Fred Lynn Middle School

SIGNET

Course Description: The Prince William County Gifted Education Program began in 1976, and is referred to as SIGNET, an acronym for Schools Involved in Gifted Needs in Education Today. The activities used in this course of study support increased levels of complexity. The essential elements of the curriculum include study centers, small group classes and time with the Gifted Resource Teacher.

Yearly Objectives

Skills Goals

To explore and develop:
- Different approaches to solving problems
- Higher level thinking skills of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation
- Originality, flexibility, fluency, and elaboration in student products
- Processes and skills that will benefit students in their regular class settings

Content Goals

To provide:
- Curriculum based on the needs and interests of the students
- Access to current information and/or innovative practices in fields of study
- Interdisciplinary approaches to content areas

Interpersonal Affective Goals

To provide an environment conducive to:
- Respect for self and others
- Productive group and individual work in an intellectually risk-free setting
- Fostering the curiosity to be a life-long learner
- Meeting the needs of middle school students

Units of Study:

Each quarter the students are directed in a class from the area of language arts, math, science, social studies, arts, technology, computers, or problem solving. Although classes change from year to year, some examples include Building with a Bang, Create a Country, Project Based Learning, and Who am I and What does it Mean to be Gifted?

On-Going Units of Study: More than 30 study centers on various topics within the PWC curriculum will be available throughout the school year. Study centers are self-choice and self-paced.

Materials: Students will need a writing utensil, an adequate supply of paper, and their agenda.

Evaluation Policy: Students and teachers evaluate daily work in informal conferences. They also work together to evaluate final student products, both oral and written, because evaluation is considered an integral part of the learning process. The teacher evaluates the work for evidence of advanced critical and creative thinking skills. This includes appropriate use of resources, processes and products. In small group classes students may evaluate the products of other students as in the case of a contest or debate. Evaluation reports are given when a student completes a center, mid year, and end of year. Center evaluation reports may be taken home after both the student and teacher completes their parts of the report.

Time Frame: Students will receive a minimum of 70 minutes a week of Gifted Service. SIGNET will begin the week of September 21. In the event the Gifted Resource Teacher is absent for all or part of a day SIGNET will be canceled. Canceled SIGNET hours will be made up before the end of the school year.

Attendance Policy: Students are expected to be in the SIGNET classroom during their assigned SIGNET class periods. Students will be marked absent from their regularly scheduled class, however, this absence is not considered absent from school. If a student feels it necessary to miss SIGNET for a specific class period a note from the parent must be written and turned in prior to missing the SIGNET period. Any student who is absent from his/her assigned SIGNET class period, without parental permission, will have a referral sent to the office. Please note: For the safety of our students it is imperative we know where every child is at all times.

If a parent feels it is necessary for a child to not attend SIGNET for a specific amount of time please call Mrs. Meek to discuss a leave of absence.

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