July 2009

In this issue:

• From the President’s Desk
• Limited Spaces Available, No Late Fee!
• Career Counseling and Gifted Students
• Puzzle Corner
• From Around the SIG Campuses
• Upcoming Conferences & Events
• Spread the News
• SIG Quick Links

A letter from Barbara Swicord, President of SIG:

As I write this, 4 of our 18 summer sessions are already in progress, and 3 more will begin by the time this newsletter is published. We are off to a great start with a terrific group of students and a remarkable staff working with them. It is always wonderful to see our programs come to life after working on the plans for them all year long. I love the energy the students bring to each campus.

We will share a few highlights of our ongoing programs in this issue and will bring you more news in next month’s issue. I want to share one particular anecdote from our new program at Out-of-Door Academy in Sarasota, Florida.

One young student went home from camp last Friday and told his mom that his head hurt. She worried that he might have a headache. The student said no, he just had to think so much at camp that it made his head hurt in a good way. Mom told the director that she knew right then that she had made the right choice in placing him in SIG.

I guess the brain is like a muscle that hurts when you exercise it, but gets stronger and stronger the more you work it. That’s exactly what we hope to accomplish in our programs and think this young man said it perfectly. Here’s to lots of hurting brains this summer!

Barbara Swicord
President, Summer Institute for the Gifted

Limited spaces are still availble for SIG 2009! We will continue to accept applications on a space available basis and waive the late fee for all applicants.

Don’t be left out of the SIG 2009 Silver Anniversary experience! With Residential and Day programs all over the U.S., SIG has the perfect program for every gifted child. Get your application in today to reserve a spot.

Visit www.giftedstudy.com today to learn more about SIG programs.

Apply now: http://www.giftedstudy.com/admissions.asp

At this time of year, as many students enter into various transition periods, it may be a good time to think about future careers. This guest article helps you do just that. It was submitted by Wendy Maldonado, Product Development Manager, National Training Network, Algebraic Thinking and KEAS, and graduate student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Career Counseling and Gifted Students

“Career planning is part of the high school experience.”

“The talents that my gifted child has will help to define the occupation she should pursue.”

"Because my child is gifted, he will most probably be successful in whatever occupation he pursues.”

“Career planning will probably take care of itself.”

If you find yourself thinking any of the statements above, it may be time to visit or revisit the world of career counseling. Although many people assume that students who are gifted will make the transition from school to career with little effort, research shows that the journey often is not smooth. Some of the social and emotional issues faced by gifted students offer unique challenges in the pursuit of career training.

Read more: Career counseling

July Puzzle

A person lives on Main Street, with six houses on his side of the street. The house numbers are consecutive even numbers. The sum of all six houses' numbers is 8790. If they live in the smallest number on their side of the block, what is their address? (Source: Expand Your Mind)

Submit your answer online at www.giftedstudy.com/newsletter/puzzlecorner.asp. The first student who submits the correct answer will receive recognition in the next issue of The Gifted Student!

Last Month's Puzzle

Q: Ryan is going to have a barbeque at his house. He spends half of what he has plus $5 for steak. He spends half of what is left plus $5 on fruits for a salad, half of what is left plus $2 for paper plates, and the remaining $3 on ice cream. How much did he start out with? (Source: 2008 MENSA Calendar)

A: $70
Working backward:
2*($3 + $2) = $10
2*($10 + $5) = $30
2*($30 + $5) = $70

Congratulations to Abbie from West Linn, OR, for being the first to respond with the correct answer to last month's puzzle!

We’re part way through the summer, and the students are exploring a variety of topics, approaching learning in new and different ways, making friends, and, of course, always thinking. Here are a few highlights from some of our programs already underway.

At the Galloway School, which started on June 22nd in Atlanta, GA, students have been busy doing a variety of fun and unusual things in their classes. In Spying, Secrets, and Surveillance, the students have been designing spy weapons, while Make Charge, Take Charge and Chemistry students experimented with the non-Newtonian fluid, Oobleck. Some students worked on dialogue and speaking through comic strips as others used energy balls to learn about electricity and circuits. And everyone at camp came together to make up questions for the recreational period mini quizbowl.

In Sarasota, FL, students at the Out-of-Door Academy program have been very busy as well. The Be a Pet Vet class got a visit from the Humane Society after learning about the costs of pet care and considering the needs of their pets from the animals' perspectives. In Tutankhamen's Treasures, students have been building their own pyramids, incorporating Egyptian treasures and hieroglyphics, and learning about the mummification process. Aspiring Architects has been constructing a city with Legos and will be building up to an edible cake city.

SIG at Emory is off to a great start. During the first week, students were introduced to a toucan named Sammy, watched the super spies practice their surveillance technique, began building a city of the future, extracted DNA from fruit, and began writing a script for a movie. During recreation time, the pool has provided welcome relief from the summer heat. The Varsity, a famous Atlanta restaurant since 1928, brought their mobile restaurant to campus, and everyone had a great picnic dinner. The counselors and students especially enjoyed spending the evening outside playing on the tire swing. Over the weekend, students visited the dinosaurs at the Fernbank Museum and braved the thrill rides at Six Flags over Georgia. As the second week begins, everyone is excited to see what new adventures and experiences await!

New Mexico Association for the Gifted (NMAG)
Summer Institute on Gifted Education: Gifted: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
July 29-30
Albuquerque, NM
http://nmgifted.org/

Connecticut Association for the Gifted (CAG)
Minds in Motion
Torrington Middle School
August 3-7
Torrington, CT
www.ctgifted.org/events.htm

18th World Conference on Gifted and Talented Children: Promoting the Dream (SIG will be there!)
August 3-7
Vancouver, Canada
www.worldgifted2009.com/

International Center for Innovation in Education
Conference in celebration of the European Year of Creativity and Innovation: Leading Minds, Creating the Future
August 23-27
Ulm, Germany
http://icieparis.net/icie_conference

If you are excited about what you have seen in The Gifted Student newsletter, please share it with your friends. Or send us their names and e-mail addresses, and we'll put them on our e-mail list. Write to Michelle Holleran at mholleran@giftedstudy.com with “The Gifted Student” in the subject line to subscribe.

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Other AIFS Programs: The Summer Institute for the Gifted is a unique and prestigious three-week residential or day, co-educational, summer program for academically talented students in grades kindergarten through eleven. SIG is a program of the American Institute For Foreign Study. Visit us at http://www.aifs.com.

High school students from many countries study in the U.S. with Academic Year in America. Our College Division organizes study abroad for U.S. students at 18 campuses abroad including Richmond, the American International University in London. The Au Pair in America program enables American families to host international young people, who assist with childcare and share their culture. Study/travel programs for high school students are offered through the Summer Advantage program. Camp America and Resort America bring young international visitors to the U.S. to serve as camp counselors and support staff during the summer.