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"Nau mai e te hunga māhirahira, whaowhia tō kete mātauranga,"
"Welcome to those that are curious; fill your basket with knowledge"
Wakatipu High School's Gifted Education programme is committed to empowering students to reach their full potential.
The programme offers opportunities to enhance learning and foster curiosity. Our teaching and learning community challenges and inspires students in the pursuit of excellence and the development of a passion for lifelong learning.
The programme offers opportunities to enhance learning and foster curiosity. Our teaching and learning community challenges and inspires students in the pursuit of excellence and the development of a passion for lifelong learning.
Gifted Education at WHS
Wakatipu High School takes a holistic view of Gifted Education. Our vision is to foster the environment and provide opportunities for gifted behaviours to flourish.
Wakatipu High School Gifted Education students are defined as those who have the ability or potential to perform at a level significantly beyond their chronologically aged peers. They demonstrate potential or ability in one or more from a range of areas which may include, but is not limited to, one or more of the following:
Wakatipu High School is part of a diverse and multi-cultural community and we recognise that students from any background may have outstanding abilities or potential related to their specific beliefs, values, or practices.
Wakatipu High School Gifted Education students are defined as those who have the ability or potential to perform at a level significantly beyond their chronologically aged peers. They demonstrate potential or ability in one or more from a range of areas which may include, but is not limited to, one or more of the following:
- Academic / Intellectual / Mātauranga
- Artistic
- Creative / Innovative
- Cultural / Tikanga
- Kaitiakitanga / Guardianship
- Leadership / Rangatiratanga / Social
- Manaakitanga / Hospitality
- Physical / Sporting / Tinana
- Tohungatanga / Expertise
- Whanaungatanga / Values
- Wairuatanga / Spirituality
Wakatipu High School is part of a diverse and multi-cultural community and we recognise that students from any background may have outstanding abilities or potential related to their specific beliefs, values, or practices.
Characteristics
Wakatipu High School takes a holistic approach to identifying gifted children. Whilst assessment and baseline data will help form part of the identification process, staff and whānau are encouraged to consider how gifted characteristics can emerge in many ways in and outside of the classroom.
For example, gifted characteristics may present themselves in some of the following ways:
For example, gifted characteristics may present themselves in some of the following ways:
- Understanding and/or performance beyond that of peers
- Persistent intellectual curiosity
- Superior quality of written and/or spoken vocabulary
- Creative and divergent thinker; shows originality in thinking
- Sophisticated reasoning powers and ability to manipulate ideas
- Forms connections between topics and subjects naturally
- Strong sense of justice and humour
- Task commitment to a chosen topic of interest and desire to work independently on self-selected projects
- Exceptional memory
- Precocity - demonstrate advanced ability in a specific domain and learns at a faster pace than peers
- Intense, perceptive, and sensitive
- A rage to master - high levels of intrinsic motivation in their area/s of interest and ability.
Programme
The Gifted Education Programme is philosophically:
All students are encouraged to sign up to the Curious Minds Google Classroom (fi3cvsvm) to hear updates about the opportunities on offer.
- Designed to challenge students, empower them, encourage risk taking, develop creative and critical thinking, foster independent learning and leadership, build individual accountability and the pursuit of excellence
- Committed to supporting the social, emotional and cultural needs of students
- Dynamic in our approach to identifying and facilitating opportunities to meet the individual needs of Gifted Education students, including those who are twice exceptional or under achieving
- One which supports teachers to support for the provision of gifted within the classroom, aligned with current research on best practice for Gifted Education students
- One which focuses on gifted potential, recognising that children develop at different times and that gifted characteristics are personal to individuals
- One that facilitates parent/whānau partnerships and student advocacy
All students are encouraged to sign up to the Curious Minds Google Classroom (fi3cvsvm) to hear updates about the opportunities on offer.
Wakatipu High School uses a broad multifaceted approach to providing for gifted and talented students through a differentiated approach. This includes:
- A timetable structure that supports students to choose classes and courses that best meet student individual needs.
- A wide range of extracurricular opportunities offered in school and engagement with external events and competitions
- Personalised teaching and learning programmes that endeavour to offer student choice and enable the self-managing student to accelerate their learning.
- A range of specialist option choices such as the ‘Critical Thinking’ in Junior Social Sciences and ‘Passions and Pathways’ in Years 12 and 13.
- Specialist classes in areas such as High-Performance Sport
- Extension and Scholarship classes, including University Mathematics and English Extension
- Opportunities in iGCSE subjects and engagement with courses outside of the school (such as Massey Acceleration courses and Net NZ programmes).
- Subject acceleration*
- Extracurricular talent development through cultural and sporting activities
Subject Acceleration
Many of the needs of our gifted students will be met through differentiated teaching and learning and our existing programmes. Gifted Education students who are highly gifted may be considered for subject acceleration. This means studying for a course at a level above that of their peers (for example, a Year 10 student studying a L1 subject). To be considered for acceleration (subject or full-year) highly gifted students will be assessed across the following criteria:
A holistic approach will be taken in deciding whether a student should be considered for acceleration. Students who are accelerated are expected to achieve to the Excellence Level in the accelerated subject(s). Contact the relevant HoLA and the Gifted Co-ordinator (Arthur Reeves) if you think your child should be considered for acceleration.
- Academic Ability, Aptitude, and Achievement;
- School and Academic Factors;
- Developmental Factors;
- Interpersonal Skills;
- Attitude and Support.
A holistic approach will be taken in deciding whether a student should be considered for acceleration. Students who are accelerated are expected to achieve to the Excellence Level in the accelerated subject(s). Contact the relevant HoLA and the Gifted Co-ordinator (Arthur Reeves) if you think your child should be considered for acceleration.
Extracurricular Activities
At WHS extracurricular activities form an important part of the educational experience of our students. We have an ambitious goal of having 85% of Year 9 and new students involved in some form of extracurricular activity each year. It helps our students to build connections, a sense of whanaungatanga and belonging. Our extracurricular activities offer enhancement opportunities to supplement learning and personal growth within the classroom.
News and Competitions
Competitions throughout the year will be listed on the ‘Curious Minds’ Classroom page (fi3cvsvm) and be promoted via the newsletter.
For more information regarding any of the above, please contact the Gifted Education Coordinator, Mr Arthur Reeves.
"No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings.”
- William Blake
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