The Gilbert School E-News
March 2024
Dear Gilbert Community,
As we navigate the dynamic landscape of education, it's crucial to take a moment to acknowledge the tireless efforts of those who work behind the scenes to ensure our children receive the best possible education. March is designated as Board of Education Member Appreciation Month, and it's the perfect opportunity for us to express our gratitude to the dedicated individuals who serve on our W.L. Gilbert School Corp. “board”.
Our school board members exemplify local citizen control and decision-making in education. They volunteer countless hours and pour immeasurable energy into assuring that our school upholds the highest standards of education for the children of our community. This month, we extend our sincerest appreciation to each member for their unwavering commitment and dedication.
Here are some reasons why we are particularly grateful for our esteemed board members:
Community Representation: Our school board members are citizens whose decisions profoundly impact our children's education.
Policy Establishment: Elected to establish policies that form the framework for our school, our board members take this responsibility seriously.
Local Decision-Making: Our school board is one of 166 such boards across the state, enabling local decision-making for our public schools. This ensures that decisions regarding school programming are made by elected representatives who understand our community's unique needs and circumstances.
We must recognize the immense responsibility shouldered by our board members. With the guidance of educational professionals and a deep understanding of our community's values, they influence virtually every aspect of our schools, shaping our children's future.
It's easy to overlook the dedication and hard work of these individuals. Therefore, we urge all community members to express gratitude to school board members for their unwavering commitment to our children's education.
Join us in extending a heartfelt thank you to the following members of our school board:
Holly Cassaday, Board Chair
Scott Beecher
Shane Centrella
Jared Fritch
Ellen Marino
Jonathan Morhardt
Theresa Padin
Astrid Robitaille
Renata Waldron
Their dedication and civic responsibility make local control of public schools in our community possible. We applaud them for their vision and voice in shaping a better tomorrow for our children.
Thank you for joining us in celebrating Board of Education Member Appreciation Month.
Warm regards,
Greg Shugrue, Head of School
The Connecticut School Day SAT will be Wednesday March 13. It is required that all Juniors take the SAT. Testing is free, and scores can be used to send to colleges. The SAT will be electronic again this year and all students should bring their charged chrome book to the exam. Click HERE for detailed information about testing procedures from Principal Lewis.
March is Music In Our Schools Month. Let the celebration of music begin! More info to come in the upcoming week, so be sure to ask your Gilbert student about it. The MIOSM Concert is on March 19th @ 7:00 pm in the gymnasium. More info to come next week, but here's a quote to start us off!
“Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”
— Berthold Auerbach
We are OVER THE RAINBOW to be heading down the Yellow Brick Road this April, with our 10th Anniversary Production of the WIZARD OF OZ! This MGM Classic is celebrating it's 85th Anniversary this year as well!
Our Gilbert players will present "The Wizard of Oz" on April 5th @ 7:00 pm, April 6th @ 2:00 pm & 7:00 pm, and April 7th @ 2:00 pm. We can't wait to see you in OZ!
Northwestern Region 7 Vo-Ag and Oliver Wolcott Tech priority application deadline has been closed.
Oliver Wolcott “Initial Notices” were sent directly to families around February 15th. If you received this notice, be sure to respond to the email confirming acceptance by March 4th
NWR7 Vo-Ag acceptance notices are being sent directly to families very soon. If accepted, TGS files will be sent to NWR7 after their packets with release forms are completed and returned to NWR7
In March, 8th grade students will participate in high school presentations with their middle and high school counselors. Students will learn about what to expect in high school, their options and opportunities, and pick their classes for freshman year based on their interests and teacher recommendations. They will also be hearing from high school elective teachers about their courses to help them make informed decisions about the classes they register for.
If you have any questions about which level/class your student was recommended for, you can reach out to the teacher.
Middle school students will be participating in the SBAC state testing in May. Students may be taking some practice tests in preparation for formal assessments.
NAEP Assessment
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subject areas.
Eighth grade students randomly selected by NAEP will be participating in the NAEP assessment on March 4th.
We are excited to welcome Mrs. Erica Gauthier to the TGS School Counseling Department and our Gilbert family! She is joining us in a part time capacity and will be in the building on Monday, Thursday and Friday each week. Mrs. Gauthier attended the University of Saint Joseph for her graduate studies in school counseling. Your middle school children will see Mrs. Gauthier around the building and may experience classroom lessons in the spring semester as she delivers school counseling curriculum.
Hive Time Update
7th grade students are wrapping up February’s unit on Emotional Regulation. Students in Hive Time created their own emotion wheels and have been working on identifying their emotions, as well as understanding what emotional dysregulation looks like and learning how to manage uncomfortable emotions.
This included learning about triggers and coping skills. In March, students will be participating in “March Madness”, where they will be exploring anger and anger management.
Winter sports are coming to a close! Congratulations to the Wrestling team on winning the Berkshire League Tournament. An even bigger congratulations goes to Sophomore Evan Schibi who won the Class L State Championship at 150 pounds. This is a major accomplishment, Gilbert Wrestling has been Class S up until this year when we cooped with Torrington. This makes Evan the first Class L State Champion in Gilbert's history! Evan placed 3rd in State Opens and heads to New England on 3/1! Way to go Evan!
