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Super Saturday 8
Schedule
Or to review the agenda, tracks, classes and instructors...continue on.
Agenda: If you're interested in participating in the event, below is an overview of the schedule for the day. To review the tracks in more detail, scroll down or click here.
LUNCH: During the lunch break, students can participate in an optional Parkour obstacle course hosted by APEX School of Movement. The activity will run from 11:10 to 11:55, and students can join at any time for as long as they would like. A completed waiver will be required in order for students to participate, and a link to the form will be sent following event registration.
In September 2006, APEX Movement was established as the first formal Parkour training program in the western hemisphere by Ryan Ford in Boulder, CO. Their philosophy is that Parkour was in every single one of us as a kid -- jumping off swings, climbing trees, and hopping over cracks in the sidewalk. APEX encourages people to rediscover the creative, natural movement that we all loved when we were three feet tall. Training with APEX is fun and feels more like playing than exercising. APEX coaches people to excel in their chosen athletics, they inspire people to become more physically active through play, and they help people attain their fitness goals through natural exercise. There is something for everyone along at least one of these three paths to fitness; Athletics, Play, and EXercise.
Details about Tracks and Classes: When you register, you will choose ONE track for each student. Each track has 4 sessions. To learn more about the classes in a track, click on the name of the class below to go to a more detailed description of the class and the instructor (or scroll down on your mobile device.) To return to this table click the icon.
Schedule
Kindergarten & 1st Graders
Track A
Track B
4th & 5th Graders
Track A
Track B
Track C
Track D
Electricity
Electricity and Vacuum Cannons - Fun Science!
Where does electricity come from? This session will cover the topic of electricity, the many sources of electricity, and how we make it. Come experience the power and fascination of this amazing topic. We will also explore the POWER of atmospheric pressure with a ping pong ball and a pop can.
About the instructor: James Koerlin is a professional engineer in the field of mechanical engineering. He has worked in the areas of wheelchair seating systems and geophysical logging equipment over the last 30 years. He holds degrees in mechanical engineering and industrial arts from Texas Tech University and North Texas State, respectively. For the last eight years he has been an instructor of engineering at Bollman Technical Education Center.
Emotions
Today I am Happy-Sad
Students will explore and work to make sense of mixed together feelings through storytelling, songs, and a craft activity. Feelings can be complicated, but with fun lessons we can work to understand ourselves better while having fun. Come prepared to explore our feelings, make art, and have fun.
About the instructor: Dr. Vanessa Ewing has been in the field of gifted education for nearly 20 years in roles including classroom teacher, counselor, and principal. She also serves the adult community including parents, educators, and social/emotional service providers. Areas of emphasis and specialty include social/emotional topics, early childhood, creativity, and twice exceptionality (for those that are identified as having both a disability and being gifted). When not working, she loves hanging out with her 9 year old son, pup, and traveling near and far.
Paleontology
Paleontology
Students of all ages will learn about the field of paleontology, with particular emphasis on dinosaurs. Using genuine fossils, we will look at dinosaur anatomy and discuss potential functions of features such as Triceratops horns or Tyrannosaurus teeth. Students will have a chance to use what they have learned to create their own dinosaur with unique features!
About the instructor: Irlanda Moreno is a college student in her senior year at UC Denver where she is majoring in evolutionary biology. She has studied paleontology for fifteen years and plans to use her degree to pursue a career in paleontology. Currently, she volunteers behind the scenes at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science in the paleo prep lab working on various specimens including the cheek bone of a Triceratops. She previously volunteered for eight years at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History as a gallery interpreter teaching the general public about the exhibits. What she loves most about volunteering in museums is engaging with children and educating about the natural world we live in.
Vision
Vision and the Eye
This session will contain an introduction to the anatomy and physiology of the eye, how glasses work to help vision, and understanding the basic physics of lenses and prisms. Using models (kindergarten/1st grade) or a cadaver cow eye (2nd-5th grades), we will deepen our understanding of how the eye works, understand anatomy, and learn about eye surgery. Students in the upper grades will have the opportunity to watch surgical videos of an actual eye surgery. Note: For the 2/3 and 4/5 tracks, this session will include optional observation of an animal eye dissection.
