"September 11th Is an Opportunity for Renewal in our Commitment to Advocacy."

"...our advocacy is magnified by the possibility each gifted child represents to the future,
if his potential is fully realized."
Comment by Joyce Clark, President, PAGE

President's Message
Fall, 2001

It's November and the most stubborn leaves are resisting the strong fall breezes. The crisp air and the crunch of the more compliant leaves remind us that another school year is in full swing. The cycle of our lives continue as always and yet….as never before. The continuing impact of the events of September 11 threatens to overwhelm the comfort of our routines.

Our children and their teachers are facing a very challenging time. Our learning environments must nurture a sense of security and safety, positively channel a renewed spirit of patriotism and support the exploration of possible reasons for such devastating attacks.

This exploration may be especially challenging to our most gifted children. They may see these events differently than the average child. If they study the political issues surrounding these events, they may see some merit on all sides. They may feel the need to defend the indefensible, or condemn what seems universally supported. They may feel compelled to try to understand hate-ridden motives and propose solutions that are unthinkable. They may see and speak about all of this in ways that place them in extremely sensitive positions with their peers and even with some of their teachers.

Some say that the events of September 11 have united us as Americans and have given us strength as a nation. I hope that we, as parents and teachers, can find the individual strength to face the questions of our most thoughtful, inquisitive students. I hope we can help them find direction in their explorations and give them the freedom to explore in directions we may not have chosen or may not understand.

I hope we can collectively and individually be re-energized in our efforts to bring a deep understanding of the needs of our gifted children to the attention of those whose decisions impact their lives every day.

What we do is not less important in the shadow of September 11; the need for cour advocacy is magnified by the possibility each gifted child represents to the future, if his potential is fully realized.

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