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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

Enrichment Classes

Co-Curricular Enrichment Classes are an important hallmark of our school. The following Enrichment Classes are generally offered during the school year.

COMPUTER SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Kindergarten-8th grade students learn programming along with essential computer hardware, software and Internet services using the MIT-approved Creative Computing curriculum.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Kindergarten-8th grade students have 2-3 PE classes per week. Students learn and improve upon different physical skills while learning the rules and gameplay of many sports. We stress the importance of sportsmanship, teamwork, and having fun no matter the sport!

SPANISH

All students learn the phonetics, grammar and vocabulary of the Spanish language. They explore the culture, history and geography of Spanish-speaking countries. Students master simple phrases which they can use in everyday life. Middle school students graduate from 8th grade with high school Spanish credit.

LIBRARY

Weekly library classes with our staff librarian help foster an interest in reading and research. Our 7,000+ volume collection is a great resource for student projects and recreational enjoyment. Students have the opportunity to check out books every week.

WORLD RELIGIONS

Religion and World Cultures studies are designed for students in grades 4-8. The 4th, 5th, and 6th graders creatively study the Hebrew and Greek Bible stories, values, and history. 7th and 8th graders examine the major world religions: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Students will experience group activities, spontaneous acting, quizzes, games, hot seats (guest speakers), songs, symbols, creative praying, videos, research, public speaking, student-led chapels, and field trips shaping the students’ global values.

a student studying how to make different types of wands