Nov. 12 Seattle Mini-Ms Playdate

We’ve just sent out the Evite with details about our next Seattle Mini-Ms playdate, which will be at the Burke Museum. (It’s “Meet the Mammals” Day at the Burke and mammal costumes are encouraged – grrrowl!) If you’d like to join us, please email mensawwgyc@gmail.com to be placed on the Evite for this event. Hope to see you there!

Program on Hold

Hi to all who have been attending our program, and to those who are interested.

It was a hard decision, but I have decided to leave my volunteer officer position as Gifted Youth Coordinator in order to focus my time on my family, so the program is on hold until a new coordinator can be found.

The November 12^th Mini-M’s playdate will continue as planned.

The November 19^th playdate and the December 10^th Family Games night party are cancelled.

If you are a Mensan, please consider the possibility of becoming the next coordinator.  We made great progress this year with our start-up program, and I think there are so
many great things that this position can do for gifted youth.  More information will be coming-out in our local December newsletter, so watch your e-mail and/or mail boxes.

I have really enjoyed meeting you and your families and having a great time learning and playing and wish you all the best in the future.

Amanda Humann

Pumpkin Patch/ Fall Farm Visit 2011 E-vite Sent Today

The e-vite with details on where we are meeting went out today for the next Mini-M’s playdate this weekend.  If you would like to be included, please e-mail your interest to gifted@mensaww.org to be placed on the e-vite for this event.

Summer Camp Already?

One of the local resources for summer programs for gifted kids is ready for registration for 2012.  Summer Institute for the Gifted offers a day camp option, and recently added programming for kids as young as four years old.  Check it out at http://www.giftedstudy.org/day/overlake/admissions.asp .

 

Puget Sound Private Gifted School Admission Info

Thinking about the 2012–2013 school year? Wondering if one of the private gifted schools is right for your child? Fall is the time to attend an open house or schedule a tour of schools you’re curious about. A few tips to keep in mind:

• Tours are by reservation only and often fill up quickly, so don’t wait too long to sign up. Tours are usually for parents only.
• Applications are usually due in mid-January.
• Keep in mind that many of the application forms for these schools are quite lengthy, and letters of recommendation and test scores are often required. Get an early start so you’re not left scrambling at the last minute!

Here’s a rundown of the basics. Do let us know if there’s anything we’ve overlooked.

BKPlay
Bellevue, WA
http://www.bkplay.com
Grades: PS–3
Open house: Does not have an open house.
Tours: Tours are scheduled by appointment. Call (425) 747-4775 to schedule a tour.
Application deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

The Evergreen School
Shoreline, WA
http://www.evergreenschool.org
Grades: PS–8
Open houses: Upper Division (grades 4–8): November 1, 7:00–8:30 p.m.; Primary Division (grades PS–3): December 10, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Tours: Parent-only tours are scheduled on specific schooldays November to mid-January. Call (206) 364-0801 to reserve a space.
Application deadline: January 12, 2012

Open Window School
Bellevue, WA
http://www.ows.org
Grades: K–8
Open House: Saturday, November 19, 1:00–3:00 (parents only)
Tours: Parent-only tours are scheduled on schooldays November to mid-January. Call the school office to reserve a space: (425) 747-2911
Application deadline: January 19, 2012

Seabury School
Tacoma, WA
http://www.seabury.org
Grades: PK–8
Open house: Usually January or February.  Check their website for updates.
Tours: Lower School (PK–5): Tuesdays, 9:30–11:00 a.m.; Middle School (6–8): Thursdays, 9:30–11:00 a.m. Call the Lower School office at (253) 952-3111 or the Middle School office at (253) 604-0042 to reserve a space.
Application deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Seattle Country Day School
Seattle, WA
http://www.seattlecountryday.org
Grades: K–8
Open house: November 2, 6:00–8:00 p.m.
Tours: Parent-only tours are scheduled on specific schooldays October to mid-January. To reserve a space, complete a tour-request form, available at http://www.seattlecountryday.org/admissions_visit.html.
Application deadline: January 12, 2012

University Child Development School (UCDS)
Seattle, WA
http://www.ucds.org
Grades: PS–5
Open house: None scheduled at this time
Tours: Parent-only tours are scheduled on specific schooldays October to mid-January. Call the Admission Office at (206) 547-8237 to reserve a space.
Application deadline: January 12, 2012
Note: UCDS only considers the first 300 applications they receive. While UCDS is not a school for gifted students per se, they do use IQ scores in their admission evaluations, and some parents have found the school to be a good fit for gifted children.

Planning is Underway for Family Game Night

Save the Date! We are working on creating a family winter game gathering for all ages in the early evening on December 10th, 2011. We are currently searching for a free (keep in mind we are volunteers and have $0 budget) indoor location to have our party which could become very large in size and will require multiple tables. If you have any ideas for locations, please let us know at gifted@mensaww.org.

Come to October 2011 Mini-M’s Events

Spotted on a bumper sticker:

“The best thing to spend on your child is time.”

Come spend some time on your child with Mensa- we’re putting together our e-vites for our October Mini-M’s playdates.

