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Mrs. Roz |
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FAQFrequently Asked Questions: This page contains answers to common questions of students and parents.
PRISM is an acronym for the middle-level enrichment program of the WW-P School District. It stands for Performance Revealing Individual Student Magic. How can my child get involved in PRISM? PRISM is a voluntary enrichment program that is first offered to students who have been identified as "exceptionally able" through the WWP Exceptionality Initiative. Students who excel in PRISM are those with excellent task commitment, classroom performance, and creativity. SIXTH graders will begin working in PRISM near the end of September. Identification for PRISM involvement begins with the district's Exceptionality Initiative. Another way for students to become active in PRISM is through a referral by a middle school teacher. Students will follow a monthly schedule and will meet with Mrs.Rosnick at least three times a month. CMS PRISM offers these programs: Future Problem Solving, National History Day, Rogate, Scenario Writing, and Community Problem Solving Program. Students can also set up their own form of enrichment, with the help of Mrs. Rosnick and the guidance of the team teachers. Can you tell me more about Cognetics? Cognetics teaches a creative problem-solving approach to student teams who work on one of the six annual problems published by the National Talent Network. The resulting solutions are presented annually at a Cognetics Exposition. With great dedication and an independent promotion of the Cognetics program, it is possible for students to achieve a Gold Satori Award.More information is available at http://www.eirc.org/website/National- Talent-Network/Programs/Cognetics.html Beginning in the 2008-2009 school year, Cognetics will be offered AFTER school as a club. How many PRISM programs can students handle? Sixth graders should not participate in more than one program per year. Seventh and eighth graders may choose to switch or add PRISM programs, depending upon their needs, abilities, and previous PRISM experiences. Can you tell me more about Future Problem Solving? Future Problem Solving was created to instill problem solving skills in gifted and talented youngsters. Through the use of convergent and divergent thinking skills, young people are challenged to explore aspects of the future with topics such as fundraising, the protection of natural resources, and the care of the elderly. A six-step problem solving process is employed by the problem solving team. This program has many educational advantages: it develops teamwork and communication skills; it challenges teams to produce a quality product in a short period of time; it provides practice in evaluating alternatives; and it exposes gaps in knowledge. The Future Problem Solving Program has been challenging students and developing critical thinking skills in fourth through twelfth graders since 1974. How can I learn more about National History Day? National History Day is a high-quality, educational experience that is pursued annually by almost a million students across the United States. This yearlong program strives to make history come alive for our students. However, only about 2,000 will attend the National Contest in June, at the University of Maryland at College Park. During the past two years, CMS students were among the NJ state winners, and represented their state in the junior division. NHD students should visit the NHD website frequently for more information: www.nationalhistoryday.org. Rogate is another acronym; this stands for Resources Offered in Gifted and Talented Education. This is an opportunity for independent research and exploration of an advanced academic topic. Additionally, students may take the SAT and attend Academic Interest Lectures set up specifically for them on college campuses. What is Community Problem Solving? This program uses skills similar to Future Problem Solving, but instead of solving a future scenario, groups of students identify and attempt to solve a problem of interest to them in their community/state/region. Project ideas may come from class discussions, local news, or genuine concerns of the students. This program requires time, commitment, organization, and initiative. It has to be something that the student wants to do and has time to do, since the bulk of the work, schedule, and deadlines are determined by the students, NOT the teacher. My role is to advise and suggest revisions; I do not prepare lesson plans or initiate contacts for the CmPS groups. Students who worked on PROJECT CITIZEN as seventh graders make excellent Community Problem Solvers in eighth grade. This is yet another outreach of the Future Problem Solving Program. In this program gifted creative writers choose one of the five annual FPS topics and cleverly craft a futuristic short story in 1,500 words or less. Student names were generated by way of teacher nominations. At an October meeting, packets were distributed to all nominees, deadlines established, and all were encouraged to participate. The final drafts will be submitted in January. |
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