Concurrent Session Blocks
- Friday, December 3
- Saturday, December 4
A SESSIONS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3 - 10:30 - 11:45 PM
A-1 Discipline as a Part of Your Residential Life Curriculum
This workshop will use the fundamental components of Restorative Justice to help create a disciplinary system that will implement your community values of communication, accountability,integrity, and empathy. Restorative Justice is used extensively in Australia and New Zealand schools and offers many opportunities for residential communities to teach justice in action. Discussion and handouts will address specific ways you can integrate restorative justice elements into your school and dormitory discipline.
Carol Hotchkiss Eliot, Educational Consultant for Schools, Durango Institute for Co-Curricular Education, CO
A-2 24/7 Learning Leadership on the Job
How can you use your current boarding school experience to prepare for the challenge of securing an administrative job and exercising leadership once in the job? In this session you will hear about research that shows how you can deepen your knowledge, develop a mindset and foster the collegial connections today that will promote professional success tomorrow. Learn how to climb the career ladder with what you know today!
Pearl Rock Kane, Klingenstein Family Chair Professor and Director, The Klingenstein Center for Independent School Leadership, NY; Phillip Peck, Head of School, The Holderness School, NH
A-3 Executive Coaching Series: Appreciative Inquiry
Organizations such as schools are full of different problems, right? Effective leaders identify these problems, brainstorm solutions, and motivate participants to adopt a fix, right? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then you haven’t adopted a success mindset. The coaching technique of Appreciative Inquiry is a radically different ‘change management’ approach that will reset your attitudes and behaviors by teaching you to capitalize on strengths and possibilities. An essential skill for any headmaster, principal, or dean.
Christopher Thurber, Psychologist & Teacher, Phillips Exeter Academy, NH
A-4 Creating A Successful School Blog: Making It Happen!
This workshop will explore how a school blog can become a communications vehicle to all primary constituencies- current/past parents, prospective families, alumni and donors. Our workshop will focus on specific tactics- ways to put the strategy into practice. We will explore establishing regular publishing as a priority and meeting consistent deadlines, involving voices and stories from all parts of your school community, and understanding the value of comments. You’ll learn how to use time, resources and existing talent to efficiently and effectively create a living document of voices that gives anyone connected your school reasons to return, read regularly & engage.
Peter Baron, President, AdmissionsQuest, MA; Chuck Will, Director of Communications, Proctor Academy, NH; Leo Marshall, Director of Admission, The Webb Schools, CA
A-5 Trustees, Faculty, and the Evolution of Curriculum
In the Fall of 2009, Cate School held its first ever joint Board of Trustees/Faculty retreat with a focus entirely on program. Our goal was to engage the combined wisdom of two very different constituencies - one dedicated to the practice and pedagogy of teaching and learning and the other dedicated to the advancement, support, and imaginative evolution of education itself - and use the different perspectives to inform the invigoration of Cate's curriculum. Learn how the retreat yielded productive and tangible results.
Benjamin Williams IV, Headmaster; Richard Baum, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Cate School, CA
A-6 Building and Sustaining Athletic Excellence
How do we best manage parents, sport specialization & college recruiting pressures? As the level of competition and intensity in independent school athletics rise, more athletic directors and coaches are in need of strategies to handle the influx of parent involvement, increase in sport specialization and outside of school play, and evolving demands of the college recruiting process. Case scenario and role play exercises, relevant research data, and pertinent techniques are discussed.
Richard Ginsburg, Dr. Richard Ginsburg, MGH Pace Institute, Harvard University, MA; Jennifer Fulcher, Head of the Middle School, Head Lacrosse Coach, Williston Northampton School, MA
A-7 Teenagers Need More Sleep (and Adults Do Too)
Cognitive science increasingly points to the vital roles that sleep plays in improving learning, and current data show that students are increasingly sleep-deprived. Boarding schools offer opportunities to adjust schedules to optimize learning environments. Darrow School has moved its start time back and “lights out” forward . This session will include a summary of the relevant research, a discussion of the administrative process that affected this change, and the possibilities for similar change at participants’ schools.
Craig Westcott, Curriculum Coordinator; Simon Holzapfel, Director of Studies, Darrow School, NY
A-8 Into the Land of Dragons
With its huge population and booming economy, China is a force that is difficult to ignore; but making inroads can be daunting. Guided by a globally focused strategic plan, New Hampton School set out five years ago to build a new relationship with China. Today, with students from all over mainland China, an exchange program in Wuxi, China and with a burgeoning development effort, NHS is on its way to a new era of Sino-American friendship. Join us for this exciting journey, filled with powerful, actionable insights into raising funds in China and building relationships there, as we travel into the heart of the dragon!
Sandy Colhoun, Director of Development; Dan Love, Dean of Faculty, New Hampton School, NH
A-10 Two Models of Flexible Faculty Evaluation Programs
A goal of a faculty evaluation should be to improve classroom instruction and, in turn, improve student learning. But how can the evaluation process be designed to focus on and promote professional growth while enhancing the academic performance of students? See how flexible approaches developed by two schools utilize a variety of evaluation formats that provide faculty and administrators with the information necessary to develop individual improvement strategies and enhance professional development.
