From medieval catapults to creative cake art, students in the Socorro Independent School District’s Gifted and Talented (GT) program captivated audiences with their innovative projects at the districtwide GT Showcase on April 26.
A crowd gathered around Aldo Flores and Alejandro Carlos Lopez, sixth graders at William D. Slider Middle School, as Flores explained the science behind their trebuchet, a medieval catapult used to hurl heavy stones and other projectiles in battle. While traditional trebuchets could reach heights of 50 feet, theirs was only two feet tall.
“This is a trebuchet. It's similar to a catapult, but a catapult uses more elastic potential energy to launch its projectiles, but this is different,” said Flores, pointing to the red sling tied to the trebuchet’s arm, which was used to fling pinballs. “It uses more mathematics. It’s more complicated and uses more balance to weigh down and launch its things.”
For the past three years, Flores has been creating projects from scratch and seeing his ideas come to life as part of the GT program’s curriculum. He and his team competed at the Texas Student Association's (TSA) state competition with their trebuchet. He said these experiences have inspired him to think about his future and potential career paths.
"This showcase is amazing because I get to see everybody else's projects and get ideas for myself, what I want to do in the future, and it's really fun," Flores said.
Nancy Franklin, coordinator in SISD's Advanced Academics Department, said the GT program provides students with advanced-level learning experiences that go beyond the regular curriculum. As part of the program, students create innovative projects that highlight their ingenuity and creativity. The showcase provided GT students with a platform to present the projects they have worked on throughout the year to the community.
“GT kids are an important part of our community, and we need to make sure that we're giving them those chances to think and to use their skills, their gifts in a way that isn't able to happen in a regular classroom,” Franklin said. “This gives them that chance to really expand and do something they care about.”
More than 4,600 students in elementary, middle, and high schools throughout the district are currently benefiting from SISD's GT services. Students are referred to the program by teachers, counselors, administrators and parents. After a thorough assessment, qualified students can receive GT services with the permission of their parents.
Franklin said that students in the GT program are not always straight A students. Instead, they are individuals with unique abilities and potential who think outside the box and require services beyond the regular classroom.
To help parents better understand the program’s services, Franklin hosted a family information night and a family fun night on April 10 for parents of students who were newly selected to start the GT program in the fall.
While parents were introduced to GT services, students joined the Creative Learning Collaborative to design a family Funko, providing them with a glimpse of the fun activities they can expect in the program.
Alejandra Cuellar said her son Dylan Reyes, a rising third grader at Myrtle Cooper Elementary School, looked forward to participating in the GT program this fall.
She said her son loves drawing, making up stories and building with Legos, so she thought the GT program would be a good fit for him.
"I think it's a good opportunity for him to do something that's creative because, you know, creativity is very important in education, so is nurturing that and encouraging that as well," Cuellar said.