Our Provisional Definition of Giftedness
Our provisional definition of giftedness is based on community consultation, evidence, and experience.
We welcome your feedback on this provisional definition.
St Mark’s School welcomes giftedness as a neurodivergence of exceptional aptitude, intensity, and asynchronous development. We affirm that giftedness occurs in all societal groups, including all cultures, ethnicities, genders, socio-economic strata, and disabilities. We partner with whānau to encourage God given gifts and talents, as seen through our St Mark’s School values:
Huatau | Grace | Ethical Awareness and Compassionate Service | Manaakitanga, Kaitiakitanga |
Hiranga | Excellence | Aptitude in any Curriculum Area/s | Mātauranga, Te Mahi Rēhia |
Māiatanga | Courage | Leadership and Creativity | Rangatiratanga |
Piriponotanga | Faithfulness | Spiritual or Cultural Commitment | Whanaungatanga, Tikanga |
🧠 Neurodivergence
Neurodiversity is the idea that all brains and minds are different. We are a neurodiversity affirming school, where difference does not mean deficit. The neurodiversity movement began with the takiwātanga/autistic community and is growing to include a wide range of neurodiverse communities.
📈 Exceptional Aptitude
Gifted learners have the potential to radically surpass age-level expectations in their area/s of strength. Exceptional aptitude does not require and is not limited to academic achievement.
🔥 Intensity
Gifted learners are intense. One or more of these intensities (intellectual, imaginational, emotional, sensory, and psychomotor) create a different lived experience, bringing unique opportunities and challenges:
Personal Opportunities | Personal Challenges | |
Intellectual Intensity | insatiable curiosity, rage to learn | overthinking, impatience with peers |
Imaginational Intensity | rich inner world, creativity | worries, distractibility |
Emotional Intensity | depth of feeling, empathy, compassion | difficulty self-regulating, social isolation |
Sensory Intensity | heightened appreciation of sensory experiences | sensory overload, being ‘picky’ |
Psychomotor Intensity | extra energy | impulsivity |
🎂 Asynchronous Development
Gifted learners are out-of-sync with their age peers. Development is advanced in their area/s of strength. Development may be delayed in other areas.