Kevin Spingler, Academic Dean, La Lumiere School, IN; Michael Morin, Director of Upper School, St. Andrew's School, RI
A-9 A Possible Recipe for LD Student Success!
How does one determine the appropriate level of learning support and fine-tune individual programs for students with learning differences in a 24/7 environment? We will discuss many mystery ingredients which include making connections, building respect, providing mentoring, employing humour, monitoring behaviour, developing systems of accountability and sustaining open communication. The transition from the classroom to the dormitory is key for student success!
Valerie Donahue, Director, Learning Centre, Shawnigan Lake School, BC
A-11 It's About the Data: Data and Enrollment Management Systems
There are many more ways to touch a prospective student and her family. What is the best way to track all these touches, develop a plan around this, and follow up at the appropriate time and with the appropriate touch points? Learn about creating interest buckets among the admission staff, effective follow up, coordination with student, alum and parent contact points throughout the process, coordination of mailings, and tracking and projection of interests.
Ann Miller, Director of Admission and Financial Aid; Bethanne Stish, Manager of Admission Systems, The Madeira School, VA
A-12 Why Don't Students Write Well?
For over 80 years ERB has assisted independent schools light the pathway to student learning using quality assessments to inform "next-steps" instruction and admission decisions. This session will focus on "good" writing - what makes writing good and how to help students identify, practice and succeed at making their writing "good." Come and learn how you can support your curriculum and assist your students become better writersand communicators - a must in today's world.
Lois Eha, ERB Member Services Consultant; Adele Yermack, Assistant Director, ECAA Online, ERB, NY
B SESSIONS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3 - 1:00 - 2:15 PM
B-1 Top Ten Breakthrough Ideas for Enrollment Optimization
David Erdmann has been a college admission dean for more than 30 years and an independent school enrollment consultant for more than 20. Over those years David has “discovered" ten breakthrough ideas that, when applied in combination, will help achieve enrollment success at your school. In this session he will share these breakthrough ideas and invite your comments and discussion participation.
David Erdmann, Dean of Admission and Enrollment, Rollins College, FL
B-2 Media Training - Managing the Media in Good Times and Bad
This media training workshop focuses on the key elements of delivering a winning interview. We will look at preparation, making the message stick, interview dos and don'ts and proven techniques for handling the toughest question you dread being asked. This is an interactive session with role plays, mock interviews and group participation. We will work through an actual case study and look at crisis trends in independent schools.
Jane Hulbert, Founder, The Jane Group, IL
B-3 What Would You Do? (And How Would You Do it?)
Participants in this stimulating, discussion-based session will answer the question "What Would You Do?" in response to topical and challenging case studies. Participants will help one another, with the guidance of the session leaders, to approach complex issues from different angles, including ethical, mental health, disciplinary, legal, academic, and parent relations. After discussing cases, the session leaders will encourage the group to develop a customized matrix that individual attendees can take back to their schools, refine, and use whenever they deal with urgent mental health, discipline, legal, academic, and parental concerns. For maximum learning, participants should come prepared to interact with other boarding school professionals.
Dan Morrissey, Dean of Students; Chris Thurber, ASAP Coordinator and Counselor, Phillips Exeter Academy, NH; Steve Margio, Director of Campus and Residential Life, Baylor School, TN
B-4 Two Sides to Every Coin - International Student Orientation
What makes for a successful orientation program for international students? Two school leaders will share the key ingredients that make their programs hum. Two students fresh from orientation will reflect on their experience. Bumps in the road? Lessons learned? Simple things that make a difference? To the panelists and to the session participants we look to find the answers to these and other international student orientation questions.
Jack Eidam, Dean of Admissions, Financial Aid and Summer Programs, Wyoming Seminary, PA; David Thompson, Coordinator of International Programs, The Hotchkiss School, CT; Meg Moulton, VP for Advancement, ASSIST, MA;
B-5 Casting a Long Shadow: The Departure of a Long-Time Head
It's a frightening proposition when a long time or founding Head of School announces retirement. The school starts questioning its identity, programs and cultural practices, and job security for faculty and staff. How this transition is understood and managed is critical to the ongoing success of the school and its next leader. Long-serving heads of Idyllwild Arts Academy and Walnut Hill will recount their experiences, while an educational organizational consultant will offer advice on the successful management of this critical task.
Bill Lowman, President, Idyllwild Arts Academy, CA; Debbie Freed, Organizational & Educational Consultant, Freed Associates, CA; Stephanie Perrin, NA, Walnut Hill School for the Arts, MA
B-6 The Headmaster's Blog
This hands-on workshop will teach every participant - even a luddite - how to blog for maximum effectiveness. If your headmaster, deans, or division heads are not blogging they are missing a superb opportunity to communicate your mission, program, and distinctiveness. The presenter will bring an assortment of iPhones, blackberries, and PDA devices so that everyone can begin a working blog during the workshop.
