The Shipley School |

How to Create High-Quality Connections

Connections happen all around us. We make connections with family members, coworkers, friends, classmates, teachers, and strangers. But have you ever stopped to think about the quality or authenticity of those connections? In a world where we are always on the go, we might not think twice about...

How to Navigate Homework with Your Middle Schooler: The Transition from “Editor-in-Chief" to "Consultant”

I walked into preschool to pick up my 4-year old who proudly exclaimed, “Mommy! I have HOMEWORK tonight!” Indeed, it was our turn to take home the “Class Book” and design a page that described our family, complete with pictures. My frazzled “Mom-Brain” automatically translated his statement to...

Well-Being: The Heart of Education

Positive Education is based on science and research. It enhances resilience and positivity, core values, and creativity. It seeks to improve systems and processes, increase engagement and achievement, and enhance our interactions with others. Furthermore, at the heart of it, Positive Education is...

Managing Screen Time: A Family and Student Partnership to Promote Positive Well-Being

A few weeks ago, my eight-year-old son asked when he would get his own smartphone. Given that he is making his way through Lower School, I feel I have a few years to go before making a final decision. As the Head of Shipley’s Middle School, I see families and students having a hard time with not...

Latest Posts

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Five Ways to Celebrate World Gratitude Day with Your Family

September 21, 2020 is World Gratitude Day, and we’d like you and the children in your life to join in the celebration with us! One of the 24 character strengths that make up the backbone of Shipley’s positive education framework, gratitude can be a powerful tool to help you flourish. Research...

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The Kids Are Alright! How Building Resilience Can Help Us Thrive During the COVID-19 Era

For most of my career, my mantra regarding avoidance of difficulty has been, “Don’t let children believe ‘The world is dangerous,’ or ‘I can’t handle it.’ One of the problems with the COVID-19 crisis is that some activities that were previously considered normal and non-threatening (e.g. shaking...

Learning from Failure: A Student's Perspective on the Necessity of the "Negative"

In our previous post, we tried to present a bit of the research that helps disrupt the myth that the best way to live life is to avoid “negative” experiences. Instead, we need to help ourselves and the young people in our communities develop the ability to be “whole.” This is, in large part,...

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Ugh, No! Positive Psychology Is Not Just About "Being Positive"

In the early Autumn of 2016 I helped host a talk by Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky (whom you saw some research from in our previous post). If Marty Seligman is one of the “fathers” of the field, we ought to consider Sonja one of the “mothers.” As we waited for the crowd to gather and pile into the...

Why Positive Education? More Like, Why Not?

Whenever I speak to a school, organization or new group of passionate, interested parents, I am inevitably asked, “Why Positive Education?” Mostly, this well-meaning question is coming from concerned adults who want to make sure that they or their children are being put in the best possible...