GIFTED IN FRANCE
April 22, 2009

"People think genius a fine thing if it enables a man to write an exciting poem, or paint a picture.
But in its true sense, that of originality in thought and action, though no one
says that it is not a thing to be admired, nearly all, at heart,
think that they can do very well without it."
~J.S. Mill

Dear Friends,

Here are the upcoming events in May, which is a good month to learn or relearn a host of topics addressing the emotional, educational and social needs of gifted and talented kids, and twice-exceptional children. Summer is coming up fast so don't miss out on the end of year events and activities.
HIGHLIGHTS:

FOR CHILDREN
2009 PARIS SPELLING BEE	May 24 and June 7, for finalists	Due to space restrictions, oral finals will be open to family members only.
Lights OUT! Living with Science	Saturday May 16, 2009 14h00-17h00 For ages 8-13	RSVP: May 8th. Subject: Lights OUT! Priority will be given to GiF members. Cost: 5€ for members, 10€ for non-members, limited space.
FOR PARENTS
GIFTED 101	Tuesday morning May 5th 09h30-12h00 and	RSVP: By Thursday April 30:. Subject: Gifted 101 indicate the date you prefer.
	Wednesday evening May 6th 19h30-22h00
GRADE SKIPPING and ACCELERATION vs. BOREDOM AND FRUSTRATION IN SCHOOL	Tuesday May 12, 2009, 19h30-22h00	RSVP: By Tuesday May 5: Subject: School Frustration and Acceleration Cost: 5€ for members, 10€ for non-members
HOW DOES YOUR ENGINE RUN? SENSORY MOTOR STRATEGIES FOR SELF-REGULATION	Wednesday May 27, 2009, 19h30-22h00-	RSVP: By May 20th, Subject: How Does Your Engine Run? Cost: 5€ for members, 10€ for non-members
GIFTED/ TWICE-EXCEPTIONAL ONLINE CONFERENCE WITH THE EIDES	Possible date: Saturday May 23, 2009 10h00-18h00	If you are interested, please email me asap so I can proceed with the venue. Subject: Gifted/2E with Drs. Eides.
GIF MEMBERSHIP	Registration form attached	30€ extended until the end of May

FOR CHILDREN
Lights OUT! Living with Science
Saturday May 16, 2009 14h00-17h00
For ages 8-13, St. Germain-en-Laye
What happens when you suddenly lose electricity and have no power? None! For one day, two days, three days? What will you miss most? What will you need most? Are they the same? Write down and bring with you a list of electrical things you will miss and/or need during during a blackout. There are no right or wrong answers. We'll compare our lists and then get down to business and build our own electric generator. Pablo Martinez Diaz, our favorite mad-scientist who has already taught us how to build a telegraph and a radio, is inviting us back again. After building our generators, we will make time for any budding scientist who wants to do a little presentation on a 'scientific' experiment he or she wishes to share with the group. If you have done a project for school, or for fun, we'd love to see it. If you're passionate about an area in science, Pablo wants to know about it. If you need help with your project, need outdoor space or special arrangements, Pablo wants to hear from you. If you don't have a presentation, not to worry. It's not an obligation or a requirement. There are couple of kids who will present their work and the rest of us can watch and listen. The important thing on this day is to learn about electricity, and then get a chance to see more science in action. (Because there are so many holidays in May, we're not sure if we'll have another science activity before the summer break.) Location: Chambourcy. Those of us leaving from Paris will meet at a convenient location, like last time, before getting on the RER A. Then, Pablo will give us a ride from the train station in St Germain-en-Laye to his home in Chambourcy. If you are driving, we will send you directions after your confirmation.

RSVP: May 7th. Subject: Lights OUT! Priority will be given to GiF members. Cost: 5€ for members, 10€ for non-members, limited space.

2009 PARIS SPELLING BEE

There are 34 participants going to the 2nd annual Paris Spelling Bee finals on June 7th at the American Library in Paris. All contestants braved the written preliminary round on April 4th and are now preparing for the practice session on May 24th. There are 17 kids in each group: the Gazelles (7-9 year-olds) and Cheetahs (10-13 year-olds). We wish each of them lots of fun! And a bit of luck! Due to space limitations, the final event will be open only to the contestants and their family members. We are grateful to the American Library for their support and for making special arrangements to host us.
Check out the new spelling bee blog: parisfrancespellingbee.wordpress.com

FOR PARENTS
Gifted in May:
Make the month of May your Gifted Education Month. Please feel free to join us for a first or repeat viewing of these information rich videos. If you haven't already seen these presentations on the gifted child, we strongly encourage you to attend. If you've seen them before, it's always rewarding to meet new parents and refresh your memory. Everyone is welcome.

