Are you frustrated? Has your schedule changed at least once in the past week? If so, you are probably experiencing the First Week of School Blues. In all seriousness, though, this time of year is probably the most frustrating- for parents, students, teachers, and administrators- mostly because of the chaos that is scheduling. Unfortunately, we have not seen the last of it yet. In an effort to answer some recently asked questions, I decided to post a blog entry about it.
Why is my child's schedule being changed? As you may have read on The Gifted Cavaliers page, all Virginia Beach high schools use the cluster program to meet the needs of their gifted learners. Studies show that gifted students work best in clusters of like-minded students. At the high school level, we expertly choose teachers who will have those clusters, specifically focusing on the 9th and 10th grade classrooms. As the gifted resource teacher, it is my responsibility to advocate for all of our gifted students, making sure they are placed in the right classes, and working to plan excellent lessons with their teachers. Gone are the days of giving gifted kids 20 extra problems to do because they finish early. My goal, as is the goal of the cluster teachers, is to extend gifted minds by enhancing critical thinking, problem solving, and creative skills. With that being said, it was imperative for them to be placed in the right classes, thus schedule changes had to be made. Why wasn't this worked out before school? As is true with anything new, sometimes glitches wait to rear their ugly heads at the most inopportune time. Unforeseen events, like new student registrations, for example, could impact student schedules at the last minute. I assure you our administrators, guidance counselors, and I have been working 'round the clock to fix all of the issues as quickly and efficiently as possible. I am also making notes of how to improve things for next year, so as to avoid being in this predicament. Have IB schedules changed? Students taking IB courses will not have a schedule change unless they are in Governor's School for the Arts. Where can my child get a new schedule? Our goal is to have all schedule changes completed by Monday, September 14.. Please feel free to visit me or a guidance counselor to see whether your schedule has changed. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to e-mail me or complete a contact form on the CONTACT page and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you very much during your patience. Things should be calm very soon. :)
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Happy Back-to-School Gifted Cavs! I hope you all enjoyed your summer. My summer was filled with a lot of work and morsels of vacation sprinkled around. I am excited about the 2015-2016 school year, as I'm sure there will be many excellent things in store. As an introductory post, I just wanted the opportunity to introduce myself and give you a brief update about some changes that have been going on in the VB Gifted world.
My name is Jamie LaCava-Owen, but I go by Mrs. LO. This is my second year as gifted resource teacher at Princess Anne High School. Formerly, I was an English teacher, and have experienced teaching various secondary levels; secretly, 10th grade was my favorite. I have a one year old son, Carter, a husband, Ron, and a dog, Karma. I am originally from Alexandria, Virginia, and most of my Family is really important to me, which is probably why I treat students like they're members of my family. Teaching is my passion. I love getting to help students become the best versions of themselves. High school is a transformation period of self realization and actualization for many students, so being able to be a part of that growth is extremely exciting for me. I encourage parents and students to visit or contact me often, as those relationships are what make my job so pleasant. This year, Virginia Beach came out with a new 5-year plan for gifted education. We are always looking for ways to improve the already great things we are doing for our students. While most of the 5-year plan remains the same, one new addition is the focus on social-emotional growth. This focus on a student's expression, emotion-management, and relationships will be at the forefront of our minds as we plan for each educational experience.. To learn more about the 2015-2020 plan, please click HERE. I am very excited about all that this year will bring. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me. The best way to get in contact with me is via e-mail or google number, both of which can be found on the CONTACT page. Have an excellent 2015-2016 year! I hope to meet you all! |
Mrs. LOI am a lover of English, Starbucks, and all things gifted!! My goal is to educate and empower gifted learners because they will be the leaders of the future. Archives
January 2019
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