Experience Lower School

Learn about Shipley Lower School’s distinctive music program, which begins at the preschool level with the goal of teaching students music literacy in a fun, playful environment. The ensemble music program gives students the opportunity to play a variety of instruments in their fourth grade year, and then pursue a more in-depth study in fifth grade. The process is collaborative, encourages students to take risks, and lays a strong foundation for higher level skills and a deep passion for musical learning. Hear from parents, students, and teachers about why Shipley’s elementary school music program is top-notch.

At Shipley, we believe that opportunities for leadership at the elementary school level are critical to students’ self discovery, confidence, and identity in and out of school. Shipley provides a variety of opportunities for students to lead, including an elected student council in the fourth and fifth grades. In addition to building important life skills such as public speaking, we want students who will take action and feel a strong sense of community. Learn more about why leadership is important at Shipley.

Get a sense of the depth and breadth of early childhood education at Shipley. Our full-day preschool and kindergarten programs integrate joyful, child-centered play and academic challenge to create the best foundation for future academic success. The research-based curriculum encompasses a rich and broad educational experience as students participate in a variety of specials including science, Spanish, art, music, physical education, and SEED (Social, Emotional, and Ethical Development). Learn more about how Shipley’s Early Childhood Education Program attends to children’s social and emotional development while focusing on emergent literacy and math concepts and skills.

See Shipley’s elementary school science classes in action. Hands-on learning inspires critical thinking, curiosity, and question-based approaches in students, who learn from their environment and community. In addition to learning basic scientific concepts and engineering principles, students are challenged to learn life skills like perseverance and collaboration. Meet science teacher Dan DelDuca and see what science is like in Shipley’s Lower School.

The goal of The Shipley Method is to inspire deeply rooted learning in students – learning that is emotionally meaningful, experiential, and creative. At Shipley, that deeply rooted learning is particularly evident in a series of multi-faceted learning experiences that bring to life what students learn about in the classroom, including the second grade Desert Zoo project, the third grade Ellis Island simulation, and the fourth grade Westward Ho role play. Learn more about these projects and how they make learning at Shipley fun, social, and exciting.

How do parents and teachers describe The Shipley School? Warm, inclusive, and awesome are just a few words to describe us. Watch this video to learn more about what makes Shipley such a special community.

At Shipley, we feel that the mark of a good school is a happy student body and teachers who love to teach. In this video, you’ll hear from parents, students, and teachers about why our students love to learn and what makes Shipley a community of joyful learners.

Relationships between students and teachers are at the heart of The Shipley Method’s deeply rooted learning. Because Shipley teachers know their students as people and as learners, they are able to appropriately challenge and support students so that they thrive in our academically rigorous program. In elementary school, academic excellence is about developing a foundation of skills that will help kids be successful in middle school, learn to think critically, and solve problems. Learn more from Shipley parents and teachers about what academic excellence at Shipley is all about.

All parents want their kids to have the tools it takes to be successful. At Shipley, we think that developing the confidence to explore is critical to academic and personal success. What does it take to help students develop confidence? We believe that close relationships between teachers and students are an important element. Learn more from Shipley teachers and parents about how Shipley creates an environment that helps students build confidence.

Why do our students, parents, and teachers love Shipley? Hear directly from them about why Shipley matters to them.

Part business plan, part service project, the TCA assignment starts with self-discovery. Students explore questions like: Who am I? What are my strengths? What am I passionate about? On the verge of adolescence, the process is developmentally critical to the fifth graders, who identify a blend of performance characteristics (perseverance, self-discipline) and moral characteristics (respect, compassion, integrity), along with personal interests that define who they are.