The Buzz
School Community News
Issue #21
Friday, November 6, 2020
The Gilbert School Celebrates its 125th Anniversary
The Gilbert School was founded "for the improvement of mankind by affording such assistance and means of educating the young as will help them to become good citizens."
–William L. Gilbert, Founder
Gilbert School classroom in the 1900's
The Gilbert School opened with an enrollment of 123 students on September 10, 1895. Its students were from Winsted, Norfolk, Colebrook, New Hartford, Riverton, Pleasant Valley, and Hartland, along with one student from Thomaston.
Students learning in class during the 1930's
This all changed 55 years later in September 1950 when only students from Winchester and Hartland were allowed at Gilbert. Up until 1947 students attended Gilbert without tuition, but they had to pass an entrance exam. Once the school started to charge tuition to Winchester and Hartland, students no longer had to take an entrance exam. From then on, Gilbert admitted any students from Winchester and Hartland.

Over the next few months, The Buzz will include columns about the history of The Gilbert School.
Online Breakfast and Lunch Ordering Now Available
Dear Parents/Guardians/Students,

Beginning November 2, 2020 you will be able to go online and order breakfast or lunch to be picked up or eaten at school. All you need to do is get onto the online ordering website, set up an account and add your child/children, and you are on your way. Here is how it is done! I took the liberty to go to the website and go thru all of the steps to set up an account, so here is what you need to do:

  1. Log into Online Ordering at http://onlineordering.linq.com, this brings you to the sign in page.
  2. Click on Don’t Have an Account? Sign Up Now.
  3. Once your account is set to go, you will sign on. You will be brought to the Welcome Page.
  4. Here you will see a box with a plus sign. Under the plus sign you will see Add a Child. Click on Add a Child.
  5. You will be brought to another popup asking you to Add a Students Information. You will need to click on pick school, scroll down to The Gilbert School and click on it. Once you have chosen the school you need to enter students name, first and last, student’s ID#. Each student was given an ID card at the beginning of the school year with a barcode and their ID# on it. This is all you need for setting up the account. If you only have one student at The Gilbert School you are done with the process, if you have another student to sign up repeat steps 4 and 5. 

Also beginning November 2, 2020, each student at lunch time will be given a bagged breakfast to take home for the next morning. This would be a great way for your student/students to choose what they would like to put in their bag to bring home. Click on Breakfast to get to the Breakfast ordering menu, and choose from the breakfast items on the menu for that day.

Thank you for your time,
Lynn Metcalf
Director of Food Services
The Gilbert School
Covid School Safety Guidelines
All students, teachers, and staff must wear a mask when present in the school building!

The Gilbert School requires all students and staff to wear masks. These may be paper, disposable masks or cloth masks. We do not allow masks with external vents, gaitors, or bandanas. If you need assistance with masks, please do not hesitate to contact the school nurses-we are here to help! For more information on mask guidelines click here.

Attention parents: help us screen for COVID symptoms take your child’s temperature! 

The Gilbert School wants you to help us with screening students for Coronavirus symptoms. Please screen your children before you send them to school! If they display ANY symptoms, please keep them home!

Remote and hybrid learning will be part of this semester. We anticipate there may be some technological glitches. However, we will work on any solutions to any disruption to remote learning. We ask that you please be patient with us as we go through this unusual opening of school!

The Gilbert School fully intends to deliver the best education to our students in this school year!
Alumnus of the Week
Matthew John Bascetta
What have you done since you graduated?: "I moved to England within a year after I graduated. I studied violin making and guitar making at the Leeds College of Music in England. I started my business in 2004 right after I graduated.

I got the bug for making guitars and violins when I worked at a few local shops in Torrington and Winsted. One of the stores had a restoration and repair workshop and it was something I took to right away. Like a lot of other people, I was thinking about going down the road of trying to be a rock star.

Once I started repairing and restoring instruments it just turned out it was something that I wanted to do. I ended up working for Folkcraft Instruments based in Winsted. Folkcraft left Winsted because after the owner retired, he sold the brand and it moved out of town. But before he retired it had been in Winsted since the 1970s. 

