GATE

The MNPS GATE Program (formerly called "Encore") is designed to nurture, challenge, and develop the potential of gifted and talented students. Intellectually gifted and academically talented students are those whose intellectual abilities and potential for achievement are so outstanding that they need special attention to meet their educational needs. Eligibility is determined based on demonstration of advanced classroom performance, superior results on a national-normed achievement test, and evidence of higher level thinking as measured by assessment of abstract reasoning and logical thinking.

GATE serves eligible students in kindergarten through sixth grade. GATE classes meet one-half day each week in local schools.

With nearly one-third of Glendale students participating in GATE, our school is fortunate to have a dedicated GATE teacher and classroom. Dr. Jacqueline Kent brings a wealth of experience to this role, having taught at Glendale for ten years before becoming the Advanced Academics Resource Teacher. With 19+ years of teaching experience, Dr. Kent is passionate about nurturing gifted learners.

She is originally from South Africa and has traveled extensively, including time living in Bolivia, where she became fluent in Spanish. Outside the classroom, Dr. Kent enjoys hiking, gardening, and rescuing border collies. She’s also a proud mom to two daughters. She is reachable at jacqueline.kent@mnps.org.

As of the 2025-2026 school year, Candice Stone, candice.stone@mnps.org, has joined the Glendale Elementary community and will be assisting with the GATE program.