This is the time of year when I become nostalgic. With Memorial Day upon us, the end of the school year is not far behind. Our Upper School students are heading into exams and our Lower and Middle School students will finish their school year the first week in June. Then on June 10 I will have the privilege of handing diplomas to the seventy-nine members of this year’s senior class.

Having begun my tenure as Head of School when members of the class of ’05 entered kindergarten, I feel a special connection with this group of seniors. I remember them as they were then: energetic, spirited, and curious. I loved it when I got the chance to read to them and play with them at recess. They were small enough that I could catch them and lift them in the air when they came off the slide. Of course, I was younger then, too. During the time since then they have developed into superb students, performers, athletes, artists, and well-rounded people. As they have matured, I have aged, and no one thinks I look too young to be the Head of School.

On balance, this has been a truly remarkable year for us. Students have excelled in the classrooms, on the stage, in the art room, and in athletics. The celebrations that have taken place over the last couple of weeks captured our students’ efforts and reinforced for us their impressive talents. They could be seen at the spring concerts and art exhibitions in all three divisions, as well as in the Middle School production of Annie and the Upper School production of King Lear. If you have not already done so, do come to the Upper School to see our Senior Art Exhibit. It boasts the work of thirty-three seniors and is truly spectacular. In athletics, this has been our finest year: seven teams have won regular and/or post season league championships. In addition, the crew team sent six boats to the finals at the Stotesbury Regatta and earned two medals. And we have nationally ranked athletes in gymnastics, squash, tennis, fencing, and archery. It’s a wonderful time for us to be coming together as we join the Friends Schools League next year.

Of course, as in any year, we have had our moments of discomfort and uneasiness when people in the community have not treated each other according to our expectations and interests. Since we will not tolerate harassment in any form and we are committed to having a safe and welcoming community for everyone associated with the School, our willingness to acknowledge the issues and ask the questions to deal with them has enabled us to become a stronger school. As we have done so, our commitment to our sense of community has been reinforced. Within the community, teachers, students, and parents tell us that the most important aspect of who we are revolves around relationships here at school. That was clear in the responses to the surveys administered to students, parents, and alumni a few years ago. I’ve gotten to see it day to day as I’ve watched our students and teachers interact and grow during the past year. Our story, the story of relationships, commitment, individuality, and excellence has been told in a film about the school, “The Bard and the River”, directed and produced by one of our teachers, David Rich. It is a wonderfully touching and compelling story that we will share with you in the months ahead.

With graduation upon us, we are losing an incredibly strong senior class, one that epitomizes our mission and will go on to accomplish great things in college and beyond. We are also losing some very talented faculty members. In particular, I want to note the following, who have spent at least fifteen years here and/or are retiring: Cathie Russell (Admissions) Robby Robinson (Upper School math), Katie Franco (Upper School Spanish), Ruth Joray (Middle School art), and Zandi Nammack (All School Scheduler). They have all made a huge difference in the lives of people here at school and will be sorely missed.

As I thank the people who are leaving, I want to give special acknowledgement to Tom Nammack, our long-time Upper School Head, who is going on to become Headmaster at Montclair Kimberly Academy in New Jersey. Tom is an extraordinary educator and, as I have said at any number of recent events, it is my hope that he will find administrators and faculty members who make him and MKA look as good as he has made Shipley look during his tenure as Head of Upper School. To acknowledge his commitment to Shipley, the Board of Trustees has established a scholarship in his name. If you would like to make a contribution to it, you can send it to the school c/o The Thomas Nammack Scholarship. We have also established an award in Tom’s name to be given to a senior each year. His name and legacy will live on! (By the way, Tom will be our graduation speaker this year.)

We will miss the seniors and our colleagues who are leaving, and we appreciate that they have made us a stronger school. As individuals, of course, they are irreplaceable. Nevertheless, a new and wonderful junior class will become seniors next year, and we have no doubt that, with care, we will find people who share our goals and philosophy to fill the administrative and faculty positions. We will continue to get better because those who are leaving have given us the skills, motivation, and ability to do what is in the best interests of our students, and those who will replace them will build on that legacy.

As we head into the summer, I am looking forward to spending more time with my family. I am sure that the less frenetic pace of the season will provide wonderful opportunities to share experiences and that they will produce some interesting stories for the fall. Along the way, I have set two personal goals: to think about ways that we can strengthen our community, and to communicate with my own children in the most effective way possible.

With these goals in mind, I recommend a film and a book. “Crash,” is an incredibly powerful and compelling movie about racism, bigotry, and anger across different racial, ethnic, and socio-economic groups. The story, told from a very balanced perspective, is thought-provoking and powerful.

Breaking the Code, a book by Lara Fox and Hilary Frankel, two students at Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York City, provides parents with strategies with which to deal with their teenagers in different situations. It is not unlike many other books on the topic, except that it is written from the teenager’s perspective. Lara and Hillary were here earlier this month when they addressed parents at the Middle School Coordinators’ meeting. It was wonderful to get advice from them. The book reads easily, and I know it will be helpful.

Finally, my thoughts and wishes are with you. I hope the last week of school goes well and that you and your families have happy, healthy, and productive summers. I look forward to seeing you in September.

Steven S. Piltch
Head of School