Our Values

GILLISPIE'S ICARE VALUES

True education goes beyond textbooks—it's about shaping character and empathy.

Research, experience, and common sense show that children learn more at school than just reading, writing, and math. While these academic skills are essential, they must be balanced with a nurturing environment where children can develop their moral character.

To support this, we have established a set of values that provide a framework for social-emotional learning.

The values of Integrity, Compassion, Attitude, Respect, and Effort (ICARE) are integral to our culture and curriculum. Students not only know these values but live by them.

Guided by our ICARE values, our faculty and students create an environment that fosters kindness, honesty, empathy, hard work, and respect.

Our integrated social-emotional approach includes:

  • The Responsive Classroom method, creating a nurturing environment where everyone feels safe and supported. This approach helps students learn to collaborate, solve problems together, and build confidence as a team.

  • Assembly presentations by administrators, outside experts, and students on topics like bullying prevention and inclusion

  • Classroom discussions ranging from teacher-guided lessons to student-led journal sharing

  • Connection-finding exercises that relate values to events in history, literature, and students' own lives

  • A full-time school counselor

Gillispie students show they care about themselves, each other, and the world around them by exhibiting:

INTEGRITY

Being Honest and Taking Responsibility

COMPASSION

Having Empathy and Being Mindful and Generous

ATTITUDE

Having a Positive Outlook and Being Kind

RESPECT

Holding Myself, Others, and the Environment in High Regard

EFFORT

Doing My Best with a Growth Mindset and a Willingness to Try

YOU BELONG HERE

Welcome to our community.

From our start in 1933, Gillispie has been a socially conscious member of the community. Guided by our core value of empathy, Gillispie School strives to be a unique place of belonging.

Our community of students, families, faculty and staff, and trustees represents the larger community. We value unique experiences and encourage active participation so that every member feels known, valued, and supported.

We celebrate and reflect our differences in age, culture, ethnicity, family structure, gender and gender identity, group affiliation, national origin, physical and mental ability, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status.

NO PLACE FOR HATE INITIATIVE

School culture impacts students—so why not let them lead the way?

Guided by our full-time schoool counselor, nearly 40 students in grades four to six participated during the 2024-2025 school year. Empowered to be school leaders, students actively shaped a positive school culture by sharing their ideas, voices, and perspectives, helping everyone feel accepted and welcomed at Gillispie.

Gillispie School Signs No Place For Hate Pledges
Scroll to Top