In a highly selective process, the National Association for Gifted Children committees selected Jean Kavanagh (Instructional Coach and GT Facilitator at Goddard Middle), Laura McKone (Instructional Coach and GT Facilitator at Twain Elementary), Kathy Nash (GT Facilitator at Ralph Moody Elementary), Millicent Ambroggio (Language Arts Teacher at Littleton High), and Christi Jeppensen (GT Language Arts Facilitator at Littleton Academy) to present work at the National Conference in Albuquerque on November 7-9, 2019.  

The teachers led sessions and shared their knowledge of gifted education and excellence in teaching, with topics ranging from the social and emotional needs of GT students, bringing STEM into the GT classroom, and insights on Tinkercad software and ways to include math to create an engaging and collaborative place for student learning.  

Because this was a National Conference with over 2500 attendees, most session presenters are professors, graduate students or panels of distinguished colleagues in the GT field, so having actual classroom teachers presenting to the audience made this opportunity rare and special. Melinda Ness, LPS Coordinator of Gifted and Talented Education noted that comments received after their sessions included, “‘I’d love to have all of your presentation information. It would be so great for my students.’ ‘I loved your session. It was one of the best of the conference.’ and ‘You inspired me!’”

Image: LPS Gifted and Talented Facilitators presented papers at the 2019 National Conference for Gifted Children in Albuquerque. From left to right: Melinda Ness (Coordinator for Gifted and Talented Education), Christi Jeppesen, Jean Kavanagh, Kathy Nash, Millicent Ambroggio, Laura McKone).