Skip to content

Lindsey Good Selected to Become Gilbert Curriculum Coordinator For Grades 6-12

Pending board approval, Good will start new role in early August

The Gilbert Community School District is pleased to announce that, pending board approval, Lindsey Good will fill the role of Curriculum Coordinator for grades 6-12.

A valued member of the Gilbert Middle School staff for 12 years, including the last nine as an instructional coach, Good is excited about the transition into this new role at a school district she considers home.

“This is home. This is where I plan to retire from and this is where my kids will graduate from, so I couldn’t be more excited to continue my journey here,” Good said. “I’m excited to continue working with the middle school staff and work more closely with the high school staff.”

Good’s primary focus will be working with staff members on developing, implementing, and evaluating the curriculum and instructional services for grades 6-12. She will also serve as the Extended Learning Program (ELP), English Language Learners (ELL), and 504 District Coordinator.

Good feels her current role as an instructional coach has prepared her for this position.

“I feel like it’s an extension of what I’m currently doing, just on a larger scope,” she said. “It’s important to bring out the genius in others in a role like this and that’s what coaching is too. You have to be a good listener and ask good questions.

“I’m most excited about the influence on curriculum, instruction, and assessment, and ensuring that we are looking at that through a systematic lens.”

A native of Ankeny, Good has served in education for 15 years. After three years of work in the Des Moines Public school system, she came to Gilbert as a sixth-grade math teacher in 2011.

Good and her husband, Adam, have three children: William, 7, Thompson, 5, and Griffin, 2.

Dr. Christine Trujillo, superintendent of schools, is thrilled to have Good join the district’s leadership team.

“Lindsey will be an incredible addition to our curriculum team,” Dr. Trujillo said. “Her passion for young adult learners is evident. She understands the importance of collaborating with teachers to help develop strong instructional plans, and her experience as an instructional coach and a middle school math teacher will only add to the depth of knowledge in the work we do.

“Lindsey is ready for this leadership role!”

Why Math Matters

GHS Students Welcome Panelists For Engaging Talk

Approximately 250 Gilbert High School students took part in the Math Speaker Panel yesterday afternoon in the auditorium. The gist of the talk — why math matters.

The group of speakers brought in to speak to the students included:

•Matt Thatcher, a Manufacturing Engineering Specialist at 3M.

•Dr. Beth Hartmann, a teaching professor at ISU with a background in engineering.

•Jerry Roche, a Transportation Safety Engineer at Federal Highway Administration, Office of Safety.

•Mike Francom, the Chief Fiscal Officer at ISU.

Each of the panelists gave background information and how math pertains to their everyday activities. Students then got the chance to ask questions of the panelists and they included:

•If you could go back and start over, is there anything you’d do differently?

•How has your high school education affected your everyday life?

•Are there any situations in your job that school didn’t prepare you for?

•What are a few of the most important skills in your profession?

•Why is math required for students in high school and college if they’re not intending to go into a math field?

The panelists talked about how math helps students to be problem solvers, regardless of the field they eventually pursue. And math plays a role in a number of fields, including art, finance, science, engineering, and so many more.

Some of the best quotes from the panelists:

•”Be open to the talents you have that you might not have known about before.”

•”Even though you might not use every bit of (math), it will open doors for you.”

•”Follow your curiosity and see where it takes you.”

•”Try things and it’s OK to be OK.”

•”What you’re going to learn in math and science is problem solving.”

•Learning how to learn is really important in your high school and college career.”

This was a fantastic talk about math and also about life in general. The panel members gave our students great advice and, perhaps, made them think about things in a way they never had before.

Thank you to the panelists for spending an hour with our students, and thank you to our students for staying engaged throughout the program!

Fabulous 50 Project Benefits Gilbert Through Book Donations

Gale Gehling Opts To Give Back In Milestone Year

Gale Gehling has a milestone birthday on the horizon — the Big 5-0, as she calls it. But rather than dread the day as it approaches, the parent of a Gilbert High School graduate and a current Gilbert Middle School student, is embracing it.

