"Who's Dying to be a Millionaire?" by Pat Cook, is the high school’s spring play on March 23 and 24th at 7:00 p.m. in the H.S. East Gymnasium.  It is a comedy/mystery with over 35 Gilbert students in the cast and crew. The premise is a game show where the contestants keep dying before the last question and the town sheriff and his deputy have to find the killer.  “Contestants are dropping as fast as the wisecracks in this fast paced, riotous send up of quiz shows, small town politics and human nature in general. After all, what would you say if someone asked you, "Who's Dying to be a Millionaire?" (From www.patcook.com)  The spring play is under the direction of Mrs. Virginia Beecher.

Mark your calendars!  The third grade music program is coming up on Tuesday, March 6 at 6:30 p.m.  This year the program will take place at the middle school gym.  Please have your son or daughter meet in the middle school band room at 6:15 p.m. that evening.  Your son or daughter should wear concert attire for the performance, which means a little dressier than usual – preferably no jeans.  The program should last about half an hour.  We look forward to seeing you there!  As always, please contact Mrs. Brown if you have any questions.  Thank you -- Mrs. Brown (browna@gilbert.k12.ia.us)

Gilbert Elementary School will be having A Night of Storytelling for our Spring Educational Event.  Join us on Monday, April 2 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. for a family night of fun and relaxation.  We will have a puppet show, "battle of the books", guest readers, favorite story charades, and much more.  Every child who attends will get to take home at least one book for free!  Please donate any gently used children's books in the bin at the elementary school from March 5 to 22 to make the book swap a huge success.  If you have any questions, please contact Katie Mueller at krmuelle@yahoo.com or 515-460-8012.

Prom is less than two months away – April 14, 2012.  The After-Prom committees are in full swing planning a memorable party for all of Gilbert’s Junior and Senior students.  All Juniors and Seniors are welcome (and encouraged) to attend the After-Prom event at the high school. To make this event successful, we need your help!  The After-Prom event is funded solely through donations.  We are asking all Junior and Senior parents to donate $30.00 to help offset the cost of the event.  Please send your donation to the high school office or make a payment online through PaySchool at www.gilbert.k12.ia.us.  We are also seeking business donations.  If your business has not been contacted, please contact Kris Barrientos (290-8531) or Johna Clancy (232-3740).

Spring is just around the corner... and so is the PTO Spring Educational Event which is going to include a Book Exchange! Why not start your spring cleaning now and donate all gently used children's books (preschool - 4th grade) to this worthy cause. Books can be dropped off (March 5-9 and March 19-23) in bins located in the front hallway by the office at the Elementary School.  If you have any questions, please contact Katie Mueller at krmuelle@yahoo.com. Thank you!

Please join us for an Informational Forum on the Gilbert School District Building Projects on Thursday, March 8, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. in the Gilbert Middle School Commons. The forum will be an opportunity to share information about the work that will begin this spring, where we are in developing plans regarding the auditorium completion, and where we are in development of additional athletic facilities. This forum is hosted by the Gilbert School Board and the City of Gilbert. 

The Wrestling Banquet is now scheduled for 5:30 p.m. (instead of 6:00 p.m. ) on Thursday, March 8, 2012 in the HS Commons.  Note change in time only not in date.

The 2012 Rock Hop is March 31st at the Gateway Hotel in Ames.  This year's theme is "Tiger Zone - All in for Gilbert" so show your Tiger spirit by wearing red and black or your favorite Gilbert gear!  The silent auction will be from 5:00-6:45 p.m. so get there early to check out all the great silent and super silent items!  Each week we will be sending out snippets about live auction items.  Every week will be different so keep track of what you see so you can get groups together and bid on packages at the Hop!  Raffle tickets are on sale now!  This year's winners will receive cash!  Total prize money will be $7,500.  Tickets are $20 and coupons on the back of the ticket can be redeemed for over $30 in value.  Proceeds from the Rock Hop will continue to support the learning of each student in our district through the use of technology and literacy.  For more details about the Rock Hop, click HERE!

Please reserve a copy of the 2011-12 Elementary School Yearbook today! The cost is $10 and can be ordered through PaySchools or a check can be made out to the Gilbert PTO and sent to the Elementary School. All orders must be submitted by March 31, 2012.

Thanks to all who have signed their children up for kindergarten in 2012-2013. If there are others that still need to, please call the elementary office. We are looking forward to round-up time again. On April 9, we will host a parent night for our 2012-2013 kindergarten parents. We will follow a round robin format that allows each parent a chance to meet every teacher and gain a lot of information about next year. In addition, on Friday, April 13, we will have our kindergarten round-up. Parents will be able to choose one of three times on that day to bring their children for our round-up activities. More information will follow in our parent letter, as well as what documentation parents need to provide on April 9. Please call the elementary office at 232-3744 with any questions.

Microsoft is dropping the aggressive discounts for teachers and students on Office and Windows Titles in March 2012 For several years the Iowa Educators Consortium (IEC), in partnership with Microsoft and JourneyEd, has provided teachers, students, faculty and staff with discounts on Microsoft Office and Windows software for home use. (Example: Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010, retail $499, IEC price $89.95). 

These discounts have been significantly less than what you’d find in retail stores. The IEC has recently been notified that Microsoft will be discontinuing this program effective March 2012. If Microsoft software is in your future for your home/personal computer, order today to insure you get the best price possible. Orders can be placed online by going to www.JourneyEd.com/Select.  Note: All students can request this pricing, so parents of kindergartners could even order at these prices. JourneyEd will continue to provide education pricing on many other software titles and computer products however we do not anticipate that pricing on Microsoft products will ever be this low again. 

For more information, contact: 

Marcy Rodriguez Academic Superstore

marodriguez@digitalriver.com 

The Gilbert Education Foundation proudly sponsors the annual “Rock Hop” fundraiser each spring. The proceeds from this fundraiser help provide essential programs, materials and equipment to promote an exemplary education for every student in the Gilbert District. Rock Hop communities will be forming in the fall. If you would like to be part of a “Rock Hop” committee, please CLICK HERE to complete and submit the volunteer form.  Thank you!!

Jostens has available class ring ordering information and graduation supplies. Please visit www.iowagradshop.com for more information.

Do you want to print only a few pages from the monthly newsletter?  Do you prefer to read the newsletter on the computer?  You can subscribe to the E-Newsletter and stop recieving a paper copy.  To subscribe, click on the Newsletter link on the home page of the Gilbert CSD website.