Westmount/Hillhurst GATE program

[benyl]

Originally posted by killramos

If your daughter runs around the classroom distracting people she might just need a stern talking to about appropriate behavior in school.

I don't think stern anything works with highly gifted kids. As I said, they are "special needs."

High gifted kids actually have learning disabilities in certain areas of their life. It is a holistic issue and not specific to academic issues.

Gifted kids (not just bright ones) are likely to be OCD and are likely to have OT issues (requiring Occupational Therapy) that needs a lot of assessment to figure out. It's not as simple as a stern talking to.

For instance. When our second kid was born, we ask the first one if he was willing to give up his high chair (Stokke Tripp Trapp), that adjusts as he grows, to his sister and to sit in a regular chair. He said that his cousin sits in a regular chair and he could do it too. Well, he can't. He was constantly standing and laying on the chair and really started to piss us off. Lots of yelling was done with no change (4 years olds on hear about 50% of what you are saying to them).

I talked to my cousin about it and her son had the same issue. The issue is that they both need to be grounded. A regular chair has their legs dangling in the air. The tripp trapp allows for their feet to touch the "floor" (of the foot stool). I went and bought another chair a few weeks ago and guess what, he sits still and eats his food. No yelling required.

The hope is that his teachers at Westmount will recognize these things and be able to help him through these types of issues. It has nothing to do with doing Grade 10 math in Grade 9.

[killramos]

You make it sound like your kids are borderline autistic?

As a note you ( and your psychologist ) might have a different opinion on the term gifted than the CBE accommodates.

The reality of the gate program is pretty well spelled out by the CBE themselves:

Students receive an enriched curriculum in Humanities (Language Arts and Social Studies), Mathematics, and Science, with an emphasis on cross-curricular themes and activities wherever possible. Starting in Grade 7, Math and Science courses are successfully compacted so most JH students have completed Grade 10 requirements at the end of Grade 9. This allows opportunity to take a wider array of academic courses in Senior High, or to have time in their timetables to successfully enrol in Advanced Placement courses in High School, or to complete high school one semester early (a gap semester) by taking a minimal number of complementary courses and concentrating on core subjects.

Junior High GATE students are grouped as a cohort for core academic subject strands, and are integrated into the whole school community for complementary courses and Physical Education. This ensures a balance of academic challenge for intellectual stimulation, and mainstream opportunity to interact and develop social competence with a wide variety of people.

Thats straight off the QE Gate description page. Basically its about finishing high school faster, nothing about accommodations for students with certain needs.

Maybe Westmount is different, i have no experience with them. But somehow i doubt the GATE program varies so significantly school to school.

[benyl]

Originally posted by killramos
You make it sound like your kids are borderline autistic?

He isn't. He just has quirks. All kids do. Many parents either don't notice, ignore it or assume it an age related thing that they will grow out of.

The OP's daughter is walking around class because she bored out of her mind. I would bet that some teacher would say she has ADHD or is autistic and try to medicate her.

Here is something that might help.

“The young gifted child may appear to be many ages at
once. He may be eight (his chronological age) when riding
a bicycle, twelve when playing chess, fifteen when
studying algebra, ten when collecting fossils and two
when asked to share his chocolate chip cookie with his
sister.”

The challenge is the last part. He looks 4. He talks like a 6-7 year old. He's teaching himself to read, but he has issues that 2 years olds should have.

The problem with the grade school system is that it assumes that kids of the same age learn the same and have the same needs.

I truly don't know if Westmount is the answer, but we are trying it.

We tried to put him in a Montessori school. He dropped out after a couple of weeks. He was fucking bored.

Many people say to me that I must be proud to have a "gifted" child like it is something that is so great. They have no idea and assume it is about being smart and academically excellent. It isn't. Truth is, I'd rather him be normal.

[suntan]

^^ Just so you know, many kids prefer their feet to planted on the ground or something equivalent when sitting, because their legs can fall asleep quickly.

My kids aren't at all OCD, they both have laser focused attention and concentration. Unfortunately that also means that they can finish tasks quickly, since understanding and comprehension happens fast for them.

[suntan]

Originally posted by benyl
I would bet that some teacher would say she has ADHD or is autistic and try to medicate her.

Yup.

“The young gifted child may appear to be many ages at
once. He may be eight (his chronological age) when riding
a bicycle, twelve when playing chess, fifteen when
studying algebra, ten when collecting fossils and two
when asked to share his chocolate chip cookie with his
sister.”

Yup. Asynchronous development.

Doesn't help that she's a SJW. Social justice and the perception of "fairness" is extremely important to her.

[killramos]

I edited my post above while you guys wrote yours. I think you might find it interesting.

I really am trying to be helpful btw, even if i don't come off that way.

I was mostly being critical of the school system and how they classify children as gifted or special needs rather than arguing that his kid isn't. Just that she might not be due to my skepticism with the CBE.

