The Gilbert School E-News
December 2024
Thanksgiving Meal Donations
Gilbert School faculty and staff donated over $3,000 towards complete Thanksgiving meals for over 50 local families. The meals were purchased through a continued partnership with Big Y, and faculty delivered the meals to the households on Monday 11/25. Click on the button below to read the front page news story.
Gilbert Alumni Event/Go to Gilbert Week Events
Gilbert students had a full week of activities, ranging from meeting Gilbert alumni business connections, to college and career connections and experiences, and 8th graders taking an interest inventory. Current high schoolers also visited each 8th grade Advisory to discuss their time at Gilbert and answered questions about high school and the transition. The week’s events culminated on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving with nearly 20 alumni visiting and speaking to all the 8th and 12th graders about their experiences post high school. Alumni and students also broke up into small groups to allow more time for intimate conversations and connections. This was a fabulous experience for our current students and our alumni alike. A special shout out to our TGS alumni participants - thank you! Click on the button below to read the front page news story.
National Merit Scholar Recipient- Hubbell Foundation
Miss Lewis was informed by the College Board that one of senior students is a candidate for a special scholarship through a foundation sponsor. The chosen student has now begun the application process and will hopefully find out soon if he will receive any monetary award as a result.
Hive Time Presentation
Our Gilbert School Social Workers submitted a proposal to present our 7th Grade Hive Time program at the NELMS (New England League of Middle Schools) conference. We are waiting on confirmation and hoping they are approved to share their experiences with the coursework they designed with other middle school educators in the area!
November 6th was instant Decision Day with Western New England University right here at The Gilbert School! An admissions representative from WNEU met Gilbert students to interview our seniors who applied. At the interview, five students were accepted to the University. In addition to getting an early Admissions decision to the private college, Western New England awarded each of the students at least $30,000 of merit scholarship, renewable for four years.
WNEU is known for its strong business and engineering programs, as well as return on investment - it's considered by many as a 'best value school' and last year it was ranked 10th in the country for the likelihood of moving students from disadvantaged to affluent. One of the benefits of participating in an Instant Decision Day is meeting the Admissions rep face-to-face and making that personal connection, which allows a student to stand out individually as more than just grades on a transcript, or scores in a report.
On November 9th students from Gilbert participated in the Northern Region Auditions for a chance to be accepted in the Northern Region Music Festival in January. We are pleased to report that five students were accepted - congratulations to all!
- Ethan Cavajani - Percussionist in the Orchestra
- Freily Cruz - Tenor in the Mixed Choir
- Victoria Parent - Alto in the Treble Choir
- Natalia Rodriguez - Soprano in the Mixed Choir
- Mackenzie Steeves - Alto in the Mixed Choir
We have several upcoming events in December. Members of the High School Concert Choir will be performing Christmas Carols and welcoming Santa on December 7th at East End Park starting at 4:00 pm. Our Winter Concert is on December 17th at 7:00 pm. This concert will feature the Jazz Ensemble, Middle School Chorus, Middle School Band, High School Concert Choir, and HIgh School Symphonic Band! Also, we are thrilled to be performing for Winchester Public Schools on December 20th during the school day!
In celebration of 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 was held in November. Teachers recognized ‘Students of the Quarter’ in the grade-wide assembly, as well as students who made honor/high honor roll, those that had perfect attendance, and more. Congratulatons students!
Career exploration and high school planning lessons were presented to 8th graders. Students completed the Career Key assessment on Naviance which helps them identify their traits, explore their interests, and match work environments and careers. Students also participated in discussions regarding their personality type/code, suggested careers, the importance of exploring their interests in middle school, and how to utilize their high school experience to support their end goal.
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 finished the regular season 3-1 in their last 4 games. GNH had an amazing Thanksgiving Day game in the cold and rain beating St. Paul 44-8. Great season GNH! Conditioning starts on Monday 12/9.
Winter sports are ready to begin! Girl’s Basketball, Cheerleading, and Wrestling started on 12/2 while Boy’s Basketball, Middle School Boys Basketball and Indoor Track began on 12/5. Middle School Girl’s Basketball and Middle School Cheer start on Monday 12/9. There are SO MANY benefits to participating in high school or middle school sports. Some of the main benefits that continue to help student-athletes even after graduation (National Federation of State High School Association, NFHS, 2020):
- A stronger sense of self-confidence in building relationships with others and having an expanded capacity for empathy.
- Developing a better understanding of self and in so doing understanding how their actions affect others.
- Building foundations for lifelong fitness habits.
Please encourage all students to attempt to participate in some sort of extracurricular activity! I am excited for the winter season to get going and to watch our Athletics programs continue to improve.
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.
Following dinner, counselors and financial aid representatives from NCCC will work with parents and students to complete their student aid applications. We encourage parents and students to create their FSA IDS before the event on December 12th (both students and parents or guardians will need to create their own FSA IDs). Social Security numbers for parents and students will be required. Parents who have completed FAFSAs in the past should NOT create a new FSA ID. They will use the same one.
We are ordering caps and gowns in the coming weeks; students are finishing FAFSA's if they haven't already, and the college acceptances are continuing to roll in. We are updating our pennant wall of acceptances on the riser below the 3rd floor and Library weekly! This is where every student puts their name on a pennant of every college where they were accepted. It's a great way to showcase their achievements!
Many Connecticut state, regional, and local scholarships are available to view on Naviance! The list continues to grow, so check in periodically to find area scholarships that are right for you.
Sign in to your Naviance account
Click “Colleges” on the top bar
Click “Scholarships & Money”
Click “Scholarship Search”
Seniors can also find various state, local, and regional scholarships on the TGS Scholarship Padlet, found under 'Resources' on our Gilbert School Counselling website. Or click on the button below to view it directly. Stay tuned for information on the Gilbert Trust Scholarships in the coming months!
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.
Winter Coats
With the onset of winter almost upon us, please remember to dress for the weather! If needed, we have new and gently used coats, hats, and gloves available for anyone that needs one! Contact Mrs. Webb at 860 379 8521 x1431 or email at webbd@gilbertschool.org.
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.
2025 Gilbert High School Yearbooks are on sale now for $85. Prices will only increase, so get it now before the price goes up! Click on the button below to purchase your yearbook and add ons.
New this year: Donate a yearbook to someone in need! Click on the button below to donate an entire yearbook to a student, or you can donate any dollar amount towards a yearbook. Any questions please email Mrs. Zaprzalka at zaprzalkas@gilbertschool.org.
Business yearbook ads are now available for purchase. Creating an ad that will seen by local parents, students, and community members is a fantastic way to promote your greater Winchester area business. Click on the button below, and scroll down to purchase an ad.
Personal yearbook ads are also available for purchase! Personal ads for your students are a great way to support them and show them how proud you are of all their accomplishments! Ads can be purchased and created on the yearbook website by clicking on the button below.
Any questions please email Mrs. Zaprzalka at zaprzalkas@gilbertschool.org.
Unsure how to set up your PowerSchool account? No problem! Follow these simple steps:
- Begin at The Gilbert School Webpage www.gilbertschool.org
- From the Parent dropdown menu, choose PowerSchool
- Click on the PowerSchool logo
- Click the create an account button
- Completely fill out the form
(The Access ID is your child’s student ID number, and the Access password is the first 8 letters of your child’s last name.)
PLEASE NOTE - PASSWORDS MUST BE:
- At least 7 characters
- At least one uppercase and one lowercase letter
- At least one number
- At least one special character (!,$,&,*, etc.)
Should you need assistance, please contact battistas@gilbertschool.org