This season, Junior Emily Arel for Girl’s Basketball was selected for First-Team All Berkshire League. Way to go Emily! The Girl’s Basketball Team is still alive after a first-round win against Old Lyme in Class S of the State Tournament, and a second-round win against Classical Magnet. On to the next round - good luck Girls!
Spring sports registration is now open! Spring Sports start for High School athletes on March 16th. Softball and Baseball have conditioning starting on March 9th. Middle School athletes will start on April 1st. To register your student for Spring Sports, go to the Family ID website.
By Magdalena Kruk, Gilbert Ambassadors Liaison
Two of our international students, Mary Yen Ho and Erik Nguyen, took the initiative at the end of February to share their culinary skills by leading a cooking demonstration featuring traditional dishes from their home country, Vietnam.
Student Ambassadors assembled for a thoughtfully prepared hands-on activity, eager to learn new skills and experience exotic flavors. The meal consisted of staples of Asian cuisine - dumplings filled with meat and vegetables, as well as kimbap - a traditional seaweed rice roll filled with vegetables, rice, and fried egg. Chrysanthemum tea, commonly consumed at social events in many Asian cultures, accompanied the meal, complemented by scrumptious strawberry and mango mochi for dessert.
As the fragrant aroma of delicacies filled the room, the students engaged in exploration of new flavors, ingredients, and traditions, all in the spirit of yet another memorable cultural exchange to learn about and appreciate each other’s cultures.
Counselors are continuing to meet with high school students and will be meeting with Grade 8 classes in March to discuss course offerings and make selections.
Counselors will be meeting with to juniors to explore Career Clusters, identify their best fit and research particular careers and the training and salaries typical for those careers.
Juniors are invited to attend the NACAC Greater Hartford College Fair at the CT Convention Center on March 21st. Permission forms are available in the School Counseling office. Sign up is limited to the first 50 juniors to return their permission form and $5.
All 11th grade students will participate in the state wide SAT School Day on March 13th. With written permission from their parent or guardian, juniors can be dismissed after the exam administration is concluded.
Wingman Leadership Program
In February, TGS Wingman Leaders led the Freshmen students in a lively team building activity during Advisory. Leaders and faculty alike noted an outstanding level of participation; Enthusiasm was at an all time high!
Local scholarships are now available in Naviance! The list continues to grow so check in periodically to find local scholarships that are right for you.
Sign in to your Naviance account
Click “Colleges” on the top bar
Click “Scholarships & Money”
Click “Scholarship Search”
- Visit the TGS School Counseling website for the application for the W.L. Gilbert Trust Scholarships - see (or click on) the flyer below for more information.
Khan Academy, in conjunction with College Board, is offering free customized SAT prep based on a student's performance on the PSAT. Generated SAT practice is tailored specifically to focus on those areas in which the student requires the most practice. Click on the button below to find out more information!
In spring 2024, all junior students will participate in the Connecticut SAT School Day here at The Gilbert School. However, any student (not just juniors!) can register online to take the SAT and/or to take the ACT throughout the year - as many times as you choose. Like anything else, the more you practice, the better you'll get!
*Please note that The Gilbert School is no longer a testing site and will not be hosting SAT testing on alternate dates.
Hundreds of colleges and universities from the US and worldwide will be ready and waiting to talk with you at an upcoming in-person college fair. Don't miss these free events for high school students and families. See the list of fairs below.
- March 20 & 21 - Hartford NACAC National College Fair, Connecticut Convention Center, Hartford
- April 30 - Southern Connecticut College & Career Fair, Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater, Bridgeport, 4:30 - 7:30 pm
- Multiple Spring dates & locations - NEACAC College Fairs, various colleges/universities in New England
The TGS Health Office will be screening for scoliosis in the spring. Nurses look at each individual student’s back in a private area. If scoliosis screening has been documented by the student’s physician in the past year, it is not repeated by the nurse. Students eligible for screening are girls in grade 7 and boys in grade 9.
Winter Coats
Need a winter coat? We have new and gently used coats available for anyone that needs one! Contact Mrs. Webb at 860 379 8521 x1431 or email at webbd@gilbertschool.org.
Nutrition Backpack Program
Did you know about the nutrition backpack program? It is designed to assist families with additional grocery items to help on the weekends. Items such as cereal, pasta, sauce, rice, peanut butter, jelly, etc, are packed into a backpack and sent home with your child once a week, usually on Fridays.
- Would you like a part time job with summers off?
- Are you available to work during school hours?
- If you answered yes, School Food Service may be the place for you!
Opening for cafeteria workers, daily, or on a substitute basis. The work schedule follows the school calendar, approximately 5.25 hours/day, on an as needed basis. Applicants must be flexible with times, as school lunch schedules occasionally change. No experience needed, will train. Application, resume, letter of intent and 2 letters of reference are requested. Interested individuals should click HERE to apply online.
ATTENTION STUDENTS: Limited Number of Yearbooks Still Available For Purchase
Our 2024 yearbook order has been placed and only a limited number of yearbooks are still available for purchase. Purchase your yearbook early to ensure that you have a copy when they arrive later this year! To order HIGH SCHOOL yearbooks, click HERE or contact Mrs. Daniele. The purchase price for Yearbooks is $85 through 6/1.
