GSD E-Blast October 2025

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We’ve had an amazing first month of school, and the energy across our classrooms, hallways, and events has been inspiring! Our students are starting the year strong, ready to be future-ready, and continuing to Accelerate, Engage, and Achieve in everything they do.

Last week, we celebrated Homecoming, and it could not have been more memorable. With perfect weather and Marauder pride on full display, our teams and Band brought the winning energy. The week was filled with spirit days, Powder Puff football, pep assemblies, our annual parade, and our staff appreciation tailgate. These traditions remind us of the power of community, and we are so grateful to the students, staff, and parent volunteers who made this year’s celebration such a success.

We also encourage you to stay connected with us throughout the year! If you’re active on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or X (formerly Twitter), please follow our official district accounts, our individual school pages, and visit the live feed on our website. These platforms highlight the many fun and engaging activities our students and staff are participating in every day. They also reflect our district’s dedication to preparing students for success by immersing them in STEM and 21st-century learning experiences.

At GSD, we know that academics thrive when positivity thrives. Research shows that a positive mindset enhances problem-solving, improves task completion, and ultimately supports long-term success. That’s why we have embraced Shawn Achor’s “Happiness Advantage” philosophy, which emphasizes the impact of positivity on learning and life. Through our “spreading the orange” efforts and continued focus on happiness and growth, we aim to nurture students into confident, resilient, and optimistic leaders. You’ll continue to see this theme woven throughout our district communications, from Spark’s Corner to our classroom activities, as we share the many ways our students and staff embrace positivity each day.

Together, with the support of families and the dedication of our staff, this school year is off to a bright and inspiring start. We can’t wait to see all that our Marauders will accomplish as the year continues!

Your partner in education,

Amy Conway

Superintendent

Research shows that being happy and positive primes the brain to be more successful and productive. Promoting positivity will enhance our student’s academic ability and develop them into happy and positive thinkers and leaders. Each month we will highlight a building or staff member that is spreading “The Orange” (Happiness) through Gibraltar!

Spark visited CHS teacher Mr. Buttson and Parsons teacher Mrs. Steinmetz to celebrate their participation in the social media #GSDfirstweek challenge. These amazing staff members, along with many others from GSD, shared all the wonderful happenings that took place during the first few weeks of school. Spark was a big hit as he visited classrooms and even joined in on a 30-second dance party at Parsons!

The Greater Gibraltar Kiwanis Club is proud to present their annual Community Service Award to Mr. Brockington, GSD’s beloved Band Director.

This award is given only once a year to a community member who has shown exceptional dedication to serving children, demonstrating kindness, and contributing to the well-being of the community. Mr. Brockington embodies all of these qualities. He is admired by countless students across the district for his passion for music education and his genuine care for their growth.

Beyond the classroom, Mr. Brockington has also dedicated his time and talents to leadership roles with Scouting America Troop 1234, further shaping the lives of young people through service, mentorship, and character development. Over the years, he has inspired and taught thousands of students, leaving a lasting impact that extends far beyond music.

We congratulate Mr. Brockington on this well-deserved recognition and thank him for the joy, dedication, and heart he brings to GSD and our community.

Carlson HS was bursting with spirit last week as we celebrated Homecoming! 🎉 Each class brought their A-game in daily competitions, all chasing the ultimate prize—the legendary Spirit Jug! This year, the Class of 2026 claimed bragging rights with a big win.

Friday’s Pep Assembly was full of energy, featuring exciting class competitions and, of course, the always-epic staff Tug of War—where the staff kept their win streak alive! 💪 Even Monty the Marauder popped in to fire up the crowd.

