News
Individual, Joyful, Creative: The Andreoli-Culver Family's Shipley Story
Katie Culver works in education. When it came time to look for a school for her own children, Collin ’23, Mae ’25 and Tanner ’28 Andreoli, she knew exactly what she wanted. “I had heard that Shipley was a progressive school and I had been working in the city studying progressive schools,” she says. “When we visited, we loved everything about it.” The family was particularly taken with the Middle School. “We loved the space! There was natural light and creativity everywhere. There were beautiful collages on the wall that have to do with values and identity. I’m very involved in race and equity work, and I was thrilled that Shipley had committed to that.”
Shipley’s emphasis on academic rigor with support was particularly appealing. “Shipley’s academics are unparalleled and the teachers are the heart of it. They are qualified, personable, and hard-working. Both of my kids are so different and they both thrive in the environment,” says Katie. She particularly appreciates the creative nature of the assignments. “Everything is so interactive. In STEAM classes they get to use the Maker Space. It’s not just one-size-fits-all. That’s definitely the major reason why we chose private over public.”
Katie is also a huge fan of Shipley’s advisory program. “I love the model – you need to have a small group of kids who all connect with one adult. My children have their ‘person.’ In the beginning of the year, they each sat with their advisory for lunch. Shipley builds community that way. For new kids coming in, it’s so key.”
Each sporting season during middle school, students rotate through the various sporting options before they get to choose where they’d like to focus. “All of the coaches are terrific,” says Katie. “They make the kids feel comfortable and welcome. You really feel like you’re part of the family there.”
-
Q&A with Niam Shah ’21, Middle School Math Circle Teaching Assistant
Since arriving at The Shipley School as a sophomore, Niam Shah ’21, a Math Peer Tutor and member of the Technology Student Association and DECA, has earned numerous regional and national awards, started two businesses, and worked as an intern at a tech startup. Most recently, he served as Teaching Assistant for Shipley’s Middle School Math Circle, a five-week summer enrichment program led by Josh Berberian, Upper School mathematics teacher and Coordinator of Educational Research.Read More -
Summer Reading to Inspire Race-Related Conversations in Middle School Advisory
This summer, all Middle School students read Jerry Craft’s graphic novel, New Kid. The book features seventh grader Jordan, one of the few kids of color in his new, elite private school. “The shared read will provide Middle School Advisors a unique opportunity to discuss race-related issues with our students,” says Lila Corgan, an English Teacher and the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Coordinator in Middle School.Read More -
Shipley Makes Technology Upgrades to Prepare for Hybrid Learning
In preparation for Shipley’s conversion to a hybrid teaching and learning environment for all students, whether or not they will be learning on campus, our Technology Department performed a thorough evaluation and upgrade of available classroom technology with the goal of providing authentic, two-way engagement between the students at home, the teacher, and other students in the class.Read More -
Q& A with Dan Dougherty, Shipley’s New Associate Director of Annual Giving
Read MoreMeet Dan Dougherty, Shipley’s new Associate Director of Annual Giving. Dan has spent most of his career working in Development for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Even though he began his new role at Shipley during the pandemic lockdown, he says, “I felt very welcome and that I was part of the team immediately. The most challenging part was not being able to experience campus life at Shipley or meet my new colleagues in person.” Learn more about Dan. -
James “Jamie” Piltch ’13: Working Toward a More Just and Equitable Society
What does it mean to be an upstanding citizen? How can we work together to create a better society? Jamie Piltch ’13 can tell you. After graduating from Harvard, he travelled over 9,000 miles through 25 states and interviewed over 200 people in his quest to explore what civics and citizenship mean to Americans. Learn more about Jamie and how he's working toward a more just and equitable society.Read More -
Alumni Spotlight on Akinwole Garrett ’00: Brilliant In Business
A driven business leader with a deep passion for his community, Akinwole (Aki) Garrett ’00 has achieved remarkable success as a business leader, thanks to exceptional determination and a solid foundation from Shipley.Read More -
Q&A with Sharron Russell, Director of Positive Education and Student Support
In 1995, Dr. Sharron Russell was hired to write and teach Shipley’s social-emotional curriculum. Dr. Russell, who holds a certificate and doctoral degree in school psychology from Immaculata University and Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, respectively, has been directing student support since 2011 and positive education at Shipley since 2016. She is largely responsible for helping to make Shipley the first-ever positive education school in the country.Read More -
Sutton Grossinger '21: Leading with Courage, Confidence, and Compassion
Sutton Grossinger '21 is a "lifer" at Shipley and the most recent student elected All School President. “Shipley really stresses the importance of being involved in the community and pursuing one’s passions,” Grossinger says. “Outside of Student Government, there are numerous opportunities to be a leader at Shipley—from cheering on teammates, to leading by example in the classroom, to participating in community service, to being involved in a theatrical production.”Read More -
