The Gilbert School E-News

Parents, conference scheduling Is now available. Click on the button below to read Mr. Shugrue's letter with important information regarding conference scheduling with your child's teacher(s).

The GNH Football team won an exciting Class SS quarter-final state playoff game on November 29 against Windham High School 34–0. The football team will be playing in the Class SS semi-finals held Sunday, December 4th at 12:30 PM against Valley Regional/Old Lyme. The game will be played at Valley Regional. The winner of this game will advance to the CIAC State Football Finals held on December 10th at either Central Connecticut State University or Rentschler Field in Hartford.

Click here to read what the Rep-Am's "The Zone" had to say about the recent win. If you missed the great article on GNH Football in the Rep-Am from earlier this month, click here for "The Zone's" take on our recent division transition.

In an effort to promote NUMERACY and have a little fun, 70's Day will be 12/14. Prizes will be awarded for the best dressed!

On November 14th, three Gilbert students - Laila Hollis, Eric Pelletier and Carey Teixeira - performed in the American School Band Directors Association Festival at Maloney High School, in Meriden, CT. Scott Minnerly, TGS Director of Bands explained that the event was the one of the first festivals for the organization since the start of COVID, and that our TGS students "played beautifully, and represented the school with class." Congratulations Laila, Eric, and Carey!

The National Junior Honor Society organized a Thanksgiving food and personal care item drive here at TGS. They collected 8 bags of food for the Open Door Soup Kitchen and 2 bags of personal care items for the Salvation Army for Thanksgiving. Thank you to all who donated!

Peace and love to you at this holiday season, and in all the seasons of the year to come.

Happy Holidays from TGS Athletics!

By Buckley Morgan, Gilbert Director of Athletics

After a very exciting Thanksgiving Football game against St. Paul Catholic HS (21-0) here on the Gilbert Campus and a filling Thanksgiving dinner surrounded by friends and family, we look back on our Fall season and forward to the coming December holidays and Winter Athletics.

While GNH football has made it into the quarterfinals, the rest of Gilbert fall athletics are now complete. Making it into the Postseason is not what defines an athlete. I believe we have some of the best student-athletes and coaches in the league. We have great sportsmanship, dedication, never quit attitude, love of the game and an understanding and willingness to play the long game. The GNH football team was selected for the sportsmanship award. This award is from the official who officiate throughout western Connecticut. It is an honor and a significant achievement for the GNH team to be selected out of so many other schools. This definitely is a result of quality coaching and a sound perspective on how sports fit into our lives and how to balance sports with all the other aspects of our life.

Congratulations go out to the Boys Soccer team for winning the BL Ted Alex sportsmanship award for a second year in a row. The winner of the Ted Alex award is determined through a voting process taking input from all Fall BL players and coaches of the same sport. The parameters of the award are sportsmanship of coaches, players and fans. We also had some individual standouts in the Berkshire League. Aiden Blanchette was selected All-Star for Golf and Thomas Reeves was selected All-Star for Cross Country. Congratulations to both of these fine athletes and all the Gilbert student-athletes on a successful Fall season.

I would like to take a moment to congratulate our Scholar Athlete winners for the Fall athletics season. We had 72 Varsity athletes and 58% of them earned the Scholar Athlete award. These numbers do not include football or cheer as their season is still going. This is an amazing accomplishment by so many student-athletes. We are very proud of our Scholar Athletes as they truly represent the term student-athlete.

Cross Country had a good season and hosted an awesome Blue and Gold 5K run. All the participants had a great time and funds were raised for the Athletic Department.

The Blue and Gold Golf Tournament date has been adjusted due to course availability issues. The new date is May 28th. We are looking at moving the B&G 5K to the weekend before or after. More to come on that.

The GNH Football program has had a good season and will play in the Postseason competition after defeating St. Paul in an exciting Thanksgiving day game, 56-6.

We now look forward to the Winter athletics season with Girls Basketball and wrestling already practicing, and Boys Basketball and indoor track practice starting on 1 December. Winter cheer is also ramping up for the season. Middle School sports will start their season soon. For questions about Middle school athletics, contact the MS Athletic Director, Mr. Josh Penn at pennj@gilbertschool.org

Registration for Winter sports is open in Family ID. Click here to register for high school or middle school winter sports. Registration will be closing on December 4th.

For Gilbert specific updates, be sure to follow the TGS Athletic Department Facebook page. Also visit the Gilbert Athletics webpage. You will find the athletics handbook on the website. All athletes should know it, front to back.

Questions?

Contact the Gilbert Director of Athletics at: morganb@gilbertschool.org

or call 860 379-3721.

By Debra LaRoche Walls, Dean of Admissions

Ivan Lyu! On the first snow flurry night of the year, fall athletes, their supportive family members, friends and Coaches gathered in The Gilbert School auditorium on Tuesday, November 15 at 6 pm to celebrate the fall season of sports. The Fall Sports Award Evening highlighted the outcomes and recognition for; cross country, girls’ volleyball, girls’ and boys’ soccer and golf. Each of the coaches shared and acknowledged outstanding players with certificates and varsity letters.

