Welcome Back!!!

Gifted & Talented Students and Their Parents:

Welcome back to a new year at The B.E.S.T. Academy. You are among the 20 students at B.E.S.T. who have been previously identified as Gifted & Talented. We are excited to have such a group of bright, motivated young people among our student body. This school year, the Gifted & Talented program at B.E.S.T. will be overseen by Mrs. Leah Saffo and Mrs. Patricia Gibson along with a team of gifted-certified teachers. We will collaborate with your teachers to ensure that you are challenged in ways that are appropriate to your abilities.

In elementary school, you might have been in a “challenge” pull-out program where you received special instruction in an alternative setting while other students remained in class. In middle school, we meet your needs for academic curiosity and autonomy, increased rigor, advanced content through your Gifted Advanced Content (.2) courses. In high school, we meet your needs for academic curiosity and autonomy, increased rigor, advanced content, and faster- paced instruction through your Honors and A.P. courses. Teachers of Honors and A.P. courses are required to differentiate their instruction to meet the needs of the Gifted & Talented students on their rosters. Our team of gifted teachers will work with your teachers to ensure the quality and appropriateness of differentiation for Gifted & Talented students.

In addition to traditional classroom instruction, Gifted & Talented students also could stretch themselves intellectually through projects and extracurricular activities. Gifted & Talented students are strongly encouraged to complete an Academic Fair project in Math, Science, Social Studies, or Technology. We will work with your teachers to support your efforts and pair as many students as possible with adult mentors from industry or academia. If you are looking for guidance in finding a challenging extracurricular activity, please reach out to Mrs. Saffo (High School) or Mrs. Gibson (Middle School) for a list of academic, extracurricular activities.

If your child is not currently identified as Gifted & Talented and would like them to be tested this school year, the parent referral period is September 1st through September 30th, 2023.

Please visit the Atlanta Public Schools Gifted and Talented website for more information. You will find answers to frequently asked questions about how we identify, serve, enrich, and support gifted students: https://www.atlantapublicschools.us/Page/20890.

Mrs. P Gibson, Middle School
pdgibson@apsk12.org
404-802-4950

Mrs. L. Saffo, High School
leah.saffo@apsk12.org
404-802-4950