2007-2008 WELCOME TO THE ACADEMICALLY TALENTED PROGRAM AT AVON GROVE HIGH SCHOOL
9.04.07

Mrs. Jeanne Held and Mr. Dave Renz coordinate the Academically Talented program at Avon Grove High School. The program offers its gifted students a ninth and tenth grade seminar, four semester electives, Great Books, Philosophy, Film and Literature and Shakespeare (available to all A.T. students and each worth 0.5 credit). We also encourage all gifted juniors and seniors to participate in a regional job shadowing or mentoring experience. The job shadowing/mentoring experience is arranged through our career counselor, Ms. Jennifer Meyers.

The gifted program also serves its students by encouraging student participation in local, regional, and state conferences and competitions related to student interest and by supporting academic acceleration and enrichment options.

This year, all freshman and sophomore A.T. students are required to participate in A.T. scheduled activities at least once per week. Junior and senior students are asked to check in with the A.T. teachers at least once per month and to participate in a job shadowing/mentoring experience to be coordinated through Ms. Jennifer Meyers.

We look forward to another exciting, busy, and rewarding year for our Academically Talented students!

In mid October, we will again visit Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ.  An exact date will be announced as soon as plans are finalized. Our field trip to Grounds for Sculpture last April was a great success. It was a beautiful day and everyone enjoyed the art and the peacocks! We all want to return in order to spend even more time exploring the beautiful grounds and art www.groundsforsculpture.org

Join Our Academic Competition Team!
9.04.07

Mrs. Jeanne Held and Mrs. Robin Fought coach Avon Grove High School’s Academic Competition Team. The team practices for approximately one hour every Tuesday and Thursday immediately after school in the A.T. room, 206. Our competitions are held at various Chester County Schools.  Academic Competition practice will begin the second week of September. Come out and join the team!

The following information was for Summer 2007. Updated opportunities will be online soon.

Regional Summer Schools of Excellence (RSSE) offer intensive, experiential enrichment activities designed to stretch creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.  RSSE programs operate during July and August offering innovative enrichment learning activities for high achieving, gifted, and talented students.  Programs vary in content, the age of student served, and location.  Although RSSE programs recruit students in a particular region where a program is held, most RSSE programs will accept students from other locations in the state when that student is able to participate fully for the duration of the program.   If you live in a county not listed as served by an RSSE program, contact the program director to determine if they are accepting participants from other counties.  Questions specific to a particular RSSE program should be directed to the contact listed for the program.

2007 Regional Summer Schools of Excellence

• Advanced Training for Outstanding Mathematics & Science (ATOMS) Scholar Program; AGENCY: APPALACHIA INTERMEDIATE UNIT.  This comprehensive five-day program provides 1,530 elementary and middle school students with experience in the science, math and technology fields.  This project holds programs at multiple sites across Bedford, Blair, Cambria and Somerset Counties.  Dates of program:  June 11, 2007 – July 27, 2007.  Contact:  Mrs. Joan Conway, 814-940-0223, ext. 393.

• Beaver County Summer Arts Academy; AGENCY:  BEAVER VALLEY INTERMEDIATE UNIT.  This ten-day arts program will provide 50 artistically talented students in grades 7 - 9 from Beaver County with an opportunity to enrich the students’ science, math, technology and teamwork skills through participation in a robotics academy. Dates of program:  July 16, 2007 – July 27, 2007.  Contact:  Ms. Anna Mae Paladina, 724-774-7800.

• My EARTH – Environmental Awareness:  Research/Technology/Habitats; AGENCY:  BERKS COUNTY INTERMEDIATE UNIT.  This five-day program will provide 55 gifted and talented students from Berks County in grades 7-9 with the opportunity to explore environmental habitats at Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center using current environmental technology.  Dates of program:  July 30, 2007 -  August 3, 2007.  Contact:  Dr. Kevin Andreyo, 610-987-8468.       

• “Da Vinci’s Discoverers”; AGENCY:  EASTON AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT.  This five-day program will give gifted and high achieving students an opportunity to explore in depth the life and ideas of one of the most amazing people who ever lived – Benjamin Franklin.  The program serves 50 middle school students from Northampton County.  Dates of program:  July 9, 2007 – July 13, 2007.  Contact:  Dr. Phyllis Finger, 610-250-2521, ext. 23206. 

• SHARE – Summer Honors Arts Resident Experience; AGENCY:  INDIANA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA.  This 14-day residential program will provide talented and deserving high school students with an opportunity to live on the IUP campus for a two-week arts immersion into acting, dance, singing, creative writing, and the visual arts.  The program serves 60 students in grade 10 - 12 from Armstrong, Butler, Indiana and Jefferson Counties.  Dates of program:  July 15, 2007 – July 28, 2007: Contact:  Mr. Hank Knerr, 724-257-2547.     

• Academy of Engineering Regional Summer Enrichment School; AGENCY:  THE LEARNING LAMP.  This five-day program, which targets high-achieving students in grades 6-9 with an interest in math and sciences, uses a research-based, hands-on curriculum to introduce children to basic principles of engineering and architecture.  The program will serve 75 students from Cambria, Somerset and Bedford Counties.  Dates of program:  July 9, 2007 – August 10, 2007.  Contact:  Ms. Leah Spangler, 814-262-0732.

