The Buzz
School Community News
Issue #24
Friday, November 27, 2020
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The Gilbert School Celebrates its 125th Anniversary |
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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
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Football Stopped for 2020 Due to Covid |
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A GN scrimmage from September 2019 |
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For the first time in many years, Van Why Memorial Field will remain silent as this years varsity football season has been postponed due to the continuing Covid pandemic. Officials from the Berkshire League will meet again in January to discuss what will happen with winter sports this year.
This is not the first time football at Gilbert stopped. In 1910, Gilbert was located at its old building on Park Place. During a football game between Gilbert and Great Barrington, freshman Henry Francis Lee was killed on the football field. In a written history of Gilbert published in the 1940's, Principal, W. D. Hood, was quoted as saying "On that day, football died at Gilbert."
It would take 23 years, 1933, until a new Gilbert football team was organized by Herbert W. Oviatt, Jr.
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The Berkshire Bowl: A Past Thanksgiving Tradition |
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The end of the Berkshire Bowl in 2003 |
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From 1984 to 2013, the Berkshire Bowl was a twenty-nine year Thanksgiving tradition that involved four Berkshire League High Schools; The Gilbert School and Northwestern Regional High School’s combined football teams played against the Housatonic Valley Regional High School and Wamogo Regional High School football teams.
For years, parents, Yellowjackets fans, and Mountaineers fans would pack Van Why Field to watch the game every Thanksgiving. The series ended in 2013.
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Covid School Safety Guidelines |
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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 by taking 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!
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Alumnus of the Week
Peter Hutchison
Class of 2003
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Peter and his wife Christy |
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What have you done since you graduated?: "I completed a semester at Tunxis Community College right away. After that, I enlisted in the Coast Guard in 2004. I've been in the Coast Guard ever since and I am still on active duty. I am a Lieutenant and the Executive Officer of Station Fort Lauderdale in Florida. It's a search and rescue station. I manage personnel and budget, along with other facets of management."
Why did you choose that career path?: "I wanted to get into law enforcement, which is what I had planned to study in college. Then when I was in college, I felt the need to get out of the classroom for some hands-on learning. The Coast Guard is the only branch of the military that has domestic law enforcement training. I had a friend that had enlisted a little bit before me and helped me learn about both the pros and cons of the Coast Guard."
What do you remember from your time at Gilbert?: "I was involved with sports and music for all four years. I would say that a lot of the discipline you gain from both sports and music helped me the most. Academically, I wasn't necessarily a 'rock star' for most of my time. But, those two worlds of sports and music definitely kept me grounded. The music program I credit for a lot of that. It was a great experience and I made a lot of life-long friends during my time at Gilbert."
What lessons from Gilbert have you applied to the real world?: "I would say that Gilbert gave me the discipline to set goals and to stay disciplined. It also taught me to set goals that are attainable and reasonable. Your goals should not be necessarily immediate, but instead, they should be long term goals. That lesson has helped me a lot professionally.
I have moved through the ranks as a member of the Coast Guard and I credit that to the foundations of discipline that I learned at Gilbert."
What advice would you give to current students at Gilbert?: "Set goals and stay focused. Failure is good because we can learn from that. If you don't fail, then maybe you are not pushing yourself hard enough."
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Teacher of the Week
Wendy Sultaire
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Social Studies and History teacher at Gilbert for over 25 years
Educational background: "I earned my Bachelor's Degree in General Studies from the University of Connecticut, Torrington Branch, with a concentration in Anthropology. I earned my Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from Wesleyan University in Middletown, with a concentration in History, English and Education.”
What do you like about teaching at Gilbert?: "The people, the people, the people! I have been teaching at Gilbert for over 25 years and I still love to come to work. I have great colleagues, a super support staff, and amazing students. I also like the small school setting. Everyone knows everyone and we work as a team. I always feel welcome and supported. Being in a small school, the students have amazing opportunities: they can do it all, from sports to the arts.”
Why is Social Studies and History important?: "I teach Civics, Introduction to Law, and Contemporary Issues. It is so important to teach our students about the democracy they live in and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. I try to instill a sense of community and encourage my students to get involved and give back to the community. I love teaching current events and helping my students question, understand and make sense of the world we live in. For every current issue, there is a history and a solution. I try to encourage my students to be part of the solution.”
What do you think the best way is to learn about Social Studies and History: "I am a huge advocate of project-based learning. Students thrive with hands-on, real-world experiences. Over the years the most rewarding lessons have been the ones where the kids take charge and I sit back and learn from them. From mock elections to debates, to visiting the courts and the capital, providing students with real-world experiences are what I remember and cherish the most.”
What do you like about Gilbert: "I like the fact that many teachers and staff are Gilbert graduates themselves. As a matter of fact, several colleagues are actually my former students! I love seeing them in the building, giving back to the community and their alma mater. Also, many of the students I have now are actually the children of former students! It adds to the family-like atmosphere here at Gilbert."
