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Celebrating School Milestones
By Christina Mimms, SAIS
Schools are quick to celebrate the achievements of their students – top academic scores, sports victories, college acceptances, graduations, and more. But it is important for the schools themselves to recognize successes, celebrate past leaders, and reflect on their histories in an anniversary year. 
Congratulations to the 2018 Stephen P. Robinson Collaboration Grant Recipients!
SAIS is delighted to announce the 2018 recipients of the Stephen P. Robinson Collaboration Grant Program. Each school will receive $5,000 to pursue their programs.
 
Trinity Presbyterian School, Montgomery, AL
The school will partner with Valiant Cross Academy, an all-boys school in Montgomery, to work with Maxwell Air Force base and the Civil Air Patrol to develop students certified in cyber security so they can go forth and serve in defense efforts to protect individual, corporate, and national assets.
 
Episcopal School of Knoxville, Knoxville, TN
The school will partner with The University of Tennessee Knoxville’s Early Learning Center to create a collaborative gardening project for Kindergarten students and teachers. The two schools will engage in a comparative study of urban vs rural gardening plots and techniques.
 
Oak Mountain Academy, Carrollton, GA
The school will launch the flagship West Georgia Regional Science fair this spring and begin collaborations with the University of West Georgia, local public schools, and local STEM-related business.
 
St. Luke’s Episcopal School, Mobile, AL
The school’s goal is to create 25 fully functioning, three-dimensional (3D) prosthetic hands to ship to children around the globe. Working with the eNABLE Community Foundation, the school will locate individuals who need a hand and match them with students who are willing to create them at no cost to the recipient.

Clayton-Bradley Academy, Maryville, TN
The school will partner with Maryville College in Maryville, TN, to launch the Summer STEM Training Collaboration to train pre-service teachers in project and problem based learning STEM activities. Classroom teachers will be leading sessions with college professors to allow pre-service teachers to experience PBL projects, learn how to plan lessons, connect to standards, and score mastery.

The recipients will share their stories in articles to be published in SAIS HeadLines in early 2019.
Messaging Matters: How School Leaders Can Inspire Teachers, Motivate Students, and Reach Communities by William D. Parker
Reviewed by Payton Hobbs, head of lower school at Ravenscroft School, Raleigh, NC

The first part of this book’s title Messaging Matters can be a bit misleading. People often hear the word “messaging” and think of traditional concepts related to marketing, instead of a communication and relational skill that is essential for all leaders. For that reason, leaders should focus on the second part of the book’s title How School Leaders Can Inspire Teachers, Motivate Students, and Reach Communities because it speaks to inspiring, motivating, and connecting with community members. Leaders interested in this book are encouraged to think more deeply about how they can utilize messaging strategies to cultivate a positive school culture.
SAIS Featured School: Christ Methodist Day School, Memphis, TN
Christ Methodist Day School first opened its doors in 1958 to 75 kindergarten students. Since then, the school has continued to grow and thrive right where it was founded: along Poplar Avenue, in the middle of Memphis, just about halfway between FedExForum and Shelby Farms Park.
Join SAIS @ NAIS
Going to the 2018 NAIS Annual Conference in Atlanta? Stop by to see SAIS at Booth #905!

You're invited to our reception, co-hosted by Crane Marketing and Vanderbilt University-Peabody College.
Wednesday, March 7   from 6-8 PM
SkyLounge at the Glenn Hotel
110 Marietta St, Atlanta, GA 30303
March 7-9, 2018
Announcing the 2018 SAIS Institute for Heads
June 19-22, 2018
Renaissance Asheville
Asheville, NC
This energizing and nurturing retreat offers an opportunity for thoughtful dialogue and engagement with colleagues on key issues facing heads of school and their spouses. The number of participants is limited to foster connections and allow for contributions from all attendees. Featuring Rob Evans and Michael Thompson.
 
Topics for the 2018 Institute include:

  • Preventing and Coping with Abuse and Misconduct
  • Anxious Parents, Anxious Children
  • Dynamics of Succession and the Secret Search
  • Building and Maintaining a Strong Leadership Team
  • Talking Turkey About Performance with Faculty and Trustees
  • The Professionalization of School Sports
  • Being Married to the Head and the School: How Spouses Cope
  • Health, Wellness, and Mindfulness: How Much Should Schools Be Doing?
 
SAIS Seeks Faculty for Institute for New Teachers
SAIS is seeking a master teacher to join the faculty of the Institute for New Teachers. The Institute for New Teachers is held each summer in three cities, currently Atlanta, Charlotte, and Nashville.
Top Tweets
Schools celebrate the 100th day, cool science projects, and more!
Blog of the Week
The Power of Faith
Gregory Schneider, head of Berwick Academy in South Berwick, ME, writes about the precarious position of a school during re-enrollment and contract renewals. 
SAIS Career Center
Job postings are free and unlimited for SAIS member schools. The SAIS Career Center is easy to use and allows you to post, manage, and edit jobs right from your desktop.
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