We are a group of parents from the Upper Clutha in Otago whose children are attending the S.T.A.R. programme for gifted and talented children.
What is giftedness?
These children are bright but they do not necessarily fit in the standard classroom environment. Their intelligence does not translate automatically to success at school and in life.
More on the link http://www.giftedchildren.org.nz/national/definition.php
Why do they need a S.T.A.R. programme?
- Some may be lonely because their interests do not match those of their peers.
- They may have difficulties at school because of their unconventional behaviour and questioning attitude.
- They may become disruptive through frustration and boredom,
- They may feel confused because of the imbalance between their intellectual and emotional development.
- They may deny their intelligence and underachieve so as to become more acceptable to their peers.
In short they can become at risk children.
What is the S.T.A.R. programme?
Once the children have been formally assessed, they get together one day a week with a specialist teacher. They learn advanced thinking strategies, through projects, discussions, practical activities, excursions, educational games… Everyday, we see how the programme is beneficial to them.
Why we need your support?
The Ministry of Education no longer has funding for this programme. Yet we see the wonderful benefits not only for the children, but also for their mainstream classes, families and the community. They gain life-long skills and confidence and we feel the programme must continue. We are reliant on donations and sponsors for this to happen.
It cost $2000 per annum per students to attend this programme. Thank you to our sponsors large and small for their assistance but we still have a large gap in our funding. Go to the Sponsors page to learn more…
So primarily, we are a fundraising group, and this blog is its communication tool to:
- advertise for our sponsors,
- inform people about giftedness,
- help children and families who are or who live with gifted or talented children.
We hope this blog is a tool for expression and support for everyone involved
We dream our star kids will use it to tell us what they did or what they think
Thank you to leave us a comment.
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