It has been a great Literacy Week! Schools celebrated by engaging students with books and authors through a variety of fun activities. Students dressed up with themes, schools had door decorating contests, and students did some buddy reading. What a great experience!
We are celebrating Literacy Week! This week, our schools are increasing awareness of the importance of reading by having door decorating contests, discussing fun facts about literacy, learning about authors, and more. Did you know that 17% of the world’s adult population is not able to read or write? Together, we can change that! We challenge you to read with your...
It is official! The Gilchrist County School District has met the criteria for educational quality established by the AdvancED Accreditation Commission. Congratulations, and thank you to all of our supportive stakeholders, including teachers, parents, students, staff, administrators, and community members!
Each year, the Florida Department of Education surveys parents of children with an individual educational plan (IEP) to determine how well your child's school is partnering with you and promoting your involvement in your child's education. All states must collect data as a part of their State Performance Plan, as required under the Individuals with Disabilities...
As we are nearing the end of National Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month, please take this opportunity to start becoming familiar with the CTE programs that we offer. These programs are high-skill, high-wage, and offer valuable third party industry certifications for students. Industry certifications are nationally-recognized credentials that aid with...
Please access this link for important information on flu prevention and school settings. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/school/index.htm
Today’s Walk-a-Thon was a great success! Thank you to everyone who came out to support the Education Foundation to raise money for scholarships. Team Gilchrist!
UF CARD is offering a free parent training program to parents of
children 12 years of age and younger with autism spectrum disorder or a
related disability. This parent training program consists of 6 sessions
designed to reduce disruptive behaviors.
To be eligible participants must be:
parent/caregiver of a child with ASD or a related disability 12 years of...
Graduation Rates for the 2017-2018 School Year were released on December 19, 2018.
According to the Florida Department of Education, “Florida’s high school graduation rate increased by 3.8 percentage points over the last year and has increased significantly during the past fourteen years.”
Graduation rates are released annually in December for the prior...
Students in the Engineering program have been working hard to finish up hands-on projects that act as a part of their final exam for the class. These projects include opportunities for critical thinking, problem solving, and team collaboration.
Congratulations to the retirees recognized at today's Board meeting. Pictured are George Kreinbihl (Teacher) and Karen Latham (Bus Driver). Not pictured are Glenda Hagan, Darlene Thomas, and Beth Tondreault. We appreciate your service!
From our family to yours, Superintendent Rob Rankin and the Gilchrist County School District would like to wish you the Merriest Christmas and the Happiest New Year!
The 2018 District-Level Spelling Bee was held on December 4th at Bell High School. The winner, from 5th grade at BES, was Neju Rashid. Congratulations! Also, a special congratulations to the runner-up from 8th grade at BHS, Lilly Thigpen. All of the participants did a great job, and we are so proud of the work that went into being prepared for this event. ...
Trenton High School agriculture program students recently received a lesson in branding from a real cowboy! This was a valuable experience for students interested in an agriculturally-related career path. We appreciate this opportunity; thank you to all involved.
Congratulations to Bell Elementary School for retaining their designation as a School of Excellence from the State Board of Education! In order to be eligible for this distinction, a school has to have received an A or B in the three most recent schools years and has to be ranked at the 80th percentile or higher for a school of their type for at least two of the...
We wanted to provide you with some feedback that we received from the visiting accreditation renewal team. They are impressed with our district as a whole. "The Gilchrist district functions as a family whose members are respectful of one another, unified around the goal of student success, and living the role of an organization that cares." We want to thank...
Every five years, the district goes through a process to earn SACS accreditation by demonstrating implementation of an evidence-based set of standards that are indicative of a quality school district. This week, you may have seen our accreditation team visiting your schools. We invited this team of professionals to visit in order to identify ways in which we can...
November is Family Engagement Month! The purpose is to highlight the roles parents have in their child’s education. Parents, grandparents, guardians, and extended families are encouraged to be involved in their children’s education throughout the year. Throughout this month, we will be intermittently sharing information on
how you, as the parent, can be engaged...
October is Bullying Prevention Month! Wear a blue shirt on Tuesday, October 30th to help raise awareness of bullying issues. #BlueUp with us and share your photos! This week, we will be sharing some information and tips regarding bullying for students. For example, here are some tips for how to handle a bully.
