It began simply with one parent’s question about her academically gifted child’s education and blossomed into the formation of Guilford County PAGE, an affiliate of the North Carolina Association for the Gifted and Talented (NCAGT). Today, Guilford County PAGE, which stands for Partners for the Advancement of Gifted Education, has an active board of directors preparing to launch its organization focused on advocating for gifted education in Guilford County public schools and supporting families and educators of gifted students. “Our primary goal is to create true partnership among parents, teachers, administrators, and anyone interested in supporting gifted students in our community so our brightest young minds can flourish by having their unique needs met,” said Holly Stewart, president of the Guilford County PAGE board of directors, which is made up entirely of volunteer parents and educators. Until the formation of the new chapter, Guilford County was the largest school district in North Carolina without an active PAGE chapter. Currently, Guilford County Schools’ Academically Gifted (AG) department counts more than 14,000 AG-identified students in kindergarten through 12th grade. In July, the North Carolina state legislature passed a bill that could change the status of funds previously earmarked for AG services, giving local school boards the authority to reallocate funds as they deem necessary. “Our academically gifted students deserve to make continuous progress throughout their education, so they can achieve their full potential,” said Guilford County PAGE vice president and gifted educator Michelle Himmelman. “As members of society, we are all stakeholders in the education of these students.” Guilford County PAGE is launching its website www.guilfordcountypage.org and kicking off a strong membership drive to coincide with the beginning of the 2013-14 school year. It plans to provide enrichment opportunities for students as well as support and resources for teachers and parents. The board is also actively seeking corporate sponsors and individual donors to help advance the group’s mission. Press release courtesy of Guilford County PAGE.
What a vibrant force for our children of promise. Nothing is more important
Than helping students becoming all that they can be