Our Values

ICARE

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

INCLUSION AT GILLISPIE

We are a unique place of belonging for all.

From our start in 1933, Gillispie has been a socially conscious member of the community. With a continued focus on our value of empathy and inclusion model, Gillispie School strives to be a unique place of belonging for all constituencies.

Our community of students, families, faculty and staff, and trustees represent the larger community. We value diverse experiences, and we encourage active participation in equitable practices so that all are known, valued, and find a place of belonging.

We celebrate and reflect diversity 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?

With the support of our full-time school counselor, we have implemented the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) “No Place for Hate” initiative. This program aligns with our ICARE values and empowers students in grades four to six to be school leaders, actively shaping a positive school culture by sharing their ideas, voices, and perspectives.

In the 2023-2024 school year, 33 students participated, planning school-wide activities and discussions to promote respect and inclusion for diverse backgrounds and identities, helping everyone feel accepted and welcomed at Gillispie.

No Place For Hate
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