Artist
- Maribeth Huber
Gilbertsville Elementary School students
Art Instructor: Erica Harner
Principal: Ron Christman
36Congo Road
Gilbertsville, PA 19525
610-369-7485
Sponsor
- Gilbertsville Elementary School PTO
HSA President Cherie Farkosh
BEAR FEVER HITS GES STUDENTS...
"The GES Students have been involved in the selection of whether they would like a sitting or standing bear - and at the same time gave suggestions for names for the bear. Because we are in the process of creating outdoor classrooms, for the use by the children, we decided the bear would make an appropriate entrance to the school as part of our "Reading" Classroom which will be located in the front of the school in the " circle.” Our bear will greet visitors to GES. Because he is part of the reading classroom the students decided on a sitting bear. Our bear came out of hibernation on March 7th, at which time the kids were able to see him/her and decide on a name. The vote came in and Gilbert is his name. Maribeth Huber has taken on the task of coordinating the decorating of the bear... we'll see what spring brings and keep you posted on the progress of "Gilbert"... Cherie Farkosh, PTO President
“Gilbert” is proud to display the work of more than 800 students and 85 staff members in his design. The handprints of 2005’s sixth grade students were “collected” before their move to junior high. During the 2005-2006 school year, every single student and staff member of GES contributed his or her fingerprint or handprint to create the springtime scene which adorns Gilbert’s body.
You’ll find an assortment of colorful spring flowers and tiny creatures—bees, ants, a praying mantis, a frog, for example—featured on Gilbert’s body. And, if you look closely, you will also see the first names of every student and staff member written along the stems of the flowers.
Principal Ron Christman offers Gilbert as one of the school’s testimonies to its commitment toward honoring diversity. “Everyone is special and valued at GES; our mission is found in the acronym of our name: ‘Grow, Excel, and Shine.’ That’s what we want for every single student at GES—Gilbertsville Elementary School. And Gilbert is a perfect symbol of this mission.”
Mr. Christman is also pleased that two parents stepped up to coordinate the task. Maribeth Huber and Joanne Santoliquito had the vision for Gilbert and nurtured the project to its beautiful conclusion.