David Hochschartner, Headmaster, North Country School, NY
B-7 True Immersion: Experiential Education for Your School
Explore ways your school might move toward a richer and more holistic approach to learning through a number of programs that emphasize immersion, leadership, and teaming. We will discuss a unique approach to class retreats, global education, and grade-level seminars that can be adapted to fit any school profile. Learn from the tested traditions of one school and share the successes your school has enjoyed in this area.
Peter Curran, Dean of Students, Fountain Valley School of Colorado, CO; David Maher, Academic Director, World Leadership School, CO
B-8 Finances are Fun
Aspiring leaders in independent schools need to learn many things to prepare for their new roles. The current focus on school finance as a critical issue facing boarding schools has increased the need for those interested in leadership positions to understand these issues. For many teachers this is a frightening subject. This session will focus on concepts and the practical day-to-day applications of finances for school leaders. The goal is for participants to walk away feeling that school finance is an area they can master.
Sarah Daignault, Instructor, Klingenstein Center, Teachers College, Boulder, CO
B-9 Now It's Your Turn to Invest in Your Future
Educators spend most of their waking hours nurturing growth and development in their students. But, who is tending to your needs for growth and development? It may be your turn. In this presentation, you'll hear from of Klingenstein Center program alumni who went back to school, developed new skills and changed their approach to teaching and leading in independent schools.
Hart Roper, Director of Admissions & Financial Aid, St. Albans School, DC; Kai Robinson, Teacher, Cranbrook Schools, MI; Alex Northrup, Academic Dean, Foxcroft School, VA
B-10 Reslife with Attention and Executive Function in Mind
In this workshop participants will move beyond the general labels used to describe students with attentional issues. We will examine how issues of attention and executive function have an impact on a student's experience beyond the classroom and throughout their day until lights out. Attention and executive function will be reframed for participants to provide a working language for communicating clearly with your faculty and students. A research update of these issues will be provided and participants will gain a deeper understanding of the continuum of needs presented by students with these challenges.
Helen Waldron, Assistant Head of School; Saralynn Leavenworth Renda, Director of Admission and Financial Aid
B-11 High Ability Underachievers: What's The Deal?
This interactive session will discuss one of the more intractable and frustrating of all challenges facing boarding school educators and counselors; high ability underachievers. Students with strong academic potential fail to achieve at a level commensurate with their abilities. Underachievers may lack executive functioning skills, others may possess subtle yet pervasive learning difficulties, and some may be depressed. This session will discuss the identification, causes, and personal characteristics of high ability underachievers, and specific case examples will be used to highlight effective interventions.
David Chiarella, Psychologist, Western Reserve Academy, OH
B-12 SEVP Developments
Representatives from the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) will offer updated information on program initiatives and describe program advancements made throughout the past year. Topics covered will include regulations, recertification, SEVIS II, Liaisons, DMV and SEVP Outreach initiatives.
Tandice Ghajar, Analyst, SEVP Policy Branch; Jessica Miranda, Analyst, SEVP School Certification Branch, U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security, VA
C SESSIONS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2:45 - 4:00 PM
C-1 Preserving Professional Student-Teacher Boundaries
Students and teachers can enter a gray area in which personal information is over-shared, physical touch becomes inappropriate, and emotional connections creep beyond what’s comfortable. This workshop introduces fiduciary responsibility, aspects of development that affect boundaries, the range of boundary violations, the consequences of a violation, and the multiple ways professional boundaries and reputations can be preserved. Case studies will give participants confidence in working on their own and others’ boundary issues. Additional attention will be given to online relationships and dress codes in the school setting.
Christopher Thurber, Psychologist & Teacher, Phillips Exeter Academy, NH
C-2 Why Would You Like to Live With Forty Teenagers???
Boarding schools strive to provide warm, welcoming, comfortable and safe environments for students for whom we are in loco parentis. All employees in a school are responsible for fulfilling this expectation, but the greatest responsibility falls to the boarding staff who interact with students day and night. It is both a gratifying, and a challenging job. How can deans, counselors, and other administrators create policies and provide the kind of support for boarding staff to help this job be one of the most coveted in the school? This session will be both a presentation and an interactive session.
Ellie Griffin, Director of Health and Counseling Services, Milton Academy, MA; David Torcoletti, Head, Junior Program, Explorations Summer Institute, MA
C-3 Parent Education Envy
Boarding schools are (somewhat!) insulated from the helicopter parents we hear about at day schools. However, day schools can offer parent programming on substance use, academic support, mental health, bullying, and sexual misconduct. St. Paul's School and 200 others are building communication bridges with their parents from all corners of the globe, and providing “actual notice" of school policies and showing “due diligence" on student risk issues. Learn how to connect with your parents through current, comprehensive discussions with national experts, researchers, and other parents.
Katherine Koestner, Executive Director, Campus Outreach Services, PA; Jim Barker, Director of Parent Programs, St. Paul's School, NH
C-4 The First 100 Days: Strategies for an Effective Admissions Office
With the recent economic crunch, Admissions Offices in boarding schools can no longer afford to operate inefficiently. In this interactive session, admissions professionals will discuss the challenges and opportunities of this critical period of transition in admissions and will begin to develop the strategies necessary for enrollment sustainability. The importance of understanding school culture, developing a collaborative environment, and implementing an enrollment and marketing strategy that is most effective for your school are just some of the topics that will be discussed.
