The Buzz
School Community Newsletter
Issue #41
Saturday, April 10, 2021
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Have a safe spring break! |
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The Gilbert School will be closed for spring break from Monday, April 12 to Friday, April 16 |
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Kate Rohlfing gave birth to a beautiful baby boy on April 6!
Welcome to The Gilbert School family Ronan Bradley Giasson!
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Vaccination clinic on Thursday, April 15 |
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A mobile Covid vaccination unit will be held on Thursday, April 15 in Winsted at the former Bank of America Building on 44 Elm street from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The vaccination unit has been provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the state, and Torrington Area Health. In the press release announcing the clinic, the town announced that all three health agencies have identified that the percentage of Winsted residents who have received their first dose of a vaccine is well below the state average. The clinic hours will be from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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COVID today can present with one or many of the following symptoms:
- Cough
- Nasal congestion/Runny nose
- Sore throat
- Fever
- Nausea/Diarrhea/Vomiting
- Muscle Aches/pain
- Fatigue
- Chills
- Difficulty breathing
- Shortness of breath
- Headache
If your child exhibits any of these symptoms, please consult your physician if a COVID test is needed and PLEASE KEEP YOUR CHILD HOME. Don’t assume it is “just allergies”, “asthma flaring up”, or “change of season cold”.
When Should I Keep My Child Home?
When they are sick (even mild symptoms)
If someone in the house is sick
If they have been in direct contact with someone who has COVID
Unsure? Keep your child home and call the nurses at 860 379 8521.
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Department of Public Health, State of Connecticut
Travel Guidelines
The governor has discontinued the executive order regarding travel. However, the CDC and State of Connecticut still recommend the following regarding travel. Please consider testing after travel as it will help keep our schools healthy and open.
For individuals and families who are not vaccinated who choose to travel in the coming weeks (for spring break or otherwise) the following actions are recommended:
Continue to utilize all appropriate mitigation strategies while traveling (including mask wearing, distancing, symptom recognition, etc) regardless of whether the policies and procedures in place at your destination mandate them.
Before travel, review the current DPH and CDC recommendations for travel during COVID-19 and be sure to plan sufficient time for any necessary actions.
Follow DPH and CDC best-practice quarantine and testing procedures upon return including:
Quarantining for a full 7 days, even with a negative COVID-19 test result obtained between days 3-5 or
Quarantining for a full 10 days without testing and
Continuing to monitor for symptoms during all quarantine periods.
Individuals or families choosing not to observe quarantine should at a minimum:
Get tested for COVID-19 after they return
Stay out of school until they receive a negative test result back from the laboratory
Be acutely and continuously aware of any symptoms of COVID-19 that they or their family member may develop in the two weeks after travel, and
Be prepared to immediately isolate/quarantine themselves if/when symptoms develop”
Please notify the school if your child will be on remote learning following travel. Thank you in advance for your support!
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Vaccination Information
After April 1, anyone 16 and older can get vaccinated in CT
Schedule Your COVID-19 Vaccine
The state offers residents and workers several options for scheduling their COVID-19 vaccine appointment.
Option 1: Search for a Vaccine Site
Enter your address or zip code to view all the locations nearest you. You can also search for a specific provider to view associated locations.
Click on this link:
Option 2: Schedule by Phone
Prefer to schedule by phone? Select sites offer appointment scheduling via phone. Due to high volume, hold times may vary.
Please note that some vaccine sites allow phone scheduling through a direct clinic phone number. Search by location to view additional sites and scheduling options.
Vaccine Appointment Assist Line
877-918-2224
Available 8:00am to 8:00pm EST, 7 days a week
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Alumna of the Week
Cheyenne Skinner
Class of 2011
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What have you done since you graduated?:
"I went to Western Connecticut State University and got a Bachelor's Degree in Justice and Law Administration. While I was at Western, I worked at an elementary school, and I also worked at a middle school. I eventually got my Master's Degree in Social Work at Springfield College in Massachusetts. After that, I went to obtain my license in Social Work."
Why did you decide to work in social work, law, and justice?:
"I always wanted to give back to the community and make sure that I had a legacy of helping people reach their potential goals. I want to help people gain their independence."
What do you do now?:
What do you remember from your time at Gilbert?:
"I remember all of my teachers. I also remember the camaraderie we all had together as students. I was always into sports, including basketball and cheerleading. Senior year was my favorite because I was part of the Yearbook Club."
Do you have any other family members who attended Gilbert?:
"Robert Skinner (Class of 2013), whose name is on one of the athletic banners in the gym. He graduated a few years before I did. He moved to Australia."
What lessons from Gilbert did you carry over into the real world?:
"Things are always changing so we have to learn to adapt to what is going on in our society as a whole. Also, sometimes when it comes to where we want to go with our lives, in our head it might sound great, but you have to adjust to life. You have to find your way through different challenges. But you eventually overcome those challenges."
