| Motto | Fide Semper Vincere ("By Faith Always to Conquer") |
|---|---|
| Established | 1883 |
| Religious Affiliation | None |
| School type | Private (5-Day Boarding and Day) |
| President | Thomas Southard |
| Location | Fox Chapel, PA, USA |
| School Colors | Old Gold and Navy Blue |
| Mascot | Indians |
| Homepage | www.shadysideacademy.org |
Shady Side Academy is an independent school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was initially founded as a boy's boarding school in 1883, though the Senior School was only established at its current suburban campus in Fox Chapel in 1921. A later merger with another local private school, The Arnold School, resulted in a new campus: a Junior School, located in Pittsburgh's Point Breeze and serving kindergarten through fifth grade students. In the 1950's, the Academy purchased an estate less than a mile from the Senior School campus, creating a middle school for grades six through eight. In the 1970's, the Senior School became co-educational, and the Junior and Middle Schools followed suit in the nineties. Starting in the fall of 2007, a pre-kindergarten will be added to the academy and will be located on the junior school campus. The total enrollment across all grades fluctuates but is generally slightly under 1000 students.
Athletics
Shady Side's athletic team name is officially the Indians. It is very widely employed, and attempts to change it have been thwarted by various alumni. [1].
In 1924, Shady Side Academy was a founding member of the Interstate Prep School League (IPSL) -- a league composed of Mid-West preparatory schools. In 1993, the school joined the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL), which is the league that local public schools compete in and is part of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA). The switch allowed them to compete for regional and state championships against local schools. Since the switch, Shady Side has won three state championships (in boys' basketball (2) and boys' swimming (1)) along with numerous WPIAL championships.
Several teams do not compete in the WPIAL. The ice hockey teams compete at the Division 1 Prep Level. The boys' team is a member of the Midwest Prep Hockey League and the girls' team competes in the Women’s Ice Hockey League of the Mid- Atlantic. The boys' lacrosse team, which won the Western Pennsylvania Scholastic Lacrosse Association championship in 2004 and were State Runner-Ups in 2004, participates in the Midwest Scholastic Lacrosse Association as well as the previously mentioned WPSLA. The squash team also is a prep level team, composed of top rated junior players.
Shady Side Academy's athletic rivals include The Kiski School, Western Reserve Academy, Fox Chapel High School, Sewickley Academy, and The Ellis School.
Extra-Curricular Activities
Shady Side Academy has over 30 active clubs and extracurricular activities.[citation needed]
Currently, Shady Side participates in Model United Nations conferences, NAQT quiz bowl competitions, the Western PA Math League, Science Olympiad, and forensics competitions, principally the National Forensics League.
In 2003, 2005, and 2006, Shady Side was the season champion of Pittsburgh-based game show Hometown High-Q. At the 2006 NAQT Nationals, the team finished 5th overall.
Since 2003, the school has sponsored a benefit concert led and organized by a student group with the name "Untucked" as a homage to the school dress code which before 2004 required all shirts to be tucked in. Recent bands to appear at Untucked include local favorite, The Clarks, and virtuoso guitarist, Robert Randolph and the Family Band. The Untucked event is usually held at the end of the year and includes many activities beyond just the band itself
Thanks in part to the newly built Hillman Center for Performing Arts on the Senior School Campus, Shady Side has become progressively more well-known for its music and theatre programs.[citation needed] Recent performances include: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Pygmalion, South Pacific, Oliver!, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
Additionally, Shady Side has an active chapter of Amnesty International, a Middle Eastern Affairs club, as well as numerous language and nationality clubs.
Notable alumni
- Tunde Adebimpe, lead singer for TV on the Radio
- Jay Apt, Astronaut
- Eugene Baker, NFL player
- Christian Borle, Broadway actor
- Chris Frantz, drummer for the Talking Heads
- David McCullough, Pulitzer prize-winning author and historian
- Chad Taylor, Host of TBS's Man Made Movie
- Tom Vilsack, Iowa Governor
- David Egan, Former member of US-national Soccer team
- Paul Martha, NFL player; Pittsburgh Steelers 1964-69, Denver Broncos 1969-71 ; NFL executive, Vice President and General Counsel of the San Francisco 49ers 1978-1983; Consensus All-American, University of Pittsburgh 1963