCE
January 5, 2013 
 Hide not your talents. They for use were made.
What's a sundial in the shade?
– Benjamin Franklin.



Dear Friends, 
Happy New Year!

Please join us for a meeting on understanding gifted children and their common characteristics. It will be held on Thursday January 24; chose from either morning or evening sessions. You are welcome to join us even if you've already attended this meeting in the past. Don't forget the other two events coming up for children: Owls on The Prowl (members have priority) and the annual city-wide Paris Spelling Bee, which is almost full.

Gifted 101:
Thursday January 24: 
Two presentations, choose one: 
Morning: 12h00-14h00 (Bring your lunch)
Evening 19h30-21h00 (Bring a small snack or a drink to add to the nibbles)

Location:  Paris 75016, Near Maison Radio France.  
RSVP by 17 January is mandatory as space is limited and event is being held at a private residence. Please fill out the mandatory form by clicking here to reserve your place. 
Participation Fee:   Free for current GiF members and current Message members, 10€ for non-members.  Payment needs to be mailed in to Gifted in France, 39 ave de Versailles, 75016. GiF is an non profit, association loi 1901.

Both morning and evening presentations will include: 

A. IS MY CHILD GIFTED? IF SO, WHAT CAN I EXPECT? (DVD format, 45 mins)
-
 James T. Webb describes the most common basic characteristics of gifted children and shows how/why some of these traits can actually result in underachievement, power struggles and failure to be recognized as bright.

B. D
O GIFTED CHILDREN NEED SPECIAL HELP? (DVD format, 40 mins)James T. Webb describes how as they enter school, gifted children are frequently criticized for the very characteristics that make them who they are. Webb describes the traits, common behaviors, and challenges for gifted children from preschool through adolescence.