GFW Schools
| GFW Schools | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
Gibbon, Minnesota(district office)
Sibley County,55335United States | |
| Coordinates | 44°32′4″N94°31′19″W/ 44.53444°N 94.52194°W |
| District information | |
| Type | Public |
| Motto | Fostering Lifelong Learners in a Caring Environment[citation needed] |
| Grades | PK–12 |
| Established | 1987 |
| Superintendent | Jeff Horton |
| Schools | Elementary (1), High (1) |
| NCESDistrict ID | 2712580 |
| Students and staff | |
| Students | 788 |
| Teachers | 58.56 |
| Staff | 49.23 |
| Student–teacher ratio | 13.46 |
| Athletic conference | Tomahawk(most sports), Gopher Valley AA (football) |
| District mascot | Thunderbirds |
| Colors | Red, black, and gold |
| Other information | |
| District Song | Notre Dame Victory March |
| MDE ID | 2365 |
| MSHSL ID | 520 |
| Website | http://www.gfw.k12.mn.us |
GFW Schoolsis an independent publicschool districtin south centralMinnesota.Originally formed to serve the communities ofGibbon,FairfaxandWinthrop,the district has expanded over time to encompasses large portions of other surrounding communities, including:
- Lafayette:GFW sponsors theLafayette Charter School.[1]
- BrowntonandStewart:GFW absorbed much of the formerMcLeod County Westschool district.[2]
Schools
[edit]The district consists of two schools (before 2020, one was in each of the original three communities):
- GFW Elementary School (also the district office) - K-5
- GFW High School- 6–12
The middle school in Fairfax, Minnesota was closed following the 2019-2020 school year where the 6-8th grades were brought to Winthrop.
School Board
[edit]The district's school board consists of six members (two from each of the three communities). The term of office is four years.
Technology Initiatives
[edit]Interactive Cable TV (ICTV) System
[edit]Launched in 1985, theSibley County Interactive Cable TV Systemwas a groundbreaking form ofdistance educationusinginteractive televisionthat drew national media attention. [3] [4]
iPad Initiative
[edit]Launched in 2010, the iPad Initiative made GFW one of the first schools in the nation to provide all of its high school students with iPads. Because of this, it became known as a pioneer in making the switch from physical textbooks to electronic textbooks, and consequently gained local and national press coverage. [5] [6] [7] [8]
For its trailblazing efforts, GFW was awarded the Apple Distinguished School award byApplefor the 2010-2011 school year. [9]
References
[edit]- ^"ProMusica Minnesota announces New Ulm series".
- ^Minnesota Public Radio (June 8, 2009)."The death of a school district".Minnesota Public Radio News.RetrievedMay 20,2016.
- ^"Just The Fax".The New York Times.November 5, 1989.RetrievedMay 20,2016.
- ^"Fax and TV team up in remote classroom learning program".thefreelibrary.com.RetrievedMay 20,2016.
- ^Tanner KentFree Press Staff Writer (April 11, 2010)."GFW students to get iPads".Mankato Free Press.RetrievedMay 20,2016.
- ^"ProMusica Minnesota announces New Ulm series".
- ^Tanner KentFree Press Staff Writer (September 16, 2010)."At GFW, it's iPads for all".Mankato Free Press.RetrievedMay 20,2016.
- ^"ProMusica Minnesota announces New Ulm series".
- ^"Winthrop News March 2, 2011 Page 9".stparchive.com.RetrievedMay 20,2016.
External links
[edit]- School districts in Minnesota
- Schools in Sibley County, Minnesota
- Schools in Renville County, Minnesota
- Schools in McLeod County, Minnesota
- Education in Sibley County, Minnesota
- Education in Renville County, Minnesota
- Education in McLeod County, Minnesota
- Educational institutions established in 1987
- 1987 establishments in Minnesota