2018-2019 Calendar of Meetings & Events
Unless otherwise noted, Daytime Meetings are the first Friday of the month from 11:30-1:00. Feel free to bring your lunch! If the meeting is at Hilltop, we also recommend wearing layers. The temperature fluctuates pretty significantly.
Please note that locations vary and event dates and locations are subject to change. This will always be the the most updated information. To receive updates when information is posted, subscribe to the BVPAGE feed.
Meeting Minutes and all presentation/hand out materials will be published on the Meeting Archive page whenever possible.
2018-2019 BVPAGE Events:
August
Aug 13 - Grant Delivery to Gifted Teachers
BVPAGE presents Grant Checks to Gifted Teachers at their gathering at the beginning of the year. Grants are made possible with funds from the Summer Robotics Camps. Teachers are allowed to spend the money for anything for students in their classroom that is outside of their budget or carry over one year to buy something bigger for their classroom.
September
Sept 7 - BVPAGE Meeting
Hilltop Campus, Conference Room B (Northwest entrance near Rec Center)
7700 W 143rd Street, OP, KS 66223
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Topic: Advocating without Alienating with Tracy Elford and Lisa Nickel.
Past Presidents of BVPAGE will discuss the power of positive communication and how to advocate for your child. Examples are given on: how to ask for help, discussing classroom situations, being part of your child’s education team, and situations/words to avoid. With five gifted children and over 50 (!!) years of cumulative Blue Valley experience between them, Lisa and Tracy present topics and situations familiar to us all. If you are just starting (or need a good refresher) on the gifted journey with your child, this could be the most important information you hear!
October
Oct 5 - BVPAGE Meeting
Hilltop Campus, Conference Room B
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
College Admissions will be rescheduled at a later date. This meeting will be an open forum format to talk about whatever is on your mind regarding gifted education or your gifted child. Feel free to bring any questions or concerns you may have. BVPAGE parents always have so much great advice to share and resources to recommend, so please come and let us know what's on your mind! These sessions are always filled with new information and a lot of laughs. We hope you can make it!
TO BE RESCHEDULED AT A LATER DATE - Topic: College Admissions - The Sorting Game
Presented by: Kristin Asquith, Special Education Administrator
Ever wonder how colleges consider students for admission? Come to this meeting to experience the sorting process akin to processes colleges have used to identify students for admission. Hear about resources that might help you support your child through the college application process.
Oct 7-8 - KGTC State Conference
Emporia, Kansas
Kansas Association for Gifted, Talented and Creative is a not-for-profit advocacy group in the state of Kansas dedicated to promoting identified gifted and other high achieving students. Information about the conference and registration is located here.
Oct TBD - SENG Parent Groups begin - CANCELLED. Please check back in January.
Location TBD
Session Times TBD
SENG (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted) Groups are small, guided discussions for parents of gifted children. Each group meets with other parents and two trained facilitators for eight sessions, using Dr. James Webb's A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children as a starting point. Every attempt is made to have a morning and evening session, but this may change with enrollment. Sessions are typically held each year in October and March.
November
Nov 2 - NO DAYTIME MEETING
Nov 15 - Evening Meeting
Topic: You forgot your homework…again??? Engaging the Brain and Using Their Strengths: Executive Function Skills and Gifted Kids with Diane McLean, M.Ed., PCC, Life Coach, Odyssey Learning
Hilltop Campus, Conference Room B
7700 W 143rd Street, OP, KS 66223
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Do you have a kid whose locker looks like a war zone? Or maybe they do their homework but don't turn it in on time? Do they struggle with organizing, planning, managing time, or paying attention to/remembering details? Are their emotions off the charts in every direction? Or do they struggle with friendships and social situations? Come find out why these things are especially tough for some of our kids and learn how they can use their strengths to help them plan for projects, start and finish tasks in a timely manner, organize materials, regulate emotions, control impulses, reflect and evaluate, adjust to changes in situations, and make their social lives a little easier. These skills, critical to managing our lives, aren’t often explicitly taught in the traditional education system - but they can be taught, and our kids can learn! Come find out how.
December
Dec 7 - BVPAGE Meeting
Hilltop Campus, Conference Room B (Northwest entrance near Rec Center)
7700 W 143rd Street, OP, KS 66223
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Topic: The Blue Valley School Experience, Session 1 – The High School Experience
Presented by: David Stubblefield, Executive Director of School Administration for High Schools
What is the experience of our students in Blue Valley’s high schools? Come to this meeting to hear district representatives share information about the experiences that are common for all high school students across the district.
January
Jan 11 - BVPAGE Meeting
District Office Campus, Commons
15020 Metcalf, Administrative Entrance
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Topic: The Blue Valley School Experience, Session 2 – The Middle School Experience
Presented by: Shelly Nielsen, Executive Director for School Administration (K-8)
What is the experience of our students in Blue Valley’s middle schools? Come to this meeting to hear district representatives share information about the experiences that are common for all middle school students across the district.
