The Gilbert School E-News

June 2022

SENIORS: Important Information Regarding Graduation Practice

Graduation for TGS seniors is Thursday, June 9th at 7:00 PM in Auditorium. Letters have been sent to all 12th grade families with detail.


Mr. Shugrue has scheduled two mandatory graduation practices for seniors. These rehearsals will be held on 6/8 @ 10:00 a.m. & 6/9 @ 10:00 a.m., in the TGS gym. It is at these meetings that caps and gowns and tickets will be distributed. All graduating seniors must attend both graduation practices in order to participate in the ceremony. Click on the button below for important event information and instructions from Mr. Shugrue.

Watch TGS Commencement 2022 Via Live Stream!

As you know, graduation is fast approaching on 6/9 at 7:00 pm. For those family and friends that won’t be able to attend the ceremony in person, we are delighted to inform you that the ceremony will be streamed live online. To watch TGS Class of 2022 Commencement via livestream, viewers should visit YouTube.com/TGSTV, where you will see a button to watch the event live starting at 6:30 pm.

June Calendar, Final Exam Schedule, and Events

Students and parents, please carefully review the attached June Calendar. Final Exams for TGS seniors begin Wednesday, 6/1 through Friday, 6/3. Seniors should follow the normal bell schedule following their first period morning exam in the LLC. Final exams for Grades 9-11 run Monday, 6/6 through 6/9 (senior exams continue through 6/8). Students in Grades 9-11 do not need to attend school on Friday, 6/10 if they do not have any exams to make up. Grade 7-8 students will attend normal classes 6/6-6/10.

TGS Pre-Calculus Students Celebrate Math Day at Nonnewaug HS

By Christopher Affie, Math Department Chair


On May 16, ten schools from the Northwest corner of the State came together to celebrate Math Day at Nonnewaug High School. Students from Calculus and Pre-Calculus classes participated in a variety of fun activities to celebrate the work they had done throughout the year.


After a brief Kahoot warm up activity, Pre-Calculus students participated in a Game Theory activity in the spirit of the classic "Rock, Paper, Scissors" game. But in this game, there was a bit of math strategy that could lead to an advantage. The Calculus students watched "Calculus-The Musical", which is a fun way to incorporate Calculus into an actual musical. The groups reconvened and challenged each other to three rounds of math Trivia. All schools were creative in cheering on their schools and others.


TGS students had a fun time and were able to meet some new friends from other districts. This was the first time the event has been held in the last three years and it was great to see the schools together and having some math fun!

TGS Sophomore Receives VFW Award

By Debra L. Lewis, Associate Principal


On June 1st, 2022 Gilbert sophomore, Carlos Garcia, was presented with a VFW Patriotic Youth Award for his kindness and compassion. During the winter, Carlos encountered Winsted Navy Veteran, James Brown, who fell on the sidewalk and injured himself. Instead of walking away or ignoring James who was clearly in distress, Carlos helped him up and then proceeded to assist him a considerable distance down Main Street to safety. James was so impressed by Carlos’ kindness and bravery, not to mention strength, that he reached out to the local VFW who was able to connect with the W.L. Gilbert Trust and find Carlos. James wanted to recognize Carlos for helping him in his time of need and honor him through his local VFW chapter. Congratulations Carlos!

Physical Science Students Test Their Skills

By Patrick Cooke, Science Department


Over the course of the 4th Quarter in Physical Science, students have been engaged in a series of STEM Challenges, incorporating both their new-found engineering abilities along with their data collecting skill sets to solve a series of problems and challenges.


Students participated in KEVA plank challenges to test their collaborative skills and steady hands. The Egg Bungee jump is a fan favorite as students build bungee cords reflecting their knowledge of energy transformation, gravitational potential energy, and elastic potential energy. Paper roller coasters test their patience as they illustrate the law of conservation of energy. The Kid Wind Challenge allows students to design and test different styles of windmill blades as they generate and measure electricity with Vernier voltage sensors. Future engineers in the making!

