Shipley School: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 40°01′29″N 75°18′56″W / 40.0248°N 75.3155°W / 40.0248; -75.3155
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| type= Coeducational Independent College Preparatory School
| type= Coeducational Independent College Preparatory School
| head of school= Steve Piltch
| head of school= Steve Piltch
| enrollment = 875
| enrollment = 833
| ratio = 8:1
| ratio = 7:1
| colors = Blue and Green
| colors = Blue and Green
| mascot = Gator
| mascot = Gator
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}}
}}


'''The Shipley School''' is a [[coeducational]], independent, [[college-preparatory]] [[day school]] with approximately 875 students in pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade. Shipley is located in [[Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania]], approximately 15 miles west of Philadelphia.
'''The Shipley School''' is a [[coeducational]], independent, [[college-preparatory]] [[day school]] with approximately 833 students in pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade. Shipley is located in [[Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania]], approximately 15 miles west of Philadelphia.


In September 2006, Shipley was named the number one coeducational school in the Philadelphia area and the number two school overall by ''[[Philadelphia Magazine]]''.<ref name=philly>{{cite web | title = Philadelphia Magazine: Top Schools 2006 | url = http://philly4.phillymag.com/images/uploads/pdf/0906school_chrt.pdf | accessdate = 2008-07-24}}</ref>
In September 2006, Shipley was named the number one coeducational school in the Philadelphia area and the number two school overall by ''[[Philadelphia Magazine]]''.<ref name=philly>{{cite web | title = Philadelphia Magazine: Top Schools 2006 | url = http://philly4.phillymag.com/images/uploads/pdf/0906school_chrt.pdf | accessdate = 2008-07-24}}</ref>
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===Lower School===
===Lower School===


The [[Primary education|Lower School]] enrolls about 300 students in pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade with an average class size of 16 students. Teachers are often aided by a full-time [[teaching assistant#Elementary School Teaching Assistants|teaching assistant]], providing a student-to-teacher ratio of seven-to-one. In recent years the Lower School has added a character development component to its curriculum, designed to encourage and instill compassionate, respectful and principled behavior. The lower school also offers:
The [[Primary education|Lower School]] enrolls about 396 students in pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade with an average class size of 15 students. Teachers are often aided by a full-time [[teaching assistant#Elementary School Teaching Assistants|teaching assistant]], providing a student-to-teacher ratio of seven-to-one. In recent years the Lower School has added a character development component to its curriculum, designed to encourage and instill compassionate, respectful and principled behavior. The lower school also offers:
*An [[after-school program]] from three to six in the afternoon
*An [[after-school program]] from three to six in the afternoon
*Private music lessons
*Private music lessons
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===Middle school===
===Middle school===


The [[Middle School]] has about 210 students in grades six through eight. The average class size is 17 students. Students enroll in math, history, science, English, and foreign language (French, Mandarin, Latin, or Spanish) courses. Students also complete coursework in [[computer literacy]], [[studio art]], theater, and music. In seventh grade, the [[curriculum]] includes the "Generations Project," a several-week-long program during which students research their [[Cultural heritage|heritage]]. Every spring the Middle School puts on a musical.
The [[Middle School]] has about 2097 students in grades six through eight. The average class size is 17 students. Students enroll in math, history, science, English, and foreign language (French, Mandarin, Latin, or Spanish) courses. Students also complete coursework in [[computer literacy]], [[studio art]], theater, and music. In seventh grade, the [[curriculum]] includes the "Generations Project," a several-week-long program during which students research their [[Cultural heritage|heritage]]. Every spring the Middle School puts on a musical.


