Academics

 Our goal is to prepare our students for life's choices and challenges. We will maintain high expectations and challenge students to learn, grow, and achieve to each student's highest possible potential. We will enhance the learning process by fostering an atmosphere of respect, love and dignity.  Second grade is a year of transition in which students will become more independent thinkers and learners. 

In second grade, we extend their educational experience by focusing on increasing fluency and strengthening reading comprehension skills.  Each day is filled with many opportunities to read through the Daily 5: Reading to Self, Working on Writing, Reading to a Partner, Word Work and Listening to Reading.  Children are also engaged in focused writing lessons, poetry, shared reading and guided reading in a small group setting.  GFAA Second graders will write, illustrate, and publish their own narratives and expository pieces in their classrooms.  This is an exciting way for them to work together, build their confidence and take pride in their accomplishments.
 
Math continues to be very important to the expanding mind of a 2nd grader too!  Our students are taught to think mathematically, to reason, and to implement strategies related to problem solving.  This will enable them to have the skills needed to achieve success as they move through the upper grades.  Students use a "hands on" approach with manipulatives and math journaling.  They are taught to see relationships and patterns and to use numbers with confidence as they solve problems.  We expand beyond basic arithmetic; they are delving deeper into measurement, geometry statistics and probability. 
 
Science is always exciting, especially to our 2nd graders.  We cover a wide range of science curriculum throughout the year, and develop deeper understandings of skills they have learned previously.  It is always exciting for them when we encounter science in a lab atmosphere or take the classroom on the road to one of our two school gardens.
 
Science and social studies are also integrated into the reading program.  The goal is to guide children to apply the skills they learn in reading to the acquisition of knowledge through reading informational books, magazines, and children's encyclopedias.  This develops their associative skills, as well as the "basic skills".  Interest is high because children are naturally curious about the world in which they live.

For elementary students in GPISD, Bilingual/ESL Programs provides a dual language program whose goal is bilingualism, biliteracy, and biculturalism. In this program, we provide one and two-way models, according to the needs of our campuses. In each of the models, the subjects contained in the curriculum are divided between the two languages of instruction, which are Spanish and English. No matter the language of instruction, the focus of the program is to develop knowledge of the necessary content in a way that can be transferred. The uniqueness of these models lies not in the way the subjects are taught, but in the students, who compose the classes.

A los alumnos de primaria en GPISD proveemos un programa de lenguaje dual cuya meta es de ayudar a los alumnos a lograr el domino en hablar, escribir y leer en dos idiomas, y valorar de forma equitativa dos culturas. Este programa se ofrece mediante los modelos de una y de dos vías, de acuerdo con las necesidades de cada campus. En ambos modelos las materias del currículo se dividen entre los dos lenguajes de enseñanza - inglés y español. Independientemente del lenguaje de enseñanza, el enfoque del programa es el desarrollo del conocimiento de la materia de modo que el alumno pueda transferirlo de un idioma al otro. La distinción entre los dos modelos consiste no en la manera en que se presenta la enseñanza, sino en los alumnos que componen las clases.

English

Spanish

One-Way

In a one-way classroom, all the students are from a non-English-speaking background. They are consistently provided with opportunities to acquire English. Beginning students learn to read and write in their native language, and these skills are later transferable to English. The student’s native language is not subtracted as English develops. It continues to be developed, with the end result being that students who complete the program will be proficient readers, writers, and speakers of both languages.

En el salón de una vía, todos los alumnos son de antecedentes de habla no inglesa. De forma consistente se les proveen oportunidades para adquirir el inglés. Los alumnos principiantes aprenden a leer y escribir en su idioma natal, y después pueden transferir estas destrezas al inglés. El desarrollo del idioma natal del alumno no se suspende mientras desarrolla el inglés. La habilidad del lenguaje sigue aumentando en los dos idiomas y el resultado es que al completar el programa entero los alumnos serán competentes en leer, escribir, y hablar los dos idiomas.

Elementary campuses that offer one-way dual language are:

• Austin Environmental Science Academy
• Bowie Fine Arts Academy
• Global Leadership Academy at Barbara Bush Elementary
• Daniels Academy of Science and Math
• Morton Elementary
• Dickinson Montessori Academy
• Eisenhower Elementary
• Garcia Elementary
• Marshall Leadership Academy
• Ochoa STEM Academy
• Rayburn Elementary STEAM Academy
• Seguin Elementary
• Whitt Fine Arts Academy
• Williams Elementary
• De Zavala Environmental Science Academy

Two-Way

In the two-way model, each class is composed of both native English speakers and speakers of other languages. The goal is to have both languages equally represented. Each language group receives initial literacy, reading and writing instruction, in their native language, whether that be English or Spanish. Once students reach 2nd grade, all students receive both English and Spanish literacy equally.  For this reason, our Two-Way program cannot accept Opt-in students past 1st semester of 1st grade unless they have a documented Dual Language history. This will ensure students can be successful when they reach second grade literacy in both languages across content areas.

