Da Vinci Day a showcase event for young GT students

Just as a number of departments within CFISD have events and programs highlighting the opportunities they offer students, staff, families and community partners, the same can be said for the HORIZONS Program, which serves the needs and interests of academically gifted and talented students.

One of those showcase events is Da Vinci Day, which brought together more than 2,350 CFISD elementary and middle school HORIZONS students on Feb. 24 at Cypress Ridge High School for a morning of activities that challenged their critical thinking and allowed them to demonstrate skills in science, STEM and fine arts.

Volunteers from the Houston Museum of Natural Science, Alley Theater, Space Center Houston and Play-well (Legos) of Dallas brought their equipment for hands-on learning and excitement to more than 2,350 CFISD elementary and middle school HORIZONS students during Da Vinci Day, held Feb. 24 at Cypress Ridge High School. The Houston Zoo also served as a partner, bringing animals to the showcase event.

“Da Vinci Day is such a wonderful opportunity for our HORIZONS students to gather and participate in activities designed and differentiated to challenge and engage them,” said Katrina Nelson, CFISD director of advanced academics.

For the 2018 event, community partners that came in to help challenge the HORIZONS students included the Houston Museum of Natural Science, Alley Theater, Space Center Houston, Houston Zoo and Play-well (Legos) of Dallas. They brought their equipment for hands-on learning stations.

The Houston Zoo even brought animals.

Da Vinci Day is a showcase event for CFISD elementary and middle school HORIZONS students, which serves the needs and interests of academically gifted and talented students. The morning of activities challenges students and their critical thinking and allowed them to demonstrate skills in science, STEM and fine arts.

Other community partners who have been a part of Da Vinci Day activities include Little Breakers Science Lab and Color Me Mine, a paint-it-yourself ceramics studio.

But it’s not just CFISD community and business partners engaging and working with HORIZONS students at Da Vinci Day. The 2018 event saw more than 200 CFISD elementary and middle school staff and administrators lead participants through sessions like coding, robotic challenges, science labs, art activities and escape rooms.

In addition, over 200 students from Bridgeland, Cy-Fair, Cypress Falls, Cypress Lakes, Cypress Ranch, Cypress Ridge, Cypress Woods and Langham Creek high schools volunteered in helping the event be a success.

“There were sessions for everyone at all different interest levels,” said Dr. Linda Macias, associate superintendent of curriculum and instruction and accountability. “Certainly, it’s an opportunity for us to highlight our gifted and talented students and continue supporting them in this district.”

In addition to a number of community and business partners helping put together Da Vinci Day, the 2018 event had more than 200 CFISD elementary and middle school staff and administrators participanted in sessions like coding, robotic challenges, science labs, art activities and escape rooms.

HORIZONS program meets needs of gifted and talented students

Whether it’s in the classroom through instruction or at a showcase event presenting projects, participants in the HORIZONS Program, which serves to meet the needs and interests of academically gifted and talented students, are more examples of just what is available for any student within CFISD’s boundaries.

“The district recognizes and supports the unique academic, social, and emotional needs of our gifted and talented students and the HORIZONS program is dedicated to providing instruction to meet the needs and interests of academically gifted and talented students with instruction that includes differentiation in pace, depth, and complexity,” said Katrina Nelson, CFISD director of advanced academics.

Sampson Elementary School fourth-grade student Zachary Jost (right) presents his solar power project to patrons at the CFISD HORIZONS Student Showcase, held Jan. 29 at the Berry Center. The showcase is just one of many events that are part of the HORIZONS Program, which serves to meet the needs and interests of academically gifted and talented students.

No two gifted and talented students are the same, as they come from differing socio-economic, racial and cultural backgrounds.

But there are indicators and ways to help identify whether a student may be considered gifted and talented. Those advanced traits may include asking an abundance of questions, being engaged in the development of original ideas for enjoyment, using regular objects in creative ways and demonstrating extreme organizational skills.

The HORIZONS Program has an identification process, with parents encouraged to review information on the program’s website (https://www.cfisd.net/en/parents-students/academics/gifted-talented/) as a starting point. Referrals for testing should then be done with the student’s teacher(s), campus elementary counselor or secondary campus director of instruction, with referrals for students taken during the open-referral period (it was Oct. 2-Nov. 30, 2017 for this school year).

Permissions follow before the actual testing takes place. Students who score 130 or higher on the two nationally-normed standardized abilities test qualify for HORIZONS Program services, while those who score 125-129 may appeal.

The HORIZONS Student Showcase is one of the more visible events that is part of the HORIZONS Program, which seves to meet the needs and interests of academically gifted and talented students in CFISD. The 2018 showcase, held Jan. 29, saw more than 4,000 students, parents and community members visit the Berry Center.

Students in the HORIZONS Program are pushed with opportunities to accelerate in their strength areas. That includes producing advance-level products and productions.

The HORIZONS Students Showcase was established to give the students an arena to present and exhibit their work. Held Jan. 29 at the Berry Center, more than 4,000 students, parents and community members visited the 2018 event.

Another showcase event is Da Vinci Day, which will be held Feb. 24 at Cypress Ridge High School. More than 2,400 students have registered, as HORIZONS Program participants will partake in advanced-level activities that include STEM, robotics, chemistry, arts and humanities and higher-order thinking skills.