Name: Casey Currently Attending: Bates College Years at Shipley: 4 Activities & Positions Held: Varsity Crew Team (Captain), Varsity Basketball (2 years), We Dine Together, Chess Club, Baking Club, Positive Paws
Reflections on Shipley I am very lucky to be a Shipley graduate. When touring other local high schools, one thing in particular that struck me about Shipley was the focus on collaboration and faculty involvement. Coming from a larger public school individual attention and one-on-one meetings with teachers were an infrequent occurrence. The ability to engage with faculty and learn in a stimulating, yet supportive environment has motivated me to strive for my absolute best. My experiences at Shipley taught me the true value of community and lead me to seek a similar environment in college.
The first lesson that Shipley taught me was how to advocate for myself. This lesson was taught pretty quickly. I struggled with my first science course, Intro to Physics, which was taught in a very different style than I was accustomed to. The teacher answered questions with questions and we were expected to use office hours and one-on-one meetings as a regular addition to class time. I struggled with the first few tests, which was an anomaly for me because I had always done well in science. I had to get out of my comfort zone, take a risk, meet with the teacher one-on-one, and spend a lot of time forming a relationship, which was something I had never had to do before. This experience not only helped me in this course but also in all of my courses throughout high school. It taught me a very valuable lesson; not to be afraid to speak up for myself and adapt to a variety of teaching styles.
Shipley not only fueled my passion for learning but also gave me the opportunity to discover rowing, something I am wholeheartedly in love with. Rowing is extremely grueling, both mentally and physically, but its constant challenge is precisely why I row. Shipley taught me that failing is ok.... so long as you learn from it and make the appropriate changes to improve. Without the drive to improve instilled in me, the ever-present battle with the numbers on the erg screen would have broken me long ago. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to row, something I would not have had the confidence to pursue without the supportive environment here at Shipley. This sport has given me five of my best friends and memories to last a lifetime.
Who was your most influential teacher and why? Ms. Willing was my most influential teacher at Shipley. She was always enthusiastic about the material, ready and excited to meet with me to offer guidance and assistance, and above all, she believed in me. I took Biology Honors with Ms. Willing, and truthfully I struggled at the beginning of the year. Her tests really challenged my knowledge and ability to recall information from multiple units and piece it all together, which I found a bit overwhelming initially. I always thought I would major in biology in college, but given that this was already junior year and I was off to a bit of a tough start, I got down on myself and began to question if my passions would match up with my abilities. Ms. Willing never doubted me. She went above and beyond to make sure that I was receiving help and support to be successful. Ultimately I was successful in the class and able to explore my passion and formed an amazing relationship with Ms. Willing. To this day I meet with her just to catch up!
What was your most memorable experience at Shipley? My most memorable experience at Shipley was speaking at an All School Assembly for Shipley’s 125th Birthday. I was approached by Ms. Dejdar, the Dean of Students, and asked to speak about my time at Shipley and my hopes for Shipley in the future. I honored to be asked to speak, and thrilled by the opportunity to share my story and why I love Shipley, and I was excited for the chance to work on my public speaking skills. Addressing a large crowd is always daunting, but Shipley taught me to welcome a challenge with open arms. It was not hard for me to write all of the reasons why I am lucky to have found Shipley, nor was it difficult of me to think of my hopes for Shipley’s future, but the thought of speaking in front of the entire student body, faculty, and friends made me shake. Delivering my speech was exhilarating and nerve-racking, but most importantly it was an honor. I was extremely grateful for this opportunity to challenge myself and to speak at such an important event in Shipley’s History.
What are your plans for the fall of 2019? In the fall of 2019, I will be attending Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. I intend to major in biology and look forward to joining the two-time defending Division III National Champion Women’s Rowing Team.
Are you going to college to nurture a talent that you honed during your time at Shipley? Prior to Shipley, I had never rowed before. I knew very little about the sport and could never have imagined the role it would one day play in my life. Shipley requires each student to fulfill two sports requirements each year, which can be fulfilled in a multitude of ways. In addition to basketball my mom thought that it would be good for me to try rowing in the spring. I cannot even begin to say how glad I am that she pushed me to row. At Shipley, I formed an incredible love for rowing. I felt that I had finally found my “thing.” Practice was never tedious, never a drag, but always exciting. I looked forward to the time on the water and Shipley has such a beautiful spot on the historic boathouse row. Rowing at Shipley was so amazing that it lead me to make the difficult decision to stop playing basketball after 10 years in order to train over the winter and pursue collegiate rowing. I am beyond excited for the opportunity to continue doing what I love for the next four years.
What is your future ambition and what led you to this ambition? My future ambition is to be in the medical field, hopefully in an interactive position where I can really make a difference in people’s lives. The ultimate goal is to be a surgeon, either general or trauma. I love to interact with all people, and I think of myself as fairly personable, so focusing my career around assisting and changing people’s lives would be very fulfilling for me.
