Quick Facts

Enrollment

Shady Side welcomes students from 108 domestic ZIP codes, 13 states and eight countries. We embrace each other's differences and backgrounds, and know that this diversity adds to the richness and depth of our students' overall learning experience.

Total enrollment (2023-2024): 1,221
- Country Day School: 199
- Junior School: 321
- Middle School: 233
- Senior School: 468 (including 72 boarders)
54% male, 46% female
39% students of color
30% of students receive financial assistance

Faculty

The heart and soul of any great school is the faculty, and Shady Side teachers are dedicated to the craft of teaching, passionate about working with children and young adults, and committed to the idea that learning is truly a collaborative endeavor.

Student-to-teacher ratio: 8:1
Average class size: 15
136 faculty members; 71% hold advanced degrees
$300,000 in professional development funds are available annually

Country Day School

Shady Side Academy Country Day School serves 199 students in grades PK-5 and is located on 17 acres in Fox Chapel, a suburb in the North Hills of Pittsburgh.

School Day: 8:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Before-Care: Free supervised care beginning at 7:30 a.m.
After-School Adventurers: Runs until 6 p.m. and includes enrichment classes, study and play time
Facilities: Treehouse classroom, outdoor classroom, athletic field, playground, garden, gymnasium, library
Classroom Technology: 1:1 iPad program in grades K-5; technology center; iPads, Macs and SMART Boards throughout the school
Pre-Kindergarten: Junior (age 3.5-4) and senior (age 4-5) pre-kindergarten programs with a variety of schedule options
Science: Spacious science lab with ever-changing exhibits; treehouse classroom, outdoor classroom and wooded trails promote inquiry, discovery and learning through nature
Math: Math in Focus Singapore Math curriculum in grades K-5
Language: Spanish instruction beginning in kindergarten
Arts: Music, performing and visual arts programs develop confidence, creativity and self-expression; all-school and grade-level performances
Instrumental Music: Instruction begins in grade 3
Wellness: Program incorporates character education, study skills and mindfulness
Responsive Classroom: Approach incorporates character education while teaching students to care for themselves, each other, and their environment.
Community: Community-building through assemblies, morning meeting, buddy program and community service.

Junior School

Shady Side Academy Junior School serves 321 students in grades PK-5 and is located on seven acres in Point Breeze, a neighborhood in Pittsburgh's East End.

School Day: 8:15 a.m. to 3:05 p.m.
Before Care: Free supervised care beginning at 7:30 a.m.
After School Explorers: Runs until 6 p.m. and includes enrichment classes, music lessons, study and play time
Facilities: Athletic field, educational gardens, three age-specific playgrounds, gymnasium with performance stage, library
Classroom Technology: 1:1 iPad program in grades K-5; idea lab, computer lab, SMART Boards in every classroom
Pre-Kindergarten: Separate PK facility built in 2007 and expanded in 2014; junior (age 3.5-4) and senior (age 4-5) pre-kindergarten programs offer full-day, half-day or mixed-day scheduling.
Science: Suite of five labs renovated in 2015 included early (K-2) and upper (3-5) elementary labs, robotics & maker space, science idea lab, and ecosystem lab
Math: Math in Focus Singapore Math curriculum in grades K-5
Writing: Writing Workshop curriculum in grades PK-5
Language: Spanish instruction begins in PK
Instrumental Music: Instruction begins in grade 2
Wellness: Program incorporates character education, study skills and mindfulness

Middle School

Shady Side Academy Middle School serves 233 students in grades 6-8 and is located on 35 acres in Fox Chapel, a suburb in the North Hills of Pittsburgh.

School Day: Runs from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., including an athletics & activities period
Facilities: Gardens, a gymnasium and two athletic fields (students also use athletic facilities at the Senior School)
Classroom Technology: 1:1 iPad program, SMART Boards in every classroom, two computer labs
Science: Three recently renovated science labs, one for each grade
Math: Two levels offered in each grade; Math in Focus Singapore Math curriculum incorporated into sixth and seventh grade coursework; advanced independent study when appropriate
Writing: Writing laboratory provides space for students to practice writing and receive assistance from teachers
Languages: Chinese, Latin and Spanish offered
Arts: Visual arts and music classes; six music ensembles, two annual theatre productions including a fall play and winter musical
Athletics: Offerings include boys and girls teams in 13 different sports

Senior School

Shady Side Academy Senior School serves 468 students in grades 9-12 (including 67 boarders) and is located on 130 acres in Fox Chapel, a suburb in the North Hills of Pittsburgh.

School Day: Academic day runs from 8:15 a.m. to 3:05 p.m., followed by a 45-minute club/activity period, and an athletics period from 3:50 to 5:35 p.m
Boarding: Seven- and five-day boarding options with a 3:1 resident student-to-faculty ratio; two single-gender dorms
Academic Facilities: Six academic buildings, including the new Gold LEED-certified McIlroy Center for Science and Innovation.
Arts Facilities:
- Benedum Visual Arts Center
- Hillman Center for Performing Arts
Athletic Facilities:
- Two gymnasiums
- Roy McKnight Hockey Center with regulation ice hockey rink
- Two multi-sport artificial turf fields at Michael J. Farrell Stadium and the Gene Deal Fields complex
- Three grass athletic fields
- Fitness center
- Three international squash courts
- 10 tennis courts
- Eight-lane all-weather track
Classroom Technology: SMART Boards in every classroom, tablets and laptops available to every class. The new Glimcher Tech & Design Hub houses a Computer Science Wing and a Fabrication and Robotics Wing.
Athletics: 27 competitive teams in 16 different sports for boys and girls, with a rich championship history.
Arts: Numerous music ensembles perform concerts throughout the year; annual theatre productions include fall play and winter musical; eight advanced visual arts electives.

College Matriculation

The SSA College Counseling Office and its three full-time college counselors are dedicated to assisting students in finding "best fit" colleges and universities that will nurture their abilities and undiscovered talents, while allowing them to realize their career aspirations.

Class of 2022 By the Numbers

Admitted to 223 colleges
Will attend 84 colleges in 27 states plus D.C. and Canada
77% will attend college out of state
14% will play college athletics in 7 different sports
52% will attend a US News & World Report Top 50 National University or Liberal Arts College; 31% will attend a Top 25 school
56% will attend a "very competitive" or "most competitive" college as ranked by Barron's Profile of American Colleges
10% are "lifers" who attended SSA from grades K-12
24% participated in the Senior School boarding program
50% completed an independent study or senior project
46% participated in the performing arts (theatre production or musical ensemble)
50% attended SSA Middle School
Helped 8 SSA athletic teams win 13 league championships

Colleges Attended

Accreditations & Associations

Accreditations

Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools (PAIS)
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Associations

National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)
The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS)
Pittsburgh Consortium of Independent Schools (PCIS)
National Association of the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE)
College Board
Educational Records Bureau (ERB)
Cum Laude Society
Pennyslvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA)
Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL)
Pittsburgh Area Independent School Teachers Association (PAISTA)
The Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education (CSEE)
Independent Curriculum Group (ICG)

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