The Board of Trustees is the guardian of Shipley’s mission and works to ensure that it is fulfilled, relevant, and vital to the community it serves. Volunteers who serve as trustees are important ambassadors and advisors. The School thanks Brooksley Wylie and Tim Buckley for their incredible service and welcomes Colin Kelton as Chair and Antonette Dulay-Tiongco as Vice Chair, in the 2022-2023 school year.
Brooksley Wylie, P ’14, P ’17
Outgoing Chair
Brooksley Wylie is a retired attorney, having practiced in San Francisco, CA, and San Mateo, CA, before moving east. She has been a dedicated member of the Shipley community since she joined as a parent in 2001. Since then, Brooksley has served in various volunteer roles, most notably as a tri-chair of the Foundations for Success campaign, which raised over $50 Million in support of major campus improvements and over $9 Million designated for endowment. She joined the Board of Trustees in 2010, served as Vice Chair from 2014 to 2017, and became Chair of the Board in 2017. In that role, she has led the Board through a series of important moments: the implementation of the Vision 20/26 Strategic Plan, renewed accreditation, the 125th Anniversary, a Headship transition, a global pandemic, and the development of a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Strategic Plan.
In her Commencement address to the Class of 2022, Brooksley reflected on her time with the Board, saying: “I have gotten so much more from being a trustee than I have given. It has been a real privilege to work with both the administration and the extraordinary group of people that make up the Board. I have also really enjoyed the interaction that I’ve had with colleagues...
“At a time when social circles got really small the last two years of COVID,” she continued, “the work I did with this group of amazing people kept me connected to things I really cared about. I hope that the work that we have done has supported and added to your education and your experience here. Selfishly, I’d like to think so, and with that assumption, it is gratifying to help you celebrate your many accomplishments to contemplate your bright futures and to know that Shipley was a part of making that possible.”
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.
Shipley’s theater program is excited to announce that it will partner with Broadway Green Alliance, a corporation that tries to bring more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices into theaters all around the country. Read more in this article originally published in the Beacon student newspaper.
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.