GSD E-Blast December 2023

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I am excited to extend my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you for your overwhelming support in passing the District's No-Tax-Rate Increase Bond Proposal. Your commitment to the betterment of our schools is truly commendable, and we are excited about the positive impact this will have on the educational experiences of our students. The approval of this bond ensures critical building improvements that will create a safer and more conducive learning environment. Additionally, it opens doors to innovative educational opportunities that will further accelerate the academic growth of our students. We want you to know that the district is dedicated to informing everyone of the progress made as we make these improvements. Your trust in our shared vision for the future of education in our community is deeply appreciated.

I would also like to wish everyone a very happy and restful Holiday season! Many entertaining programs are going on at each of our schools over the next few weeks; please make sure to mark your calendars for these events. Please join us for the Gibraltar Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting Ceremony this Saturday. The parade starts at 5:00 pm at the Gibraltar City Hall and ends at the Gibraltar Community Center. Winter break starts after school on December 22nd, and school will resume on January 8, 2024!

Have a Safe and Happy New Year!

Amy Conway

Superintendent

Research shows that being happy and positive primes the brain to be more successful and productive. Promoting positivity will enhance our student’s academic ability and develop them into happy and positive thinkers and leaders. Each month we will highlight a building or staff member that is spreading “The Orange” (Happiness) through Gibraltar!

Chapman Elementary School has started a new tradition! With inspiration from Hunter, Parsons, and Weiss, this school year, we have incorporated monthly, school-wide Town Hall Meetings as an opportunity to get our entire school community together to celebrate students. During these assemblies, we award our Super Charger Students of the Month, celebrate good behavior, and set building-wide goals together for the upcoming month. November's goal: If students display respectful, responsible, and safe behaviors, they get to duct tape their Principal to the wall! Stay tuned!

Earlier this month our Drama Club performed "Noses Off" under the direction of Mr. Brockington and Mr. Vandergriff. This talented group of students brought the hilariously chaotic world of backstage antics to life with impeccable timing and uproarious wit. From misplaced props to forgotten lines, the cast seamlessly integrated the mayhem of their characters' lives into the already tumultuous world of the play. The audience was treated to an unforgettable evening of laughter, mystery, and theatrical brilliance as the Drama Club proved that, even when everything seems to be falling apart, the show must go on – and they made sure it did with style and flair.

Chapman’s fourth graders toured the Parade Company Detroit, who puts on our annual Thanksgiving Day Parade. The students were able to see the big head characters, learn about the Distinguished Clowns Corps, and parade traditions. They saw the original Mother Goose float as well as the newest sponsored float by Pet Supplies Plus. We were able to see how they created each stage, from carving, to painting, and assembling each float. Students left with their own clown nose and returned to school to begin their own balloon float STEM projects. Students collaborated to plan, design and create balloon floats for the classroom. The Thanksgiving Day Parade now has new meaning for our fourth grade families.

Hunter Elementary Teachers recognize the significance of hands-on learning experiences in fostering a deep comprehension of mathematical concepts. The teachers in all grade levels introduce various manipulative tools, such as geometric shapes, counting blocks, and interactive math games, into the curriculum. The focus of their math instruction is not rote memorization but a more engaging and experiential learning environment, allowing students to visualize and internalize mathematical principles in a tangible way.

Hunter teachers incorporate manipulatives into their lesson plans and tailor activities to suit the developmental stages of each grade level. From young fives to fifth grade, students actively engage with these manipulatives, building a solid foundation in mathematical reasoning and problem-solving skills.

Parsons was so honored to hold our Veteran's Day Assembly to honor those who have served in our Armed Forces, including those who have sacrificed for our country. We had 18 veterans who were able to attend and six veterans spoke to our students. Our scouts led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Our 2nd and 3rd graders sang "On Veteran's Day" and "Veterans March." Sammy DeAngelo from Carlson High School played taps. Veterans were gifted with drawings of poppies from K-1 students, decorated bags from 4th graders, and letters from 5th graders. At the end of the assembly, students were able to see some military vehicles and try on a military helmet and backpack. Thank you veterans for all you have done for us and continue to do.

