Shipley Kindergarten teacher and local coffee connoisseur, Claire Grillo, has been teaching for 17 years. Sixteen of those years were spent in urban schools.

“I teach because I love the children, the families, and the teachers,” she says, beaming. “At Shipley, I love the warmth of the community. While we have a solid curriculum, teachers have latitude, so we can explore learning with the kids. We approach them with intentionality and love and help them take ownership of their learning. ”One of Claire’s favorite aspects of Shipley is the SEED program. “We help our children build character through positive psychology and other means,” she explains. “As a result, all of us become more reflective in our own lives.”

Claire remembers the day she first interviewed at Shipley. “I had butterflies in my stomach,” she recalls. “The moment I walked in the door, they disappeared. Everyone said hello. Everyone was kind. I thought: I am just going to have as much fun with five-year-olds as I can.”

Claire believes her place is now at Shipley. “I told Head of Lower School Tim Lightman, ‘I’ll stay until they bodily remove me.’”