“What should I wear?” “Who’s in my section?” “Will Middle School be good?” “What’s Upper School like?” “Will I have a good year?” These questions and other similar ones were heard in our house, and undoubtedly, in the houses of other parents and guardians at the start of the school year. The questions our children were asking and comments they were making were balanced with excitement and anxiety. While most, if not all, of our children were looking forward to the start of school, they were ambivalent about the end of the summer and they had concerns about the new year.

The ambivalence and concerns seem to occur on different levels. At the first is a natural anxiety about the transition to new endeavors, in which the driving question is “Am I ready for something new?” At the second and greater level is a more fundamental series of questions: “Will I be liked?” “Will I succeed?” “Will I belong?

The answers to these questions are not always easy to find. Nevertheless, we have learned that until someone feels as if he or she belongs, the answers to the other questions are hard to guarantee. Abraham Maslow, renowned behavioral psychologist, said that we all meet our needs in a hierarchical fashion. We cannot begin to deal with psychological needs until our basic physiological needs (food, water, shelter) are met. So once our children feel a sense of safety and security, they begin to seek to fulfill their need to feel loved and to belong. It is only when all these needs are met that they can develop true self-esteem and reach their full development intellectually, spiritually, and emotionally. Maslow would argue that it is then and only then that anyone can become a true individual and be fulfilled in life (which he refers to as self-actualization). Although we do not believe that self-actualization can or should be reached by our students during their time at Shipley, we want them to begin the trek: to develop the ability to know, understand, and question, to find out where they are going. In turn, it becomes incumbent upon us, as we begin anew to work together, to establish a safe and secure environment, one in which our students and children feel comfortable and supported. This allows our students to begin to take the risks necessary to grow in all the other areas.

Ideally, we want our students not only to develop the academic skills necessary for Shipley and beyond, but we want them also to feel comfortable and be confident enough in themselves so that they can find their place wherever they might be. Here at Shipley, we understand that that process is made easier when parents/guardians, teachers, and administrators work with the students: being there matters! (As I have watched our students find their places this year, it has been rewarding to see so many parents and guardians at our Barbeque, Back to School Nights, and other events.) It is important that we remember that growth is a process that our children and we will continue to repeat throughout the rest of our lives.

On another topic, over the past few weeks I’ve received numerous phone calls and emails congratulating me on our high ranking in the recent issue of Philadelphia Magazine. While I’m appreciative of the comments and support, I remain very ambivalent about the rating (and ranking) of schools. As I have said many times, evaluations and ratings have their limitations; of necessity, the criteria as defined are limited and superficial. Of course, if we must be ranked, it is nice to be ranked highly, but as Einstein said, “Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted, counts.” In order to evaluate us (or any other school), it is essential to get beyond the statistics—to get inside the classrooms, onto the playing fields, and into the halls, theater, dining room, and other places where the education is taking place. It’s there that the quality of teaching and the brightness, creativity, skill, and sportsmanship of our students can be seen and felt. And it is these, not the SAT numbers, the AP offerings, or the extent of the athletic facilities, that are the heart of the school.

I truly believe that each of the many wonderful schools in this area is doing its best for its students and that comparing the schools based on superficial criteria is not productive. The greatest difference among many of us is how we do what we do, which is very difficult to quantify. For Shipley, the education of the whole child is at the core of our mission, and growing out of that, the responsibility to provide challenges and support as each is appropriate. Consistent with Maslow’s theory, and as I have already suggested, we work hard to maintain an environment in which each student can feel that he or she belongs and each student can develop a strong sense of who she or he is and where he or she is going. We take pride in knowing that there is no set mold for our students; we do our best to encourage them to be the individuals that they choose to be. Believing in themselves and being the individuals they should be maximizes the chances for them to become the best students and people possible and to make a difference in the world beyond Shipley.

In terms of making a difference, our service learning program is designed to encourage our students (and all of us) to participate in the greater community. Each year it offers numerous opportunities for students and adults to come together for a common cause. This year, the first of those events will take place on Saturday, October 21st, when many of our students and adults will be involved in Philadelphia Cares Day, sponsored by Greater Philadelphia Cares, a nonprofit organization committed to making a difference. If you are looking for something to do with your family that could be very special, you might look further into this on our website at www.shipleyschool.org/communitylifeevents or at http://www.philacares.com/.

Although I have no way of knowing how magazines and newspapers or other outsiders will perceive us, you can be sure that we will continue to ask the questions necessary to reinforce our mission and meet the needs of our students. In fact, this year we are undertaking a formal self-evaluation as we prepare for our PAIS and Middle States accreditation evaluation next year. This process, in which we look at ourselves and PAIS and Middle States look at us in an in-depth manner, occurs every ten years. We look forward to the visit of the accrediting groups next fall, in the belief that the process enables us to become an even better school.

Finally, it is my hope that all of us will find the balance to help ourselves and our kids as we move into what will be a busy and productive school year. I hope you have a wonderful Columbus Day and that I get to see you at The Shipley Shops Preview Party on October 18. (Although the The Shipley Shops event, which runs from October 18 to 21, raises money for the School, it goes even further to develop the sense of community and belonging for parents.) My thoughts are with all of you!

Warmest regards,

Steve Piltch
Head of School