The “Coaches Choice Award” was presented to international student Ivan Lyu, senior from China. He was chosen for; being the team member who showed consistent dedication and commitment to the team, always helping the coaches, was always the first to follow directions and complied with what was asked by an athlete. She added that Ivan was the one team player who always went the extra mile. In addition, he was the only member of the team who attended 100% of all of the practices and the games. Ivan was recognized as a committed player who was always positive and uplifting to the team. We congratulate Ivan for his deserving award and we are grateful he is in our international program. Congratulations Ivan!

First time Coach for boys’ soccer, Ingryd Flores, and her team were awarded the Tex Alex Sportsmanship Award by Athletic Director, Mr. Buck Morgan. Mr. Morgan explained that one Coach and team are chosen for the fall season and it is the result of a survey of all the players on who has the most sportsmanship with the team, coaching and fans. Congratulations to the boys’ soccer team and to their Coaches or this prestigious award.

During Coach Flores presentation, she shared that she was grateful for the international students joining the team and how the team members collectively all made great improvements throughout the soccer season. Assistant Coach and graduate of Gilbert, Caleb Goodall and Coach Flores made four special presentations to outstanding team players. It was a great night for all of the athletes and The Gilbert School community who shared in the celebration of the evening.

This week, high school counselors met with Sophomores to learn about personality strengths and challenges and how these connect to future goals. When students identify and utilize their strengths, they tend to be more engaged and perform better. Parents are encouraged to review this personality profile, which can be found under the Self Discovery tab, after logging into your student's Naviance account.

Interested in taking a college course at NCCC for free? High School Partnership Program Spring 2023 application is open for juniors and seniors!

• For those new to the program, apply at Northwestern Community College’s High School Partnership Program.
• New student applications are due December 1st, 2022. Let your counselor know soon if you are interested in enrolling for NCCC’s HSPP for the first time!
• Students currently taking HSPP courses only need to fill out the Academic Assessment Form. Due date is December 15th.

Oliver Wolcott Tech

If you were unable to attend the Oliver Tech Open House on 11/2 but would like more information, virtual tours can be found linked here or on their website, or reach out to their admissions office to schedule a private/small group tour.

• The online application can be found linked or on their website under the ‘Admissions’ tab
  
• 8th grade application priority deadline is December 15

Please help us by having conversations with your 8th grader about their high school plans!

Check Naviance “Scholarships & Money” to see the scholarships that are coming in to Gilbert. See Mrs. Kirsch or your school counselor for assistance.

Reminder for Seniors!

The free online FAFSA application for the 2023-24 school year is open. Everyone seeking financial aid and scholarships needs to apply online. Be sure to note the FAFSA deadline for the colleges on your list.

Click on the button below to catch a free FAFSA workshop for Connecticut residents.

Financial aid professionals will be available to help students and families navigate the process of need-based federal aid. Those who sign up will receive a checklist of items that they will need and support to successfully complete the process. Click on the button for more info and to register for one of their events.

In spring 2023, all junior students will be participating in the Connecticut SAT School Day here at The Gilbert School (date to be announced). 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. Additional testing dates are listed below. 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.

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!

Hundreds of colleges and universities from the US and worldwide will be ready and waiting to talk with you at an upcoming in-person or virtual college fair. Don't miss this free, one-day events for high school students and families. See the list of fairs below.

2023 High School Yearbooks are still available at Early Bird Pricing!

Yearbook Prices:

• $75 from 12/1-12/31
• $85 from 1/1 through end of the school year

To order High School Yearbooks click HERE or contact Mrs. Daniele.

Place a personal ad in this year's yearbook and celebrate your students' accomplishments! You can purchase your ads online using the link above or you can reach out to Mrs. Daniele directly at danielef@gilbertschool.org.

Ad Costs (personal and business ads)

1/8 page: $40

1/4 page: $75

1/2 page: $150

Full page: $300

By Kelli Gilbert RN BSN, Director of Health Services

Winter Coats

Need a winter coat? We have new and gently used coats available for anyone that needs one! Contact Mrs. Gilbert at 860 379 8521 x1431 or email at gilbertk@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.

Holiday Angel Program

Need some help during the holiday season? In the spirit of the holiday season, TGS faculty and staff volunteer to participate in a holiday angel program. Please email Mrs. Gilbert at gilbertk@gilbertschool.org or call the school at 860 379 8521 x1431 if you are interested in assistance!

Influenza and COVID Vaccinations

Influenza season is here! Please consult with your child’s pediatrician if an influenza vaccination is recommended for your child. COVID booster vaccinations are also available now if you would like your child to get a booster vaccination if they haven’t already.

COVID Update

We are continuing to see sporadic cases in all grade levels. Our COVID positive numbers have dramatically reduced in the past couple of weeks! Below is a chart on current COVID protocols.

Early Dismissal (12:16 PM)

12/14-16

12/23

No School

12/26 - 1/2 Holiday Recess

Picture Retake Day

12/5

Club & Activity Day

12/6

Winter Concert

12/13

Wingman Day

12/19

TGS Website

2022-23 School Calendar

PowerSchool

Daily Announcements

TGS Cafeteria

TGS Spirit Wear

Athletics

TGS School Counseling

Naviance

Common App

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