By Callum Watson
Have you ever wondered where some kids in your class disappear to on Fridays?
They go to a program called T.A.G. T.A.G. stands for talented and gifted. “ Ms. Goodrich, our Magnet Resource Teacher said “T.A.G. is an enrichment program for a wide range of students who test into the program. Students used to leave the building for T.A.G. but now an instructor comes to school once per week on Fridays. Students in grades 4 and above are eligible to be in the program.”
Students are challenged to think critically and be inventive and creative as part of the program. In T.A.G. students get to learn about subjects such as astronomy and geography.
Ahmad Abuseni, 4th grader said, “I like T.A.G. because of the experiments. One of the experiments is how to make oobleck, it is fun to play with, and it is a lot like slime, except easier to make.”
T.A.G. students also get to go on field trips at least once a year.
Naomi Gitelman, 7th grader, said, “I’ve been in T.A.G. for 3 years. My favorite part of the program is taking field trips and learning things with people from other schools. We went to the Boston Museum of Science, and it was very interesting and there were so many wonderful exhibits. We get to do lots of hands on activities and work collaboratively.”
Julieanne Wilken, 7th grader, said, “ this is my 4th year in T.A.G. and my favorite part is the field trips. We got to go to Philadelphia where we saw the Liberty Bell. My favorite unit was when we learned about inventions.”
Other students agree. “The best part of T.A.G. is getting to work with my friends on projects and going on field trips. The best unit so far has been the law unit. I’ve learned about what laws we have to follow. We got to do skits too. T.A.G. is one of the best programs we have at school,” said Dante Gray, a 7th grader.
Students who get into T.A.G. need to pass a test. Different tests, like the Reading Inventory, are looked at, and then a letter goes home to parents. The test scores determines who gets into T.A.G.
The T.A.G. teacher, Mr.Gee, comes to Mauro Sheridan Magnet School to run the T.A.G. program in the Robotics Lab so they can learn subjects like astronomy and geography. When he is not at MASH, he runs the T.A.G. program at different New Haven Schools.
There are 49 kids in T.A.G. at MASH. There are 21 kids in 4th and 5th grade, and 28 kids in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade.
T.A.G. is one of the great things that make Mauro Sheridan Magnet School special for us.