Gifted Education

Welcome, Mr. John Hegerle!

Mr. John Hegerle has joined the Gifted Education & Talent Development department! Mr. Hegerle and Mrs. Phillips both look forward to working with our identified academically gifted students this year.

If you were not able to attend any of the middle school visits, or if you have some general questions about the services provided to our identified academically gifted students, you may view the PowerPoint presentation. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact Mrs. Phillips (philliac@pwcs.edu) or Mr. Hegerle (hegerljr@pwcs.edu).

Identification

Students at Patriot may be referred for Gifted Identification by their parents, teachers, guidance counselors, or peers. Notify Mrs. Phillips or Mr. Hegerle to begin the process, or click on the link below to download the referral form. Bring the completed form to room 1301 or to the front office to get the identification process started.

The Patriot High School Gifted Identification Placement Committee will meet at least 4 times during the 2023-2024 school year to review cases and make decisions regarding eligibility for gifted services. 

Delivery of Services

Advanced, AP, and Dual Enrollment Courses

Advanced classes are not limited to students identified as gifted but are seen as a vital part of services in high school. The courses provide acceleration and differentiation as a part of meeting the needs of gifted learners.

Conference Services

If a student does not want to be removed from the gifted program, but does not want to attend seminar, the student may be placed on "conference" status with parent permission. The student would meet periodically with a resource teacher to discuss academic goals and achievement.

Conference with Independent Study

Students with extremely focused interests can complete an independent study/project instead of seminars. This option allows them to create their own "center;" the student would need to be self-motivated in order to develop and execute the plan. The resource teacher would act as an advisor and facilitator to the student.

Seminar Services

18 hours of direct resource services are offered this year for freshmen and sophomores. Students meet in small groups to discuss topics and refine critical, conceptual, reflective, creative, and collaborative thinking skills. Students are pulled from class to receive resource services. If a student finds the class he/she is pulled from is too disruptive to his/her academic performance, resource teachers will work with the parent and student to find the best option.

It will be through the exploration of these topics that students will have the opportunity to refine critical, conceptual, reflective, creative, and collaborative thinking skills. We will provide several options in scheduling so that students may select the time that is the least disruptive to their learning experience.

If in-person seminars are not feasible, asynchronous and on-demand written reflections and expressions are available through the modules posted in Canvas.

Summer Residential Governor's School Programs

Summer Residential Governor's Schools provide students with month-long learning opportunities on college campuses. Students may apply during sophomore and junior years, but may attend only once. Admission is competitive, but tuition, housing, and meal costs are covered by the county. Applications typically become available in October.

Governor's School @ Innovation Park

Students may also apply to attend the Governor's School @ Innovation Park for their junior and senior years. The program is not limited to gifted students, but requires strong ability in math and science. Selected students will attend college level math & science courses on the George Mason campus in Manassas. The students return to their base school for lunch and Language Arts & History core classes.

For more information on all Governor School Program options available to PWCS students, please click on the Governor's School link on the menu bar under Our Schools and then Specialty Programs.

Additionally, check out online resources from PWCS Instructional Technology: PWCS Instructional Technology Learning Resources

Questions should be directed to Mrs. Phillips at philliac@pwcs.edu or Mr. John Hegerle at hegerljr@pwcs.edu, the Gifted Education & Talent Development Resource Teachers at Patriot High School.