Gifted Community Enrichment: A Class for Grown Ups

 

Week 1, March 8th
1) Welcome & Orientation

 

After signing children into their classrooms, we ask everyone to stay for the first 15 minutes as we cover the most up-to-date policies including safety and security measures.  Following that, speakers for the term will be announced. The remainder of the time will be opened up for Q&A.  Because there is a wealth of knowledge among us, we encourage both new and returning parents and guardians to stay for the duration.  Our program is enriched with the diversity of every person attending.

 
 

2) Ann Anzalone
Thinking about Thinking
Metacognition and the Gifted Child

 

Information is power.  Learning how and what to think is key.  When the ability to think extends beyond one’s years, understanding oneself and others is the foundation for mental health.  This session explores the developmental stages of thinking, activities to foster healthy interactions, and understanding of self and others.

Ann Anzalone is a nationally known dynamic speaker and experienced trainer.  For the past 30 years she has conducted workshops for K-12 teachers, administrators, and parents, as well as for businesses and corporations.  She teaches graduate classes at Wright State University and has taught at Antioch Midwest University.  She serves as a consultant for adult students, parents, and their children regarding learning styles, educational plans, and academic performance.

Ms. Anzalone taught special needs middle and junior high school students, was honored as an Outstanding Elementary Teacher of America, and listed in the Who’s Who in American Education.  Ann specializes in communication skills, community building, learning styles, cooperative learning, study skills, and stress management.  She models what she teaches in her sessions.

Ms. Anzalone will join us and take questions via Zoom for the morning GCE. A one-time-use recording will be replayed at the afternoon GCE.

 
 

 

Week 2, March 15th
Exploring Common Challenges
Using Collective Experience to Solve Problems

 

The Super Saturday Volunteers will facilitate a discussion of problems that attendees are encountering and the solutions that other attendees have found to work.
 
 

Week 3, March 22nd
Renee Groenemann, L.P.C.C., L.M.H.C.
& Laurie Jahnke, D.C.
Mindfulness, Movement, & Interoception

Renee and Laurie will discuss the nervous system, primitive reflexes and their connections to the sensory systems, as well as anxiety and other co-occurring diagnoses with gifted people.

Renee Groenemann is a licensed mental health professional in the states of Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky through her private practice, Spirit(ed) Growth.  Renee specializes in the body’s response to stress, using a nervous system/somatic lens.  As a certified yoga teacher and yoga therapist, Renee has taught children and adults mindfulness- and body-based coping skills for stress since 1998.  She has also recently started a coaching practice where she helps parents of children with support and advocacy needs (or what she calls “gifted and anxious youth”) chase their passions outside of the home without fear of overwhelm or burnout.

Laurie Jahnke practices with Apex Chiropractic & Wellness Center, near Winton Road and Ronald Reagan Highway.  She has been using chiropractic, and neurointegration work along with functional nutrition, to help kids and adults balance their nervous system, and support learning and behavior for 16 years.  Dr. Jahnke is an active member of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association.

Renee and Laurie will speak with us in person at the morning GCE. A one-time-use recording will be played at the afternoon GCE.

 
 

Week 4, March 29th
Heidi Yocum​, MS
Unlocking Potential: Elevating Gifted Services in Public Schools

 

Heidi Yocum is a passionate educator with over 20 years of experience teaching and shaping young minds, currently in Cincinnati Public Schools, specializing in science, mathematics, and career technical education.  She is credentialed in Curriculum & Instruction and Educational Leadership, with the past five years dedicated to serving as a Test Coordinator for state, national, and CTE assessments, including Advanced Placement and College Credit Plus.  Beyond the classroom, she enjoys embracing the profound journey of parenthood to a bright and uniquely gifted six-year-old, gaining new perspectives on education through the dual lens of educator and mother.  As a lifelong learner, she is committed to continuous growth, balancing the responsibilities of guiding students and a child of her own, while deepening her understanding of how learning, development, and advocacy of the “whole child” intertwine in professional and personal spaces.

Heidi will speak with us in person at the morning GCE.  Afternoon TBD.

