We are happy to have a new Gifted Education Program at Santa Cruz. Currently, our students are enrolled in a Gifted Seminar which we hold daily. The course rotates on a four year basis:
- Humanities I
- Humanities II
- Humanities III
- Humanities IV
Each course is centered on reading, independent projects, and the use of high order thinking skills to provide services for the gifted students. Our program also includes student participation in community, school, and personal activities, and we strongly encourage students to set goals for their futures.
You are welcome to refer any student for gifted testing. We use state-approved testing instruments to determine eligibility.
Ms. Letitia Abbott, the gifted teacher, has been active in gifted education for over 15 years and is currently a board member of the Arizona Association for Gifted and Talented students here in Arizona.
Cognitive Traits
- Very observant
- Extremely curious
- Intense interests
- Excellent memory
- Long attention span
- Excellent reasoning skills
- Well-developed powers of abstraction, conceptualization, and synthesis
- Quickly and easily sees relationships in ideas, objects, or facts
- Fluent and flexible thinking
- Elaborate and original thinking
- Excellent problem-solving skills
- Learns quickly and with less practice and repetition
- Unusual and/or vivid imagination
Social and Emotional Traits
- Interested in philosophical and social issues
- Very sensitive, emotionally and even physically
- Concerned about fairness and injustice
- Perfectionist
- Energetic
- Well-developed sense of humor
- Usually intrinsically motivated
- Relates well to parents, teachers, and other adults
Language Traits
- Extensive vocabulary
- May read early
- Reads rapidly and widely
- Asks "what if" questions
Additional Traits
- Enjoys learning new things
- Enjoys intellectual activity
- Displays intellectual playfulness
- Prefers books and magazines meant for older children
- Skeptical, critical, and evaluative
- Asynchronous development
(taken from About.com)
