The Talent Development (TD) program serves high achieving and high ability students in the Kindergarten through eighth grades in the Saginaw Township Community Schools. Students in the TD program take part in challenging and enriching activities that expand their knowledge of themselves and the world around them. Advanced academic achievement, complex problem solving, high level thinking skills, organization, collaboration, enthusiasm and creativity are all highly valued in the TD program. TD students are exposed to powerful learning opportunities with highly qualified and experienced professional educators. All TD students are encouraged to take part in activities that advance their academic achievement and individual talents, as well as to develop habits and character traits that will lead to successful and satisfying lives in school and beyond.

The Saginaw Township Community Schools has a very active and highly successful magnet school for Gifted and Talented students at Hemmeter Elementary School. At Hemmeter, students have the opportunity to be involved in programming and curriculum specifically targeted toward high ability students. The Hemmeter magnet school currently includes two TD classrooms in each grade level, from Kindergarten to Fifth grade.

At White Pine Middle School, students in the Talent Development program are clustered into Learning Communities based on their individual academic strengths and talents, and are advised to tailor their coursework accordingly. Students who show superior ability and achievement in English, Writing, Mathematics, and Science are given the opportunity to take part in advanced, accelerated, and honors coursework in these areas. TD students are strongly encouraged to take advanced coursework for which they qualify, as well as to begin to master a world language while in middle school.

We encourage TD students at White Pine to organize their coursework so that they are ready to take part in Advanced Placement (AP) courses.   This means that TD students interested in successfully completing AP should include advanced coursework, a world language, and leadership activities while at White Pine.

For more information about the Talent Development/Gifted and Talented program and the services that we offer, please do not hesitate to contact Jim Bailey at Hemmeter Elementary School (989) 399-8362.