Originally, I thought it was a folk instrument retail shop. But I went in there and asked if they had any room to repair guitars. The employees took me to the back of their building and it turns out six people were working and making all kinds of string instruments.

The first company I started was Bascetta String Instruments, which was repairing, restoring, and manufacturing instruments. Recently I started House of Tone guitar pickups. What we do is manufacture the actual electromagnetic pickups that you see in electric guitars and electric bass guitars. The pickups convert the string's vibration into an electrical signal, which travels to an amplifier and produces the sound. We make custom hand-wound pickups and we sell them all over the world."

What do you remember from your time at Gilbert?: "Mr. Atkins in the music department. He taught me a lot about music theory. Up until that point, just like a lot of kids, I was just playing in bands without any sort of formal training. Not that everyone necessarily needs training. I am into natural talent, which is great, but a little bit of theory and discipline opened up a lot of doors for me.

Mr. Atkins knows his stuff and I'll never forget him. He taught me a lot about the discipline of playing music, including how it all works. It's one thing to say that you love one artist or another and that they don't do theory or read music. He said 'Well, that's all well and good. But you really shouldn't go out breaking all the rules until you know all the rules. It's fine to break all the rules but know them first.'

Also, I have a lot of great memories of former English teacher Scott Macomber. I just got along with him well. I always enjoyed his classes and he got me into some great authors and good literature. He was great talking to us and was a great guy."

What lessons from Gilbert have you applied to the real world?: "Like with Mr. Atkins, I learned about discipline. The idea of not going around doing things differently and breaking all the rules until you know all of the rules. Even though he was initially talking about music composition and performance, it goes for a lot of things.

Learn the hard way and figure things out! Then from there you can go your own way and develop things. Sometimes it's good to have that foundation. I took that away from my time in Music Theory class with him."

What advice would you give to current students?: "A big thing I would say is don't take 'no' for an answer. Any time you think that 'well, that won't work for me' or 'that's not going to happen to me' or even 'that only happens to other people,' that's not true. If you want something bad enough, you'll get it. If you work hard enough and focus, just keep going for it. It doesn't matter. It's just that your desire and how bad you want something will come out in how hard you try. Don't think that you can't. It's not about can't. It's about how much effort you want to put into it.

It's been an interesting road for me, leaving the country and setting out on my own to go into business for myself. But what it all comes down to is don't let anything stand in your way. I knew from a fairly young age, I knew what I wanted to do by the time I was 15 or 16. I knew I wanted to check England out because I have always had a love for British music and culture. I always wanted to come to England and study over here. A lot of people have said that it's pretty big what you have done, growing up in a small town in America and leaving for another country to set up shop. But again, it comes back to the advice that I'll give kids. There's no reason to think you can't do it. No one else is any more special than anyone else. It's not a case of 'I'll never do this.' It's a mindset. I've been very fortunate that I have had a lot of support both in school and in the family. A lot of people were supportive in general with a lot of ideas, while I was setting out and making my path. Even without that, at the end of the day, it comes down to yourself and just what you want to do. You have to stick to it.”
Teacher of the Week
Kathryn Rohlfing

8th grade Social Studies teacher since 2014.

Educational background: "I graduated with two degrees in English and History from the University of Connecticut. I got my Master's Degree at The University of Saint Joseph's in West Hartford."

What I like about my job: "I love my colleagues and co-workers because they are wonderful. I love that the school is 7th through 12th grade because it is so fun getting to see the kids grow up. I have kids who come back after they graduate to see me and say hi. I just love that about Gilbert and it is very special to me."

Why do you think your subject is important to students?: "I think Social Studies is very important because it allows students to see what happens in the past. It lets them see things that are happening in the present so they can draw a connection between those two things. History does repeat itself, but students can learn from the mistakes of the past to make better choices for their generation."

What do you like about Gilbert?:"Again, I love my colleagues and co-workers and how small it is. I grew up in Canton and my school was 7th through 12th grade. It was a similar size back in the day. It was just nice to know everybody. It was nice that we had teachers you could go to and recognize all of the students. I think that's what's so special about Gilbert. It's small and everybody knows and cares about everybody else."

