Gillispie is committed to educational excellence for children in young preschool through sixth grade. Our academic programs use a cross-disciplinary, hands-on constructivist approach to prepare children for their future in a way that is engaging and nurtures kindness, respect, resilience, and confidence.
We combine a child-centered approach with well-researched academic programs that demand higher-level thinking. Students partner with teachers to develop authentic, inquiry-driven explorations that are relevant to real-life situations and build strength of character by treating each other with kindness and celebrating the differing views and life experiences of our vibrant community.
We are experts in childhood education. A Gillispie education creates learning foundations for life for children ages two through twelve.
These are the years that make all the difference. We celebrate childhood, not rush it!
Your child will construct knowledge through relevant, cross-disciplinary, project-based learning.
Our graduates enroll at top schools and have a love of learning, think originally, care for their community, and exhibit kindness to others.
Research, experience, and observation tell us that children learn so much more at school than just reading, writing, and math. Through their interactions with their peers and teachers, your child will also develop important life skills.
Gillispie School is dedicated to providing a nurturing environment where your child feels safe and supported as they develop their character and confidence and explore their academic passions. Our Gillispie ICARE Values are the framework of this important work and our school’s culture. Focusing on the values of Integrity, Compassion, Attitude, Respect, and Effort, Gillispie faculty and students work together to create an environment that inspires joyful learning and a vibrant community that is kind, honest, empathetic, hardworking, and respectful.
Rather than delivering facts for students to memorize, many of the studies in our classrooms are inquiry-driven and teach students to research, define, analyze, and communicate creative ideas. Our core academic curriculum is balanced with daily integrated specialty classes in art, science & design, music, media literacy, Spanish, and P.E.
Students learn to form and test their ideas, make cross-disciplinary connections, and apply new information to their own observations and experiences. They develop strong problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, a love of learning, and boundless creativity – preparing them exceptionally well for any middle school environment and beyond!
At Gillispie, your child is an active participant in their educational journey.
“School gets a lot more fun when you make your own decisions. On a scale of 1 to 10, Gillispie would be a 15–off the charts!”
Gillispie’s Early Childhood Program offers thoughtful, facilitated learning through play and socialization. Nurtured in a diverse and vibrant environment, your child will learn from a social constructivist approach that integrates an emergent curriculum with specialty programs in P.E., music, library, and art.
We believe each child comes to Gillispie with their own thoughts and experiences, and our role is to celebrate their uniqueness and nurture their love of learning by exploring their curiosities. Our Reggio Emiliainspired teachers observe, question, and listen to their students to build a unique curriculum of learning experiences based on the combined interests and knowledge.
In both our indoor and outdoor classrooms, your child will explore their environment and learn to take healthy risks, individually and collectively. Through interacting with their peers and shared handson learning experiences, they will build communication skills, learn social cues, and respond to their emotions in a productive manner.
Your child’s school days will be filled with songs and books, building and design, science and mathematics, nature and art, indoor-outdoor exploration and play with friends and more! Through these activities, Gillispie offers opportunities that develop flexible mindsets in finding solutions and encourages children to confidently work through social-emotional and academic challenges.
Gillispie serves younger and older children on the same campus. Because of this, our students keep their close friendships and benefit by growing up together. In elementary school, students will also continue to learn through project-based, student-driven activities to further grow their curiosity for life and learning.
Grades
Young Preschool (ages 2+) through Prekindergarten
Full or half days, Monday - Friday 3 or 5 day schedule options available
Half day: 8:30 a.m. - noon
Full day: 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Prekindergarten Schedule
Full day: Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Extended Care
3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
“From that first day our child visited Gillispie, we knew we had found something special. They say it takes a village, and we are so lucky Gillispie helped shape our kids’ childhoods. They are kind, curious, and confident because of lessons learned here.”
There’s a reason that Gillispie graduates are accepted into and thrive at top independent secondary schools and local public schools.
Gillispie elementary students are guided by superior academics integrated with specialty programs to provide a whole-child curriculum.
Gillispie’s academic programs connect multiple disciplines together to design authentic, inquiry-driven explorations that ignite our students’ creative and intellectual potential. Your child will learn core academic subjects while making connections to their everyday use.
In addition to rigorous academics, specialty classes are integrated into daily curriculum. Your child will actively participate in the core subjects of language arts, math, and social studies, as well as in the specialties of science and design, P.E., music, visual arts, Spanish, and media literacy and technology. These programs are mindfully crafted to give your child a deeper understanding of topics and discover the fascinating connections between all ideas and subjects.
