STUDENT WELL-BEING
When you become a Shipley student, you join a community where being your best self is about far more than academics. It’s about growing into someone who’s ready to take on the world—with confidence, resilience, and strong character.
That’s why well-being initiatives are woven into every aspect of Shipley student life.
By prioritizing individual growth and respect, we ensure that all students—from our youngest learners to our graduating seniors—have the tools to navigate challenges, build meaningful relationships, and make their marks on the world.
See What It Means to Thrive at Shipley
Ready to explore a school where well-being is just as important as academics? Visit Shipley to experience how our research-based approach helps students grow into confident, capable, and compassionate people—ready for whatever comes next.
The Shipley Framework For Well-Being
At Shipley, well-being isn’t just an idea.
It’s a framework—a guide for how we help every student grow into their full potential.
The Shipley Framework for Well-Being is rooted in decades of research and practice. It’s built on seven key domains: areas we care deeply about for ourselves and others, which impact our ability to live fulfilling lives. This framework informs school policies and procedures, ensuring all students build the skills and mindset to handle anything that comes their way.
| Health & Safety |
| When you feel strong and secure, you can take on anything. That’s why we support your physical and emotional health in everything from sleep and nutrition to movement and mindfulness. |
| Belonging & Connection |
| You should feel at home at school—and know you’re valued for who you are. At Shipley, we help you connect with others while encouraging you to be true to yourself. |
| Emotional Awareness & Agility |
| Real strength comes from understanding your emotions, not avoiding them. We teach you to recognize, manage, and grow from every feeling, whether joy or frustration. |
| Character Strengths |
| You have unique strengths that make you YOU. At Shipley, we help you discover and develop those traits so you can make a positive impact on the world around you. |
| Achievement |
| It’s important to celebrate your wins—big or small. By setting goals and working toward them, we help you feel the pride that comes with mastering new skills. |
| Meaning & Purpose |
| Life is bigger than your own lived experience. We help you find ways to contribute to something greater, giving you opportunities to make a meaningful difference. |
| Deep Engagement |
| True understanding requires more than scratching the surface. We encourage you to dive deep into activities and experiences that inspire and challenge you in the best ways. |
SEED Program: Pre-K Through Grade 12
Shipley plants the seeds for lifelong well-being in our pioneering Social, Emotional, and Ethical Development (SEED) program.
Each week, students at all grade levels learn about important topics that help them better understand themselves and their world—things like identity, relationships, mental health, social justice, and decision-making. These lessons evolve as students grow their skills year after year.
In Lower School, students might explore identity by drawing self-portraits. In Middle School, SEED fosters self-awareness and study skills to support students’ well-being, relationships, and academic success. In Upper School, students engage in meaningful discussions on identity, relationships, mental health, and ethical decision-making while developing the skills to navigate complex social issues with empathy, resilience, and integrity.
An integral part of the Shipley experience since 1995, SEED creates space for joy, reflection, and self-discovery while preparing students to handle life’s highs and lows with grace and confidence.
| Lower School SEED: Growing from the Inside Out |
Lower School students build emotional awareness and self-regulation through the core idea that all feelings are valid. Lessons also introduce belonging, connection, and character strengths—laying a foundation for empathy, resilience, and respectful behavior.  |
| Middle School SEED: Skills for Life |
Blending social-emotional learning with practical study skills, SEED helps students develop self-awareness, healthy relationships, academic responsibility, and personal values—equipping them to navigate Middle School and thrive in school and life.  |
| Upper School SEED: Identity, Voice & Purpose |
Students revisit core well-being skills through deeper exploration of identity, agency, and decision-making—culminating in a meaningful Senior Service Project that connects personal strengths with real community impact.  |
Dedicated Counselors & Student Support
No two Shipley students are the same—and neither are their challenges. Whether a student needs extra academic support or simply someone to talk to about a problem, they always have a team by their side.
Every division has a dedicated Student Support Team that includes the Director of Student Support, Division Administrator, Division Counselor, Learning or Academic Support Coordinator, and School Nurse, with Athletic Trainers also integral to student well-being. These caring adults are here to work with students on everything from getting organized to tackling tough subjects or managing feelings.
Meet the Student Support Team
Well-Being Screening: Grades 6–12
At Shipley, we don’t just hope our well-being initiatives are making an impact.
Starting in 6th grade, we check in with every student through an annual Well-Being Screening, a survey assessing well-being (such as emotional agility and belonging) and ill-being (such as stress and anxiety).
This information informs SEED instruction, advisory programs, and support strategies. Our goal is to help all students leverage their strengths for both personal development and academic success.
5+ YearsShipley students have outperformed national EPOCH wellness averages every year since 2019. |
6th - 12th GradesAll students in grades 6 through 12 can participate in the annual well-being screening. |
Since 2015Shipley students have taken the well-being screening. The results have informed initiatives and curriculum to promote student well-being. |
A Community That Believes In You
At Shipley, you’re not just a student.
You’re a valued member of a community that cares deeply about who you are and who you’re becoming.
For more than 130 years, Shipley has been committed to nurturing the whole student—and as one of the few schools offering comprehensive social/emotional education rooted in scientific research, we’re proud to have created a community where every student is seen, valued, and supported in becoming their best self.
SEE WHAT MAKES SHIPLEY DIFFERENT |
| Ready to explore a school where academics are just the beginning? Visit us to experience how our approach to well-being, belonging, and compassionate participation helps students thrive—in school and beyond. |