Craig Tredenick, Director of Admission, The Linsly School, WV
C-5 Heads of School Forum
Engage with two of the finest thought leaders in education to begin a conversation that will serve both boarding schools and the young people entrusted to their care. This year, the Heads Forum tackles two critical inquiries. The first concerns residential education itself, and the need, according to Dr. Stan Katz, to ask, “In what specific and measurable ways does the experiential component of residential education have added educational value? And In what ways can the curriculum be designed to take genuine (and specific) advantage of residency?” The second, led by Dr. Richard Light, concerns assessment and its viability in the very areas that relate to Dr. Katz’s question— for example, advising, diversity, and connecting the in-class academic experience with initiatives outside the classroom— all critical dimensions of the boarding school experience that have not historically lent themselves to anything but anecdotal evaluation. This provocative Forum is designed to both challenge assumptions about residential education and affirm the very opportunities inherent both in their curricular architecture, and in their leadership and management.
Facilitators: Dr. Richard Light, Walter H. Gale Professor of Education, Harvard University, MA; Stanley N. Katz, Director, Center for Arts & Cultural Policy Studies, Princeton University, NJ
C-6 Information Security, Privacy and Document Retention
As new data privacy laws go into effect across the country that require businesses to provide specific safeguards to personal information that is stored on or transmitted to and from its premises, boarding schools will be required to address these new regulations. These policies establish standards to be met in connection with the safeguarding of personally identifiable information contained in both paper and electronic records. This session will explore these new laws and discuss “best practice” methods for compliance in both the electronic and paper realms.
Dean Ellerton, Chief Information Officer; Lance Latham, Academic Dean, Brooks School, MA
C-7 Managing Generation Me Athletes, Parents and Coaches
Understanding the new generation and how best to balance and manage the needs and apparent demands of the many constituencies requires a closer look at relationships in athletics. The topic will address tendencies of Generation Me that are unlike any other generation as well as present simple strategies to manage your program, people and constituencies in a manner consistent with your school mission and values.
Kim Chorosiewski, Director of Athletics and Special Programs, The Fay School, MA
C-8 Effective Training and Evaluation for Dorm Faculty
Dorm faculty often feel like a combination police officer, doctor, therapist, and party clown. They can feel overwhelmed by the variety of tasks and the expectations of administrators, students, and parents. This session will help you determine exactly what your school needs and wants from dorm faculty. Then, using that information as a springboard, will discuss the process of creating an effective training and evaluation structure to help all dorm faculty feel prepared to deal with whatever comes their way.
Melissa Poole, Director of Residential Life; Sara Feldman, Dean of Students, Purnell School, NJ
C-9 Institutional Change; Cause, Effect & Marketing a New Reality
With new leadership and program implementation, learn how one school has dynamically changed within a short period of time. Through the perspectives of The Head of School, Director of Admission, and Director of Communication, this workshop will examine the impact of institutional change in regards to community culture, admission initiatives, and the development of marketing materials that reflect this evolution.
Suzanne Walker Buck, Director of Admission; Andrew Menke, Head of School; Will McCulloch, Director of Communications, New Hampton School, NH
C-10 Teaching Race, Understanding Identity
Using the latest research in history, human evolution, DNA genomics, and social psychology, this session will describe an interdisciplinary approach to the concept of race that seeks to shed the light of reason on a hotly contested subject. This session attempts to bridge the widening gap between the burgeoning natural and social science literature on race and the misconceptions that dominate discourse in adolescent popular culture.
Wilburn Williams, Master of English on the F.J.V. Hancox Distinguished Teaching Chair; Leah Domb, Master of Science, The Lawrenceville School, NJ
C-11 Effective Practices in Early Intervention
Quick...name three students you think are in trouble with alcohol and other drugs. Surprised how quickly the names come to mind? Attend this session to discuss the process and benefits of establishing an early intervention system that will deal proactively rather than reactively with higher risk behaviors. Recognize early warning signs and help students before their use becomes a serious problem.
Renee Soulis, Senior Prevention Specialist, FCD Educational Services, MA; James Morefield, Faculty Resource Group Member; Steve Compton, Faculty Resource Group Member, Westtown School, PA
D SESSIONS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4, 8:45 - 9:45 AM
D-1 Sex, Texts and Discipline
The detached nature of teenage communication (cell phones, social-networking sites and the Internet) lends itself to impulsively-made, bad decisions. While it is critical that a school has a clearly defined policy for dealing with inappropriate communication, students need to be armed with both information and skills to make better choices before hand. We will explore the strategies of perspective taking, self-discipline, character development and leadership as means of improving students' awareness of their own role in these challenging situations.
Ronald Baglio, Assistant Headmaster for Student Life, Eagle Hill School, MA
D-2 21st Century School Models: Tales from the Front
Led by a Headmaster and a Coordinator of 21st Century Curriculum, this workshop will offer a practical look at how to foster bottom-up innovation, desired skills and outcomes, classroom practices, technological tools, and creative approaches that are defining innovative 21st Century schools. This workshop will present concrete applications for the classroom teacher and organizational leader alike, including reviewing technology-driven innovations, such as the ubiquitous library, Skype and Elluminate.
