WATG NEWS
October is Gifted Education Month!
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Be sure to download your copies and share with colleagues and friends!
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***NEW***Read the WATG 2020-21 Year End Report.
A Few Words from Our New Executive Director
Hello, my name is Roxane Hagedorn and I’m excited to be the new Executive Director for WATG! A little about me...I’m married to Dave, who is a 4th-grade teacher in the Wausau School District. We have one son who was identified as GT in elementary school, and is now a junior at UW-Madison, majoring in History and Philosophy. We recently adopted a rescue dog named Rivers who is almost 8 months old. She takes up most of my free time with her endless energy!
For the past 11 years, I have worked in the Wausau School District as the Volunteer and Community Involvement Coordinator, and have learned much about working with volunteers, parents, and educators.
I’m looking forward to using my background in communications, my personal experience as a GT parent, and my general school district knowledge to advance the mission of WATG.
(WATG desea extender un enorme agradecimiento a la Dra. Martha Aracely Lopez de las Escuelas Públicas de Milwaukee por traducir este artículo al español para nuestras familias y educadores hispanohablantes. La traducción)
Hello, my name is Roxane Hagedorn and I’m excited to be the new Executive Director for WATG! A little about me...I’m married to Dave, who is a 4th-grade teacher in the Wausau School District. We have one son who was identified as GT in elementary school, and is now a junior at UW-Madison, majoring in History and Philosophy. We recently adopted a rescue dog named Rivers who is almost 8 months old. She takes up most of my free time with her endless energy!
For the past 11 years, I have worked in the Wausau School District as the Volunteer and Community Involvement Coordinator, and have learned much about working with volunteers, parents, and educators.
I’m looking forward to using my background in communications, my personal experience as a GT parent, and my general school district knowledge to advance the mission of WATG.
(WATG desea extender un enorme agradecimiento a la Dra. Martha Aracely Lopez de las Escuelas Públicas de Milwaukee por traducir este artículo al español para nuestras familias y educadores hispanohablantes. La traducción)
***NEW*** Watch your inbox! Beginning in September, WATG will be sending two newsletters each month - one the first week of the month and one the third week of the month. WATG has so much to share!
***NEW*** WATG announces the 2021-2022 Board of Directors ballot.
***NEW*** WATG announces the 2021-2022 Board of Directors ballot.
Free Parent Memberships to WATG!
Parenting gifted children can be an exciting, yet challenging journey, and WATG is committed to providing information, resources, and networking opportunities for parents and caregivers of gifted children.
As a service to gifted children and their families, WATG is offering FREE memberships to all parents/caregivers beginning now and extending through September of 2022. Benefits of WATG membership include:
Parenting gifted children can be an exciting, yet challenging journey, and WATG is committed to providing information, resources, and networking opportunities for parents and caregivers of gifted children.
As a service to gifted children and their families, WATG is offering FREE memberships to all parents/caregivers beginning now and extending through September of 2022. Benefits of WATG membership include:
- Support for educational outreach
- Support for parents/caregivers and advocates
- Voting privileges
- Consultation and coaching
- And so much more!
WATG HAS A NEW PARTNER
Did you know that WATG welcomes partnerships with other organizations who serve gifted and talented individuals?
WATG partnerships are designed for Wisconsin and national educational, extracurricular and parental organizations, independent consultants, UW Schools, CESAs, etc., who are reasonably aligned with WATG’s mission to raise public awareness about the unique needs of gifted individuals. These partnerships are not designed for the marketing or promotion of products or services; instead they are designed to more fully meet the needs of gifted individuals, and to collaborate and share resources and ideas.
On August 9, 2021, Partners for the Advancement of Gifted Education (PAGE) became a partner with WATG. PAGE is composed of educators and parents/caregivers united in serving the gifted community. PAGE’s base is located in southeastern Wisconsin, and provides programming for gifted students, their families, and educators. PAGE has been in existence for many decades, and has provided excellent services over the years. Their partnership with WATG will strengthen both organizations.
WATG extends a warm welcome to PAGE! We are delighted to partner with you!
For more information on partnering with WATG, contact us and/or fill out a WATG Partnership Application.
