Embedded Files
Southlake Association for Gifted and Talented
Upcoming Dates
Upcoming Dates
SAGT volunteers are hard at work planning new teacher, student, and parent events for the 2026-27 CISD school year. Please check back here so you don't miss anything! Scroll for details & registration.
OCT 8 - Walnut Grove Fall Social - (Details Below)
OCT 14 - Rockenbaugh Fall Social - (Details Below)
OCT 15 - Dragons and Discoveries @ Old Union - Sign Up Now
OCT 21 - College Application Panel - (Save the Date)
OCT 25 - SpeakQuest Public Speaking for Students - Sign Up Now
JAN 24 - Coding @ iCode - (Save the Date)
FEB 21 - SAGT's 2nd Annual Student Chess Tournament - (Save the Date)
Thank you to our current
2026-27 SAGT Sponsors.
Want to become an
SAGT sponsor?
Learn more and contact president@southlakegifted.org
— PLATINUM —
— GOLD, SILVER, BRONZE —
Event Details
Event Details
SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER
SAGT Fall Socials
All Campuses
Every Fall, SAGT Campus Liaisons host a variety of fall socials where families from each campus can get together and meet other GT families. Details for each campus are below.
EXPAND FOR DETAILS
Walnut Grove Elementary - Fall Social
Thursday, Oct 8 @ 3:00 - 4:30pm
WGES Playground
Please join us for a popsicle at the playground! A casual social gathering for all WGES Quest students and their parents, this is your chance to learn more about SAGT, meet other GT families and welcome our Quest teacher, Ms. Mitchell.
Questions? Amy Childress - amym0422@gmail.com
or Jenna Romaniuk - lee@alumni.rice.edu
Rockenbaugh Elementary - Fall Social
Wednesday, Oct 14 @ 11:00 am
Central Market
Please join us for a casual social gathering for all RES parents of students in the Quest program. Learn more about SAGT and meet other families of RES GT students.
Questions? Julie Beal - juliebeal06@gmail.com
or Lindsey Markham - lindsey.markham714@gmail.com
Renew your membership for the 2026-27 school year or become a new member. JOIN NOW >
This event is open to CISD families. This is a family event supervised by SAGT Board members. We ask that parents stay with their children for the entire event.
Being identified as gifted is not a requirement for SAGT membership.
Being identified as gifted does not automatically enter a family into SAGT membership.
SAGT is a fundraising organization that supports the CISD GT Program
Membership for SAGT must be renewed each new school year to be current.
OCTOBER 15th
Dragons & Discoveries
A SAGT Family STEAM Night
A SAGT Family STEAM Night invites students and their families to explore, create, and learn together through hands-on fun.
EXPAND FOR DETAILS
Thursday, October 15th - REGISTER NOW
5:30 - 7:00 pm
Location
Old Union Elementary School
1050 S Carroll Ave, Southlake, TX 76092
Details
Fun for all ages
Open to all CISD students and families.
Food Trucks
Enjoy interactive stations, engaging challenges, and exciting activities designed to spark curiosity and inspire young minds. Come discover the magic of STEAM-where imagination takes flight!
Fees and Requirements
SAGT Members - $15
Non-Members - $20
Membership will be verified.
If you purchase a member ticket but you are not a member, we will contact you for additional payment.
Renew your membership for the 2026-27 school year or become a new member. JOIN NOW >
This event is open to CISD families. This is a family event supervised by SAGT Board members. We ask that parents stay with their children for the entire event.
Being identified as gifted is not a requirement for SAGT membership.
Being identified as gifted does not automatically enter a family into SAGT membership.
SAGT is a fundraising organization that supports the CISD GT Program
Membership for SAGT must be renewed each new school year to be current.
Questions about the event?
Contact Elisha Rurka at president@southlakegifted.org
OCTOBER 25th
SpeakQuest
SpeakQuest
Public Speaking Workshop
We are excited to kick off the first ever Public Speaking Workshop this school year on Oct 25, 2027 with Dr. Alice Ward-Johnson for students 1st grade through high school.
EXPAND FOR DETAILS
Sunday, October 25th
Location
Carroll Middle School cafeteria
Time
SESSION 1: 5th Grade and up - Sign Up
11:30 AM – 12:30 PMSESSION 2: 1st - 4th Grade - Sign Up
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
📆 Registration Ends at 5pm October 24th.
Details
🌟 We are excited to kick off the first ever Public Speaking Workshop this school year on Oct 25 2027.
📚 Dr. Alice Ward-Johnson is a veteran educator and educational leader with more than 20 years of experience as a teacher, principal, college professor, and professional development consultant. She owns and directs Best Brains Learning Centers in Southlake and Keller and is passionate about helping students develop the academic, leadership, and communication skills they need to succeed.
🎤 Through this interactive public speaking seminar, Dr. Ward-Johnson will introduce students to practical strategies for speaking clearly, organizing their thoughts, engaging an audience, and becoming more confident communicators.
Fees and Requirements
SAGT Members - FREE
Non-members - $20
Membership will be verified.
If you purchase a Free ticket but you are not a member, your student will NOT be admitted.
**This is a STUDENT ONLY event. We ask that parents enter the building with their child to check-in at the tables inside the entrance. Once checked in, we encourage parents to allow your child to attend this event independently**
💚 For more information on joining SAGT and memberships, please visit our website at southlakegifted.org
Being identified as gifted is not a requirement for SAGT membership.
