Gibbs High School

Administration
Michele Diaz
Ija Hawthorne
Nicole Holcombe
Michael Machado
Principal Respect…Excellence…Pride! DeJuan Patrick
Reuben C. Hepburn Derek Weston

Welcome Back! We are incredibly excited to begin our 91 st year of academic excellence at Gibbs
High School! This promises to be a year filled with many opportunities for all of our students as
we strive to find ways that we can be even better than we have before! Personally, I am grateful
and elated to continue this journey with you as your principal. Over the past year, I have had a
chance to meet many of you and your children, and look forward to continue building a strong
relationship with all of you in the upcoming year. We embark on this journey with a pledge to
you, our students and parents, that this will be a year of engaging, meaningful and rigorous work
in our classrooms, combined with special events and a plethora of extracurricular clubs and
activities, performing arts groups, and athletic teams certain to encourage our Gladiators to be
involved and stay connected!

As we enter this new school year, I want to let you know that our staff will be engaging in
conversations around having a growth mindset, both for themselves and all students. We believe
that every person in this building should always be growing and learning. Despite obstacles that
may arise, we must always believe in our ability to rise above challenges and come out stronger
on the other end.

During the 2018-19 school year, we will continue to build upon and refine our proven foundation
of quality work, honored traditions, and continued excellence in education. Our vision
remains…

For 100% of our students to achieve post-secondary readiness

and become active and contributing members of society!

Our staff of highly qualified professional educators and support personnel are committed to
providing our students with many opportunities both inside and outside of the classroom. We
invite and encourage students and parents to work in partnership with us to seize opportunities in
all facets of our Gibbs High School program --- Academics, The Arts, Athletics, Activities, and
Altruistic Endeavors.

Respect…Excellence…Pride!
We look forward to a very positive and productive year together! We extend a special, yearlong
invitation to our families to join us at school activities and events whenever possible.

We want . . . we need . . . and we value your involvement and support in your child’s education!
Your active participation is key to the success of your young Gladiator during his/her high
school years.

Please know that we highly value home/school communication here at Gibbs High School. It is
vital and it plays an integral role in each student’s success. We encourage you to contact us
if/when the need arises, and to stay in the know about your child’s studies, assignments,
assessments, and school activities, as well as other events and happenings. We have several
vehicles for communication that include FOCUS-Portal, our school’s website
(https://www.pcsb.org/gibbs-hs), the School Advisory Council (SAC), and Parent
Teacher/Student Association (PTSA), to name a few.

Again, we welcome you to The Jonathan C. Gibbs High School and to our wonderful learning
community . . . a place alive with much energy . . . enthusiasm . . . and a high standard of
excellence! It is, indeed, a place where opportunities abound! Here’s to an AWESOME new
school year as we work together to make our school a great place to work and learn each day!

The new school year begins on Monday, August 13th. School opens at 6:45 a.m. and classes
begin promptly at 7:05 a.m. and end at 1:50 p.m.

I want to personally invite you to attend our Back-to-School Night/Partnering for Success, on
Monday, September 10th, starting at 6:30 pm. This will be a great time to strengthen our
Gladiator community, meet teachers and other families, and learn about the upcoming school
year.

As you prepare for the school year, we want to remind you of our school’s Dress Code Policy
and our Cell Phone Policy. Please share this information with your child to ensure that they have
a successful year.

Respect…Excellence…Pride!
 Gibbs High School Dress Code
Policy
Requirements for student dress in all schools are
listed below:
A. All shirts and blouses must cover midriff, back,
sides, and all undergarments including bra straps at
all times. All shirts, tops, and dresses shall have
sleeves and cover the shoulders.
B. Shorts, skirts, divided skirts, dresses and culottes
are allowed. They must be mid-thigh length or longer.
C. All trousers, pants, or shorts must totally cover
undergarments, including boxer shorts.
D. All clothing, jewelry, or tattoos shall be free of the
following: profanity; violent images, wording or
suggestion; sexually suggestive phrases or images;
gang related symbols; alcohol, tobacco, drugs or
advertisements for such products.
E. Safe and appropriate footwear must be worn.
Inappropriate footwear includes, but is not limited to,
roller skates, skate shoes, and bedroom slippers.
Further Clarification/Other Requirements:
A. Form fitting leotard/spandex type clothing is not allowed unless proper outer
garments cover to mid-thigh length or longer.
B. See through or mesh fabric clothing may only be worn over clothing meeting
requirements.
C. Clothing must be appropriate size, with the waist of the garment worn at the
student’s waist.
D. Clothing not properly buttoned, zipped, fastened, or with inappropriate holes or
tears shall not be worn.
E. Clothing and footwear traditionally designed as undergarments or sleepwear
shall not be worn as outer garments.
F. Sunglasses may not be worn inside unless a parent provides a doctor’s note to
the school.
G. Bandanas or sweatbands are not allowed to be visible on school grounds
during the regular school hours.
H. Hats or other head coverings may be worn during outside P.E. activities and
may not be worn during any portion of the regular school day without the
expressed permission of the principal.
I. If the school has a mandatory school uniform policy, the student must adhere to
those requirements.

Cell Phone Policy

Electronic Devices are to be powered off and out of sight during the school day.

If a student is found using an electronic device two options are given:

1. Relinquish the device to an adult and it will be held in the school office
for pickup after school.
2. Retain the electronic device and receive disciplinary consequences.

Respect…Excellence…Pride!