February
Feb 1 - BVPAGE Meeting
Hilltop Campus, Conference Room B (Northwest entrance near Rec Center)
7700 W 143rd Street, OP, KS 66223
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Topic: Suicide Prevention in Blue Valley Schools
Presented by: Emily Demo and Jacquelyn Johnson (Blue Valley Psychologists) and Kristi Dixon, Allyson DiNitto, and Tara Walrod (Blue Valley Counselors)
Students today face complex life situations that can be challenging to manage, so it is important for parents to know the signs to watch for when a student is in distress. School psychologists and counselors from Blue Valley schools will share information about the signs of suicide ideation and what to do when you are worried about your child. They will also review the suicide prevention practices and activities that occur in schools.
Feb 28 - Summer Opportunities Fair
Hilltop Campus, Conference Room B (Northwest entrance near Rec Center)
7700 W 143rd Street, OP, KS 66223
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM, Open house format
BVPAGE connects vendors offering gifted and high ability summer camps and programs with students and families in a single location. Drop in to visit with vendors and get information about offerings. To find out more about volunteering, visit the Volunteer section of BVPAGE.org. To suggest a vendor, contact the Summer Opportunities Chair.
March
Mar 1 - BVPAGE Meeting
Hilltop Campus, Conference Room B (Northwest entrance near Rec Center)
7700 W 143rd Street, OP, KS 66223
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Topic: Friendships with Gifted Kids
Friendships can be tricky for anyone, but connecting with others is sometimes more challenging for gifted kids. Is your kid the bossy one? Super-introvert? Over-the-top passionate about one (and only one) topic? These traits often push potential friends away, without our kids understanding why. Counselors from around the district will be with us to discuss how to help our children forge solid friendships and avoid pitfalls.
March 3 - Brain Blizzard
Location: Scheels
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Brain Blizzard is BVPAGE’s Knowledge and Trivia Contest for Blue Valley 7th & 8th grade gifted students. Kids get to know each other before high school and bragging rights are awarded to the winners. Teams and individuals welcome. To find out more about volunteering, visit our Volunteer page.
Mar TBD - SENG Parent Groups begin after Spring Break
Location TBD
Session Times TBD
SENG (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted) Groups are small, guided discussions for parents of gifted children. Each group meets with other parents and two trained facilitators for eight sessions, using Jim Webb's A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children as a starting point. Every attempt is made to have a morning and evening session, but this may change with enrollment. Sessions are typically held each year in October and March.
April
Apr 5 - NO DAYTIME MEETING
Apr 11 - BVPAGE Evening Meeting
Hilltop Campus, Conference Room B (Northwest entrance near Rec Center)
7700 W 143rd Street, OP, KS 66223
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Topic: Don't Ask Alexa, Siri, or Google - The Parent Panel
PARENTS of gifted children, it's YOUR turn! Last year, our kids got a chance to hear from high school and college students about their journey growing up gifted. This year, please join us for an evening of questions and answers, stories, adventures, and exploits from parents doing their best to raise gifted children. Our parent panelists will discuss their joys, challenges, successes, and strikeouts. This upbeat forum will allow you to talk with and ask questions of others who understand, have been there, and are still there - doing their best to be better parents!
April 12 - District Robotics Share Fair for 5th Grade Gifted Classes
Blue Valley 5th grade gifted classes meet in one large group to run their robots through a variety of challenges. Kids get to know each other before middle school and have the chance to pit their robots against one another. They LOVE it! To find out more about volunteering, visit the Volunteer section of BVPAGE.org.
May
May 3 - BVPAGE Meeting
District Office Campus, Commons
15020 Metcalf, Administrative Entrance
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Topic: Gifted Resources, Year-End Wrap Up & Swap & Shop
June
June 3-7 and June 10-14 - BVPAGE Summer Robotics Camps
Blue Valley Middle School Commons
5001 W 163rd Terrace, Stilwell, KS 66085
Session Dates/Times:
June 3-7 M-F, AM (9–12) - WeDo (Completed grades 1-3)
June 3-7 M-F, PM (1–4) - EV3 (Completed grades 4-7)
June 10-14, AM (9–12) - WeDo (Completed grades 1-3)
June 10-14, PM (1–4) - EV3 (Completed grades 4-7)
Half day camps are run by experienced instructors using WeDo (AM sessions for younger students) and EV3 (PM sessions for older students). Kids who have completed grades 1-3 can attend WeDo sessions and kids who have completed grades 4-7 can attend EV3 sessions. Camp details, including which EV3 missions will be offered which weeks, is coming soon!
Camp registration will open by mid-February and will be announced on our website, Facebook, Twitter, and by email to members. If you aren't on our mailing list, subscribe now.
There are also volunteer opportunities for high school students to help at camps. Volunteer registration information for high school students will be sent through high school gifted teachers shortly after Spring Break. To find out more about what volunteering entails, visit the Volunteer section of BVPAGE.org.
Participation in BVPAGE Summer Robotics Camps allows BVPAGE to provide monetary grants to Gifted Teachers for classroom/student needs outside of their allotted budgets. Thanks for your support!