Athletics change significantly during Middle School. In sixth grade, students have the option to participate in a [[physical education]] program or in an intra-school athletic league. In seventh and eighth grades, students are encouraged to join sports teams which compete against area schools. Middle School interscholastic boys' sports include soccer, basketball, squash, baseball, tennis, and lacrosse. Girls' sports include soccer, field hockey, tennis, volleyball, basketball, swimming, softball, and lacrosse. For many sports, students are subdivided into multiple teams based on ability.<ref>{{cite web | title = The Shipley School: About Middle School | url = http://www.shipleyschool.org/msabout.html | accessdate = 2008-07-25}}</ref>
Athletics change significantly during Middle School. In sixth grade, students have the option to participate in a [[physical education]] program or in an intra-school athletic league. In seventh and eighth grades, students are encouraged to join sports teams which compete against area schools. Middle School interscholastic boys' sports include soccer, basketball, squash, baseball, tennis, and lacrosse. Girls' sports include soccer, field hockey, tennis, volleyball, basketball, swimming, softball, and lacrosse. For many sports, students are subdivided into multiple teams based on ability.<ref>{{cite web | title = The Shipley School: About Middle School | url = http://www.shipleyschool.org/msabout.html | accessdate = 2008-07-25}}</ref>
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===Upper School===
===Upper School===


The [[Upper School#United States|Upper School]] enrolls about 300 students in the ninth through twelfth grades. The average class size is 16 students. In most courses, students can choose to take the class at either a standard or [[honors course|honors]] level. Prior to the 2008-2009 academic year, Shipley offered [[Advanced Placement]] courses in most subjects. Like many other independent schools, Shipley has discontinued its Advanced Placement program to increase curricular latitude.
The [[Upper School#United States|Upper School]] enrolls about 328 students in the ninth through twelfth grades. The average class size is 12 students. In most courses, students can choose to take the class at either a standard or [[honors course|honors]] level. Prior to the 2008-2009 academic year, Shipley offered [[Advanced Placement]] courses in most subjects. Like many other independent schools, Shipley has discontinued its Advanced Placement program to increase curricular latitude.


While in Upper School, students must take four English courses, three math courses, three courses in the same foreign language, two history courses, and two science courses. Every year, students must enroll in five of these "major courses," each of which meets daily. Students may also take major courses in [[computer science]], studio art, [[music theory]], philosophy, [[art history]], economics, or humanities. During Junior year, students can elect to take an [[interdisciplinary]] [[American Studies]] course, which fulfills both a history and English requirement. Additionally, "minor courses," which meet once or twice a week, are required in computer literacy, music, art, and health. Minor courses in film and theater are also offered.<ref>{{cite web | title = The Shipley School: Course Offerings Booklet | url = http://shipleyschool.org/pdf/course_description07-08.pdf | accessdate = 2008-07-25}}</ref>
While in Upper School, students must take four English courses, three math courses, three courses in the same foreign language, two history courses, and two science courses. Every year, students must enroll in five of these "major courses," each of which meets daily. Students may also take major courses in [[computer science]], studio art, [[music theory]], philosophy, [[art history]], economics, or humanities. During Junior year, students can elect to take an [[interdisciplinary]] [[American Studies]] course, which fulfills both a history and English requirement. Additionally, "minor courses," which meet once or twice a week, are required in computer literacy, music, art, and health. Minor courses in film and theater are also offered.<ref>{{cite web | title = The Shipley School: Course Offerings Booklet | url = http://shipleyschool.org/pdf/course_description07-08.pdf | accessdate = 2008-07-25}}</ref>
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Upper School students can choose from about 15 sports, most of which are offered at the [[varsity team|varsity]] and [[junior varsity]] levels. Boys and girls compete on separate teams in the following sports: crew, soccer, cross country, tennis, basketball, squash, and lacrosse. The golf and swimming teams are co-ed. Additionally, there is a boys baseball team and girls softball, field hockey, and volleyball teams. Less athletically inclined students, who do not participate in at least two sports per year, are required to take physical education courses.<ref>{{cite web | title = The Shipley School: JV and Varsity Teams | url = http://www.shipleyschool.org/ath_teams.html | accessdate = 2008-07-26}}</ref>
Upper School students can choose from about 15 sports, most of which are offered at the [[varsity team|varsity]] and [[junior varsity]] levels. Boys and girls compete on separate teams in the following sports: crew, soccer, cross country, tennis, basketball, squash, and lacrosse. The golf and swimming teams are co-ed. Additionally, there is a boys baseball team and girls softball, field hockey, and volleyball teams. Less athletically inclined students, who do not participate in at least two sports per year, are required to take physical education courses.<ref>{{cite web | title = The Shipley School: JV and Varsity Teams | url = http://www.shipleyschool.org/ath_teams.html | accessdate = 2008-07-26}}</ref>


