Our Sense of Community

The City of Gobles and the surrounding townships which make up our school district are rich in natural resources and beauty, plus an old-fashioned sense of community that remind visitors of the way things ought to be. There are more than thirty-six freshwater lakes in the area, and while outdoor recreation brings many visitors to Gobles all four seasons of the year, for local residents it's just our way of life.

Agriculture is a big business, with blueberry farms and other fruit orchards, plus corn, soybeans, and other vegetables, and farms which produce livestock. Wahmhoff Tree Farm is a major supplier of live Christmas trees across the country, and every winter provides free trees to families of military in the Trees for Troops project.

The Wahmhoff Farms Trees for Troops Project is a service to military families (top right), while summers in Gobles mean lots of time spent at one of the areas many freshwater lakes (bottom right).

The heart of our community is the Gobles Public School District, and the schools are the community's pride and joy. Pictured below are a few of the ways the school and community share a special, supportive relationship:

Picture of Student & Community carrying Christmas Tree

Picture of Kids jumping off a raft into the water

Picture of students looking at the the holocaust memorabilia

The Gobles Foundation

The Gobles Foundation administers and provides special funds to the school district for exceptional opportunities to enhance and support our educational programs. The board of the foundation is made up of community members, and each year the board grants thousands of dollars for special programs, such as the program that brought Holocaust survivor Irving Roth to Gobles, pictured above showing the tattoo of serial numbers put on his arm while at the Auschwitz concentration in Poland, 1944.

Picture of elementary and high school students working together

Mentorship

The close proximity of our elementary and middle/high school buildings allow for unique opportunities to have responsible older children work with, mentor, and tutor younger students, such as our Big Brother/Big Sister Program. Student leaders are nominated by teachers, and they then work to support and mentor younger students, even when it's just a matter of building something out of legos.

Picture of Gobles Staff and students for walk run wellness initiative at the Gobles School track.

Gobles Cares Wellness Initiative

Started in 2013, the Gobles Cares Wellness Initiative is a combination of education and public awareness around a health issue that impacts a local student or students, plus a school community 1 mile walk/5K run to raise funds to support progress in that area. This year the focus was cystic fibrosis, and it was chosen to shed light on the experience and condition of Gobles eighth grade student Mackenzie Pennell, pictured above in the light blue jacket. With Mackenzie (from left) are Gobles Mayor Carol Johnson, Gobles superintendent Jeff Rehlander and his wife Tracy, plus Mackenzie's mom Stephanie.

Transitional Experiences

Adult community members support our programs and students in many ways, such as the yearly "Reality Store" in which seniors and students in Home Economics classes are given a simulated job and salary, then have to figure out how to budget that money to make it in the "real world". Students interact with real professionals, such as insurance agents, real estate professionals, accountants, and other community members who can provide a dose of reality to get students thinking about adult responsibilities after high school.