September 2024

Dear GCHS Students,

High school can feel like a whirlwind – juggling classes, activities, friends, and maybe even figuring out what comes next. It's easy to get caught up in the future or stressed about the past. But here's the thing: the most amazing experiences happen right now, in this very moment.

So, take a deep breath and be present. Savor the roar of the crowd at a game, the laughter shared with friends, the "aha!" moment when a concept clicks. These are the moments that build memories and shape who you are.

Be present in the classroom. Engage in discussions, ask questions, and soak up the knowledge being offered. You never know when a spark of curiosity might ignite a lifelong passion.

Be present with your friends. Savor the laughter, the inside jokes, the moments of support. These relationships can shape you and become cherished memories.

Be present with yourself. Take time to reflect on your emotions, your interests, and your dreams. Don't be afraid to try new things and see where they lead.

High school is a launchpad, but it's also a journey. Embrace the adventure! Try new things, even if you're unsure. Listen to your teachers, but also listen to your own voice. There will be challenges, but there will also be incredible highs. #Bepresent for it all.

We have a few reminders as students are welcomed back:

Students may enter the building prior to 7:40am at the Merillon Ave. bus circle, Rockaway Ave. bus circle, or Receiving entrance behind the cafeteria. After 7:40am only the Merillon entrance will be open.
Classes are each 42 minutes long with 5 minutes passing time in between. Schedules on the SchoolTool portal will specify the specific times for each class.
Only 12th graders with Senior Privileges will be allowed to exit the school building during the day. All doors should remain closed and locked, and seniors can only enter through the Merillon entrance if they leave on privilege.
For lunch, students will be able to eat in the cafeteria or the outside veranda adjacent to the cafeteria. Students may also spend their free time in the library, which is air conditioned.
Food and drinks should not be delivered to school. This is a safety and security issue because it invites numerous strangers that are Uber, Doordash, etc. drivers that walk around the school looking for any way in to make deliveries. Many of these drivers do not know our school or community or about school safety protocols. Students are encouraged to bring lunch or purchase from the cafeteria. All drop offs are generally discouraged so students can practice self-responsibility and accountability. Coffee drinks are particularly disruptive because students ask to leave class to pick up their orders.
9th period ends at 2:43pm and buses all leave from the Merillon bus circle at about 2:50pm. Some students have different bus route numbers in the morning and afternoon. Please check your routes to avoid confusion on the first day.
Students should wear appropriate attire for school. We are reasonable and understanding, and appreciate everyone’s cooperation.
At Freshman Orientation, we encouraged the students to sign up for the Student Square app so that they can receive school communication, including messages from teachers, coaches and club advisors.
We welcome everyone to follow the school on Instagram @gardencityhs and also @gctrojannation for great content celebrating life here at GCHS!
Back to School Night is on Thursday September 5th starting at 7:00pm. Parents are invited to follow their students’ schedules to meet the teachers.
Homecoming will be on September 21st.

The Updates and Information page on our website includes links to many documents, including the Student Planner/Handbook, with policies and procedures students should be familiar with.

We will continue to keep you updated with any changes and about upcoming plans and events.

Sincerely,

Kevin Steingruebner

Principal

Archived:

September 2023

Welcome back to school, GCHS!

We are excited to welcome everyone back for classes starting Tuesday! We have already started fall season athletics, held marching band camp and hosted Freshman Orientation. Our faculty has been engaged in planning meetings, training and classroom preparation. We will continue to have high expectations and encourage everyone to be accountable for their decisions, therefore our theme this year is #BeAccountable.

Sincerely,

Kevin Steingruebner, Principal

#GCHS

#BeAccountable

August 2022

Dear GCHS Students,

We are always looking to be better. We strive to be better students, better teammates, better family members, and better people in general. How we do that is our challenge. Some of these challenges are shared with others and some we have to figure out on our own. Garden City High School is a place that we hope will allow you to face these challenges, to learn, and yes, to be better. The staff here is ready and willing to support you and guide you as you achieve your goals.

As a school community, we also aspire to greater achievements. We celebrate our academic success, athletic championships and college acceptances, but above all else we expect our students to become better people. We should be more respectful, provide more service and be kind to one another. Our expectations are high, which lead to better effort and opportunities to grow and develop. We want to ignore complacency and try to see how much we can achieve as individuals and as a whole. Let’s work together to make Garden City High School always better in every way.

