GATES PROGRAM

Welcome back to school for the year 2008-2009.

GATES services for students at Kennebunkport Consolidated School and Kennebunk Elementary School will begin the week of September 15th, 2008. Students in grades one, two, three, four and five receive in-class enrichment services on a weekly basis, while students identified for the GATES Program in grades four and five, are usually seen once a week depending on the kind of services they are in need of receiving.

The Challenge Of the Week (COW) created by Erin Neale three years ago will be distributed the week of September 15^th, and will be due the following Tuesday.  Students are excited about starting up this program again.  The goal of the COW program is to see that math is everywhere and it can be lots of fun too.

During the first two months of school, September and October, the kindergarten classes will receive consulting services from the GATES teacher once each week.  The GATES teacher will also offer support services in the math and reading programs for first graders and second graders.  Advanced first and second grade students will be assessed using the DRA.  In addition, whole class instruction for second and third grade students will begin on critical thinking and logical thinking skills.  In the fourth and fifth grades students are involved in the Touchpebbles Program, a critical thinking, discussion based reading program, as well as work on critical and creative thinking skills.  The GATES Reading and Math classes for identified fourth and fifth grade students will begin the week of September 15^th meeting weekly until the end of May of 2009.    

 Consolidated School GATES Program Grade 5 only.

During the week of September 15th, students in the fifth grade will be invited to try out for the Consolidated Math Team, a six-member team of the Southern Maine Elementary Math League (SMEML).  Students can join the math groups practicing different math league problems each week and completing the COWs and any assigned work each week.  Six students who score the highest on the practice meets will be invited to participate in the first SMEML afternoon Meet on Tuesday, October 28^th at the Portland Exposition Hall leaving Consolidated School around 12:00 and returning around 5:00 PM.  Chaperons are invited to attend.