What does Courage for the Deed; Grace for the Doing mean to you? Courage for the Deed; Grace for the Doing is a very special phrase. I hear it often and have really tried to embrace its message. I believe that this phrase aims to instill educated and positive thoughts and actions.
What impact or contributions do you think you have made at Shipley and in the larger community? As the captain of the girls’ varsity crew team, I was able to really grow and learn as a leader. One of the most important goals I had was to ensure that all of the novices (first-time rowers) were comfortable and confident about their role on the team. I remember as a novice being very scared and unsure of my place. I wanted to remember that feeling and make it my goal that no one would feel that way. I contacted the novices prior to the season starting to let them know that I was one of their captains and wanted to help them in any way possible, answering any and all questions. Throughout the season I tried to really be there for them, always ready to help in any way possible. I am really grateful for the opportunity to be on such a tight-knit team and could never thank Shipley enough for facilitating this.
Complete this sentence: Shipley has prepared me to… approach all people with kindness and an open mind.
The Shipley Sprouts, Shipley's Upper School horticulture club, won two second-place awards at the 2022 Philadelphia Flower Show for their Tablescape exhibit. In addition, students in the Upper School STEAM Department won third and second-place awards for their Garden Gate exhibit.
The Shipley School is proud to announce that Don Draper has been appointed as Director of Tennis. In his capacity as Director of Tennis, Don will oversee the growth, continuity, and strategic vision for tennis at Shipley.
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.
Helping students identify their strengths and weaknesses is an essential goal for any educator guiding them on the path to success. This is especially important in sixth grade, as students make the transition from elementary to middle school. One cornerstone of the sixth grade SEED curriculum is having students explore their own learning styles and apply this knowledge to forming relationships.
On Thursday, May 26 the Upper School held its annual Closing Awards Ceremony. During this ceremony, Shipley recognized the outgoing and incoming student leadership officers and presented students with academic, athletic, and leadership awards.
Shipley's Middle School Latin students took the 2022 National Latin Examination with over 100,000 students from around the world. An impressive 26 students earned Latin Award prizes and recognition for excellence. Middle School Latin students also competed in The Philadelphia Classical Society's 83rd Annual Latin Week Competition - Traditional Artistry & Literary Projects on Classical themes. A total of 55 Middle School students won Latin Awards and recognition for excellence.
The Shipley School is proud to announce the appointment of Harry Green as the School’s new Director of Track and Field. This new position will oversee all running programs. Coach Green will be Head Coach of the Varsity Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field teams and the Cross Country team.
What do Coke and Pepsi have to do with statistics? The seniors in Matt Frankel’s interdisciplinary statistics class can tell you! After studying the statistical problem-solving process all year, students ran a large study with 300 subjects to see if they could differentiate between Coke and Pepsi with a greater accuracy than random guessing would provide.
Shipley Middle School science teacher Ace Schwarz has been selected to participate in its 2022 National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Landmarks of American History Workshop, The Space Age on the Space Coast. "I am hoping to bring back what I learn so we can really develop the space exploration aspect of our curriculum," commented Mx. Schwarz.
Shipley’s Middle School Science Olympiad team earned an overall ninth-place finish at the Pennsylvania Science Olympiad State Tournament held at Penn State Altoona on April 30.
The Shipley School is proud to announce that after an extensive search, Eva Winiarski has been named Head Varsity Girls' Lacrosse Coach. She brings a wealth of teaching, playing, and coaching experience to Shipley, most recently as the Assistant Lacrosse Coach and Defensive Coordinator at The McDonough School in Maryland. In the classroom, Eva will join Shipley’s exceptional English Department as an Upper School teacher.
On April 24, 2022, three groups of Shipley’s Upper School students presented research at a roundtable presentation of the Student Participatory Action Research Collaboration (SPARC). “Our students were passionate, thorough, confident, and genuinely enthusiastic about their research topics,” said student advisor and Shipley’s Interim Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Sheri Rider Jobe.
Shipley sixth-grader Jordyn Colbert '28 won first place in the 17th Annual Charlotte Miller Simon Poetry Contest, presented by the Ardmore Free Library.
Shipley’s Middle School and Upper School Science Olympiad teams participated in the Southeast Pennsylvania Science Olympiad Tournament. Combined, the teams earned 18 medals and qualified for the State tournament.
The Shipley School’s DEI Strategic Plan goal 3 is to ensure an equitable experience for all members of the community. One initiative of that goal is to create and support affinity spaces for students, colleagues, families, and alumni. Affinity spaces speak to the efforts of not just ensuring equitable experiences, but also creating experiences that foster belonging in our community. Learn more about our efforts to create these spaces.
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.