The holiday season gives us a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the year past, to evaluate the priorities in our lives, and to plan for the future. It is at this time of the year here at School that our mission statement perpetually bounces around in my head. For whatever reason, the importance of knowing it and fulfilling it is heightened for me. With that in mind it seems appropriate to review it and remind all of us of its role in our community.

The Shipley School, a PreK–12 coeducational day school, is 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 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.

The last sentence seems particularly relevant. In pursuing educational excellence, the development of love of learning, and compassionate participation in the world, it is essential that the School upholds and promotes moral integrity, a sense of personal achievement and worth, and concern for others at school and in the larger community. These are our essence as we strive to educate the whole student. Although I know we can always do these things better, I am proud of the wonderful efforts of so many people in the community who try to live that statement.

Earlier this month I saw many aspects of our mission come together in our holiday concerts, the wonderful work of our students in the classroom, and in the implementation of our first GatorAid Weekend, a truly special event. On Friday night our Diversity Committee organized a wonderful family dinner in the Dining Room, followed by the opening night of our Toys for Tots Basketball Tournament. Seeing many families from our community providing toys for underprivileged children was most gratifying.

On Saturday, we hosted the Starfinder Passport to Excellence Program. Although the day revolved around soccer, the game was the smallest part of the story. We saw first hand that it could be the medium not just for the development of athletic skills, but for development and reinforcement of character, integrity, and perspective. Although the Passport to Excellence day was not perfect, it indicated to me that athletics can and should be a wonderful basis for children from different cultures and backgrounds to get to know, appreciate, and respect one another. I’m appreciative of Tony Williams, Allan Greaves and the entire Starfinder Foundation Team for bringing this to Shipley. I’m also grateful to all the Shipley volunteers who made it possible, particularly our Service Learning Team led by Jay Jennings and Josh Berberian, who gave of their time and developed the community service aspect of the day. Over 25 faculty members and 40 students participated and did a great job.
 
The GatorAid weekend in general, and the Stafinder Passport to Excellence Day in particular, reinforced the message of the youth sports forum that was held at Haverford School earlier this month: that youth programs must be for and about the kids and focus on their overall development. In this context, a book that is well worth reading is Raising a Team Player by Harry Sheehy. Harry is the Athletic Director at Williams College and a dear friend. I look forward to having him come to our campus sometime in the near future. I also look forward to having the GatorAid weekend become an annual event, an event that attracts all of our students, parents, and faculty to get involved.  

It is with our mission statement in mind and our desire to meet the needs of our students over time that we continue to work toward a better athletic league affiliation. Knowing schedules, bad weather, and other conflicts made it impossible for some people to attend either of the first two presentations on this subject, we will do one more presentation on Wednesday evening, January 7th in Riely Theatre. Refreshments will be available at 7:00 p.m., and the presentation will begin at 7:30 p.m. You will receive a post card in the mail during the holidays as a reminder.

As we look to the year 2004 and the completion of our Strategic Plan, I think about all of the potential for doing what we do even better. The planning process has forced us to consider and reevaluate the assumptions we make in order to create new possibilities for everyone as we strive to become the best school possible. I am looking forward to seeing the plan. The committee work that has been completed reinforces our commitment to our mission statement and the education of the whole child. A special thank you goes to the eighty plus volunteers who have put in so much time, to the committee chairs, and to Cathy Drake and Tom Nammack who are chairing the process. Reports will come to the Board of Trustees after the first of the year, and the new plan will be ready before we finish the School year. If the plan is to be effective, it is something the entire community will need to be aware of and own.

With 2004 rapidly approaching, we are already beginning our planning for the 2004-05 school year. The Board of Trustees will meet in January to finalize the 2004-05 tuition for each grade, and we will be sending out reenrollment contracts on January 23, 2004. The contracts will be due back on Tuesday, February 17, 2004, upon our return from Presidents’ Weekend.

Finally, as 2004 approaches for you and your family, I hope it’s full of good health and prosperity for all of you. As we look into the future and consider the possibilities for the School, we also might think about our own goals and objectives. Life provides all of us with wonderful challenges. If we can understand the assumptions we make and find a way to create our own sense of happiness, the challenges become much less daunting. The Art of Possibility by Ros and Ben Zander addresses this topic in a very enjoyable, effective, and thought-provoking manner. Ros is a psychologist, and Ben is the Conductor of the Boston Philharmonic. Having heard Ben speak and seen him teach, I am convinced that if one can consider different possibilities in one’s own life, dreams can become a reality.

As you and your family prepare to celebrate your holiday(s)—Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa—my thoughts and wishes are with you. May your dreams come true in 2004!

Warmest regards,

Steven S. Piltch
Head of School