Shipley's colors are green and blue, and its mascot is the gator. In recent years, the gym's student section has been dubbed "the swamp," the alligator's natural habitat.
Shipley's colors are green and blue, and its mascot is the gator. In recent years, the gym's student section has been dubbed "the swamp," the alligator's natural habitat. Shipley teams have won 34 championships in the past 5 years.<ref>{{cite web | title = The Shipley School: Stats at a Glance | url = http://www.shipleyschool.org/page.aspx?pid=1308 | accessdate = 2010-09-16}}</ref>


===The arts===
===The arts===
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*Male-to-female ratio: 51-to-49
*Male-to-female ratio: 51-to-49
*Minority students as a percent of the overall student body: 15%
*Minority students as a percent of the overall student body: 15%
*Tuition average by division, 2009-2010
*Tuition average by division, 2010-2011
**Lower School: $20,800
**Lower School: $24,100
**Middle School: $25,625
**Middle School: $26,675
**Upper School: $27,950
**Upper School: $29,000
*Percent of students receiving [[financial aid (educational expenses)|financial aid]]: 22% <ref name=stats/>
*Percent of students receiving [[financial aid (educational expenses)|financial aid]]: 22% <ref name=stats/>



Revision as of 22:17, 16 September 2010

The Shipley School
File:Topright shipseal.png
Location
Map
814 Yarrow Street,
Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania 19010
Information
TypeCoeducational Independent College Preparatory School
MottoFortiter in Re; Leniter in Modo
"Courage for the deed; Grace for the doing"
Established1894
Head of schoolSteve Piltch
Enrollment833
Student to teacher ratio7:1
Color(s)Blue and Green
MascotGator
Information(610) 525-4300
Websitehttp://www.shipleyschool.org

The Shipley School is a coeducational, independent, college-preparatory day school with approximately 833 students in pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade. Shipley is located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, approximately 15 miles west of Philadelphia.

In September 2006, Shipley was named the number one coeducational school in the Philadelphia area and the number two school overall by Philadelphia Magazine.[1]

History

In 1894, three sisters—Hannah, Elizabeth, and Katharine Shipley—founded Shipley to prepare girls for Bryn Mawr College, which is located directly across the street. The Shipley sisters were strong-minded, well-educated Quaker women and envisioned the school as far more than a mere finishing school. When the school opened with six students and nine faculty members, a philosophy of education was established that would guide the school for over a hundred years, up to the present time.

By the 1950s, Shipley had expanded its purpose and student body admitting approximately 350 students and sending its graduates to many traditional women's colleges. At this time, about half of all Upper School students were boarders hailing from all over the country and even from Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Shipley discontinued its boarding department and began to admit male students. The last boarders graduated in 1982, and by 1984 the school was fully coeducational with equal numbers of girls and boys.[2]

Mission

The Shipley School, a prekindergarten - 12 coeducational day school, is committed to educational excellence and dedicated to developing in each student a love of learning and a compassionate participation in the world. Through a strong college preparatory curriculum in the humanities and sciences, the school encourages curiosity, creativity, and respect for intellectual effort. Shipley upholds and promotes moral integrity, a sense of personal achievement and worth, and concern for others at school and in the larger community.[3]

School Structure

Lower School

The Lower School enrolls about 396 students in pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade with an average class size of 15 students. Teachers are often aided by a full-time teaching assistant, providing a student-to-teacher ratio of seven-to-one. In recent years the Lower School has added a character development component to its curriculum, designed to encourage and instill compassionate, respectful and principled behavior. The lower school also offers:

  • An after-school program from three to six in the afternoon
  • Private music lessons
  • A drama club for fourth and fifth grade students [4][5]

Middle school

The Middle School has about 2097 students in grades six through eight. The average class size is 17 students. Students enroll in math, history, science, English, and foreign language (French, Mandarin, Latin, or Spanish) courses. Students also complete coursework in computer literacy, studio art, theater, and music. In seventh grade, the curriculum includes the "Generations Project," a several-week-long program during which students research their heritage. Every spring the Middle School puts on a musical.

