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
Our Values are our Northstar
The St. Giles School experience is grounded by four core values: delivering academic excellence through a rigorous curriculum that exceeds recognized standards; fostering the total growth of our students by integrating Catholic values into daily life; nurturing community connections and promoting service to others; and building the skills and foundation for lifelong leadership.
St. Giles School ranks in the top 15% nationally of all K-8 schools based on 2024 test scores.
SCHOOL Test Scores
Top 15% Nationally
i-Ready Diagnostic testing provides teachers with information about students' performance in math and reading from grades K-8. These assessments help teachers set goals for student growth, monitor student progress, and connect instructional tools to those goals. The Diagnostic is given three times per year, with 12-18 weeks of instruction between each assessment.
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.
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.
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.
As a former principal and district administrator, it has been my pleasure to end my career where it began - in the classroom. St Giles is a truly unique community where parents, students and staff work together to create a positive and enriching learning environment. Our curriculum is rigorous and our students are taught to think critically. Our teachers collaborate to ensure smooth transitions between grades and often discuss ways to improve our school. I couldn't be happier to be a part of the St. Giles team!
- Dr. Maria Hawk, Ed.D., St. Giles third grade teacher
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
98%
of the Class of 2020 currently attend a 4-year college or university.
No Limits for our Lions
St. Giles students consistently score in the top quartile on national achievement tests. Our graduates are frequent recipients of academic scholarships and awards, and many test into honors and advanced placement classes in high school. They are admitted to the best public and private high schools including Saint Ignatius, Saint Patrick, Fenwick, Trinity, OPRF, North Side Prep, Jones College Prep and Lane Tech and then continue on to some of the best colleges and universities in the country.