The Gilbert School E-News
March 2023
The Principal’s Corner
By Debra Lewis, Principal
We are entering March Madness here at Gilbert, which ends one sports season while another begins. We also are gearing up for our Spring Musical production of Cinderella and starting to finalize award ceremonies, graduation plans, and the like.
Amidst all of this, we are, of course, entering “testing season” which comes with its challenges. Students and teachers have been looking ahead by choosing courses for next year so we can put together our master schedule that dictates our world here in middle and high school. Above all, we continue to focus on the mental, physical, and academic well-being of all of our students.
We are also starting a professional development program for our staff under the direction of Emily Griswold, a Gilbert alumna, whose mission is to promote teacher wellness and avoid burnout in the post-COVID world. We hope this continues to stress the importance of the key role our adults play in creating the best possible learning environment here at Gilbert for our kids.
Gilbert Teacher Tina Keegan To Present At New England Conference
Gilbert Middle School English teacher and seventh grade team leader Tina Keegan will be presenting a professional development workshop for teachers at the New England League of Middle Schools conference. Her workshop is entitled “Brain Breaks Using Multiple Intelligences” and will be presented on March 28, 2023 at 10:00 am.
Prestigious Law Professor Speaks To Gilbert Students
Gilbert upperclassmen were fortunate enough to hear a lecture from esteemed Professor of Law Ugo Mattei of UC College of the Law, San Francisco, who visited in conjunction with a visit to the Museum of Tort Law on Fri., Feb. 17. Mattei was scheduled to speak at Yale later that weekend. He spoke to the students on various Constitutional Law topics, mainly focusing on capitalism in the world and how it can affect natural resources. Advanced Placement History and English students as well as Introduction to Law students were sure to make many connections once back in class. A huge thank you to Ugo Mattei and his wife for visiting The Gilbert School as a part of his itinerary in CT. We were honored to have him!
Schibi Siblings Make States
Gilbert student Emma Schibi, a senior, and her brother, Evan Schbi, a freshman, have both been honored with state-level nods in their respective sports. Emma, a varsity cheerleader for four years, has made the All-State Cheer squad for CT. She is slated to graduate this June and will continue to cheerlead at at Eastern Carolina University in the Fall. Her brother, Evan, placed third last month in the CT State Wrestling Championships. In the semi-finals, Evan faced the No. 1 seed who happened to be a twice undefeated state champ senior and lost 2-0.
JUNIORS: School Day SAT Is 3/22
The School Day SAT will be on Wednesday March 22. It is required that all Juniors take the SAT. It is free and scores can be used to send to colleges. The SAT will be electronic again this year and all students should bring their charged chrome book to the exam. Students must arrive by 7:40 am and report to the lobby of the gym. More info to come!
Juniors may leave school at the end of testing with parent permission. Please email Mrs. Kirsch at kirschd@gilbertschool.org indicating your permission for your student to leave school at the end of testing at approximately 11:45am.
Parent-Teacher Conferences 3/29 & 3/30
Parents/Guardians, your student’s education is a partnership between home and school. We therefore invite you to attend our Parent/Teacher Conferences scheduled for the following dates:
- March 29 - Evening Conferences - 5:30 - 8:30 PM
- March 30 - Day Conferences - 12:20 - 2:45 PM
If you would like to schedule a Parent Teacher Conference please contact Mrs. Deschamps in the main office at 860-379-8521 or email DeschampsSam@gilbertschool.org to schedule an appointment. The deadline for calling and scheduling a Parent Teacher Conference is Friday, March 24, 2023.
Gilbert Senior Makes CT All State Band
Gilbert senior, Eric Pelletier auditioned and was accepted into the Connecticut All State Band! Eric was accepted to the Northern Region Band back in January, and therefore was able to audition for All State in February. He was accepted on Bass Clarinet and will be a part of the All State Festival March 30 - April 1 at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford. Congratulations to Eric on this wonderful accomplishment!
8th Grade Band Day Field Trip to Torrington Middle School
8th Grade students from Newington, Granby, Torrington, NWR7 and Gilbert came together for the ASBDA (American School Band Directors Association) 8th Grade Band Day. Students had a joint rehearsal with guest conductors Brian Cyr from Maloney HS and Wayne Splettstoeszer from Torrington HS.
