School Services

Seminar Application(1).pdf

What are G/T Seminars?

G/T instructional seminars are designed to extend student interests beyond the regular classroom. In these seminars, students develop a broad range of advanced level skills for in-depth study and creation of a product or presentation.  Many of the seminars will include guest speakers or field trip opportunities, so students can work with experts in an area of interest. Seminars are open to ALL STUDENTS.

Important Things to Remember:

• Since the seminars meet during the school day, you must be responsible for all make up work, and keep grades up in your classes.
• Staple monthly pass in agenda, and write seminar in agenda in the period/ day for teacher to sign.  Ask if you can be dismissed.
•  If a test, lab, or other class where it is difficult to make up work, then you should stay in class. See me or email me for missed work.

Seminar Descriptions:  If you are interested in one or two of these seminars, you must apply for the seminar(s). Applications are due September 24th. If a student applies late, he or she must check availability with Mrs. Chelidona first.  

African American History:

Students in this seminar will have an opportunity to develop an understanding of the African American history through the use of primary documents, speeches, and discussions. You will also utilize research skills to investigate the various historical time periods in order to understand the global perspective and influences of the time period.

Book Club

Students in GT Book Club will choose at least three books to read this year from the GT Book Club List. Students may also sign up to be book club leaders. Book club leaders create strong discussion questions, and facilitate the book discussion.  Two or three students from book club may also participate in a county-wide discussion each month at the Miller Branch library.  

Creative Writing

The creative writing seminar provides advanced-level creative writers with the opportunity to produce original creative writing based on their interests. Mini-lessons focus on areas like story elements, figurative language, generating ideas, and diction.  Students will prepare works for publication and evaluate their own growth as writers by applying metacognitive reflection skills. Throughout the year, writers should maintain a portfolio of polished work and should actively participate in providing feedback to other writers.

Debate

Are you good at arguing your point and persuading others? In debate, students will research current issues, write argumentative speeches, and organize arguments. They will use public speaking skills and etiquette to refute and close their arguments. In the spring, students on this team will debate in a county middle school competition at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab. Students should be strong readers, writers, and speakers.

Film

Do you enjoy watching movies? Now it’s your turn to be behind the camera or on the screen!

Introduction to Film: Students will learn techniques and basic skills with photography and videography through short film projects and advertising. Students learn film techniques including camera angles, adding b-roll footage, and transitions, and will create short films which can be broadcast to the school community.

Advanced Film: Students will create an documentary on a topic of their choice. Students who finish their documentary by the deadline have been able to show their film at the AFI Theater in Silver Spring for an environmental film festival or the HoCo Film Festival.

Little Bits:

Students in the Little Bits seminar will learn coding concepts like inputs and outputs, loops, and variables, and then apply these concepts to create app based games and inventions.