Marriage of Figaro
Upper School performers received standing ovations at each of their three performances of The Marriage of Figaro. The students impressed audiences by performing Mozart’s classic opera in a mix of Italian and English, amid dazzling student-made sets and gorgeous costumes. The opera libretto was reworked by Shipley faculty member Tony Morinelli from a four-hour show into a more manageable two-hour performance. He also designed all the costumes, which were sewn by junior Hannah Wrangham and past parent Lynda Yardney. Bravo to cast, crew, and producers for a magnificent performance!

All-School Concert
Students in all divisions brought “Music from the Americas” to a packed audience in Yarnall Gymnasium for the All-School Concert. Students transported audience members with their renditions of Puerto Rican, Brazilian, Mexican, Cuban, and traditional American songs, helping to clear away some of those end-of-winter doldrums.

3rd Grade Bagels & Bios
Elvis was in the Lower School building! Well, not really, but he was one of the famous figures to appear in the Third Grade’s Bagels and Bios presentations. First, students researched famous figures past and present, like Harriet Tubman, Albert Einstein, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jose Canseco, and Mia Hamm. Then, they prepared short presentations about the lives of these influential personalities. Finally, dressed up as their chosen individuals, the third-graders served up their bios to classrooms full of parents, who were also treated to breakfast.
The first-annual Shipley Wax Museum was held the following day. Lower School students got a chance to show off their stuff by guessing who was who from the 3rd Grade’s cast of famous figures. In addition to polishing skills in research and reporting, the Bagels & Bios project gave third graders some valuable experience in public speaking.

7th Grade Generations Unit
Each year, the seventh grade suspends two weeks of regularly-scheduled classes for the Generations Unit. The interdisciplinary unit serves to help students understand how they fit into the “big picture” of American cultural history, while introducing them to different methods of communicating and the art of self-directed study. The seventh graders choose their own topics of investigation, complete a combination of required and optional projects, and evaluate their own work. Although students welcomed the respite from the regular curriculum, they quickly found out that the Generations Unit is no walk in the park with grandma. Time management was one of the most frequently noted lessons, in addition to the discovery of interesting tidbits about their families or American history. At the end of the unit, the 7th Grade presented the Generations Museum in the Middle School Resource Room. Family trees, scrapbooks, intergenerational narratives, family recipes, life stories, and a host of other projects were all on display for parents and passersby to see.
Read a more detailed description of the Generations Unit (PDF).

Kindergarten Knights & Castles
Students in Kindergarten C are proof that it’s never too soon to start practicing self-directed study or public speaking. Mrs. Cookish’s class culminated their Knights and Castles unit with a knighting ceremony and student presentations followed by a feast fit for a royal court. Parents were on hand to enjoy the pomp and circumstance, as well as the delectable treats—some of them prepared by the Kindergarteners themselves.