Gifted Elementary

The San Tan Charter School self-contained Gifted Elementary Program is a full-day program designed for qualified students who need the support and challenge that a peer group of students with similar academic interests and abilities provides. The goal of this program is to provide students who have advanced intellectual, academic, and/or creative thinking skills the opportunity to dynamically interact with teachers who specialize in gifted education as well as peers of similar aptitude within a rigorous, interdisciplinary learning environment in order to reach their highest levels of learning and accomplishment.

Similar to our Mainstream Elementary program the Gifted Elementary program is designed to meet each student where they are and bring them to their cutting edge of knowledge and thinking. Time on task along with high student engagement is expected and monitored to assure students will accomplish their learning objectives daily at school.

Small class sizes and cluster groupings within our self-contained gifted classrooms will contribute to student accountability and their individual responsibility for learning each day.

Our Gifted Teachers focus on multiple opportunities within the curriculum for varied applications of concepts. Classroom instruction expands and accelerates the traditional curriculum to accommodate the unique needs and interests of the students. Differentiation in environment, instructional methods, course content, process, and product provides appropriate educational experiences for these students.

Students are provided with a rigorous interdisciplinary core curriculum of language arts, social studies, science, and math. Standard curriculum is compacted for students who demonstrate mastery and proficiency in basic skills. Students also have an opportunity to explore areas of interest in depth through independent research.

Educational interventions and appropriate modifications are provided in the learning environment through the use of the Roadrunner Roadmap. Roadmaps are used to create learning groups and tailor instruction within the classroom. The learning environment includes flexible grouping, homogenous grouping, and/or heterogeneous grouping, and differentiation. Students learn through inquiry, active exploration, creating projects that demonstrate learning, and self-evaluation. Teacher evaluation is based on criteria established through rubrics, standards of excellence, and program goals.

Elementary Curriculum

The learning programs utilized throughout San Tan Charter School have been selected for their curriculum strength and teaching flexibility. Utilized across all elementary grades, these programs are malleable enough to be tailed toward each students Roadrunner Roadmap as well as support the speed and depth of information needed in our Gifted program.

Language Program – Imagine It!
San Tan Charter School is committed to helping students achieve a high level of Reading Skills from Kindergarten through Seventh grade. With this in mind, the SRA/McGraw Hill “Imagine It!” Reading curriculum has been chosen to assist staff and students with this goal. The “Imagine It!” curriculum is the upgraded version of the Open Court curriculum, a research based program that includes essential reading curriculum and instructional elements resulting from the convergence of evidence of what is and is not effective reading instruction over the last 15 years. “Imagine It!” uses a three-pronged approach in phonics instruction, with reading modules, language arts activities, and writing skill practice. This allows a teacher to easily accommodate all levels of readers in the classroom effectively. One of the main emphases is a 120-minute teacher-directed reading block in each classroom daily to help students develop a lifelong love of reading and reap significant personal and academic benefits from developing the essential skills for independent reading skills.

The “Imagine It!” curriculum is highly scripted allowing teachers of all backgrounds to daily and consistently teach fluency, grammar, writing, comprehension, workbook practice, story and theme connections. The curriculum also serves as a basis for spelling, grammar and writing as well without having to add additional programs to perform those curriculum functions. Students learn to blend, read, spell and communicate throughout the reading block.

Each lesson plan uses the concept/question board to help students understand and explore what they are learning. In essence, students see material multiple times through pre-teaching concepts, teaching and re-teaching lessons, as well as, through workstation activities and games. The variety of lesson ideas and extensions help students to learn in a variety of ways and be successful in mastering the state standards at their grade level and beyond.

