• Gifted & Talented Students and Their Parents:

    Welcome back to a new year at North Atlanta High School. You are among the over 600 students who have been previously identified as Gifted & Talented. We are excited to have such a large group of bright, motivated young people among our student body. This school year, the Gifted & Talented program at NAHS will be overseen by Dr. Patke and Dr. Hasty, and 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 or middle 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 high school, we meet your needs for academic curiosity and autonomy, increased rigor, advanced content, and faster-paced instruction through your Honors and AP courses. Teachers of Honors, AP and IB 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 Dr.Patke or Dr. Hasty. See a few of our academic extracurricular activities below.

    Sincerely,

    Dr. Patke & Dr. Hasty

    Academic Decathlon – There are a lot of wonderful academic competitions out there. You can go prove you’re the best writer, or the best physicist, or the best speller. Academic Decathlon® isn’t about any of that, though. It’s not about demonstrating how good a student you already are. It’s about daring to push your limits, to master college-level material, and to practice skills, like public speaking, that might be wholly new to you. It’s about the people you’ll meet along the way—the coaches who will mentor you, the competitors who will challenge you, and the teammates who will become your lifelong friends. For more information see Dr. Patke in 5123. 

    Beta Club is the nation's largest independent, non-profit, educational youth organization. We are committed to recognizing and promoting high academic achievement, rewarding and nurturing worthy character, fostering leadership skills, and encouraging service to others. Our mission is to promote the ideals of academic achievement, character, service, and leadership among elementary and secondary school students. See Ms. Nurse in 10-164. 

     

    Mock Trial – Coached by volunteer attorneys and teachers, teams of 14 students work together to prepare their presentations from case materials. In the competition phase, students play the roles of attorneys and witnesses based on the evidence and witness statements. Teams are evaluated on their ability to make a logical, cohesive, and persuasive presentation, rather than on the legal merits of the case. See Ms. Lowe in 5117 for more information.

    Mathematics Club & Honor Society - Students with an interest in Mathematics can join our club to discuss interesting problems, hear presentations from guest speakers, and participate in mathematics competitions. Math club members are also eligible for the Mathematics Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta. See Mr. Ehrman in 8117. 

    North Atlanta Debate Team--The intent of this organization is to provide students opportunities to agree to disagree via intellectual debates. Specifically, students are able to demonstrate and hone oral skillsets at local, state and national levels. See Mr. Robinson in 7161.

    Quiz Bowl is an academic competition team. In tournaments, students answer a variety of challenging questions on history, literature, math, science, philosophy, art, music, psychology, current events, and popular culture. 

    SkillsUSA is a national professional organization for students enrolled in career and technical education classes. SkillsUSA's mission is to empower its members to become world-class workers, leaders, and responsible American citizens. At the heart of this mission are SkillsUSA’s core values: integrity, responsibility, citizenship, service, and respect. See Ms. Guiteau in room 10-112 or Mr. D. Johnson in 4161. 

    Warbotz-- Students work with adult engineering mentors to design and build robots for the FIRST robotics competitions. In addition to engineering and programming, our team also provides students with the opportunity to learn leadership, fundraising, marketing, speaking, and writing skills. See Mr. Hinkle in room 11157 for more information.

    See more about our clubs here. 

     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.