She’s not wallowing. She’s thriving. And through determination and a tireless work ethic, she’s giving back to those organizations that mean the most to her and her family.

Gehling is calling it the Fabulous 50 Project — her effort to give back to 50 organizations by the time she reaches her milestone birthday on Dec. 9. And one of those organizations is our very own Gilbert Schools.

“I’m being intentional about giving,” Gehling said on a recent visit to Gilbert Elementary. “I have 20-some organizations that I’ve given to already, so I’m getting there. And hopefully I’ll exceed (50 organizations).”

Gehling and her family — husband, Ryan, eldest daughter, Olivia, and youngest daughter, Jasmine — recently began collecting children’s books to donate to Gilbert Elementary. In less than two weeks, through her own collection and the donations of others, she had more than 1,000 books to donate.

“You think that, someday, you’ll save them for your grandkids, but then you realize they’ll have their own library,” Gehling said. “I have discovered in these last two weeks since I started gathering books, there is a need in our community.”

Gehling and her family donated enough books to Gilbert Elementary for every student — nearly 400 in all — to choose one book to take home and keep. And the goal is to do that each month through the end of the year.

“We’ll see if we can do it every month,” Gehling said. “I just think it’s pretty cool. I realized how much the cost has gone up for the book orders and I would not want somebody to go home without books.”

Because there is such a need, Gehling has made it her mission to keep the donations going. She’s constantly on the lookout for new donations and says a bin will be set up outside Gilbert Elementary for those that wish to join the cause. She says community members are also welcome to leave donations on the porch of her house at 3324 Preston Circle in Ames.

“The more books the merrier!” she said.

In addition to Gilbert Elementary, Gehling also contributes to other organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club of Story County, Raising Readers, Ames Public Library, Little Libraries, The Bulldog Book Cart, Martha’s House of Hope, and multiple local food pantries. The goal is to collect at least 500 children’s books each month.

“We all have the potential to impact a person, cause, and community and this is my year to be extra intentional about it,” Gehling said.

This is just one more example of how our Gilbert CSD students and families go above and beyond for the betterment of the entire community. We cannot thank the Gehling family enough for its work and contributions to our district!

Pending Board Approval, Trent Becker To Take Over As Gilbert CSD Transportation Manager On May 1

The Gilbert Community School District is happy to announce that, pending board approval, Trent Becker will take the reins as our new Transportation Manager beginning May 1.

“I look forward to serving in this role in a growing district,” Becker said. “I’m hoping that my experience and understanding of the Gilbert culture will help me to have success in this new role.”

Becker has been a constant presence in the lives of Gilbert students for many years. Since 2007 he has served as an associate with the district, the first 14 years at the middle school before he transitioned to the intermediate building at the start of the 2022-23 school year.

Becker became a bus driver for the Gilbert school district in 2011 and has maintained a regular route over the past 12 years. He also serves as a driver’s education instructor through Street Smart during the school year and summers.

Active in the community, Becker helped to run the Gilbert youth baseball organization for 17 years. He also coached baseball inside the Gilbert school district for three years and has helped with event coverage on the Tiger Broadcast.

Becker feels his many years of service to both the community and school district will help him to thrive in this new position.

‘The relationships I’ve developed over the years with the drivers, students, and staff make me feel comfortable in the district and should help in the transition into this new position,” he said.

Becker and his wife, Tina, have two adult children, Joseph and Katherine, as well as two children who attend Gilbert Schools, Hannah, a sophomore, and Issac, who is in the seventh grade.

“I am thrilled to have Trent Becker lead our transportation department,” Gilbert CSD Superintendent Dr. Christine Trujillo said. “He has shown outstanding communication and leadership skills in his roles. Trent will help our district grow to be future-ready with his knowledge of transportation and of our Gilbert Community.”

1 9 10 11 12 13 22
Gilbert Community School District

Gilbert Community School District

103 Mathews Drive, Gilbert, Iowa 50105  |  (515) 232-3740