James Tracy, Headmaster; Nancy Boyle, Coordinator of 21st Century Curriculum and English Teacher, Cushing Academy, MA
D-3 So You Want to be Head of a Boarding School?
Boarding schools offer an all-encompassing world of work, home, education, recreation, security, a ready-made social network, three meals a day, and more. The person in charge of this all-in-one arrangement bears unique burdens among school leaders. How can one best prepare for the bonds of 24/7 school leadership? In this panel presentation, current and former heads of boarding schools will provide advice and insights aimed at those aspiring to lead a boarding school, from habits and skill sets to the tricky roles of spouse and children.
Jeffrey Bradley, Partner, Educators' Collaborative, NH; Tyler Tingley, Partner, Educators' Collaborative, Former Principal, Phillips Exeter Academy, ME; Elizabeth Speers, Head of School, Ethel Walker School, CT
D-4 Bed Bugs: What to do when, not if, you get them!
This past year we were the lucky recipients of an unwanted gift from one of our Residential Students; bed bugs. After a lengthy battle with many trials and errors we have eradicated these pesky critters. For now, at least. Current cultural and environmental climates indicate that bed bugs can infest any residential situation at any time. Attend this workshop as presenters recount what they have learned, share found resources and discuss strategies to avoid as well as deal with such a problem.
Layne Brennick, Director of Facilities Services; June Beale, Director of Student Life, Rabun Gap Nacoochee School, GA
D-5 Canadian Hogwarts Magic: National Prestige to Global Brand
How can a local legend break into U.S. and global markets? Start with a British system head of school, an admission dean fresh from East Coast prep schools in the U.S. and a venerable Canadian institution. Add marketing expertise and communication strategy. In this case study of Ridley College hear universal lessons on market positioning, brand storytelling, and the power of design to appeal to target markets worldwide.
Rob Norman, Principal, Turnaround Marketing Communications, PA; Andrew Weller, Ed.D., Dean of Admissions, Ridley College, ON; Andrea Jarrell, Communications Strategist & Writer, Andrea Jarrell, MD
D-6 Recruiting and Retaining Students of Color
Many boarding schools encounter challenges in recruiting and retaining students of color. Join these presenters as they share fourteen years of experience offering strategies for finding qualified candidates and securing their success. Topics include making effective connections with feeder schools and programs; winning over prospective parents; creating a culture of excellence through leadership and affinity groups; and building awareness on campus of student needs and concerns. This session is ideal for admissions officers, deans of students, school heads, and multicultural affairs directors.
Mary Coleman, Director of Donor Relations and Minority Caucus Advisor; Joseph Coleman, Assistant Headmaster and Director of Admission, Woodberry Forest School, VA
D-7 On Common Ground
Does your school stick by National or Regional Association Rules of Good. Practice or notification and reply dates? What about financial aid deadlines? What percentage of your applicant pool uses a common application and common recommendation forms? What is common sense and what is not making sense anymore in today's market? This session will explore and discuss with a panel of three School's Admission Directors, from all across the country and from very different schools, all of the above and more. Come learn and brainstorm some new common practices for today.
Louisa Zendt, Director of Admission, St. Andrew's School, DE; Leo Marshall, Director of Admission and Financial Aid, The Webb Schools, CA; Drew Miller, Director of Admissions, Cranbrook Schools, MI
D-8 International Programs: Trials and Triumphs
Learn how one college preparatory middle and upper school has established, over past 20 years, a very successful International Program, attracting quality international students. In this session, their Director of International Programs, and Upper School Director, will share insights learned from NWS' multinational academic and summer communities. This session will engage the audience as experts in education to share tips and strategies for successful communication with and graduation of international students. Creating a successful integrated community is the key.
Ebon Craig Williams, Director of International Programs; Ben Lee, Upper School Director, The Northwest School, WA
D-9 The “Millennials” - Working with the Next Great Generation
Current college bound students, i.e. the "Millennials", have specific characteristics, attributes and learning styles which affect the nature of educating and counseling in schools. This session will discuss generational sociology, the characteristics of students in this cohort and how current educators and counselors can adjust in order to best serve their students.
Jeffrey Durso-Finley, Director of College Counseling; Holly Burks Becker, Director of College Counseling, Lawrenceville School, NJ
D-10 Navigating the Grey: Effective Discipline for Girls
Because most girls are wired with a need to conform or please, they run the dangerous risk of viewing the world in black and white. Our interactive presentation will review a discipline philosophy that stretches girls to feel comfortable navigating the grey. Rather than categorize girls as “good” or “bad”, this approach helps girls cultivate trusting relationships with adults, inspires them to modify undesirable behaviors, and stretches them to become self-aware, self-reliant women.
Emily Johns, Director of Residential Life; Josette Holland, Associate Head of School / Dean of Students, Saint Mary's School, NC
D-11 Filming Your Class
See how busy teachers and administrators found time for professional development in regularly scheduled meeting times. The program, Filming Your Class, is intended to foster pedagogical discussions and improve instructional practice through self and peer review of recorded classes.
