The Gilbert School E-News
September 2025
Dear Gilbert Community,
It is with great enthusiasm and a deep sense of purpose that I welcome you to the start of a new school year at TGS. Whether you are a returning family or joining us for the first time, we are thrilled to have you as part of our vibrant and diverse school community.
At The Gilbert School, we are committed to fostering a nurturing environment where every student is known, challenged, and supported. This principle guides our work each day as we strive to provide an education that empowers students to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
We believe that education is most powerful when it is a partnership between school and home. Your involvement, feedback, and support play an essential role in the success of our students. We encourage you to stay engaged—through school events, parent-teacher conferences, volunteer opportunities, and open lines of communication with our faculty and staff.
As your new Head of School, I am honored to lead this incredible community. I look forward to the year ahead and the many accomplishments we will celebrate together. Let us continue to cultivate a culture of kindness, respect, curiosity, and resilience.
Thank you for being part of The Gilbert School family. Here’s to a year of meaningful learning, joyful connections and shared success, both in and out of the classroom.
Warm regards,
Michael Susi, Head of School
With every new school year comes change. Please join us in welcoming the following new (and some familiar) faces to The Gilbert School - we're so glad you're here!
- Christopher Cosma - Career & Technical Education Teacher
- Nichole Fortin - Building Substitute
- Madison Fritch - Building Substitute
- Matthiew Janco - Health & PE Teacher
- Kris Kelsey - Business Teacher
- Jared Lacher - Chemistry Teacher
Greetings Gilbert families!
With the 2025-26 school year in full swing, Gilbert faculty and staff looks forward to seeing you at our Open House night on Thursday, September 18.
This year's Open House promises to be the best one yet, and will feature a FREE PASTA DINNER for those who sign up or confirm their parent PowerSchool portal for their TGS student(s). We'll have representatives from local community agencies, military recruiting reps, and more! We'll also have a college and career planning presentation for the parents of TGS Seniors. But the MOST exciting addition to the night is the expansion of our raffle prizes and our major drawing sponsored by the W.L. Gilbert Trust- for a NEW TV!!! So, please join us to meet your child's teachers and participate in Open House Bingo for a chance to win some great prizes! See the flyer below for more information.
Remember to follow us on Facebook and Instagram (gilbert_school) where you're sure to see new photos, events, and glimpses of life here at Gilbert! We are super excited to share our experiences with all of you and to celebrate our students and the entire Gilbert community!
Please know that your students’ teachers, counselors, and administrators are here to help make this the best year ever - let's go Yellowjackets!
With Yellowjacket Pride,
Miss Lewis, TGS Principal
It's almost time to show that Yellowjacket spirit!
For TGS high school students, Spirit Week will be the week of 10/20-24, and will be filled with dress-up days, class contests, and wall building. The Homecoming Court will be announced at the Homecoming Football Game versus Wolcott High School on Saturday, 10/25. The Homecoming Dance for high school students will be held Saturday evening (10/25) in the Gymnasium. Look for more information about Homecoming events in next month's issue of the TGS E-News. For TGS Alumni, we look forward to seeing you at the events listed below!
Saturday, October 25, 2025 Homecoming Schedule
8:00-9:00 a.m. - Alumni Soccer Game (Football Field)
9:00 a.m. - Alumni Check In with the TGS Alumni Advisory Council (Outside)
9:00-11:00 a.m. - Continental Breakfast (Outside)
9:00-11:00 a.m. - School Tours (TGS Library will have an alumni archive display set up)
9:00-10:00 a.m. - Alumni Volleyball Game (Gymnasium)
10:30 a.m. - Alumni Cheerleaders (Meet in Small Gym, Cheer for the 1st half of the football game)
11:00 am-12:00 p.m. - Ribbon Cutting for Remodel of Gymnasium
Star Spangled Banner – Mr. Atkins, Choral Director
Welcome Speech - Michael Susi, Head of School
Speech - Josh Penn, Athletic Director
Alumni Welcome
Band Performance
1975 Championship Football Team
Press Box Dedication to Billy Richmond
12:45 p.m. - Announcement of Alumni in Attendance Football Field
1:00 p.m. - Football Game Kick Off
The fall season is in full swing. All of our High School Sports have played several games so far. Boys Soccer has been battling with a young team led by Junior Captain James Slauta. They are still looking for their first win of the season, but they are getting better every day.
Girls soccer has also been getting better every game. The young team is showing promise, they were down only 1-0 at halftime against Thomaston who has been a BL powerhouse!
