Gibraltar Trains Teachers on Trauma and Informed Care

Sevastopol athletic complex almost ready for some football

The Gibraltar Area School District board has prioritized two initiatives for the well-being of students and staff members. In addition to focusing on best practices, student needs and learning gaps linked to COVID-19–altered schedules during the previous two school years, the educators will work on ways to recognize specific students’ needs.

“There seems to be more things that staff in general have to be conscious of, from trauma and informed care, which is part of social-emotional learning and mental health,” said Superintendent Brett Stousland. “There seem to be more things that we want our teachers to be aware of and trained on.” 

The district has five days set aside for teachers to meet for professional development at the end of this month and the beginning of September. 

The district will dedicate all of Sept. 2 to education on “trauma and informed care.”

But it won’t stop after that day. Stousland said the district is starting a mental-health liaison committee that Lisa Wing, pupil services director, will lead using guidelines from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

In addition, the Gibraltar district has also resurrected its safety committee. Stousland said some entrances, features within the facilities and various practices and procedures may need attention.

“We had an outside company come in a week ago and do a security and overall business assessment,” Stousland said. “They went through every part of our school, and their report should be back to us within three weeks. From there, that will help determine whether to upgrade a few things. It’s not just door and window security; it’s really anything related to the health and safety of our students and staff.”

The committee will include members of local law enforcement, fire departments and other emergency responders “to make sure we’re all on the same page,” Stousland said.

Gibraltar board members, several of whom are new this year, as well as the new superintendent, were scheduled to discuss priorities and procedures during an Aug. 24 board retreat.

District residents, students and parents can find out more, meet the new teachers and superintendent, and see the facilities during an open house Sept. 1, 3-5 pm. Although other Door County students will return to school Sept. 1, Gibraltar students will go back Sept. 6. Gibraltar dedicated a week to professional development and added one professional-development day to the school-year calendar.

Sevastopol Athletic Complex Update

When Sevastopol hosts its first home football game Sept. 9, one corner of the athletic complex between the gridiron and the school will remain a construction zone. Miron Construction project superintendent Travis Paholke said the goal is to complete a concession stand, emergency-care room and referees’ locker room by the end of September.

The second phase of the district’s athletic-facilities upgrades follows last year’s project, which included constructing new bleachers, an all-weather track and reconfigured field-event areas. The district started its $900,000 second-phase project with a $500,000 donation, and boosters and school officials have a goal of finishing it using donated funds only.

As of Aug. 19, Miron’s crew had finished the foundation of the new building and had assembled the top of the building. The rafters, trusses and roof sat alongside the building while the workers completed plumbing and other mechanical features within the new building’s footprint.

“Block will be delivered this week,” said Kyle Luedtke, Sevastopol Schools superintendent. “The goal is to have an occupancy date of Sept. 19, with a grand opening on Sept. 30.”

Sevastopol’s football team will travel for most of its September games, and the old concession stand will remain in use for the Sept. 9 game. Fans should be able to get refreshments from the new stand during the Sept. 30 Homecoming game.