Gifted Education
The Gifted Education Program at Colonel Johnston Elementary School offers hands-on experiences, where students learn through creativity and play in a weekly pull out program.
How our Gifted Program Works:
⭐Gifted students at Johnston School receive both expanded academic course offerings in the classroom and may attend a 1 hour pullout program on a weekly basis.
⭐Expanded Academic Course Offerings: Offerings may include acceleration, enrichment, flexible pacing, and interdisciplinary curriculum. Differentiated instruction that includes creative thinking, problem solving, and higher order thinking is a big part of the program as well.
⭐Pullout Sessions: The pullout sessions give students the chance to participate in Project Based Learning where the focus is on creative thinking, problem solving, and higher order thinking. Collaboration and communication with peers helps students grow academically and socially. The schedule for pullout sessions generally has students attending sessions once a week.
Need Enrichment Now? Try our Imagination Zone!
Testing:
If you believe your student is gifted you may request that they be tested. Referrals are available at each school site and testing occurs three times a school year. Students may only be tested once per school year. Students may be referred by either a parent, themselves, or teacher in order to be considered for testing for the gifted program.Gifted Test Dates:
Dates for each school differ depending on the number of referrals received.
Please refer to your child's testing permission slip for specific testing dates.
✏️ Fall Testing: Time Frame: September 28th to October 15th.
Referrals due by: September 8th, 2026.
✏️ Winter Testing: Time Frame: January 5th to January 22nd.
Referrals due by: December 8th, 2026
✏️ Spring Testing: 25-26: April 26th to May 14th
Referrals due by: April 5th, 2026
**Gifted Testing takes place 3 times a year in accordance with the Arizona State Mandate**
*Dates and schedule are determined by the District Gifted Teacher in collaboration with site principals*
Have Questions? Please Contact:
Nadia Westen, the District Gifted Teacher, works with each school site to ensure the gifted students are participating in project based learning, challenging students to increase skills in the 4C’s- collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, and communication. Mrs. Westen has been teaching gifted education since 2013. Her philosophy for learning is that each child is unique, and each child learns in a different way, one of the jobs of gifted education is to help your child discover his or her individuality and work alongside them to maximize it.
The philosophy of the Fort Huachuca Accommodation School District is one that encourages and nurtures complex thinking and creativity within an inclusive environment that allows for optimal development. Our district supports a multi-dimensional teaching approach that provides an appropriate academic curriculum.