By Mrs. Jessica Pelletier, Spanish Teacher & Department Liaison
The TGS World Language department is proud to sponsor, and announce that we had several students achieve the Seal of Biliteracy:
- Lars Dobashi Nunez - German
- Liu Zhiyu - Chinese
- Jonathan Villa - Spanish
- Eric Cao Ba Loc Nguyen - Vietnamese
- Shiloh Correa - Spanish
- Anatoli Kudriashov - Russian
The Seal of Biliteracy is an award recognizing students who have demonstrated proficiency in two or more languages, typically English and another language. This Seal encourages language learning and cultural appreciation, preparing students for a globalized world. For parents, the Seal signifies their child’s enhanced communication skills, which can lead to greater academic and career opportunities. Achieving the Seal involves meeting specific criteria, such as passing language assessments and completing coursework in both languages. By supporting your child’s bilingual education, you’re helping them gain a valuable asset that can open doors in college and the workforce.
We will be offering it again in March of 2025. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Pelletier at pelletierj@gilbertschool.org.
Mrs. Sultaire's Civics classes are hosting a Mock Election on Monday, November 4th! All students will be participating in the interactive event, which is intended to teach students about the fundamentals of the election process and power of voting, while promoting a future electorate of engaged voters.
Students in Grades 9 - 12 will be voting throughout the day in the small gym, which will be set up to simulate a real polling place. In their Social Studies classes, students have been registering and preparing to vote during the end of October. Each student received a pass (voter ID) with the time of his/her appointment. Grade 8 students will be early voting during Advisory on Friday Nov. 1st. Lastly, Grade 7 students will vote during advisory on Monday the 4th.
For the last two years, Karen Pfeffer has been a member of the High School Nutmeg Committee. As a member of the committee, she's one of approximately 12 school librarians, public librarians, and high school students in Connecticut who read between 80-100 books, selecting the 10 books that will be honored as a Nutmeg Nominee each year.
Mrs. Pfeffer was recently selected as a Co-Chair for the 2027 High School Nutmeg Committee. This means that she and her co-chair will be selecting all the books that the committee members will read, manage the organization's meetings, and organize the results. When the winner is announced in May 2027, the committee will be in touch with the winning author to present their award. For the 2028 year, she will then be a member of the Nutmeg Steering Committee to assist the new chairpeople.
The book reading lists are compiled by the chairpeople from various literary resources as well as the committee's own investigations. One benefit of her participation in this committee is that TGS receives hundreds of free books from publishers that can be added to our collection. Mrs. Pfeffer explains that since she has read the Nutmeg considerations, she is "able to make the decision if the book is a good fit for our Library and our students. It allows me to be a representative in the Library community and spread the good work that we do here at TGS around the state."
So far this year, Mrs. Pfeffer has already finished 176 books - and she's understandably excited about the new role, as her mentor was an advocate for the Nutmeg Books and had been a member of several committees. "I am thrilled that I can continue this tradition in her honor." Congratulations Mrs. Pfeffer on this amazing accomplishment!
In case you missed all the fuss, check out a photo re-cap below of a FABULOUS Homecoming Week at The Gilbert School. As you can tell from the pictures, that Yellowjacket Spirit is alive and well! Homecoming, which was the week of 10/21-26, was filled with dress-up days, class contests, cafeteria lunch games, wall building, sports games, a pep rally, a dance, and lots of smiles and great memories!
The TGS Aerial Drone Competition team and the TGS Robotics team have begun meeting, and are still accepting new members! With fall sports coming to an end, if any students Grades 7-12 would like to join either club they are encouraged to reach out to Mr. Levesque in Room 102 and attend meetings. The Drone Competition team meets on Mondays and Robotics meets on Wednesdays after school until 3:45 pm.
You can read more about both teams in the October issue of The Gilbert School eNews by clicking on the button below!
By Scott Minnerly, Director of Bands
In October, the Yellowjacket Marching Band continued their season with three performances! First, we competed in the Naugatuck HIgh School "Thunder in the Valley" show and came in 2nd Place in our class while winning awards for Best Color Guard and Best Percussion! The YJMB next traveled to Southington to compete in the "Music of the Knight" show and came in 3rd Place while winning the award for Best Visuals!
We wrapped up the month with our Homecoming game performance while also welcoming the Gilbert Middle School Band to perform the National Anthem. It was a busy Month! Coming up in November we have one more performance of our 2024 show "Haunted" at the Thanksgiving Day football game. We hope to see you there!
To celebrate students that have demonstrated good behaviors, strong work ethic, good character, and high grades, the Quarter 1 ‘Town Hall’ meeting for all middle school students will be held soon! Teachers will also recognize ‘Students of the Quarter’ in the grade-wide assembly. Students who made honor/high honor roll will be invited to an event to celebrate their success!