About the instructor: Dr. Ellen Miller graduated from The Ohio State University College of Medicine in 2010. This was followed by a 4 year residency in Ophthalmology at Ohio State University Havener Eye Institute, and then a 1 year fellowship in pediatric ophthalmology and adult strabismus at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. She moved to Colorado Springs in 2015 and is a physician at Children's Eye Center in Colorado Springs. She also volunteers her time with the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind. She loves working with kids and adults to have their best vision possible. Pediatric ophthalmology is very rewarding because she enjoys working with and helping kids, enjoys the challenge of working with and understanding the human body, enjoys teaching parents and kids about vision, and having a life-long impact on vision and visual development.
Space Craft Design
Space Craft Design
This session will focus on the technology and engineering which is going into the design and build of the Dream Chaser, the world’s only reentry space plane. There will be two videos, one showing the concept of planned flight operations and a second showing the latest test flight, each with commentary and interjected with questions to the students. Most of the conversation will be focused on the key requirements to design a vehicle which has to go into space and fly through the atmosphere.
About the instructor: David Burns is a lead design engineer for Sierra Nevada Corporation and works on Dream Chaser. David graduated from Colorado State University in 1999 with a degree in mechanical engineering. Prior to that, David worked for 15 years on nuclear powered submarines at Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory.
Secrecy
History of Secrecy: Analog Cyphers and Encryption
Cyber-security may be a buzz-word of the 21st century, but the art of keeping information secret goes back thousands of years. This two-hour session discusses eleven of the classic ciphers starting with the Spartan Scytale of 200 BCE, moving through to the Alberti and Vigenère ciphers of the 14th and 15th centuries, and ending with the German Enigma Machine of World War II. Students will use vintage ciphers and signal devices to encrypt, send, receive, and decrypt messages.
About the instructor: After 25 years of designing learning experiences for universities as well as major corporations, Richard Blake left the world of full time professional instructional design for the world of full time professional parenting. He soon discovered he could combine his lifelong and profound interest in STEM with a passion for educating primary, middle, and high school children. As his alter-ego Doktor Silas Conundrum in his STEMpunkED programs, he uses his corporate and collegiate experience, as well as his MA in Instructional Design and a BA in English & Liberal Arts, to bring innovative (and unusual) learning experiences in history, science, and imagination to educators, librarians, and learners in his area.
Destination Imagination
Destination Imagination
Instant challenges require quick, creative, and critical thinking for fast idea generation and implementation. Students in this session will learn about the creative process through project based learning, and instant challenges will provide students with the opportunity to work in small teams to solve STEAM based Challenges.
About the instructors: Andrew Dechant is in his 3rd year as the Regional Director for the North Metro Region of Destination Imagination. Before this, he was a volunteer for Destination Imagination (DI) and the Regional Challenge Master for Project Outreach. He is passionate about teaching kids the creative process. He is an alumnus of DI and first participated in elementary school almost 33 years ago. He knows how important it is, both personally and professionally, to think creatively, work as a team, and generate ideas quickly.
Minda McGurk is passionate about getting involved in extracurricular activities and enrichment opportunities. She has her BA in Performance Art and her MA in Non-profit Management. Minda is the Academic Activities Coordinator for Denver Public Schools through the Gifted & Talented Department and focuses on providing opportunities and programming especially for gifted students. She is also the Regional Director for the Denver Destination Imagination, the tap dance and choreography teacher for Aurora Dance Arts, and she also has highly gifted sons of her own.
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Yoga
Yoga
Come join in the yoga fun! We will practice breathing techniques, yoga poses and even play some games! Yoga is a great way to build strength and body awareness. Yoga can also help us with our worries and stress.
About the instructor: Sarah Stark has practiced yoga for 20 years, and has taught different forms of yoga for the past three years. She currently teaches kids yoga, family yoga and tween yoga at Lifetime Fitness in Westminster.
BackStory Theatre
BackStory Theatre
Join BackStory Theatre for a fun, interactive exploration of literacy. Students will hear a performed story, and then discuss key components of literacy and storytelling before working in small groups to retell the story as a theatre scene for their peers with creative changes! Focus is on flexible thinking, collaboration, imagination, and a good bit of silly fun!