How would you describe Gilbert to a stranger?: "I would describe Gilbert as a very special and quaint school up in the hills of Litchfield County. It's a small but incredibly spirited group of people who come from a diverse background and are always there for the right reasons."


Student of the Week
Felicity Flores
Age: 17

Grade: 12

Parents: Ingryd and Gilberto Flores

Favorite classes: "I love History and English. I like History because I like being able to go back and see how everything came about. I like knowing about the history of everything, the beginning, and how people dealt with conflicts over the years. I like English because it gives you a voice."

Favorite extracurricular activities: "I play soccer, track and field, volleyball, and indoor track. I am in the Spanish Club, Peer Leadership club, the Ambassador's Club, Student Council, and I'm also an officer of my class. I like to be involved in making changes in my community. There's always going to be something that changes, and it should be for the good. I feel like I am a person who can bring good changes to my community."

What have you learned during your time at Gilbert?: "I'm still kind of new here because I moved here two years ago. I feel like having a close group of friends is better than having a big group of friends. A smaller community is better than a bigger one. It's more intimate here at Gilbert."

What are your future plans?: "I plan to go to a four-year college. I am going to double major in Political Science and English. I am hoping that it works out well for me."

How would you describe Gilbert to a stranger?: "A very positive environment and the teachers want the best for you. They want to help you achieve your goals, whatever that may be. I have had a fantastic three years and I hope to come back for the reunion and see everybody again."
Athlete of the Week
Ajla Gutic
Age: 16
Grade: 11th
Parents: Adnan Gutic and Sevdija Gutic 
Sports: Soccer, basketball, track and field
Why I like these sports: "I love soccer because I love playing the goalie. I think it's just a lot of fun and I love the girls on the team. I have been playing basketball since I was eight. I just keep playing it because it's a fun sport. I also love the girls on the team. Track and field is something that I'm good at. It's fun."

What have you gotten out of playing?: "I think sportsmanship is the biggest thing, and also how to be part of the team."
What would you like to say about your coaches and your teammates?: "I think for soccer, my coaches are very straightforward. They tell you how it is. I think that it just helps everyone improve. As for my basketball coaches, they have all helped me become a better player. My teammates on all the teams are always there to support me."

What advice would you give people starting on these sports?: "When it comes to soccer, you have to be conditioned because you have to know how to run. There's a lot of running involved unless you are the goalie. All of these sports involve both a lot of running and a lot of determination. You have to be passionate about the sport that you play."
Coach's Corner
By Athletic Director Buckley Morgan
We are now in November and although the fall season is winding down we still have much to talk about. The Fall Season has gone through a lot over the last five weeks. With Oliver Wolcott being out of play for some time and the Wamogo Boys soccer out as well, a few decisions had to be made. To provide the most positive game experience for our student-athletes, it has been decided to add a week to our regular season play, while taking a week away from our tournament experience. This will provide Wamogo and Oliver Wolcott Tech the opportunity to reschedule some of their missed games/meets. So our regular season now ends on Monday, Nov. 16. This will immediately be followed by one week of tournament experience that will end on Sunday, Nov. 22.

The Cross Country Championship has been moved from the 6th to the 16th with a rain date of the 17th of November. This should allow OWT to make up most of their missed meets. The Berkshire League Cross Country Championship will still be at Black Rock State Park. The boys will run at 2:00 and the girls will run at 3:30. Of course, everything is subject to change based on potential COVID response.

