Values and Community "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'" - Martin Luther King, Jr. In honor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service last week, Grade 2 students participated in a beach clean-up at La Jolla Shores. Students collected data on the amount and type of trash they collected that will be sent to the City of San Diego for their records. We are proud of our students for helping keep...
As a kick off to the school-wide food drive, Grade 4 students recently visited Feeding San Diego where they sorted, packed, and weighed potatoes, pears, and squash donated by local farms. By the end of the three-hour shift, the children had packed 2500 pounds of food. The food was later delivered and distributed to the organization's mobile pantries around San Diego as well as the UCSD diabetic wellness program. Feeding San Diego feeds over 65,000 people a week, and...
Working on this year’s goal of building empathy, at a recent assembly kindergarteners through second graders discussed the importance of practicing kindness daily. I challenged these children to perform two acts of kindness—one at home and one at school—that were to cost nothing monetarily and where nothing was expected in return. Some heartfelt examples are described below. One kindergartner explained, “Last night when my brother wasn’t feeling that good, we went to go get ice cream and...
Values and Community It's a tradition for the Grade 6 students to start off their final year at Gillispie with an overnight team building trip. Last week, they packed their bags and headed out for an excursion full of activities, including mountain biking in Mission Beach, kayaking on the bay, and camping at Crystal Cove in Laguna. This annual trip helps the class bond, build community, and learn to work together! About Gillispie School: We are an independent toddler through Grade...
Values and Community This year, students in Juniper Room are book buddies with Mrs. Stolzenbach's 2nd grade class. Every six school days, the children will meet for 20 minutes outside on the grassy hill to read stories together. The book buddy program is a wonderful way to promote cross-collaboration and build community among different age groups on campus. We have noticed that the Preschool students tend to look up to the older children, while their older peers take pride in...
Recently, we had our first elementary assemblies and the focus was on Gillispie Values. During both large-group, then small-group discussions, students provided excellent definitions and examples of how integrity, compassion, attitude, respect, and effort can look on the playground, at the lunch table, in the classroom, and even off campus. Particularly impressive was the newly-minted kindergarteners’ understanding of the Gillispie Values. Some thoughts shared (in the words of the children): Integrity • When you don’t complete an assignment, don’t...