[benyl]

Originally posted by suntan
Yup.
Yup. Asynchronous development.

Doesn't help that she's a SJW. Social justice and the perception of "fairness" is extremely important to her.

My kid will get in fist fights. It's awesome (I'm being sarcastic).

[benyl]

Originally posted by killramos
I edited my post above while you guys wrote yours. I think you might find it interesting.

I really am trying to be helpful btw, even if i don't come off that way.

I was mostly being critical of the school system and how they classify children as gifted or special needs rather than arguing that his kid isn't. Just that she might not be due to my skepticism with the CBE.

I wanted to say earlier that the mention of GATE is confusing this thread a bit.

I look at GATE like AP or IB. Basically a higher level of learning for your grade. As you said, finishing school earlier.

[suntan]

Originally posted by killramos
I edited my post above while you guys wrote yours. I think you might find it interesting.

I really am trying to be helpful btw, even if i don't come off that way.

I was mostly being critical of the school system and how they classify children as gifted or special needs rather than arguing that his kid isn't. Just that she might not be due to my skepticism with the CBE.

The CBE's web material is lacking and somewhat obtuse.

Read the Westmount PDF. It has a more thorough explanation of what giftedness brings.

[suntan]

Originally posted by benyl


I wanted to say earlier that the mention of GATE is confusing this thread a bit.

I look at GATE like AP or IB. Basically a higher level of learning for your grade. As you said, finishing school earlier.

Well the GATE program is what the CBE offers for gifted students, so I wanted to ask about it.

The psychologist did say that she prefers the Westmount program.

[benyl]

Back to the OP.

We have found the administration at Westmount a little frustrating.

You will get instructions to call or to email. When you do, you will get told to email, not call or call not email. Just be patient and you will get sorted.

I recall them saying that they sometimes take kids mid year (January intake). Might be something to look into / discuss with them for your daughter.

[killramos]

Originally posted by suntan
The CBE's web material is lacking and somewhat obtuse.

Read the Westmount PDF. It has a more thorough explanation of what giftedness brings.

Yea again i wanted to share more of a experience with how it worked, Even when i was in school it was all flower and rainbows " GATE students learn differently etc. etc."

The reality was it was a lot of asian helicopter parents who needed their special little angels to be the top of the top of everything and would keep binders with photocopies of every assignment done all year and would try to argue their grades up come parent teacher interviews

If your child really does need help i think it would be best not to rely on the CBE to provide it.

[benyl]

Originally posted by suntan
Well the GATE program is what the CBE offers for gifted students, so I wanted to ask about it.

The psychologist did say that she prefers the Westmount program.

Westmount is funded by the CBE and you can tell. haha

It interesting because they are in this old run down beat to shit school. It's hard when you go and look at the likes of CFIS or Webber. Those are such nice looking schools. haha.

[suntan]

killramos, I appreciated everything you wrote about your experiences. If you have more that you want to share that'd be great.

[suntan]

Originally posted by benyl


Westmount is funded by the CBE and you can tell. haha

It interesting because they are in this old run down beat to shit school. It's hard when you go and look at the likes of CFIS or Webber. Those are such nice looking schools. haha.

Yeah I know, it's a charter school.

There's only like one private school for gifted kids here in town (Banbury), we're going to look into that too. Fuck, there goes all my money.

[suntan]

Originally posted by benyl
Back to the OP.

We have found the administration at Westmount a little frustrating.

You will get instructions to call or to email. When you do, you will get told to email, not call or call not email. Just be patient and you will get sorted.

I recall them saying that they sometimes take kids mid year (January intake). Might be something to look into / discuss with them for your daughter.

Thanks for the last part. Good to know that little tidbit.

[KRyn]

Originally posted by killramos
You make it sound like your kids are borderline autistic?

Usually people with extremely high intelligence are autistic.

[benyl]

Originally posted by suntan
killramos, I appreciated everything you wrote about your experiences. If you have more that you want to share that'd be great.

Yeah. Don't get me wrong (if I come across like I don't appreciate people's experience), I just hate the notion that people have about gifted kids being really smart and that being the only thing.

[baygirl]

I was considering Westmount for our 10 yr old, but after talking to a friend who sends her daughter there(she's a uear older), I am not overly impressed. I can't say what it is in particular, just didn't get a good vibe.

And I am getting fed up with people assumimg because a gifted child struggles that they are autistic. My daughter struggles socially, mainly because she senses she is different. Being a parent to a gifred child sucks some days.

[killramos]

Originally posted by benyl


Yeah. Don't get me wrong (if I come across like I don't appreciate people's experience), I just hate the notion that people have about gifted kids being really smart and that being the only thing.

Hey don't worry, according to the CBE and psychologists I'm gifted and yet i think at least half of the member base on here will confirm that i am usually fucking retarded