Volleyball got the wins rolling this fall with a big win over Terryville. The team is led by Seniors Mckenzie Valentine, Emma Beres, Keegan Connolly, Addyson Lillie, and Georgia Engel. This is the first win and will help on our road to making the state tournament.
Cross Country participated in the Stratton Brook Invitational in Simsbury. Every runner on our team set a PR at the race! They also had their first league match at Shepaug where Senior Kate Hudak took 9th overall.
The Golf team is steadily improving every match. They shot a team best at their match at Norfolk Country Club against Northwestern. Football and Cheer head to Plainville on Friday 9/12 for their opening game. Good luck GNH!
Middle School games start on Monday 9/15 against Northwestern.
Homecoming Games
- Monday, 10/20 - Boys Soccer vs. Housatonic on Van Why Field
- Monday, 10/20 - Volleyball vs. St. Paul
- Thursday, 10/23 - Volleyball vs. Amistad
- Friday, 10/24 - Volleyball vs Northwestern
- Saturday, 1/25 - Football vs Wolcott High School
Miscellaneous Information
- The Travel Release Form can be found here on the Gilbert Website and is an online form. Once completed, the Athletics Office will receive a notification.
- Game schedules are posted on the Gilbert Athletics website. I look forward to a great fall season and hope to see the stands filled with Blue and Gold!
At the end of quarter 1, Middle School students will attend their first ‘Town Hall’ of the year. Teachers will recognize their ‘Students of Quarter 1’. Students that receive honor and high honor grades on their report cards will be invited to attend a special celebration for their hard work in their academics.
School social workers are meeting with 7th grade students 2-3 times weekly in groups to provide social/emotional support, curriculum, and skill development lessons during Hive Time. If you would like more information about Hive Time for your middle school student, please contact Mr. Cerbone at cerbonej@gilbertschool.org.
The Middle School Student Council will be starting up soon! Middle School Student Council Advisors, Mrs. Noh and Mr. Harbach, will be speaking with all students about the engagement opportunity of this activity. A student informational session will be held during Advisory. Students interested in joining the extracurricular club should attend the informational meeting and sign the contract form with parent consent, returning it to Mrs. Noh, Mr. Harbach, or their Advisory teacher. Other clubs and extracurricular activities include:
Computer Club
Robotics
Aerial Drone Competition
Stage Crew
Gilbert Drama
National Junior Honor Society
Yearbook
Advertising for these clubs will be posted around the school and shared as start dates and signups become available.
Senior year of high school is an exciting time for most teenagers. However, it can also be stressful for both students and parents balancing schoolwork, extracurricular activities and the college application process. While our counselors will be meeting individually with seniors throughout September to discuss and prepare for their post-secondary plans, parents also play an integral role in the post-secondary planning process. You are invited to join The Gilbert School counselors as they present information on helping you and your student navigate your way through the process. For your convenience, Senior Parent Night will be take place from 5:00 to 6:00 on Thursday, September 18th, right before Open House. We look forward to seeing you there!
Wondering what it takes to get accepted into a certain college or university? Curious what campus life is like there, or if they have they have the majors you're considering? Speak with an Admissions Rep to find out! Click on the link below to see which college and university Admissions reps will be visiting The Gilbert School this fall. College rep visits are for junior and senior students, and will take place in the library. Students should click HERE to sign up for College Admissions Rep visits at TGS. Students are responsible for all missed classwork. Check your email, Naviance, and the linked list regularly, as additional colleges/universities are being added daily!
PSAT testing will take place during the school day on October 15 for all grade 8, freshmen, sophomore, and junior students. Students taking the PSAT may be dismissed early with written permission from their parent or guardian. Permission must be provided to the Main Office prior to test day. Additional information will be provided in the month of October. Registration for the PSAT is not required.
On October 30th, the School Counseling and Career/Tech Ed departments will be taking 50 high school students to the Aerospace Components Manufacturing Workforce Opportunities Career Fair at the Hartford Convention Center.
The goal of this trip is to make students and their families aware of the wide array of employment opportunities and well-paying careers available in the local aerospace industry. Students will have the opportunity to meet representatives from over 100 local aerospace firms to learn about what employees look for when hiring new employees and the leading-edge technologies that modern manufacturers are using.
Students in grades 9-12 will have an opportunity to sign up and visit. See Mrs. Fiducia in the School Counseling office to sign up. Click on the video below for more information about this exciting event!
Khan Academy, in conjunction with College Board, offers free customized SAT prep based on a student's performance on the PSAT/SAT. 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 October of 2025, all Grade 8-11 students will participate in PSATs at The Gilbert School. However, any grade 9-12 student 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.
