News and Events

Gilman's Upper School presents the Winter Staged Reading Series: “The 39 Steps” in Gilman's Alumni Auditorium, January 29–31. Get tickets now!

Associate Director of College Counseling Anna Follensbee is quoted in Forbes in a December 30, 2025, article titled, “Don't Second Guess Your College Application.” Her guidance explains the nature of the admissions process, and she advises students who have received disappointing decisions to “look forward.” Congratulations, Ms. Follensbee!

“Being creative is what makes us human. The greatest gift you can give someone else is the act of creativity,” said noted sculptor David Hess '82, who returned to campus on January 7, 2026, to present the second annual Francis “Boo” Smith '70 Memorial Lecture for the Arts in a conversation with Gilman Arts Department Chair Karl Connolly.

Congratulations to the CyberHounds, the seventh grade robotics team that won first place at the Battle by the Bay competition in December. The team received praise from a judge who said that its presentation and innovative project were among the best he had seen.

At a special Early Childhood assembly, everyone — students, faculty, and administrators alike — wore PJs and snuggled with stuffed friends as Head of School Henry Smyth read wintry books.

“Aim as high as you possibly can — you will never know your potential until you try it.” Those were just a few words of advice shared at Gilman’s first Career Corner, which welcomed more than 30 alumni and parents to campus to share career insights with all Upper School students.

Caldecott Award-Winning, New York Times best-selling author and illustrator Dan Santat visited with a variety of groups from the Gilman community — and there wasn’t a single participant who wasn’t wowed by Santat. “I love telling stories more than I love drawing,” he said, “so I use drawing as a means to tell stories.”

“Truly give of yourselves. Share your gifts, spread what it truly means to be Gilman for others. Enjoy your time here, but open yourself up to the possibility you might be able to serve someone new, and someone new might be in a position to serve you.” Those are reflections shared by former U.S. Army Captain Andrew Katz ’13 when he spoke at the Upper School’s Veterans Day assembly on Nov. 11.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Dr. Isaac Stanley-Becker spoke at Upper School assembly as part of the A. J. Downs Writers at Work lecture series. Stanley-Becker read from a story he wrote for The Atlantic, titled “Portland’s War Zone is Like Burning Man for the Terminally Online,” about his visit to Portland, Oregon, during the protest outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility.