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.