Gifted Program Expansion
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 28, 2020
Contact: Kristofer Sippel
CEO/Superintendent of Schools
San Tan Charter School Inc.
480-222-0811
San Tan Charter School is Expanding its Gifted Program at its Two Gilbert Campuses
The School Has Already Hired Several New Highly-Qualified Teachers for the Popular Gifted Program, and Will Also Launch a New Kinderversity Class This Fall
GILBERT, Arizona—Since 2012, San Tan Charter School has been a leader for gifted education in the East Valley.
As Dr. Kristofer Sippel, Superintendent of San Tan Charter School in Gilbert noted, about one-fifth of the school’s students have been identified as gifted and currently take advantage of the school’s advanced program, which features self-contained gifted classes at the elementary level and a variety of options for junior high and high school students including a Scholars Prep Program, as well as Advanced Placement (AP), Dual Enrollment and Honors classes.
In order to provide even more personalized learning opportunities to the current gifted students, as well as accommodate additional students who enroll in the school, San Tan Charter School is working to expand its popular gifted program. Sippel said, the adding of newly hired teachers will help support the expansion of the school’s gifted community AP and Dual Enrollment courses including AP Biology, AP Chemistry and AP World History.
“Our gifted offerings also include specialized field trips and electives as well as an established gifted culture within the school.”
Michelle Tischer, Academic Achievement Coordinator said San Tan Charter School will launch a new Kinderversity class. “Our Kinderversity program offers an advanced kinder experience for students who are ready for a focused, complex, and academically advanced program that is perfectly tailored to challenge gifted and high performing learners,” Tischer said, adding that Kinderversity also offers academics aligned to each student’s level, which will challenge and stimulate the student’s love of learning.
“Our teachers are trained to set an appropriate pace and depth of content that will meet the academic and developmental needs of each individual student. Each student receives an advanced individualized learning plan, and our curriculum is designed to ensure each student is personally challenged and learns something new every day.”
The new Kinderversity program will be able to accommodate 22 learners starting this fall, Tischer said. San Tan Charter School’s current self-contained gifted elementary classes for grades 1 through 6 will offer gifted instruction for approximately 150 learners, and at the Power Campus, the Scholar’s Prep program for grades 7 through 12 will offer advanced instruction for approximately 100 learners.
Students of any age who qualify for the gifted program will receive an individualized education that challenges them at their skill level, Tischer said.
“Our teachers are trained to meet the specific needs of our gifted learners academically, socially and emotionally. We strive to meet each child’s individual learning needs at his or her skill level, ensuring every student is challenged and able to learn something new every day” she said.
Tischer, Dr. Sippel, and the entire staff at San Tan Charter School are thrilled to be expanding their gifted program.
“The gifted brain learns differently than typical students. Many gifted students face a daily academic and social struggles that can impede their emotional, creative and intellectual development,” she said.
“It is essential to bring these students into a gifted program early, so that appropriate instructional methodologies can be employed to assist their personal development. A gifted learner learns best in an environment where they are understood and fit in with other students who think and learn in ways similar to themselves.”
***ADDITIONAL PHOTOS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST***For more information about San Tan Charter School and how the school is currently expanding its gifted program, please contact Kris Sippel at 480-222-0811.
About San Tan Charter School:
San Tan Charter School is a Kinder-12th grade public non-profit tuition free charter school with two campuses in the East Valley within minutes of each other. The Power campus is a Junior High/High school serving students in grades 7-12 and the Recker campus is an elementary school with a private preschool serving students PreK-6. The school uses a Love and Logic® approach to classroom management that is focused on building relationships and communicating with respect. The school focuses on “Education with a Purpose,” which means the teachers encourage their students’ love of learning, which enables them to face challenges and develop critical thinking skills. San Tan Charter School also offers individualized learning plans, and as a college and career ready school, they are focused on maximizing each student’s intellectual development through Honors/AP classes, Concurrent/Dual Enrollment classes and robust elective choices. For more information, please visit https://santancharterschool.com/