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 Ms. Thompson at thompsonm@gilbertschool.org.
GNH Football continues to work hard this season. They are 0-6, but look to get in the win column this week against a struggling Seymour team.
Girl’s Soccer finished the season 4-10-2, the best finish they have had in several years. Their season was capped by a tie against rival Northwestern under the lights on Senior Night. It was their first time not losing to Northwestern in 14 years! Congratulations to Senior Emily Arel for being named First-Team All Berkshire League!
Boys Soccer completed their season with a great game under the lights at Nonnewaug. They competed the entire game, and took the game down to the wire against one of the top teams in the league. They are a young team and look to improve next year!
Volleyball finished their season winning more games this year than they have in the past 3 combined. Congratulations to Senior Mackenzie Steeves and Junior Mckenzie Valentine for making Second Team All Berkshire League.
Cross Country completed the Berkshire League Championship and States in October. Every student on the team set a new PR by the end of the season. Congratulations to Junior Kate Hudak for medaling at the BL Championships for the third year in a row.
Games at TGS
11/2 - JV Football vs. Seymour
11/9 - JV Football vs. Wolcott
11/28 - Football vs St. Paul
Winter Sports Start Dates
12/2 - Girl’s Basketball, Wrestling, Cheerleading
12/5 - Indoor Track, Boy’s Basketball, MS Boy’s and Girl’s Basketball “Tryouts”
12/9 - Official first day for MS Sports (Basketball and Cheer)
Questions?
Contact Josh Penn, Gilbert Director of Athletics 7-12 at: pennj@gilbertschool.org or call 860 379-3721 with any questions regarding Athletics. If you have specific questions regarding practices and games please contact the coach directly.
Save some coin on your college applications! Submit your Common App to these universities by the dates below for FREE! That's over $150 in savings if you apply to all three schools.
Southern CT State University is offering free application submissions between Nov. 1 & Nov. 15
Central and Western CT State Universities are waiving application fees in November
Interested seniors should sign up with Mrs. Kirsch in the School Counseling Office for an interview appointment time. Students should dress appropriately in business casual attire to make a good impression during the interview.
Remember: Early Action or Early Decision are typically November 1st or 15th. So, if you plan to apply early, be sure to check your colleges’ EA and ED deadlines!
Check Naviance “Scholarships & Money” to see the local scholarships that are available to Gilbert students. See Mrs. Kirsch or your school counselor for assistance.
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! Reps for the colleges/universities listed below 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/or future issues of the newsletter for an updated list, as additional colleges/universities are being added daily!
- 11/6 - Lasell University - 1:00 PM
- 11/7 - Lincoln Technical Institute-East Windsor - 10:35 AM
- 11/13 - Plymouth State University - 9:45 AM
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 spring of 2025, all junior students will participate in the Connecticut SAT School Day 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.
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.
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.
- 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.
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 all underclassmen and middle school students, make-up School Picture Day is 11/6. Order forms were distributed during Advisories. If you didn't receive an order form, there are extra forms available in the Main Office. Please email Mrs. Zap at zaprzalkas@gilbertschool.org if you have any questions.
2025 Gilbert High School Yearbooks are on sale now for $75. 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:
- $75 from 10/1-11/30
- $85 from 12/1-12/30
New this year: Donate a yearbook to someone in need! Click on the button below to donate an entire yearbook to a student, or you can donate any dollar amount towards a yearbook. Any questions please email Mrs. Zaprzalka at zaprzalkas@gilbertschool.org.
Business yearbook ads are now available for purchase. Creating an ad that will seen by local parents, students, and community members is a fantastic way to promote your greater Winchester area business. Click on the button below, and scroll down to purchase an ad.
Personal yearbook ads are also available for purchase! Personal ads for your students are a great way to support them and show them how proud you are of all their accomplishments! Ads can be purchased and created on the yearbook website by clicking on the button below.
Any questions please email Mrs. Zaprzalka at zaprzalkas@gilbertschool.org.
Unsure how to set up your PowerSchool account? No problem! Follow these simple steps:
- Begin at The Gilbert School Webpage www.gilbertschool.org
- From the Parent dropdown menu, choose PowerSchool
- Click on the PowerSchool logo
- Click the create an account button
- Completely fill out the form
(The Access ID is your child’s student ID number, and the Access password is the first 8 letters of your child’s last name.)
PLEASE NOTE - PASSWORDS MUST BE:
- At least 7 characters
- At least one uppercase and one lowercase letter
- At least one number
- At least one special character (!,$,&,*, etc.)
Should you need assistance, please contact battistas@gilbertschool.org
