A Letter from Cindy Badon, SAGE Chair

Dear GT Parents & GT Teachers,

 

My name is Cindy Badon, and I am the new SAGE Chair for Frisco ISD Council of PTA's.  SAGE stands for Special And Gifted Education, and our endeavor is to promote a close alliance between parents and educators of diverse learners in hopes of benefiting all children. I come to this position with an interesting perspective in that I have two children – one child fits the special needs population that SAGE serves, and my other child fits the gifted population that SAGE serves. 

 

Speaking in regards to the GT component of SAGE, I know all too well how it feels to have concerns about my gifted child that seem, at times, "insignificant" to others in light of the needs of my special needs child.  That being said, his needs are no less important to him or to me!  This is why I think it best that most meetings are geared toward one population or the other, with parents whose children are twice exceptional being able to freely pick and choose what fits for their child without having to feel as if they must choose one OR the other.

 

First SAGE “GT Meet and Greet” - Agenda

Wednesday, Sept. 21st
Curtsinger Elementary School  Cafeteria
7:00 pm

 

Speaker:  Julie Martin, GT Coordinator for FISDBrief report about positive areas she’s seen in GT after being in the position for one year

         

Speaker:  Cindy Badon, Frisco ISD SAGE ChairBrief report about her vision for how to improve/grow the GT side of SAGE & discuss how parents can get involved and help

General SAGE Goals:

• Create one committee with two distinct areas.  (Please see the attached diagram for specifics. Some of these positions are filled already, and some are in the process of being filled, but we have more needs on our GT side right now.)

• Update our website with interactive areas where parents can share ideas, links and documents, ask questions, brainstorm, and have online groups.

• Develop a resource fair that provides information regarding resources that are available throughout the year for each of the 2 populations SAGE serves.  (This will differ from Plano's SAGE Resource Fair in that theirs focuses on summer activities and camps.)

GT Goals

• Continue the wonderful and popular game nights that GATES created and developed for the GT students.

• Bring in speakers who specialize in programs for parents of GT students.

• Create a parent round table to discuss student needs and ideas for addressing those needs both at school and at home.  Utilize parent surveys to further assess these needs, developing a wider knowledge base of where our vision is as a whole.

• Develop a core group of parent to collaboratively work with FISD administrators to share ideas from the round table discussions and data from surveys along with positive ideas of how we can work to enhance our GT program over time.

• Encourage group formation among our student population based on common interests.

Our main focus with the GT group is to allow the ideas of the parents to mold and shape the GT side of SAGE into what they want it to be.  The majority of our program’s budget this year will be spent on filling out our GT program.  We realize that merging the services that GATES previously provided for G/T students and parents with SAGE has created concern for some parents and students.  We are, however, pleased to continue some of the ideas and wonderful activities that  were generated by GATES.  In addition, we look forward to gathering new and varied ideas from those of you who wish to participate in SAGE.

 

I look forward to meeting you!

 

Sincerely,

Cindy Badon