Health & Fitness
Gillispie Commorates 60 Years at End-of-Year Celebration
The Gillispie School commemorated 60 years of providing exceptional education to La Jolla students with its end-of-year celebration Friday, May 31, 2013.
On Friday, May 31, The Gillispie School in downtown La Jolla held its annual end of year celebration at the School’s campus on 7380 Girard Avenue. This year’s celebration was exceptional, as it commemorated the School’s 60th year of instruction in the La Jolla community.
Incorporated in 1953 as the Gillispie Childcare Association, a small school for children of working parents, the School has since become a vibrant, diverse educational community serving children ages 2 to sixth grade.
The celebration included a historical exhibition featuring photos and reel-to-reel video footage of the School’s history, an alumni art and achievements exhibition, campus tours for alumni families, and a community art project allowing visitors to hand decorate tiles to be used for a future mosaic art piece.
Those in attendance were provided refreshments, treated to a performance by the School’s choir, and were able to participate in Gillispie’s “birthday” cake cutting ceremony.
Event speakers included head of school Alison Fleming, alumni parent and chair of the Tradition and Vision Fundraising Campaign for the School’s elementary school building Danny Lawrence, and Gillispie alumna and former student council president Siena Beacham.
Fleming’s speech reflected on the School’s recent achievements, including the construction of the new Field of Dreams playing field on Fay Street. “When you are celebrating a birthday, in this case, the life of our School, we have to appreciate growth and express gratitude for those who were the agents of change,” remarked Fleming, “We want our roots to reach down farther and wider so that we remain a nurturing place where children’s minds grow and their spirits soar.”
The Gillispie School was founded to support the children of La Jolla, both within its walls and without. With a vision of community engagement and ethical education, 60 years after the founding of the Gillispie Childcare Association, the School continues to deliver on that promise.
To learn more about The Gillispie School, visit www.gillispie.org.