Update on services for Fall 2020

This summer has not been easy for any of us. We had obtained permission to use Google classroom after a successful CLUE Camp in the GSuite. After sitting about two months ahead with instructional planning, we were told not to use the GSuite and to go back to Microsoft Teams. This put us about a month behind. That's about right for 2020 - two steps forward, one step back.

So, here we are in August working to communicate plans to parents that involve strategic decisions where we are putting families first. We have considered the many challenges that we will face together in the fall and even researched best practices for supporting gifted children with these challenges. The following plans take into account the academic needs of our students but also their social needs, emotional needs, and what all will need to keep their sanity during this time.​

Update for PreK and Kindergarten CLUE

As of right now, we are not able to provide CLUE services for PreK students. The State of TN halted all face-to-face testing last April, so we have not been able to obtain IEPs for PreK students. We will keep parents updated on when this changes.

For kindergarten students, we are prioritizing two hours of face-to-face enrichment instruction to continue CLUE support for students who were in PreK CLUE last year. Given the age of these students, it's not appropriate to lengthen the screen time for students learning virtually, so a hybrid model is not optimal. Our goal is to schedule these two hours around the foundational instruction for reading and math. CLUE teachers will schedule these service hours differently at each school site, as these schedules will depend on the kindergarten teacher's schedule.

Services for Grades 1-5 Pull-Out Enrichment

CLUE students in elementary grades will receive five hours of service through a hybrid model of synchronous (with the teacher) and asynchronous  learning (independent think time). This has always happened in our classrooms where teachers introduce a topic and a project, then students are given work time to collaborate with peers, be creative, and work a solution. What this model allows us to do is continue pushing our students to think while giving them the space in which to achieve their best work.

Students will be pulled from general education virtual learning for five hours per week. The combination of synchronous and asynchronous time depends on the school, the group of students, the unit, and the lesson. This sample schedule is only one way these five hours could manifest in a given week. What will remain the same is the two blocks of time, 2.5 hours each, so that students experience consistency in their schedules.

Services for Grades 6-9 CLUE English

CLUE students in middle and high school will receive five hours of service through a hybrid model of synchronous (with the teacher) and asynchronous  learning (independent think time). This has always happened in our classrooms where teachers provides a mini-lesson and facilitates a group discussion about a text, then students are given work time to collaborate with peers, be creative, and create a project or write a paper. What this model allows us to do is continue pushing our students to think while giving them the space in which to achieve their best work.

Students will be scheduled for CLUE English for five hours per week. The combination of synchronous and asynchronous time depends on the school, the group of students, the unit, and the lesson. This sample schedule is only one way these five hours could manifest in a given week. What will remain the same is the scheduled blocks of time, which will vary depending on the master schedule of the school which may or may not be a block schedule. The number of hours should support our minimum 3 hours of face-to-face virtual instruction.