Jackter listed as Top Connecticut School in Johns Hopkins Talent Search
CHALLENGING LEARNERS, INSPIRING MINDS, BEYOND BOUNDARIES!
Laura Messinger, Enrichment Specialist
The JJIS CLIMB enrichment program provides a variety of specialized education services designed to support critical thinking and creative problem solving challenges for students that ensure their continuous growth. CLIMB services include 1) School-Wide Enrichment opportunities such as our annual Invention Convention, which is open to all interested JJIS students (see Student Life for more information), 2) Resource referral to families for enriching opportunities, materials and programs focused on challenge, 3) Professional Development & Consultation for elementary and intermediate schools, 4) Program Identification and Computer Adaptive Testing and Assessment Services, 5) CLIMB classes for identified students and 6) Teacher Collaborations and Consultation supporting CLIMB students as well as additional clusters of identified high ability/high potential students.
Each spring, families of every second grader in Colchester are invited by mail to recommend their children for CLIMB program evaluation should they believe their child may need challenge beyond that which is ordinarily provided in the regular classroom. Teachers then add only recommendations not already received from parents. All recommended students are evaluated at the beginning of their third grade school year. Small numbers of recommended grade 4 and grade 5 students new to our district or for whom re-evaluation has been requested may also be evaluated at this time.
CLIMB evaluations follow best practices recommended by the National Association for Gifted Children. For more information, go to The National Association for Gifted Children. Evaluations are conducted throughout September and October and are comprised of six components: 1) Non-Verbal Ability Test, 2) Figural Test of Creative Thinking, 3) Math Achievement, 4) Reading Comprehension, 5) Parent Inventory of Learning, Leadership and Motivation and 6) Teacher Inventory of Learning, Leadership and Motivation. Evaluation results and program eligibility are provided to parents by mail during the month of November.
Two groups of students are identified for support services which they receive throughout the remainder of their time at JJIS. Beginning in grade 4 and continuing in grade 5, both CLIMB and C/C students are cluster placed with peers who have similar needs in a classroom whose teacher collaborates with the Enrichment Specialist to support their growth and development. Teachers who elect to have CLIMB and C/C clusters commit to these regular collaborations and have also voluntarily participated in professional development and special training on understanding and meeting the unique needs of gifted and high-end learners. To ensure a smooth transition for each of these identified students as they enter middle school, the Enrichment Specialist and the JJIS Reading and Math Consultants collaborate together with WJJMS personnel.
CLIMB students also receive direct instructional services from the Enrichment Specialist beginning December of their third grade year. CLIMB classes meet for a minimum of 120 minutes per week in the CLIMB classroom during the regular school day. CLIMB studies focus on challenging academic, social & emotional learning that requires critical and creative thinking for effective problem solving. For research regarding the use of Enrichment Clusters in scheduling students, Dr. Renzulli of UCONN has an excellent resource.
