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Welcome from Superintendent of Schools
Dr. Kamela Patton

This year has flown by with lightning speed. The last issue of the newsletter for this year will feature the learning opportunities and accomplishments of our students that I am very happy to share with you. You will read about the Laureate Symposium, the iSTEM competition, MATHCOUNTS, Scholar Bowl finals, and Debate.

You will also find a list of resources to keep your child actively engaged this summer. We look forward to another exciting school year and will be ready to once again welcome our students in August.

Message from the Director

"The world is moving at a tremendous rate.  No one knows where.  We must prepare our children, not for the world of the past, not for our world, but for their world, the world of the future". -John Dewey

There is much that parents can do to enrich the lives of their children over the summer, and this does not mean enrolling  them in expensive activities.  Consider:

1. Cultural Explorations
2. Feed their Need to Read 
   Collier libraries offer summer reading programs for children.  Some good reading lists can be found on the following website:  http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/reading_lists.htm
3. Immerse in Nature 
   Gifted students can be fascinated by nature explorations.  Collier County provides rich opportunities for children through the Conservancy, Naples Zoo, Galisano Children's Museum, and Naples Botanical Garden to name a few.
4. Explore a Passion 
   The school year is busy, and summer affords a wonderful opportunity for your children to explore their own unique interests.

~ Irene Benfatti, MS., Ed.M.
Director of Advanced Studies & Gifted Learners

Middle School Academic Competition Tournaments

“The ultimate victory in competition is derived from the inner satisfaction of knowing that you have done your best and that you have gotten the most out of what you had to give.” - Howard Cosell

Middle School Scholar Bowl and Middle School Debate both held their tournaments in May. The purpose of these competitions is to recognize and challenge our academically-talented students. While promoting rigorous learning, the programs also focus on increasing students’ life skills such as confidence, higher-order thinking skills, academic fun, and good sportsmanship.

SCHOLAR BOWL

The Naples Botanical Garden’s FGCU building was abuzz with middle school students who came to win their division during the first days of the Scholar Bowl Tournament.  Students from 18 public and private schools competed against each other based on questions that are curriculum-based.  Students had opportunities to work individually and as a team.

The winners of each division are as follows.

The top team from each division returned the following week for the district finals. The finale was televised live on the Education Channel 99. The suspenseful match came down to the last two questions. Royal Palm ended up taking first place in the district. Oakridge Middle took second place. Community School of Naples placed third.

DEBATE

The middle school students competed throughout this year in eight practice matches at schools throughout the community. Based on the number of wins, four teams were invited to the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Administrative Center for the tournament.

Here are some of the topics debated this year.

• Resolved: A two-state solution is the best solution for Israelis and Palestinians.
• Resolved: Offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico should be expanded.
• Resolved: Media violence increases youth violence.
• Resolved: Genetically modified crops should be expanded in the United States.
• Resolved: Raising the minimum wage would strengthen the American economy.
• Resolved: In a democracy, voting ought to be compulsory.
• Resolved: The benefits of domestic surveillance by the NSA outweigh the harms.

The debates use the Public Forum Debate format. Students must develop both a pro and a con case for each resolution, because they do not know which side they will be defending until a coin toss immediately before the match. Students research and create speeches that they give during the proceedings. The debates are between speeches as students face-off in a crossfire that has each side asking questions of the other side in an attempt to support their pro or con stance.

The final resolution led to a heated debate. Resolved: The United States ought to guarantee universal health care for its citizens. Golden Gate Middle School took home first place in the district. Oakridge Middle came in a close second. East Naples Middle and Manatee Middle tied for third. All of the students worked very hard this year, and their growth in research, debating, and speaking was evident.

2014 Laureate Symposium

Catherine Huynh - Barron Collier High School
Bipolar Disorder: A New Phenomenon at an Early Age

Bipolar Disorder has been an enigma to psychologists for many years. Its cause, like many other mental disorders, continues to be a point of controversy for Bipolar Disorder. However, recent studies regarding diagnosis of early onset Bipolar Disorder has opened up an entirely new argument. Can Bipolar Disorder be diagnosed in those younger than 12 years of age? An escalated amount of diagnosis in younger patients says yes, but, as a matter of ethic and reason, should it be diagnosed at an earlier age? Although early medication can be caustic to a young child, early therapeutic sessions can lessen the dosage, and therefore lessen the cost of treating the Bipolar Disorder later on in life. Children with special talents associated with their Bipolar Disorder can learn to cope with their problems earlier on in their lives and may become mute or adjusted to its symptoms as time goes on. Regardless of minor setbacks of early diagnosis, brain scans may be the answer to saving current and future onset Bipolar patients from a potentially dangerous life.
                                                               

Catherine is a goal-oriented hard worker. She likes to spend time painting, reading, writing, and playing many different instruments. Among her leadership positions, Catherine is president of a group at her school called Student’s Advocating Women and a strong believer of human rights and welfare. She hopes to become a neurologist with a PhD in neuroscience and to research cancer.

