October 2026 Newsletter

Last week, the Adams 12 Board of Education approved the district’s school closure and consolidation recommendation. The approved plan includes closing five elementary schools and one middle school at the end of the 2026-27 school year and expanding Hulstrom, the K-8 GT magnet school, to a new location with additional classes in grades K-6. Hulstrom will add all seven additional classes in this year's Choice round, which will allow them to add approximately 175 students. We know that parents have lots of questions about how this will impact GT programming in the district and their schools. We encourage all families who are able, to attend the Five Star Expo on November 2 where representatives from every Adams 12 school will be available to answer questions. In the newsletter, we have included a list of questions you can use as a resource to ask representatives about their school's GT offerings. No school will be a perfect fit for any kid, but the answers to these questions can help you assess how a school approaches the gifted learner and which might be best for your student.

We also encourage parents to attend our evening parent social on Monday, October 19th or the Parent Forum on November 17th to talk through the district changes with other parents.

Upcoming Events - At a Glance

Click on these calendar links to be redirected to our website OR continue reading below for all the details and sign-ups!

Monday, October 19

6:30p Evening Social

Tuesday, November 17

6:30p GT Parent Forum: Peer Relationships

October Evening Parent Social

Monday, October 19, 6:30-8:00pm at Prost Biergarten

Our October parent social will be an in-person gathering on Monday, October 19, 6:30-8:00pm at Prost Biergarten (351 W 104th Ave Unit A, Northglenn). As always, feel free to join us for any portion of this informal gathering that you are able to attend. We will have a sign on our table so you can find us.

Our social hours are a wonderful opportunity to share experiences or concerns and/or find out more about the GT Parents Group in a casual setting. As we get past the Parent-Teacher conference season, this social could be a chance to discuss how to use the parent-teacher conference to advocate for your GT learner and parent-teacher success stories. See the Signup to get more details and let us know you are coming!

November Parent Forum on GT Peer Relationships

Tue. Nov. 17th 6:30-8pm at Education Support Center (ESC)

All interested parents and guardians are welcome to join us for our first parent forum of the year on Tuesday, November 17, from 6:30-8pm at the Educational Support Center (Flatirons Conference Room) (1500 E 128th Ave, Thornton, CO 80241).

This session will focus on fostering peer relationships for GT children! We will be viewing Ed Amend’s presentation on “Building Relationships to Foster Resilience in Gifted Children” - from Conversations with CAGT. Ed Amend is a practicing psychologist as well as an engaging and popular speaker on the topic of parenting gifted children. He is one of the co-authors of "A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children." In this presentation, he describes some barriers GT kids commonly encounter in social situations and shares some strategies for fostering friendships. After we watch the presentation, we will have time to discuss, ask questions and share experiences.

Please RSVP to let us know you are coming! Questions? Email us at info@a12gifted.org

In-School Grant Program

Could your school use more funds for additional GT programming? A12GTPG has a small grant program and the application window is now open! Parents or school staff may apply for grants ($500 max) to help support programs that benefit GT students in their school. Application window closes on 11/6/26.

Please note that while parent volunteers are welcome to apply, the school principal and GT coordinator must sign off on the application. Apply HERE!

Making Informed School Choice for Gifted Learners

If your gifted learner has been impacted by the district's school closure and consolidation plan or you are just interested in exploring school options for the 27-28 school year, we have gathered some resources to help give context to those decisions.

First, we encourage all families to attend the Nov. 2nd Adams 12 School Expo to talk with representatives from all district schools. In those conversations, we encourage you to ask some of the below questions relevant to gifted programming:

1) What percentage of your student population is identified as GT/Talent Pool?

2) What kind of strategies for enrichment do you typically use (pull-outs, optional extensions/depth and complexity, pre-test, independent projects, etc)?

3) Do you have an established pathway/procedure for math acceleration?

4) How many of your teachers are members of the Colorado Association of Gifted and Talented or have had professional development on gifted learners?

5) What kind of clubs or optional activities that might provide academic enrichment are active in your school? (Battle of the Books, Math Olympiad/Math Counts, NaNoWriMo, etc.)

There is probably no one school that will have robust answers for all these questions, but how the representatives answer these questions and are willing to follow up with you can give you a good idea about the school's approach to gifted learners.

We also encourage families to use the Adams 12 School Snapshot dashboard to dig into detailed information on each school in the district. If you have additional questions, do not hesitate to reach out to the district's department for Advanced Academic and Gifted Services or send us an email: info@a12gifted.org.

On the Radar

Addressing Anxiety

October 28, 5:30-7:00pm at the Educational Support Center

Join Adams 12 Five Star Schools for an evening dedicated to
understanding anxiety. Learn about the FACE Your Fears model
which includes practical identification of anxiety and skill
building for students to "face" anxiety, in addition to ways
school staff and family members can better support students.

Click here for the flyer with event information and to RSVP by 23 October.

Strengths-Based Parenting for Gifted & 2E Children & Teens

November 2, 6:00-7:30pm at Stargate School

Gifted Specialist Emmaly Perks will present on understanding gifted child development, exploring parenting approaches that work, parenting with your child's strengths in mind, and approaches to partner with your student's school. This is presented by Stargate School and the public is welcome to RSVP.

Click here for the flyer with additional event information and email Kristen Mansure at CommunityU@Stargateschool.org to RSVP.

SUBJECT: Adams 12 GT Family Newsletter