• Summer Visual & Performing Arts Academy:  2007; AGENCY:  MIDWESTERN INTERMEDIATE UNIT IV.  This twelve-day residential arts program will expose students to a wide range of challenging and enriching experiences in visual arts, dance, creative writing, jazz and theater.  The program will serve 80 high school students from Butler, Lawrence, and Mercer Counties.  Dates of program:  July 9, 2007 – July 20, 2007.  Contact:  Dr. Angelo Pezzuolo, 724-458-6700, x203.

• Arts Alive; AGENCY:  NORTHEASTERN EDUCATIONAL INTERMEDIATE UNIT.  This 20-day arts program is designed to meet the needs of artistically talented high school students in grades 9 – 12 through its intensive arts institute.  The program will serve 100 students from Lackawanna, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming Counties.  Dates of program:  July 6, 2007 – August 3, 2007.  Contact:  Dr. Catherine Richmond-Cullen, 570-876-9223.

• Investigating and Researching Environmental Health Problems; AGENCY:  NORTHWEST TRI-COUNTY INTERMEDIATE UNIT 5.  This ten-day program will provide hands-on university laboratory and field-based environmental health research and career exploration for 40 talented high school sophomores and juniors from Erie, Crawford and Warren Counties.  Dates of program:  July 9, 2007 – July 20, 2007.  Contact:  Ms. Michelee A. Curtze, 814-734-8475. 

• Where I’m From; AGENCY:  OCTORARA YMCA.  This seven-day program will provide 40 artistically gifted and/or talented students from Chester, Berks and Lancaster Counties with the opportunity to express themselves in writing, performance, designing, and creating.  Dates of program:  July 5 – July 13, 2007.  Contact:  James Norton, 610-857-3418. 

• Music Theatre Workshop ’07:  OPEN STAGE OF HARRISBURG.  This arts program will provide 45 students, ages 12 to 17, will the opportunity to participate in an intensive workshop in acting, singing, and dance, to culminate in two public performances in a professional theatre.  Dates of program:  July 16, 2007 – August 3, 2007.  Contact:  Anne L. Alsedek, 717-214-3250.

• Unraveling the Past:  An Archeological Dig; AGENCY:  OWEN J. ROBERTS SCHOOL DISTRICT.  This five-day program focuses on the development and use of higher order thinking skills and provides students with hands-on opportunities to practice these skills.  The program serves 45 academically talented elementary and middle school students from Berks and Chester Counties.  Dates of program:  July 9, 2007 – July 13, 2007.  Contact:  Dr. Frank Scalise, 610-469-5172. 

• Performing Arts Cultural Exchange; AGENCY:  SCHOOL DISTRICT OF CHELTENHAM TOWNSHIP.  This 20-day program is intended to provide 50 middle school students with an opportunity to participate in an ethnically balanced performing arts program for talented students in drama, dance, instrumental music and vocal performance.  The program will serve students from Montgomery County.  Dates of program:  July 9, 2007 – August 3, 2007.  Contact:  Ms. Robin Rosenberg, 215-881-6463.

• Seneca Highlands Summer Academy; AGENCY:  SENECA HIGHLANDS INTERMEDIATE UNIT.  This seven-day residential program will provide an opportunity for 45 gifted and/or talented 10th and 11th grade students to experience new challenges designed to enrich their knowledge base, enduring understandings, responses to in-depth questions, and standards competencies in one of the three academic disciplines:  arts/humanities, natural science, and business.  The program will serve students from Cameron, Elk, McKean, and, Potter Counties.  Dates of program:  July 15, 2007 – July 21, 2007.  Contact:  Mr. Karl Shuey, 814-887-5512.          

• Southwest PA AHEC Health Career Academy RSSE; AGENCY:  SOUTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA AREA HEALTH EDUCATION CENTER, INC. This five-day program provides an opportunity for 50 gifted and talented 9th and 10th grade students from Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Fayette, Greene, Washington, and Westmoreland Counties to participate in an experiential program outlining opportunities in future health careers.  Dates of program:  July 23, 2007 – July 27, 2007.  Contact:  Ms. Victoria Yann, 412-363-0185, ext. 30.

 Barbara Thrush
State Director
PA Governor's Schools of Excellence & Gifted Programs
Pennsylvania Department of Education
333 Market Street, Floor 8
Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333

Phone: 717-783-1024
Fax:  717-772-3621
bthrush@state.pa.us

The Pennsylvania Governor’s Schools of Excellence
9.04.07

Attention to all Freshmen and Sophomore students interested in becoming members of National Honor Society
9.04.07

Mrs. Marie Brady is the advisor for the National Honor Society at Avon Grove High School.  For more information about how to become a member of the National Honor Society, stop by the A.T. room, 206, and pick up an informational packet. It will give you an idea of what is expected of you and the procedures necessary to become a member of NHS.