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Rockwell Middle School

Cover Feature

Rockwell Middle School Opens Its Doors

Rockwell Middle School is more than a new building. It is a purpose-built home for grades 6 through 8 that reflects how Shady Side students learn and grow best at this stage. Step inside a space designed for curiosity and meet the students, faculty, and families shaping its first days.

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FEATURE ARTICLES

Rockwell Middle School

Unified By Our Roots

Shady Side reconnects with an earlier chapter of its story where students in Forms I through VI lived and learned together.

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Young alumni

We Build Leaders Ready for What's Next

Young alumni share how Shady Side helped them build the habits that matter most.

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Benedum Hall
Action Shot

Steps That Carry Us Forward

Middle School students climb the stairs of the newly opened Rockwell Middle School on opening day, January 6, 2026.

Bart Griffith
President's Message

The opening of Rockwell Middle School marks an important chapter in the evolution of our campus configuration. Bringing grades 6 through 12 together creates a more connected student experience: more opportunities for mentorship, stronger traditions across divisions, and more time spent learning and building community rather than traveling between campuses — an enhancement to the daily life of the Academy.

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A large group of formally dressed students stand on a stage in front of a dark green curtain, with some students in white dresses in the foreground.
A young woman in a white dress speaks at a podium in the foreground, with a blurred audience and banners in the background.
Two young men in suits stand in the foreground, while a crowd of people in white attire gathers in the background under lush green trees.
A group of young women in white dresses stand on a grassy lawn holding bouquets, with a brick building and trees in the background.
A woman in a patterned dress speaks at a podium in front of lush green trees, with a crowd of people in the foreground.
A young man in a suit smiles as he speaks at a podium, with lush green foliage in the foreground and trees in the background.
A man in a tan suit and a young man in a navy blazer with a diploma stand smiling in front of a banner for %22Ready Side Academy.%22
A large group of students in formal attire poses on a manicured lawn in front of a grand brick building with large trees.
A man in a suit hugs a young woman in a white dress on a stage, with school banners in the background and greenery in the foreground.
A family takes a selfie with a graduation ceremony in the background.
Graduates in formal attire cheer and throw their caps in the air on a grassy field in front of a stadium.
A group of students in formal attire pose for a photo in front of the Shady Side Academy Junior School building.
A group of children in formal attire poses on the wooden stairs and deck of a treehouse nestled among lush green trees.

Around the Academy

See moments from Commencement and Closing Exercises 2026 and catch up on the latest athletics, performing arts, and academic news at Shady Side.

Explore Around the Academy

 

 

The Shady Side Way

Shaping Place by Turning Plans Into Progress

An architect of campus operations, Paul Francioni leads the work that keeps Shady Side’s facilities moving forward.

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Paul Francioni
Georgia Leasher
The Shady Side Way

Connection is at the heart of learning

Shady Side alumna and counselor Georgia (Scott) Leasher ’13 builds relationships that shape how kids understand themselves.

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Beyond the Quad

Relive Homecoming & Reunion Weekend 2025 — a celebration of athletic tradition, milestone reunions, and the classmates and community that keep bringing alumni back to campus.

Go Beyond the Quad

 

 

Six smiling people stand in the foreground of a hallway with wooden accents and a blurred background of a gathering.
A group of people pose for a photo in front of a brick building with a bench in the foreground.
A group of people in casual attire stand on a red track with a grassy area and trees in the background.
Five men in casual attire pose for a photo in the foreground, with a blurred background of a tented event with string lights.
Five smiling people stand behind a yellow-covered table with a floral arrangement in the foreground, while a bright, sunlit room with large windows forms the background.
A group of people are posing for a photo under a tent with string lights, with a table covered in a gold cloth in the foreground.
A large group of people pose for a photo on brick steps in front of a building at dusk.
A group of seven young adults pose for a photo under a tent strung with lights, with blurred figures and more lights visible in the background.
A group of men in suits and casual attire pose on a brick staircase in front of a building with large windows and a stone facade.
Four smiling people in casual attire pose on a green turf field with a brick building and trees in the background.
Six men stand together in the foreground on a reddish-brown surface, with a blurred background of trees and a fence.
A group of men and one woman in casual attire stand on a red track in the foreground, with a fence and trees in the background.
A group of men and one woman stand in a hallway with a staircase to their left.
Four people stand in a grassy area with trees and a building in the background.
Six people stand on a red track in the foreground, with a fence and trees in the background.
Six men stand on a curved staircase in front of a large, ornate window.
Four people pose for a photo in the foreground, with a blurred background of an outdoor event.

FOREVER

Class Notes // Milestones // In Memoriam

Shady Side

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Benedum Hall
Archive Shot

Steps That Shaped Us

A defining feature of the Middle School, housed in Benedum Hall for over 60 years, the spiral staircase framed countless moments of everyday life.