Scheduled events are in Seattle on October 8th, 2011 for a visit to see the puppet show production of Jack and the Beanstalk via Thistle Theater, and on the Eastside to enjoy a visit to a pumpkin patch (to be named in the e-vite) on October 22, 2011.

Please send e-mail to gifted@mensaww.org to express interest and be put on the e-vite.

If You Build It, They Will Come

Gifted Youth Program Begins with Success!

With two great Mini-M’s playdates this summer, we are well on our way to building a GYP (Gifted Youth Program, aka Gifted Children’s Program).  Over twenty-one kids and at least fourteen adults (even four dads!) came to our July playdate in Issaquah to enjoy building a giant fort, art and puzzle time, and just plain socializing.  The August playdate in Seattle in the backyard of local member (and children’s author) Carol Woodson gave eleven children and seven adults lots of interaction and amusement, too.

We are hoping to continue with our success in the Mini-M’s age range (0-6 years).  We have set the following schedule for future
Mini-M’s events:

Saturday, September 10^th, 2:30 pm to 4pm Seattle

Saturday, September 24^th, 2:30 pm to 4pm Eastside

Saturday, October 8^th, 2:30 pm to 4pm Seattle

Saturday, October 22^nd, 2:30 pm to 4pm Eastside

Saturday, November 12^th, 2:30 pm to 4pm Seattle

Saturday, November 19^th, 2:30 pm to 4pm Eastside

Saturday, December10^th, 2:30 pm to 4pm TBA

All specific locations are to be announced, and there may be some variance in dateand time due to host location availability.

Any gifted youth are welcome, but 6 years old and under is the target group for these specific events.  This is a good chance for parents of gifted kids to get to know each other too, as parent/guardian presence will be required.  And remember, just about any gifted kid is welcome- they do not have to be members.

For the future, we would like to see programming for different ages, possibly visits to local places like the Pacific Science Center, activities like kid-oriented game gatherings, or other high interest events. We would also like to expand to areas outside the Puget Sound area. These things can happen if we have eager parent volunteers and participants, so please express interest via the e-mail listed below.

For more details, to be added to the local GCP e-mail list, or express interest in volunteering and/or hosting, please e-mail gifted@mensaww.org, check the local website at www.mensaww.org/gifted-youth/gifted-children-resources/, for information on what’s going on in the local gifted kid world.

Hope to see you at our events!

Amanda Humann

Gifted Youth Coordinator

 

New Playdate Program For Very Young Gifted Youth

If you have not heard already, we have started phase one of rebuilding the Gifted Youth Program (GYP) for Mensa of Western Washington.  To kick-off our season, we started small.  Like really small.  Like “mini”.  We have scheduled playdates for gifted youth 0-6 years old.  Nothing programmed, no schedule, just old-fashioned unstructured play. More below:

Interested families are invited to join the youngest members of Mensa of Western Washington members (Mini-M’s 6 years old and under) for our new playdate program.  This is a free, open to the public event to encourage socializing and play among peers for gifted kids.

Kids get a chance to play with peers, and you get a chance to network with other parents and caregivers of gifted kids. No IQ test required, just an interest in activities for young gifted kids.

Children of other ages are welcome to come to the playdates, but be aware that these sessions are meant for the looser play that occurs in the earlier age groups, so older kids might not find a playmate in their age range, or activities that interest them.

Watch our website www.mensaww.org in the future for other more structured social activities for other ages of gifted youth locally.

Upcoming dates:

July 22nd at 4pm, Issaquah

August 3rd at 2pm, North Seattle

Please e-mail gifted@mensaww.org for further details on locations and to be added to our e-mail list.

If you are attending one or both current playdates:

Please confirm that you are coming (if you have not already) so we can get an idea of what size group we’ll have.

You, the parent/caregiver will need to stay for the duration of your child’s attendance at this activity.  This is a great chance to network and chat with other parents and caregivers of gifted kids.

We will provide some materials and toys, but we ask that you bring a toy or game that your child would be willing to share.  This ensures that your child will find something interesting, and it may help open up an opportunity for interaction or play with another child.

Keep your expectations low- just because they’re bright, doesn’t mean they will be soulmates immediately.  Then again, also be prepared for a child who does not want to be separated from his or her new best friend.

Due to a variety of food allergy issues, we will not be serving snacks.

Thank you for your interest, and we hope to see you there!

Amanda Humann, Gifted Youth Coordinator and the GYC Team

SENG Conference in Seattle

SENG’s (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted=SENG) mission is to empower families and communities to guide gifted and talented individuals to reach their goals: intellectually, physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.

SENG’s annual conference is in Seattle for the first time this year July 15th to 17th, and has a great line-up of speakers, workshops and activities including navigating school bureaucracies, sessions on the twice exceptional, dealing with anxiety and underachievement, and more- check-out the whole line-up here.

The best part?  Like a Mensa Annual Gathering, it can be a family affair! In addition to speakers and workshops for parents and guardians, there are two tracks for youth- one for ages 7 to 14 and one for ages  15 to 18.  Check them out here, and register before June 10th, 2011 for a $100 price break.