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| Winter 2003 | Page 1 | Volume VIII, Number 1 |
| President's Message It is difficult to believe that this is the last time I will be writing to you as president of AAGC. The past two years have flown by incredibly swiftly, and it is now time to pass the baton. So I would like to take a little time to reflect on what I believe to be the strengths and weaknesses of AAGC during Huntsville's tenure. The summer conference was again a tremendous success. We introduced the first annual Creativity Night, an event that I hope will become a tradition for AAGC. Many teachers and some parents participated, all of whom offered very positive feedback. Our pre-conference lab was also well attended. Dr. Slocumb was not only delightful to work with, but gave us a wealth of information that helped us to see children from disadvantaged socio-economic environments in a different light. Opportunities abounded to meet with national leaders in the field of gifted education, as Dr. Mary Frazier, Dr. Thomas Hebert, and Dr. Carol Tieso all served as featured presenters. Parents were delighted to find themselves in small sessions with both Dr. Frasier and Dr. Hebert and to be able to dialog with them concerning specific issues involving their children. For the second year, we were fortunate to welcome many expert presenters from our community, our state, and from the larger gifted education community. Sessions were available throughout the day for parents, teachers, administrators, and coordinators offering information, innovative ideas, and practical approaches to teaching gifted children. Despite a slow start due to some communication glitches, attendance at the conference was high. Evaluations reflected overwhelming satisfaction by members with virtually all aspects of the conference. The problems we encountered over the past two years seemed to center around communication. We have worked diligently since the conference to build an up-to-date and correct data base that will not only allow us to get in touch with you; but will be passed on to the new board to ensure their ability to do the same. | The AAGC web page was another weak point. Regretfully, we neglected to keep it up to date. However, I realize now more than ever the importance of maintaining a current, informative website. Over the past two years, several out-of-state inquiries were made about our organization which could have been easily answered through the website. And if the website could be made interactive, it could also be used for registering for membership, conferences, updating member information, and sharing ideas and lesson plans. One of the most satisfying experiences in my tenure as president has been working with colleagues whose imagination, energy, innovation, and devotion to the organization amazed me everyday. I feel fortunate, indeed, to have had the opportunity to work closely with such a dynamic and truly wonderful group. Thank you Huntsville GT teachers and parents! One of the most satisfying experiences in my tenure as president has been working with colleagues whose imagination, energy, innovation, and devotion to the organization amazed me everyday. I feel fortunate, indeed, to have had the opportunity to work closely with such a dynamic and truly wonderful group. Thank you Huntsville GT teachers and parents! Finally, I wish to thank you, the members of AAGC, for supporting your professional organization. We have grown in membership over the past two years to approximately three hundred; and our budget has more than doubled. Hopefully, this trend will continue and administrator and parent membership will increase, as well. Thank you for allowing me to serve as your president. I hope that AAGC will continue to evolve through the years, ever more intent on meeting the needs of children, parents, teachers, and administrators. | New AAGC Board and Platform We have only one objective for becoming AAGC leaders for the next two years: to increase the breadth and depth of the Alabama Association for Gifted Children. This single objective has a twofold mission: |
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