Thomas Adams, Academic Technology, The Taft School, CT
E SESSIONS DECEMBER 4, 10:00 - 11:15 AM
E-1 Confronting The New Grapevine: Joining The Social Media Fray
People are talking about your school. No matter the social media outlet, boarding school chatter has become de rigueur among not only current families, but everybody, from prospects to alumni. How do strategic schools respond? By confronting it head-on. Your school can harness the potential of social media by shaping the dialogue, supplying the lexicon, and inserting your brand into the conversation. Attend this session to learn strategies on how to transform social media from a nuisance into an advantage.
Patti Crane, Founder and President, Crane MetaMarketing Ltd., GA
E-2 The Customer's Perspective
Understanding our applicants' (customers') experience will enhance our ability to provide relevant information, hopefully increase enrollment, and create lifelong customers of our schools. What is the enrollment process like for applicants and parents? Does it reflect well on your school? Does it support your school's mission? How might admission offices effectively interface with other departments to help cultivate multigenerational relationships with schools. Presenters will combine their collective perspectives as Head of School, Admission Director, Placement Director, Advancement and Fundraising, Educational Consultant and independent school parents to inspire new thinking.
Aimee Gruber, Director of Outreach, SSATB, NJ; Fran Ryan, Assistant Headmaster, Rumsey Hall School, CT; Richard Baroody, Educational Consultant, Baroody Associates, PA
E-3 Trinity of Sustainable Change: Mission, Program, Evaluation
This session focuses on the development of models for sustainable change in schools. The twin role of the school’s mission as sail and anchor will be examined from multiple perspectives. In addition we’ll share a triennial model of program development and evaluation based on a continuous improvement cycle.
Kathy Lintner, Dean of Faculty; John Buxton, Head of Schools; Kevin MacNeil, Academic Dean, Culver Academies, IN
E-4 Weaving Financial and Facilities Planning for Success
Like it or not, finances and facilities are inextricably linked. Your school's educational mission must be supported by place (buildings and grounds). Careful budget processes may fall short when matching scarce resources to the competing costs of construction, renewal and maintenance. Master planning is your best tool, but not all plans decipher the puzzle of matching priorities to funding sources and organizational capacity. This presentation will demonstrate how you tie the facilities plan to your financial plan; we will offer proven strategies for durable integrated planning.
Trina Learned, Director of Facilities, Northfield Mount Hermon School, MA; Douglas Steele, Principal, H2L2 Architects/Planners, PA
E-5 Roadmap to Top Quality Character Education
This presentation will look at 7 essential elements of top quality character education /ethical development programs and how they apply to boarding schools. A key point to be made is that schools can make a significant difference in students’ ethical development, and that boarding schools are in a special position to make this difference. What it takes is some understanding of the process, a little training, and lots of community focus on goals.
David Streight, Executive Director, Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education, OR
E-6 How Healthy is Your Athletic League?
As independent school athletics are becoming increasingly competitive, schools and their leagues are being pulled to adjust their historically balanced approach to athletics to meet the demands of a marketplace driven by sport specialization and outside of league play. What steps can school heads and athletic directors take to stabilize their athletic leagues and protect them from the potential erosive impact of competitive imbalance? League regulations on PG enrollment and recruiting, communication between school leadership, and clarity of league mission are discussed.
Richard Ginsburg, Author and Psychologist, Harvard Medical School, MGH PACES Institute of Sport Psychology, MA
E-7 Ideal Retention and Full Enrollment: The Fitness Impact
How fitness and athletic facilities enhance enrollment and retention will be discussed. Two TABS member schools, will share their experience with this fitness impact among their constituents; Students, Parents, Faculty, and the wider Community. Stanmar, a TABS member and athletic specialist, will also share what they have learned having designed and constructed over 70 private institutional athletic facilities.
James Wakely, Executive Vice President, Stanmar Inc., MA; John Perreira, Assistant Head of School & Dean of Students, Portsmouth Abbey School, RI; Susan Griffin, Director of Athletics, Miss Porters School, CT
E-8 Integrating Global Relationships into the Classroom
Learn how Lake Forest Academy and Groton School leverage relationships in Asia and Latin America to teach subjects as different as mathematics and literature. Through Global Partnerships – or internet-based distance learning programs -- these schools use simple technologies to create heartfelt classroom connections that deepen student learning. Participants will learn valuable lessons about how to set up Global Partnerships and will brainstorm how these partnerships could look in their own classroom.
Aric Visser, Spanish Instructor, Lake Forest Academy, IL; Jon Choate, Mathematics Instructor, Groton School, MA; Jennifer Klein, Global Partnerships Director and Ross Wehner, Executive Director, World Leadership School, CO
E-9 Secrets Revealed: Deadly Diets and Hunger Pains
Eating Disorders devastate lives at alarming rates. They affect those who struggle as well as loved ones. This presentation will: identify Top Ten signs of concern, explain genetic, family and environmental contributors, discuss 1st steps to take to support sufferers and loved ones and when to refer to treatment, share ways to encourage healthy eating and Body Image and provide consciousness raising exercises to bring back to schools.
