WHO WE ARE

Welcome to St. Giles

For more than 90 years, St. Giles School has served the families of Oak Park, Elmwood Park, Galewood and surrounding neighborhoods. Since the school opened its doors in 1928, its singular commitment has never wavered: preparing children to be people of faith imbued with a lifelong love of learning and spirit of service to others.

Our halls are filled with dedicated and dynamic faculty committed to educational excellence, preschool through eighth graders exploring a rigorous interdisciplinary curriculum, spirited students bursting with pride in being a St. Giles Lion, and inspiring learning environments featuring the latest technology to drive academic advancement.

As a veteran educator, I know the challenge that parents face as they consider how best to educate their children and their intellectual, social, emotional and spiritual needs. St. Giles School's mission and values—our very identity—delivers on those needs every day. We invite you to discover more about our school and community.

Meg Bigane,
Principal

345

Students

244

Families

17:1

Student / Teacher Ratio

A Legacy of Educational Excellence

St. Giles School was founded in 1928 when Dominican sisters from Rosary College taught the school's 72 students. During the past 90 years, our school has graduated nearly 6,000 students.

St. Giles - Legacy of Educational Excellence

Faculty

Our Faculty Fuels our Success

Our 33-person teaching team brings a diverse mix of experience and expertise to every classroom. Our staff include teachers who've served the St. Giles School community for decades, as well as teachers who bring a deep personal connection to the school - as alumni themselves or as parents who trust their own children's education to St. Giles.

We're proud that many members of our teaching staff have graduate degrees or advanced accreditations. St. Giles School leadership brings more than 50 years of combined experience as Catholic educators and administrators throughout the Archdiocese of Chicago.

Meet our Faculty

A Campus Designed for Learning

An outdoor classroom and garden provide hands-on learning in science, math and wellness.

Our picturesque, multi-building campus in Oak Park boasts beautiful architecture and open green spaces. Preschool, primary, intermediate and middle school classrooms are in separate buildings giving each unit a "community within a community" experience. An outdoor classroom and garden provide hands-on learning in science, math and wellness, along with two blocks' worth of green spaces throughout campus that afford faculty the opportunity to take instruction and learning outside. We're proud to offer a technology lab, art studio, music classroom and gymnasium with a stage. And, students play daily on a new playground.

Our Partnerships

At St. Giles School, we believe in the power of community. Our partnerships with local organizations create amazing opportunities for our students to explore, learn and grow. These collaborations help us provide a well-rounded education that goes beyond the classroom. Here are some of the exciting partnerships we are proud to engage in:

University Teaching Partnerships

Dominican University - Students from Dominican University join our preschool and K-4 classrooms to partner with our experienced staff bringing fresh ideas and innovative teaching methods to our students while gaining valuable work/study experience.

Concordia University - We welcome student observers from Concordia into our K-8 classrooms offering them practical experience and opportunities to learn diverse teaching practices.

Loyola University - Graduate School of Psychology - This partnership allows us to offer specialized support and resources for our students’ academic, social and emotional well-being. Two school psychology graduate student-interns from the university provide academic, social and emotional learning support and interventions in individual, small and large group settings.

High School Academic Partnerships

Fenwick High School Math - St. Giles partners with Fenwick to provide math enrichment at the middle school level which challenges and inspires them to excel at math. Each year a group of middle school students participate in the Fenwick Math Competition. Our advanced math students have the opportunity to enroll in high school geometry at Fenwick during their 8th grade year, provided they demonstrate proficiency in Algebra 1 by the end of 7th grade.

STEM Day at Trinity High School - St. Giles 7th grade girls enjoy a dedicated STEM day with Trinity high school students engaging in hand-on science, technology engineering and math activities that spark curiosity and innovation

Theater at Trinity High School - Throughout the school year, students have the chance to attend a variety of performances by Trinity’s theater program. Engaging in the fine arts not only provides entertainment but also enriches students' educational experiences by fostering creativity, enhancing communication skills, and promoting cultural awareness.

Other Academic Partnerships

DePaul University - Schreiber Catholic Future Teacher Leader Program - An innovative program created by the university that provides leadership training and mentoring to interested St. Giles middle school students in our Ambassadors program. This program is designed to help them develop and implement community equity projects in their school or community. Student learning occurs both on-site at DePaul university and through their school Ambassadors Club.

Field Museum - Field Museum School Partnership / Harris Learning Library Member - St. Giles has partnered with the museum to bring Field Museum educators to the school where they share museum resources for an “in-school field trip” as part of our spring STEM night. Additionally St. Giles teachers can bring real artifacts and specimens from the Field Museum Harris Library into the classroom for hands-on learning experiences.

ComEd - Smart Energy Hub - Through the ComEd Smart Energy Hub program our 5th grade students visit ComEd’s education facility where they receive educational and home resources focused on energy conservation and sustainability, empowering them to become environmentally conscious citizens.

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency - Poster, Poetry, and Prose Contest - 4th and 5th grade students are invited to think creatively about environmental issues and conservation through the creation of posters or focused writing. St. Giles students consistently place among the top entries each year and receive recognition by the Illinois EPA.

Junior Academy of Science (IJAS) - Science Exposition - As members of IJAS, we provide our 7th grade students with unique opportunities to explore science and technology, fostering a deep appreciation for scientific inquiry and discovery. Our students participate in a school-wide science fair adhering to IJAS guidelines, with top exhibits advancing to IJAS regional and state science expositions.

Chicago History Museum - Chicago Metro History Day - All 8th grade students participate in this program honing their research and presentation skills to create a historical research project that adheres to the Chicago Metro History Day criteria. Selected student projects advance to the Chicago Metro History Day and State History Day competitions.

Other Community Partnerships

Collaboration for Early Childhood - St. Giles Goeddert Center early childhood staff share their talents participating in events such as Blast off to Kindergarten sponsored by the Collaboration for Early Childhood, a non-profit that works with community experts to nurture our community’s young children and help break the cycle of intergenerational poverty through early childhood education.

Housing Forward - Each month two St. Giles buddy grades actively contribute to the community by preparing sack-to-go lunches and breakfast donations for Housing Forward, a non-profit organization supporting unhoused individuals. This volunteer program helps students develop empathy, teamwork, and organizational skills while connecting them to the community and showing them the impact of their actions.

SCHOOL ADVISORY BOARD

Leading in Partnership with the Community

St. Giles School operates with a School Advisory Board, whose members act as advisors to the Pastor and Principal. Comprised of parent and non-parent members appointed by the Pastor, the members bring a breadth of community involvement and expertise in the areas of finance, technology, development, marketing, athletics and strategy planning. We believe our school is strongest with community involvement; each chair leads a committee that SGS families and the local community are invited to join.

PTO

Parents Make an Impact

Every school parent is a member of the St. Giles School PTO, which supports our parents, principal, and educators through community building, enriching experiences, and curriculum funding for libraries and the outdoor classroom. PTO-led activities include monthly wellness initiatives, diversity and inclusion programming, Catholic Schools Week celebrations, Book Fair and the annual student variety show.

We love the sense of community that you immediately experience at St. Giles. We’ve met families with children in all grades, and it’s wonderful how the older kids are taught to look out for the younger kids.

- Gina J., mother of one St. Giles School student, Class of '24