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About
Our Location Makes Us Special

Nestled at the corner of the James River and Forest Hill Park, GSES capitalizes on learning in the community.

Where Inspiration Meets Community

Our curriculum maximizes the use of our community and inspires our students to serve our neighbors and learn typical subjects in compelling and thought-provoking new ways.
Admissions
Call for a Tour
The best way to learn if GSES is the right place for your family is to visit. Please call the school at 804-231-1452 to arrange a personal tour.

Visits
Throughout the school year, GSES will provide opportunities for prospective families to visit for group tours and information sessions. Our open houses and visit days are the perfect opportunities for prospective students to get a taste of life in a GSES classroom.
Academics
Small Classes Allow for Big Experiences

Our small size provides big opportunities for learning. With a student to teacher ratio of 8:1, students receive the personalized attention to grow at their own pace and learn about subjects that matter to them in addition to the core academic subjects.

Innovative Learning
Our supportive environment allows students to take risks in their learning. Building a catapult that doesn't work teaches far more than a catapult that does. Feeling safe to try new things, while being carefully guided through challenging subjects, encourages our students to thrive.
Programs
We LOVE the Outdoors
Our outdoor education program takes advantage of our location near the James River and Forest Hill Park. Lessons often take students on adventures such as searching for local quarry stone in the neighborhood, measuring the velocity of student-built boats as they float down the James River, or collecting native pawpaws to use in cooking.
Community
Community Cleanup
Our families show up for GSES. Each August, our students and their families help clean the school grounds in preparation for the new school year. This is just one of the many ways we work together to create a united and close community.
Support
Supporting GSES
As GSES approaches its 50th year, families, alumni, and friends loyally provide support for the school's academic programs, as well as capital improvements to school facilities. Over the past few years, funds from generous donors have provided for library and Parish Hall renovations, as well as classroom enhancements and special programming.

In This Section

The Gift of Outdoor Education

Elizabeth Coleman reading to K in Forest Hill Park

The Gift of Outdoor Education

January 21, 2021

The year 2020 was a year full of challenges, and through the challenges, I have found my greatest refuge in the outdoors. As Outdoor Education director, I have also been fortunate enough to spend time with students in all nine grades in the outdoor spaces afforded to us in the Forest Hill neighborhood. Having access to the nearby James River Park System, Forest Hill Park, Wayside Spring, and Owl Orchard Community Garden has been the greatest gift I could imagine our students could receive this year. The Outdoor Education Program has provided our children joyful and engaging experiences that foster curiosity about the natural world. Rather than feeling locked down, students have explored trails, observed wildlife, conversed with trees, and discovered the gifts of peace and freedom bestowed by the outdoors. While I look forward to the year ahead, I can’t help but feel thankful for the opportunity we have had to thrive in our outdoor spaces. For all of us, particularly our young children, the curiosity and connection sparked by outdoor learning has been a much-needed antidote to the stress of 2020.

I invite you to learn more about our Outdoor Education Program at https://www.gses.org/programs/outdoor-education.

Elizabeth Coleman
Director of Outdoor Education