GIFTED 101:
Tuesday morning: May 5th, 09h30-12h00 Come by for a cup of coffee and croissant!
Wednesday evening May 6th, 19h30-22h00 Bring your snack/sandwich with you if you haven't eaten before the meeting.
Each meeting includes two DVD presentations by James T. Webb

1. 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.
2. DO 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.

(Note: a very useful book that is often used as a companion to the DVD's and SENG's parent workshop is called: A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children, by Webb, Gore, Amend and DeVries.)

RSVP: By Thursday April 30:. Subject: Gifted 101 indicate the date you prefer.
Location: At my place, near Radio France, in the 16th. Cost: 5€ for members, 10€ for non-members


GRADE SKIPPING and ACCELERATION vs. BOREDOM AND FRUSTRATION IN SCHOOL
Guest Speaker: Mr. Daniel Le Roch, Vice-President of AFEP
Tuesday May 12, 2009, 19h30-22h00
Join us for a discussion on common concerns gifted children face in school such as boredom, frustration, underachievement, anxiety and other behavioral issues. We will also review the "typical" French system; what to do when your request for acceleration is turned down and how the French Education Department views gifted children's needs. "There is a substantial amount of research to indicate that gifted children spend at least one-fourth to one-half of the regular classroom time waiting for others to catch up. Boredom is rampant because of the age tracking in our public schools. Peer relations for gifted children are often difficult, all the more so because of the internal dyssynchrony (asynchronous development) shown by so many gifted children where their development is uneven across various academic, social, and developmental areas, and where their judgment often lags behind their intellect. Clearly, there are possible (or even likely) problems that are associated with the characteristic strengths of gifted children. Some of these typical strengths and related problems are shown in Table 1..." (go to the article to view this useful table) source: http://www.sengifted.org/articles_counseling/Webb_MisdiagnosisAndDualDiagnosisOfGiftedChildren.shtml

Background reading:

A Nation Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America's Brightest Students http://www.accelerationinstitute.org/Nation_Deceived/Executive_Summary.aspx A Nation Deceived - International Versions-http://www.accelerationinstitute.org/Nation_Deceived/ General Q & A http://www.accelerationinstitute.org/Resources/QA/General.aspx Possible Problems That May be Associated with Characteristic Strengths of Gifted Children: http://www.sengifted.org/articles_counseling/Webb_MisdiagnosisAndDualDiagnosisOfGiftedChildren.pdf Position Statement: Acceleration: http://www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=383

RSVP: By Tuesday May 5: Subject: School Frustration and Acceleration
Location: Near Radio France, on ave de Versailles, 75016 Cost: 5€ for members, 10€ for non-membersBy Tuesday

HOW DOES YOUR ENGINE RUN? SENSORY MOTOR STRATEGIES FOR SELF-REGULATION
Wednesday May 27, 2009, 19h30-22h00
Guest Speaker: Zara Harris, Occupational Therapist
Experienced Occupational therapist will describe how we can teach children to regulate their activity level by using their own sensory preferences. As adults, we do this on a daily basis, for instance, when we have to sit through long and maybe dull meetings and remain alert. What do we do? Drink coffee? Doodle on paper? Our kids have similar experiences but don't always know what to do. Everyone attending the meeting, will have the opportunity to explore their own "Sensory Diet" in order to understand the concepts that can be used to teach children how to either 'calm' their nervous system down or to 'Jazz' it up. The term " Sensory Diet", was coined by OT Patricia Wilbarger in the USA and is used successfully as part of the Alert Program (based on How Does Your Engine Run?) in many American schools.

"If your body is like a car engine, sometimes it runs on high, sometimes it runs on low, and sometimes it runs just right.. Students learn what they can do before a spelling test or homework time to attain an optimal state of alertness for their tasks. Teachers learn what they can do after lunch, when their adult nervous systems are in a low alert state and their students are in a high alert state. Parents learn what they can do to help their toddler's nervous system change from a high alert state to a more appropriate low state at bedtime," source: http://www.alertprogram.com/about.php

RSVP: By May 20th, Subject: How Does Your Engine Run?
Location: Near Radio France, on ave de Versailles, 75016 Cost: 5€ for members, 10€ for non-members. Members have priority.