Keep an eye out on the Gilbert Schedule over these next two weeks. New games have and will pop up as we try to complete games against Wamogo and Tech.
Sports Results
Monday 10/26
Varsity Volleyball had a win over Housatonic with a score of 3-2

Tuesday 10/27
Boys Cross Country beat Thomaston with a score of 22-33 and they are currently 6-1 for the season with three meets to go.
Girls Soccer lost to Housatonic 0-7
Boys Soccer also lost to Housatonic 1-3

Wednesday 10/28
Girls Volleyball lost to Nonnewaug with a score of 0-3

Thursday 10/29
Girls Volleyball against OWT was postponed

Wednesday 11/04
Boys tied Shepaug in Boys Soccer 2-2
Girls lost to Shepaug 0-3
Girls Soccer Senior Night
Angie Abreu struggling for control of the ball
Samantha Lukowski Attempting to take the ball
Caitlin Tucker handling the ball as she moves downfield
Rebecca Dowling with Mom and Dad
Maddie Arthur handling the ball
International Students Share Weekly Game Night 
By Debra LaRoche Walls
Ben Nguyen
What better way to spend quality fun time together than masked around the common room table at the international residency hall for game night? On Wednesday evenings, several of the international students join Dean of Admissions, Debra LaRoche Walls, for a variety of board game options. For several weeks, students Frank Guan, Alan Wan and Ben Nguyen have been gathering after dinner for several hours of UNO. Often Residential Coordinators; Cristina Rutherford, Samantha and Shane Deschamps are able to add to the family spirit of sharing a few hours of laughter and friendship. Adding ice cream treats at the end of the evening is a great way to relax and spend quality time together after a busy school day. 
Alan Wan
This past Wednesday, students Alan Wan from China and Ben Nguyen from Vietnam were able to join the night. A new game, Yahtzee, was introduced to the students from Vietnam and China who experienced their first time playing the game. It did require some small strategy but the boys learned quickly with Ben winning 2 games and Alan winning one.  

Other international students, Andrew Park from South Korea and Leo Xu from China, spent their free time in the small school gym with Residential Coordinator and Faculty member, David Rutherford, playing basketball. The international students spend time in the workout room and on the basketball court of the small gym on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights. Residential Coordinators alternate weeks with the students in the evenings at the school for fun and exercise. Together with covid, the international program is finding ways to gather in safe and enjoyable ways. 
Google Classroom Cheat Sheet
TGS COVID Assessment Guide
Travel Advisory
Travel/Holiday Plans

Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner. Please remember if you travel:
        
1. Please check the travel advisory list for the current states that are on restrictions. Link is here: https://portal.ct.gov/coronavirus/travel

2. If you choose to travel, please make sure you follow the travel guidelines-test three days before, or three days after arrival back to Connecticut or quarantine for 14 days. Information needs to be completed and faxed to the State of CT. 

3. Be smart, really think through and plan your holiday plans. Most of the recent outbreaks are associated with extended family gatherings or friends-specifically, people thinking that they didn't have to mask around extended family and friends. 

COVID Testing

If you get a COVID test. you should get a PCR test. This is having about a 2 day turnaround time now. The rapid tests have a high false negative response. If you are testing for travel, you need to submit your test to the State of CT and it must be a PCR test.
Free Breakfast and Free Lunch to All Students

Beginning September 14, 2020, The Gilbert School Food and Nutrition Services Program began serving FREE LUNCH and FREE BREAKFAST to all of the students at The Gilbert School. The Gilbert School Food and Nutrition Services Program is able to do this for our students on behalf of the USDA extending the SSO Program (Seamless Summer Operations). Click here for the full story.

Gilbert School Food Services Information

The following links include important information about Gilbert's Food Services Program:



Breakfast and Lunch Available for Virtual Learners

Lunches are available for pick up for students who are taking part in remote learning Monday through Friday at the school. Students can also pick up grab and go breakfasts at the school as well. For more information contact Food Service Director Lynn Metcalf at metcalfl@gilbertschool.org
Questions You Might Have About Holiday Gatherings
Why is it important to be cautious over the holidays? I’ll only be around my family members who I trust.

Connecticut has been a national leader in our COVID-19 response efforts. However, as the country heads into winter, flu season, and into holiday gatherings – the risk of spreading COVID-19 has become higher, and even Connecticut is seeing a spike in cases.

Attention Gilbert Alumni! We Want to Stay in Contact With You!

The Gilbert School
200 WIlliams Avenue
Winsted, CT 06098
860-379-8521