High potential and gifted academic and social-emotional framework
Here at Saint Stephen’s College, we take a multifaceted approach to accommodating the needs of High Potential and Gifted (HPG) students. HPG students have unique social, emotional and academic learning needs, which should be recognised, valued and catered for appropriately. Saint Stephen’s is committed to meeting the needs of this unique group of students through The Optima Enrichment Program.
The Optima Enrichment Program framework is based on the theories of Gagne and recognises the four domains of High Potential and Giftedness: Intellectual, Creative, Social-Emotional and Physical.
What is the Optima Enrichment Program?
The Optima Enrichment Program offers students the chance to work in learning situations which are structured for highly motivated and gifted students with above average ability, who are willing to work in a challenging environment within their domain/s of potential or giftedness. The Optima Enrichment Programs gather together students who have demonstrated both ability and a willingness to participate actively in College life. Students will demonstrate their ability to work both independently and in productive partnerships. This program is designed to allow movement in and out depending upon the students strengths.
How does a student gain entry to the Optima Enrichment Program?
Consistent with the Saint Stephen’s College High Potential and Gifted Framework, a transparent and ethical process using multiple criteria and tools appropriate to the College community will be used to identify students for the program.
Successful Academic and Social-Emotional Optima students are characterised by high levels of aptitudes and skills, evidence of which include:
- Above average results in key areas
- An inquiring approach and independent, autonomous learning disposition
- Being a reader by choice
- Expressing ideas and information confidently and creatively in a variety of communication modes
- Interest in gaining in-depth knowledge and understanding of their strengths
- NAPLAN results, externally calibrated aptitude testing and academic competitions.
- Showing thoughtful consideration of their learning
Key elements of the Optima Enrichment Program
Differentiation
Optima students will be identified in their specific area of high potential or giftedness. These students will be catered for through an accelerated, broadened or differentiated curriculum. Optima students will be identified to staff within their class and provided with appropriate data to allow them to make informed learning pathways for these students.
Grouping and Extension
At times, Optima students will be taken out of the normal classroom setting and grouped with students of similar ability and focus to undertake challenging and educationally appropriate programs to meet their specific needs.
School, State, Nationwide and Global Competitions
Optima students are encouraged to participate in a range of competitions within their High Potential or Gifted domains.
Acceleration within the Current
Class – Curriculum Compacting
This allows students to remain in the same class but accelerate through the normal curriculum, allowing them to advance in their relevant subject area.
Subject Acceleration
This is a developmentally appropriate placement of students ahead of their chronological age or their chronological peers in one or more subjects or by one or more whole years of learning, if the timetable can accommodate it.
Talent Workshops
Workshops or clinics for identified students in specialist areas are available.
Enrichment
These are embedded programs that provide opportunities to enhance, extend and enrich students’ education outside the regular classroom.
Mentors
Where appropriate, students may be paired with a mentor to assist their potential and support their unique needs.
Partnership with External Agencies
Identified students are linked to university partnerships for enhanced learning and progressive pathways.
Independent Study
High Potential and Gifted students often achieve greater success and higher levels of engagement using independent study.
Differentiated Homework
Homework can be tailored to meet the needs of Optima students.
High potential and gifted Performing Arts Framework
The Performing Arts Optima Enrichment Program begins with the Chamber Music Excellence Program.
The Performing Arts Optima Enrichment Programs begin with the Chamber Music Excellence Program.
This Program features our most talented strings students by invitation and audition and includes duos, trios, quartets, and quintets. It is aimed at those students pursuing excellence on their instrument to enable them to perform and compete at the highest level. Students participate in the Chamber Music Excellence groups on top of their already busy co-curricular activities and rehearse professional level repertoire.
Past performances include Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet in A Major, Tchaikovsky’s String Quartet No. 1 and the challenging String Quartet No. 14 ‘Death and the Maiden’ by Schubert. The Optima String Quartet has consistently placed at the Gold Coast Eisteddfod, competing in the ‘Open’ category.
Younger, developing students strive to be part of the Chamber Music Excellence Program by taking part in the Emerging Chamber Music Program. As part of this program, students from Years 5 to 8 participate in junior and intermediate trios and quartets to learn the craft of chamber music and develop their ensemble skills.
The Chamber Music Excellence Program is coached by strings tutor Mr Sam Konise, who completed his studies at the University of Canterbury, San Fransisco Conservatory of Music and also Schola Music, the training ground for members of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Prior to joining Saint Stephen’s College, he held the Head of the Performance Program at the University of Waikato and leader of the Turnovsky Trio, one of New Zealand’s most renowned chamber music ensembles.
The second pathway for Performing Arts enrichment is our Optima Voices. This program features a small group of our most talented Senior College vocal students with a focus on musical theatre, jazz and popular repertoire. Students audition for places within the Optima Voices and must be a minimum AMEB Grade 2 or equivalent. As part of our Optima Enrichment Pathways, students in Years 4 to 6 are invited to audition for the Emerging Voices. These students receive dedicated rehearsal time to hone their vocal talents and musicianship while also being mentored by members of the Optima Voices.
Past performances include Blue Moon, Defying Gravity (Wicked), Flowers, Blue Skies, From Now On (The Greatest Showman), Agony (Into the Woods), For Good (Wicked) and Revolting Children (Matilda the Musical).
The Optima Vocal Program is led by our vocal tutor and Senior College Musical Director, Ms Caroline Taylor. Caroline studied Musical Theatre at Central Queensland University and later obtained her Master of Music Studies (Voice) from the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University. She has been a regular performer and vocal coach on the Gold Coast for a number of years and has worked on musicals such as Grease, Mamma Mia, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and many more.