About the instructors:
Mary Wilkie is Executive Director for BackStory Theatre and is delighted to share the joy of theatre with people of all ages and abilities! She has experience with twice-exceptional (2E) kiddos as well as those needing adaptive support, and she loves the challenge of ensuring theatre is for everyone.
Preston Adams, Artistic Instructor with BackStory, has traveled the world performing operas and performs regionally in many, many musical theatre productions each year. Preston believes every student can find their voice and is excited to share his love of theatre with all ages.
Marine Science
Marine Science
This session will involve exploration of anatomical adaptations such as whale blubber and the bioluminescence of angler fish and squid and will conclude with optional squid dissection. Children will work together in groups of three or four to familiarize themselves with and identify internal and external anatomical nomenclature of squid. Squid are fresh and smell like the ocean. This session contains optional dissection of squid using safety scissors.
About the instructor: Monnie Barrett has taught for Science Matters for the past five years and is the Marketing Manager. Having graduated from Colorado State University in both undergraduate and graduate degree programs, her background is in medical social work and conflict resolution and meditation. She loves watching the process of a child increasingly seeing him/herself as a scientist through repeated exposure to meaningful STEM experiences.
Science Matters is a provider of STEM enrichment, and their practices have been honed over 20 years in business. Their aim is to augment what classroom teachers accomplish during the school day in terms of building science competencies and 21st Century critical thinking skills, while incorporating STEM literacy and opportunities for collaboration at every turn.
Taxonomy
Taxonomy and Identification
Have you ever seen a plant or insect and wondered what it was called? Taxonomy is the system used to classify organisms, and with the right tools, we can identify any plant or animal by answering a series of questions. In this session, we'll learn how taxonomy is used in the real world, then break into teams and put this theory to the test by identifying insect and plant specimens using dichotomous keys and microscopy.
About the instructor: Sarah Schweig received her BA in Environmental Studies from Eckerd College and her MS in Plant Sciences and Entomology from University of Rhode Island. She has worked in the greenhouse industry and agricultural research. In her current position as a Horticulture Agent with CSU Extension in Broomfield, her job is to help people solve problems they have with their plants. Whether it's trees, vegetables, or lawns, step one is always identifying the plant and the cause. Sarah has always loved finding the wonder and the weird in the world around us. Taking specimens into the lab allows her to do this on a daily basis, and she’s excited to share this experience.
Mock Trial
Mock Trial
Students will learn about the complementary roles of a police detective and district attorney in upholding our laws. Then students will participate in a mock trial based on a real case involving a careless driving citation. Each student will be assigned a role and will role play a trial with Detective Ness as a witness and Deputy DA Elwell as a moderator.
About the instructors: Shannon Elwell graduated from Cornell University in 2005 with a degree in Policy Analysis and Management. She went to law school at the State University of New York Law School, where she graduated with a concentration in Criminal Law. After graduation, she became an Assistant District Attorney in New York City at the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office. She has also worked as a law clerk for judges of New York State Criminal Courts, as well as an Assistant Corporation Counsel at the New York City Law Department, where she defended law enforcement and the City of New York in federal civil rights lawsuits. She moved to Colorado in 2014 where she worked for the Denver Department of Safety before becoming a Deputy District Attorney with Adams County in 2017. She is currently a Deputy District Attorney in District Court, where she prosecutes felony criminal cases. She loves what she does because she gets to help victims, the community, and defendants in her role. Her work is very meaningful, important, and fulfilling to her.
Detective Patrick Ness has been a law enforcement officer for 33 years. He retired from the New Mexico State Police Department as a member of the Albuquerque Violent Crimes Unit. Over the course of his career he has been a part of a specialized Cold Case Homicide Investigative unit, a member of the Albuquerque Metro Area Officer Involved Shooting Task Force, a member of the Federal Joint Terrorism Task Force, and an FBI-trained Crisis Negotiator. He is a court recognized expert in the fields of Crime Scene Investigation, Blood Stain Pattern Analysis, and Interviews and Interrogations, and he has been featured on the Discovery Channel on the show “Real Interrogations.” Detective Ness is currently employed at the Commerce City Police Department as a violent crimes detective..
