Monthly Archives: November 2011

November 17, 2011

To my delight, Gillispie children at a recent K-2 assembly shared the following details about why they’re thankful. I grouped some of their thoughts into categories and included some connecting language, but preserved their choice of words, which is uniquely theirs.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Alison Fleming
Head of School

I’m thankful for my family and that we take care of one another—I love my sisters and brothers, my parents and grandparents

I’m grateful for moms and dads because without them, we couldn’t survive

I love my pets and animals (cats, dogs, fish, frogs, elephants, bunnies, and piggies)

I’m glad I have a home, food, shoes, a cozy bed
. . . and for the sun, the ocean, nature, for life on Earth and in the universe

I’m grateful for present giving and holidays

I’m thankful for school (reading, P.E., recess, science, and art to name a few); for my teachers and friends

I appreciate my dad’s company; that he’s on TV; and he’s winning trials

I embrace Legos, ear piercings, video games, I-pads, electricity, cars, the La Jolla Rec Center, Hawaii, and Mount Everest

I love sports (soccer, baseball, basketball, dodge ball, gymnastics, and football)
. . . singing, music, dancing, fun, swings, and slides

I’m thankful I have good health (including strong bones and a heart); that I’m myself; and for being alive

I’m thankful for God, love, life, peace on earth, and the whole wide world.

November 10,2011

Academically, the Gillispie programs noted below are part of our science and sustainability curriculum. From a child’s point of view, however, it’s about rolling up their sleeves, getting dirty, and having fun.

“The goal of my meetings with Kindergarten and Grade 1 students is to give these young learners a deep, ongoing, and hands-on understanding of the systematic taking-apart and recycling of nutrients in nature and, with our help, in human environments as well. Aside from the regular collection of campus-generated food scraps and our tending to the compost heap and worm bins, activities so far this year include:

harvesting the worm castings from the vermiculture bins (with the help of composting expert, parent Erin M.);
collecting fallen brown leaves around campus to balance the carbon with the nitrogen in compost piles;
learning about coffee grounds, their origins, and their use in composting;
reading stories relating to decomposition;
studying the temperature of an active compost pile; and
looking for and tallying the different ‘composting critters’ living in our composting systems.”
Mr. Edwards
Science Teacher

“During our gardening time, both Kindergarten and Grade 1 have been busy preparing the soil for fall planting. We have added worm castings from the worm bins to enrich the soil. Kindergarteners have worked consistently to weed their plots in order to plant an area by their rooms–so far they have planted bulbs, seeds, and seedlings. The first graders should be picking greens and enjoying salad from their garden soon! We also have bug patrol, which involves hand picking the insects off our plants. Some end up in their rooms for observation in bug ‘homes!’ They are learning that gardening is so much more than planting.”

Mrs. Kerr
Grades K & 1 Gardening Teacher

November 3, 2011

Today at the two elementary school assemblies, the fourth grade classes spoke about their work at the San Diego Food Bank and kicked off Gillispie’s 2011 Food Drive.

During their announcement, the students taught us that there are approximately 483,000 San Diegans that often go hungry, half of whom are children.

When the fourth graders visited the Food Bank for more than two hours in late October, they both learned and took action.

They learned, as shared at the assemblies, why people might go to a soup kitchen or food bank:

Individuals who have jobs still might not make enough money to provide food for their families;
Someone may lose a job because of an accident or because of lay-offs in hard economic times; or
Natural disasters might occur.
They took action by:

Handling 3,000 pounds of donated food as they checked for expiration dates and ensured that all items were sealed and in good condition
Sorting items by category (soup, pasta, etc.)
As the fourth graders outlined, Food Drive details include:

Collection bins will be out on Fay and in Gillispie’s front lobby from Monday, November 7, through Thursday, November 17.
Items should not be perishable but should have substantial packaging (so that contents are not crushable). Examples include canned goods (such as tuna, vegetables, and fruits), beans, soups, and pasta.
Glass containers and candy are not good choices.

 Thank you, fourth graders, for leading by example and teaching us about this important issue.
Alison Fleming
Head of School