Gifted students are those students who demonstrate high levels of academic accomplishment or show exceptional academic potential beyond their age peers of similar experience or environment. These students need advanced and complex content that is paced and sequenced to respond to their intellectual curiosity, exceptional problem-solving abilities, and rapid acquisition and mastery of information.
The PWCS Gifted Education Program offers pull-out resource services in Kindergarten through 12th grade for students whose learning needs cannot be entirely met in the general education classroom setting.
Gifted students typically have one of more of the following characteristics.
- Curious, questioning attitude
- Keen observer
- Vivid imagination
- Learns quickly
- Sophisticated sense of humor
- Exceptional memory
- Sensitive to human issues, fairness, justice
- Strong communication skills
- Motivated to learn or develop a skill
- Quick to learn a second language
- Intense interests
- Enjoys problem-solving
The gifted education identification process is ongoing throughout the school year. A student may be referred at any time by a parent, professional, divisionwide screening tool, or self-referral. The process begins with the completion of a referral form. These forms are available below.
Gifted referral form - English (PDF)
Gifted referral form – Spanish (PDF)
Please return your referral form to Mrs. Murphy, available to students who are identified as requiring services in grades kindergarten through twelve. All Gifted Education Services for kindergarten through third grade are provided within our school building.
Grades K-3 Gifted Education Services and Curriculum
Students in kindergarten through grade three receive services once each week. The time per class varies according to grade level from 25 to 90 minutes. The goals of the Gifted Education Program are to promote critical, creative, and conceptual thinking, communication skills, and independent as well as collaborative learning skills. Students engage in units that extend and enrich the grade level content in Math, Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies as well as addressing thinking and learning skills. Identified students also receive enrichment and extension daily in the regular classroom during instruction. The gifted resource teacher provides critical and creative thinking instruction to all students in each classroom once per quarter in kindergarten through second grade, as well.
Written Communication With Parents
Differentiated Services Plans are prepared by the resource teacher in collaboration with the classroom teacher each fall. These plans indicate to the parents what specific services are planned to meet the needs of each identified student.
Newsletters are sent home quarterly informing parents of units currently being studied as well as general information about the program. Supplemental newsletters may also be sent as needed.
Student progress reports are sent home at the end of each semester. The progress report is included in the students' report card and indicates their progress toward achieving the goals of the Gifted Education Program at their grade level.
Announcements and newsletters are also available by email. If you wish to receive information by email, please provide your address to Mrs. Wilco.
For further information about the Gifted Education Program in Prince William County Public Schools:
www.pwcs.edu/academics___programs/gifted_education/index.
Identification
The START program lasts through the end of third grade. During the third grade year, all students are evaluated in order to determine whether placement in the SIGNET program is appropriate
Students may be identified for services based on academic ability in language, mathematics, or both.
Prince William County has established a multiple-criteria screening process which takes into account several aspects of a child's performance, including aptitude testing, parent and teacher narratives, grades, and classroom work samples. No single criteria either includes or excludes a child from placement in the gifted program.
A student may be referred by a teacher or a parent, as well as by themselves, other school staff, or individuals in the community. Referral forms are available on the Prince William County Public Schools website under Gifted Education. They are also available in the West Gate Elementary School office.
www.pwcs.edu/academics___programs/gifted_education/the_identification_process
Contact Information
The Gifted Resource teacher assigned to West Gate Elementary for kindergarten through fifth grade is Jamie Murphy. Mrs. Murphy can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at 703-368-4404. Phone calls are welcome, and will be returned as soon as possible. Conferences are encouraged, and may be scheduled at any time during the school year.