Chinese Brush Painting
Chinese Brush Painting
This workshop will provide a brief history of Chinese Painting and the introduction of the “Four Treasures” used in traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy. Participants will have hands-on learning experiences in using the Chinese brush and ink as well as creating their own masterpieces.
About the instructor: Jane Lim was born and raised in Taiwan and has lived in the U.S. for over 40 years. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from California State University, Long Beach. Jane has many years of experience in working with children of all ages and is passionate about cultural exchange between the U.S. and China. Currently, Jane works as the director of the Confucius Institute at Community College of Denver. She has devoted a great part of her life to promoting Chinese language learning and cultural understanding.
Sports Math
Sports Math
Many of us enjoy watching or playing popular sports such as football, baseball, and basketball. But did you know that there is quite a bit of math involved in these games? In this session, students will learn how math is used in sports to track scoring, player statistics, and more. Once they understand the basic concepts of percentages and averages, students will soon be spotting the math in every game - from the starting coin toss to the winning percentage!
About the instructor: Steve Lake is the owner and Center Director of Mathnasium of Broomfield South in Westminster which opened in 2018. He spent six years prior as a School Administrator for The American International School of Muscat in the Gulf country of Oman. Making a difference in the lives of 800 students from 60 countries – including his own children – was transformative, and Steve knew he wanted to continue working in education when he moved back to the USA in 2016. He deeply values the learning that comes with opening one’s mind to new places, ideas, cultures, and interests. Steve earned a Masters of Business Administration from California State University in 2005 and a Bachelor of Arts in Radio-Television Production in 1997 from the University of Houston (Eat ‘Em Up, Coogs!).
Forensics
Forensics
This session on forensics will focus on fingerprints. It will cover the different features of a fingerprint and show how everyone’s fingerprint is different. This will include sharing personal stories of my own fingerprints, being an identical twin! The presentation will be interactive, where students will create, dust for, and lift their fingerprints from various objects. They will be able to take their secured fingerprint home with them. The session will also include a brief presentation on how we can collect fingerprints from various different surfaces, to include paper, plastic bags, and the sticky side of tape.
About the instructor: Detective Dennis Sauter has been with the Arvada Police Department for 11 years. He worked as a Patrol Officer for ten years, and became a Crime Scene Investigator in January of 2019. During his time as a CSI, Detective Sauter has worked over 300 crime scenes, including homicides, stolen vehicles, and major car accidents. He has a Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Northern Colorado, and a Master’s degree in chaplaincy from Denver Seminary. He loves being a CSI because he loves puzzles, and small details! It’s rewarding to find that one piece of physical evidence that ties your suspect to your crime. It’s an incredible way to serve our victims, and help make the community a safer place to live.
Parent 1
Parent Topic #1
Appreciating Overexcitabilities
Click here for Power Point presentation from this session.
Do you often notice your child's need for or avoidance of intense stimulation? This session will describe and contextualize overexcitabilities as they fit within Dabrowski's larger Theory of Positive Disintegration. We will discuss examples of intellectual, emotional, imaginational, sensual, and psychomotor overexcitabilities and strategies for nurturing students' heightened intensity and sensitivity in different settings.
About the instructor: Joi Lin is a former math teacher and education advocate currently working on her Education Doctorate in curriculum and instruction, specializing in gifted education, at the University of Denver. Joi is also one of the volunteer Gifted Youth Coordinators with Denver Mensa, an organization for High-IQ individuals testing at the 98th percentile or greater. Her learnings about giftedness have helped her better understand herself, students, and colleagues and she is eager to share her knowledge with families to help them better support their gifted and twice-exceptional learners.
Parent 2
Parent Topic #2
Beauty and the Beast:
Anxiety, Perfectionism, and Depression in Gifted Learners
Click here for Power Point presentation from this session.
This session will explore how beautifully complex the social emotional spectrum is for our gifted learners. We will dive into how anxiety, perfectionism, and depression manifest in gifted learners. Parents will walk away with additional understandings and tools to help their child (and maybe even themselves) navigate deep emotions.
