International Student News
October 2026
Residential Life News
By Joshua Perez, Director of Residential Life
Recent Activities & Community Highlights
We’ve had a great time in Residential Life recently, and we’re excited to share a few highlights from the past couple of weeks!
Student Ambassador Meet & Greet
Our Residential Life students had the opportunity to spend time with some of The Gilbert School’s amazing Student Ambassadors!
The ambassadors came over to the dorms for a fun meet & greet, giving our boarding students the opportunity to get to know more students from the broader Gilbert community. It was a great chance for everyone to connect, have conversations, and build new friendships.
We’re excited to continue creating opportunities for our boarding students and Student Ambassadors to spend time together throughout the school year!
Authentic Chinese Dinner in West Hartford
One of the highlights of these past weeks was getting off campus and enjoying dinner together at an authentic Chinese restaurant in West Hartford!
The food was absolutely delicious, and it was a great opportunity for our students spending time together outside of the dorm. Everyone had a great time trying different dishes, sharing food, and enjoying the evening together.
We’re always looking for opportunities to expose our students to new experiences, different cultures, and the many things our local communities have to offer.
Building Our ResLife Community
Our goal in Residential Life goes beyond providing students with a place to live. We want our students to feel connected, supported, and involved in the Gilbert community.
From meeting new friends to exploring local restaurants and communities, we’re excited about all the experiences still to come this year!
Stay tuned for more Residential Life activities, events, and student highlights!
September 2026
Residential Life!
By Josh Perez, Director of Residential Life
Welcome to the latest update from Gilbert School Residential Life!
We have had a busy start to the school year, and we are excited about everything happening on campus and in our residential community. Our goal is to create an environment where students feel comfortable, connected, and excited to be part of the Gilbert community.
Our Lounge Is Getting a Makeover!
One of the exciting projects we have been working on is remodeling our Residential Life lounge. This space is an important part of our community, and we want to make it a place where students can relax, socialize, study, and spend time together. We are also adding vending machines for students to purchase and enjoy snacks throughout the day. We are excited to continue making improvements to the lounge and creating a space that students will truly enjoy.
And this is just the beginning — there is much more to come!
Getting Out and About
Our students have already been keeping busy with activities and trips around the area. Some of the activities we have enjoyed include:
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Shopping at the outlets
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Attending sporting events
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Trips to Dairy Queen
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Evening basketball games
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Spending time together around campus
These activities give students an opportunity to get off campus, explore the local community, and, most importantly, spend time together and build friendships.
Delicious Dining with Mario's
Our students have also been enjoying recurring dining services from Mario’s local restaurant, giving them the opportunity to enjoy delicious meals throughout the school year.
Coming Up This Weekend!
We have even more fun planned for our students this weekend!
Trampoline Park — Students will have the opportunity to get active, have some fun, and enjoy time together outside of school this upcoming Saturday, Sept 5.
Movie Night — We are also planning an exciting movie night where students can relax, grab some snacks, and enjoy a movie together this upcoming Friday, Sept 4.
We are looking forward to another great weekend!
Residential Life Is On the Move!
You may have noticed one of our Residential Life vehicles looking a little different!
We recently had one of our vehicles wrapped with our awesome Residential Life sigil. We are excited to have a vehicle that represents our program and helps make Residential Life recognizable both on campus and throughout the community.
More to Come!
We are just getting started!
There are many more activities, trips, improvements, and community-building opportunities planned for our students throughout the year. We want Residential Life to be more than just a place where students live — we want it to feel like a community where students can make friends, create memories, try new things, and feel at home.
We are excited about what is ahead and look forward to sharing more updates with you throughout the school year!
Go Yellow Jackets!
Gilbert School Residential Life
Building community. Creating experiences. Making Gilbert feel like home.
June 2026
By Carolina Millan
During Spring Break, Isabella, one of our students from Brazil, participated in a trip to New York City organized by the Residential Life. As part of our commitment to supporting students who remain on campus during school breaks, the trip provided an opportunity to explore one of the world’s most exciting cities while creating lasting memories with fellow students. Pictured with Oakley, our beloved dorm dog, Isabella enjoyed a wonderful experience exploring NY and making the most of her spring break!