At Downriver STEM at Weiss, the Fall Innovation Night was a resounding success, showcasing the remarkable STEM learning achievements of students throughout the fall semester.

Kindergarten students presented their creativity through Thanksgiving parade floats crafted from balloons and various materials. The first-grade exhibit featured gingerbread houses ingeniously constructed to accommodate a gingerbread man of specific dimensions, challenging the structures against simulated wind from a hairdryer. Our CI classroom created their own balloons ( aluminum foil and lamination), students chose the shape, they colored/designed the look on the balloon and they also "wrote" a sentence describing their balloons. Next in line were the second-grade students who showcased their ingenuity with turkey traps designed to catch Thanksgiving dinner, demonstrating both their engineering skills and holiday spirit. Second grade also showed their learning with their Engineering is Elementary kit on Erosion.

The third-grade display centered around prosthetics inspired by the book "The Wild Robot," demonstrating a unique integration of literature and hands-on STEM projects. Fourth-grade students then presented their eco-friendly houses, blending research and knowledge from DTE, along with green screen videos and posters explaining the intricacies of the three branches of government.

Moving forward, fifth-grade students proudly exhibited their student government initiatives and alarm circuits. The STEM class showcased diverse designs created from various mediums, aligning with their curriculum, and the 4th/5th-grade Robotics program impressed with challenges rooted in coding principles. The intervention program followed, offering kits for families in reading and numeracy, aligning with Title 1 goals. The Arts program showcased comprehensive view of the students' artistic progression throughout the year. Lastly, we revealed our cool new makerspace area. It's a place where students can be super creative with many different materials, a fun green screen, a Lego board, a peg board, a fancy 3D printer, and more. We're excited because this space will help students bring their ideas to life and have fun learning together.

The collective brilliance and creativity of students across all grades was on display at Downriver STEM at Weiss. As the event drew to a close, the collaborative spirit of STEM education and the diverse talents showcased our school's commitment to fostering innovative learning experiences for its students.

Apart from its strong academic focus, the Shumate National Junior Honor Society takes great pride in its commitment to community service. Earlier this year, NJHS dedicated itself to supporting the SMS Giving Tree, Gibraltar Police Toys For Tots, and the annual coat drive, all of which provide essential resources for families in need during the holiday season. Recognizing the increased demand, NJHS decided to revitalize a fundraising tradition that had been dormant at Shumate for five years—The Haunted Hallways.

Students worked tirelessly to plan and execute this spooky event, held the day before Halloween, where they transformed the school into a haunted house and assumed the roles of actors. The goal was to boost fundraising efforts to meet the community obligations. In the end, their hard work paid off, and NJHS successfully raised over $2,600. These funds will contribute significantly to local causes, ensuring a brighter holiday season for many families in our community.

The holidays are always a time to spend time with loved ones. However, when your loved one is overseas, the holiday celebrations may not be as merry. Our leadership club wanted to let troops overseas know how much we appreciate their service and to spread our holiday cheer to them. Staff and students took the time to write thankful messages, fun holiday jokes, and draw holiday scenes in a variety of holiday cards. We hope all the troops who receive our cards appreciate them and it brightens their holiday season!

We are excited to welcome aboard our three new Bus Aides, Karly Yessian, Cheryl Putz and Michelle Phillips. We have also hired a Sub Bus Driver, Jessica Emch that is still in training.

We are holding our 11th annual “Fill the Bus'' food drive at the Transportation Building, located at 28291 Fort Street. We will start collecting donations on November 8, 2023 through December 20, 2023. Any donations may be dropped from Monday through Friday, 6:30 am to 4:30 pm. We will be collecting non-perishable food items and daily essential supplies. All donations go to the Gibraltar Food Pantry. This is an opportunity for our community to come together and help those in need.

We also want to take this time to wish you all Happy Holidays and thank everyone for their support of our mission to feed the hungry in our community.