Celebrate "Music In Our Schools Month" at TGS:
TGS Holds 10th Annual Spelling Bee
The Gilbert Middle School Spelling Bee, our 10th annual, was held on Wednesday, February 8th, 2023 in the Gilbert School auditorium. There were 8 English classes who each held a classroom bee which resulted in 1 winner and 1 runner up to participate in the school bee from each of those classes. Altogether, there were approximately 130 students involved with the classroom level bees. This year's winner was Lemon Dickens, who will now move on to the state level Spelling Bee in March. Congratulations Lemon!
Our 7th grade English teacher/team leader Tina Keegan organized the event. English teachers Stephanie Daige, Brad Toomey, and Chris Mormile served as judges.
Highlight Your Small Business at TGS
The Gilbert School Needs Your Expertise!
Read Across Gilbert is 3/6 - 3/10
The National Junior Honor Society has planned Read Across Gilbert 2023 to promote literacy. This group of middle school leaders is planning school events promoting literacy and asking families to donate books to Read to Grow, a Connecticut organization that provides books to Connecticut families. If you have gently-used children's books that you can donate, please send them in with your child during the week of March 6-10.
“The key is not the ‘will to win’… everybody has that. It is the will to prepare to win that is important”
-Bob Knight
It’s a GREAT Day to be a Yellowjacket!
By Buckley Morgan, Gilbert Director of Athletics
March is here and winter sports are wrapping up. Girls Basketball will host the first round of States here at The Hive on Tuesday (if weather allows), and the boys are hosting the Berkshire League Quarter finals here on the day of this writing (Monday, 2/27). Wrestling is still competing, as Evan Schibi is headed to the New England competition.
All of our winter sports teams struggled with numbers this year, but they are improving each year. In spite of low numbers they have done well this winter season. The Boys Basketball team made it into the BL playoffs, yet to be played. They missed competing in States by just one power point. I would still say they have had a tremendous season - and I expect they will continue to do even better next year.
The Girls Basketball team had a good season and made it to the Berkshire League Semifinals for the second year in a row before being defeated by Thomaston in that game - a game where Emily Arel scored her 1000th point. An amazing accomplishment for any athlete, but truly amazing in that Emily is a Sophomore. The girls are now preparing for the first round of States against East Catholic on Tuesday, February 28th here at The Hive.
Indoor Track had a good season with improvements to all the runners times. They attended several meets and competed in the Open as well. Gilbert Cheer has had a great year and attended several competitions throughout the season. They still have one more competition at the time of this writing.
We have a new Baseball coach this season. Coach Cooke has left to take advantage of the few years he can coach his own son in youth leagues. He is very much missed, but Coach Jorge Pimentel has stepped up in an effort to fill the very large shoes of Coach Cooke. Coach Pimentel is a Gilbert Alum and a past Gilbert baseball player. He has had numerous years experience in coaching youth baseball. Coach Pimentel has jumped in with both feet and has already set up the Yardgoats game for this season and has big plans for the Gilbert baseball team. We look forward to a great program under his leadership.
Spring sports will be starting on March 20th with some aspects starting before that. Spring sports registration is open now at the Family ID website. Registration will close on April 1st. One more important date is March 14th. We will be holding our winter sports awards celebration from 6:00 to 7:00 PM in the Gilbert Cafeteria. We look forward to seeing all of our winter sports parents and student-athletes there.
Spring sports include: High School Boys and Girls Tennis, Baseball, Softball, and Outdoor Track & Field. Middle school has Baseball and Softball. If you have any questions about a specific sport or would like to touch base with the coach, feel free to email them at the email listed below.
- Baseball: Coach Jorge Pimentel pimentelj@gilbertschool.org
- Softball: Coach Gerry Brochu brochug@gilbertschool.org
- Track and Field: Coach Tom Scarangelo scarangelot@gilbertschool.org
- Tennis: B&G Coach Buckley Morgan morganb@gilbertschool.org
For Gilbert specific updates, navigate to and follow the TGS Athletic Department Facebook page, our Twitter page, Instagram, or 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. The Middle school Athletic Director is Joshua Penn at: pennj@gilbertschool.org
SENIORS: Scholarships
Counselors frequently email seniors and post scholarship application information to Naviance. In Naviance, go to “Scholarships & Money” to see the scholarships that are coming in to Gilbert. Paper copies may also be available in the Guidance office. See Mrs. Kirsch or your school counselor for assistance.