Being identified as gifted does not automatically enter a family into SAGT membership.
SAGT is a fundraising organization that supports the CISD GT Program.
Membership for SAGT must be renewed each new school year to be current
Questions about the event?
Contact SAGT Student Program Volunteers at studentprograms@southlakegifted.org
Event Highlights
Event Highlights
Every year SAGT offers events and opportunities for adults and students to learn and grow together. Take a look at some of the events from the 2025-26 school year!
SEP 15, 2026
Annual Welcome Coffee Event:
“If I’m So Smart, Why Is This So Hard?”
SEP 15, 2026
Annual Welcome Coffee Event:
“If I’m So Smart, Why Is This So Hard?”
Helping Gifted Kids Bridge the Gap Between Complexity & Capacity was presented by Dawn M. Bailey, Ed.D. 32 attendees joined SAGT for the presentation. Dr. Dawn Bailey incorporated National Dot Day (which was the 15th) into her presentation and interactive group activities. She told relatable stories about her own children and grandchildren, and talked about how to identify what type of challenge your GT kids may be facing and some strategies to help them work through it.
SEP 13, 2026
Study Skills Sessions with Ryan Lord from More than a Teacher
SEP 13, 2026
Study Skills Sessions with Ryan Lord from More than a Teacher
Both sessions, 5-6th and 7th & up, were packed with students. Ryan's background in test prep and academic achievement lent to an informative presentation. In addition, our panels of current CISD students shared their personal experiences and offered practical tips for success.
SEP, 2026
SAGT Fall Socials
SEP, 2026
SAGT Fall Socials
Thank you to all who joined and plan to joing our fall socials! Every year our SAGT campus liaisons plan an individual gathering for each of the Carroll ISD campuses. Parents and students in the Quest program meet and chat. We hope you enjoyed connecting with other GT Families.
AUG 7, 2026
Welcome back lunch for our Quest and GT Teachers!
AUG 7, 2026
Welcome back lunch for our Quest and GT Teachers!
We were thrilled kick off the new year by hosting a lunch for our K-12 GT teachers on August 7 to welcome them back to school. We gifted each teacher a Target gift card and a GT t-shirt to show our appreciation and wish them a fantastic school year. Thank you to our Teacher Appreciation committee and the generous contributions of all our members who make it possible for us to support our GT faculty.
FEB 22, 2026
Coding @ iCode
FEB 22, 2026
Coding @ iCode
Students gathered at iCode for a hands-on tech event with sessions tailored by grade level. Younger students dove into coding concepts through Minecraft-based activities while students in Grades 6–8 explored web development and game design, learning the fundamentals of building interactive digital experiences.
FEB 20, 2026
Course Selection & Curriculum
FEB 20, 2026
Course Selection & Curriculum
About 64 CISD parents attended a presentation by Gina Peddy and Kimberly Goodman on curriculum, graduation requirements, course levels, GPA weighting, and key programs including GT and AP Capstone. Additionally, a new Career & Technical Education (CTE) website was introduced. The presentation slides are available here: https://bit.ly/APG-2026
DEC 5, 2025
TAGT giftED25 Conference
DEC 5, 2025
TAGT giftED25 Conference
SAGT sent our GT teachers to the TAGT GiftED conference in Grapevine. This annual event brings people together to explore focus areas like Program Design, Equity & Inclusion, Professional Development, and Collaboration.
"TAGT was an excellent opportunity to collaborate with passionate educators and bring back ideas that will enrich learning in our GT Humanities classrooms!" - Mr. Mims
NOV 18, 2025
Leveraging AI for Education
NOV 18, 2025
Leveraging AI for Education
Dr. Suzanne Newell led an insightful conversation on how AI is reshaping classrooms and the world our students are preparing to enter. She explored AI hallucinations and bias in generative tools. She also discussed how parents can foster awareness and critical thinking and help students engage with emerging technologies responsibly while minimizing potential risks.
NOV 6, 2025
SAGT Meet & Greet with Carroll ISD Gifted & Talented teachers
NOV 6, 2025
SAGT Meet & Greet with Carroll ISD Gifted & Talented teachers
During this annual exclusive event, SAGT DaVinci and Einstein Members had the opportunity to learn more about CISD's GT programming, ask questions and meet and mingle with CISD teachers and Executive Director of Curriculum.
OCT 16, 2025
College Application Panel
OCT 16, 2025
College Application Panel
College Applications can be overwhelming - so we are immensely grateful to our amazing panelists who spent their time demystifying the process and sharing important tips.
Sarah Thomas and Barbara Milhizer
College Collective Co-Founders and Principals
Trisha Uhler
CISD 9-12 Counselor Coordinator, Dual Credit Liaison
Nick Kennedy
Harvard and UCLA School of Law Alumnus, Harvard Alumni Interviewer, Father of two current CISD students
Eric Chernik
Stanford and U Chicago Booth MBA Alumnus, Stanford Alumni Interviewer, Father of two recent CISD graduates
Special thanks to our wonderful members!
Considering an SAGT membership? Read about the benefits of our Level 2: Da Vinci and Level 3: Einstein memberships by clicking the link to our membership page below.
Report abuse