Congratulations to our new National Champion, Lauren Roberts! Lauren went to FFA Nationals and became the 2018 FFA Winner for Prepared Public Speaking. In addition, after becoming national finalists, Lauren earned 1st place for her AgriScience Fair research project, and Gracie Langford and Alizabeth Morehouse earned 2nd place for their research projects. We are...
All four schools have earned the silver level award for Excellence in Nutrition and Physical Activity through the Healthier U.S. Schools Challenge for Smarter Lunchrooms. Only 937 schools across the nation have earned the silver level distinction, and we are proud of all four of our school lunchrooms for earning this level of recognition. The Healthier U.S....
Trenton Elementary School is celebrating #DadsAtSchool Day today! What a fun way for dads to be involved in their child's education. Thank you to all of the dads who came out this morning to celebrate and be there for your child.
What's going on in our classrooms? In Mrs. Welbers' classroom, students are participating in small groups and centers with a variety of tactile experiences to gain first grade skills. Thank you for sharing, Mrs. Welbers!
Every year, Bell Elementary School holds a luncheon for Grandparents' Day that gives an opportunity for students to make memories with their grandparents at school. This is a much-anticipated event every year, and this year was no different. The luncheon was held on Friday, September 7th, and was attended by grandparents, great-grandparents, and even substitute...
Career and Technical Education programs are in full swing in Gilchrist County! All of our program students are busy learning through hands-on, project-based activities that integrate academics with career-specific skills. Students are doing independent and collaborative work to enhance their ability to master rigorous standards through application of their...
It's time for this year's 9th graders to receive laptops! As a part of our technology goals, we ensure that every high school student has a laptop for home and school use. If your child is currently in 9th grade, mark your calendars now and make plans to attend this Laptop Night on Thursday. You will learn about our Digital Classroom Plan, the history of improving...
GCSD welcomed new teachers today by providing a New Teacher Orientation. We are excited to have them on our GCSD Team!
Douglas Beard (BHS), Amy Fletcher (BES), Marsha Marchant (TES), Sonja McClellan (BHS), Madison Mower (THS), Crystal Rodriguez (BES), Katherine Russell (THS), Breanna Parnell (TES).
They are already hard at work preparing for the start of school...
Student Handbooks are available! Please check out this resource to better understand school procedures, code of conduct, discipline/behavior policies, academic information, attendance regulations, parental rights, and more! Student Handbook
Mark your calendars! The 2018 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday is August 3-5. During this sales tax holiday period, Florida law directs that no sales tax will be collected on purchases of:- Clothing, footwear, and certain accessories under $60- Certain school supplies under $15Scan the QR code for a list of qualifying items.
It’s time to put our 2018-19 Open House schedule on your calendars. Be sure to attend and get information for the new school year!
School supply lists are available now! Each school list is linked below, but these lists are also available in your GCSD app under the DOCUMENTS folder. In addition, we will be making these available on Facebook.
TES
BES
TMS
BMSTHS
Attention Gilchrist County Teachers! As we are gearing up for accreditation renewal, we would love to hear from you. Your responses on this short inventory will help us to be better prepared. Our goal is for your voice to be heard, and we will be reporting the percentage of respondents. Thank you in advance for this summertime favor!
Teacher Inventory
The Florida Department of Education released District and School Grades today.
We are pleased to announce that the
Gilchrist County School District is an “A” school district, and we are ranked 3rd out of 67 districts for the second year in a row.
Congratulations to the students of the Gilchrist County School District.
Your learning made the...
The 21st CCLC summer program is keeping things cool this summer by holding some really neat and fun science activities. At TES, the summer program was visited by The Science Man. Students were able to see first hand super cool science concepts, like states of matter, fun chemical reactions, and more!
Applications will soon be available for the state's new Reading Scholarship program, which provides $500 scholarships for 3rd-5th grade public school students who scored a 1 or 2 on the ELA section of the FSA in the prior year. English Language Learners will receive priority. Scholarships will be able to be used for tutoring, summer education programs or...
Remember that the 2018-19 school calendar is now available! The calendar can be downloaded HERE, and a preview is available below. Continue to check back on our website and app for other important updates, such as supply lists.
High School Graduation Ceremonies:
We are watching the weather closely as we approach the upcoming graduation ceremonies. Every effort will be made to hold the ceremonies on the football fields even if there is a chance of a slight rain. Please prepare accordingly.
