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Rockwood Gifted Program

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Middle School Academic Stretch

Academic Stretch is the middle school component of the Rockwood Gifted Program. This component is offered in grades six through eight for students who meet district criteria for the gifted program. It is our mission to provide gifted middle school students with an encouraging and safe learning environment that offers:

  • A rigorous academic curriculum that promotes high levels of student achievement.
  • Meaningful activities that foster self-esteem and acceptance through stimulating intellectual challenge.
  • Opportunities to explore and develop their creativity through student choices.

It is our belief that these elements will create a community of peers who are well prepared to become lifelong learners, realizing an individual connection to a changing global society.

Academic Stretch enables students to work with academic peers in an environment that focuses on identifying and maximizing individual student talents and interests. The curriculum gives students the opportunity to explore a range of high interest, real-world issues that are both personally relevant and intellectually challenging. The program's curriculum is interdisciplinary in nature and focuses on a different theme each year. Sixth graders study change, seventh graders explore survival and eighth graders investigate systems. Specific units within these themes include forensics, inventions, natural disasters, and the stock market.

All units in this program are designed to promote active student engagement in learning and develop skills in critical and creative thinking, information processing, problem-solving, communication, and leadership. Community resources are tapped to bring real-world experience and expertise into the classroom. Technology is used extensively to create products and develop a sophisticated understanding of various fields and issues. Time management strategies, current events, language arts skills, and service projects are also incorporated into the Academic Stretch program.

All Academic Stretch teachers have graduate training and certification in gifted education. At least one full-time teacher is on staff at each of Rockwood's six middle schools.