FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — Sharon Borgatti, a teacher at the Laura Donovan School, has been selected as a Gifted Child Society (GCS) Fellow among 20 in the state. According to the GCS, Borgatti was chosen for her professional excellence and leadership in teaching in the state of New Jersey.
According to a press release from the Freehold Township school district, the GCS is a 45-year-old nonprofit parent group which has served more than 60,000 gifted students with out-of-school education programs. Nationwide programs include workshops, a six-week Summer Super Stars day camp, statewide teacher training conferences and parent conferences. In 1975, the group was named a National Demonstration Model by the U.S. Department of Education.
As a GCS Fellow, Borgatti will spend a week in July at Confratute at the University of Connecticut. Confratute is an institute for training in the education of gifted students in grades K through 12.
Through her week of training, Borgatti will learn more about modifying curriculum, selecting the best resources for gifted and talented students, and be able to network with teachers from all over the nation.
“I am very excited about going,” Borgatti said.
She said she hopes to come back with knowledge to apply to her teaching in the Shared Time gifted and talented program.
“There are a number of workshops that I think will help revamp the Shared Time program,” she said.
In Freehold Township, the Shared Time program is offered to eligible students in grades three through five. The Academic Enrichment program is offered to eligible students in grades six through eight. Children receive instruction in the core academic subjects in a regular class. During the sessions in the Shared Time class, students are involved with instructional techniques and materials designed to assist children functioning at higher cognitive levels, according to the press release. This special enrichment program is carefully articulated with that of the regular classes so that all basic content materials are covered. An emphasis is placed on enrichment activities that capitalize on the unique learning styles of the gifted student.