GIFTED/ TWICE-EXCEPTIONAL ONLINE CONFERENCE WITH THE EIDES
-Part 1: Understanding Gifted Children
-Part 2: Dyslexia and Writing Challenges in Gifted Children
-Part 3: Attention, Sensory Processing, and Social Challenges of Gifted Children
Tentative date: Saturday May 23, 2009 10h00-18h00

Experts: Drs. Brock and Fernette Eide are strong advocates for neurologically-based approaches to learning and learning differences. They are the authors of: The Mislabeled Child., which is among the books I try to loan out to parents who come to the GiF meetings)
The Eides are doing an online webinar from April 21-23. GiF is a registered participant and we are now trying to figure out a way to make this very informative and much needed information available to GiF members. This is a three-day seminar, with about 2-hours per day (about 6 hours total) of material to be heard and seen in a power point format with the Eides and then a recorded Q and A session with the participants. (you can see some of the questions already posted by clicking here.)
I have a conference room reserved at the Maison des associations du 16ème arrondissement on Saturday May 23 where we can share this presentation in three parts with short coffee and lunch breaks. (This is pending approval by the authors.) More information about the online conference is at: http://eideneurolearningblog.blogspot.com and for daily updates click here:
If you are interested, please email me asap so I can proceed with getting permission and keeping the venue. Subject: Gifted/2E with Drs. Eides. (Special note: This conference is an effort to help Eides' 12-year-old daughter, Karina, who has metastatic cancer.)

GiF MEMBERSHIP FORMS AND DUES:
GiF membership form is attached. Membership dues will remain at 30€ until June. Please take a moment to fill out the form and mail it with your check to the indicated address. If you prefer not to become a member, but wish to make a donation, any contribution would be appreciated.
Membership is good for one year from the payment. Thank you in advance for supporting GiF through your membership.

GiF SUPPORTERS/VOLUNTEERS:
Planning Meeting Thursday April 30th
09h30-11h30. Coffee, croissants and fruit will be served.
We are looking for parents who wish to play a key role in helping GiF map out its goals and execute existing projects. We need your help in most aspects of this organization. Even if you can't come to the coffee-hour, could you please email me if you can help with membership data and networking, fund raising, 2009 Paris Spelling Bee, Twice-Exceptional/Learning Differences group, and planning more science and creativity projects for children (4-7 and 8-13+ years-old.)
RSVP for coffee hour by April 28, Subject: GiF Supporters//Volunteers


Kind regards,

Helen Sahin Connelly
GiF
giftedinfrance.blogspot.com

2009 PARIS SPELLING BEE For more information on the bee, visit the new blog: parisfrancespellingbee.wordpress.com

GIFTED in FRANCE
March 7, 2009
They say that we are better educated than our parents' generation.
What they mean is that we go to school longer. It is not the same thing.
~ Richard Yates-

Dear Friends,

This newsletter is full of news, so please take a few minutes to read through it:

ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR PARENTS:

• Executive Function and Gifted Children, with guest speaker Zara Harris. (We still have room for few more parents)
• Thursday March 12 19h30-22h00. RSVP Mandatory. Subject: Executive Function

• GiF Membership Dues: Save 10€ on your family membership before April 1.
• Gifted 101: March 17, 09h30-12h30 Coffee and DVD presentation.
• Science and Invention Kudos to three parents: Karen Kyker, Ted Lazo, Pablo Martinez Diaz!!

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN

• 2009 Spelling Bee Registration deadline is April 1 and
• Preliminary Written Test for those who are registered is April 4.
• Invention and Problem Solving : March 22, 14h30h-17h00.What did a captured WWII soldier do when he was cut off from communicating with his family and fellow prisoners? Location: Near St. Germain-en-Laye.
• Science and Invention Day: May 16, will be scaled back to a smaller event due to budget constraints.
• 2009 Spelling Bee Oral Finals: June 7, for final contestants.
  

