My journey with giftedness began in Salt Lake in 2010 when I was asked by my oldest son’s teacher if I wanted to have him tested for the Gifted and Talented program. I declined because I was very happy with the education he was receiving and the way his school worked and didn’t plan on sending him to a magnet school. Unfortunately, with a new principal the next year the school changed how things were run, and we spent the next year and a half with little challenge occurring in the classroom. Mid-way through his 3rd grade year I discovered he had stopped turning in assignments. He was 6 weeks behind and failing. After he made up all of the work in less than two days, I knew I needed to have him tested and find a way for him to be challenged.
I had both him and my second child, a 1st grader at the time, tested and they both qualified for the program. After one year in the GT program in Salt Lake we moved to St. George and I was happy to be able to have both of them start directly into the program at Diamond Valley Elementary. My second is currently in 5th grade, and my third son is also in the program is in 3rd grade.
It has been wonderful to see how my children thrive when in an environment that suits them. While my oldest and third children have done well interacting and making friends with many types of children, my second child has not. When in 1st grade, before I had him tested and he joined a GT program, he would come home from school very upset wondering why he had no friends among his classmates. He would unintentionally say and do things that isolated him from his peers. It was amazing to see the contrast when he started in the GT program and was with others on his same level.
When the Washington County Association for Gifted Children was organized in 2015 I was asked to be treasurer. It has been wonderful to meet with parents and educators who are committed to advocating for the high-ability learners of our area. I continue to learn and am able to get ideas from others on how to best help my children succeed. I love attending the family get-togethers where I can use others as a sounding board. I constantly find myself in new waters as my children get older and I enter a new phase of their education.
While there are a few things I wish I would have done differently as I navigated this road, the biggest is when I had my oldest son tested. Even if you don’t plan on utilizing one of the magnet elementary schools (they aren’t right for every child) or if your child is older and out of elementary school, in this case knowledge is power. Having the testing to back you up helps as you work with your child’s teacher and administrator(s) to get him/her the education that is needed. You are child’s best advocate.
Penny Butterfield
Treasurer
I had both him and my second child, a 1st grader at the time, tested and they both qualified for the program. After one year in the GT program in Salt Lake we moved to St. George and I was happy to be able to have both of them start directly into the program at Diamond Valley Elementary. My second is currently in 5th grade, and my third son is also in the program is in 3rd grade.
It has been wonderful to see how my children thrive when in an environment that suits them. While my oldest and third children have done well interacting and making friends with many types of children, my second child has not. When in 1st grade, before I had him tested and he joined a GT program, he would come home from school very upset wondering why he had no friends among his classmates. He would unintentionally say and do things that isolated him from his peers. It was amazing to see the contrast when he started in the GT program and was with others on his same level.
When the Washington County Association for Gifted Children was organized in 2015 I was asked to be treasurer. It has been wonderful to meet with parents and educators who are committed to advocating for the high-ability learners of our area. I continue to learn and am able to get ideas from others on how to best help my children succeed. I love attending the family get-togethers where I can use others as a sounding board. I constantly find myself in new waters as my children get older and I enter a new phase of their education.
While there are a few things I wish I would have done differently as I navigated this road, the biggest is when I had my oldest son tested. Even if you don’t plan on utilizing one of the magnet elementary schools (they aren’t right for every child) or if your child is older and out of elementary school, in this case knowledge is power. Having the testing to back you up helps as you work with your child’s teacher and administrator(s) to get him/her the education that is needed. You are child’s best advocate.
Penny Butterfield
Treasurer