- Winsted Lions Club Scholarship - The Winsted Lion's Club Scholarship application is now available in Guidance and on Naviance. They are awarding a first-place scholarship of $1,000 and a second place for $500. Applications are due on or before April 30th.
- Rotary Club of Torrington & Winsted Scholarship - The Rotary Club of Torrington & Winsted has just released its scholarship application. Check out the application on Naviance, in the School Counseling, and attached in your email. Applications are due April 15th!
- Gilbert Trust Scholarships - We are pleased to announce that the 2023 Gilbert Trust Scholarships are out now! You can find the application in the Main Office and Guidance. There is also a copy on-line and Miss Lewis emailed a pdf copy to all seniors as well. There is over $150,000 to be awarded! PLEASE APPLY!!! We strive to give every applicant some scholarship assistance. The deadline is 3/17, and must be submitted to Mrs. O'Connor in the Main Office. If you have any questions please see a counselor or Miss Lewis.
- Locascio Scholarship - Seniors can also apply for the Locascio Scholarship, which awards one senior $40,000 to be dispersed over four years. The deadline is 3/3.
SENIORS: Complete Your FAFSA
SENIORS: Remember To Update Naviance
Seniors are continuing to receive college admissions decisions. It is important for students to log into Naviance to indicate “accepted”, “denied” or “deferred”. Don’t forget to notify your school counselor regarding these decisions and add a pennant to the college acceptance wall for all college acceptances. We look forward to celebrating your successes with you!
SENIORS: Deciphering Your Financial Aid Offers
In the United States, there is no standardization in financial aid offers. Colleges and universities don't have to list their total cost of attendance per year on your offer - which can make it challenging to determine the exact out-of-pocket expense for each of your schools.
Try a free Financial Aid Offer Comparison Tool to help you unravel the mystery of your offer, and show you the bottom-line cost for each school where you've been accepted:
GRADES 9-11: SAT & ACT Test Dates
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.
FRESHMEN, SOPHOMORES, & JUNIORS: Get FREE Customized Online SAT Prep
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!
GRADES 9-12: Upcoming College Fairs
Hundreds of colleges and universities from the US and worldwide will be ready and waiting to talk with you at an upcoming in-person college fair. Don't miss these free, one-day events for high school students and families. See the list of fairs below.
- March 30 & 31 - Hartford NACAC National College Fair, Connecticut Convention Center, Hartford
- April 25 - Southern Connecticut College & Career Fair, Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater, Bridgeport, 4:30 - 7:30 pm
- May 9 - June 5 - NEACAC College Fairs, various colleges/universities in New England
Attention Students, Families, Faculty and Staff!
Ensure that you get a 2023 yearbook by purchasing yours soon. We will be submitting our final order in early March and after that, a limited number of yearbooks will be available for purchase on a first come first serve basis. You can purchase a yearbook directly from Mrs. Daniele or click here to order a high school yearbook online.
News From The TGS Health Office
By Kelli Gilbert RN BSN, Director of Health Services
Scoliosis Screening
We will be screening for scoliosis in the spring. Nurses look at each individual student’s back in a private area. If scoliosis screening has been documented by the student’s physician in the past year, it is not repeated by the nurse. Students eligible for screening are girls in grade 7 and boys in grade 9.
COVID Testing
TGS no longer has COVID tests available for families. However, you can get free COVID tests for home use by requesting them at https://www.covid.gov/tests. Some insurance companies, such as HUSKY, will provide insurance coverage for at home test kits.
Additionally, free COVID test sites are available at the following locations:
- Walgreens - 1745 East Main Street, Torrington
- CVS - 661 North Main Street, Torrington
- Walgreens - 28 E Elm Street, Torrington
- Walgreens - 220 Albany Turnpike, Canton
Dental Care Available Through Community Health Center, Inc.
Important Dates to Remember
Early Dismissal (12:16 PM)
3/29, 3/30, 3/31
No School
3/3 - Professional Development (no school for students)
Activity Day
3/16