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FOR PARENTS:

EXECUTIVE FUNCTION AND GIFTED CHILDREN:
Thursday March 12, 2009 19h30-22h00
Guest Speaker: Zara Harris, Occupational Therapist (Her resume/CV is attached)
RSVP: Mandatory, Subject: Executive Function
Cost: 10€ euros for non-members, Free for members.
"Executive Function is the capacity to have a goal, follow it through to the completion while not being put off by distractions or competing interests. Plus, the ability to revise plans in the face of obstacles, setbacks, new information or mistakes.

Executive Function is largely the responsibility of the pre-frontal cortex in the brain, which is the last part of the brain to mature. It is not related to the thinking part of the brain therefore it is not unusual for gifted students to have weak executive functioning. In other words they know what to do but can’t do what they know. The student may do his or her homework but forget to hand it in. Their grades suffer, not because they do not know the academic content but because they are poor managers of time and organizers of their belonging, they may be described as 'The absent-minded professor.'

Zara will describe, "what executive function is, how it develops and how weak EF can interfere with a gifted child’s ability to perform academically and socially at the level of their potential." She will, "suggest strategies that parents can use to compensate for EF challenges to include time management, planning, organization, poor short term memory and self-regulation."

Please note: While on the topic of twice-exceptional children, please visit 2E's newsletter, this part is free and full of up-to-date information. And while you're surfing the net, check out Davidson Institute e-News Update, covering a host of topics on gifted education, legislation, summer camps, enrichment opportunities and gifted in the news.

GiF MEMBERSHIP FORMS AND DUES:
The new GiF membership form is attached. Save 10€ now by mailing in your registration before April 1, 2009. Dues are 30€ before April 1, or 40€ after that date. Membership is good for one year from the payment. For the past two years, GiF has organized numerous educational meetings for parents without charging membership dues. Since we are now an official association, gaining wider recognition in France, and continuing to organize activities for both adults and children, it is imperative for us to build a budget to cover our expenses.Thank you in advance for supporting GiF through your membership. Please take a moment to fill out the form and mail it with your check to the indicated address. If you prefer not to become a member, but wish to make a donation, any contribution would be appreciated. (If you don't see the membership form on this site, please email giftedinfrance@gmail.com)

GIFTED 101:
Tuesday March 17, 09h30-12h30
Coffee and DVD presentation. Please join us for our educational DVDs by James T. Webb
IS MY CHILD GIFTED? IF SO, WHAT CAN I EXPECT? (45 mins)
DO GIFTED CHILDREN NEED SPECIAL HELP (40 mins)
RSVP: By March 13. Subject: Gifted 101

SCIENCE AND INVENTION KUDOS!
GiF owes many thanks to these parents: Karen Kyker, Ted Lazo, and Pablo Martinez Diaz for devoting their time, energy and expertise. They led the following activities, which were open to interested children within and outside of the GiF community.

Karen Kyker: Teaching our Budding Scientific Investigators, she led a group of children through a four-part series examining science around us. Children were encouraged to pose questions; experiment with liquids and solids; test cause and effect; and to form their own hypothesis. There were 9 young scientists who participated --regardless of rain or shine, homework or birthday parties -- four Sundays between October and February. Both Karen and the investigators are to be commended for their determination and curiosity.

Ted Lazo, Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Protection Specialist, led a discussion followed by an activity on Living With Radiation: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Through a hand-held instrument for detecting and measuring radiation, children were allowed to examine the obvious and the not-so obvious radiation-containing/radioactive objects around us. They were thrilled to have access to this unusual device. It was a great show-and-tell event, which took a difficult topic and made it understandable to the young crowd. Thank you Ted!

Pablo Martinez Diaz, whose hobby is to restore antique technology and furniture http://www.rusted.free.fr/ led a group of children through the amazing story of a captured Belgian WWII soldier and how he managed to communicate and give hope to other prisoners in the nearby barracks through the radio and telegraph he built from scrap. Pablo's power-point presentation, reconstructing this soldier's captivity, was coupled with the original documents that once belonged to the prisoner. Children were allowed to examine the photos, letters and diaries he kept during his imprisonment. Afterwards, Pablo helped the children build their own telegraphs and taught them about the Morse Code. A million thanks to Pablo who spent many hours preparing for this activity.

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FOR CHILDREN:

2009 PARIS SPELLING BEE:
Gifted in France will hold it's second annual Paris Spelling Bee for children aged 7-13. We are grateful to the American Library in Paris for hosting us and announcing the upcoming event in the recent Ex Libris newsletter.
Last year, we had 18 children participate in the final bee, which was divided into two groups: Gazelles (7-9 year-olds) and Cheetahs (10-13 year-olds).

