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GATE
@ Dietz Elementary
7575 E. Palma
Tucson, AZ 85710
(520) 731-4005
fax: (520) 731-4006
EMAIL US
Gifted and Talented Education
Announcements
Letter to Parents Regarding Proposed Budget Cuts
In February 2010, the GATE Department emailed the following letter to GATE parents informing them of proposed cuts in the State budget which would affect funding for GATE programs and activities.
Letter to Parents: In Word | In PDF
Booth-Fickett's GATE Teams Garner Awards at Arizona Region Future City Competition
Booth-Ficketts seventh and eighth grade GATE teams won the following awards at the 2010 Arizona Region Future City Competition.
- Best Essay, won by Team Mundo Verde and awarded by the Arizona Future City Competition
- Best "Value" City, won by Team Winticumba and awarded by Value Engineers, International for the city that provides the best value for the community
- Best Automated City, won by team Pace Luna and awarded by the International Society of Automation for the city with the most creative and quality use of automation
The competition included 137 teams from all over Arizona.
The Future City Competition is a team-based national program designed to promote math, science, and engineering to middle school students. The four phases of the competition encourage advanced thinking about different elements of a future city. The first phase involves using the SimCity software to meet the required elements for populations, infrastructures, taxes, and public works. While working with volunteer engineering mentors, students research and write essays which address specific problems. This year's engineering problem was "providing an affordable green living space for people who have lost their home due to a disaster or financial emergency." Along with a team-written essay, teams are also required to write a brief description if their city's functions and features.
A scale model of a portion of each group's future city is made from found and recycled materials and must contain one or more moving parts. Team members complete the final phase when they participate in the presentation of the city to a team of judges who ask questions about the models, functions, and infrastructures.