A Message from Dr. Christine Trujillo, Superintendent |  | |
Dear Gilbert Families and Community,
Welcome to our first community newsletter of the 2022-23 school year! We have so many celebrations to share, and yet I know it will be impossible to name them all! Our students continue to shine in all they do and prove they are a fantastic group of leaders in and out of school. I am so proud of them all!
I enjoyed attending so many of our fall activities and I know the winter events will not disappoint. Inside our classrooms, teachers continue to plan innovative lessons for your students and build on their problem-solving skills. I see Every Student, Every Day taking place throughout the district and it’s so inspiring!
The Iowa Department of Education recently released performance labels for districts across the state and all four of our buildings received the distinction of High Performing! Only 12 percent of schools in Iowa received this label. I am so proud of our entire district for its dedication to teaching and learning for all students.
Last year on my listening tour, I heard from many people that we needed to increase our communication. I hope you are seeing the difference a year can make! Our new Director of Community Engagement Troy Banning has our social media accounts and website humming with wonderful celebrations of our students through photos, videos, and stories. Troy is very innovative, and along with Director of Human Resources Vic Vanderpool, has created a district podcast called Gilbert Connect. Please check it out on the various podcast platforms such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and enjoy each episode as they highlight our district! Also, I recently started a new Twitter account! Please consider following me (@Gilbert_DrT), as I like to give school updates. My follower count continues to increase, but I would love to have more!
As a district, we continue to work with the architectural firm CMBA to develop a master plan for the district. Our enrollment continues to increase and we must plan for our future while continuing to honor the past. We are looking at a number of options for our facilities and will bring that information to all of you as we move through the process. We are also working with the company RSP Associates to create enrollment predictions for the next 10 years. Many school districts, including Ames, have had great success working with RSP Associates to help them through the planning process. RSP hopes to complete its work by January, and our goal is to bring any new recommendations to the community by mid-February.
November is an incredible month to celebrate family and friends. My family will travel to the Chicago area to spend Thanksgiving with my mom, siblings, and their families. I hope you get the chance to spend extended time with your loved ones. My family and I are so grateful to be a part of this amazing community and I hope this Thanksgiving/Holiday season brings you warmth and love. Thank you for sharing your children with us each and every day. Our staff is a dedicated group that goes above and beyond to help our students be their very best. I am grateful for the Gilbert Community School District and the joy that shines through in our work, but most importantly through your children.
With a grateful heart,
Dr. Christine Trujillo
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Stay Connected with Gilbert | |
The latest news and highlights around the Gilbert Community School District. | |
Moving Forward: A Place Where Everyone Belongs
Ben Melody doesn’t know it yet as he sits at a table located just steps out the backdoor of Gilbert High School on a warm Monday afternoon in mid-September, but he’s just four days away from being named Homecoming King. His ascent to school royalty should come as a surprise to no one though. He’s smart. Articulate. A friend to anyone and everyone who needs someone in their corner. Peers gravitate to him in happy times and cling to him in times of pain.
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1st Generation College Student
Judith Ruiz-Ortiz tells her story of moving through Gilbert Schools with enthusiasm and a smile on her face. Even when she talks about the difficult times, there’s a nonchalance in her voice, almost as if her journey wasn’t out of the ordinary.
That’s the thing though; it wasn’t typical. Or easy. It was quite the opposite, actually, but that’s now a point of pride for the Gilbert High School senior who is less than a year away from embarking on a new voyage.
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Gilbert students shine at DECA district competition
Gilbert’s business and marketing club put together a strong showing at DECA districts, which was held at Gilbert High School last Saturday.
How strong? Try seven first-place finishes and 11 total top-three performances.
Well done, students. Very well done, actually.
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Gilbert Esports state bound!
The Gilbert Esports team is headed to state!
Coach Jason Chung announced the good news after he learned the Tigers had been seeded fourth among the 19 Division I teams in the state. That automatically gave Gilbert a spot at state, which is set for Friday, Nov. 18, at MidAmerican Energy Company RecPlex in West Des Moines.
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Gilbert Education Foundation raises nearly $16,000 through Major Saver campaign
The old saying “it takes a village to raise a child” resonates inside the school system. Without the village, the Gilbert Community School District wouldn’t be what it is today.
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A Heart of Gold
Zack Langford has one of those smiles that will instantly melt you. It’s more of a grin really, but it’s permanently plastered to his face. Even when the conversation moves to tough times – the scariest of times, actually – his facial expression never changes. His bright blue eyes never turn dark, his freckled face never furrows, and his immaculately styled hair never tussles.