This year we expect more children to sign up. Therefore, we will host a Spelling Bee Preliminary written exam on April 4th. After the final contestants are chosen, they will have an opportunity to attend at least one meeting where they will be invited to watch the documentary Spellbound, play scrabble and review spelling rules. They will also receive a list of words to guide them into the final bee. Thanks to the American Library, we will also host a mock-competition, in mid-May, to give the final contestants a chance to practice their oral spelling under similar conditions as the real bee. This worked out very well last year.

Please read carefully, the following information, if your child is interested in participating in the bee
April 1, 2009	Deadline for completed and signed registration forms for the April 4th written spelling test. To receive registration forms please email: 2009parisspellingbee@gmail.com
April 4, 2009	Written Spelling Bee Test for those who've pre-registered, will be held at: The Irish Cultural Centre , on 5, rue des Irlandais 75005. Tentative time: 10h00-12h00. On this day, each age group (7-9 and 10-13 year-olds) will be given a list of words. Then about 24 children, in total, will be short-listed based on their performance on the written part and advance to the oral finals in June.
June 7, 2009	2009 Paris Spelling Bee to be held at the American Library in Paris for the finalists.
Cost:	There will be a 5€ registration fee, per family, to pay for the April 4th venue and related expenses. If the child becomes a finalist, there will be another 5€ fee to cover the costs of trophies, certificates, medals and printed material.
Age requirements and limitations:	Event is open to children 7-13 years-old. Age limit: the child must not be older than 13 years-of-age before July 1, 2009. Children who are 7-9 years-old may request to participate with the 10-13 year-olds. However, it will be up to the organizers to review and approve this request.

Benefits of Spelling Bees: "Spelling bees help to promote literacy by providing children with a positive goal to work toward, and give them a forum to display the fruits of their hard work. In addition to improving spelling, the bees also aid children in learning concepts, improving comprehension and developing study skills. The benefits of spelling bees extend beyond language: Since children are required to spell words while on stage, kids also develop self-confidence, communication and public speaking skills, and the ability to thrive under pressure."
Suggested material, even if your child is not going to participate this year::
Two of my favorite tools used last year came from this link: First was a book: How to Spell Like a Champ, which includes a 75-minute interactive audio CD following a child from a classroom bee to the finals. The second was a documentary called: Spellbound. Other links, especially for older kids, include: Carolyn's Corner: http://www.spellingbee.com/glance.shtml (check out spelling bee participation tips) / http://www.spellingbee.com/glance/organized.shtml / http://www.spellingbee.com/recommendations.asp / http://www.spellingbee.com/studyzone.asp /
For the younger kids, you might enjoy visiting Fry's list of words.
These links are only helpful suggestions to introducing children to some useful sites.

UPCOMING INVENTION ACTIVITIES:
Problem Solving: Lessons Learned from a Captured WWII Soldier:
Sunday March 22, 14h00-17h00 Pablo Martinez Diaz, in a second part to his presentation, on the resourcefulness of a captured soldier, will show children how to build their own radios. The lesson will be, once again, drawn from the experience of the captured Belgian soldier who built telegraphs and radios to communicate critical information to his fellow prisoners. Once children finish building and testing their radios, Pablo will give them a tour of the many repaired and rebuilt inventions littering his home and backyard. His hobby and passion can be viewed on "if it's rusted it's mine:"
For children: 8-13 years-old. Priority will be given to GiF members. Members: 5€, Nonmembers: 10€
RSVP: Mandatory by March 15th, giftedinfrance@gmail.com
Location: Near St. Germain-en-Laye


SCIENCE AND INVENTION DAY:
May 16th, (tentative date)
Due to budget limitations, GiF will scale this event back to a much smaller activity. Priority will be given to members. One option we are considering is to host an inventor's day, where we will 're-visit' notable inventors by understanding their history, examining some of their their inventions, and getting a chance to replicate some of them as a group. This is a work in progress, which will most likely be hosted by Pablo at his home outside of St. Germain-en-Laye. If you are interested, please contact me asap.
Age group: 8-13. Priority will be given to GiF members.


