GIFTED AND TALENTED

QUEST is a weekly enrichment pull-out program that promotes the development of gifted students by addressing their individual needs while providing personalized opportunities to explore their diverse interests and unique talents.

QUEST serves state identified gifted & talented students in grades 2-5. The QUEST Program is designed to meet national and state program goals by providing gifted students with unique experiences via a quality inter-disciplinary curriculum emphasizing creative, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.

QUEST students will explore the world of engineering through a variety of S.T.E.M. focused, problem-based learning units designed to strengthen math, science and reading skills taught in the classroom.

2024-2025 QUEST Parent Handbook

Sumter School District’s program for students gifted in the arts, REACH, is again offering a summer arts program for students currently in grades 3-11 that have been identified as gifted in Visual Arts, Music (Chorus), or Theatre.  Per South Carolina’s guidelines for gifted student identification, students referred for screening for the REACH program will endure a three-step, intensive selection process that includes: 

1. Request for Screening – Students may be referred by a parent, teacher, administrator, peer, or self. 
2. Initial Screening – Completed digitally by students upon receipt of Request for Screening/Referral Form 
3. Final Screening – District-level auditions

During the initial screening, screeners are looking for students whose interest and ability demonstrate potential in a specified arts area.  Students may be screened in one or all of the three areas. Those who qualify at the final screening in more than one area will have to choose one area of focus for program participation.

Characteristics of Artistically Gifted and Talented Students are as follows:

• Display talent beyond that of their peers in one or more arts areas (Visual Arts, Music, or Theatre).
• Show potential for performing at remarkably high levels of accomplishment when compared to their peers.
• Exhibit high performance capability in intellectual, creative, and/or artistic areas.
• Possess an unusual leadership capacity or excel in specific academic fields. Require services or activities not ordinarily provided by the schools.

 These outstanding talents may be present in children and youth from all cultural groups, across all economic strata, and in all areas of human endeavor.

If you feel that a student has exceptional talent in one or more of the arts areas and you would like for them to be screened for the REACH 2025 program, please contact our school REACH coordinator (information below) for details regarding the application process.