In addition to the previous efforts, Shipley’s Middle School has also been taking steps to improve its sustainability, especially this school year. The science curriculum for all three grades has been adjusted to include topics such as climate change, food waste, and energy consumption.
The seventh-grade curriculum previously focused on the environment but has expanded to include information on different types of pollution and the ozone layer along with many other important topics. In addition, as part of the lunch duty process, Middle Schoolers are put in charge of “waste watching” in the Commons to make sure people dispose of things in the proper place. There has also been an emphasis on teaching students how to print double-sided, how to print in grayscale, and how to minimize printed materials altogether. In addition, teachers in other classes are trying to promote more sustainable topics in their curriculums. Examples of this include data about energy usage among different states and learning about laws that promote sustainability.
In the future, the Middle School is hoping to form a Sustainability Club similar to the one in Upper School. In this club, students would come and speak about issues concerning them and be able to educate the community even more.
Miss Caroline Feldman, a Middle School science teacher, says that “students have been great in reacting to the new efforts. They are generally concerned with...doing whatever they can to help promote sustainability in the Shipley community and their homes.” Mr. Sam Sheng, another science teacher in Middle School, adds that “oer the course of the four years that [he has] been at Shipley, one major shift in culture is the increased use of reusable water bottles and less waste in the printer overflow by the Science classrooms.” This is evidence of the effort put in by the middle school to cut back on waste and help our environment. Shipley is making huge strides in their efforts to become a greener, more sustainable campus, and over the next few years, our sustainability as a school and a community will only improve.
Originally published in the May 2022 issue of the Upper School student newspaper, The Beacon, this article shares insights from All School President Griffin Chulik ’22 about his student government experience and some final thoughts as he departs from the Shipley community and prepares to head off to college in the fall.
Acorns to Oaks has been a tradition the Shipley community has celebrated for decades. Bringing together not only the oldest and youngest students in the School, but also their families and the community as a whole. After COVID forced disruptions in the traditional celebrations, families of Oaks & Acorns were invited onto campus to participate in the first Acorn & Oak festivities of the 2021-2022 school year.
In this October 2021 article from The Beacon student newspaper, Asher Leavy explores recent updates and challenges faced by Shipley's dining services in keeping up with sustainability efforts, including expanded vegan and vegetarian offerings.
After 726 days, Super Saturday, the opening community event of the school year, made its triumphant return. Like the leaves changing color and decorative pumpkins, some things are simply an integral part of fall. Super Saturday is one of those things! After being cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic, Shipley’s annual event was back and better than ever.
Waste sorting benefits the environment and saves money. Taking a few extra minutes at lunch to decide whether something goes in the compost, trash, or recycling bin can significantly reduce the amount of waste Shipley produces. By properly sorting waste, we can meet our sustainability goals both as a country and a school. Here at Shipley, you can easily do your part to help reach a clean, green future.
The Shipley School is a private, coeducational day school for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students, located in Bryn Mawr, PA. Through our commitment to educational excellence, we develop within each student a love of learning and a desire for compassionate participation in the world.