GSD E-Blast January 2024

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Happy New Year, and welcome to 2024! In the first part of the school year, our district achieved amazing success. We successfully passed a crucial bond that promises lasting benefits for our students, dedicated staff, and the wider community. Our sports teams secured top-place finishes and our phenomenal band has continued not only to captivate audiences but also to finish out their season as the #1 Band in the land! Additionally, our Weiss Robotics Club participated in their first-ever Robotics competition, and SMS Robotics sent several teams to the state competition! This achievement highlights the dedication and talent within our school community and the commitment to growing our STEM and Robotics initiatives!

Gibraltar continues to shine in educational excellence in the Downriver area, and our collective pride in the accomplishments of our staff, students, and parents is truly endless. Together, we have created an environment that fosters a love for learning and makes our district an exceptional place to thrive and work.

Your Partner in Education!

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!

Weiss Wildcat 5th graders had an amazing time at Hampton Manor of Trenton in December! As part of their fifth-grade student government Project Based Learning unit(PBL), they are connecting with our community beyond Weiss students to spread holiday cheer and build future partnerships.

Our students had a blast making cookies, singing to residents, and engaging in wonderful conversations. The staff at Hampton Manor commended our students for being well-behaved and fantastic throughout the visit. It was truly a wonderful experience!

Looking ahead, we hope to continue this partnership in the spring by going back to help with planting. Stay tuned for more exciting community initiatives from our fifth-grade student government!

Congratulations to Hunter Elementary Principal, Mrs. Jenna Mullins, for winning the MEMSPA (Michigan Elementary and Middle School Principals Association) Region 1 Principal Honoree Award! This exceptional award is only given to the top principals in the state! At a special assembly honoring her, the students and staff shared a video telling Mrs. Mullins all the things they love about her, hung posters of appreciation, and made classroom books, with each student sharing one thing they appreciate about Mrs. Mullins. The culture that Mrs. Mullins has built at Hunter supports every student and staff member. As soon as you enter Hunter, you can feel the enthusiasm and love for learning, which shines through in every classroom in the building. We are so fortunate to have Mrs. Mullins in our GSD family! Congratulations, Mrs. Mullins

This holiday season, Carlson HS staff and students took part in bringing some holiday cheer to the building by competing in a door decorating contest. As you can see in the following pictures, our students and staff went all out! The staff and students did such a fine job that Santa himself came to CHS for a visit!

In December, 5th grade students at Chapman Elementary explored career and technical education with DCTC. High school students from nine consortium high schools in the Downriver area represent their respective CTE program by involving the 5th grade students in a hands on activity. Our students had a blast learning about auto tech, practicing using a drill, developing a classroom layout, and so much more. A short survey followed their exploration asking if the activities were interesting, if they learned something new, and if they will share what they learned with others. This is great career exploration exposure for our 5th grade students!

For the second year the Hunter Community has hosted a holiday Adopt-a-Family Project. This projects adopts children in the local community to help with holiday wants and needs. This year over 17 children received gifts. This was made possible by countless donations from Hunter families and staff. Additionally, this year a group of 4th grade students led a spirit day fundraiser for a $100.00 donation that raised over $600.00. This takes a huge effort to pull off yet it was a huge success. It is nice to know that 17 local students and their families benefitted from these endeavors.

Parsons librarian, Katie Buza, did a fabulous job making the Polar Express come alive for our students. The week before Christmas, the library was transformed into a train station. When students entered the library, they were greeted by Conductor Buza who took their golden tickets. The Polar Express music was playing as students took a seat on the Polar Express. Once seated, Conductor Buza read the story of the Polar Express while students listened intently in their pajamas. Thank you Mrs. Buza for creating an enchanting reading experience for our students!

In early December, Weiss had an incredible experience at our first EVER official robotics competition! Our Robotics club students showcased their teamwork, collaboration, and coding skills as they competed alongside 31 other teams. The event provided a fantastic learning opportunity, encompassing aspects of competition, coding, design, engineering, and more.

These students have shown remarkable growth since the inception of our robotics club earlier this year, making substantial strides in their understanding of robotics engineering. We are thrilled to share that one of our teams even secured the Best Robot Design Award, a testament to their dedication and hard work.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to Mr. Budziak for going above and beyond, investing extra hours to make this club possible.

This year's Marauder Robotics FTC program at Shumate Middle School soared to new heights, showcasing the remarkable talents and dedication of its four competing middle school teams (12294 Terror Hawks, 12303 Shumate Sith, 12379 Rockwood Rancor, and 12459 Gibraltar Jedi) in the Center Stage competition. Our teams exemplified excellence throughout the Metro Detroit Robotics League events, culminating in their participation in the Metro Detroit League Tournament held on Saturday, December 2, 2023. The standout success of team 12294 Terror Hawks was a highlight, as they clinched first place in the tournament and earned the league’s Design Award, securing them a well-deserved spot in the FTC Michigan State Championship.

Adding to the triumph, team 12379 Rockwood Rancor won the prestigious Inspire Award, a testament to their innovation and teamwork. This recognition granted them the opportunity to join the Terror Hawks in the state tournament. Team 12459 Gibraltar Jedi demonstrated their prowess by finishing in second place at the league tournament, while team 12303 Shumate Sith consistently showcased their skills in both league matches and tournament play. The culmination of the season saw the Terror Hawks and Rockwood Rancor facing fierce competition at the FTC Michigan State Tournament - SE on December 9 and 10. Despite the challenges, both teams represented Shumate Middle School admirably, capping off a truly exceptional year of FTC robotics success.

In the heartwarming spirit of the holiday season, students embarked on a compassionate initiative to spread joy and warmth to nursing home patients at Medilodge of Taylor by creating over 50 festive holiday placemats. Infused with creativity and care, these placemats served as vibrant expressions of the students' dedication to brightening the lives of those residing in nursing homes during the holiday season. As the students carefully designed and personalized each placemat, they not only showcased their artistic talents but also conveyed a sense of thoughtfulness and consideration for the elderly residents. These handcrafted pieces not only added a festive touch to the dining tables but also fostered a sense of connection and community as the students extended their heartfelt wishes for a joyful and peaceful holiday season to those who may feel isolated or lonely.

Another successful year for our food drive. Our volunteers unloaded the bus at Gibraltar Food Pantry on December 21st. We have collected 31, 310 pounds over eleven years. We appreciate all of the donations this year.

We would like to thank all the staff, students and families for spreading kindness, happiness and holiday cheer!