A Message from the Midwest Torrance Center For Creativity Students are cordially invited to participate in the International Torrance Creativity Awards for 2017 in the four areas, creative writing, visual arts, music composition, and inventions.  The competition is for students ages 8-18, and the deadline for submissions is August 21.  Please see our flyer for more information (click here). The competition is judged by outstanding individuals who are experts in their areas.  The judges in past years have commented on the exceptional qualities of submissions, such as the beauty, creativity, originality, and imagination.  We warmly encourage students to participate in as many areas as they like. We keenly look forward to having you consider the possibility of submitting or encouraging a child to submit.  It is a privilege to receive material of such creativity and originality.  If you would like to see last year's magazine, it is available on our website (click here). Very sincerely, Joan Franklin Smutny, Director International Torrance Creativity Awards The Center for Gifted / Midwest Torrance Center for Creativity

International Museum of Surgical Science

Summer STEM Sessions The Human Body and Space Sponsored in part by NASA

Tuesday & Wednesday, July 25th and 26th Tuesday & Wednesday, August 1st and 2nd 8:30am - 12:00pm Daily   5th, 6th & 7th Grade Students   $10 per session or $30 for all four sessions   Find the application and more information here!

*Space is limited to the first 20 applicants per session

SENG (Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted) holds an annual conference every summer somewhere in the US.  This year the conference will be in Illinois!  They will be in Naperville at the Marriott Hotel from August 3 - 6, 2017! For more details, see their web page:  SENG Conference.

Are you interested in helping SENG by volunteering at this summer's annual conference? 

There are two separate opportunities. 

SENG SPEAKER AMBASSADOR

SENG is looking for about 20 people to work as Speaker Ambassadors for one day and in exchange is offering a reduced attendance fee for the conference.  To learn more about this opportunity, see this SENG Volunteer letter. If you are interested, please complete this Agreement Form, attach it to an email and send to me at NewenkaDuMont@ChicagoGiftedCommunity.org 

SENG CHILDREN'S PROGRAM VOLUNTEER

SENG is looking for a few volunteers to assist with their Children's Program. In exchange, the volunteer may enroll his or her children in the program at no cost and will receive a museum pass for the Field Museum. Learn more about the Children's Program. If you are interested, please respond to this email and I will provide you with more details. Please note that Children's Program volunteers will need to be vetted through the Illinois State Police.  

Please respond promptly in order to take advantage of these opportunities!  I look forward to seeing you all there!  

$15 Student tickets are available on select Chicago Symphony Orchestra, SCP Piano, MusicNOW series concerts and more. Purchase tickets in advance online! Students may also purchase walk-up tickets for $20 at the Box Office on concert days.

There is a $5 handling fee per ticket. A valid Student ID is required for each ticket purchase.

   

Upcoming concerts with Student Ticket availability:

• Tuesday, May 30, 2017 — Gershwin Piano Concerto & Dvořák Symphony No. 6
• Thursday, June 1, 2017 — Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier Suite
• Saturday, June 3, 2017 — Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier Suite
• Sunday, June 4, 2017 — Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier Suite
• Thursday, June 8, 2017 — CSO Performs All-Mozart Program
• Saturday, June 10, 2017 — CSO Performs All-Mozart Program
• Sunday, June 11, 2017 — Kirill Gerstein
• Tuesday, June 13, 2017 — CSO Performs All-Mozart Program
• Thursday, June 15, 2017 — Branford Marsalis plays John Williams
• Friday, June 16, 2017 — Branford Marsalis plays John Williams
• Saturday, June 17, 2017 — Branford Marsalis plays John Williams

See CSO web site for complete details.

From IMSA Email:

Time is running out to register for IMSA Summer programs! We have a great line-up of fun and engaging STEM programs---don't miss out!

Registration closes May 31! 

Click here for our full line-up!

There is space in the following programs:

Grades 3-4

Chemapalooza (6/19 - 6/23)

STEMvironment (7/17 - 7/21)

Grades 5-6

MYTHconeptions (7/24 - 7/28)

Grades 7-8

MicroSTEM (7/10 - 7/14)

MicroSTEM (7/17 - 7/21)

Grades 8-9 (Residential)

Extreme Math & Science @ IMSA -

GIRLS ONLY - (6/25 - 6/30)

Due to our registration platform, some of these programs may indicate there is a waitlist (even though there are spots available). 

