Craig Daily Press

It's Saturday morning, and fifth-grader Kurt Dunlap is spending part of his weekend at school. But, this is not punishment.

No, Dunlap is here for all the right reasons.

He is one of about 20 Craig Intermediate School students who are at Saturday school as part of the gifted and talented identified enrichment program.

The program caters to students who were identified through standardized testing results and overall excellence in academia.

CIS teacher Laura Christensen said these students are being challenged, and treated, with the "Super Saturday" class because they are the type who will take knowledge and run with it.

"They want to expose us to different ways of life and what they do," Dunlap said from the back of the classroom Saturday, his blue beret sitting lightly on his head. "I think they chose French because it's the hardest to speak."

As the children rattled off double-digit French numbers while playing a game of bingo, they made it sound easy.

They had been immersed in the culture all morning.

CIS teachers Mary Blakeman and Christensen treated the students to a breakfast fit for a Parisian, including crepes and the characteristically strong European coffee.

"They're going to leave here with at least exposure," Christensen said.

Saturday was CIS's first "Super Saturday," and the same group of fifth- and sixth-graders are expected to attend another class focused on hot air balloons.

Selected third- and fourth-graders and seventh- and eighth-graders also are expected to attend their own "Super Saturday" classes later in the year.

Christensen said that about 2 percent of the population is considered gifted, and that it is important to open new doors of learning to them.

While not everyone in Saturday's class was categorized as gifted, everyone was learning something new.

"It's been kind of nice knowing another culture and what they're like," Dunlap said.

John Henry can be reached at 824-7031, ext. 209, or jhenry@craigdailypress.com.