All Grades 7 & 9 Students Are REQUIRED To Have A Physical By Their Physician
Students are required to have a physical exam for seventh grade, and also during ninth grade prior to the start of tenth grade. "Blue" physical forms were mailed out in your student's back-to-school packets in August. Forms can also be found in physician’s offices, the TGS main office, as well as the nurse's office. Physicals are also required every 13 months for students who are trying out for sports. If you have any questions regarding this State mandated requirement, please contact the nurse. If your child has already had a physical, please submit it to the Nurse's Office. If you would like to have your physician fax a copy, the confidential direct fax number is 860-738-9651.
Does your child want to play a sport? Don’t forget to book your sports physical! Students need a current physical on file in the nurse’s office to try out for a sport. Physicals should be dated within 13 months.
Connecticut experienced a heartbreaking rise in teen suicides this summer. The 988 National Contact Center services include rapid 24/7 access to trained staff who can help students (and adults) experiencing suicidal, substance use and other mental health crises, provide referrals to resources, and perform warm transfers to Mobile Crisis or emergency services as needed/desired. Additional information, resources, and materials for Connecticut residents can be found at the links below.
A nationwide harm reduction agency, Next Distro, is offering a free Narcan-similar opioid overdose medication to be delivered to your home. Their website requires watching a training video, taking a short quiz and providing your enrollment info. Click HERE to find out more information about how to receive FREE Naxolone, sent directly to your home.
The Main Office reminds all parents to submit your student's school forms as soon as possible, if you haven't done so already. The school forms were included in the Back to School Packets that were sent to each Gilbert family in August. If you've misplaced your child's packet, please email Mrs. Battista at battistas@gilbertschool.org.
For any Seniors who have not taken their senior portraits yet...the next round of photo sessions will be on Tuesday, Oct 14th, 2025 & again on Tuesday, Nov 18th, 2025 from 2:00 pm - 8:00 pm in the TGS Library. Our photography partner, Legacy Studios, emailed parents and guardians detailed information regarding session options, packages, and pricing. If you haven’t seen those messages, please check your inbox (or spam/junk folder) for emails from either Legacy Studios or Aquity. Those messages will include the booking links and additional details. (Scroll to the bottom of the page for booking links.)
Click HERE for bus stop and pick up information for bussing to and from The Gilbert School.
Unsure how to set up your parent PowerSchool account? No problem! Follow these simple steps:
- Begin at The Gilbert School Webpage www.gilbertschool.org
- From the Parent dropdown menu, choose PowerSchool
- Click on the PowerSchool logo
- Click the create an account button
- Completely fill out the form
(The Access ID is your child’s student ID number, and the Access password was sent home in a mailing.)
PLEASE NOTE - PASSWORDS MUST BE:
- At least 7 characters
- At least one uppercase and one lowercase letter
- At least one number
- At least one special character (!,$,&,*, etc.)
Should you need assistance, please contact Mrs. Battista in the Associate Principal's office at battistas@gilbertschool.org.
Our school utilizes the SchoolMessenger system to deliver text messages straight to your mobile phone with important information about school closings, delays, early dismissals, saftey alerts, and more.
You can participate in this free service by sending a text message of "Y" or "YES" to our school's short code number, 67587. You can opt out of these messages at any time by simply replying to one of our messages with "Stop".
Opt in now from your mobile phone. Point your phone's camera at this QR code.
2026 Gilbert High School Yearbooks are on sale now for $65. Prices will only increase, so get it now before the price goes up! Click on the button below to purchase your yearbook and add ons.
Yearbook Pricing:
- $65 until 9/30
- $75 from 10/1-11/30
- $85 from 12/1-12/30
New this year: Donate a yearbook to someone in need! Click on the button below to donate an entire yearbook to a student, or you can donate any dollar amount towards a yearbook. Any questions please email Mrs. Poirier at poirierv@gilbertschool.org.
Buy An Ad For Your Business or Your TGS Senior!
Business yearbook ads are now available for purchase. Creating an ad that will seen by local parents, students, and community members is a fantastic way to promote your greater Winchester area business. Click on the button below, and scroll down to purchase an ad.
Personal yearbook ads are also available for purchase! Personal ads for your students are a great way to support them and show them how proud you are of all their accomplishments! Ads can be purchased and created on the yearbook website by clicking on the button below.
Any questions please email Mrs. Poirier at poirierv@gilbertschool.org.
Open House
9/18
10/13 - Holiday
Early Dismissal (12:16 PM)
9/17
School Picture Day
10/7
Senior Portrait Days
10/14 and 11/18
PSAT School Day
10/15
Spirit Week
10/20-10/24
Pep Rally
10/24
Homecoming Game & Dance
10/25
