News
April 2025 Newsletter
Growing with Gifts
NJC Math/Science Competition
The Middle School sent students to compete at the annual NJC math and science competition on April 1st and 2nd. It was a fun day where the students got to show off their knowledge in math, science, and critical thinking! We had multiple students place from both schools.
X-PLORE STEM with MCC
Attention incoming 4th and 5th graders!! We are having our second annual X-PLORE STEM Camp at MCC in June! This is an immersive, hands-on, and fun experience for students to engage with the world of STEM.
Dr. Matt Zakreski
I’m thrilled to announce that in collaboration with Northcentral and Centennial BOCES, we will be hosting Dr. Matt Zakreski in Fort Morgan on May 1st at MCC. He will be leading an exclusive workshop for high school gifted students on topics related to gifted identity and relationships. This 4-hour workshop will be completely free for students to attend and is an incredible opportunity to hear from an expert on giftedness and related topics.
Dr. Matt is a clinical psychologist and the published author of The Neurodiversity Playbook. He specializes in the needs of gifted students and travels internationally to teach others about giftedness and neurodiversity. He is dynamic and will ensure that the students not only gain valuable insights and actionable tools but also enjoy the experience.
John W Buckner Grant: Automatic Enrollment in Advanced Classes
The Power of Enrollment in Advanced Courses:
Traditionally, disadvantaged minorities and low-income students of all racial and ethnic backgrounds who perform well in school do not enroll in advanced classes at the same rate as their peers, regardless of preparedness. All students deserve the opportunity to learn higher-level content and students who have access to a rigorous curriculum perform better across multiple measures, including graduating high school and completing higher education.
The John W. Buckner Automatic Enrollment in Advanced Courses Grant Program, Senate Bill 19-059, is intended to increase the number of students enrolled in advanced courses for subjects in which the student has demonstrated proficiency.
The FMMS is taking on the Buckner Grant for 2023/2024 and will spend the year designing curriculum to help facilitate the automatic enrollment of our gifted students in advanced classes at the High School.
Read more about the Buckner Grant on CDE's website:
I-REECCH to tap gifted students in rural Colorado
Norma Hafenstein and Kristina Hesbol know what it’s like to grow up in a rural community. Both professors at the Morgridge College of Education have spent their careers advocating for equity, so their new journey is personal. The University of Denver professors say few gifted students are identified in rural areas, especially those who are minorities or from low-income families. So they’re deploying a team of researchers to help educators identify gifted students in rural Colorado.
Recursos Para los Padres de Familia
¿Qué puede hacer usted como padre por su hijo? Cada niño tiene capacidades en ciertas áreas, ya sea en las matemáticas, lengua y literatura, ciencias formales, naturales y sociales, música, artes visuales y escénicas, liderazgo, atletismo, filantropía o algún otro campo. Para ayudar a los niños dotados a descubrir sus talentos excepcionales, hay que explorar sus intereses y habilidades.
Explaining Giftedness to Your Child
"Whether identified as gifted, referred for an evaluation, or placed in a gifted and talented program, children quickly form their own impressions. They may wonder if this makes them different or smarter or weirder or better than the other kids."
What To Do When One Child Is Identified Gifted And Another Is Not
This article discusses how you can approach this subject with your children. The author shares several talking points to share with your child as well as tips for advocating for your children if you feel further assessment is needed.