Burgess Elementary School ~ Student Individual Potential Program

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Burgess Elementary School 45 Burgess School Road, MA 01566 (508) 347-7041

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Burgess Elementary School is proud to offer the Sturbridge Individual Potential Program which provides both whole group and small group enrichment in grades 1-6. The S.I.P.P. program at Burgess was developed to provide the necessary challenge both within the regular classroom and in a resource room setting to insure that our students are motivated, interested, and encouraged to work at a level which will challenge and stimulate them. We are interested in developing critical and creative thinking skills and in teaching our students the methodology of independent study and self-directed learning so that they may become more productive citizens.

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This schoolwide enrichment model is made available at Burgess in the following three ways:

Enrichment teaching methods which utilize higher order thinking skills, problem-solving techniques, and decision making will be incorporated into the regular curriculum whenever possible.
Enrichment activities and experiences will be provided to whole classrooms through co-teaching by the enrichment specialists and classroom teachers.
Individual or small-group enrichment will be provided to students of high ability who excel in the regular classroom.

In grades 1-3, students visit the primary S.I.P.P. classroom on a rotational basis. They are given opportunities to work in small and whole group instructional enrichment settings. The curriculum covered at each grade level is stimulating, highly motivating, and designed to enhance the child’s current classroom curriculum. Time is spent on writing and thinking skills, vocabulary development, higher level thinking, mathematical and science challenges, creative dramatics, and creativity.

Students are selected for small-group enrichment in grades 4-6 on the basis of several different criteria including: their talents, skills and interests; motivation; classroom achievement; cumulative teacher nominations; and test scores. The selection is made by a S.I.P.P. Committee comprised of nine teachers and administrators. The committee utilizes the Renzulli Identification Packet for the Assessment of Characteristics of Potential Candidates. Characteristics which are scored include: Intellectual Curiosity, Motivation and Task Commitment, Creativity and Facility with Ideas, Independence and Responsibility, and Style of Work.

It is important for students in the small enrichment groups to understand that inclusion is contingent upon how well they handle regular classroom tasks and their responsibility in completing class assignments throughout the school year.

The Sturbridge Individual Potential Program is one more way that Burgess Elementary School commits to the pursuit of excellence. Together we strive to provide students with experiences in which they learn the value of work and commitment.



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