At this time of year we have many reasons to celebrate and be thankful: the celebration of holidays around the world, the gathering of family and friends, the winter break, the New Year. Here at Shipley, we have one more reason. After a comprehensive search for a new Head of Middle School, we have been fortunate to find just the right person. It is with the utmost excitement and enthusiasm that we welcome Dr. Nooha Ahmed-Lee as our new Middle School Head.

Bright, talented, and committed to children and their education, Nooha has had a wealth of experience in many different areas. She is currently in her tenth year as Director of Lower School at the William Penn Charter School. Prior to that, she was at Chestnut Hill Academy, teaching fifth and sixth grades for six years and administering Springboard, a summer program designed to recruit and prepare public high school students to enter independent schools. She has also taught kindergarten and first grade at a number of public and independent schools.

With a B.A. from the University of Washington, an M.Sc. from Baruch College, CUNY, and a Doctorate in Education from the University of Pennsylvania, Nooha is particularly interested in the ongoing research into the brain and its implications for education, especially for Middle School children. Her goal is to cultivate academic excellence using current research on education, best practices in curriculum, and knowledge of child development. A strong and committed leader, she has experience in coordinating programs between divisions and in designing integrated curriculum that combines high expectations and support for risk-taking.

Darryl Ford, Head of Penn Charter, says of her: “Nooha is about excellence. She is able to take the best educational practices and research to inform what teachers do in the classroom. She is a thoughtful, yet decisive decision-maker. I am elated for her and sad for us.”

Nooha and her husband, Daniel Lee, have twin boys, Harrison and Everett Lee, almost eight. “I am thrilled and excited to join the Shipley school community,” Nooha says. “It will be a pleasure for me to work with Middle school students, faculty, and parents and continue the excitement and pursuit of learning that is fostered at this wonderful and welcoming school.”

While Nooha will not officially begin her job until July 1, 2008, she will visit the campus a number of times this spring in order to get to know the community and to make the transition easier. Like so many of us, Nooha is especially appreciative of the wonderful work done by Dorothy Bond Maddock in this interim year. She looks forward to working with Dorothy, other administrators, teachers, parents, and students to help us in our continuous quest to become an even better school.

As we welcome Nooha, we must acknowledge the wonderful work of the Search Committee. Chaired by our Upper School Head, Mark Schoeffel, faculty members and administrators sacrificed a great deal of their own time to oversee the search. We will be forever grateful to them for the process they established, the people they brought through, and their support of Nooha Ahmed-Lee.

With Nooha's appointment, winter vacation will be that much more enjoyable. I hope you have a wonderful break. I look forward to seeing you in 2008!

Warmest regards,

Steven S. Piltch
Head of School