Evan Dort – Gulf Coast High School
One Small Step for Man, One Giant Challenge for Corporations

One Small Step for Man, One Giant Challenge for Corporations is a laureate presentation that examines the growth of private space exploration and the impact it could have. The presentation discusses the various benefits for technology, science, and humanity. The presentation also touches upon the various hazards associated with private companies such as the risk of a company failing or hazardous materials leaking into the environment. The conclusion drawn from these aspects was that even with the risks that are presented from increased private space exploration the projected benefits that will come are more valuable and more than enough of a reason to facilitate and aid private companies in their space endeavors.

Evan Dort is a senior at Gulf Coast High School. He is the Cadet Commander at his local Civil Air Patrol Squadron. He will be attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and study Aerospace Engineering in order to become a rocket scientist. He hopes to one day earn a doctoral degree and be Doctor Dort.  Evan is described as tall and handsome.

Melissa Gomez – Lely High School
The Under-Reporting of Sexual Assaults in Colleges and Universities

As the day approaches that every high school student dreams of, the majority of students hardly gives a second thought to consider what exactly goes on within the schools-- in terms of crime rates. The alarming rate at which sexual assault occurs on campuses has not been made completely public, despite what federal laws require; and while many endeavors have been attempted to try and raise the report rates, many factors must be taken into consideration. What measures are the colleges taking?  Why are some schools more prone to higher crime rates? And how far are some schools willing to go in order to protect the names of their student assets? A silent epidemic trickling into the school systems, sexual assault rates must be handled with the utmost importance; the future of tomorrow is dependent on students who may choose to further their education. In my laureate, I explore the ways sexual assaults were measured, why college women are more vulnerable to assaults, and what colleges can do to increase on campus reporting and awareness.

Catherine Davis – Naples High School
Continued Urbanization: Is It Beneficial

Urbanization affects the environment both within growing urban centers as well as in the surrounding areas. There are direct, visible impacts, such as destruction of habitat, as well as less visible indicators like increased pollution.  Urban problems, pollution and waste management specifically, can have varying impacts on the health of people living in and around urban centers, especially in slums, which are often created if urbanization is forced or progresses rapidly.  While urbanization is often viewed as economically beneficial, that is not always the case, especially in developing countries in recent years.  If governments decide to force urbanization in an attempt to stimulate their economies or increase modernization, there are political and ethical challenges and repercussions.  Citizen views tend to oscillate between support and dissent of such modernization programs, and the politics of these decisions are challenging and controversial.  In addition, urbanization can be culturally destructive or beneficial, depending on how it is implemented.

Brian Benitez – Palmetto Ridge High School
The Haber Process: The Reaction that Saved the World

Food is the essence of life, and without sustenance, humankind, as we know it would not exist. Prior to the early 1900s, the human population was growing at an alarming rate, and worldwide food shortage was a very real possibility. German scientist Fritz Haber came up with a novel invention- a chemical reaction that could synthetically create the components of fertilizer. Today, the Haber process feeds billions of people worldwide, and provides the means to feed more people than ever thought possible. However, with great rewards come great consequences. The Haber process is inefficient by today’s standards and needs to be changed in order to be consistent with current technologies. This paper delves into the possible solutions to the inefficiency problem of the Haber process, as well as research that scientists are doing to reduce the cost of creating fertilizer. A better Haber process is the world’s future- and it will be necessary in order to sustain human life for future generations.

Brian is a senior from Palmetto Ridge High School, a member of National Honor Society and captain of the Scholar Bowl team. He was president of the Chemistry club, and has placed at various chemistry competitions. He will be attending Williams College in the fall to study Molecular Biology and Biochemistry in the hopes of working in epidemiology and immunology.

Advanced Studies & Gifted Learners Department
Collier County Public Schools
5775 Osceola Trail • Naples, FL 34109
(239) 377-0102 • Fax (239) 377-0165