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A Note from Ms. Reinman
A Note from Ms. Reinman
March 19, 2026
Dear Middle School Community,
The MS is abuzz with energy! The Science Olympiad team returned victorious after an amazing 2nd-place finish at Regionals last weekend. We are headed to States! Congratulations to all the students and to their coaches, John Harris and Ace Schwarz. Meanwhile, the eggs we have been caring for over the past few weeks have begun to hatch. I was in a science class earlier this week to witness this miraculous event, and the students were a combination of stunned, curious, and in awe. The yearbook is nearing time for submission and the MS musical rehearsal is in full swing.
Soon, it will be Spring Break. The week after we return, Gr. 7 and 8 classes will head off to their overnight trips to Washington, DC, and New York City, respectively. While we have planned trips to museums and opportunities to experience hands-on learning, I suspect the highlight for the 7th graders will be a trip to the baseball game at Nationals Park, and for the 8th graders, an evening on Broadway. Either that or the chance to sample food truck offerings!
Please join me in our Coffee and Conversation next Thursday at Beechwood. Justin Cooper will be my special guest, and we will discuss the athletics program at Shipley.
I close with a wish for Eid Mubarak to those who celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr. And for those who celebrate a “new day,” may this Nowruz bring you hope and joy. To all, I wish you peace.
Sincerely,
Chantra Reinman
CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS
MIDDLE SCHOOL SERVICE DAY
Friday, March 20
10:15 am - 12:45 pm
EARLY DISMISSAL ON FRIDAY, MARCH 20
Friday, March 20
1:25 pm
Students are dismissed at 1:25 pm, and supervision is available in the Piltch Commons until the regular dismissal time. There will be a musical rehearsal from 1:30 - 3:30.
MIDDLE SCHOOL PARENT COFFEE AND CONVERSATIONS: MORE THAN A “GOAL”
Wednesday, March 25
8:15 am
Beechwood
Please join Chantra Reinman and Justin Cooper in person or via Teams to discuss the impact of movement and gross-motor coordination on learning and how Shipley’s athletic program supports the middle schooler’s development.
MIDDLE SCHOOL MUSICAL
Rehearsals
Friday, March 20 - 1:30 - 3:30 pm, Morinelli Theatre
Saturday, March 21- 10:00 am - 12:00 pm, MS Community Room
Tuesday, March 24- 3:30-5:00 pm, Morinelli Theatre
Rehearsal Saturday, March 21: only for students dancing in the following numbers: The Hills are Alive…, Edelweiss, Sixteen Going on Seventeen, and Laendler. All other cast members (including von Trapp children not dancing) have this Saturday off.
Program Ad Information
Program Ad Submissions are now open!
Link To Form: Due Monday, April 6th.
Tickets
Our ticket pre-sale for families went on sale last night. You can purchase your ticket by following this link. Separate correspondence from Mrs. Clark was sent out with a pre-sale password for families.
Please keep an eye out for separate communication from Mrs. Clark regarding costumes!
7TH GRADE OVERNIGHT TRIP TO WASHINGTON DC
Wednesday, April 8 - Thursday, April 9
Students are expected at school at 7:30 am on April 8 and return at approximately 5:30 pm on April 9. See this email for more information.
8TH GRADE OVERNIGHT TRIP TO NEW YORK
Wednesday, April 8 - Thursday, April 9
Students are expected at school at 9:30 am on April 8 and return at approximately 4:30 pm on April 9. See this email for more information.
WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS
TECHNOLOGY ANNOUNCEMENT
As part of our ongoing evaluation of Shipley’s network security posture and student safety, we will be removing programs such as Roblox and Minecraft from all Shipley-provided laptops. If you have any digital creations, worlds, or projects stored locally on these platforms, please make sure to migrate them before March 21.
All installations of Roblox and Minecraft will be deleted from Shipley laptops on March 23.
8TH TO 9TH GRADE COURSE COUNSELING
Pick-A-Time for 8th-grade course counseling conferences has opened and will close on March 30 at 11:59 pm. Please note that only students who have re-enrolled for the 2026-27 school year can set up an appointment. Here is the email that Patty Lein sent to all 8th-grade families with more information.
CULTURE FEST
Friday, April 10, 2026
6:00 - 8:00 pm
Avery Silverman Dining Hall, Piltch Commons
We are currently seeking families and colleagues to host tables representing cultures, heritages, or American subcultures that are meaningful to them. Please consider hosting a table. We are also looking for performers.
