Gilbert Elementary School helps all students develop the skills of the Leixngton One Graduate Profile by applying our mission and vision to teaching and learning. Our mission at GES is to empower students by developing the whole child through academics and leadership, which is driven by our vision of “growing, learning, leading — together.” To fulfill our mission and embody this vision, we commit to the promise that all students, regardless of circumstances, are prepared to leave GES with the skills they need to succeed in middle school and beyond.
GES also serves as a service-oriented center of learning that remains deeply committed to family and community partnerships. We ensure that every adult at GES is equipped with the skills, resources, and support necessary to empower every child to be a successful learner. As a daily reflection of this commitment, our theme for the 2025-26 school year was “Sprouting Success — Nurturing Our Learning Garden.” This theme reminded students that we care about their growth and want them to attend school every day as they work toward their full potential.
Our commitment to fostering strong mathematics and reading achievement is significantly bolstered by our dedicated coaches. We rely heavily on our full-time math and reading coaches, alongside additional interventionists, to provide a comprehensive network of support for both teacher growth and student achievement. These instructional coaches work closely with our educators by offering expert guidance on effective instructional strategies, helping teams to deeply analyze student data and collaborating directly on targeted interventions. This hands-on, direct support helps our teachers to continuously refine their daily practices, leading to more impactful learning experiences and, ultimately, greater academic success for our students.
Beyond the walls of the classroom, we actively cultivate student leadership through a wide variety of engaging co-curricular and extracurricular opportunities. Our students develop a strong sense of personal responsibility and teamwork through programs like Safety Patrol and our morning news show. They are able to express their creativity and collaboration in chorus, learn firsthand about nature and community service in Garden Club, and build physical perseverance and personal fitness through Run Hard. Additionally, students develop their civic voice in student council, practice deep empathy as student mentors, and enhance critical literacy skills by serving their peers as buddy readers. These diverse experiences directly contribute to the development of well-rounded individuals who are prepared for their next steps.
Our teachers are continuously engaged in professional growth to bring the most effective instructional strategies directly to our students. This year, many of our educators sharpened their skills by attending highly valuable professional training opportunities, including national conferences such as the PLC at Work Summit, various regional PLC Institutes, and intensive sessions focused on Conscious Discipline. These external trainings are designed to deepen their pedagogical expertise, strengthen collaborative practices, and directly impact instructional quality in our classrooms.
To maintain this high level of academic rigor, teacher Professional Learning Teams meet weekly in focused planning and professional development sessions to ensure critical content standards are taught and assessed with absolute fidelity. Teachers meticulously use data from i-Ready diagnostics, common formative assessments, SC READY/SCPASS state testing, and summative assessments to measure and monitor student growth and progress. This data journey belongs to the students as well, as they collaborate directly with their teachers to set personal goals and measure their own growth throughout the year.
GES also boasts an exceptionally strong Encore program that includes Innovation and Design Labs, teaching for artistic behavior in visual art, general music, physical education, and Spanish.
Stephen Deyo, Principal
Helen Parks, SIC Chair