After the final bell, the festivities rolled into town with the Homecoming Parade. Our students showed off their creativity with some seriously impressive floats, ending at the high school for a tailgate packed with fun. To top it all off, the Carlson Marauders hit the field and took down the Taylor Griffins for a Homecoming victory! 🏈

Led by Mrs. Kozicki, Chapman P.E. students recently participated in Hula Hut cooperative activities - an experience designed to teach much more than balance and coordination. As students built and rebuilt their colorful hula hoop “huts,” they practiced the skills of teamwork, patience, and perseverance. These activities encouraged students to:

• Work together toward a common goal

• Take turns and share responsibilities

• Encourage one another with positive words and actions

• Move carefully and precisely, especially when structures became tricky

• Handle setbacks with resilience, learning to try again rather than give up

When students are actively engaged, they are more likely to take risks, learn from mistakes, and celebrate growth along the way. The Hula Hut challenge is just one example of how our teachers create opportunities for students to be hands-on learners while also building community and character.

At Hunter Elementary, students have spent the first month of school learning and practicing our PBIS expectations of being safe, kind, and responsible. These guiding principles have helped set a positive tone for the year and built a strong foundation for learning. The timing was perfect as we celebrated Constitution Day on September 17th. Our kindergarten students created their very own Classroom Constitution, where they worked together to decide how they can make their classroom a safe and welcoming place. This activity not only connected beautifully with our school-wide focus but also encouraged students to think about the importance of respect, responsibility, and community as we begin a great school year together.

We have learned that students who miss even a few days of school each month are at a far greater risk of academic failure and dropping out than students who attend routinely. We have set a goal that every student in our school attends regularly. Regular attendance means 9 days or less days missed per school year. In order for students to recognize the power of having their whole "family" at school, teachers write the percentage of students in attendance outside their classroom. If their whole class is here, students get a 30 Second Dance Party! It's a fun and memorable way to celebrate perfect classroom attendance.

We had an incredible Spirit Week at Weiss Elementary! We kicked things off with an unforgettable Lions Day, and our halls were absolutely electric with Honolulu blue and silver. Students and staff went all out to show their Detroit Lions pride, and we like to think our Wildcat spirit may have even helped the Lions bring home their big win against the Ravens! The excitement carried through the rest of the week with Favorite Color Day, cozy fun on Pajama Day, plenty of team pride on Sports/Jersey Day, and a strong finish with Carlson Homecoming Spirit Day in blue and white. It was a week full of energy, excitement, and true Wildcat pride.

To kick off the school year, students met in grade-level assemblies to review the key expectations for a successful start at Shumate. The presentations highlighted the general principles of PBIS and covered important topics such as hall passes and restroom procedures, Chromebook guidelines, locker use, cafeteria routines, cell phone and headphone policies, arrival and dismissal, bus procedures, proper and improper communication (threats, etc.), and overall etiquette. The assemblies also featured games and challenges that engaged students, encouraged them to cheer for their classmates, and reinforced our expectations in a fun and memorable way. A big thank-you goes out to our PBIS team for organizing such engaging and high-energy assemblies to launch the year!

Click the link below to view the slides from the assembly:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1DnOfLSfHDLQ-RutbRpqywG5Hvr7VGOfiAAKIiapCpfo/edit?usp=sharing

Meet one of our outstanding students who has truly gone above and beyond! While balancing his virtual classes, Gabe also took on the challenge of dual enrollment in the highly competitive Cybersecurity program at Henry Ford College through our DCTC program. Through hard work, dedication, and excellent time management, he not only succeeded but earned a spot on the Dean’s List — an achievement that reflects both his academic excellence and perseverance. We are incredibly proud of his commitment to his future and his ability to thrive in such a demanding program. His accomplishment is an inspiration to all of our students to dream big and work hard!

We are preparing for our second bid day, which is on Wednesday, October 8, 2025. There could be some changes with new drivers on the routes. This will start on Monday, October 13, 2025. We are hiring bus drivers and bus aides, please call or come in and fill out an application at 28291 Fort Street phone number is (734) 379-6370.

Check out the Food Service S'more here

In accordance with Michigan’s “Safe Storage Laws” (MCL 28.429, MCL 380.1313a, and MCL 380.1313b), schools are required to share resources with parents and caregivers on the safe storage of firearms. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Michigan Department of Education have provided the following resources for families:

• What is the Secure Storage Law in Michigan

• Safe Storage Notice

We are sharing this information to ensure all families have access to the required resources.