Welcome to ALPS!

ALPS is the parent support group for McKinney ISD's gifted and talented program, Alpha. We aspire to connect our members with the people, programs, and information necessary to enhance our awareness, effectiveness and sense of community in parenting GT children.

According to Nancy Johnson, an authority on gifted children, "parent support groups are truly the lifeline for gifted children in this country. Wise educators know that gifted programs survive only with strong parent support." Parent support is, therefore, essential for the long-term sustenance and growth of GT programs and is also a major factor in the academic ranking of a district's GT program.

Mission Statement

The mission of ALPS is "to support McKinney ISD's Gifted and Talented (ALPHA) programs; to provide a chain of communication between ALPS, the community, the school, and the Board of Education; and to create expanded opportunities for gifted students."

To achieve and implement its mission, ALPS sponsors and coordinates informative programming for members, provides emails and e-newsletters on GT-related events, programs, and topics, informs the membership of relevant district policies and legislative matters affecting GT education, provides opportunities for socializing, networking, and support, and provides enrichment opportunities for MISD Alpha students in need of financial assistance.

Perhaps even more importantly, ALPS is a community that provides emotional and social support to parents so they can do a better job of nurturing their children. According to our recent presenter, Wenda Sheard, J.D., Ph.D., board member of Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG, www.sengifted.org), parent groups such as ALPS offer many benefits to parents of GT children, such as the following:

• Creating a safe place to talk
• Source of true peers for GT children (i.e., a great place to network for play dates and social events for your kids)
• Information sharing and keeping up-to-date
• Turning anger into constructive action
• Political clout (i.e., people in numbers) for effecting change with school boards and state laws/policies
• Warm fuzzies - offers a forum to acknowledge and celebrate the successes and accomplishments of GT students, parents, teachers, and community members

We look forward to having you join our community. ALPS and GT education in MISD can only grow stronger with your participation, ideas, energy and support.

Click to read "Welcome Letter"

Welcome Letter