Outdoor Pursuits Class Builds Debris Shelters

Josh Penn, Physical Education 7-12, Middle School Athletic Director


Over the past couple of weeks, 11th and 12th-grade students in Outdoor Pursuits have been building Debris Shelters. The students were only allowed to use things found in the woods.


Anthony Rodrigues, Allison Buncalan, Joyce Zhang, and Victoria Toloski were the competition's winners. This was determined by the aesthetics of the shelter, the durability, and the minimal amount of water that was collected after a rainstorm. Their shelter only had 100 ml of water after our last storm!


In second place were Lia Fracasso, Illiana Martinez, Yaleidis Serrano Hernandez, and Hayley Steeves. Their shelter collected 300 ml of water! Great work to all of the students who made shelters this Quarter.

Students Receive Superintendent Awards

Litchfield County Superintendent Awards (LCSA)

The LCSA is awarded annually to students in the 8th and 12th grades who demonstrate academic prowess and excellence in leadership and service to the school and/or community. Pictured with Mr. Shugrue are Devin Fedorowicz (12), Alexandra Cassaday (12), Christina Harrington (8), and Tobin Gangi (8).

Yellowjackets Baseball Team Visits Cooperstown

On May 20-22 the Yellowjackets Baseball team visited Cooperstown, New York - otherwise known as the home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The weekend kicked off with a Friday ballgame on Doubleday Field, named for the 19th century Civil War hero Abner Doubleday. Students also spent time at a very scenic, beautiful Lake N Pines (highly recommended by Coach Cooke), where the team played wiffle ball, ate pizza, and hung out by Lake Otsego. The trip was capped off by a visit to the National Baseball Hall of Fame for some baseball history.


Coach Cooke would like to thank everyone whose support that made this trip possible. Click on the button below to view a photo gallery from the trip!

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Dear Parents/Guardians of 8th Grade Students:


The 8th Grade Move-Up Ceremony will be held on June 10, 2022, at 11:00 am in the school auditorium. Students must arrive at school that day no later than 10:30 am. Students should be dressed nicely.


  • Please dress for an important event: dress shoes if you have them, dresses, skirts, dress pants, and collar shirts.

  • Ties are optional.

  • Do NOT wear hoodies, blue jeans, or anything too short or revealing.


If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Hurley at 860-379-8521 or hurleym@gilbertschool.org.


Sincerely,

Greg P. Shugrue, Head of School

Maura Hurley, Middle School Associate Principal

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It’s a GREAT day to be a Yellowjacket!

By Buckley Morgan, Gilbert Director of Athletics


“Your future is created by what you do today, not tomorrow.” - Unknown


June is here and the school house is all abuzz with all the end of year activities. The Athletic Department is no different. We are busy putting together next school year's Fall and Winter competition schedules and we have opened Family ID so students who want to play Fall sports can sign up now by clicking here.


Spring sports for Gilbert are now complete with the exception of some awards ceremonies. All of our student athletes had a great season and seemed to enjoy being outdoors and playing sports.

The baseball team went to Cooperstown and played a game against Wamogo on the famous Doubleday field. They also took in the sites, the hall of fame and a museum. The Cross Country team had five athletes who qualified for the Class S Championships on 5/31. In addition, Ajla Gutic was selected for All-Star status in the Discus Competition.


Girls Softball struggled through the season but had some amazing games that were great fun to watch here on our home field (look out next year for this team's potential!) The Gilbert Girls tennis team had too few players to be competitive, but they played every match with their best effort and a tremendous amount of grace and good sportsmanship.

On May 14th the Gilbert School Athletics Department held the first Gilbert Blue and Gold Golf Fundraiser in three years. We had 124 golfers attend, just 12 short of taking over the course in full. Everyone had a great time playing golf and enjoying dinner and post tournament raffles. I cannot thank the golfers and the sponsors of this event enough. As a result of their support that day over $15,000 was raised for TGS athletics. The 5K portion of this fundraiser will occur on October 10th during Homecoming. More to come.


The 39th Annual Connecticut High School Scholar Athlete Awards Program was held on May 22, at the Aqua Turf. Two of Gilbert's highest achievers in academics and athletics were honored at this event. Seniors Ajla Gutic and Nathen Fields. Congratulations to you both.

