Worlds of Wisdom and Wonder

Grayslake - Grades K - 6

Prairie Crossing Charter School
1531 Jones Point Road, Grayslake

June 22 - July 2, 2009

Weekday Mornings: 9:20 to 12:00
Tuition: $ 290.00



Kindergarten Courses

Kindergarten Forum: As with all Center for Gifted classes, this new, exciting, self-contained course is designed to challenge and accelerate; to differentiate the classroom experience through creative activities, materials and strategies to effect dynamic learning. A hands-on-workshop approach every day and an exchange of ideas motivate critical thinking and creative expression. Bright, talented kindergarteners gain a joy of learning and respond with enthusiasm to the instructorís interdisciplinary approach, integrating subject areas of literature, math, science, history, art, and drama.
World Class Explorers: Transform your classroom into a rainforest, then join your peers for an expedition to explore its amazing flora and fauna! Embark on an Australian walkabout, through a continent replete with diverse ecosystems and fascinating animals.


1st - 6th Grade Course Offerings

Edible Literature: Explore new stories long and small and old tales short and tall, and create stories of your own, through hands-on cooking escapades. Grades 1-2
Creative Writing: Compose stories, prose, and poetry inspired by such catalysts as posters, paintings, films, books, and stories; get published in our creative writing magazine. Grades 1-6
Math Conundrums: Ponder perplexing puzzles; uncover hidden number patterns; play intriguing math games. Grades 1-2
Introduction to the Fourth Dimension: Experience the fourth dimension, hands-on; create models of 4-D triangles and cubes; explore even higher dimensions and build models of 5-D, 6-D, 7-D triangles-there is no limit! Grades 3-6
Chemistry, Physics, and Bubbles: Explore hands-on the principles of air, gravity, density, and surface tension; concoct effervescent solutions. Will you create the biggest, longest-lasting, or craziest-shaped bubble? Grades 1-3
Crystal Chemistry: Mix, mold, swish, and squish as you experiment with sundry sticky solutions to design and create your own crystal formations. Which chemical combinations will wax strong and hardy? Which ones will flop? Grades 4-6
Invention Lab: Reconfigure great gadgets of yesteryear, design innovative thingamabobs for the present, or create futuristic gizmos for the next millennium. Grades 1-2
Physics Olympics: Explore the principles of power and force as you create contraptions that race, run, spin, sputter, and fly. Will yours go fastest? longest? highest? or fizzle out? Grades 3-6
Survival on the Prairie: Board your prairie schooner as a pioneer; follow great herds of bison with the First Peoples; investigate the unique survival skills of the Sioux, Potawatomi, and the pioneer settlers; discover the wonders and dangers they faced on the prairie as you explore its fantastic wildlifeóanimal, vegetable, and mineral; play young prairie-dweller games . Grades 1-6
Game Makers: Create your own games! Design playing fields; invent characters; improvise rules. Make losing the goal? Join your peers in a class game fest. Grades 1-6
Computer LEGO Lab: Create and engineer computerized robots. Employ gears, sensors, and motors to make them faster, smarter, trickier, etc. Grades 3-6
Robotics I: Construct your own sound-activated, mechanical robot. (Students will use soldering irons.) ($35 lab fee) Grades 4-6
Robotics II: Apply skills learned in Robotics I to build Scrambler, a six-legged, all-terrain robot with a state-of-the-art infrared tracking beam. (Students will use soldering irons.) ($50 lab fee) Grades 5-6
Chess Club: Challenge your peers as you explore basic rules, openings, end games, and (if you are ready) highly sophisticated strategies. All playersófrom beginners to championsóare welcome. Grades 1-6
Art Unlimited: Create multi-dimensional masterpieces as you explore various media, methods, and muses; mosey outdoors to investigate the art and inspiration of a natural prairie; choose your own combination of artistic media to capture its wonder, wild and tame. Grades 1-6

Actors Workshop: Is the stage calling your name? Join your peers for theatre games and improvisation exercises; create characters and rehearse scenes to perform for a live audience! Grades 1-6


Application
Teacher Recommendation Form
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Program Structure

The summer 2009 Worlds of Wisdom and Wonder programs at Grayslake meets on weekday mornings for two weeks. The Grayslake program will not meet on Friday, July 3. Students entering 1st-6th grades enroll in three courses, which the students themselves choose from a variety of exciting topics (see above). Each morning, they attend their assigned classes in three 50-minute sessions. Students entering kindergarten explore diverse, challenging, creative subject areas (see above) every day in a self-contained, nurturing environment.

Eligibility Requirements

All Applicants: Only students who are enrolled in kindergarten-6th grades for fall of 2009 may apply to our summer 2009 program in Grayslake. Bright, motivated children from any city or educational setting, whether public, private, parochial, or home school, are eligible. Although applicants need not be enrolled in school gifted programs, achievement test scores of most Center for Gifted students rank at or above the 95th percentile in some areas.

New Students: Any applicant who never has attended a program of The Center for Gifted must submit a completed and signed teacher recommendation form (see inside). It may be sent with application or separately.

Returning Students: Applicants who previously have attended programs of The Center for Gifted are eligible upon our timely receipt of their applications and do not require teacher recommendations.

We sensitively consider exceptions. Parents may request a conference with the Director regarding their childís particular circumstances.

Application and Placement

Download and complete the application and mail it with your $50 deposit to: The Center for Gifted, Box 364, Wilmette, IL 60091. Applications sent without deposits will not be processed. There are no application deadlines; applications will be accepted until the programs begin. Applications are not accepted via phone, fax, or email.

Parents are notified of enrollment status within two weeks after our receipt of their complete applications. Applications from new students are not complete until we also receive their teacher recommendations. Parents who wish to confirm our receipt of their applications before enrollment status is determined may telephone or email The Center for Gifted.

Students who are accepted are placed in classes on a rolling basis, per postmark dates of their applications. Students are placed in classes with their age peers, so that the grade-level span of students in any one classroom usually will not exceed two years. A week or two before the programs begin, parents receive enrollment packets with individual class assignments, maps, directions, and information about our on-site parent seminars.

Payments / Refunds / Withdrawals

Each program requires a tuition deposit of $50 by check, money order, or credit card authorization (Visa or MasterCard), which must accompany application. The deposit is non-refundable and will be credited to tuition. The balance of tuition for Grayslake is due on June 8. Lab fees for robotics classes will be due on the first day of the program. Please make checks payable to The Center for Gifted.

If a student withdraws from a program before it begins, tuition (except the $50 non-refundable deposit) will be refunded.There are no credits or refunds for absences for any reason, or for late enrollments. There are no sibling discounts.

Financial Assistance

In consideration of our students and their families during this phase of economic challenge, we have not increased our tuition rates, lab fees, or any other program expense to parents this summer. It is our privilege to offer our support in this way. We are happy to consider payment plans or tuition reductions, as well, for families who can demonstrate financial need. Please telephone us for information and financial assistance forms.

 
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