Scholars select three elective enrichment courses to pursue during the three-week session. We encourage parents and Scholars to choose courses carefully to plan for a balanced curriculum and sometimes to make choices for courses that address skills that they might not necessarily prefer but that they recognize is an area of weakness in which the Scholar needs to improve.

This type of enrichment program, to be effective, addresses the need for a qualitatively differentiated education program for the academically gifted child. This program provides specific guildelines for enrichment of all aspects of the curriculum: content, process, product, and learning environment.

During registration, Scholars preview a medly of course offerings and rank them in order of preference. DECATS works with thise choices to give Scholars as many of their highest choices as possible. Scholars may not receive all first choices, and DECATS does its best to provide a well-rounded day with courses from their top picks. The great news is that all of the courses are fun, interesting, and challenging.

Scholars receive their course schedule at the Saturday Orientation and Open House. Course schedules are not available before Saturday and are not released via email or to any party other than immediate family.

First Period: Manners to Morals

Scholars do not choose their first period course, as it is determined by their years in DECATS at St. Rose of Lima.

All Scholars attend Manners to Morals during first period, an intense exploration of the joys and the responsibilities of being a gifted leader.

There is a different curriculum for each year that Scholars return to DECATS at St. Rose. Topics in this course include etiquette, character development, values formation, personal sacrifice, deferred gratification, servant leadership, and leadership ethics.

Second Period: Perspectives

Scholars do not make a selection for second period, as it is determined by their years at DECATS. All first-year Scholars take Perspectives I; second-year Scholars take Perspectives II; third-year Scholars take Perspectives III, and fourth-year Scholars serve as mentors for the program in Perspectives IV.

The Perspectives courses provide a forum for reflection, support, and direction for gifted Scholars. Topics include the privileges as well as the responsibilities of the gifted, with special emphasis on leadership, peer relationships, and faith development. We will also explore stereotypes of the gifted, dispelling myths and celebrating uniqueness. The primary goal of these courses is to instill in Scholars a sense of service to others in a spirit of gratitude, learning that "better at" does not mean "better than."