Dr. Deborah Russo, National Speakers Bureau, Licsensed Clinical Psychologist , Remuda Ranch Programs for Eating and Anxiety Disorders, GA
E-10 Now What Do We Do? Developing Protocols for Residence Life
We all know how to handle the immediate confrontation of students who have made poor choices or are dealing with difficulties. What comes next and how we maintain a consistent response from one situation to another is trickier. Get a jump start on creating your own “Protocol Notebook”, a set of processes, policies,to-do lists and sample forms that help guide you in urgent situations and is a critical companion to your institution’s site emergency plan.
Jennifer Wesling, Dean of Students; Julienne Oberts, Residence Hall Manager, Interlochen Center for the Arts, MI
E-11 The Freshman - An entirely different beast!
The freshmen curriculum is a developmental piece for our youngest students and their parents. When we break down the program, we will look at every major component of freshman boarding school life and add more structures that are currently not being offered. We will look at sleep, study skills, organization, recreation programs, discipline, residential life, nutrition, etc...The freshmen curriculum is designed to strengthen the maturing freshman class as they navigate the self-reliant nature of our boarding schools.
Ty Kennedy, Dean of Residential Life; Chris Hawk, Assistant Head for Programs and Services, Wasatch Academy, UT
F SESSIONS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4, 12:15 - 1:30 PM
F-1 What's Next? Future Trends For School Web Communications
The web is evolving... is your school ready? Loomis Chaffee will share real-world, next generation web strategies that will engage and connect with all audiences. Discover how input from heads of school and top-down vision makes a difference in web strategy. Learn the latest on webtops, social media, mobile, cloud computing, and more. Be prepared for tomorrow today.
Jon Moser, President, finalsite, CT; Mary Forrester, Director of Public Information, Loomis Chaffee, CT
F-3 Board on the Road: A Weary Admission Director's Perspective
An experienced road warrior director offers his perspective and advice for new admission directors and associates before they plan their next venture overseas or around the country. It's not about the numbers but about the strategy and it's not about sending untried assistants into the lion's den. Knowing the culture; planning carefully; and managing the head's expectations can make the difference. Warning: Humor is involved.
Leo Marshall, Director of Admission and Financial Aid, The Webb Schools, CA
F-4 That’s Not Fair! He only got in because he’s...
College admission decisions based on institutional priorities can provoke strong reactions within boarding school communities when interests such as athletics, development or diversity initiatives lead to what students, faculty and/or parents might perceive as an unfair admission process. This session will address ways to counsel the students, parents, and faculty in our institutions when these difficult conversations arise.
Jeffrey Durso-Finley, Director of College Counseling; Holly Burks Becker, Director of College Counseling, Lawrenceville School, NJ
F-5 Opening of School: Are you ready?
This structured discussion based session will focus on student and residential life preparations for the opening of school including the orientation process, empowering dorm parents, teaching time management, avoiding homesickness, and thriving within a multicultural community. Incorporating a meaningful international student orientation as well as tapping and developing student leaders will also be among the topics covered.
Jennifer Siff, Director of Student Life; Dan Krueger, Director of Residential Life and Fine Arts Chair, Wyoming Seminary Upper School, PA
F-6 Caring is Timeless: The Evolution of a Health Center
This session will discuss some of the unique challenges of a boarding school health center and the process followed to find the right electronic medical record (EMR) system. Presenters will go over everything from initially writing business requirements to implementing EMR and the experiences the Health Services staff have had along the way.
Brian Biddulph-Krentar, President, HIT Application Solutions, PA; Nancy Bird, Director of Health Services, The Hotchkiss School, CT
F-7 Boarding a la carte: Strengthening Enrollment through a Menu of Residential Options
In these uncertain times schools continue to struggle with what is meant by the "new normal". This is particularly true as it relates to boarding enrollments in a school that is both day and residential. Learn how one school developed a menu of boarding choices including: short term residential options; a reframed tuition schedule to attract non-traditional resident students; a junior year, pre-college residential experience for all day students; and a special semester-long academic program at Johns Hopkins University with a residential component. Presenter will discuss: how programs were developed, how to market these options, how to integrate the ebb and flow of the day and boarding populations, and how to price each option accordingly.
Leslie Tinati, Director of Admissions & Financial Aid, Garrison Forest School, MD
F-8 Investing in New Teachers: The Lesson Study Process
Good schools recruit and sustain excellent teachers; great institutions go one step further-they insure an outstanding student experience through the intentional training of new teachers. Learn how one school through goal setting, videotape analysis, and peer critique is able to effectively affirm institutional values and speed teacher development while generating a purposeful and collaborative academic culture.
Donald Gibbs, Science Department Chair, Pomfret School, CT
F-9 Beyond the Classroom: After hours.
Through a merging of curricular goals and emotional supports, we have witnessed a transformation in the resilience, responsibility and collegial care among our boarding population. Come learn from our experiences with an inquiry-based learning model that takes place beyond the mandated curriculum. We have created a boarding curriculum that focuses on Community, Leadership and Academics using the program organizers: Wellness, Exploration, Leadership and Diversity (WELD) and assessing our successes with our FIGS model (Family, Individual, Groups and Social).
