Where has the summer gone? The 2005-06 school year is just around the corner, and I am very excited by the start of Shipley’s 112th year. Having spent a significant amount of time developing our plans for the year, we look forward to the return of the students. It is they, approximately 850 of them, 125 of whom will be new to the Shipley community, who define what the school is about.

We are proud of our history and mission, which challenge us to understand and appreciate the individual nature of each of our students. Every year at this time we renew our commitment to meet their needs so they can become the best students and people possible. Our mission statement follows:

The Shipley School is a PreK-12 coeducational day school committed to educational excellence and dedicated to developing in each student a love of learning and a compassionate participation in the world. Through a strong college preparatory curriculum in the humanities and the sciences, the School encourages curiosity, creativity, and respect for intellectual effort.  Shipley upholds and promotes moral integrity, a sense of personal achievement and worth, and concern for others at school and in the larger community.

When we asked our Lower, Middle, and Upper School Student Councils to describe a Shipley experience, they expressed it this way:

A strong student-faculty relationship is fundamental to a positive Shipley experience. Faculty encourage and support students to take risks, work hard, and seek opportunities for leadership and service. The School environment PreK-12 is one where trust is essential and where achievement, diversity, honor, respect, and integrity are celebrated.

Although this may mean different things in different divisions (further explained in the handbook in each Division), it captures the essence of our school and reinforces our commitment to be the safest (both physically and emotionally) and best community possible.

For us to accomplish this goal, we have to ask ourselves difficult questions that will allow us to improve. With this in mind, we will be soliciting your input about our performance through an online survey later in the fall. When we did this a few years ago your responses helped us to make some important changes that have made a difference in the lives of our students. I expect that the same thing will happen again. I do hope you will fill out the questionnaire when you get it.

Since we are committed to meeting the needs of our students and creating a strong community in which we strive for excellence and accept and appreciate human differences, we understand that the warmth, support, conviction, and involvement of all of our constituents enhance the quality of life for everyone at Shipley. We are particularly appreciative of the role you, our parents and guardians, play in the life of the School. Your involvement will help you, the School, and most importantly, your child/children.

Renewing our commitment to communicate with you as effectively as possible, we are pleased again to offer the Heads’ Forums four times throughout the year. These sessions will provide informal opportunities for you to talk with our Division Heads, Maggie Granados, Harry Worrall, and Margaret Van Steenwyk, and me about anything that is on your mind. The date, time, and location of each session follow:

Heads’ Forum I: 
Friday,  October 7, 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. Beechwood

Heads’ Forum II: 
Friday,  December 2, 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. Beechwood

Heads’ Forum III:
Thursday, February 16, 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. Avery Silverman Dining Room
Friday, February 17, 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. Beechwood

Heads’ Forum IV:
Friday, April 21, 1:00 to  2:30 p.m. Beechwood

We will send out reminders as we get closer to each date.

In addition to these Heads’ Forums, Maggie (LS), Harry (MS), and Margaret (US), will each host a monthly open session for you to ask questions specifically of the Division Heads. Of course, if you have specific and/or urgent concerns or questions, you can always email or call the Division Heads or me. My email address is: spiltch@shipleyschool.org.

In this mailing, in addition to my letter, you will find letters from the appropriate Division Head(s). Maggie, Harry, and Margaret are remarkably talented and committed educators. Their letters provide important information about the start of the school year and specific information that is relevant to you and your child/children.

Sometime in the next few weeks, you will receive the September edition of The Shipley E-News and my first Head’s Letter for the year. To those of you who have given us e-mail addresses, we will send them electronically. To those for whom we do not have email addresses or who have specifically requested printed versions, we will send them, along with a printed September calendar via regular mail. The monthly Head of School’s Report is designed for me to share thoughts and reflections on any number of issues. All of this information and more is, of course, on our website, http://www.shipleyschool.org/. Please log on and explore.

I should mention one September event now because it occurs early in the month. You will soon receive an invitation to an All-School welcome back barbecue on September 10th, hosted by the Diversity Committee and the Multi-Cultural Parents’ Association. Unlike the traditional fall grade and division events, this will include the whole School, children, parents, teachers, and administrators, with food, games, entertainment, and camaraderie. Please mark your calendar; it promises to be a stupendous kick-off to the school year.

Finally, I know that those of you who are returning to Shipley join me in welcoming our new students and families to the community. We will do whatever we can to help those who are new to feel welcome and become involved as quickly as possible. In addition, we also welcome just under twenty new professionals—teachers, staff members, and administrators. Brief write-ups on these colleagues are included for your information (PDF).

My thoughts and wishes are with you and your family. I hope the last few weeks of summer go well for you. I look forward to seeing all of you just after Labor Day.

Warmest regards,
 
Steven S. Piltch
Head of School

P.S. Please remember to return your child’s health/medical emergency forms as soon as possible. Students will not be permitted to begin school or pre-season sports without these being completed and returned.