As with the one-way model, the subjects in the curriculum are purposefully divided between the two languages. This arrangement allows students to transfer their knowledge of the subjects from one language to the other. The ultimate goal is the same as for the one-way model: proficiency in reading, writing, and speaking in two languages.

En el modelo Dual de dos vías, cada clase está compuesta tanto por hablantes nativos de inglés como por hablantes de otros idiomas. El objetivo es que ambos idiomas estén igualmente representados. Cada grupo lingüístico recibe instrucción inicial de alfabetización, lectura y escritura en su idioma nativo, ya sea inglés o español. Una vez que los estudiantes llegan al segundo grado, todos los estudiantes reciben alfabetización tanto en inglés como en español por igual. Por esta razón, nuestro programa Dual de dos vías no puede aceptar estudiantes nativos de inglés después del 1er semestre de 1er grado, a menos que tengan un historial documentado de instrucción en un programa de lenguaje dual. Esto garantizará que los estudiantes puedan tener éxito cuando alcancen la alfabetización de segundo grado en ambos idiomas en todas las materias.

Al igual que con el modelo Dual de una vía, las materias del plan de estudios se dividen intencionalmente entre los dos idiomas. Esta división permite a los estudiantes transferir sus conocimientos de las materias de un idioma a otro. El objetivo final es el mismo que el del modelo Dual de una vía: dominio de la lectura, la escritura y el hablar en dos idiomas.

Elementary campuses that offer two-way dual language are:

Las escuelas que ofrecen el programa Dual de dos vías son:

• Mosely Elementary
• Travis World Language Academy

Welcome to the GFAA Bridges Lab. This year the lab is being coordinated by Rachel Moss. This is Mrs. Moss' 6th year at GFAA and her 14th year in GPISD. She has a BS in Elementary Education from Southwestern Assemblies of God University. 

The Bridges Lab is an intervention program based on the “Structure of Intellect” (SOI) model and “Integrated Practice Protocol” (IPP) which was developed by Bob and Mary Meeker. The model has been used for over 50 years in education, industry and the armed forces. The program uses a system of materials and exercises to develop students’ intellectual abilities and perceptual cognition by integrating sensory skills with cognitive abilities.

The Bridges Lab is a gym for your brain, just as a workout is for your body and muscles. Students increase their learning abilities by completing exercises that focus on visual, auditory and sensory motor activities. Focused training tasks consist of memory exercises, fine motor and perceptual activities, trampoline and balance board exercises, and book work.

In K-2, students work through exercises as a group to develop sensory integration and focusing skills. These skills relate to general learning abilities, concentration, memory, reading, math, eye-hand coordination, balance, and both fine and gross motor skills. 

In grades 3-5, students work through individualized exercise programs to develop sensory integration and focusing skills. The SOI/IPP system allows us to efficiently assess, diagnose and treat learning problems. Students come away from the Bridges Lab better equipped to learn.

Below is a YouTube video from SOI systems about the program.

What does GIFTED AND TALENTED MEAN?

“…gifted and talented student” means a child or youth who performs at or shows the potential for performing at a remarkably high level of accomplishment when compared to others of the same age, experience, or environment and who: -exhibits high performance capability in an intellectual, creative, or artistic area -possesses an unusual capacity for leadership -excels in a specific academic field” -The State of Texas

Elementary Gifted & Talented students take part in a pull out program in grades 1-5.

The campus Gifted Specialist provides instruction for the pull out classes. Curriculum units at this level are interdisciplinary and based on broad themes. The units capture the high levels of achievement that GT students are able to exhibit. They incorporate logical critical and creative thinking skills into the core academic areas of math, reading, writing, science, and social studies. All GT students participate in the Texas Performance Standards Project.. Independent research opportunities allow students to investigate specific topics of interest and to develop sophisticated products.

GT students participate in Chess Club and Destination Imagination. For more information email Ms. Stone.

Duke Talent Identification Program

Texas Association for the Gifted & Talented

Advanced Academics information

Texas Education Agency Gifted & Talented information

National Association for Gifted Children

Hoagies' Gifted Education Page