A Message from Dr. Christine Trujillo, Superintendent | |
I hope this newsletter finds you well! As we enter the final stretch of the school year, our district has been abuzz with activity.
First and foremost, I would like to emphasize the importance of state testing. Our students have been working diligently to prepare for these assessments, and I am confident they will rise to the occasion and demonstrate their knowledge and skills. Standardized testing is a common tool used to measure student progress and achievement in schools. According to research, standardized tests provide a snapshot of a student's work and progress at a particular point in time. For example, a study by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) found the test scores of fourth- and eighth-grade students were strongly correlated with their performance in reading and mathematics, respectively, on other standardized tests taken in the same year. However, it is important to note standardized tests do not capture all aspects of student learning, such as creativity, leadership, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Therefore, it is imperative Gilbert staff continue to use multiple measures to evaluate student performance and progress.
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Thank you for supporting the state testing with bedtimes and a good breakfast so students are prepared to do their best! The calendar of dates should have come from your principals and teachers so you know the expectation for each grade level.
In addition to our academic achievements, I am proud to report our students have also excelled in extracurricular activities. Our athletes, musicians, artists, and scholars have all achieved remarkable success this spring, and we couldn't be more proud of their hard work and dedication. Their achievements are a testament to the strength and resilience of our student body, and to the tireless efforts of our staff and coaches.
I also want to take a moment to thank all of you, our parents, for your continued support and involvement in our schools. We will soon have our annual after-prom event, which is always a tremendous success thanks to the tireless efforts of our parent volunteers. Your contributions to our schools are immeasurable, and we are grateful for your partnership.
Finally, I want to express my gratitude to the Gilbert Education Foundation for their fundraising efforts for our students. At the GEF Annual Event fundraiser, we celebrated 30 years of giving and support to the Gilbert Community School District. The funds raised have helped develop our incredible Career and Technical classroom space with a full cooking kitchen and building and trades area so our students can have real-life experiences. The foundation also pays for field trips so all of our students can experience life out in our community! The foundation, which is supported by you, our community, continues to show its generosity and support. It has enabled us to provide additional resources and opportunities to our students, and we are truly grateful for its partnership. If you were unable to attend the Annual Event but are still interested in donating to the foundation, click HERE.
As always, I am humbled and grateful to serve as your superintendent. Our community is truly special, and I am constantly inspired by the dedication and spirit of our staff, students, and families. Thank you for your continued support and partnership.
Sincerely,
Dr. Christine Trujillo
Superintendent of Schools
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Stay Connected with Gilbert | |
The latest news and highlights around the Gilbert Community School District. | |
Game On - Spring 2023
Game On, our preseason sports media guide, is back for a third installment this school year.
Now it's time to feature our spring activities - girls' and boys' track and field, soccer, and golf, as well as our Esports team.
Preview stories, team photos, group photos, schedules, and so much more are inside the 44-page Gilbert CSD publication.
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MacKenzie Bloem Named New Head Volleyball Coach At Gilbert
When MacKenzie Bloem ventured off to the University of Northern Iowa in the fall of 2011, she knew she wanted two things out of her professional life: to become a teacher and to become a head coach.
She accomplished the first goal in 2016. The second goal became a reality on Friday.
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GEF Annual Event Brings Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Back As Raffle Prize
Alicia Van Bergen, a retired educator in the Gilbert Community School District, is chuckling into her phone as she thinks back to that fateful night nearly 20 years ago. There’s exasperation in her voice as she recounts the tale of the night she became the grand-prize winner, even though she would have been happier to see the shiny object go to someone else.
The scene: The Gilbert Education Foundation Annual Event.
The year: 2004.
The coveted prize: A 2004 Harley-Davidson Sportster.
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Lindsey Good Selected to Become Gilbert Curriculum Coordinator For Grades 6-12
The Gilbert Community School District is pleased to announce that, pending board approval, Lindsey Good will fill the role of Curriculum Coordinator for grades 6-12.
A valued member of the Gilbert Middle School staff for 12 years, including the last nine as an instructional coach, Good is excited about the transition into this new role at a school district she considers home.