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Videos, Videos, and more Videos | |
A salute to our leaders during National Principals Month | |
October was National Principals Month, and to celebrate we put together a video to honor our building leaders: Staci Edwards, Amy Griffin, Mike Danilson, Cindy Bassett, and John Ronca. | |
Staff of Stars: Amber Russell-Zepeda | A feature on Gilbert Elementary special education teacher Amber Russell-Zepeda for our Staff of Stars series. | |
Gilbert Intermediate honored our first responders with a parade on National First Responders Day in late October. | |
Staff of Stars: Stephanie Klaffke | A feature on Gilbert Elementary/Intermediate PE teacher Stephanie Klaffke for our Staff of Stars series. | |
A look at the 2022 state cross country meet, which featured both the Gilbert girls' and boys' teams in Class 3A. | |
Staff of Stars: Mike Kruse | A feature on Gilbert Middle School PE teacher Mike Kruse for our Staff of Stars series. | |
Cross Country State Qualifier | A look at the 2022 cross country state qualifier at Humboldt, which featured both the Gilbert girls' and boys' teams. | |
Staff of Stars: Sharon Popp | A feature on Gilbert Elementary reading teacher Sharon Popp for our Staff of Stars series. | |
The Gilbert Community School District's 2022 Homecoming parade. | |
Staff of Stars: Lacie Moore and Rebekah Hamblin | A feature on Gilbert High School Spanish teachers Lacie Moore and Rebekah Hamblin for our Staff of Stars series. | |
The Gilbert and Iowa State marching bands performed together during a fall football game at Gilbert High School. | |
Staff of Stars: Katie Nees | |
A feature on Gilbert Intermediate 3rd grade teacher Katie Nees for our Staff of Stars series. | |
Social Media Posts of the Month | |
Congratulations Gilbert comp cheer team — The Grand Champion at today’s Iowa Cheer Finals in Waukee! Look out nationals, here come the Tigers in January. #GilbertPride #TigersTogether | |
Good luck to our GHS students who will compete for Ames at the state swim meet this weekend! Left to right: Reese Winer, Alex Powers, Jaylyn Light, Alex Harswick, Elizabeth Powers, and Lily Van Der Linden. More details on Facebook and Instagram. #GilbertPride #TigersTogether | |
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A field trip with the Gilbert Elementary 1st graders today where they learned about nature from a group of Iowa State students. Such a fun day, such a perfect afternoon! #GilbertPride
#TigersTogether
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In honor of Thanksgiving this year, we asked Gilbert staff members one simple question: What is one word that comes to mind when you think of Thanksgiving? And here are their answers in this word cloud shaped, appropriately enough, as a turkey. The larger the word, the more people who chose that as their answer. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! | |
Gilbert Student Spotlight | |
Cooper Myers, Gilbert Intermediate
Cooper Myers is a fun-loving, energetic, and hard-working fourth grader at Gilbert Intermediate. As a member of the Leader In Me initiative, he works on showing his leadership skills in so many ways in and out of the classroom.
Recently, he had the opportunity to meet with the Leadership Ames Class of 35 and give the 19 visiting members a tour of “this wonderful school.” The school feels like a community, he says, and gives him a sense of belonging. He wanted to share that with other community members and continue to bring smiles to their faces.
Cooper works hard to make sure all of his classmates feel included and valued, and says, “My purpose here is to make people happy.” Cooper loves how kind and helpful his teachers are and feels like he has been able to connect with them.
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Mr. Jason Chung, Gilbert High School
Jason Chung is a high school math teacher and also serves as the fall and winter Esports coach.
Chung’s favorite part of Gilbert is collaborating with other professionals, which allows new perspectives on various topics, and the exceptionally supportive community. He became a teacher because he loves helping others and loves making connections.
“Admittedly, I was also brought up in a family of educators,” Chung said. “Many of my family members have been drawn to the field of education from my grandparents, aunts, uncles, parents, and siblings. So, I'm sure that helped a little.”
This year Chung has the opportunity to be more involved with his students’ activities and has enjoyed seeing them succeed outside the classroom. Something he is most proud of is participating in his first half marathon this fall. This was also his first season coaching, and is extremely proud of his team for making it to state.
“The impact that I want to make as an educator is to equip my students with the tools to succeed,” he said. “I hope to prepare my students to do or create whatever inspires them with whatever tools they choose to use.”
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Welcome to Gilbert Connect | |
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Students. Staff. Academics. Activities. Community. Tradition.
They’re all intertwined. And they’re all vital pieces of our story at Gilbert Schools.
With that in mind, this fall we launched Gilbert Connect, a podcast focused solely on the Gilbert Community School District. Director of Community Engagement Troy Banning and Director of HR Vic Vanderpool serve as the hosts, and their primary focus is to inform the listeners on all of the great things happening inside of our buildings.
“Our goal was to find a creative way to connect with our community and help share all of the wonderful things that are taking place at Gilbert,” Vanderpool said. “We’ve really enjoyed creating the podcast, interviewing our guests, and learning more about their roles in the district.”
The podcast, which will typically run between 30 and 40 minutes, will have new episodes every two weeks and will rely on interviews with staff members and students to tell our stories.
Superintendent Dr. Christine Trujillo was the guest on the inaugural episode, and Activities Director Ian Smith joined the podcast for episode No. 2.
Gilbert Connect — past and current episodes — is available on numerous podcast sites, including: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and IHeart Radio. Simply go to any of those sites, search Gilbert Connect, and enjoy!
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My Student Assistance Program is Here to Help | |
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The My Student Assistance Program (SAP) is here to help. It’s confidential, it’s free, and students have 24/7 access to its services.
What is an SAP?
An SAP is here for you when you and your immediate family members are dealing with life’s challenges. You can count on your SAP for guidance and support when it comes to assessing your concerns and developing strategies for addressing any of the following:
•School-life balance
•Family or relationship issues
•Alcohol or drug-related issues
•Other issues that interfere with your daily living, happiness, and overall well-being.
What does an SAP provide?
Telephone Consultations: Phone lines are open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year. Phones are answered by masters-level clinicians, and students can call as often as they would like.
Virtual Counseling: Students can receive up to 6 free virtual counseling sessions. After 6, referral options may be provided.
How do students use the SAP?
Students can call 1-800-327-4692. It’s easy, it’s free, and it’s confidential.
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For District Schedule: Click HERE
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Photos Around Gilbert Schools | |
All photos available to download HERE
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