Eastmont nurses guided HiCap students through CPR practice, including chest compressions and bag-and-mask ventilation. During a demonstration, nurse Tiffany Faulconer reminded students, “You are pumping someone’s heart with your muscles,” giving the CPR lesson a hero-level sense of purpose.
In Eastmont’s Highly Capable Program, curiosity isn’t just encouraged…it’s expected. “HiCap” serves students who perform (or show potential to perform) at academic levels significantly beyond those of their same-age peers. These learners may demonstrate strong general intellectual ability, specific academic strengths, or creativity in a particular area, and they are found across every demographic group in the district.
Students are identified through assessments, teacher input, and nominations. With parent permission, a formal evaluation ensures that students receive learning experiences matched to their advanced readiness. Once identified, students participate in small-group instruction that goes deeper than the regular curriculum with open-ended projects, rich discussions, and real-world connections that nurture curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking.
This year, each elementary school has its own staff members teaching the Highly Capable groups. At Lee Elementary, 3rd and 4th grade HiCap is taught by Tricia Donaldson, who also serves as the school’s RTI (Response to Intervention) specialist. Her work spans the full range of student needs, from building foundational reading skills to designing advanced intellectual challenges. It gives her a unique perspective on how to support every learner.
“With my HiCap group, I can create intellectual challenges that let students explore, take risks, and think in new ways,” Donaldson explained. “I always ask myself, ‘What would I want my own child to learn?’ That question keeps the learning meaningful.”
Her goal this year is to bring in guest speakers who can spark new thinking and introduce students to hands-on experiences. For one recent lesson, she partnered with two Eastmont school nurses who demonstrated CPR skills and guided students as they practiced in small groups. The CPR experience became a shared event when Cascade Elementary’s 3rd/4th HiCap group, taught by Alison Peak, joined Lee’s students and created a cross-school community of curious thinkers.
Peak says experiences like this are exactly what HiCap is designed for. “Successful in HiCap means that students are pushing past just answering questions,” she explained. “Students are combining multiple areas of learning to really stretch their thinking.” She added that guest speakers offer something videos can’t: authentic connections and exposure to future career pathways.
For all of the students who participated, the CPR lesson wasn’t just an activity; it was another doorway into understanding how learning can change, and even save, lives. Donaldson hopes the hands-on work becomes a launchpad for deeper thinking: “I hope this turns into analytical thinking, problem-solving, and maybe even future leadership in emergency care.”
Opportunities like this show how Eastmont’s investment in advanced learning continues to build confident, capable thinkers.
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