About the instructor: Dr. Robin Greene is a national and international speaker on gifted education. She holds her Doctorate in Curriculum with a specialization in Gifted Education and has her masters in Education Administration. She is the Director of Gifted Education and Nursing Services for Denver Public Schools and has served in various roles both in teaching and administration in education for the last 18 years. Most importantly, she is the mother to a gifted Kindergartener in Adams 12. Her passion lies in creating access and opportunities for gifted students from underrepresented populations.
Parent 3
Parent 4
Parent Topic #4
Big Emotions and De-escalation Strategies
Click here for Power Point presentation from this session.
Participants will explore the value of connecting with students beyond academics and behavior. When we learn about how to use the students’ hopes, dreams, and objectives to support with challenging behavior, we can improve and build deeper connections that create stronger relationships. With this foundation, educators and parents are better equipped to support students in building the skills they need to be successful.
About the instructors:
Michael Sykes is currently the Manager of Behavior Strategies for Student Equity and Opportunity in Denver Public Schools. Who would have thought 15 years ago that this young man with no formal behavior training who was offered an Affective Needs paraprofessional position, would someday become one of the biggest advocates for students with behavior barriers. In his current role, his job is to support the district by eliminating behaviors that impact student learning. We can remove these barriers by building the capacity of school teams and effectively implementing the best instructional and behavior management practices. Frequently behavior gets a negative wrap. Michael believes that behavior is an incredible power that allows us to affect students’ lives positively. If you want to change behavior, we first have to change our own behavior. We have a fantastic opportunity to influence students’ lives, give a voice to the voiceless, empower the powerless, and eliminate inequalities. This can be done in the way we act or conduct ourselves, which is literally the definition of "Behavior."
Scott Todd was raised by a single mother who worked as a school psychologist for Denver Public Schools. She instilled in him a strong work ethic as well as a love of behavior analysis and a solutions-based perspective. In his 19 years in DPS, Scott has worked as an NCI trainer, a coach for Rethink, and a trainer for the Paraprofessional Academy. He has worked with students and staff in all DPS center programs from elementary to age 18-21 programs. With humor and a positive approach, Scott helps students and teachers find answers and solutions to the challenges they're facing. Scott is a graduate of Denver Public Schools, and he is proud to be a part of the Behavior Supports Team where he works to help teachers and staff develop the skills to ensure all students have access to the opportunities that will give them the best chance of success in their education as well as their communities and their personal lives.
Parent Topic #3
Social Development and Peer Relationships in the Gifted
Click here for Power Point presentation from this session.
In this parent talk, we will highlight and discuss the unique social development of gifted people and how being gifted impacts their ability to make and maintain friendships throughout their lifespan. Learn about the developmental stages of friendship and why gifted children often find themselves struggling to make meaningful connection in their same age peer groups. Be prepared to have meaningful discussion about the functions of friendship and how being gifted impacts the choices we make in bringing people into our inner circle.
About the instructors:
Sharon Collins is the Executive Director for Westgate Community School, a K-12 school serving gifted students in Thornton, Colorado. Under her leadership, WCS has been awarded over $2 million in grants for the development of the school land and enhanced whole-child programming. In 2018, Sharon was honored as the Colorado Charter School Leader of the year.
Before Sharon began leading Westgate, she was a teacher, leader, and a district gufted program coordinator. In 200, Sharon earned an M.A. in Teaching and Learning from DePaul University. In 2003, Sharon was named a Fulbright Memorial Fund Scholar and traveled to Japan to study K-12 schools. Sharon is inspired each day by the students, families, and teachers she serves. She continues to be honored to work in an environment that truly "gets" what so many children need -- a place they can express their inner worlds freely and confidently in a community built on trust. Sharon regularly presents at local, state, and national conference.
Cassie Seybold is the Gifted Coordinator and Instructional Coach at Westgate. She earned her M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus in Gifted Education from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and her B.A. from the University of Colorado at Denver. Cassie wants more than anything for teachers, parents and students in her school and community to feel both valued and challenged in meaningful ways because that is what she believes makes us truly thrive and find happiness in this life. Meeting the unique needs of the adults and children around her is what drives her and makes her grateful to work in a school that focuses on doing just that.
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