It's a new year in GATE...welcome to 2015-2016!

Meet the GATE teachers of AES! This year we proudly announce that Albertville City School System has added a 3rd GATE teacher! YEA!  Left to right in the photo above you see Mrs. Lauren Thompson, GATE teacher at Evans for 5th and 6th grade gifted students, Mrs. Dianna Adams, GATE teacher for 4th grade gifted students at AES, and Miss Tracy Rogers, GATE teacher for 3rd grade students at AES.

The three of us are so excited to be working as a team to bring creative, challenging lessons and ideas to share with our gifted students!  Albertville gifted students may be creating inventions, participating in global events through the internet, learning to conduct research, creating high quality technology projects, entering art contests, learning about their own learning styles, researching about Africa, designing their own culture, viewing the world through Leonardo Da Vinci's eyes, participating in STEAM activities...you just never know where the creative minds of our students will take us.  We are a TEAM working together to challenge and inspire our gifted students...and we have a great time together planning our GATE adventures!

As I enter my 25th year in the classroom, I am so thankful to have co-workers like Mrs. Thompson and Miss Rogers to share in our gifted adventures!  Happy first day of school, everyone!

Best wishes as my former 4th graders "fly away!"

Last year was filled with so many happy moments...lots of art, technology competitions, art contests, tech gadgets like Ollie and Sphero, creativity, great thinking minds, and memories galore!  Our essential concept was DIFFERENCES with our theme being "Celebrating our Differences."  We did just that!  Our good friends from Japan visited our class to make sushi - so much fun - and we learned to make origami Christmas ornaments.  We learned about similarities and differences between our culture and others.  Our sweet friend and Ken's mom, Makiko Jones, made a mobile of origami cranes - one for each of the 4th grade students who will "fly away to Evans Elementary" this year. This piece of art is beautiful, colorful, and a true gift of friendship.  Thank you, Makiko, for all that  you have done to enrich the lives of my students!   I wish these special students well on their adventure in 5th grade at Evans.

Makiko holding the mobile of colorful paper cranes.  Beautiful!

Time Capsule Reunion - AHS graduates 2015

Congratulations to these GATE students who graduated last May!  On the morning of graduation, these seniors exited the AHS McCord Field at Aggie Stadium after their graduation practice to meet me on the corner to open the time capsules they created in 3rd grade!  Lots of laughter and comments like, "I remember this!" or "Look at us!  We were so little!" could be heard.  We had a great time looking at projects, old football programs, menus and sale papers with prices from "back in the day," pictures of the students, their handwriting, and art.  

I am super proud of each of these students and know that as they enter different colleges around our state, they will be a success at whatever they do!  They are bright, motivated, and have great personalities!  Best wishes to a fantastic group of grown up 3rd grade GATE students!