Did you know that WATG welcomes partnerships with other organizations who serve gifted and talented individuals?
WATG partnerships are designed for Wisconsin and national educational, extracurricular and parental organizations, independent consultants, UW Schools, CESAs, etc., who are reasonably aligned with WATG’s mission to raise public awareness about the unique needs of gifted individuals. These partnerships are not designed for the marketing or promotion of products or services; instead they are designed to more fully meet the needs of gifted individuals, and to collaborate and share resources and ideas.
On August 9, 2021, Partners for the Advancement of Gifted Education (PAGE) became a partner with WATG. PAGE is composed of educators and parents/caregivers united in serving the gifted community. PAGE’s base is located in southeastern Wisconsin, and provides programming for gifted students, their families, and educators. PAGE has been in existence for many decades, and has provided excellent services over the years. Their partnership with WATG will strengthen both organizations.
WATG extends a warm welcome to PAGE! We are delighted to partner with you!
For more information on partnering with WATG, contact us and/or fill out a WATG Partnership Application.
Online Associate of Arts & Sciences (AAS) available this fall
A new Online Associate of Arts & Sciences (AAS) is available to students starting this Fall, enabling them to gain college credits while still completing their high school work. UWO’s online AAS program features the following to help students construct the foundation of their future. Affordability: The tuition rate of $220 per credit for courses within the online AAS program makes budgeting for the degree more manageable. (If your students qualify for the WI ECCP program then this would be even more affordable at a 50% reduction in the per credit tuition.) Flexibility: Courses are delivered in fully online asynchronous format, either accelerated, 7-week sessions or 14-week sessions. Transferability: Students with an AAS degree can transfer to any UW university. More information
A new Online Associate of Arts & Sciences (AAS) is available to students starting this Fall, enabling them to gain college credits while still completing their high school work. UWO’s online AAS program features the following to help students construct the foundation of their future. Affordability: The tuition rate of $220 per credit for courses within the online AAS program makes budgeting for the degree more manageable. (If your students qualify for the WI ECCP program then this would be even more affordable at a 50% reduction in the per credit tuition.) Flexibility: Courses are delivered in fully online asynchronous format, either accelerated, 7-week sessions or 14-week sessions. Transferability: Students with an AAS degree can transfer to any UW university. More information
The Importance of Equity Based Talent Identification
Unless everyone counts, no one does. The Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted believes all students deserve appropriate and enriching learning opportunities (Advanced and Accelerated Learning in WI - WISCONSIN ASSOCIATION FOR TALENTED & GIFTED). Developing equitable learning environments requires analysis of quantifiable evidence from all students.
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Unless everyone counts, no one does. The Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted believes all students deserve appropriate and enriching learning opportunities (Advanced and Accelerated Learning in WI - WISCONSIN ASSOCIATION FOR TALENTED & GIFTED). Developing equitable learning environments requires analysis of quantifiable evidence from all students.
Read More
Support, Training, & Resources for Educating Able Minorities: Project STREAM, 1988-2000
How many Wisconsin school districts would or should be interested in Project STREAM (Support, Training & Resources for Educating Able Minorities)? That was the question proposed when the late Dr. Donna Rae Clasen of the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater authored the first Javits Grant ever awarded to a Wisconsin initiative. The grant was in place from 1989 to 2000 and was a highly progressive initiative. We lost Dr. Clasen in March of this year, and this article and request is crafted in her memory and honor.
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How many Wisconsin school districts would or should be interested in Project STREAM (Support, Training & Resources for Educating Able Minorities)? That was the question proposed when the late Dr. Donna Rae Clasen of the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater authored the first Javits Grant ever awarded to a Wisconsin initiative. The grant was in place from 1989 to 2000 and was a highly progressive initiative. We lost Dr. Clasen in March of this year, and this article and request is crafted in her memory and honor.
Read More
Every year WATG holds a logo contest for our annual conference. We received many great logos for October 2021’s conference: Leading the World into the Future, but unfortunately we are only able to choose one.
This year we are happy to congratulate Shrihan Madhi, a 6th grader, for submitting the winning logo. Check it out!