In the event of inclement weather, the Bell High School Graduation Ceremony will be moved to the...
We are planning and writing federal projects for the 2018-19 school year! Check our website for info, and let us know if you have any questions, input, or feedback regarding the following federal projects:IDEA, Part BIDEA, PreschoolTitle I, Part ATitle I, Part CTitle II, Part ATitle IV, SSAETitle IV 21st CCLCTitle V, RLISPerkins, SecondaryPerkins, Rural and...
In our busy lives, dinner is often the only time when families can connect. Research shows children that eat regular meals with their family have:• Better academic performance• Higher self-esteem• Greater sense of resilience• Lower risk of substance abuse• Lower risk of teen pregnancy• Lower risk of depression• Lower likelihood of developing eating disorders• Lower...
It's National Teacher Appreciation Week! Help us to continue celebrating our teachers and the hard work that they do on an everyday basis! Our teachers are the cornerstone of what we do. Please take a moment to thank your child's teacher for the impact that he or she makes.Teachers, ABC news shared that these benefits are available to you this week:Adobe
Get...
April 11th was #LoveMySchoolDay! Here at the Gilchrist County School District, we have many reasons to love our schools. From our staff to our students, from great programs to great friends, GCSD schools have it all. Each school has posted on Facebook and our Live Feed today with photos and comments about why we love our schools so much. One common theme was...
High School Students:
Remember that documenting community service hours is very important! This form must be completed and submitted to your guidance counselor as evidence of any volunteer hours. Community service hours are required for eligibility of certain scholarships. For example, the highest Bright Futures scholarship requires 100 community service hours....
Congratulations to the Gilchrist County School District’s High Impact Teachers:
Bell Elementary -Sandra CarawanHeather ClassErin Sanders
Trenton Elementary - Jill Carhart
Melinda Robinson
Wendy Polk
Bell Middle/High -
Lee Barrow
A recent analysis of student performance on statewide standardized assessments conducted by the Florida...
Last night's 8th Grade Parent Night was a great success! The event was held at the THS auditorium, and was meant for all 8th graders and parents from Bell and Trenton. High school registration information was provided, and parents were able to learn about Career and Technical Education opportunities available to 9th graders. As a reminder to parents, CTE program...
2-1-1 is a free service provided by United Way that
connects area residents to critical health and social service resources
when they need help the most. From help with a household bill, food
assistance, or counseling for suicide prevention, United Way's 2-1-1 help line is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This service is available via phone, text, or...
Superintendent Rankin held a Safety Workshop with the Gilchrist County School Board and included Gilchrist County Sheriff, Bobby Schultz. Information was shared about safety procedures the school district has in place, as well as safety reviews that occurred in conjunction with the Gilchrist County Sheriff Department since the Parkland school shooting. Next steps...
We are officially in the last quarter of school! This is the time of year that students may begin to start thinking about summer and minds wander from school. Let's work together to help students stay on track the rest of the year. An article by Alexandra Mayzler provided these tips for keeping students motivated as the school year enters the final quarter:
FSA Writing is this week! Be sure that you are aware of the FSA Writing test days for your child's grade level. Your child should have a good breakfast and be at school on time. We are excited to show what we can do! Monday: Grade 6, 7Tuesday: Grade 4, 5, 8Wednesday: Grade 9Thursday: Grade 10Friday: Make-Ups
As we end CTE Month, we want to encourage you to continue to become familiar with the career and technical education programs that we offer. One such program is the Agritechnology program that is offered at both THS and BHS. This program includes a sequence of three courses. The first course counts as Honors credit. Students are able to become industry...
Superintendent Rob Rankin and Sheriff Bobby Schultz have had several meetings since the tragic shooting in Broward County. We want to assure you that we hold the safety of our students as our top priority. We have a plan in place and practice it with the staff and students to make sure they know what to do if we have an intruder on one of our campuses. We have...
We are nearing the end of CTE Month! Please continue to become acquainted with the programs that we offer. For example, the Academy of Criminal Justice featured here is offered at Bell High School. This academy offers two programs - Criminal Justice and 911 Public Safety Telecommunicator. Students are able to participate in both programs and earn industry...
