Gilbert Middle School is helping all students develop the World-Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate as we strive to fulfill our vision of empowering each child to design the future. Our work is guided by system commitments as established by our strategic direction. We endeavor to prepare our students to use the characteristics of integrity, self-direction, perseverance and effective interpersonal skills as they become active citizens in our global community. This is accomplished through the utilization of district approved curriculum, continuous professional learning on best practices in instructional strategies, the integration of technology as a learning tool and personalized support for struggling learners as well as an extension for accelerated learners.
Students at GMS receive standards-based content delivered through the workshop model of instruction. In the model, students and teachers interact with the content through direct whole- and small-group instruction, peer-to-peer collaborative activities and integrated digital resources. Additionally, conferring with individual and small groups of students is a crucial component of the model. Professional learning designed to enhance teachers’ effectiveness in implementing strategies associated with the model is ongoing. By the end of the 2018–19 school year, more than 62 coaching cycles around the workshop model of instruction had been completed by GMS teachers.
GMS implements a variety of strategies designed to provide the support necessary for learning to occur. For qualifying students in English language arts and/or math, GMS provides Response to Intervention services. All students, regardless of ability level, have access to direct teacher support and multiple digital resources. STAR 360 assessment data provide teachers with students’ current levels of performance in the areas of math and English language arts. Additionally, all students are provided with opportunities to receive academic support through before- and after-school tutoring, and the Morning Math Center.
To best meet the needs of our students, each day at GMS begins with Tribe Time. This 30-minute period provides time for teachers to make sure their homeroom is set for the day with everything they need. This time is also used for character education and team-building activities. Throughout the year, homeroom classes use this time to develop and complete community service projects. Projects vary in nature from clothing and food drives to reading to animals at a local shelter.
This year, GMS continued its partnership with Google for Education, Digital Promise and EdTechTeam’s Dynamic Learning Project. DLP seeks to improve education equity and student learning by supporting teachers with classroom coaching in an effort to better leverage technology in powerful and meaningful ways. Our goal is to develop students’ ability to move from being consumers of technology to creators with technology. Survey and achievement data indicate DLP is having a positive impact on instruction and student learning at GMS.
As a core subject, world language classes meet each day for the entire year. Entering sixth grade students choose the language — Spanish, French, German or Latin — that they will study during their middle school years. As a Spanish immersion school, GMS maintains a cohort of immersion students in each grade level. We are very proud of the achievements of our students in world languages.
In addition to their core subjects, students at GMS have the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of exploratory classes designed to enhance their development in matching the profile of the South Carolina graduate. Students experience and find success in offerings that include: STEM, art, iCivics, physical education, ProTeam, and family and consumer science. Our performing arts students continue to excel on the stage in band, chorus, dance and drama. This year, our band students received the Outstanding Performance Award, presented by the South Carolina Band Directors Association to programs that demonstrate high levels of achievement. We are proud to be able to offer a wide variety of exploratory courses for our students.
GMS strives to develop the whole child by providing outstanding programs in athletics. Our athletic teams perform at high levels, consistently earning winning records. This year we celebrated with our archery team as they qualified for the National Archery in the Schools tournament in Louisville, Kentucky after winning the state championship in the Bullseye Competition.
We are always grateful for the outstanding support we get from our community. Our PTSA and SIC have worked hard to enhance each student’s educational experience. We thank them for their efforts.
Benji Ricard, Ed.D., Principal
Nathan Taylor, SIC Chair