Gifted and Talented Coordinator Meetings

Gifted and Talented Coordinators are invited to collaborate and network with each other as they learn together.  Meetings topics include: state updates, gifted and talented standards and instruction, and professional learning.

Free to GT Consortium Members:

Argyle, Belmont, Benton, Black Hawk, Cassville, Cuba City, Darlington, Fennimore, Highland, Iowa-Grant, Kickapoo, Lancaster, Mineral Point, Pecatonica, Platteville, Potosi, Richland, St. Mary’s Richland, River Ridge, River Valley, Riverdale, Seneca, Shullsburg, Southwestern, Wauzeka-Steuben, Weston

CESA 3 Lit Wars

Calling all bookworms!

Join us for CESA 3 Lit Wars where 4th and 5th grade students go head-to-head in a morning full of friendly literacy competition and fun!  Students will be an “expert” in one title and compete with their grade level team to answer questions covering all six!

  • The Last Map Maker by, Christina Soontornvat
  • A Place to Hang the Moon by, Kate Albus
  • The Glass Sentence by, S.E. Grove
  • One Came Home by, Amy Timberlake
  • The Westing Game by, Ellen Raskin
  • Navigating Early by, Clare Vanderpool

3 Students/Grade Level Team

1 Grade Level Team/District

This event is FREE to GT Consortium Members:

Argyle, Belmont, Benton, Black Hawk, Cassville, Cuba City, Darlington, Fennimore, Highland, Iowa-Grant, Kickapoo, Lancaster, Mineral Point, Pecatonica, Platteville, Potosi, Richland, St. Mary’s Richland, River Ridge, River Valley, Riverdale, Seneca, Shullsburg, Southwestern, Wauzeka-Steuben, Weston

New Leader Coaching and Networking

Ellie Olson has been certified as a Professional Coach since November of 2016. Ellie’s training took place with The Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC) with a focus in executive coaching. She is also certified through the International Coaching Federation as a Professional Certified Coach (PCC). To be certified as a PCC a person must have completed an accredited coach training program and complete over 500 hours of paid coaching. 

 

While working at CESA 6, Ellie supported Appleton Area School Districts Admin team, Manitowoc Public School District Admin team, School District of Hartford Jt. 1 Admin Team, and Hortonville MS teachers on plans of improvement. Along with the coach training, Ellie is starting her 25th year in education with experience as a math teacher, elementary principal, and middle school/high school principal. 

This Service Includes:

  • Monthly Individual Coaching Sessions
  • Learning about Energy Levels
  • Quarterly virtual networking sessions with other area leaders
  • A leadership calendar with items to consider each month

Why Coaching

Many successful CEOs of Fortune 500 companies have an executive coach. We would find it strange if professional athletes did not have a coach. Educational professionals can reach their peak performance by working with a leadership coach. 

 

A professional coach forms a trusting relationship with a leader to help the leader grow in their position in a productive way. Professional coaching focuses on setting goals, creating outcomes and managing personal change by using the iPEC Successful Change Model which includes the following:

  • Assess Current Situation
  • Explore and Create options
  • Choose option
  • Create a plan
  • Perform
  • Look at results
  • Assess Current Situation and start process again

 

In the center of this change model is Engaged Energy. There are many variables that can impact engagement. Part of the coaching process is addressing those variables to reach our goals and have your visions come to fruition. 

 

All leaders wish for more time in a day. Demands of the job often make it difficult to fully support a leader to reach their peak performance. We also know that leadership can be a lonely position and the more support a leader has, new to a position or not, is critical to their success. Leadership Coaching can assist with support and brings in a person from the outside that can be a sounding board for a leader to reach goals and meet expectations. 

 

Energy Leadership Index Assessment would be used to assess what energy level is used by leaders in “normal” situations and then also what energy level is used when a person is in a “stressful” situation. Coaching will guide leaders to be able to choose what energy level is appropriate. This is a powerful tool that guides leaders to professional growth and awareness. 

 

Some areas of focus: 

  • Leadership Strengths and Gaps
  • Removing Barriers to Success
  • Emotional Intelligence
  • Dynamic Communication
  • Influencing Others
  • Problem Solving
  • Productivity
  • High Energy Relationship
  • Health and Wellness 
  • Energy Levels in Leadership
  • Time Management/Balance

Math 24: Double Digits

Come test your mental math skills with Math 24!  5th Grade students will compete in this fast-paced, high skill game of mental math!  Played in 4 rounds of competition (15 minutes each) students face off with each other to see who can solve each card the fastest!

  • 1 Team (3 students) per District

FREE to Gifted and Talented Consortium Member Districts:

Argyle, Belmont, Benton, Black Hawk, Cassville, Cuba City, Darlington, Fennimore, Highland, Iowa-Grant, Kickapoo, Lancaster, Mineral Point, Pecatonica, Platteville, Potosi, Richland, St. Mary’s Richland, River Ridge, River Valley, Riverdale, Seneca, Shullsburg, Southwestern, Wauzeka-Steuben, Weston

Math 24: Single Digits

Come test your mental math skills with Math 24!  4th Grade students will compete in this fast-paced, high skill game of mental math!  Played in 4 rounds of competition (15 minutes each) students face off with each other to see who can solve each card the fastest!

  • 1 Team (3 students) per District

FREE to Gifted and Talented Consortium Member Districts:

Argyle, Belmont, Benton, Black Hawk, Cassville, Cuba City, Darlington, Fennimore, Highland, Iowa-Grant, Kickapoo, Lancaster, Mineral Point, Pecatonica, Platteville, Potosi, Richland, St. Mary’s Richland, River Ridge, River Valley, Riverdale, Seneca, Shullsburg, Southwestern, Wauzeka-Steuben, Weston

Quiz Bowl

Gather your 7th and 8th Grade teams for CESA 3’s Gifted and Talented Consortium’s annual Quiz Bowl!

