Letter from the President
Kirk Walker, Ph.D.
Anybody who works in a school knows that "March Madness" is merely a mild eccentricity when compared to "May Madness." May is the season of culminating activities: tournaments, concerts, plays, musicals, banquets, field days, picnics, class projects, end-of-year conferences, exams, award days, graduation, etc. Once, someone asked me if the school year was winding down. I replied that a school year doesn't "wind down;" it "winds up" tighter and tighter and then it stops (at least for 24 hours until the summer program begins).
May is also the season of speeches: a time when administrators, coaches, teachers, and student leaders seize the opportunity to share some final thoughts before the school year concludes and the audiences depart. Hearing (much less absorbing) so many words, compressed in such a short time frame, can challenge even the best attention span. Auditory system overload is an ever-present possibility.
But, as you know, that flood of voices is very important. Those key words and ideas that echo through every speech are powerful reminders of the year's accomplishments and are reflections of the sense of community that has been nurtured. Collectively those are the words and ideas that your graduates will carry forward and the ones that will continue to shape your school's future. Yes, May is hectic, and some days just "getting through the list" feels like success. But May is also a time of celebration when the school community reminds itself of its mission and the lives that have been changed. So, as the last speech concludes for yet another May, take a bow. You earned it.
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The Case of Tuition Remission
By Christina Mimms, SAIS
Is it a tax-free bonus? A subsidized education? Would you call it unqualified financial aid? Or is it a benefit in exchange for loyalty? A tool for retention? A means to place parent ambassadors among your employees? The opinions on the subject of tuition remission vary significantly among educators, including our own SAIS schools.
>>Read more.
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Next Generation: Developing an Advancement Talent Pipeline
By Karen Brand, director of strategic marketing & communications, Providence Day School, Charlotte, NC
If you were lucky, at some point early in your career a mentor came along and showed you the ins and outs of your chosen profession. Perhaps your mentor helped you gain new skills, expanded your knowledge base, navigated you through a difficult situation, or opened doors. Providence Day School in Charlotte, NC, is taking luck out of the equation for young professionals by offering a one-year, fully-immersive fellowship in its Office of Institutional Advancement. The position is designed to prepare a recent college graduate for the next chapter in their career, as well as to help grow the advancement profession in independent schools.
>>Read more.
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A More Beautiful Question
By Warren Berger
Reviewed by Dr. Rhonda Bennett,
head of lower school at Battle Ground Academy, Franklin, TN
This book is not a practitioner's manual specific to school or pedagogy or curriculum. The underpinning concept,
the power of inquiry
, has much broader application. However, Warren Berger's
A More Beautiful Question
is incredibly relevant for educators and school leaders who deliver educational programs that strive to cultivate innovative thinkers for a future not yet imagined. According to Warren Berger, "Knowing the answers will help you in school. Knowing how to question will help you in life."
>>Read more.
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NAIS Call for Proposals
NAIS is seeking proposals for workshops and presentations at its 2018 Annual Conference, to be held in Atlanta, March 7-8, 2018. Guidelines for proposals can be found here. The deadline for submissions is June 9, 2017.
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2017 SAIS Summer PD Events: Which One is Right For You?
Still looking for a professional development program for the summer?
Sign up for one of SAIS's many institutes and gain new ideas for your career! Whether you are a teacher, an experienced administrator, an aspiring head, an assistant to the head, or the head of school, SAIS is here to support you in your development.
>>Read more on the SAIS Events Page.
 SAIS is launching a new program this summer: the
Institute for New Teachers - Public to Private. It will be held
July 13-14 in
Atlanta and is designed for experienced teachers who are moving from the public school system into our wonderful world of independent schools. If you have new hires for the 2017-18 school year, consider sending them to this unique and important professional development program. It will focus on the culture, communications, HR, legal, and other aspects of an independent school that differ from public schools. Registration is
OPEN at
www.sais.org/P2P.