How would you describe Gilbert to a stranger?: "Gilbert is a small, close-knit community with great traditions and wonderful opportunities for the students. My own 3 children graduated from Gilbert and benefited immensely from sports, academics, the arts, and, of course, the caring teachers and staff. Go Gilbert!"
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Student of the Week
Maxwell Cruz
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Age: 17
Parents: Gleny Pinales and Manuel Cruz
Favorite classes: "I like my Television and Broadcasting classes. To me, Broadcasting allows me to be creative. It's also one of the more hands-on classes."
Favorite extracurricular activities: "Soccer because I've played it my whole life. Growing up, it's been my favorite sport."
What have you learned during your time at Gilbert: "I've learned that smaller communities are the most helpful. I am very grateful for being at a small school where you know everybody. It's a small school, but a big family."
What are your future plans?: "To go to college and pursue Audio Engineering and Music Technology."
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Athlete of the Week
Anthony Carfiro
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Age: 17
Grade: 11
Parents: Tony Carfiro and Melissa Carfiro
Sports: Football and Basketball
What do you like about playing sports?: "To me, football is about leadership because I am the quarterback. It's fun to be competitive. When everybody plays as a team, that's how you win games."
What advice would you give people starting out in playing?: "Work hard and get in the weight room. I started late and didn't work out at all early on in high school. I kind of regret not working out earlier in my career."
Anything you would like to say about your coaches and teammates?: "I have the best teammates. Our coaches make us work hard. They put us in the right situations to succeed."
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International Students Enjoying Evening Basketball
By Debra LaRoche Walls
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Bruce Zheng, Andrew Park, David Rutherford, Alan Wan |
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With COVID precautions set in place, international students are limited to on campus and school activities for their safety. Residential Coordinators rotate taking the students to the school gym on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings for basketball workouts. This offers the opportunity of exercise and friendship building for the boys. |
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David Rutherford, Residential Coordinator, ESL Director enjoys a night of basketball with the students Bruce Zheng, grade 11, Andrew Park, grade 9 and Alan Wan, grade 11.
This week, Residential Coordinator, Cristina Rutherford, will be preparing an American traditional Thanksgiving meal for our students from Vietnam, South Korea and China. In past years, Mrs. Kelli Gilbert, School Nurse, would coordinate a "Friendsgiving" gathering that included international students and members of the student ambassador program getting together to make traditional items such as homemade cranberry sauce and pies. Members of The Trust and international team, school Administration, homestay parents, international students, and student ambassadors all shared the meaningful traditional meal together. Lynn Metcalf, Director of Food Services, would prepare turkeys and other traditional food items for the evening's gathering. We hope next year we will be able to go back to this well enjoyed evening of "Friendsgiving".
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A History of Budget Reductions |
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Over the years Gilbert’s budget has seen reductions due to the contract signed with the receiver from the State’s Department of Education acting as the Board of Education, dropping from a recommended projected budget of $8,050,605 in Fiscal 2017 to $7,371,782, down $678,823 in the fiscal year 2019. Gilbert’s recommended $7,818,609 budget was up $446,827 for Fiscal 2020. The drop in Fiscal 2019 was due to the contracted tuition of $6,475,000 with the Board of Education and a drop in international enrollment. The fiscal losses in budget and tuition are greater when one considers the $216,724 that the receivers did not pay in charged tuition starting in Fiscal 2016 and 2017.
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Coach's Corner
By Athletic Director Buckley Morgan
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The fall sports season and sports recognition activities are complete! This will allow everyone to start focusing on their holiday plans. Governor Lamont has dictated that all sports are to cease until the end of this year. Following that guidance, the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) has set the start date for high school winter sports practice to Tuesday, January 19, 2021. What is important to understand is that this is not a firm commitment.
This decision made by the CIAC will be reevaluated as the practice date draws near. Decisions will be made at that time, based on the COVID situation. It has also been decided that wrestling and cheer stunting will not occur during the winter season. It is possible, however, that they might be held in the early spring, along with football.
Very much like the early fall season, we are left with more questions than answers. But, just like the fall season, all of the questions will all be answered when time and conditions permit.
In the meantime, I ask that you remember that the Gilbert sports program is an education-based program that exists in order to support our students. We can't do that if our athletes are not in school due to COVID.
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Google Classroom Cheat Sheet |
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TGS COVID Assessment Guide |
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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
The travel advisory had been updated to include Vermont. If you travel anywhere to places on the list, you must get tested within 3 days of returning to Connecticut. Please provide me with a copy.
The only places that are left that are NOT on the list are: New York, Rhode Island
New Jersey, Hawaii.
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.
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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
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Questions About Holiday Gatherings |
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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.
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Attention Gilbert Alumni! We Want to Stay in Contact With You!
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The Gilbert School
200 WIlliams Avenue
Winsted, CT 06098
860-379-8521
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