This past Friday I got to take part in a breakfast and talk at The Roeper School, to which they were kind to invite me.  Not only did the tour of their Lower School campus satisfy my curiosity about “what’s up with those concrete igloo things?” I’d seen driving by on Woodward in the past, but I got to learn more about gifted children, their education and the school.  I learned more about the traits and needs of gifted children, how they are viewed and identified, inconsistencies between the definition of “gifted” between states, and how it applies to individual children (and adults).

I was especially interested in their approach to education with a focus on children’s individual pace and abilities and using children’s natural curiosity to drive them to learn and achieve.  It is always interesting to me to see the intersection of what works well in meeting the needs of children (and adults) with special needs, challenges, and abilities, and how much overlap there is with what all children need and helps them thrive.

Roeper’s focus on community, building relationships, and valuing the importance of the children’s relationships with each other, including the use of Restorative Justice in addressing conflict and behavior, gave me an especially good feeling about the school community.  Not to mention all the friendly little faces that greeted us all on the tour of the Lower School.

So thank you, Roeper, for an informative and enjoyable morning.  And thanks to all the other participants of the morning.  I know I connected with some good resources for future referrals to help out clients.  I’m hoping that my practice can also add something to the community.