NEW PROCESS - PARENT SUBMITTED ATTENDANCE IN SHIPLEYNET
Per Chantra Reinman’s email, we are asking all parents/guardians to submit all attendance via ShipleyNet, including early dismissals and late arrivals. For full instructions, please review the guide.
8TH GRADE SEED GUEST SPEAKERS
The weeks of March 16 and March 23
The non-profit organization YES! Will be guest speaking in 8th-grade SEED classes. The consent-focused lesson will talk about upholding and respecting personal boundaries in everyday interactions.
REUSABLE WATER BOTTLE REMINDER
As we begin spring sports, please remember to send a reusable water bottle daily with your middle schooler. There will be multiple coolers available on the fields to refill throughout practice as well as bottle filler stations within the buildings. This is especially important as the weather begins to get warmer on the turf fields.
SHIPLEY SOCCER CAMP
Shipley Soccer Camp signups are live. We have two coed camps this summer led by Coach Brad Jule, Coach Brian McDaid and Coach Harris Walker of the Varsity Boys Staff.
June 15-18: Prek-5th graders
July 27-30: PreK-12th graders with full and half-day options
We look forward to seeing many of you sign up, and please invite your friends!
TWO WEEKS AT-A-GLANCE
MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT VOICES
Middle School Science Olympiad
By Kerri Maatallah
Despite its negative reputation, Friday the 13th was an excellent day for the Science Olympiad team, who placed 2nd at the Southeast Pennsylvania Regional Tournament, their highest placement at this tournament since the club’s inception. Their triumph was truly a team effort; every member medaled at least once, as seen in the list below. As Eva C., one of the captains, said, “Everyone worked really hard and should be proud of themselves.”
What makes their best-ever finish extra meaningful is that it came on the heels of a particularly disappointing tournament. In the words of Jude L., another of the captains, “ a lot of additional practice” was their key to rebounding. Ronan D., also a captain, noted, “We have new people on new events. Getting in practice made the difference.” Eva added, “It was a wake-up call that we all needed to reframe how we do things and find a new method that worked better.” Ava M., the fourth captain, agreed that the February tournament was “a jump start where everyone realized that we just needed to do better.”
As notable as the team’s hard work is their cohesion. Jude’s most memorable moment of the year was getting first place in the Codebusters competition because his partner “had never gotten a first-place finish before.” Similarly, Ronan’s most memorable moment was “the look on (his) partner’s face’” after they successfully completed the Mission Possible challenge at the first tournament.
The Science Olympiad students are as connected to the coaches as they are to each other. Ava’s motivation for the season is to give “Mr. Harris a good ending to his last season at Shipley” and “make him proud.”
The team is hoping that their diligence and motivation to succeed for their teammates and coaches will help them at the Pennsylvania State Tournament in April; Jude is striving for a top ten finish.
Congratulations to the Science Olympiad team and to their colleagues and community coaches. We can’t wait to see where their perseverance and curiosity will take them next.
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Science Olympiad Regional Tournament Medals
Boomilever - 4th place - Sophia L. and Cole R.
Circuit Labs - 2nd place - Ford E. and Jude L.
Code Busters - 1st place - Jude L., Ava M., and Eva C.
Crime Busters - 3rd place - Ava M. and Ben N.
Disease Detectives - 4th place - Greg R. and Ben N.
Dynamic Planet - 2nd place - Olivia L. and Brockton B.
Entomology - 4th place - Claire M. and Cora G.
Experimental Design - 2nd place - Sophia L., Brockton B., and Ronan D.
Helicopter - 3rd place - Catherine Z. and Ronan D.
Heredity - 4th place - Olivia L. and Eva C.
Hovercraft - 2nd place - Catherine Z. and Cole R.
Machines - 4th place - Ronan D.and Eva C.
Mission Possible - 3rd place - Ronan D. and Cole R.
Potions & Poisons - 2nd place - Ava M. and Ben N.
Rocks & Minerals - 4th place - Millie R. and Sophia L.
Scrambler - 3rd place - Cole R. and Brockton B.
Solar System - 4th place - Olivia L. and Eva C.
Write It, Do It - 1st place - Eva C. and Jude L.
Build Managers Deacon N. and Bryce R. were involved in all tournament events
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