How many of you are addicted to your cell phone, Blackberry, Treo, or other communicating device?

Everywhere we turn, people are on the phone or retrieving email. On the roads, it’s easy to see many drivers talking on their cell phones. We observe people walking down the street talking to someone invisible to us; we hear one side of conversations in stores and restaurants. I’m curious whether there is anything we don’t hear or any time we are truly on our own.

I must admit that I, too, am addicted. My cell phone and email are the first and last things I check in the morning and at night. Do you think others notice this addiction? In my case, they do, as my own son emailed me a message to wake him up in the morning, knowing that when I got up it would be the first thing I would check. While I thought this was wonderfully insightful of him, it has made me look at myself and wonder why I am so tied to these devices.

While the availability of constant communication has its plusses and conveniences, it also has its costs. In addition to the potential safety issues it creates when people are driving, it leaves us at others’ beck and call and makes us hostage to ourselves. If we are to have real quality time with our families, friends, and others, we must find a way to turn off our phones and handhelds and, at least for some period of time, be unavailable to the outside world. I for one am going to work at it!

Although February is the shortest month on the calendar, the weather and mood can make it feel like the longest. During late February and on to spring break, we often lose sight of who we are and where we are going, and sometimes we forget to notice the wonderful things that happen around us. Over the last few weeks I have found myself in awe of the tremendous accomplishments of our students. Although there are many instances of joy, I’d like to note just some of the ones that come to mind.

In the Lower School, our third grade spent some time researching famous people in history. Each student selected a different person, did the research, prepared a presentation on that figure, and then acted as though he or she were that person. This year they did this in the form of a wax museum, where they brought the characters to life. We met, among others: Harriet Tubman, Harry Houdini, Althea Gibson, Lance Armstrong, Clara Barton, and FDR. I wonder, if you could choose to be someone, as our third graders did, whom would you choose?

Our seventh grade spent a significant amount of time on their Generations Project, an integrated unit in which the students take a close look at themselves and their families. They put together family trees, historical timelines, biographical sketches, and other presentations that captured the essence of their families and their lives. The project, which is quite challenging, made it necessary for parents/guardians and students to engage together. It was impressive! I loved seeing the heirlooms that people brought in and reading the pieces they wrote.

In the Upper School, students participated in the Interschool Art Exhibition hosted by Friends’ Central. Although all of the art was impressive, many people commented on the originality, creativity, and skill of our students. (By the way, in the March eleventh issue of The Philadelphia Inquirer there was a good piece highlighting some of the work done by three of our eleventh graders: Michelle Phelan, Hannah Wrangham, and Victoria Harvey.) In similar fashion, the Upper School production of The Marriage of Figaro awed everyone in the audience. Everything about it, from the sets, costumes, and lighting to the acting and singing, was impressive. As strong as individual voices were, their collective numbers brought the house down. The kids earned standing ovations in all three performances. It could not have been better! The libretto was masterfully rewritten by our own Doc Morinelli so that it could highlight our kids and be performed in two hours rather than the usual four.

In addition, we had two fabulous all-school events that gave us an appreciation of the talents of our students and a sense of connection and community across the School. Our annual Human Rights Day, organized by students and faculty together, was wonderful. A number of speakers shared their experiences and taught all of us about the issues facing people all over the world, bringing Tom Freidman’s book, The World Is Flat, to life in a whole new way. Upper School art teacher, Steve Baris, developed a game, Rights & WRONGS: A Harrowing Journey Throughout the World of Human Rights, that simulates the lives of people around the world and helped all of us to personalize the experiences about which we were learning. Of course, more than anything, the message of the day, as articulated by Medard Gabel and other speakers, was about not simply understanding the issues, but finding a way to do something about them.

Finally, our all-school concert captured the musical talent and growth of our students throughout the School. Consistent with our desire to better understand different cultures, the theme of the concert was Music of the Americas. I was particularly taken by the choral pieces performed together by groups drawn from all the divisions. It always makes me feel good when the entire School is together!

While all of these examples speak to the range of skills that our students demonstrate on a regular basis, they also speak to their willingness and ability to take risks, to think outside of the box, and to take action. This, of course, is our goal for all of them, and it is what I like most about our students and the education that we are providing for them. All of us need to continue to push them and ourselves to take those risks and do the things that will make a difference. While it is not possible to see what will become of our students, they are the Neil Armstrongs, Mary Lou Rettons, Albert Einsteins, Rosa Parkses, and Mahatma Gandhis of tomorrow. Regardless of whether they ever walk on the moon, become world-acclaimed athletes, make important scientific discoveries, become civil rights leaders, find world peace, or simply contribute to their own local communities, we want them to find happiness and personal satisfaction. We want to appreciate them for who they are, and, as Gandhi suggested, to be the changes in the world that they wish to see.

As we continue to encourage our students to think outside of the box, we, as a school, are trying to do the same. It is with that in mind that we introduce our first online auction. We have hosted a biennial auction for almost thirty years. This year, in addition to the actual event on April 21, we also have an online piece. Please visit www.shipleyschool.org/auction and bid for Shipley.

With daylight saving time in place and the air warming up, spring is just about here. I hope your break will be restful, reinvigorating, and without too much interruption from email or cell phones. My thoughts are with you!

Warmest regards,

Steven S. Piltch
Head of School