I love Thanksgiving! It comes at an incredibly busy time of year and provides all of us with a short respite and the opportunity to spend some time with family and reflect about those things that are important to us. It’s a time for families and friends to be there for one another, and it’s also a time to reach out to others who may not be as fortunate. It sets the tone for the entire holiday season.

Here at Shipley, part of our mission is to help each other understand the importance of committing ourselves to making a difference in the lives of those around us, and, if possible, in the world. While compassionate participation is essential to everyday life, efforts at this time of year are more public by virtue of the can drives, the meal preparations, and the visits to nursing homes and assisted care facilities.

Thanksgiving is an appropriate time to give thanks for ever so many things. I want to thank our wonderful faculty for their commitment in and out of the classroom. Their ability to connect with and motivate the students is essential, not just in the students’ performance but in their long-term growth. I know the students and you appreciate our faculty members’ efforts.

My thanks go the parents and guardians of our students for your daily commitment to the growth of your children and the School. It is this commitment that allows us to prosper. We see your support in your enrollment of your children at Shipley and your attendance at games, plays, Back to School nights, and conferences. We see it in the partnerships you develop with faculty and administrators to work on behalf of your children. And we see it in your involvement in and patronage of such events as the Shipley Shops, Shipley Today, and the Auction and the contributions you make to the Annual Fund and other fundraising efforts. Your willingness and ability to reinforce everything we do is appreciated.

Most importantly, I want to thank our students for being who they are and for achieving excellence in so many areas. I love it that our students like to learn and are committed to excellence in everyday life. I am particularly pleased that our boys’ cross country team and girls’ and boys’ soccer teams captured their league titles and that one of our students also won an Inter-Ac tennis championship. The girls’ soccer team’s receipt of the Chester County Sports Officials Organization Sportsmanship Award (CCSOO) speaks volumes about their understanding of and ability to achieve our mission. The award is given annually to one boys’ team and one girls’ team. This is the fourth time the girls have received the award. They won it in 1993, 1998, and 2002, and the boys won it in 2002. Symbolically, these championships and sportsmanship awards represent the hard work and accomplishments of all of our athletes and teams.

I am grateful when I see the art work that hangs on our walls in Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools, as I hear our vocal groups sing and our instrumentalists play, and as I watch the various theatrical works that our students put on. Whether you attended the third grade performance of Turkeys on Strike, the Upper School performances of Sins of the Mother and The Elephant Man, or our Shakespeare “Skimble Skamble Stuff,” you got an appreciation of the hard work, conviction, and ability with which our students do things. You also got a view of their drive for excellence and the joy and satisfaction they feel when performing and in accomplishing their goals.

Of course, while our students’ efforts in these individual areas are deserving of our accolades and appreciation, it is the integration of these efforts across all of the areas of their lives that speak to their overall development as students and people. It isn’t simply the achievement of a victory, a goal, or a championship that matters, it is how that achievement is accomplished.

In our efforts to bring different areas of life together, we are very pleased to be hosting our second annual Gator Aid weekend on Dec. 10 and 11. On Friday night, we invite you to our community dinner in the dining room, followed by our Toys for Tots Basketball Tournament in Yarnall Gym. The following day, parents and students will participate in our second annual Passport to Excellence Day, which will bring together third to sixth grade children from Shipley and the City. The program is directed by The Starfinder Foundation, which uses soccer as a basis to bring people together and teach them about understanding, appreciation, and excellence. Tony Williams, the President of Starfinder, has made the Foundation his life’s work and should be applauded. We are appreciative of his efforts on our behalf. (If you would like to learn more about Starfinder, you can email me or Tony. Tony’s email address is: tony@starfinderfoundation.org.)

While there is no charge for the dinner and Passport Day, contributions will go to The Will Trippley Fund to develop scholarships for students and support Starfinder. Those who attend the basketball tournament should bring a toy that will be given to a needy child over the holidays. The weekend could not happen without the extraordinary efforts of our Diversity and Service Learning Team, our Athletics Department, and all of our volunteers. My thanks go to all of them! While I know people are very busy at this time of year, I hope you can participate in at least some part of the weekend. 

Finally, while I rarely use this forum to acknowledge specific individuals, I want to take this opportunity formally to thank Tom and Zandi Nammack for all the wonderful work they have done during their years at Shipley. Tom’s appointment as Headmaster of Montclair Kimberley Academy is a reflection of the confidence that MKA has in his ability. The confidence is well earned and deserved. He and Zandi both represent the best of Shipley, and they epitomize our motto: Courage for the Deed; Grace for the Doing. While I wish them only the best when they go to MKA, I am glad that we will reap the benefits of their work throughout the rest of the 2004-05 year.

I look forward to seeing you at holiday concerts and other events during the next month. Our next Heads’ Forum will take place on Friday, December 3 at 1:00 p.m. at Beechwood House, where we will have an open discussion. Please come with your questions!

With the holiday season upon us and things as busy as they are, it is easy to get wrapped up in activities, events, and parties. Remember that one of the goals of holidays is to bring people together. I urge you to find the time to be with your family and friends and to support one another in an extra special way. My thoughts are with you. Happy Thanksgiving! May you have a holiday season full of good health and joy.

My warmest wishes,

Steven S. Piltch
Head of School