Mini-Mad Scientists: We need parents who are interested in hosting science-related activities for younger children (4-7 years-old). Chose a date to organize a meeting at the Palais de la Découverte, for example, and I'll pass the word in this space. Sunday mornings are nice and calm there, usually.

Finally, please consider helping GiF plan and carry out these and other activities. Join the planning team, get involved in an area that is of interest to you or your child. And, see you soon!


Kind regards,
Helen Sahin Connelly
Coordinator, GiF
giftedinfrance.blogspot.com
giftedinfrance@gmail.com
info on gifted

GIFTED in FRANCE

January 04, 2009

The general objects - are to provide an education adapted to the years, the capacity, and the condition of everyone, and directed to their freedom and happiness - We hope to avail the state of those talents which nature has sown as liberally among the poor as the rich, but which perish without use, if not sought for and cultivated.

~Thomas Jefferson - Notes on Virginia

Dear Friends,

Happy New Year to you and your families!

Gifted in France is now a non-profit association under the loi 1901.

It was almost two years ago when we held our first meeting to extend support to parents of gifted and talented children. Since then numerous gatherings have taken place to inform parents, and educators on the social, emotional and educational needs of gifted and twice-exceptional children. We have also organized several activities for children, including our first annual Paris Spelling Bee last June and the on-going science project.We have a blog and we're still planning to create a website. In the New Year we will look, within our circle as well as outside, for financial, educational and moral support so that we can achieve the projects already set in motion, and others that are in the works. We are also currently in the process of attending to the formalities of our new status as an 'association.' This means preparing registration and membership dues, and seeking grants and donations. We will have more information on this in the coming weeks. There is no doubt that the main reason we have come this far is due to your response to the meetings, newsletters and support you've received from having met other parents with common interests. Thank you for sharing your stories, expressing your concerns and sending in your feedback from time to time.

Because we are a parent-to-parent support group, our ability to help is always going to be limited. It's through friendship and commitment we extend to one another, and by learning, on a continuous basis, about the complexities of raising and educating gifted kids, that we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of our children. Many of us are expatriates and live far away from extended family members. It's all the more important for us to find like-minded parents with similar challenges so that we can exchange ideas and have good role models during those difficult periods when we run into sticky situations with teachers and administrators or when we don't understand the professionals who don't understand our children, or when we can't figure these kids out for ourselves. The conflicting voices, within us, of when to intervene or when to 'let it be' can be overwhelming. Personally, these are the times when parents from GiF have been most helpful to me. A final important note I want to share with you is the limited number of people who have been available to help up to this point. This is probably due to my lack of 'outreach' on a regular basis. But, now it's going to make all the difference in the direction we take considering the events we are looking forward to hosting this year and the impact we wish to make as one of the first Anglophone associations for gifted and talented children in France.

Please consider giving your time to GiF this term. We need parents who are interested in playing an important role in our association, heading or helping, even minimally, with upcoming projects. We need your organizational and computer skills, and we need your contacts for companies and foundations who might be interested in helping GiF financially. If you would like to share your expertise with children or have contacts who might be interested in giving engaging presentations, especially relating to the upcoming Science Day, we would be grateful for that as well. In the meantime, please read the following upcoming activities and meetings for children and parents and respond to the indicated RSVP deadlines.

FOR CHILDREN

World War II Soldiers and Technology and Inventions-- Sunday January 18, 2009, 14h-17h30, for ages 8-13 During WWII, soldiers learned to live with very little, and they were often out of contact with others. They had no iPods or cell phones, but they were able to make good substitutes! GiF dad Pablo Martinez Diaz, whose hobby is to "restore antique technology and furniture http://www.rusted.free.fr/ " is going to talk about what these soldiers did to stay in contact and survive. Afterwards, Pablo will teach children how to build one of these technological devices. We can take about 8-10 children. Cost 10€ per child. Must RSVP by January 8, Subject: World War II Technology and Inventions.

