Since 2023, Science-Design students have kicked off the school year with the ICARE Community Mural Project, a thoughtful, hands-on exploration of Gillispie's ICARE Values.
Students in Grades 2–6 begin by exploring their grade’s assigned ICARE value—what it means and what it looks like to put that value into practice. Through discussion and reflection, students consider how their value can guide the choices they make and the ways they interact with others.
This year, the project took on a new dimension by connecting the ICARE Values to Gillispie’s new Behavior Matrix, which establishes shared expectations for different spaces around campus. Students brainstormed the many places they move through during the school week and considered how their ICARE value might look or sound in each setting. What does respect look like on the playground? How might we show compassion in the lunch area? These conversations help students see that our values are more than words—they are something we practice every day, wherever we are.
Each student distills their thinking into a short statement, then combines it with a handprint and original artwork that is laser cut onto colorful wood squares. In a few weeks, the Sandbox lunch deck will be filled with heartfelt messages reflecting the many ways our students are learning to live Gillispie’s ICARE Values across campus.