The Gillispie School’s Serve.Lead.Succeed Team spent time this summer giving back to the community by working in support of the Murals of La Jolla Project.
The Gillispie School’s Serve. Lead. Succeed (SLS) Summer Team has been giving back to the community this summer by working in support of the Murals of La Jolla Project, a public art initiative sponsored by the La Jolla Community Foundation.
Gillispie’s SLS team is comprised of upper elementary school students who have a passion for serving others and are not afraid of a little hard work. The team works on various service-based projects throughout the school year, but chose to focus on the Murals Project as a special summer initiative.
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"I was so inspired when our art teacher Ms. Susan Walters took my second grade class on a walking field trip of the murals this past spring,” said Ms. Chelsey Watkins, Gillispie second grade teacher and SLS Team advisor of why the Murals Project was chosen.
“I wanted to help my team understand just how much hard work, passion, and commitment is needed to keep our communities beautiful and unique. The Murals of La Jolla project is a prime example of how dedicated community members work together to enrich the lives of those who live, work, and visit La Jolla through stunning pieces of art," explained Watkins.
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The team was introduced to the project with a special presentation by former Gillispie parent and Murals of La Jolla art curator and advisor Lynda Forsha. Forsha explained the history of the project to the students before leading them on a walking tour of five of the murals around La Jolla Village.
The students the had the privilege of hearing presentations by the original Murals of La Jolla artist Kim MacConnel, and Patsy Marino, fundraising coordinator for the Project. During the presentations, they were able to explore the artistic process by coming up with their own mural designs and learned more about what it takes to raise financial support for such large-scale community art pieces.
With that knowledge, the SLS Team hosted a special information booth at the La Jolla Athenaeum on Friday, July 26. The booth sought to raise awareness for the Murals of La Jolla Project, and the students were able to sell notecards with their own, unique mural designs on them to raise funds for the Project.
Gillispie’s SLS team is looking forward to working on a number of community service projects during the coming school year. To learn more about Gillispie’s Serve.Lead.Succeed Team, contact Chelsey Watkins at cwatkins@gillispie.org.
About The Gillispie School
The Gillispie School is an independent, coeducational day school located in downtown La Jolla enrolling students from age two through Grade Six. The Gillispie School’s mission is to provide educational excellence while serving as a springboard for children’s love of learning, creativity and readiness for the future. To learn more, visit www.gillispie.org.