Living With Radiation: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly! Saturday January 31, 2009, 14h30-17h30 prox. for ages 11-14. Discussion will be led by yet another 'cool' dad Ted Lazo who is a Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Protection Specialist: "Radiation is all around us - from the cosmos, from the earth, from our own bodies - and has been since the dawn of the universe. But just because something is "natural" does not necessarily mean that it is "safe". Radiation is also man-made - coming from sources like atomic bombs and nuclear power plants, but also from things like hospital x-ray machines and CT scanners. It turns out that radiation can do good things - like cure cancer, show pictures of broken bones and damaged organs - and bad things - like cause cancer and genetic diseases. So this talk will describe what is radiation, where does it come from, what can it do, how we can detect it, and how we can use it but protect ourselves from it at the same time! And it turns out that radiation comes in different energies. At high energy you get things like x-rays. At low energy you get things like visible light, radio-waves and portable telephone signals. So the talk will also give an idea about how protection fits into all these kinds of radiation. A little "hands-on" discussion of radiation detection will also be included." Cost: 10€ per child. Must RSVP by January 17, space limited, Subject: Radiation with Ted.

(please note that all money collected will go directly to the association to cover related costs and for future projects)

UPDATE ON: SCIENCE AND INVENTION DAY, tentatively scheduled for Saturday May 16th and THE 2009 PARIS SPELLING BEE, tentatively scheduled for June 6th: If we want to make these events happen, I'm going to need help from parents. This is our first attempt at "The Science Day" and we are encouraging children to display their work through something they've built, tested, or a scientific concept they wish to exhibit through art, music or dance. We have already begun a small group of 'budding investigators' with GiF volunteer Karen Kyker, and these 9 children have been meeting once a month since October. The World War II and the Radiation activities, mentioned above, are also expected to feed into the Science Day. As for the Spelling Bee, we will limit participants to 30 children, age 7-13, with two-groups (7-9 year-olds and the 10-13 year-olds). Last year, leading up to the final event, we organized five meetings where children watched spelling bee documentaries, movies, played Scrabble and other games. There were 20 children that partook in those gatherings, and 18 participated in the final June event held at the American Library in Paris. This year, because of the Science Day, we will not have as many preliminary bee meetings. Once again, your help as a volunteer is crucial in making this year’s bee accessible to the talented spellers out there

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FOR PARENTS

GiF Volunteer Coffee HourThursday morning January 8, 09h30-11h30Thursday morning January 15, 09h30-11h30 Please come for a cup of coffee, croissant and help brainstorm, and plan for the association's upcoming activities. Take your pick on the events that are of most interest to you and your children. Please RSVP asap if you can come. If you can't make it to these meetings, let me know your availability including during evenings or weekend mornings.

HELPING YOUR CHILD REACH HIS/HER POTENTIAL INTO ADOLESCENCE AND BEYOND Thursday January 22, 19h30-22h00 (Rescheduled from December 12th)Guest Speaker: Pilar Rincon, she's a psychologist specializing in Cognitive Development. Can we prevent or minimize underachievement, low-self esteem, perfectionism...? How can we help children maintain their desire to learn; their ability to develop talents and interests from childhood into adolescence and adulthood? We will also look at characteristics of adults who have developed or 'lost' their potential, and factors involved. Please see Mrs. Rincon's outline, which is attached and in French. Her presentation will be in English. Mrs. Rincon is originally from Colombia. As always, dads are immensely encouraged to attend.RSVP by January 11th, Subject: Rincon's Presentation. Space is limited.

(Please note that guest speakers are invited by GiF to educate and inform parents. If the need arises, it's up to you to choose professionals according to your circumstances. In trying to build a database of professionals for our members, GiF welcomes feedback from parents. More than ever, we need to share our resources.)


POTLUCK TO TOAST TO OUR NEW ASSOCIATION!
Gifted in France is now officially a non-profit association under the loi 1901. Friday January 30th, 19h30-23h00Must RSVP by January 21st. Subject: Potluck to Toast!As always, dads are immensely encouraged to attend!!Keep it low stress, pick up something on the way from your favorite grocery store, boulangerie, pâtisserie

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE GIFTED? If you are new to the group and want to know more about giftedness, we encourage you to learn the basics, come watch our educational. If there's enough interest, I can schedule the next oneon Tuesday morning February 3rd 09h30-12h00, please email me by January 17th. If you are not free in the mornings, please email me with your available times. DVDs are: IS MY CHILD GIFTED? IF SO, WHAT CAN I EXPECT? (45 mins) DO GIFTED CHILDREN NEED SPECIAL HELP (40 mins)

I'm looking forward to seeing and hearing more from you in the coming weeks and months. Thank you, again, very, very much for your support and friendship.


Kind regards,

Helen Sahin Connelly
giftedinfrance@gmail.com
Common Gifted Education Myths

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