SAIS also will host the
Institute for New Teachers in three cities -
Atlanta (July 10-12), Charlotte (July 18-20), and Nashville (July 25-27). Designed for teachers new to teaching, speakers will walk participants through all aspects of teaching.
In addition to the educational component, there is also an experiential one - each participant presents a videotaped lesson that is critiqued by peers and the experienced faculty. Past participants have rated this as one of their best learning and growing experiences. Register at www.sais.org/INT.
Heads of school, don't miss the SAIS Institute for Heads, June 27-30, 2017 at the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa in Palm Beach, FL. This engaging, energizing, and nurturing retreat offers an opportunity for thoughtful dialogue and engagement with colleagues on key issues facing school heads. Featuring Rob Evans and Michael Thompson, heads can dig into the topics that only other heads of school can understand. As part of the Institute for Heads, heads and their spouses may attend optional sessions that look at the personal side of leadership: the challenges of being the "first couple," the particular burdens for spouses, partners, and children of heads, and more. Select spouses also may participate in a panel discussion with Q&A time. The Institute for Heads as been described as "three days of a good conference and three days of good therapy." >>Read more. >>Register here.
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2017 Calendar of Events
SAIS offers a variety of affordable, accessible, and relevant professional development programs for independent school leaders.
June 19-21 | Emory Conference Center | Atlanta, GA
June 19-21 | Emory Conference Center | Atlanta, GA
June 20-21 | Emory Conference Center | Atlanta, GA
June 21-23 | Emory Conference Center | Atlanta, GA
June 21-23 | Emory Conference Center | Atlanta, GA
June 27-30 | Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa | Palm Beach, FL
July | Charlotte, NC | Nashville, TN | Atlanta, GA
July 13-14 | Atlanta, GA
October 22 | Crowne Plaza Ravinia | Atlanta, GA
October 22-24 | Crowne Plaza Ravinia | Atlanta, GA
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On-Site Board Workshops
SAIS President Dr. Kirk Walker is available to visit your campus and conduct on-site governance workshops.
- Trusteeship for Independent Schools
- New Trustee Orientation
- Becoming an Outstanding Board
- The Changing Landscape of Independent School Governance
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Retiring in 2017?
If you are a
head of school who will be retiring at the end of the 2016-17 school year
, please let us know so we can induct you into the
SAIS Legacy Club
, a group of retired heads of school who gather annually. Please complete our
Legacy Club bio form
.
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SAIS Featured School
Trinity Episcopal
School
Trinity Episcopal School, a K-8 independent school situated in the heart of uptown Charlotte, NC, was founded upon the educational traditions of Episcopal schools. The school was founded 17 years ago and since its founding, the school has stayed unwavering in its mission to create scholars, nurture spirituality and embrace diversity. Trinity is grounded in a program that inspires a lifelong love of learning and a quest for knowledge.
>>Read more.
Would you like to be an SAIS Featured School? Contact
christina@sais.org.
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Chris Wejr, principal at James Hill Elementary School in Langley, BC, commits to uplifting changes.
Connie White, director of learning design & innovation at Woodward Academy in College Park, GA, enables problem-solvers.
Karl Steinkamp, head of Dalat International School in Malaysia, writes about giving ideas some space.
Laurie Wolke
, head of Laurence School in Valley Glen, CA, advocates for an arts curriculum.
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Outdoor fun, awards, end of year celebrations, and more!
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LIVE Twitter Chats this Summer
Join your fellow SAIS leaders this summer for
LIVE Twitter chats starting the week of
June 12. Beckie Share (Episcopal Day School) and Mike Zavada (Trinity Presbyterian School) will serve as moderators. Look for the chats at
noon EST at #saislsheads
#saismsheads
#saisusheads.
Reminders will be sent via the SAIS listservs.
Contact
christina@sais.org
with any questions or topic suggestions.
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See you in August!
This is the final issue of SAIS HeadLines for the 2016-17 school year. Publication will resume in August.
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