GEAC LWSD Gifted Education Advisory Council

Fill out our Hicap Services Survey!

GEAC is stillgathering feedback from families of students who are currently receiving highly capable services in LWSD. If you haven't already, please fill out our survey and let us now how it's going!

What is working well for your student and what isn’t?

Whether your student receives Classroom-Based Services (CBS), Full-Time Quest (FTQ), Middle School Quest (MSQ), or is in high school, we would love to hear from you! Fill out the survey here:
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/pNF8KSAgYD

Your input will be gathered, analysed, and shared with the school district as well as our community.

The Northwest Gifted Child Association is inviting families and educators to an online event on recent changes to the hicap rules in WA state:

Are you ready?

Washington's new Highly Capable education rules take effect in June 2026. These updates make significant changes to HiCap Programs including improvements to identification practices, increased access, types of services, notifications, reporting, and more.

This is your invitation to join a free virtual event designed to help families and educators understand what has changed, what it requires, and what to expect heading into 2026–27.

📅 June 11, 2026
🕓 4:30–6:00 PM
💻 Free on Zoom

JOIN WEBINAR
👉 wacoalition.com/events

WHAT TO EXPECT
→ Quick intro to our hosting organizations
→ Whole-group overview of WAC (Washington Administrative Code) highlights led by Dr. Reby Parsley, Legislative Chair, WAETAG and Dr. Austina De Bonte, President, WA Coalition for Gifted Education
→ Breakout rooms for families — Q&A and discussion
→ Breakout room for educators — Q&A and discussion”

Event Hosts:
⭐️ NWGCA - NorthweNWGCA - Northwest Gifted Child Association WashinWAETAG - Washington Association of Educators of the Talented and Giftedgt on The Washington Coalition for Gifted Education State’s Highly Capable Program of the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)
Policy reference: SB 5072 / RCW 28A.185, 28A.300 / WAC 392-170

Please help us share this event far and wide! See the comments for a graphic you can email and share.

Please note, this is not a GEAC event. Want to learn more about GEAC? Visit www.lwsdgeac.org

Events - Washington Coalition for Gifted Education EVENTS   support our work get involved sign up for newsletters The new Highly Capable WAC is here: Are you ready for the shift? CLICK HERE TO JOIN WEBINAR JUNE 11, 4:30PM Washington’s new Highly Capable rules (WAC 392-170) take effect in June. These significant changes to the state’s Highly Cap...

Fill out our Hicap Services Survey!

GEAC is gathering feedback from families of students who are currently receiving highly capable services in LWSD.

What is working well for your student and what isn’t?

Whether your student receives Classroom-Based Services (CBS), Full-Time Quest (FTQ), Middle School Quest (MSQ), or is in high school, we would love to hear from you! Fill out the survey here:
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/pNF8KSAgYD

Your input will be gathered, analysed, and shared with the school district as well as our community.

Mark your calendars, there is a Science Slime Making Event on 5/29 at 6PM! Learn how to make slime and take home your creations! There are limited spots so make sure to RSVP here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/QnG73jaT1R See you all then!

We heard you – connecting with other HiCap families is easier in your own neighborhood. So GEAC is bringing connection to you with a series of HiCap Family Socials in different parts of our district.

After a very successful series opener in Sammamish, we have our next upcoming event for our Kirkland families. Join us on April 30 for a family friendly get together at Bell Elementary to find and strengthen connections with other HiCap families in your area.

Please RSVP here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/XZ4PRvmVLs

A topic not often focused on, this article looks at the role and challenges of dads of profoundly gifted and twice exceptional kids.

"Many dads raising PG and 2e kids are working to strike a balance between internal expectations to stay steady, capable, and solution-focused, even when parenting a complex child brings uncertainty, worry, and moments where the usual parenting scripts simply stop working."

Tips for Parents: The PG/2e Dad Experience: Presence, Pressure, & Becoming the Father Your Child Needs - Davidson Institute The following article expands on highlights and insights from one of our Expert Series events, which are exclusive for Young Scholars and their parents.

"Giftedness is not always visible through production. ADHD can obscure output, making capable students appear less competent than they are. When we mistake compliance for ability, we miss enormous potential. A flexible, humane approach that centers connection, authentic work, and strength development is not a luxury for twice-exceptional students. It is a necessity (Kaufman, 2018; Sabatino & Wiebe, 2018)."

Supporting Twice-Exceptional Students with ADHD: A Strength-Based Lens – SENG Supporting twice-exceptional students, those who are both gifted and have ADHD, requires a fundamental shift in how we define ability, success, and development. As both an educator and a parent, I’ve learned that the most important work is not diagnosing or labeling, but learning how to see these ...

Coming up SOON!

Organization Strategies for 2e Kids with Lisa Deily

Register here:
https://events.teams.microsoft.com/.../becdfb73-3b2c-4a72...

Is your child bright, creative, and capable—but constantly losing things, overwhelmed by clutter, or struggling to keep schoolwork organized? If you’re parenting a twice‑exceptional (2e) child, traditional organization advice often misses the mark.

Join us on March 18th on Teams where Lisa Deily, from Creative Clutter Solutions will be sharing from her toolbox of organization strategies!

This parent-centered presentation will help you understand why organization is so challenging for neurodivergent learners—and what actually helps. We’ll explore how a child’s environment impacts attention, regulation, and learning, and how small, intentional changes can make a big difference.

You are invited: GEAC's Upcoming GMM is on April 8th, 6-7:30 pm, at Redmond Elementary.

GEAC is inviting all new and existing hicap families to join us for a warm welcome and a chance to connect with other hicap families.

Please RSVP here: https://www.lwsdgeac.org/eventrsvp

We are excited to share a call for participation in GRISM's science and math competition for girls in grades 3-5, Girls Embrace Math and Science (GEMS)!

Registration link: https://tinyurl.com/GEMS2026registration

Do you know about Girls Rock in Science and Math (Grism) program?
GRISM's mission is to expose elementary school-aged girls (3rd-5th, specifically) to the fascinating world of math and science and offer programs and activities to nurture their interests in those fields. You can learn more about GRISM here:
https://www.girlsrockscimath.org/