Torn Paper Self Portraits...GORGEOUS!

Third grade GATE students have completed their torn paper self-portraits and they are beautiful!  Made only from torn scraps of construction paper and glue, these works of art are sure to brighten anyone's day!  Each student painted handprints around the border of each portrait.  One group of 3rd grade portraits is on display in the hall right now and the other set will be displayed soon! I hope all the families will enjoy this artwork when it comes home soon!  Enjoy the slideshow below of the 3rd grade students creating their art.

GATE students learn PAGES!

 GATE students have been working in Pages on the MacBooks recently.  Third graders created a class newsletter about our torn paper self-portaits.  Each newsletter was personalized by adding individual photos of each student.  These were printed "hot off the press" and were taken home that same day!  After learning as a group, students have begun their own personal newsletter about themselves and their interests.  These will be printed and displayed for all to see!  Great work, 3rd graders!

Fourth grade GATE students have begun working in groups to create a brochure for the Keep Albertville Beautiful (KAB) campaign.  These brochures will be given to students their own age to let them know about how we can help to beautify Albertville!  These brochures will have factual information as well as photos of Albert the KAB mascot!  Third graders will join in on the KAB brochure project next week.

Introducing...Albert the KAB mascot!  See the cute photos of Albert below!

Personality Owls....3rd grade!

G.A.T.E. has begun!

This week has been a great start to G.A.T.E. at AES!  I finally have seen all my students and have started classes!  I was ready to see my students!   I hope you will check our blog often because I will upload photos and short videos of our class activities.

Our essential concept this year is TALENTS!  We will be exploring different learning styles, completing interest inventories, and taking online personality tests to learn more about who we are, how we like to study, what our interests are, and how we can work with others to share our TALENTS to make a difference in our class, our school, our community, and for our future!

Fourth grade GATE students created "personality owls" this week to share a little bit about "Whoooooo they are!"   Third grade students will create these next week.  Enjoy a short slideshow of the kids and their creations.

Third graders had a "photo shoot" in class to take pictures for their Ambassador badges.  I have uploaded a short slideshow of our Ambassador pictures.  Enjoy.  Check back soon to see 3rd grade personality owls!

We will be exploring our talents through a variety of ways this year.  Students will have the opportunity to share their talents and express creativity through our drawing/writing journals, self-portraits, INSPIRE art contest, and our study of "Blue Dog."  Fourth graders will be our AES Tech Team creating high quality research technology projects, such as videos, podcasts, brochures, and keynotes.  Third graders are our "Technology Team in Training."  This year students will have the opportunity to use a MacBook in class to learn iPhoto, iMovie, iWeb, Pages, Keynote, and more!  Some exciting news.....we have a class set of iPads!!!  The students and I are so excited to have this up to date technology at our fingertips!

2012-2013 will be a great year for GATE! I am excited about all the possibilities that await my students and me!

Welcome back to AES GATE!

Welcome to 2012-2013!  I hope everyone had a terrific summer and is looking forward to a great school year!  We have 15 new additions to our class....15 new iPads!  I am so excited!  Every student will now have a MacBook and an iPad to use while in the GATE classroom!  The possibilities are endless and I am thrilled to have this great, updated technology in our classroom!

Our essential concept this year will be TALENTS.....searching for your own and valuing those of others!  We will explore different ways to learn more about ourselves:  our personalities, our learning styles, our interests, our talents, and ways to share our gifts with others.  Students will be creating art in the next two weeks to reflect a little bit about their own personalities.....check back for pictures soon!

I am very excited that Albertville City Schools will be hosting the "Gifted Teacher Share Fair" for North Alabama on November 16, 2012 at AES.  Gifted teachers from different areas of Alabama will be at our school to share about their gifted programs and learn from each other.  I can't wait for them to see our school, meet some of our Ambassadors, and feel a part of the GREAT Albertville City School System!

Welcome to GATE....we have exciting adventures ahead this year!

AES Tech Team ROCKS State Technology Competition!

Congratulations to EACH MEMBER of the AES Technology Team who represented our school at the State Technology Competition at Auburn University in Montgomery on Saturday, May 5th.  I am so proud of each of the students!  They presented their projects with 100% confidence!  They looked great in our "skittles colors" of AES shirts, used fabulous manners and held adult conversation with judges, and KNEW their projects so well!  TO ME THEY ARE ALL 1st PLACE WINNERS!

AES brought home two 1st place trophies, three 2nd place trophies, and one 3rd place trophy!  Woo hoo!!!  The other Albertville schools did well also!  As the cheer goes, "It's GREAT to be from Albertville!"  So many people came by our table to ask how we got our fabulous technology...I told them the truth...we have great administration from the top down who truly care about our students.  Our main question is "What is best for the students?"  Thank you, Dr. Ayer, Mrs. Bishop, Mr. Tidmore, Dr. Slivka, and Mrs. Sheets for supporting our GATE class with the best in technology!  These kids made ACS look great this weekend!  I could not be more proud!

Please enjoy these photos of our fun times...beginning with 'finger mustache tattoos", Red Robin, swimming in the pool, then the competition!  Enjoy!

INSPIRE ART 2012

Congratulations to 5 AES GATE students who were honored at a reception at Marshall Medical Center South last Thursday night, April 26th.  These 5 students were winners in the MMCS Inspire Art Contest.  Their artwork has been professionally matted and framed and will hang under gallery lighting in the Women's Center at MMCS for the next year.  If you visit the Women's Center, be sure to stop by to see this fabulous artwork.  Winning students brought home brightly colored ribbons for their awards.

Congratulations to Layla Bell for 2nd place, Cade Boman - 3rd place, Sydney Hollis - 5th place, Will Johnson - 6th place, and Jackson Mitchell for the Foundation Award and the Physicians' Award!  Great job!