Even in The Shipley School’s earliest days, the Shipley sisters recognized that the best education went far beyond academic preparation.

 

It is not too much to say that, excepting only the rounded development of character, the happiness of our students’ home-life is the object of our chief ambition and most earnest effort,” they wrote in the 1899-1900 yearbook. “Of such happiness, pure ‘fun’ and social pleasure must be a large constituent element.” Extracurricular clubs and activities were surely a part of that, and in the same yearbook, the School’s first clubs were documented, including the Glee, Mandolin, and Banjo Clubs, as well as an Athletic Association.

As early as the 1910s, extracurricular offerings reflected a strong academic focus: English Clubs gathered around the library fire to discuss Browning and Chesterton, while the Classical Club explored Roman customs and games. By the 1920s, students could earn credit for work in the Dramatic Club and join French and Latin Clubs to deepen their language study.

By the 1930s, the offerings had broadened. Students hiked with the Walking Club, critiqued menus in the Food Committee, and joined clubs like Debating, Mathematics, and Riding. A 1936 school brochure emphasized the purpose behind it all: “Great pains are taken to develop their personalities and talents and to supplement their needs.” A 1939 brochure expounded that philosophy: “The clubs, organized by the pupils themselves, give an opportunity for the girls to share their interests with others and to benefit by association with girls who enjoy the same sorts of things. The selection of clubs is varied in order that many phases of activity may be covered. The clubs, aside from their real recreational value, help to carry interests acquired in other phases of school life into enjoyable practice and social use.”

As decades passed, Shipley’s clubs evolved to reflect shifting student interests and broader cultural currents. In the 1940s and ’50s, clubs like the Camera Club, Literary Club, and Student Council had taken root. The Madrigal singers made their debut in 1946, and The Beacon, Shipley’s student newspaper, launched in 1955.

The 1960s and ’70s saw an explosion of creativity and activism: Connoisseurs Club, SWINE (Students Wildly Indignant about Nearly Everything), Zero Population Growth, and the Black Student Union were just a few of the student-led groups that emerged. In the 1980s and ’90s, eclecticism ruled: Dream Study, Non-Standard Intellectual Games, Amnesty International, and Historical Film Club all made appearances.

Today, clubs reflect even more varied student passions. Meanwhile, some long-standing groups have adapted or disappeared. The Christian Association, once a hub of student service, has evolved into the Student Government’s Service Committee. The Madrigals have been replaced by the Glee Club and Shipley Singers. Amid all this change, four activities have stood the test of time:

Sprouts, rooted in the 1976 Horticulture Club, has flourished for nearly 50 years. Students grow bulbs and succulents, competing in the Philadelphia Flower Show—all from Shipley’s cozy greenhouse.

The Compass, founded in 1941, remains Shipley’s student literary magazine. Originally a mix of creative writing and school news, it now showcases student poetry, fiction, and artwork in a glossy annual publication.

The Beacon, launched in 1955, evolved from the student-produced Ink Spot newsletter into a subscription-based student newspaper that included school and alumnae news and features. Today, The Beacon is still published regularly and distributed free of charge in the Upper School.

The Yearbook, dating back to the 1890s, continues to capture each year in photographs. While the technology has changed, the goal—preserving Shipley’s story—has not.

From those early clubs to today’s vibrant range of offerings, extracurricular life at Shipley has always been a reflection of student curiosity and interest. The features that follow explore how that tradition continues today in each division, where students are still encouraged to explore and discover beyond the classroom.

Read more about extracurriculars in these stories from the Summer/Fall 2025 Shipley Magazine:

Lower School
Middle School
Upper School
From the Archives: Extracurricular Life through the Decades