By Donna Vaupel, NJAGC President, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

March is Gifted and Talented Students Month and this year, we are encouraging everyone (parents, students, educators, and advocates) to develop a variety of ways to celebrate. NJAGC will be kicking off the month with our 19th Annual Conference “Stimulating Change for the Gifted Learner: Shooting for the Stars” on March 4-5, 2010 at the Conference Center at Mercer. With nationally known speakers and numerous workshop presenters sharing cutting edge information about strategies for teaching and learning, resources and networking opportunities, the conference has something for everyone. Leaders in the field of gifted education, as well as our Nicholas Green winners, will also be honored at the conference. The week following the conference, NJAGC will be represented at the National Association for Gifted’s annual affiliate conference in Washington, DC. This is an opportunity to meet with colleagues on a national level, as well as to spend time with legislators as part of a Capitol Hill visit, sharing information about meeting the needs of gifted children.

Last year, NJAGC hosted a series of book fairs in cooperation with Barnes and Noble. We hope to continue these again this year. If you are interested in working with us to host one in your area, please  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it us. We can work with you to create more awareness for gifted children throughout the state. 

Please visit our site for information on how your child or student can enter our Art and Writing Contest to recognize these special talents.

What are some ways you can bring attention to gifted children and the gifts and talents of all children during Gifted and Talented Students Month? Well, here are a few suggestions to get you started.

Teachers

• Invite former GT students to your class as guest speakers.
• Host a parent visitation time, similar to American Education Week.  Include administrators and Board of Education members.
• Invite administrators and Board of Education members to share their special gifts and talents with your students.
• Have students research famous gifted people (representing different areas of giftedness) and create a “Did You Know?” facts/picture display to be viewed throughout the month.
• Create a “Who Am I?” contest with a short biography of a famous gifted person for students and staff to enter.
• Create and deliver daily PA announcements, highlighting interesting facts on different types of gifts and talents that close with the question, “What are your gifts and talents?”
• Create a bulletin board display with pictures/cut-outs of light bulbs.  On each light bulb write one of the individual gifts and talents of the school’s students and staff.
• Have gifted students write notes to members of the Board of Education thanking them for their support of gifted programs.
• In March, and as well as at different times throughout the year, have students write to administrators and Board of Education members updating them on class projects.  Invite them to visit the class frequently.

Parents

• Encourage your Board of Education to recognize Gifted and Talented Students Month through a board resolution or bulletin
• Write a Letter to the Editor of your local newspaper about gifted issues.
• Talk with your child about famous gifted adults and discuss what some of their challenges were as children.
• Talk with your child about some of your gifts and talents and how you discovered and developed them in your life. Create a “family tree” of gifts. Take note of any gifts or talents that many members of your family have in common.
• Ask your local librarian to locate biographies of gifted people for your family to read and discuss. 
• Publish a class newsletter or web page describing class projects.

With a little thought and ingenuity, you can create an opportunity to advocate for gifted students and to raise awareness of NJAGC and its goals. Please send your ideas and activities to me ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) so they can be shared with others on the NJAGC website (www.njagc.org). A copy of the Joint Resolution declaring March “Gifted and Talented Students Month” is available on our website under the Advocacy link.