Mathematics Program – Scott Foresman/Addison Wesley enVisionMATH
San Tan Charter School’s students will meet and exceed state standards’ in the content area of Math from Kindergarten through Sixth grade. The Scott Foresman /Addison Wesley enVisionMATH curriculum has been chosen to assist staff and students with this goal. San Tan Charter School has chosen the Addison Wesley enVisionMATH because it supports daily, hands-on Interactive Learning. Daily lessons provide a Visual Learning Bridge that teaches math concepts step-by-step with purposeful, sequential illustrations while connecting Interactive Learning with guided and independent skill and problem solving practice. The lesson-level Benchmark and Strategic Intervention, combined with Topic-Level Intensive Intervention provide data-driven differentiated instruction making math accessible to all children by providing the flexibility necessary to personalize instruction. San Tan Charter School has researched many curriculum options and feel that daily problem-based interactive learning in the enVisionMath Program, followed by visual learning strategies deepens the conceptual understanding for students by making meaningful connections.

The Addison Wesley enVisionMATH will help staff deliver strong, sequential visual/verbal connections through the Visual Learning Bridge in every lesson. In addition, the ongoing diagnosis & intervention and daily data-driven differentiation built into every lesson will ensure that every student has the opportunity to succeed in mastering the state standards at their grade level and beyond.

Music
The Music Program at San Tan Charter School focuses on the overall aspect of a lifetime of music appreciation. Children will continue on their journey through Basic Music Competency and beyond with and exploration of singing, rhythm and movement, self-expression, improvisation, composition, and the various sounds of musical instruments.

Art
The opportunity for children to express themselves through unique works of art instills creative problem-solving skills, as well as sensorial and cultural awareness in young minds. Through multi-sensory development the fine arts cement knowledge of all general subjects and promote a cultural of awareness through the child’s mind.

Physical Education
The Dynamic Physical Education program developed by Robert Pangrazzi from Arizona State is one of the most utilized curriculums in schools today. This program was selected to provide a comprehensive curriculum, which emphasizes fitness and healthy lifestyles.

Health – Healthy Body Image
Healthy Body Image: Teaching Kids to Eat and Love Their Bodies Too! The most widely used curriculum for promoting healthy body image, eating, fitness and weight in children.

Science – Standards Based
Science curriculum is based on the scientific method. Students develop the scientific curriculum of Process-Product. Filled with experiments and hands on research, allows for taking students through each step of the scientific method. San Tan’s curriculum places a heavy emphasis on investigatory skills, coupled with problem finding and problem solving. Through extensions, students can implement individual interests and projects. All Science Units are given one grade higher than state standard curriculum.

Social Studies – Standards Based
Social Studies is the integrated study of the social sciences to prepare young people to become responsible citizens. Social Studies curriculum allows students to draw connections to history and use higher thinking skills to correlate past with present trends. Focus areas will also include citizenship and government, geography, and map skills, and an overview of state history. All Social Studies units are given one grade higher than state standard curriculum.

Spelling – Words Their Way
Teacher’s trust Words Their Way to teach students phonics, spelling, and vocabulary. This powerful approach to word study encourages students to look closely at words to discover the regularities and conventions of written English needed to read and spell. Word Study Activities, organized as always by developmental spelling stage. This organization allows for an encompassing scope and sequence designed to individual match to students abilities.

NWEA – MAP testing
Measures of Academic Progress® (MAP®) yields rich data that can be used to individualize instruction and analyze programs. Based on over 30 years of research, MAP is a key tool for measuring growth and predicting proficiency over time. Understanding each student’s academic level gives teachers the power to help them excel. MAP computerized adaptive assessments are the tools that make it possible – providing educators with the detailed information they need to build curriculum and meet their students’ needs, one child at a time.

Character Counts – Six Pillars of Character
San Tan Charter School firmly believes in promoting character education in all areas of the school day. Whether at work, at home, or at play, there are basic values that define ethical behavior. These values are not political, religious, or culturally biased. Josephson Institute calls them the Six Pillars of Character, and they form the basis of all Institute programs at San Tan Charter School. To learn more about the Six Pillars of Character Visit our Learn Happy page

More Information

If you would like to recommend your student for Gifted Testing, download and complete the Parent Recommendation Form and submit to the front office.

Explore our Gifted Community events or download our Gifted Program Policy for more information.