From Scribbles to Novels: Teaching Writing in the Lower School
Holly Caldwell
Throughout human history, all cultures have created, shared, and passed down stories in various forms, ranging from the Lascaux cave drawings, oral storytelling in its various forms, such as legends and animal fables, to “traditional” forms of writing like literature. Guided by the idea that we are all writers, teachers in Shipley’s Lower School find creative ways to impart different forms of narrative expression to the School’s youngest learners. It begins with the simplest, yet most profound, of concepts—the idea that everyone has a story. “We want them to find their voice and understand that their voice is unique,” Reading Specialist Ms. Lorin Early explains. This notion is a hallmark of Shipley’s model, which creates an optimized learning environment for personal growth while nurturing the individual needs of each student.
Cultivating a safe learning atmosphere encourages students to share their writing. In the early years, narrative expression might take the form of oral storytelling, drawing, or labelling. Younger students begin by sharing personal stories with classmates, an incredibly important form of self-expression that is deeply connected to the written word. “Writing in its various forms opens up a whole other world of expression and gives kids agency. It’s important to honor that,” Kindergarten teacher Ms. Claire Grillo affirms, “because having the confidence to listen, speak, and take turns…these are the nuts and bolts of writing.” By focusing on listening and then sharing their own stories, students build enduring relationships, a key part of Shipley’s mission to develop a communal culture and collective well-being. Through this shared exchange they develop “a connection and shared experience within the world; it fosters a sense of belonging,” Ms. Early highlights.
Students in the Lower School engage with different forms of writing across the disciplines, and although reading is taught as a separate subject, fifth grade teacher Ms. Sally Siebert-Hall explains that “writing is woven in so that the two snowball together.” Using a variety of methods, such as graphic organizers, scaffolding, and “risk-free” journal writing, teachers help students to further hone their writing skills and “mirror what the experts do.” Giving students the freedom to select their own topics is key and helps to foster confidence as they grow as writers.
As older students dive into novels, identify figurative language, and engage in peer review sessions, the relatively simple task of holding a pencil can pose difficulties for younger learners. Teachers like Ms. Grillo help Shipley’s little acorns improve their fine motor skills by performing strengthening exercises with tweezers, beads, and Play-Doh to prepare them for the physicality of writing. Contrary to conventional practice, Ms. Grillo highlights how, “We use thin, chunky, triangular, short, you name it. Our hands are all unique, so a particular type of pencil might suit one student better than another.” At Shipley, no detail is too small in meeting the goal of individualized instruction: in this case, it’s a No. 2 pencil fitted especially for you.
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.
In 2021, the Shipley Black Alumni Association (BAA) set the goal of raising $100,000 to establish an endowed fund at Shipley to support experiences aimed at educating students about American history and culture through the lens of African-American contributions. By the end of Black History Month 2022, the results are impressive: $55,170 given by 116 donors.
Five Shipley Upper School students earned Honorable Mentions for their hard work at the Model UN event in Washington, DC and the Harvard Model Congress event in Boston, MA.
Looking for diverse texts to read for either yourself or your child(ren)? Shipley's Librarians are here to help with a heaping helping of books to satisfy your literary appetite. Get a list of recommended books for middle school, young adult, and adult books, compiled by Shipley's Library Director Liz Cousins.
Shipley's Director of Rowing, Scott Gavin-Wisniewski discusses the lack of racial and ethnic diversity in the sport of rowing and how Shipley's Rowing Academy is working to counteract that. The program's strategic partnership with Philadelphia City Rowing (PCR) both informs how we advance DEI within Shipley's program, while also advancing equity in the broader Philadelphia community through our support of their efforts.
Shipley’s youngest students partner in sustainability through hands-on science lessons in the natural environment, including Shipley's decade-long partnership with the Lower Merion Conservancy, in which fifth grade students collect and analyze water samples of the local Mill Creek. Learn more about how learning comes to life in Lower School science.
Building connections with French students not only helps Shipley's middle schoolers on their path to developing language fluency, but also fulfill's the School’s mission of preparing them to become responsible global citizens by expanding their curiosity about different cultures. Learn more about the Middle School French pen pal program.
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.