“This is home. This is where I plan to retire from and this is where my kids will graduate from, so I couldn’t be more excited to continue my journey here,” Good said. “I’m excited to continue working with the middle school staff and work more closely with the high school staff.”
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Why Math Matters
Approximately 250 Gilbert High School students took part in the Math Speaker Panel yesterday afternoon in the auditorium. The gist of the talk — why math matters.
The group of speakers brought in to speak to the students included:
•Matt Thatcher, a Manufacturing Engineering Specialist at 3M.
•Dr. Beth Hartmann, a teaching professor at ISU with a background in engineering.
•Jerry Roche, a Transportation Safety Engineer at Federal Highway Administration, Office of Safety.
•Mike Francom, the Chief Fiscal Officer at ISU.
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Videos, Videos, and more Videos | |
Gilbert Jazz 1 competed at the Iowa Jazz Championships in Ames in early April. The group placed third in Class 3A! | |
Tiger Voices competed at the Iowa Vocal Jazz Championships in Spirit Lake in late March. The group was third in Class 3A! | |
Members of the two-time defending Class 3A state runner-up Gilbert girls' golf team joined the podcast to talk about the spring season and how the goal is a state championship. | |
Facilities Update with Dr. Trujillo | In case you missed it, Dr. Trujillo made a return appearance on the podcast in March to discuss the facilities update in the district. | |
Social Media Posts of the Month | |
This week, we celebrate everyone’s favorite Assistant Principal! #GilbertPride #TigersTogether | |
An incredible honor to attend the 2023 Iowa Teacher of the Year Awards with the IA governor attending. Our own kindergarten teacher, Angie Bonthuis, was an award winner! She was honored with the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science teaching. So inspiring!! | |
The first set of photos from last night's track and field meet at South Hamilton. The fun or reaction photos, always my favorites. The entire gallery of more than 100 photos is available to download at our photo website. #GilbertPride #TigersTogether | |
Gilbert Intermediate 4th Grader Writes Essay About Associate, Wins Prestigious Award | |
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Congratulations to Gilbert Intermediate 4th grader Ellison Kempf, who is quite the writer!
Ellison was recently honored inside the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines at the Red Cross Heroes of Heartland breakfast. Her essay on Gilbert Intermediate Associate Alexis Brooks was one of the two winners chosen out of the entrants from Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota in the Red Cross Heroes of Heartland Essay Contest!
Miss Brooks accompanied Ellison and her family to the breakfast, and she says the experience was one she won’t soon forget.
“It was a really cool experience and I cried when (Ellison) told me she wanted to write her essay about me,” Miss Brooks said. “I felt very honored and just to know the impact I’m having on the kids is really special.”
As one of the winners, Ellison received a medal. A video of her reading her essay was also showed to everyone in attendance.
We’re so proud of Ellison and Miss Brooks for this amazing accomplishment.
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A New Look To Gilbert CSD Homepage | |
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As you may have already noticed, last week we unveiled a new homepage design on our Gilbert Community School District website HERE. A more modern design on a desktop computer or tablet, news from the district, as well as videos and links to things such as our Gilbert CSD YouTube page, our Tiger Broadcast YouTube page, and a link to our Gilbert Connect podcast page are now more visible and available.
At the top of the new homepage are quick-link buttons for some of the more popular pieces of our site — the activities calendar, the district calendar, Digital Backpack, Infinite Campus, the school menu, employment, and the staff directory.
The primary tabs from the former homepage remain for Parents and Students, Community, Schools, District, and Activities.
As you scroll down the page, there is a section with the schedule for upcoming activities, as well as more buttons that will navigate users to: District Goals and Priorities, Gilbert Education Foundation, Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), Gilbert Athletic Boosters, Gilbert Fine Arts Boosters, and the Nondiscrimination Policy.
A look at some district statistical figures, announcements, and a new section with updated posts from our social media feeds are toward the bottom of the new homepage.
We encourage you to take a look at the new homepage if you haven’t already done so. We think you’ll enjoy the new look, as well as the new features.
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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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