This year we are happy to congratulate Shrihan Madhi, a 6th grader, for submitting the winning logo. Check it out!
Did you know?
Did you know that WATG has a huge list of resources for educators, parents, and students? If you go to www.watg.org and click on the resources tab, this will drop down to multiple categories of resources. These categories include: Advocacy, Artistic Domain, Assessment & Identification, Creativity Domain, Coordination, Program Development & Evaluation, Curriculum & Instruction, Equity, Homeschooling, Intellectual Domain, Leadership Domain, Parenting, Parent-School Partnerships, Specific Academic Domain, Social-Emotional Wellness, Summer Opportunities, and Wisconsin Gifted 101. We invite you to peruse these resources, use them often, and to send great resource ideas to us at watg@watg.org so that we can add them to this database. This way we can help each other build great programming for gifted students, and provide ideas for parents and caregivers.
Want to help make a difference while you shop in the Amazon app, at no extra cost to you? Simply follow the instructions below to select "Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted" as your charity and activate AmazonSmile in the app. They'll donate a portion of your eligible mobile app purchases to us.
How it works:
1. Open the Amazon app on your phone
2. Select the main menu (=) & tap on "AmazonSmile" within Programs & Features
3. Select "Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted" as your charity
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to activate AmazonSmile in the mobile app
How it works:
1. Open the Amazon app on your phone
2. Select the main menu (=) & tap on "AmazonSmile" within Programs & Features
3. Select "Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted" as your charity
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to activate AmazonSmile in the mobile app
Welcome to the WATG Board!
Dr. Sharon Alexander currently serves as the new Director of Advanced Learning in the Madison Metropolitan School District; she began that position in June of 2020. Sharon formerly served as a middle school principal and an Assistant Director of Assessment and Accountability in Illinois for the past twenty years. Sharon is also the mother of two gifted students, a freshman and a 7th grader. With a passion for social justice and multicultural education for all, Sharon joins the WATG Board to discuss diversity issues and equity concerns for marginalized and underrepresented learners. She credits her experience and insight to her parents, who also served as school administrators of color. WATG is grateful for the skill set and passion that Sharon will bring to our Board of Directors.
Remembering Donna Rae Clasen
A pioneer in gifted education in Wisconsin passed away in mid-March. Prof. Donna Rae Clasen was active for decades at UW-Whitewater supporting programming for gifted children and providing professional development for educators. She also brought the first federal Javits grants to Wisconsin: Project STREAM worked with underrepresented gifted youth in several Wisconsin cities and also brought students to the UW-Whitewater campus for challenging summer programs. Donna Rae's late husband Bob (Prof. Robert E. Clasen) was similarly active in gifted education at UW-Madison. More information is available at Donna Rae Clasen Obituary.
Meet our Newest Board Member!
Dennetra Williams, a California native, was an identified talented and gifted student, and is currently raising a TAG daughter in Appleton, Wisconsin. She earned her psychology degree from California State University - Hayward (now CSU- East Bay). When she is not spending time with her husband and their daughter, you can find her working full-time to close the opportunity gap in her school district, and sitting on various boards and committees centered around diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Welcome to the WATG Board!
Christine Wyatt is the gifted and talented coordinator for the School District of Brown Deer in Brown Deer, Wisconsin. This is her third year in this position. Christine has over 15 years of experience in education and has taught in a variety of teaching positions including primary gifted teacher at Scholaris Gifted Academy, second grade classroom teacher, first grade gifted classroom teacher, and kindergarten classroom teacher. Christine received her bachelor’s of science in Human Development and Family Studies from Colorado State University. She holds multiple Wisconsin teaching licenses including Early Childhood, Middle Childhood, Gifted and Talented Middle Childhood through Early Adolescence, and Gifted and Talented Coordinator. She is working on completing her Master’s degree at Concordia University, Wisconsin. Christine enjoys working with gifted children and their parents, and brings knowledge as both an educator and parent of gifted children to her position. In her free time, Christine enjoys cycling, working out, reading, spending time with her family at their cottage, volunteering as an Assistant Scoutmaster for Scouts BSA, hiking, traveling, and spending time adventuring outdoors. She is delighted to join the Wisconsin Association for Talented & Gifted, and looks forward to learning and growing professionally and personally.
