Minds In Motion Workshops

Minds in Motion, fast paced, hands on workshops for children and their parents, will take place Saturday, November 20 in Woodbridge, CT at Amity Regional High School from 12:30 pm to 4:00 pm. Sponsored by the Connecticut Association for the Gifted, these workshops allows Kindergarten through eighth grade children an opportunity to learn new and exciting material that is not usually a part of their current school curriculum.

Dr Jeanne H. Purcell, State Department of Education Consultant for Gifted and Talented, will discuss “Defining Priorities for the State’s Gifted and Talented Programs” as the keynote address. Afterwards parents may attend roundtable discussion groups facilitated by CAG Board Members regarding educational, social and emotional needs of gifted and talented children.

The workshops for children offer a variety of activities in different age groups. There will be classes focusing on endangered animals, ocean creatures, bugs, edible plant art snacks, creative stories, rhythm and ocean locomotion for Kindergartners and first graders. Second and third graders will choose from mural paintings, water art, story soup, severe weather, endangered animals, thought for food, words in hands and amazable teleidoscopes. Fourth and fifth graders will find the Jason Project, players and playmaking, pastel painting, string geometry, government rules, geodome construction, train history, story to song, Mrs Goodmath, the eyes have it and toot your own flute among their choices. News Know-How, mining for memories, 3-D models with origami and math, Deep Blue vs you to analyze chess and HTML for Web page design are the programs offered to sixth, seventh and eighth graders.

Many organizations and institutions are supporting Minds in Motion by sending their educators to conduct these workshops. Participants include Young Audiences of Connecticut, Schooner Sound Learning, Beardsley Zoo, Little Scientists, Bethwood Suzuki School, Science Center of Connecticut, Talcott Mountain, Maritime Aquarium of Norwalk, Mystic Aquarium, Amazable Science Adventures, Peters Railroad Museum, Yale School of Drama, Art Studio, Eli Whitney Museum, and Education Department of Long Wharf Theatre. In addition, many other local educators are offering their time and talents to present workshops as well.

For Woodbridge Minds in Motion registration information, call 203/407-1778. For more information on the Connecticut Association for the Gifted, call the CAG Hotline at 203/291-6586 or visit their Web site at www.ctgifted.org.