In line with the vision of Lexington County School District One, Gilbert High School strives each day to empower and inspire each child to design the future. This ambitious vision is supported by our new mission to focus on building relationships that raise expectations, and relevant rigor in teaching and learning that empowers students and faculty as effective learners, ethical people, and contributors to a better world. This mission and vision are achieved each day through a focus on engaging curriculum that asks students to delve into issues that face our world and community. Throughout the school year, our teachers have collaborated in professional learning focused on providing daily instruction that empowers students to grow as effective learners, ethical people and contributors to a better world. We have empowered our students to be leaders of their own learning by involving them in student-led community service projects, interdisciplinary projects and authentic coursework. Throughout all of this, we have focused on fostering a culture where we are crew, not passengers. This means that all students have an adult advocate who knows them well and advocates for their success each day, and our faculty and staff support one another to be more than they thought possible.
As an EL Education school, GHS is committed to developing our students in three dimensions of student achievement: mastery of knowledge and skills; character; and high-quality work. In order to earn recognition as a credentialed EL Education school, we must show exemplary outcomes in all three of these domains. Data is gathered and analyzed throughout the school year in each of these dimensions, and utilized to determine professional learning needs and necessary interventions for students. This process keeps our teachers and school leaders committed each day to equipping our students with the knowledge, skills and strength of character that they need to change the world, with the understanding that for each student, this equipping is unique because their goals in life are unique. The overall target for our students, however, is the same: ensuring that they graduate on time prepared for college, the military or industry with certification. Students regularly review their progress toward these goals with their Crew leaders, school counselors, administrators, support staff and teachers to ensure that they are on track. In addition, students regularly present their learning to their families and other adult advocates through student-led conferences, portfolios and sophomore passage presentations. Finally, for students who are struggling to advance on time, GHS has many supports to keep them on track such as credit recovery, extended year opportunities, secondary literacy interventions and differentiated instruction in all classes.
Each of the previously mentioned efforts at GHS works together to ensure that our graduation rate remains high and that every student is given the opportunity to attain their goals in life as effective learners, ethical people and contributors to a better world. A vital component of our approach to ensuring that all students are college and career ready upon graduation is that all students are a part of a Crew, which is a small group of students led by a faculty member that meets daily to focus on college and career readiness, character development, team building and community service. After four years of implementation of this structure, it is clear that it has benefited our students, our faculty and staff, and our community because it is equipping each student with a positive support structure, and building within them the skill of working together as a team to make an impact. This structure has also impacted me during my first year as principal because of the dedicated educators, students, and community members who have rallied together to support one another in difficult circumstances and times of great celebration. Throughout the school year, the Gilbert High Community has shown our motto to be true: We Are Gilbert, We Are Crew!
As we close out this school year, we are proud of the work that we’ve done to empower our students to design a future that is equitable, sustainable and hopeful. We will continue to focus on our goal of ensuring that all students advance on time prepared to graduate and enter college, the military or industry with certification. We will continue to ensure that all students have an adult advocate who knows them well and is deeply invested in their success. We will continue to create opportunities for students to get involved in extracurricular opportunities such as fine arts, career and technology organizations, athletics, to name a few. Finally, we are fully focused on creating an educational experience at GHS that prepares students as effective learners, ethical people and contributors to a better world because that is what they need to be successful, prosperous and fulfilled in their futures.
Jacob W. Nelson, Principal
Nancy Harman, SIC Chair
