EXCEL classes help Brunswick elementary students succeed

BRUNSWICK — Even though the physical appearance of EXCEL has changed through COVID-19, the benefits of the program continue to improve the lives of students. EXCEL is Brunswick's gifted program for students who excel in academics and need curriculum that suits their learning needs. This program serves gifted students in grades 3-5 throughout the district. Alongside Ellen Foster, Jennifer Clark runs the EXCEL program at Huntington Elementary. "Gifted students are unique learners and it's necessary for their academic growth to have a curriculum that matches their learning needs," Clark said. Students in EXCEL must test into the program and have a superior cognitive ID. Foster became interested in gifted education when she originally started her career teaching in a Montessori method school. She enjoyed the nontraditional classroom environment and "working in gifted education allowed me to do just that," Foster said. Foster and Clark believe the EXCEL program has been affected by COVID-19 even more than traditional classes. "We have lost a lot of working in groups and doing hands-on projects," Clark said. The class also will be unable to participate in competitions, including the Fifth Grade Problem Solving Tournament, the Fourth Grade 24 Math Tournament and the Geography Bee. Unlike other elementary classrooms, because of scheduling and gifted teacher certification, EXCEL classes both are online and in-person. EXCEL students must sit in desks that are at least three feet apart, making sure they comply with COVID-19 safety protocols. "We are doing our projects in breakout rooms and any construction components we are completing at home," Clark said. The class currently has 24 students in-person and seven students learning from home. "Sometimes we get so busy, there are times that students forget to ask for mask breaks," Clark said. "Everyone is doing a great job staying positive." Since gifted students are on the special education spectrum, their needs are different than others. EXCEL helps challenge students in a way a normal classroom cannot. "EXCEL gave me the opportunity to grow my education far more than I could in the regular classroom," former EXCEL student Ariana Phillips said. Kaitlyn Karim, a sixth-grader at Brunswick Middle School, is one of over 50 student "backpack journalists" (grades 6-12) in the award-winning BEAT video Program.