The 1997-98 school year is underway! Hopefully you received the Lafayette School Corporation calendar and have noted that on Tuesday, September 30, 1997, at 7:00 p.m., at Hiatt Administration Center, a parents' meeting is scheduled. This meeting is open to all parents and community members who have an interest in the Challenge Program in the Lafayette School Corporation. At the meeting discussion will be open to ideas, suggestions and information about what direction we as parents and supporters of the Challenge Program may wish to investigate and pursue in the upcoming year. Some items to consider: Mission and organization of the support group; representation and interests of group for the upcoming Task Force; topics for possible in service programs or speakers, information that could be investigated or gathered.

Parents have students at various stages in the educational experience and will have a wide variety of concerns that are presently of interest to you. We hope to meet those needs but at the same time try to gain some perspective, knowledge and support from those who have already been there. Please feel free to call Vinton, 449-3860, with any ideas you may have to implement and drive our group to its potential. I sincerely look forward to working with you in this endeavor.

Sincerely,

Dr. Vicki Vaughn

- FYI -

• Teachers new to the Challenge / Honors Program are: Susan Scanlon, second grade at Edgelea; Shartrina Robinson, fifth grade at Edgelea; Brian Sullivan, sixth grade Math at Tecumseh. We welcome these teachers and support their efforts to meet the needs of the the students in the Program.

• Great Books training is available in Indianapolis October 7 and 8. Space is limited so if interested call Vinton for additional information. Parent help and support with this program is appreciated.

• High school and middle school students interested in SAT testing: Test site is Jeff High School
  1st Semester :

  Test Date               Registration 
  			Deadline
  
  October 4               September 9
  November 1              September  26
  December 6              October 30
  

• PSAT test date is scheduled for Tuesday, October 14, at Jeff. This is the qualifying test for juniors for National Merit Scholarships.

• National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) Convention is in Little Rock, Arkansas, November 7-9. This annual convention provides an enormous array of renown speakers in a few days. If interested, please call Vinton for additional information.

• Membership information for NAGC and the Indiana Association for the Gifted will be available at the meeting on September 30, 1997.

• Purdue's Fall Space Day - November 1, 1997, Saturday, 9:00 a. m. - 3:00 p.m. This will be Purdue's Second Annual Fall Space Day for students in grades 3-8. Astronaut Gregory Harbough will share his experiences of being an astronaut and flying in space. Space is limited to the first 100 applicants. Teachers in grades 3-8 have copies of information.

• Parents of Middle School Students- Midwest Talent Search information is available. MTS application deadline is October 29 for the January test date. Students in grades 6, 7 & 8 who score at the 95%(97% for 6th grade) or above in one of the following categories on a nationally normed, standardized achievement, aptitude or abilities test are eligible. Scored categories are: Math Total, Verbal Total, Composite or Math subscore or Verbal subscore. More information will be available at the meeting on September 30.

  Please feel free to call Dr. Vaughn or Barb Knott with your questions and concerns. Either can be reached at Vinton Elementary School, 449-3860

Phillip Mayor, a senior at West Lafayette, was also named a National Merit semi finalist. Phillip was a classmate with Michael at Vinton before moving to West Lafayette.

- Vince Lombardi