Athletics change significantly during Middle School. In sixth grade, students have the option to participate in a physical education program or in an intra-school athletic league. In seventh and eighth grades, students are encouraged to join sports teams which compete against area schools. Middle School interscholastic boys' sports include soccer, basketball, squash, baseball, tennis, and lacrosse. Girls' sports include soccer, field hockey, tennis, volleyball, basketball, swimming, softball, and lacrosse. For many sports, students are subdivided into multiple teams based on ability.[6]

Upper School

The Upper School enrolls about 328 students in the ninth through twelfth grades. The average class size is 12 students. In most courses, students can choose to take the class at either a standard or honors level. Prior to the 2008-2009 academic year, Shipley offered Advanced Placement courses in most subjects. Like many other independent schools, Shipley has discontinued its Advanced Placement program to increase curricular latitude.

While in Upper School, students must take four English courses, three math courses, three courses in the same foreign language, two history courses, and two science courses. Every year, students must enroll in five of these "major courses," each of which meets daily. Students may also take major courses in computer science, studio art, music theory, philosophy, art history, economics, or humanities. During Junior year, students can elect to take an interdisciplinary American Studies course, which fulfills both a history and English requirement. Additionally, "minor courses," which meet once or twice a week, are required in computer literacy, music, art, and health. Minor courses in film and theater are also offered.[7]

Every Upper School student is required complete a minimum of forty hours of community service in order to graduate. During the last several weeks of senior year, students, in lieu of taking classes, volunteer with an area service organization of their choice.

College counseling is available to every senior and second semester junior. Students take a "minor course" taught by the college counseling office during their senior fall.[8]

Student life

Athletics

Since the 2005-2006 school year, Shipley has competed in the Friends Schools League, which was founded in 1982 on the principles of the Religious Society of Friends. Abington Friends School, The Academy of the New Church, Friends' Central School, Friends Select School, George School, Germantown Friends School, Moorestown Friends School, and the Westtown School are the other eight members of the conference.

Upper School students can choose from about 15 sports, most of which are offered at the varsity and junior varsity levels. Boys and girls compete on separate teams in the following sports: crew, soccer, cross country, tennis, basketball, squash, and lacrosse. The golf and swimming teams are co-ed. Additionally, there is a boys baseball team and girls softball, field hockey, and volleyball teams. Less athletically inclined students, who do not participate in at least two sports per year, are required to take physical education courses.[9]

Shipley's colors are green and blue, and its mascot is the gator. In recent years, the gym's student section has been dubbed "the swamp," the alligator's natural habitat. Shipley teams have won 34 championships in the past 5 years.[10]

The arts

Lower School students perform in plays throughout the year and sing in the chorus. Lower School students are also encouraged to participate in the advanced chorus, recorder ensemble, orchestra, and string ensemble.

In Middle School, in addition to the chorus, the school offers handbell choirs, a wind ensemble, and a string ensemble. As of the 2009-2010 school year, students are no longer required to perform. The Middle School puts on a musical every spring.

In Upper School, while students are not required to perform, there are many more offerings in music and theater. Vocal groups include an Upper School chorus, a male a cappella group (the Madriguys), a female a cappella group (the Madrigals), and a mixture of the two a capella groups called The Counterpoints. Additionally, the Upper School has a Philharmonic orchestra, string ensemble, jazz band, handbell choir, and flute ensemble.[11][12]

Upper School students can choose from a number of theater offerings. Traditionally, the theater department puts on a series of one act plays in the fall and a musical in the spring. The Shakespeare Program, started in 2002, presents a selection of Shakespeare scenes in the fall semester and a full Shakespeare play in the spring semester, generally staged outdoors.[13][14]

Extra-Curricular Activities

Shipley students participate many different clubs, activities, and publications. An incomplete list is included below.