Practicing Positivity in Lower School Physical Education
At Shipley, Director of Lower School Physical Education Bruce Nkala and his departmental colleagues incorporate all aspects of positive education, with its focus on the individual character strengths, personal motivation, and overall well-being of each student, into the Lower School’s physical education curriculum.Read More -
Q&A with Upper School Counselor Kira White
Get to know Shipley's new Upper School counselor, Kira White. A graduate of Swarthmore College and the University of Pennsylvania, Kira says they chose to pursue a career in counseling because, "I wanted to help students figure out some of the other [non-academic] parts of growing up. I think the presence of a supportive school counselor is something that adults either remember from their time in school or wish they had had at that time in life." They appreciate Shipley's focus on the development of students as whole people including emotional well-being and awareness, "skills fundamental to navigating the world." Learn more about Kira in our New Colleague Q&A.Read More -
Q&A with Middle School Science Teacher Ace Schwarz
Get to know Ace Schwarz, Shipley's newest Middle School science teacher. In addition to being a true lifelong learner and avid reader who loves science, Mx. Schwarz (pronounced "mix") is passionate about their LGBTQ+ advocacy work. Learn more about Ace and how they hope make a positive impact at Shipley.Read More -
Shipley Community Letter - June 29, 2020
The School opened June with a note reflecting the beginning of a movement and followed with an invitation to engage. You responded. Alumni, students, families, colleagues, and members from across the community sent individual notes and group letters, made solo phone calls, and joined collective forums. We heard individual and collective pain. We now close the month by stating clearly that we have listened, and we will act.Read More -
Q&A with Nick Holton, Associate Director of Positive Education
Get to know Shipley's new Associate Director of Positive Education, Dr. Nick Holton, who says, "I firmly believe that human potential is the world's greatest resource and that systems of education can amplify that potential or squander it. I believe Positive Education does the former." Learn more about Nick and why he's dedicated his life to Positive Education.Read More -
Fifth Graders Imagine & Build New Civilizations in Shipley Learns Online
Read MoreAs a culmination to their interdisciplinary study of ancient civilizations, fifth graders used their writing, teamwork, and creativity skills to create new civilizations in an expansive, student-led project completed over the course of five weeks. Relying on their knowledge of geography, economics, social structures, art, and history, students brought new worlds to life. -
Second Grade Desert Zoo Goes Digital in Shipley Learns Online
In a normal school year, the second grade Desert Zoo project is a highlight for teachers, students, parents, and friends in the Shipley community. The capstone project involves interdisciplinary work in language arts, music, science, and art, culminating with a performance, presentations, and a celebration of students’ hard work. Even with the move to Shipley Learns Online, second graders were able to complete this highly anticipated unit and were able to share their high level work with the world.Read More -
Connecting Chemistry to the Real World
Read MoreWhether through class discussions, labs, presentations, or projects, Shipley science teacher Tamar Norquist emphasizes the many ways in which the fundamentals of chemistry directly impact her students and the world around them. Norquist takes learning further by connecting scientific principles with issues of social justice, carrying out Shipley's mission of compassionate participation in the world. -
Individual, Joyful, Creative: The Andreoli-Culver Family's Shipley Story
Katie Culver works in education, so when it came time to look for a school for her own children, she knew exactly what she wanted. Shipley's indivdualized, creative, and relationship-based approach to educational excellence checked all of the boxes.Read More -
Making an Impact through Film: Elise Dadourian ’16 Educates on Sustainability
Eighth grade science teacher Caroline Feldman ’05 lit up when she heard that her former student, Elise Dadourian ’16, had made a documentary film about food waste for her senior year thesis at Brown. Dadourian’s film was the perfect addition to Feldman’s unit on Food & Sustainability. The alumna was able to share her passion for the environment and film-making with students in a virtual visit. Learn more about Elise Dadourian '16 and her visit with Shipley's eighth graders.Read More -
Upper School Celebrates Closing Awards Ceremony
On Thursday, May 28 the Upper School virtually held their annual Closing Awards Ceremony. The Closing Awards celebrates student achievement in leadership, academics, and athletics. See the list of award recipients and descriptions of each award.Read More -
Shipley Community Letter from Michael G. Turner
"It’s been a brutal week, after a historically difficult few months. Let’s look on that as something that unites us, not divides us. Let’s do what friends and family do when they’re tired. Let’s lean on each other. Let me toil while you rest, then you can help me. We’ll each do our part, together."Read More
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.