Eleni Gicas, Dean of Residence; Donna Ridley, Director of Residence, Community; Marguerite Sookoor, Director of Residence, Leadership, The Bishop Strachan School, ON
F-10 Our Pressured Lives: Mind/Body Work as Antidote
Research has demonstrated clear benefits of mind/body techniques on learning, memory, focus, and health. The presenters will discuss how one school has integrated these techniques and research into its campus life, for both adults and students alike. They will share the many benefits, as well as challenges, of this work. This workshop will be both interactive and experiential, and time will be reserved for questions. Come prepared to have some fun, practice some techniques, and discuss how you might bring this work to your school.
Carol Cahalane, Chair, Health and Human Development Department; Constance Morse, LICSW, BCD, Counselor & Student Listener Coordinator, Phillips Exeter Academy, NH
F-11 Verification of Financial Aid Awards with a Tax Return
An in-depth review of using the U. S. Federal tax return to determine cash flow vs. taxable income. We will also review the school reporting requirements when aid is offered to foreign nationals.
Michael Szydlowski, Director Financial Aid, Owner of Tax Preparation & Financial Planning, Woodberry Forest School/Tax Preparation & Financial Planning, VA
G SESSIONS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1:45 - 2:45 PM
G-1 Social Media Marketing: Twitter, Video & Live Streaming
This metrics based session will explore the impact of an effective social media strategy on the marketing efforts of your school. We will discuss not only evaluating which social media tools to engage with and how to track your effectiveness and ROI but also how to avoid common mistakes and pitfalls. If you are considering joining Twitter, creating web videos or live streaming school events this session will give you helpful insight on where to begin. If you are already using these tools you will gain useful tips on how to take your marketing efforts to the next level.
Hans Mundahl, Director of Social Media; Will McCulloch, Director of Communications, New Hampton School, NH
G-2 ESL in the Boarding School Context
What makes ESL in a boarding school different from ESL in any other context? Our programs have qualities of both public school programs and university-level intensive English programs, but they fit in with neither in terms of the unique issues our teachers and students face. An ESL teacher with many years of boarding school experience both teaching in and coordinating ESL programs will examine the unique world of boarding school ESL.
Allison Rainville, ESL Program Director, Blue Ridge School, VA
G-3 The Psychology of the Wait-List
The use and growth of the wait list as an enrollment tool differs from school to school. Examine how the wait list has been shaped and developed through different admissions cycles and economic and demographic changes. Participate in discussion that explores the effect of the wait list on the candidates and parents and the slippery slopes we tread. This session is designed for sharing as we explore the wait list from all angles as Director of Admission and Director of Secondary School Placement Advising ! Join us for what promises to be an exciting and dynamic exchange! Take away new techniques, strategies and understanding of our prospective candidates and families.
Jon Deveaux, Director of Admission, Westminster School, CT; Fran Ryan, Assistant Headmaster, Rumsey Hall School, CT
G-8 Effort Grades and Performance
In demanding school environments, students often see their performance measured in terms of concrete achievements - the 4.0 average, the State Championship, the acceptance letter from a top-tier college - such that the value and recognition of plain hard work can sometimes be lost. Effort grading systems, while still numeric, can provide some structure to the recognition of student engagement in and commitment to the work of the classroom and other school programs in addition to supporting academic achievement. Learn how one particular system works to encourage student performance at all levels of school life.
Jo-Anne Kingstone, Deputy Head, Shawnigan Lake School, BC
G-9 Financial Management & Sustainability for Faculty!
A broad outline of the specific financial planning issues faced by those who work and live at boarding schools.....and specific suggestions as to how to meet these challenges.
Michael Szydlowski, Director Financial Aid, Woodberry Forest School, VA
G-10 Order vs Control: A Critical Distinction in Residential Life
The Residential Life Staff at Tilton School, utilizing research in areas such as leadership, adolescent brain development, and emotional intelligence, uncovered a common trait in successful policies and practices within its residential life program. We discovered the most effective outcomes in residential life came from policies and practices that attempted to create order, rather than those that attempted to control the lives of adolescents. Attendees of this session will explore the implications of implementing policies and practices based on order versus control.
Richard Johnson, Dean of Students, Tilton School, NH
G-11 Concussions: Not Just a Sports Issue
The collective attention on sports related concussions has escalated markedly in recent times. In boarding schools, we have additional responsibilities that must be considered when a student suffers a concussion. How concussions manifest in the cognitive, emotional, overall lifestyle differs from student to student, but have consequences for activities and relationships in residential life, participation in the classroom, and in extracurricular activities. This session will expose attendees to various methods in managing the student’s condition as it applies to matters outside of sports that each participant can take back to their schools for modification and application. Attendees should come prepared for an active discussion of ideas and current practices at their schools to share.
Gordon Coole, Head Athletic Trainer; Kayla Medina, Assistant Athletic Trainer, Phillips Exeter Academy, NH