We will contact you via email on a first-come-first-serve basis to process your full registration.

Friday, April 21st – Saturday, April 22nd

Various Locations: 
Harold Washington Library
Columbia College Chicago
See chiteenlitfest.org for details

The ChiTeen Lit Fest aims to provide a safe and creative space for young adults to unlock and discover their unique voice through literary arts. The Fest seeks to bring together young people from across Chicago and celebrate their talents as they express themselves through exceptional and honest art. Nate Marshall, the award-winning poet and author of Wild Hundreds (2015), will headline the festival with Tara Mahadevan, Eric May, Megan Stielstra, and The Sun Bros.

This is a teens only event, for ages 13–19 years old.

Click here for complete details.

Lyric’s Youth Opera Council is seeking new members for the 2017/18 opera season!   Apply to the Youth Opera Council (YOC) and join other high school students who are passionate about opera and the performing arts.   YOC members have amazing experiences: Meet Lyric Opera artists — from singers to orchestra members Explore behind the scenes with Lyric staff members Plan and attend events/programs for fellow high school students Experience fabulous Lyric productions! Does the Youth Opera Council sound perfect for you? APPLY NOW!

Apply for the 2017/18 Council by Monday, May 1.   All applicants must be in high school during the 2017/18 school year and be able to commit to evening meetings at Lyric Opera of Chicago twice a month.

I had the opportunity to attend a prescreening for the movie Gifted.  I had been seeing the trailer for this movie for some time and was worried about how gifted children and their families would be portrayed.  The trailer makes it clear that the child’s uncle is very concerned that she have a “normal childhood.”  As I have said before, those of us who live with gifted kids are repeatedly astonished with their abilities, those without constant exposure find them unbelievable and are often certain that their parents play a huge role in their abilities.

Well I am happy to say that I found the movie enjoyable and not offensive. I think the challenges faced by the characters are representative of those faced by many gifted families. My one concern is that the little girl is more than just gifted, doing calculus as a seven-year-old; she is a math prodigy. So the academic issues are much more extreme than those faced by the vast majority of us.  I wish they had called the movie Prodigy instead. The little girl also does not face many of the other intensities we often see in gifted children. At any rate if you have an Aunt Thelma who always makes snipey remarks about how you raise your gifted child, she will get little ammunition from this movie.  

The Center for Gifted / Midwest Torrance Center for Creativity offers a large variety of summer programs at locations throughout the Chicagoland area. Register NOW and save 10% (discounts ends in early April).

Click on the links below for specifics on each of the programs/locations.

Summer Programs

  

Register here for Summer

For 10% Early Discount enter code: SMR17TEN

Project '17 - Elmhurst College

Tinker-a-Thon - Elmhurst College

Summer Wonders - Buffalo Grove

Worlds of Wisdom and Wonder - 8 locations

- Barrington          - Glenview

- Chicago             - Naperville

- Crete                  - Skokie

- Elmhurst            - Wheaton

Vanguard Gifted Academy has found the site for our school in Batavia.  We are confident that the location, which is on the east side of the river near Fermilab, will offer easy access to families coming from a variety of neighboring towns. We are also excited about the many science opportunities Fermilab offers educators which Vanguard will be able to take advantage of at this location. The building floor plan is well suited to the Vanguard learning modules, there is plenty of parking, and the property includes a couple of acres of open space for outdoor academics and recreational opportunities.

We are offering a special Founding Family discount for joining Vanguard Gifted Academy in its first year.  Founding Families will get $3,500.00 off the Vanguard tuition, lowering the cost to $15,000.00.  We hope that the lower tuition will encourage those of you who are interested in the Vanguard model to give it a try.  We know you will love it once your child becomes engaged in the Vanguard learning environment. 

For more information go to www.vanguardgiftedacademy.org where you will find information about Vanguard Gifted Academy and admissions. 

Elizabeth Blaetz

Head of School

Vanguard Gifted Academy