Logo
Together in Our Independence

September 2017
Colors of Fall at Cardigan Mountain School
ISANNE Quick Links
Upcoming Fall/Winter Events
October 2017
. 3-4 New England Town Academy Conference , Stage Neck Inn, ME
 
November 2017 
2-3   Advancement and Communications Conference , Church Landing, Meredith, NH

7-8 Board of Directors, Church Landing, Meredith, NH

8-9   Fall Heads Conference, Church Landing, Meredith, NH

December 2017
4-5 Academic and Student Life Leaders Conference, Church Landing, Meredith, NH

January 2018
9-10 Business Officers Conference, Portland, ME

April 2018
4-5  Spring Heads Conference,  Cliff House, ME

May 2018
1-2 Admissions   Conference, Woodstock Inn, VT

September 2017 
Hello ISANNE friends,

During my travels, I enjoy meeting new people and discovering ISANNE connections. Recently, while walking with my daughter in Venice, CA, we stopped into a shop and struck up a conversation with Kirsten, the friendly young woman behind the counter. Turns out she is a 2010 graduate of Burke Mountain School and about to begin a master's program in psychology at Pepperdine. Although we had never met, we enjoyed sharing our special corner of the world and the community of schools in northern New England.  

Kirsten and so many other alums I meet embody the qualities I have come to recognize in our ISANNE students and alums; creative and resilient in pursuit of their dreams. I associate these qualities with the ISANNE "brand" and they help define who we are, collectively across the region. Maybe some of these qualities are forged while embracing the realities of our weather and the constant change, always needing to take a pulse and adjust the sails. 

This month's Member Views blog is from Laura Gauld, head of Hyde School writing a reflection about staying true to their school's brand as they explored an episode of failure to live up to their best. I believe ISANNE schools all share a unique thread as we learn, adjust and embrace challenges as we all tack toward new adventures as life-long learners.
 
One of ISANNE's best features is the willingness of our members to collaborate and share information with each other. There will be plenty of opportunities with this year's calendar of events. We have already scheduled dates for our major conferences and the committees are have begun planning the programs.  Please save the dates and bring your questions, knowledge and lessons learned. Your participation helps drive the energy of the event!  

As we begin the year, we welcome several new Corporate Partners and eight new Heads of School to ISANNE!  We look forward to meeting you all and introducing you to the benefits of the ISANNE community!       

Laurie
Laurie Hurd
Executive Director
ISANNE
Together in Our Independence





ISANNE  unites, supports and promotes its diverse member schools in a changing world.
Welcome New Heads of School!
We introduce eight new Heads of School to ISANNE this school year! Please join us in welcoming  Martin Mooney to Bridgton Academy , Willy Booker to  Burke Mountain Academy Father Bob Pecoraro to  Chevrus , Chris Cheney to Kents Hill School , Twila Perry as Interim Head to  Lyndon Institute, Peter Ahlfeld to  Mountain School at Winhall, Hans Mundahl to 
  Sant Bani School, and Jennifer Zaccara to  Vermont Academy
ISANNE Member Views

   Laura Gauld is Head of School at Hyde School
This month's Member View comes to us from Laura Gauld, Head of School at Hyde School
 
"Learning from Failure
"

As summer slips through our fingers and cool nights signal the start of school, educators start to anticipate the return of the students that attend our independent schools. While the check list runs the gamut from program updates, faculty team building, and swapping out new shower curtains, the most important job is to set an example for our students and inspire them to play big and summon the courage to be their best self.

While it is always important to learn when experiencing success, I usually have the deepest learning when I have to face the challenging times. This past spring, I had to own an important failure in our school community and wrote the following article in our weekly publication that was sent to all current and external constituents at Hyde. As a leader, I had to also start with myself and make sure that our words about the importance of "sportsmanship" were connected to our actions and decisions as an organization. Here is a portion of that piece.   Read more .  
from The Educator's Notebook
Photo courtesy of Thornton Academy

by Lauren Porosoff, English Teacher at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School

"Toward the end of the year, my students do lots of self-reflection: Which books had the biggest impact? How did they choose writing topics that mattered to them? When did they struggle, and what did they learn from those struggles? Which strategies were most helpful? What new genres, concepts or techniques did they explore? What will they work on next year?

Questions like these help my students notice what they've tried and how it worked out. It helps them build behavior patterns that lead to academic success and a sense of vitality. 

But as meaningful as that self-reflection is, I wasn't offering my students an opportunity to examine another crucial part of their experiences: each other.  So I came up with three additional questions:
  1. Who in our class supported you in an important way?
  2. Who in our class pushed you to think differently or more deeply?
  3. Who in our class inspired you by setting an example?
I knew my students might feel awkward acknowledging each other in these ways. There's vulnerability in saying, "This person had an impact on a part of my life that's important to me," especially if it's a person you don't know well or who didn't realize their actions were so meaningful."  Read More Here
 
From Peter Nilsson's Educator's Notebook Blog:

Corporate Partner Events 
Upcoming Corporate Partner Events open to ISANNE members:

September 7, 10-10:30am - Medicare Webinar - Hosted by Borislow Insurance - No Fee - Register Here

September 12, 12noon EST - Webinar hosted by School Admin - Amplify your Admissions Voice with Communication Plans Learn about how strategic communication plans can foster relationships with families, save you and your team time and improve conversion at every stage of the funnel. Register H ere

September 19, 20, 21, 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m - PC Construction Open Houses - Come to one - or all three - for cocktails and conversation. Portland, Maine on 9/19, Manchester, NH on 9/20 and South Burlington, VT on 9/21.  RSVP by 9/12 to  hstpeter@pcconstruction.com  with the event location and names of attendees

September 21, 8am-Noon - "Next Year Now: Inspiration and practical tips you can use everyday." Hosted by Berry Dunn Location: Hilton Garden Inn, Bangor   

September 26, 9am-3pm - Sexual Misconduct Response & Investigations Training for Secondary Schools - Hosted by Bernstein Shur. Location: Bernstein Shur, 100 Middle Street, Portland, ME $600.  Register Here.
Welcome New Corporate Partners!
Welcome to ISANNE's new Corporate Partners! Launch Security, based in Portland, ME, helps schools navigate the cybersecurity landscape.  Lavallee Brensinger Architects, based in Manchester, NH  plans and designs engaging educational spaces . And Irving Energy, based in Calais, ME offers heating and energy solutions. 

Thank you to all ISANNE Corporate Partners. Corporate Partners are  a fundamental part of our work. Through Corporate Partner membership and sponsorships, ISANNE is able to offer conferences that allow as many ISANNE staff to attend as possible. 

STAY CONNECTED: 
Like us on Facebook  Follow us on Twitter  View our profile on LinkedIn
Visit our website 
ISANNE.org