What advice would you give current students?
"Be open to more ideas. Mrs. Fiducia helped me to navigate that. I know that when I was planning out my life during my last two years at Gilbert, I found that sometimes things don't happen the way you plan them. But that does not mean that you are not going to be able to make it. Sometimes, you have to take some steps in-between to get to your goal. Always find ways to nurture your curiosity and creativity. But the best advice I could give is to live, learn, and always stay open to new ideas."
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Faculty Member of the Week
Tamara Weeks
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Winchester Special Education Teacher at Gilbert since 2013 |
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What's your educational background?:
"I graduated from Southern Connecticut State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Special Education and a Master's Degree in Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Administration. I have been teaching for about twenty eight years and I started teaching in the private sector. I'm employed by the Winchester School District because I teach in 7th and 8th grade, and I've been working for them for fifteen years. Before that, I worked in the Norwalk and Bridgeport school districts. My family moved to Winsted fifteen years ago."
Why did you choose to be a teacher?:
"I wanted to be a teacher since I was in the third grade. In high school I did some volunteer work at a special education summer camp in my community. That encouraged me to go into the direction of teaching special education students."
What do you think of Gilbert?:
"It's like a family at Gilbert. Everyone is friendly and nice and they have always treated me well. I feel welcome here and it's comforting to be in this school community. Everything always runs nice and smooth. I feel very comfortable to be here."
Why do you think your position is important?:
"My position is important because we have a large population of special needs students who need that extra support. Sometimes students need a different curriculum and that's my department. Sometimes when students are in class they need the extra accommodations and modifications with what they are working on. Sometimes they need a little extra attention, including one on one focus that I can assist with. That's why having a special education department is important."
How would you describe Gilbert to a stranger?:
"When I describe Gilbert to others, I tell people that it is a great school that cares about students. Everyone wants the students to succeed and be the best they can be. I love being here and being part of the Gilbert team."
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Relaxing Evenings at The Residency Hall
By Debra LaRoche Walls, Dean of Admissions
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International Program student Ben Nguyen and Cristina Rutherford
engaging in a fun game of ping pong.
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What does an international freshmen student do in his spare time who has maintained high honors for three quarters? He plays ping pong! If Ben Nguyen from Vietnam is not sitting behind his keyboard working out an Algebra problem for Mrs. Bannon or keeping his 104 average in Mr. Cooke’s Physical Science class, he can be found in the early evening releasing some energy playing with his favorite opponent, Director, Residential Coordinator, Mrs. Cristina Rutherford.
In the fall when the casual games began, ping pong balls where hit all around the room, months later, the volleys can often go on over a minute or longer. The two have certainly honed their volley skills since the fall making it almost impossible to beat either of them.
The laughter and fun of the game is contagious when you play with them. This week, Dean of Admissions, Debra LaRoche Walls, joined the two and was outmatched by their progress with the sport. Joining Ben and Cristina for a few hours of fun was what meant the most of all.
With the spring vacation upon us, I am sure more hours of the enjoyable pass time will be played along with eleventh grader Alan Wan who is often another competitor of the game. The international team wishes each of their students a well-deserved safe, relaxing spring vacation. Let the ping pong games begin!
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Coach's Corner
By Buckley Morgan, Athletic Director
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Food Service Schedule April |
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April 2, 2021
Dear Parents, Guardians, and Students,
I hope this informational letter finds everyone safe, healthy, and excited about the beginning of having our students back to school four days a week.
I would like to begin with the changes that will be made with the food pick up now that students will be starting to come back full time. As students begin to return to school four days a week with Wednesday being a cohort day, they will only be eligible for one free breakfast and one free lunch for the cohort day. This would be cohort group D. Students that choose to change or stay in cohort group C are eligible for five days of free breakfast and free lunch. Families that have been picking up food for students in cohort groups A and B will continue to pick up free breakfast and free lunch until their child/children have returned to school four days per week. Once they have returned they will be eligible for a one day pick up of one free breakfast and one free lunch. If they choose to move to cohort group C they will be eligible for five days of free breakfast and free lunch.
Pick up times:
Monday pick-ups will begin at 9:30-12:30
Tuesday pick-ups will begin at 9:30-12:30
Wednesday pick-up will begin at 9:30-12:30
For the families that would like to pick up for five days please email or call Lynn Metcalf Director of Food Services at the email or phone number in the side bar. Please follow the same instructions if you would like to pick up for one day. Who is eligible for Free breakfast and Free lunches? Anyone 18 years old or younger, at home learning, toddlers, students that are at home learning and attend a different school can pick up food at The Gilbert School.
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Last week's WHOZIT from 1971! |
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Congratulations to George G Mubarek and Michael Griffin who wrote in and correctly identified everyone! |
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Google Classroom Cheat Sheet |
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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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