Gifted Education » Gifted Education

Gifted Education

Discovery 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. 
 
SCOPE AND SEQUENCE
How our Gifted Program Works:
 
Gifted students at Johnston School receive both expanded academic course offerings in the classroom and 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 the 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 twice a week with the exception of Kindergarten students who attend once a week.
Need Enrichment Now?  Try our Imagination Zone!
Imagination Zone
 
 
Testing: 
 
LightbulbIf 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.
 
Next Gifted Testing Dates: 
 

✏️ Fall testing September 23th to October 10th

✏️ Winter Testing: January 6th to January 24th 2025. 

✏️ Spring Testing: April 28th  to May 6th      Note: Referrals due by April 8th , 2025

IMPORTANT REMINDERS: 
Specific testing dates for each school will be determined based on number of the number of referrals submitted by referral deadlines, announced to teachers. 
Please remember no student may be tested without parent permission.  Deadlines for referrals and parent permission slips for testing will be emailed to teachers prior to testing dates. 
 
 
 
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.
 
Contact Information for Mrs. Westen
 
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.