Gilbert School
Encyclopedia
The Gilbert School is a quasi-public secondary school that serves as a public high school for the towns of Winchester
(including the city of Winsted
) and Hartland
in Connecticut
. In 2010, the town of Winchester reached an agreement with the school to send its 7th- and 8th-graders to Gilbert beginning in September 2011.
. In 1959, a new school was built on Williams Avenue at the site of the former W. L. Gilbert Home for Children, which had closed a few years earlier.
Gilbert is known as an endowed New England academy — a private school that accepts public school students whose towns pay an annual tuition for each pupil. There are two similar schools left in the state of Connecticut — Norwich Free Academy
and Woodstock Academy
— and several others in northern New England.
Gilbert continues to maintain a tradition of strong interscholastic athletics, as well as student extracurricular activities including music, drama, yearbook and newspaper. The program is geared to provide students with the essential knowledge and skills to be successful in postsecondary study and/or entry into the world as productive citizens.
Gilbert is fully accredited by the Connecticut State Department of Education and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges
.
Winchester, Connecticut
Winchester is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 10,664 at the 2000 census. The Incorporated City of Winsted is located in Winchester.-Geography:...
(including the city of Winsted
Winsted, Connecticut
Winsted is a census-designated place and an incorporated city in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is part of the town of Winchester, Connecticut. The population was 7,321 at the 2000 census.-History:...
) and Hartland
Hartland, Connecticut
Hartland is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 2,012 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and is water...
in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. In 2010, the town of Winchester reached an agreement with the school to send its 7th- and 8th-graders to Gilbert beginning in September 2011.
History
The school was founded in 1895 as the result of a bequest from William L. Gilbert, the founder of The Gilbert Clock Company, who made a provision in his will for the establishment and maintenance of the school that bears his name. The school opened with a faculty of seven teachers, and an enrollment of 143 students. It was located in downtown Winsted on Park Place East, the current site of Northwestern Connecticut Community CollegeNorthwestern Connecticut Community College
Northwestern Connecticut Community College is a publiccommunity college in Winsted, Connecticut. As measured by enrollment itis the smallest or second-smallest of the twelve colleges in theConnecticut Community Collegessystem....
. In 1959, a new school was built on Williams Avenue at the site of the former W. L. Gilbert Home for Children, which had closed a few years earlier.
Gilbert is known as an endowed New England academy — a private school that accepts public school students whose towns pay an annual tuition for each pupil. There are two similar schools left in the state of Connecticut — Norwich Free Academy
Norwich Free Academy
The Norwich Free Academy founded in 1854 and in operation since 1856, is a high school located in the city of Norwich, Connecticut. The Academy serves as the primary high school for Norwich and the surrounding towns of Canterbury, Bozrah, Voluntown, Sprague, Lisbon, Franklin, Preston andseveral...
and Woodstock Academy
Woodstock Academy
Woodstock Academy, founded in 1801, is an endowed academy or independent high school for students located in Woodstock, Connecticut, United States....
— and several others in northern New England.
The Gilbert School today
Today, The Gilbert School is a six-year comprehensive middle and secondary school offering a variety of challenging academic programs designed to meet the needs of all its students. The headmaster and interim superintendent is Daniel Hatch. There is a faculty of 54 teachers and a student body of approximately 525 students.Gilbert continues to maintain a tradition of strong interscholastic athletics, as well as student extracurricular activities including music, drama, yearbook and newspaper. The program is geared to provide students with the essential knowledge and skills to be successful in postsecondary study and/or entry into the world as productive citizens.
Gilbert is fully accredited by the Connecticut State Department of Education and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
The New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. is the U.S. regional accreditation association providing educational accreditation for all levels of education, from pre-kindergarten to the doctoral level, in the six-state New England region. It also provides accreditation for some...
.
Notable alumni
- Ralph NaderRalph NaderRalph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government....
'51, author, political activist and four-time presidential candidate.