Sincerely,

Kevin Steingruebner

Principal

#GCHS

#AlwaysBetter

August 2021

Dear GCHS Students,

The challenges of the last two school years because of the pandemic have caused us to make adaptations to the way we teach and learn in schools. Even though we have explored new ways to complete tasks and communicate with one another, we also learned that there is no substitute for in-person connections and the development of relationships with each other. Even with these challenges, we have strived to provide a comprehensive educational program for all of our students, a program that allows our students to be successful as they navigate high school and beyond.

We are always looking to improve. We are always looking for the next challenge and the next adventure that will allow us to make ourselves better. We look onward and upward in everything we do. Onward and upward means “toward a better condition or higher level”, “becoming increasingly successful and continuing to advance or make progress”. This is what we envision for Garden City High School. This is what we intend to do.

Sincerely

Kevin Steingruebner

Principal

#Onward&Upward

August 2020

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Dear Students, We have been faced with great challenges during the pandemic. We could have allowed the vicissitudes of this spring to bring our ability to move education forward to a halt, or at least slow us down, but we have not! Even before school closed in March the teachers of Garden City High School were making adjustments to increase the use of technology in their classrooms. Our plan was to make sure students would continue their classes as seamlessly as possible, even if we were not all together in the building. It wasn’t perfect, and we all had to adapt in order to be successful, and we all need to continue to do so as we move into this 2020-2021 school year. We gain more intelligence as we adapt, and become stronger and more resilient with every obstacle we overcome. Nobody knows how this school year will play out, but we will do our best to make the experiences for Garden City High School students as great as they can be! Our faculty is dedicated to working with you no matter the forum we are operating under. We must all continue to function with flexibility in mind, as news and information changes about the situation in society and around the world. This is a learning experience for all of us, and one that we will do together! I look forward to meeting these challenges and helping to guide you through them!

#WeAreAdapatable

Sincerely,

Kevin Steingruebner
Principal, GCHS

August, 2019

I am pleased to be part of a team of amazing educators at GCHS. The success of our school as a whole can be attributed to the high expectations met by many different parts working together. Our accolades range from academic success, like having the highest percentage of students in the state graduating with an Advanced Regents Diploma, to athletics, where we are state and county champs in multiple sports every year, to music & arts and volunteer service, which include hundreds of our students involved in activities and fundraising that benefit the community near and far.

It is important to me that every student feels welcome and comfortable at GCHS on a daily basis. My hope is that the culture of GCHS allows individuals to pursue their studies and participate in activities that are meaningful to them and will help them grow to be more productive and confident.

Our theme this year is #BelieveYouCan. It is derived from Teddy's Roosevelt's quote "Believe you can, and you're halfway there". It is another indicator that we all need to be in a positive mental state to move forward and achieve our goals.

Our website has lots of information and links to resources. Follow us on Twitter for up to date news and announcements.

I am honored by the opportunity to serve the community as GCHS Principal.

Thank you,

Kevin Steingruebner
Principal, GCHS

July, 2019

Dear Parents,

I am happy to report that my role in the Principal’s office has begun!

The administrative team at GCHS has a new look and is prepared to serve you and your students fairly and thoughtfully. Mr. Perrotta and I have been working together for the last ten years and are glad to welcome Martin Malone on board. Mr. Malone has previously served as an Assistant Principal in an interim role in the GC Middle School and Stewart School.

Our priority is to make the Garden City HS experience a meaningful and successful one within an environment that is safe and manageable for all of our students. I look forward to continuing the positive impact I have had on the GCHS community, and serving you and the students even better.

I am available during the summer along with other high school staff members to assist with any questions or concerns you have. Our website is continually being updated and has a variety of resources, including information about summer assignments under each department’s homepage. You can also follow our Twitter account for the latest HS related announcements and ongoing notifications. (https://twitter.com/Garden_City_HS)

I look forward to continuing my journey in Garden City and seeing you during the school year!

Kevin Steingruebner

steingruebnerk@gcufsd.net

516-478-2006

"To do more for the world than the world does for you - that is success." - Henry Ford

Garden City High School

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