On June 1, TGS held our Spring Athletes Award Ceremony, at which our Scholar-athletes of the Spring season were recognized (see image below). An amazing 78% of the Spring Varsity athletes met the rigorous standards to be awarded Scholar Athlete status. Congratulations to all of them on their success both in the classroom and in athletics!
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Upcoming Events

June 2, 6:00 PM - Berkshire All-Star Banquet. The following Gilbert All-Stars and their parents are invited to attend this event. Emily Arel (Girls Basketball), Sam Goncalves (Wrestling), Hosam Abdullah(Wrestling), and Jonathan Eagan (wrestling). Ajla Gutic (Track & Field) Great job being selected for All-Star status.


June 6, 6:00 PM - Senior Athletes Banquet to be held in the Gilbert Cafeteria and catered by the Railway Cafe. Sponsored by the Lions Club. All Senior student athletes and their guests are invited. There will be awards handed out at this final Senior Athletics recognition ceremony. Athletes' meals are paid for by the Lions Club.

For Gilbert athletic updates, navigate to and follow or like the TGS Athletic Department page on Facebook. We also recommend parents and student-athletes visit the Gilbert Athletics webpage where you will find the Athletics Handbook. 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 Josh Penn, who can be contacted at: Pennj@gilbertschool.org.

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Be sure to congratulate Ajla Gutic when you see her in class or in the hallways. She was selected Berkshire League All-Star Athlete!

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News from the TGS School Counseling Office

By Mrs. Kim Fiducia, School Counselor

GRADES 9-11: SAT & ACT Test Dates

This past March, all junior students participated in the SAT School Day here at The Gilbert School. However, any student (not just juniors!) can register online to take the SAT and/or to take the ACT. Test dates are now available for this summer and the 2022-23 school year. Stand out from the crowd! Like anything else, the more you practice, the better you'll get!

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!

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News From The TGS Health Office

By Kelli-Ann Gilbert, Director of Health Services

Physicals for Students in Grade 9

All students in Grade 9 need to have a physical examination by their physician. “Blue” physical forms should be submitted to the nurse’s office before they start Grade 10. The physical forms can be found in physician’s offices, TGS main office and nurses office, and the website. If you have any questions regarding this state mandated requirement, please contact the nurses. If your child has already had a physical and you would like to have your physician fax a copy, the confidential direct fax number is 860 738 9651.

Postural/Scoliosis Screening

The State of Connecticut requires scoliosis screening for girls in Grade 7 and boys in Grade 9. If the school has record of the screening that was performed during their physical examination by their physician they will be exempt. Screenings are performed by the nurses in a private area.

Sick student? Need a home COVID test kit?

Rapid home COVID antigen test kits are available from the nurse’s office should you need one at home for a sick child. Please contact the nurse’s office to arrange for pick up. In the event that your child tests positive for COVID, please keep your child home and notify the nurse’s office. Students who test positive for COVID may return to school on Day 6 if they are feeling better.

What if I test Positive for COVID?

If your child tests positive for COVID, he/she should isolate for 5 days. Your child can return to school on Day 6 if he/she is feeling better. The student should wear a mask from Day 6-10 and refrain from singing and playing an instrument for Days 6-10. We no longer do contact tracing at school. Please notify the nurses if your child is sick.

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A Request From TGS Food & Nutrition Services

Lynn Metcalf, TGS Food Service Director shares the Cafeteria Connection, the informative flyer below, detailing the many advantages for both families and the school district, of applying for the Free & Reduced Lunch Program. TGS is requesting that all families complete an application now, for the 2022-23 school year. Click on the button below the flyer to apply.
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Important Dates to Remember

Final Exams for Seniors

6/1-3 (1st Block)


Final Exams for Grades 9-12

6/6-9


Final Exam Make-ups

6/10


Early Dismissal

6/6-10 (12:16 pm)


Graduation Rehearsal

6/8-9 (10:00 am)


Graduation
6/9 (7:00 pm)


8th Grade Moving Up Ceremony

6/10 (11:00 am)


Last Day of School for Students

6/9 if students do not need to make up exams, 6/10 for those students who do

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