Teams of 7th and 8th graders will compete jeopardy style to answer questions on topics ranging from the solar system to pop culture! Students will compete in individual and team competition.

  • 1-7th grade team and 1-8th grade team/district allowed.  4 students/team

FREE to Gifted and Talented Consortium member districts:

Argyle, Belmont, Benton, Black Hawk, Cassville, Cuba City, Darlington, Fennimore, Highland, Iowa-Grant, Kickapoo, Lancaster, Mineral Point, Pecatonica, Platteville, Potosi, Richland, St. Mary’s Richland, River Ridge, River Valley, Riverdale, Seneca, Shullsburg, Southwestern, Wauzeka-Steuben, Weston

Rural School Leadership Collaborative

Reduce isolation, improve teacher morale, and lead a “stress-less” professional life as a rural school leader

Are you looking for meaningful opportunities to connect with colleagues? Discover better ways to lead in complex times? Join our regional network of rural school leaders!

As a member of the Rural School Leadership Collaborative, you receive the following benefits:

  1. Engage in monthly conversations with colleagues around your current challenges and questions.
  2. Reduce professional isolation.
  3. Learn from nationally recognized thought leaders such as Russell Quaglia and other guest speakers.
  4. Acquire tools and develop strategies for increasing your school presence.
  5. Learn about resources for improving teacher morale, retention, and well-being.

Speaker Schedule

(All events are virtual unless noted otherwise.)

  • Thursday, September 5, 9-11am: Guest Speaker Russell Quaglia, co-author, Student Voice
  • Thursday, October 3, 2-3pm: Rural School Leadership Lab #1
  • Thursday, November 7, 9-11am: Guest Speaker Barbara Blackburn, co-author, Improving Teacher Morale and Motivation
  • Wednesday, December 11, 2-3pm: Rural School Leadership Lab #2
  • Wednesday, January 8, 9-11am: Guest speaker T.J. Vari, co-author of Invest In Your Best
  • Thursday, February 6, 2025, 2-3pm: Rural School Leadership Lab #3
  • Thursday, March 6, 2025, 9-11am: Guest Speaker Meredith McNerney, author of Cultivating a Classroom of Calm
  • Thursday, April 3, 2025, 2-3pm: Rural School Leadership Lab #4

Frequently Asked Questions

“I barely have time to grab lunch. How can I manage to engage in monthly network sessions?”

Each session offers productivity tips to manage your time and stress more effectively. You may find you are reclaiming more time by participating and learning in the Rural School Leadership Collaborative.

“The cost for this program is too expensive.”

The value of the speakers that we bring in alone would be worth thousands of dollars together if you were to see them at a conference or bring them to your district.

“I’ve participated in similar programs – it wasn’t helpful.”

As former principals and current coaches, Ellie and Matt are attuned to the needs of our area’s school leaders. We have put together a program that will address your challenges, especially around teacher morale, retention, and well-being.

“I’m not sure if this is right for me.”

We understand! To try out the program, we made our September 5, 2024 event with Dr. Russell Quaglia, co-author of Student Voice, free.

If you liked what you experienced (check out the recording and resources here), register for Rural School Leadership Collaborative by October 1.

Testimonials from Past Participants

“Being a part of the collaborative gave me the time needed to reflect on my growth as an administrator as well as time to revisit my commitments to the people I serve.  The collaborative provided me with new ideas in bite-sized pieces.  What I took away from the collaborative, I was quickly able to implement.  I always left our meetings feeling energized and connected.”
– Erin Eslinger, Principal
“I really enjoyed being a part of the collaborative and am thankful for your leadership in creating the forum.”
– Natalie Owens, Instructional Coach
“I have enjoyed participating in the Rural School Leadership Collaborative for the past two years.  As a new principal, it was a great help connecting me with other area leaders.  I found the ability to connect and share questions and ideas invaluable!  The CESA-3 team provided relevant topics and great guest speakers which allowed me to grow as a leader and add to my professional toolbox.  Whether you are a first-year principal or a returning veteran administrator, I would wholeheartedly recommend becoming a member of the Rural School Leadership Collaborative!”
– Chris Sander, Principal

 

Bonus: Register today and receive access to Rural School Leadership Collaborative network – a digital space dedicated to supporting leaders like you with relevant discussions, curated resources, and opportunities to connect with colleagues around problems of practice.

 

No-Drama Discipline

Behavior management is one of the most challenging parts about being an educator. So many students, so many emotions. Do you ever wonder if there is a better, more brain-friendly way to discipline your students? If so, look no further than No-Drama Discipline, a workshop based on the work of Dan Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson, combined with additional resources from other experts in the field. During this workshop, teachers and support staff will learn strategies to help connect and redirect students by growing  and integrating students’ brains.

School Improvement Division Principal Network

The School Improvement Division Principal Network is a collaborative platform designed to connect and empower school principals in their quest for continuous improvement. It serves as a professional community where principals can share best practices, exchange innovative ideas, and access valuable resources to enhance their leadership skills and elevate the overall performance of their schools. Through this network, principals can engage in meaningful discussions, receive guidance from experienced educators, and cultivate strong connections with their peers, ultimately fostering a culture of excellence and driving positive change in their educational institutions.

This series of five virtual meetings are no additional cost for SID Member Districts and has a $50 cost per meeting for schools that are NOT SID Member Districts.