 
 

Week 5, April 5th
Edward R. Amend, Psy.D.
Building Resilience in Gifted Students

 

Asynchronous development, sensitivity, and intensity in gifted and twice-exceptional youth can affect their growth and development.  Uncertainty fuels frustration, perfectionism, and anxiety for some as they struggle to adjust to the world around them.  Loss, trauma, and existential concerns complicate their situation.  Dr. Amend will explore these challenges and their effects on gifted and 2e students as well as strategies to foster healthy growth, manage frustration, and build resilience.  Ideas for self-care will help parents recharge in the wake of the challenges that come with raising these amazing kids.

Dr. Amend is a longstanding and generous supporter of The Super Saturday Program and a licensed clinical psychologist at The Amend Group, a comprehensive center for psychological, educational, and gifted services (including ability testing).  His practice focuses on the social, emotional, and educational needs of gifted, twice-exceptional, and neurodivergent youth, adults, and their families.  He is co-author of the award-winning books A Parent’s Guide to Gifted Children: A Resource for Caregivers and Advocates and Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children and Adults: ADHD, Bipolar, OCD, Asperger’s, Depression, and Other Disorders.  Dr. Amend has authored or co-authored a number of articles, book chapters, and columns about gifted children.  As a strong advocate for the gifted population, Dr. Amend’s years of service have included the Board of Directors of Supporting Emotional Needs of Gifted (SENG), President of the Kentucky Association for Gifted Education (KAGE), Chair for the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) Counseling and Guidance Network, and The G WORD film’s Advisory Board.  He presents locally and nationally on topics related to the needs of gifted children.

Dr. Amend will be traveling from Lexington, Kentucky to speak with us in person at the morning and afternoon GCE.

 
 

Week 6, April 12th
1) Ann Shoplik​, Ph.D.
Acceleration: What Do Parents Need to Know?

Acceleration is the best-researched option for academically talented students, yet educators and families may be hesitant to use it. Forms of acceleration include grade-skipping, subject acceleration, AP courses, honors courses, dual enrollment, and early entrance to college. Research indicates that accelerated students perform well academically in the short- and long-term; additionally, they do well socially. Tools are available to help inform decisions about acceleration, including the Iowa Acceleration Scale, Integrated Acceleration System, and above-level testing. Some states and school districts have well-developed acceleration policies that guide decision-making. Learn about the many resources available to support families seeking additional challenges for their students.

Dr. Ann Lupkowski-Shoplik is the Administrator of the Acceleration Institute and Research at the University of Iowa Belin-Blank Center.  The center conducts leading research in the fields of gifted education and talent development and offers programs for gifted and talented students and teachers.  Previously, she founded and directed the Carnegie Mellon Institute for Talented Elementary Students (C-MITES) at Carnegie Mellon University. She co-authored Developing Math Talent (2nd ed.), Developing Academic Acceleration Policies, and the Iowa Acceleration Scale, and co-edited A Nation Empowered: Evidence Trumps the Excuses Holding Back America’s Brightest Students. She is also co-developer of the online Integrated Acceleration System, which guides educators and families through the decision-making process about grade-skipping.

Dr. Shoplik will join us and take questions via Zoom for the morning GCE. A one-time-use recording will be replayed at the afternoon GCE.

See other books from our volunteers’ recommended reading list at supersaturday.org/reading-list

 
 

 

2) Hillsboro High School VEX Robotics Team

 

This local team has qualified for the world championship!  They will bring their robot for demonstrations and give a short talk about VEX and their experience.
 
 

 

3) The Super Saturday Program Annual Parent Meeting​

 

 

In the lobby: Book Swap

The last session of every term, The Program facilitates a book exchange.  Is your home overflowing with books?  Do you have a voracious reader that you can’t keep up with?  Bring those children’s books you would like to pass along and pick up new-to-your-child books, whether or not you brought any.

Note: On the last day of the term, some classes invite parents and guardians to view students’ work or a presentation.

 
 

While great effort is made to ensure attendees can count on the schedule as published, unforeseen problems may occur which make it necessary to reschedule or replace a speaker.

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Past Speakers and Topics »