Welcome to our Newest Board Member - Cory Jennerjohn
The WATG Board extends a warm welcome to our newest board member, Cory Jennerjohn, from Waunakee, WI. Cory is often described as a versatile storyteller. He has worked in radio, TV, online, and with magazines and newspapers. Cory believes that though technology has changed many things, the fact remains that people will always have a thirst for stories, and that storytelling is a fantastic way to share messages.
As a writer and storyteller, Cory has covered everything from Little League baseball games to stories about the National Football League. He believes that telling the human-interest stories behind the emotional tidal wave of both winning and losing in life is something that cannot be duplicated. He even offered a personal memory to illustrate this: “One of my favorite memories was being offered a mincemeat pie (a gift) from Peyton Manning after he threw six touchdown passes during the Thanksgiving weekend.” (This was clearly an incredible human interest story).
Currently, Cory is a stay-at-home dad, and he leads, coaches and teaches his three sons. He says that, “Obviously, every day isn't a bowl of rainbows, but my goal is to be the best version of myself each and every day.”
We look forward to sharing Cory’s gifts as a storyteller to help further our message at the WI Association for Talented and Gifted. Welcome “aboard,” Cory!
As a writer and storyteller, Cory has covered everything from Little League baseball games to stories about the National Football League. He believes that telling the human-interest stories behind the emotional tidal wave of both winning and losing in life is something that cannot be duplicated. He even offered a personal memory to illustrate this: “One of my favorite memories was being offered a mincemeat pie (a gift) from Peyton Manning after he threw six touchdown passes during the Thanksgiving weekend.” (This was clearly an incredible human interest story).
Currently, Cory is a stay-at-home dad, and he leads, coaches and teaches his three sons. He says that, “Obviously, every day isn't a bowl of rainbows, but my goal is to be the best version of myself each and every day.”
We look forward to sharing Cory’s gifts as a storyteller to help further our message at the WI Association for Talented and Gifted. Welcome “aboard,” Cory!
Read the WATG 2019-2020 Year End Report.
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” ~Maya Angelou
As our nation faces the grave consequences of long standing and systemic racism, the Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted remains committed to equity and justice for all. As an organization, we are cognizant of the inequities in identification and educational programming for gifted students of color. As always, we are devoted to examining and rectifying these disparities. We pledge to do our part to dismantle structural and institutional racism. We invite partnerships with other institutions, groups, and individuals to share conversations about the impacts of race, and will work to listen, learn, and support each other in this critical process of changing our world.
Board of Directors, Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted
As our nation faces the grave consequences of long standing and systemic racism, the Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted remains committed to equity and justice for all. As an organization, we are cognizant of the inequities in identification and educational programming for gifted students of color. As always, we are devoted to examining and rectifying these disparities. We pledge to do our part to dismantle structural and institutional racism. We invite partnerships with other institutions, groups, and individuals to share conversations about the impacts of race, and will work to listen, learn, and support each other in this critical process of changing our world.
Board of Directors, Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted
Gifted and Talented License Updates
UW-Whitewater has made some revisions to its programs leading to the Gifted and Talented Supplementary add-on Teaching (1013) and Instructional Program Coordinator (5013) Licenses. We did this to try and make the program less expensive as well as easier to complete for people all over the state as well as in Minnesota! Click on the link below where we describe those changes as well as information about course rotation, cost, and what you need to do to register. What’s especially important is that we cannot run the program with fewer than 15 students in each class. This means if you are interested in this program / either license, please see the last section of the document for information on registering.
Read more information here.
Read more information here.
Help Wanted
HELP WANTED: WATG BOARD MEMBERS SOUGHT- The Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted is actively searching for board members to represent the following: South-western and Northern-eastern Wisconsin regions especially, rural regions, healthcare, business, parents and gifted children of all ages. We are a working board of directors who would welcome applications from folks with a passion for gifted children and would roll up their sleeves for them! If interested, please follow this link. Board of Directors If If you have questions please feel free to email WATG president Cathy Schmit at president@watg.org