As we continue CTE Month, we are sharing information about all of the great career and technical education programs that we offer. Featured here is the Applied Engineering Technology program that is offered at both THS and BHS. This program involves a sequence of three courses with an optional fourth course that all count as Honors credit. Students are able to...
In continuation of CTE Month, please take a look at the Construction program that we offer at Trenton High School. This program allows students to become certified in Carpentry Level 1 through the National Center for Construction and Education Research (NCCER). Students take Building Construction Technology 1, 2, and 3. The third course in the sequence of...
As we continue to celebrate CTE Month, check out our Health Academy at Bell High School! This program offers tracks in Allied Health Assisting, Nursing, Emergency Medical Responding, and Electrocardiograph Aide. Students have the opportunity to exit as a licensed CNA, EMR, or EKG Technician. Many students choose to complete multiple tracks. In addition to these...
It’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month! Celebrate with us by becoming familiar with the programs we offer. Expect to see posts about each of our programs this month. First up, the Agriculture Biotechnology program at THS!
The Agriculture Biotechnology program is designed to expose
students to current biotechnology applications, genetic principles,...
Schools in Gilchrist County are continuing to celebrate Literacy Week. Each school is participating in activities to encourage the love of reading, such as Book-a-Thons, book tastings, book exchanges, and Date with a Book. Adopt a Class activities are happening, and students are reading through the week to contribute to Florida’s “Million Minutes of Reading”...
Each year, the Florida Department of Education surveys parents of children with an individual educational plan (IEP) to determine how well your child's school is partnering with you and promoting your involvement in your child's education. All states must collect data as a part of their State Performance Plan, as required under the Individuals with Disabilities...
Today’s Walk-a-Thon raised $20,000 for the Gilchrist County Education Foundation. The Foundation has several events each year geared toward fund-raising to support scholarships for Gilchrist County seniors. Our community really came together to support this great cause! Thank you to all who participated.
Recently, the Gilchrist County School District announced that our schools earned the highest graduation rate in the state once again! This exciting news was made even more special when Superintendent Rob Rankin received this letter from Senator Bill Nelson congratulating the school system on this great accomplishment. This is only possible when students, teachers,...
January 25, 2018
This is a message to all Parents, from the Florida Department of Health and The Gilchrist County School District.
Please be aware that Flu illness has sharply increased in Florida and in Gilchrist County over the last two weeks. Flu is easily spread from person to person. It can cause severe illness is certain people, especially the very...
The launch of Gilchrist County School District's new app has been a success! Within one day of launch, the app has already been downloaded over 225 times! The GCSD app can be used on any smartphone or tablet. It is available for download in the App Store or Google Play. In order to get this new app, all you have to do is search for "GCSD" where you normally...
Nobody cares for their teachers and staff like the Gilchrist County School District! The Annual Health Fair that took place today was a great way to encourage healthy habits. There were opportunities to have skin evaluations, blood pressure tests, cholesterol readings, glucose assessments, pulse read outs, free massages, and much more! Thank you to all of the...
Mark your calendars now for the February 3rd Gilchrist County Walk-a-Thon! Registration is at 9. Start looking for sponsors now.
Superintendent Rob Rankin and the Gilchrist County School Board
members were recognized today at the 72nd Annual Joint Conference and
Board of Directors meeting.
We are proud to announce that all
five school board members were awarded the ‘Certified Board Member’
credential. This distinct honor is achieved by completing a (96) hour
training program...
We are proud to announce that Bell Elementary School has been designated as a School of Excellence by the state Department of Education. To earn this designation, a school must have received a grade of A or B for the most recent three years AND had to rank at the 80th percentile or higher for their school type for at least two of the last three years....
The United Way of North Central Florida has facilitated the donation of a large amount of school supplies from Publix. These school supplies will benefit our most needy families through the district, and are greatly appreciated. Thank you to these partners for the ongoing support of our community!
Career and Technical Education (CTE) in Gilchrist County really stood out at a recent statewide association meeting, with two of our very own being recognized with a state award. At last week’s FACTE conference (Florida’s Association for Career and Technical Education), an awards ceremony was held to honor special persons within the career tech community. ...
Students were recognized by the Gilchrist County School Board at the Sept 26th Board Meeting for receiving a Perfect Score on one of their Spring 2017 State Assessments. The following students were recognized: Sawyer Downing, Evelyn Frazier, Susannah Gray, and John Spigelmyer.