Penn Wood Elementary School

Gifted Program

October 2007 Newsletter

October 18, 2007

Greetings to Penn Wood Families,

The turn of the leaves and the changes in the winds hint of the cycles of life on this planet.   Thank you for your trust and support to all of us at Penn Wood.  Our mission is to help each of our children to reach their full potential and to become citizens who demonstrate through actions, concern and compassion for others and willingness to promote responsible stewardship.  In a few short years, the cycle of leadership for our great nation will rest in the hands of our capable students of today.  What challenges will they face?

Penn Wood Elementary is a hive of activity!  Our fall programs are well under way and there are many learning opportunities for our students to sample.  We have several new learning modules which are being explored by our students this fall.  A Rocketry mod has been exciting for many.  Students have formed corporations which are building prototype rockets that they are designing. They must work with a budget and be accountable to the government for their actions.  Our other modules include Structures and Designs, Ornithology,  Mythology,  and Advanced Drawing.

We also have a group of students participating on a Lego Robotic Team. This team functions independently from the Gifted Program, is self funded, and is open to all Penn Wood students.  This year, twelve students are involved with this activity.  They are building robots and learning to program them to perform specific missions.  In addition, students explore energy usage and alternatives to existing patterns of use.

I would like to warmly invite your family to join us for a day on the mountain as we return to the Appalachian Trail for our fall hike on  Sunday, November 4,2007. The day is designed to promote time for families to spend time together in healthy ,active living by hiking on the most famous hiking trail in North America.  The view from the top is breathtaking and the conversations a family, hiking together may be very special. Please check out our  “Nov. 4th Hike” page for more details.

Please let me know how I can be supportive of your family's needs,

Best wishes,

 Sandy Maxwell, Gifted Resource Teacher

 Back to: Penn Wood Gifted Home Page