You will often see your child exploring multiple facets of an academic subject in most (if not all) of their specialty classes! A peek inside the specialty classrooms finds children:
• Hand printing self-designed tessellations during an integrated math/art unit;
• Coding an augmented reality world of a scene from the play they are studying in language arts;
• Building scaled-down sets and composing background music to be used in a video trailer for a novel they read;
• Writing and practicing chants and cheers in Spanish for their “World Cup” soccer tournament held during PE;
• Researching local birds to determine specifications for the perfect birdhouse to be built and sold to raise money for the Audubon Society.
Grades
Kindergarten to Grade 6
School Day
8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Extended Care
Morning: 7:30 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.
Afternoon: 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
• Language Arts
• Math
• Science and Design
• Social Studies
• Music
• Visual Arts
• P.E.
• Spanish
• Library
• Technology
• Community Service
• Social Curriculum
“Academics at Gillispie are excellent, and their focus on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) encourages curiosity, creativity, and critical skills for the future. My children love going to school at Gillispie and feel confident and happy there every day.”
Here are more ways your child can engage in learning opportunities throughout the year.
After-School Enrichment Programs
(Preschool through Grade 6)
While the school day ends at 3:00 p.m., many learning opportunities are just beginning. Enroll your child in fee-based enrichment classes offered right here on campus.
Parent Toddler Exploration Program (PTEP)
(20 - 36 month toddlers and their Parent/Caregiver)
Join our PTEP for fun-filled mornings of open-ended creative experiences. Meet other toddler-aged children, parents, and caregivers while you explore a wide range of expressive materials together. With you by their side (and educators by yours), your child will learn how to build relationships through shared experiences and self-discovery as they prepare to enter into a preschool program.
Summer Session Classes
(Preschool through Grade 6)
Enrollment during the regular school year at Gillispie puts your child first in line for our popular summer camps. Morning and afternoon classes allow students to hone emerging talents and explore new interests.
Some examples:
• Painting
• Music
• Theater
• Video Production
• Chess
• Hip Hop
• Cooking
• Soccer
• Printmaking
• Science Lab
• Photography
• Gymnastics
• Space Camp
• Woodworking
• Fencing
• Ceramics
• Coding
“From day one, Gillispie welcomed us with open arms and open hearts. Our boys spent their formative years on this incredible campus with the faculty. We are so grateful for all Gillispie does for our community, for the sanctuary and nurturing environment it provided for our children, and the world class education they received. A Gillispie education is echoed in every child that goes through Gillispie and shines forth for all to see. We have made lifelong friends here and will always call it home.”
For over 70 years, Gillispie students have also benefited from the many world-renowned resources that La Jolla and its community members have to offer. Teachers and students frequently take walking field trips to the ocean and nearby tide pools, partner with local universities and institutions, hear from visiting experts from award-winning writers to groundbreaking scientists, and visit beautiful local parks, aquariums, libraries and museums.
Through intentional programming and planning, our educators inspire a lifetime of joyful learning and curiosity in our students. Thanks to an incredibly generous gift, The Gillispie Endowment for Excellence in Teaching now stands at roughly $5 million and is used to foster the most important factor in students’ success in school – effective, inspired, and engaged teachers!
This Endowment gives Gillispie the ability to recruit teachers nationally, retain excellent teachers, and offer discretionary funds to recognize extraordinary work, as well as promote continuing education and professional growth through inservice trainings, conferences and workshops, and advanced teaching degrees and certifications.
Located in the heart of the village of La Jolla, Gillispie’s 2.33 acre campus is home to beautiful indoor and outdoor learning spaces and classrooms, a historic art bungalow, science and design lab, sports field, library and media center, music room, gym with a climbing wall, theater and more! Our one-of-a-kind outdoor spaces and Sandbox building are designed to enrich classroom offerings and foster interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation.
Home is an extension of what happens at school and vice versa, and parent partnerships are crucial to our work at Gillispie. We provide parents with frequent one-on-one and grade level check-ins and access to online programs for weekly updates on classroom projects. Parents are also involved in schoolday activities, community service projects, and other Gillispie events. Whether as a hot lunch server, a classroom Room Parent, or as a volunteer for beloved celebrations like International Day, parent contributions of time and skill make Gillispie a home away from home.
Gillispie School began as a small cottage that served hot meals and provided early childhood education to children of single mothers and working families in La Jolla. In honor of this legacy and our ICARE values, Gillispie students, families, faculty and staff are excited to give back to the community by planning and participating in a number of meaningful service projects throughout the year.
Gillispie School is accredited by: The Western Association of Schools and Colleges and The California Association of Independent Schools.
Gillispie School does not discriminate in its educational programs, activities, or admissions and employment practices based on race, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, religion, ancestry, or any other legally protected class.
