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 have the opportunity
to 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 the beginning of school through the end of October. Click
here ( https://forms.gle/kRkh8bCWCwrWm99a8) for more information and to refer your child.

Sincerely,

Leah Saffo
leah.saffo@atlanta.k12.ga.us
Room 307

Patricia Gibson
pdgibson@atlanta.k12.ga.us
Room 231