GSD E-Blast December 2024

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As we approach the holiday season, I want to extend my warmest wishes for a joyful and restful time with family and friends. This time of year is filled with so much to celebrate and be thankful for, especially within our GSD community. We are incredibly proud of our dedicated staff and talented students, whose hard work and achievements continue to inspire us all. Over the next several weeks, our schools will host a variety of amazing programs and events to showcase their creativity and spirit—be sure to mark your calendars and join us in celebrating this festive season. Wishing you all a happy and peaceful holiday season filled with gratitude and cheer!

Please join us for the Gibraltar Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting Ceremony this Saturday! The parade starts at 5:00 pm at the Gibraltar City Hall and ends at the Gibraltar Community Center. Winter break starts at the end of the school day on December 20, 2024, and school will resume on January 6, 2025! Have a Safe and Happy New Year!

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!

As we approach the Thanksgiving holidays, our Marauder Captains worked with our freshmen to create a gratitude tree. This time offered students an opportunity to reflect on all of the things that they had in their lives (big and small) that they were thankful for. The answers were all over the place and definitely included a big emphasis on the relationships our students have in their lives both at school and home. Answers also included some nods to the Lions and even just that Taco Bell is around (it's the little things, right?). The activity culminated in the beautiful display found below.

Chapman's Charge Up Crew, led by Mrs. Petrone, is a committee of 3rd - 5th grade students who spread positivity and kindness, share new initiatives with our students, and showcase leadership amongst our building and community. The Charge Up Crew kicked off November by performing skits to each classroom of students to teach them about gratitude. They also lead the building in creating a Gratitude Chain where students wrote down one thing they were grateful for to display in our Media Center. We will continue adding to this all year! The Charge Up Crew also represented Chapman at the Rockwood City Council meeting by leading the pledge on Wednesday, November 20th. We thank the Rockwood City Council and Rockwood Mayor Troy Cox for allowing us to be a part of our community in such a special way. Last, students created Thanksgiving placemats for Meals on Wheels recipients within our community to make their holiday a little extra special!

On November 27, the Carlson Marauder Hockey Team joined the Grosse Ile Red Devils in honoring our United States military. Students from both teams invited veterans from their families to watch the action. Both teams debuted special jerseys to honor the various branches of the U.S. military.

In the week leading up to the event, the teams participated in a "Change War," raising funds to support Downriver Veterans. Carlson won the game 7-5 and also claimed victory in the "Change War," raising $475. Together, both teams raised over $1,800 for Downriver for Veterans during the event.

The CHS boys' tennis team completed the season undefeated in the Downriver League, securing their seventh league title! With an overall record of 11 wins, 4 losses, and 2 ties, they concluded another successful season by finishing in 4th place at the Regional tournament. Congratulations to Coach Giorgi and the entire team!

The 2024 Into the Deep FTC season was a remarkable journey for the Marauder Robotics FTC program, showcasing the determination and innovation of its three teams: 12379 Rockwood Rancor (all-girls team), 12459 Gibraltar Jedi, and 15446 Brownstown Bounty Hunters. Competing in the Belleville and Novi FTC Qualifiers, each team brought their unique strengths to the table. The Rockwood Rancor shined with an impressive 10-5 record, earning the Judges’ Award at the Belleville FTC Qualifier and securing a spot among the top three alliances at the Novi event. Gibraltar Jedi excelled with an 8-5 record and claimed the Design Award at Belleville, showcasing their ingenuity and making a notable playoff run. Meanwhile, the Brownstown Bounty Hunters, though facing challenges in their first competition season, built a standout robot with custom and 3D-printed parts, demonstrating their growth and potential.

This success was made possible by the collective efforts of the Marauder Robotics community, including the students, their dedicated parents and guardians, the invaluable mentorship of 6528 Terror Bytes high school robotics mentors, and the support of adult mentors and generous sponsors like the Shumate Parent Group, Gibraltar Education Association, Chief Charters, Let Love Rule, and the Gibraltar School District. All three teams built competitive robots and held their own in two challenging tournaments, making the 2024 season an unforgettable chapter in the program's history. Congratulations to everyone involved for a phenomenal Into the Deep FTC season!

Chapman’s fourth graders toured the Parade Company Detroit, who puts on our annual Thanksgiving Day Parade. The students were able to see the big head characters, learn about the Distinguished Clowns Corps, and parade traditions. They saw the original Mother Goose float as well as the newest sponsored float by Pet Supplies Plus. We were able to see how they created each stage, from carving, to painting, and assembling each float. Students left with their own clown nose and returned to school to begin their own balloon float STEM projects. Students collaborated to plan, design and create balloon floats for the classroom. They then held their own Thanksgiving Parade around Chapman with their own creative floats. The Thanksgiving Day Parade now has new meaning for our fourth grade families.

November was a busy month at Hunter Elementary!

The Young Fives students celebrated Thanksgiving with a heartwarming family event that was full of festive fun! Dressed as adorable turkeys, the children delighted their families with a lively performance of Thanksgiving songs. Following the show, everyone came together to share delicious pie and enjoy quality time with one another.

The first-grade classes kicked off an exciting new tradition! The students showcased their creativity and festive spirit by designing and crafting their very own balloon parade. Marching proudly through the halls and classrooms, they brought smiles and joy to everyone in the building. It was a wonderful way to celebrate the season, foster teamwork, and share their hard work with the entire school community. This cheerful parade is sure to become a favorite annual event!

Parsons Elementary hosted a heartfelt Veterans Day assembly to honor and celebrate the contributions of veterans in our community. The event featured inspiring speeches from veterans, a moving slideshow accompanied by patriotic music, and thoughtful presentations from student leaders. Students shared the history of Veterans Day, showcasing their appreciation for those who have served. The assembly created a meaningful opportunity for the school community to reflect on the sacrifices made by veterans and express their gratitude.

We had a fantastic Turkey Trot today, and what better place to hold the event than the Detroit Wildlife Refuge! Surrounded by nature with the Detroit River right beside us, it was the perfect setting for our run. The students enjoyed the fresh air, beautiful scenery, and the excitement of running in such a unique location. This event provided a wonderful way to close out the month of November at Weiss, creating lasting memories for both students and families.

A big thank you to the Detroit Wildlife Refuge for allowing us to host our Turkey Trot at their beautiful site. We also want to extend our gratitude to Mr. Martin for his help with planning, to all the families who volunteered, and to Mr. Grima for stopping by to lend a hand. Your support made this event a success, and we couldn’t have done it without you.

This holiday season, our students spread cheer by writing heartfelt cards for troops overseas, sharing messages of gratitude and good wishes to those serving far from home. They also came together to decorate our school’s Christmas tree with silver and blue ornaments, showcasing holiday spirit. To top it off, everyone enjoyed delicious holiday treats, making the day festive and memorable. It was a wonderful way for our school community to celebrate and give back during this special time of year!

We are still collecting non-perishable food items and daily essential supplies until Friday, December 13, 2024. Any donations may be dropped off from Monday through Friday, 6:30 am to 4:30 pm at the Transportation Building, located at 28291 Fort Street.

We appreciate your caring and ongoing support of our mission to help those in need in our community.