Welcome to Good Shepherd Episcopal School

Thank you for visiting our website.

We are delighted for the opportunity to share Good Shepherd Episcopal School with you.

Philosophy of Learning

Our Mission

Within a nurturing Christian community,

Good Shepherd Episcopal School builds in each child the foundation for good character and a lifelong love of learning.

Message from the Rector

Good Shepherd Episcopal School is known as a place that celebrates early childhood education every day. Our nurturing, loving, Christian, play-based curriculum recognizes each child’s unique strengths and personality.

Rector

Channing Smith

Welcome to Good Shepherd Episcopal School! As the Rector of Good Shepherd, I want to thank you for your interest in our school or for being an active presence in our community.

Welcome to Good Shepherd Episcopal School! As the Rector of Good Shepherd, I want to thank you for your interest in our school or for being an active presence in our community. The hallmarks of Episcopal schools are: a whole-child focus, a sense of tradition, curiosity and discovery, the strength of community, and service to others. If you have joined us for worship on Sundays, you have discovered these same values for yourself.

If you are inquiring, you are in the midst of making an important decision. I hope you will spend time with Sheila and the remarkably gifted teachers at Good Shepherd. As you make your decision, please ask friends what they know of Good Shepherd. We are very proud of our reputation in the wider community as being a unique school, with caring teachers, and remarkable facilities.

I hope you will also join us for our parish activities. You will find that same spirit and energy that you find at Good Shepherd Episcopal School. We have many opportunities to get engaged and offer many activities for our more than 1,000 children. You and your family are important to us no matter your point of connection to Good Shepherd.

If there is anything that I can do for your family, please do not hesitate to reach out. I look forward to getting to know you.

Interim Head of School

Jeanie Stark

What a gift it is for me to be back with you as your Interim Head of School! I am grateful for the opportunity to be here through this time of transition and growth.

After a long career as a teacher, curriculum director and Head of School in San Antonio and Abilene, Texas, I came home to Austin in 2007 to become the Head of School here at Good Shepherd. The experience of serving in a school with such a rich history, a grounded philosophy, and with a multi-talented faculty and staff was the pinnacle of my career! I retired from GSES in 2018 and spent the next four years serving as the Director of Accreditation for the Southwestern Association of Episcopal Schools.

My life outside of school is full! My husband of 44 years, Bill, and I have two married daughters and we are thrilled to share this life with five wonderful grandchildren. Our family life is spent at sporting events, lake adventures, and we love to travel as one big group. God has blessed me considerably!!

YEARS

Since 1945, countless children and their families have called GSES home, and we are committed to making sure GSES will be here for generations to come.

Our Episcopal Identity Affirms:

Our commitment to excellence in teaching and of quality in learning.
Our service to those in need in our own community and to the broader community.
Our belief in the values of respect and responsibility within the context of the Episcopal Church.
Our belief in leadership and stewardship for service in the world.
Our acceptance of all people provides the foundation for educational excellence.

Parent Testimonials

”We are deeply grateful for the incredible staff and teachers at Good Shepherd. We have been lucky enough to send three of our four children for all three years (with another about to start!) and each child has started their next school experience prepared both academically and socially, and with a life-long spiritual foundation. Whether it is the formation foundation, the friendships or the memories, there is something truly magical about this precious school that stays with you long beyond the days you get to spend here.
The Price Family

”We have had both of our children graduate from the Bridging Kindergarten program at GSES and couldn't recommend it more to prospective parents. This critical year helped our children to grow both academically and socially, so that they were better prepared for the next stage of their education. The teachers and programming provide an evolved experience from the Pre-K years, guiding them to a more mature learning environment within an intimate, supportive setting. We are very grateful for the Bridging Kindergarten Program.
The Barney Family

”From the moment we stepped into GSES, we were overcome by the passion for education and the sincere connection that makes Good Shepherd the community that it is. We entered as a Bridging Kinder family, very much aware that this program was highly respected in the city. We quickly saw the magic of the Good Shepherd team, who, with the right balance of nurturing and challenge, instilled a love for learning into our son. The team of educators at Good Shepherd have our sincerest gratitude and our utmost respect.

What makes Good Shepherd so special, however, goes beyond the classroom. There is also a magic to the community. We were so warmly welcomed from the start that it is hard to say we were ever "new." To be embraced with such kindness and sincerity has left such an indelible impression that this is the memory that we will take with us as our journey continues. We will always be grateful to have been part of the Good Shepherd family.
The Hopkins Family

”We were instantly struck by the loving and nurturing atmosphere at Good Shepherd. Both of our children looked forward to school each day, and missed their teachers and friends on their days off. What has stood out to us since our first parent teacher conference was the depth of knowledge and empathy that the 3s teachers have towards three-year-olds, and all of the intricacies of their developmental levels. As one of our wonderful teachers put it, “three year olds grow, experience and learn so much in just a year!” We are forever grateful for the role that this program has played in such a critical period in our children’s lives. We cannot emphasize enough how truly loved and appreciated each child is that steps through the doors of this school. We love Good Shepherd!
The Pomeroy Family