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 they will be learning on campus or at home, our Technology Department performed a thorough evaluation and upgrade of available classroom technology during the summer of 2020. The guiding principle was to ensure classrooms will provide authentic, two-way engagement between the students at home, the teacher, and other students in the class.
In the Middle and Upper Schools, 55 classrooms were equipped with Vaddio cameras that enable teachers to zoom in on the board and then pan to a corner of the room to focus on a group of students. Programmable presets allow teachers to move quickly between different areas of the classroom to better facilitate discussion groups and a more collaborative learning environment.
Each of these classrooms is also equipped with at least one ceiling microphone pod to capture audio from all areas of the room. The mic pod will cut out ambient noise to provide high quality audio, which is a crucial component to delivering curriculum online. The entire system is tied into existing AV in every classroom, so the audio of students learning online will come over the overhead speakers and the video feed of students will be projected to a screen. There is a dedicated computer driving this operation in each classroom.
In the Lower School, one classroom each in Grades 1 through 5 have been equipped with a Vaddio mounted camera and ceiling microphone to allow for students to stream instruction throughout the day. Regardless of assigned section, students will join the instruction in the room with the camera as teachers move in and out of classrooms to facilitate learning. In Pre-K and Kindergarten, teachers will be using an iPad on a cart that will allow for remote learners to get up close and personal to join instruction and be part of the group. In all grades, remote learners will join one section for the instruction and their assigned section for social activities like homeroom, snack, and lunch using the device that is in the room, be it an iPad (Pre-K through Grade 4) or a laptop (Grade 5). Personalizing the devices from the start will allow for an easy transition to remote learning if the need arises.
The entire school, Pre-K through Grade 12, will be one-to-one this year, with students in Pre-K through Grade 4 using iPads and students in Grades 4 through 12 using laptops.
Microsoft Teams will continue to serve as Shipley’s virtual collaboration platform, bringing together the virtual meeting experience, synchronous and asynchronous communication, and other tools that are integrated directly into the system.
Shipley's Upper School Boys' and Girls' Varsity Squash teams competed at the National Squash Championships in Philadelphia, finishing 34th and 64th in the country, respectively.
Since Dr. Roberta Brandao’s arrival to chair Shipley’s STEAM department in the fall of 2022, she has created a learning environment that fosters creativity, provides relevance, and pushes students to think critically. Learn more about Dr. Brandao's approach and how she makes students feel comfortable about taking creative risks.
This year’s Upper School Spring Musical is Mean Girls, a modern adaptation of the classic movie from 2004. Shipley theater star and Beacon writer Colin Harkins ’23 tells us why audiences should be excited to see the show March 2-4, 2023 in Riely Theatre.
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View a performance of the Lunar New Year Overture by Shipley's Chamber Orchestra, in an arrangement by Richard Liu ’25 and Bambi Tang ’23, and conducted by Mr. Jhonnatan Mata. The performance was organized by the Asian Student Alliance and the Chamber Orchestra in celebration of Lantern Festival, or the end of Lunar New Year.
After an extensive international search, Head of School Michael G. Turner announced the appointment of Chantra Reinman as Shipley’s next Head of Middle School, effective July 1, 2023.
In the Lower School Student Council, fourth and fifth graders hone leadership skills like collaboration, public speaking, and planning as they help with divisional assemblies and other student-led initiatives, while serving as student representatives at admissions events and more. Though the group is diverse, they all have one thing in common: a desire to give back to Shipley.
Shipley's Middle School Boys' and Girls' Squash teams competed at the National Squash Championships in Philadelphia, finishing ninth and 20th, respectively.
Congratulations to Shipley senior Zion Alexis ’23 for receiving numerous awards in the 2023 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, presented by Philadelphia Writing Project, including a Gold Key for his poem, "black boy, PREP SCHOOL." Read the poem and learn more about Zion, his interest in creative expression, and how Shipley has pushed him to grow as a writer in this Q&A.
Head of School Michael Turner announced that Rebekah Adens will be Shipley’s next Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, effective July 1, 2023.
Middle School science teacher Ace Schwarz was one of 10 educators selected to participate in the 2023 NASA/IPAC Teacher Archive Research Program (NITARP), which partners small groups of educators with a research astronomer for original, year-long, authentic research projects.
On Saturday, December 3, Shipley’s Upper School Science Olympiad team participated in the 2nd Annual Dick Smith Memorial Invitational. Competing in the B Division, Shipley’s Upper School team finished 31 out of 74 teams. Several students also placed in individual events.
Chess team members Srijan Velamuri ’23 and Adithi Srinivasan ’25 earned first and second places, respectively, at the Interscholastic Chess Tournament, hosted by Shipley on December 9, 2022.
What happens when you combine passion, professional learning, and appreciation of beauty and excellence? You get a teacher who brings enthusiasm and energy to her classroom and students who learn while doing. Learn more about how Middle School Latin teacher Anne Smith shares her passion for mosaics, Roman history, and the Latin language with her students through multiple modalities.
Dr. Harley Givler asked his third grade students to imagine what a storybook's characters would sound like as a musical composition. The third graders performed the composition for their PreK Book Buddies, sharing lessons in emotions, tolerance, and being an upstander, as well as inspiring a love of music.
On Friday, December 2, Shipley hosted the Philadelphia Area Math League for Independent Schools 2022 Playoffs. As a result, the Gators finished fifth out of ten teams in the group category and Bambi Tang ‘23 finished first in the individual category.
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.