June 2026
By Carolina Millan
Bowling Fun at Bass Pro Bowl
International student Frank (to the right) and his local friend enjoying an afternoon of bowling together as Bass Pro. Building friendships both inside and outside the classroom is an important part of the Gilbert experience, and activities like these help create lasting memories and meaningful connections!
June 2026
By Carolina Millan
Reslife Pizza Party brings International students together with Mr. Susi
Our international students gathered for a special pizza party with Head of School Mr. Susi. The event provided an opportunity for students to share their experiences, discuss ideas, ask questions, and share some laughs within the Gilbert community. It was a wonderful evening filled with great conversations, laughter, and plenty of pizza!
May 2026
By Lauren Orr, International Dean of Student Affairs
Having a Desire to Contribute to a Clean Environment
Zixuan, Jiaye, and Kechen jumped at the opportunity to participate in a local hike and Earth Day clean up activity surrounding The Gilbert School and dormitory.
March 2026
By Lauren Orr, International Dean of Student Affairs
International Students Celebrate the 2026 Lunar New Year
新年快乐！International students galloped towards new beginnings welcoming more members (Isabela from Brazil, and Yulong from China) into the international family. Together they enjoyed a meal that symbolized the good fortune they hope this year brings. Combining Korean BBQ with Chinese Hotpot created the perfect opportunity for an interchange of culture and encouragement. 2026 Year of the Fire Horse.
January 2026
By Lauren Orr, International Dean of Student Affairs
“Braving a New England Winter”
This month international students embraced Connecticut holiday traditions as they visited Torrington’s Christmas Village. Enduring frigid temperatures waiting in line outside for hours to ensure they’d be on Santa’s “Nice” list for Christmas and observe his elves and reindeer at work.
Excited to thoroughly enjoy another snow day, Nicolas, Vitor, and Santiago went skiing and snowboarding for the first time.
December 2025
Article by Lauren Orr, International Dean of Student Affairs
David, Vitor, Nicolas, Erbudu, and Frank geared up for a race through the multi-level l 1,600-foot high speed go-kart track with seven changes in elevation. In the end, Frank proudly took first place leaving his friends behind to fight for second and third.
International student David, serves as pilot of TGS Yellowjacket drone team for the second year in a row. He is joined by teammates Natalie and Tobin, the team's coder and co-pilot.
Vitor, Nicolas, and Santiago enjoyed the end of Fall with a tour of Quinnipiac's beautiful campus on Open House Day, where they enjoyed complimentary apple cider donuts with a choice of the apple cider beverage served hot or cold. Afterwards, they hopped across the road for an easy hike up to the top of Sleeping Giant.
November 2025
International Students Enjoy Nature in New England
By Lauren Orr, International Dean of Student Affairs
This month, our international students had the opportunity to fully engage with nature. After learning about John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed, the group visited a local apple orchard. Nicolas, Santiago, Albert, and Vitor sampled several different apple varieties and even brought some home to share with friends.
The students also visited a butterfly garden, where they observed exotic insects and small animals from around the world. The experience allowed them to appreciate the beauty and diversity of nature up close.
October 2025
International Students Explore Their Artistic Side at AMP
By Lauren Orr, International Dean of Student Affairs
This month International students enjoyed taking part in the monthly Teen Art workshop held at the American Mural Project.
Inset photo, pictured left to right: Miss Ayanna, Sabrina, Sophia
Pictured below left to right: Sophia, Sabrina, Frank, Erbudu, Nicolas
September 2025
Welcome Back, International Students!
By Lauren Orr, International Dean of Student Affairs
The Gilbert School is thrilled to welcome our new and returning international students from vast parts of China and Brazil, who have brought their athletic talent, ambitious spirit, and school pride back to our community. Our students have already become vital members of our school community. This year, these students have wasted no time getting involved. They have already become members of our school choir, marching band, and several sports teams, including soccer, volleyball, football, and cross country. We are excited to see all they accomplish this fall, and we look forward to a successful season for our entire Gilbert School family.
Above, from left to right: Santiago, Vitor, Nicolas, Sabrina, Michael
Top photo: front - David; Top from left to right - Nicolas, Santiago, Vitor, Erbudu, Albert, Sabrina, Michael