• FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

    ABOUT US

    Where is the school located?

    • 415 15th Street, Palm Harbor, FL 34683

    What are the school hours for next year?

    • 8:45 a.m. to 2:55 p.m. Students may arrive on campus starting at 8:15 a.m.

    Will there be before and after care?

    Is there a Facebook page?

    Is there a dress code?

     

    APPLICATION/ENROLLMENT 

    Who can attend?

    • The Center for Gifted Studies at Elisa Nelson Elementary is for gifted students living in the MS North Application Area.  If the zoned middle school for your address is: Carwise Middle, Dunedin Middle, Palm Harbor Middle, Safety Harbor Middle, and Tarpon Middle then you can apply for our program.   
    •  The Center for Literacy Studies has been opened to countywide applications. Please note: anyone outside of the North County MS Application Area will need to provide their own transportation.

     How can I determine my zoned middle school?

    • You can verify your zoned middle school by typing in your address here.

     Will bus transportation be provided?

    • Transportation is available via arterial bus transportation (buses that operate on main roads with a limited number of stops) for students in who live more than two miles from the school in the north county application area. 
    • Transportation is not provided for Center for Literacy Innovation students who live outside the north county application area. 

     Will bus transportation be provided?

    • Contact the Transportation Call Center at 727-587-2020.

     Are there entrance requirements?

    • Yes.
      • Center of Gifted Studies
        • 1stgrade- a completed formal psychological report with qualifying I.Q. score.
        • 2nd- 5thgrade- an active Educational Plan in place. 
      • Center for Literacy Innovation
        • A passing screening score.

     My child is currently enrolled in a Pinellas County school. Will I need to provide a copy of my child’s Educational Plan (EP) when I apply?

    • No, gifted eligibility and EPs can be accessed through the district system.

     My child has been identified as gifted but does not attend a Pinellas County public school. Will I need to provide a copy of my child’s Educational Plan (EP) when I apply?

    • Yes, to verify gifted eligibility your child’s EP will need to be reviewed. Please contact the Gifted Office at (727) 588-6088 for further information. You may email a copy of the most current EP to Coral Marsh at marshco@psb.org.

     Will gifted students have priority to Dunedin Highland Middle School Center for Gifted Studies?

    • Yes, the Center for Gifted Studies students have a feeder pattern priority to Dunedin Highland Middle School Center for Gifted Studies, as long as they reside in the geographic region. However, parents must follow the district process for application and acceptance.

     

    CENTER FOR GIFTED STUDIES

    My child does not attend PCS schools and I would like to have them evaluated for gifted for potential entry to this program, whom do I contact to do this?

    • Contact Anne Carter who coordinates the eligibility process for our private and homeschool families at Carterann@pcsb.org or 727-588-6046.

     What unique features of the Elisa Nelson Center for Gifted Studies ensure that my child meets Florida Gifted Education Standards?

    • Each day has 45-60 minutes of scheduled explicit time focusing on Florida Gifted Standards. Each day will target a special feature: Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM), creative and critical thinking, research skills, social/emotional characteristics/needs, and advanced literature, science or social studies with units developed by the College of William and Mary Center for Gifted Studies or other supplemental gifted curricula.

     Will the teachers be specially trained to work with gifted learners?

    • Yes, in addition to holding elementary certification, all teachers will be gifted endorsed or in the process of completing the 5 course/300 hours of gifted endorsement courses. This means that CGS teachers have a unique under-standing of gifted leaners, their needs and how to best help them grow. The teacher selection process will be a systematic approach designed to select teachers whose teaching philosophy includes an inquiry based, differentiated learning and teaching approach and the development of student agency.

     My child has never been in a full-time gifted program experience, will he/she be successful?

    • Students who meet the criteria for gifted services have the academic potential for success in a full-time gifted program. The curriculum at the Center for Gifted Studies is designed to provide a challenge and promote academic growth. However, that does not mean all students are expected to excel in all subject areas at all times. Important factors to consider are your child’s willingness to meet an academic challenge and to persevere when the work is complex or difficult or success does not come easily. Time management, self-direction and organizational skills are also important. The teachers at the Center for Gifted Studies will work with students to develop these important life skills. Should additional support be needed, the teacher will collaborate with individual students and parents through the Educational Plan (EP) process.

     Will the subject area curriculum be challenging?

    • Students will be expected to meet the general education standards in each subject area at each grade level. Grade level expectations serve as the foundation with room for students to be challenged with depth and complexity inside of the state standards. For many gifted learners, grade level curriculum, tasks, questions, and pacing aren’t challenging enough for them to make continuous growth. District curriculum will be supplemented with research based gifted curriculum designed to promote growth in the skills of the gifted learner.

     Will there be extensive homework?

    • Homework decisions will be made by the teachers. It should not be assumed that students will have an extraordinary amount of homework because they are in a full-time gifted school. We encourage teachers to focus on quality over quantity with regards to homework. We also expect that they maximize learning opportunities during the school day to decrease the need for work to be done at home.

     What assistance do you offer struggling students? 

    • Individual support for students will be provided based on individual needs.  When the student is found to be struggling the teachers will employ strategies specific to the needs of students.