Make front page both static and include latest posts

You could add the content manually to your theme’s index.php template file before the Loop. Or you could make the same file widget-ready and add content via a Text widget.

I have put Sticky Posts at the top with information I want a new visitor to see first – not a Page but did what I wanted for my visitors

(I put a Post for general comments that says “Welcome……”, and the next Post has Important links for more information (my site is about boating safety and education) – then Post #3 is the latest Post)

Adding the content to the index.php does what I want except for one thing. I had a gallery at the top of the page with thumbnails of all the images on the page. With the content in the index.php everything shows up except for that gallery. It uses the code [gallery]. Is there a way I can get that to show up the way it would on a normal static page?

Actually I just realized adding the content to index.php is not what I want. When I do that it adds the content to all pages and I only want it on the front page. I may have to go with a sticky post but I was hoping to avoid all the clutter that makes on the front page and having unnecessary posts.