  • Student Council
  • Sprouts, a horticultural club which participates annually in the Philadelphia Flower Show [15]
  • Model United Nations Club, which sends a delegation to several Model United Nations conferences each year
  • Yearbook Club
  • The Compass, the school's literary and visual arts publication
  • The Beacon, the student newspaper [16]
  • Yehipls, an improvisational comedy troupe
  • The Lorax, an environmental advocacy group
  • Green Gators, an environmental club, and last year's runner up in the Lexus Eco-Challenge
  • Spectrum, a club for lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transgender (LGBT) students and allies
  • The Outdoors Club, which leads wilderness hikes and every year offers a ski trip in the Poconos.
  • Science Underground, a club where students can work on science projects for fun
  • LGBT Alliance Group for Students uniting to promote awareness and safety for homosexuals

School Profile

  • Over the last five years, 22% of Shipley graduates receive formal recognition from the National Merit Scholarship Program [17]
  • Average SAT scores: 658 verbal; 658 math (as of September 2006)
    • Of all Philadelphia area schools, Shipley has the second highest combined SAT score [1]
  • From 2004-2007, approximately 14% of Shipley graduates have matriculated into Ivy League Colleges.[18]
  • The school has 107 full- and part-time faculty members; the student-to-faculty ratio is eight-to-one [19]
  • Male-to-female ratio: 51-to-49
  • Minority students as a percent of the overall student body: 15%
  • Tuition average by division, 2010-2011
    • Lower School: $24,100
    • Middle School: $26,675
    • Upper School: $29,000
  • Percent of students receiving financial aid: 22% [5]

Trivia

Shipley is mentioned in J.D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye. The protagonist, Holden Caulfield, believes Jane Gallagher to have gone to either Shipley or "B.M." which could be interpreted as Bryn Mawr. J.D. Salinger met his future wife, Claire Douglas, while she was enrolled at Shipley,[20] and Salinger himself attended Valley Forge Military Academy in Wayne, Pennsylvania, only several miles away from Shipley School. Shipley is also mentioned in Tad Friend's Cheerful Money: Me, My Family, and the Last Days of Wasp Splendor, as he attended the school before matriculating to Harvard.

External links

References

  1. ^ a b "Philadelphia Magazine: Top Schools 2006" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-07-24.
  2. ^ "The Shipley School: History". Retrieved 2008-07-24.
  3. ^ "The Shipley School: Mission". Retrieved 2008-07-24.
  4. ^ "The Shipley School: About Lower School". Retrieved 2008-07-25.
  5. ^ a b "The Shipley School: Stats at a Glance". Retrieved 2008-07-25.
  6. ^ "The Shipley School: About Middle School". Retrieved 2008-07-25.
  7. ^ "The Shipley School: Course Offerings Booklet" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-07-25.
  8. ^ "The Shipley School: About Upper School". Retrieved 2008-07-25.
  9. ^ "The Shipley School: JV and Varsity Teams". Retrieved 2008-07-26.
  10. ^ "The Shipley School: Stats at a Glance". Retrieved 2010-09-16.
  11. ^ "The Shipley School: Music Arts". Retrieved 2008-07-26.
  12. ^ "The Shipley School: Theater Arts". Retrieved 2008-07-26.
  13. ^ "The Shipley School: Fall Plays". Retrieved 2008-07-26.
  14. ^ "The Shipley School: Shakespeare Plays". Retrieved 2008-07-26.
  15. ^ "The Shipley School News: Sprouts Excel at the Philadelphia Flower Show"". Retrieved 2008-07-26.
  16. ^ "The Shipley School: Student Publications". Retrieved 2008-07-26.
  17. ^ "The Shipley School: About". Retrieved 2008-07-26.
  18. ^ "The Shipley School: College and University Matriculation". Retrieved 2008-07-25.
  19. ^ "The Shipley School: About Shipley Faculty". Retrieved 2008-07-26.
  20. ^ Margaret A. Salinger (2001). Dream Catcher: A Memoir. Simon & Schuster. p. 7. ISBN 9780671042820.

40°01′29″N 75°18′56″W / 40.0248°N 75.3155°W / 40.0248; -75.3155