ESHA News
 Leading Off Dear ESHA Friends, Comments from our October Boulder Retreat: “Overall, another great year. I love the retreat format and the big picture presentations. I am leaving feeling renewed.” “Warm, friendly, collegial. Genuine and authentic dialogue. A really worthwhile time. Made some wonderful new friends.” “I am very glad I made it to my first ESHA retreat! Restorative, inspirational, and energizing!” “The highlight of my year as far as a great balance between rest, fellowship, and inspiration.” “Would never miss it!” “All IN on ESHA! Best conference of the year.” “Well done! It was a great retreat. I truly value this time to reconnect and share with old friends and new colleagues.” Enough said. Make sure to join us at The Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach, Florida, October 13-16, 2018. Cheers! Chris  From ESHA President Elinor Scully Dear ESHA Colleagues, As Chris shared, our annual retreat in Boulder, CO, this year was fantastic and a wonderful opportunity to connect with other ESHA heads. Our theme, From Head Teacher to CEO, allowed for some wonderful conversations about leadership. Recently, I read a New York Times article that made me think about our work as “CEOs” in elementary schools. In his article, “How to Be a CEO from a Decade’s Worth of Them,” Adam Bryant summarizes the qualities of senior leaders from his years of experience interviewing CEOs for his column, “The Corner Office.” Bryant says that successful CEOs share some common qualities: a habit of “applied curiosity,” a love of challenge and working outside of their comfort zone, and a commitment and focus on doing their jobs well rather than ambitiously climbing the professional ladder. Over the course of the three days we were in Boulder, I heard many of my peers discussing these very issues. It was comforting and affirming to be in the company of the leaders who are struggling with issues similar to those I face and to be surrounded by leaders who are committed to finding creative and “out of the box” solutions to the challenges of school leadership. ESHA is a place where I get fed and nourished intellectually and personally. My inner CEO finds a great deal of professional support and stimulation in our organization’s activities and in this network of exceptional leaders. I’m thrilled to be assuming the role of president and I encourage you to get involved. Best, Elinor Heads Up! ESHA'S Annual Dinner will be hosted by Nishant Mehta at The Children's School in Atlanta on Wednesday, March 7, 2018, when NAIS has its annual conference. Details and registration will be available in December. ESHA salutes and thanks the following members for their generous support as sustaining members (who kindly opted to add additional funds to their annual dues). Please consider joining them next year when your membership invoice arrives! Arvi Balseiro, The Cushman School (FL) Tim Burns, The Forsyth School (MO) Laura Caron, Brookwood School (MA) Ronnie Codrington-Cazeau, Yhe Evergreen School (WA) Robert Cooke, Community School (MO) Nicole DuFauchard, Advent School (MA) Angi Evans, Harbor Day School (CA) Matthew Gould, Norwood School (MD) Arvind Grover, The Meadowbrook School (MA) Joan Buchanan Hill, Lamplighter School (TX) Stuart Johnson, St. Bernard’s School (NY) Scott Laird, St. Mary’s Episcopal Day School (FL) Billy McMurtrie, Mater Dei School (MD) Nishant Mehta, The Children’s School (GA) Neil Mufson, The Country School (MD) David O’Halloran, St. David’s School (NY) Greg O’Melia, The Buckley School (NY) Joe Powers, The Woods Academy (MD) Mark Silver, Hillbrook School (CA) David Stettler, The Fessenden School (MA) David Trower, The Allen-Stevenson School (NY) Clair Ward, Shore Country Day School (MA) Jerry Ward, The Fenn School (MA) Muddy Waters, The Pike School (MA) MANY THANKS TO ALL OF YOU! Once again, ESHA member Dane Peters has interesting suggestions! Dane's Education Blog Top Books To Read Posted: 28 Oct 2017 01:36 PM PDT "I stumbled upon this fascinating article "Top Experts Always Recommend These 4 Books." Author Eric Barker's Time magazine article is excellent. Even though it was written in June of 2015, I think you will appreciate what the author has presented, and I am sure you will compare what he has listed with what you have read and which books sit on your bookshelf." Books Experts Recommend – By Topic: Leadership Gautam Mukunda, professor at Harvard Business School and author of Indispensable: When Leaders Really Matter recommends:
Also, Kim Marshall's "Marshall Memo" included this sobering post from The Wall Street Journal. What Smartphones Are Doing to Our Minds “The smartphone is unique in the annals of personal technology,” says Nicholas Carr in this Wall Street Journal article. “We keep the gadget within reach more or less around the clock, and we use it in countless ways, consulting its apps and checking its messages and heeding its alerts scores of times a day.” What makes the smartphone so captivating? “Imagine combining a mailbox, a newspaper, a TV, a radio, a photo album, a public library, and a boisterous party attended by everyone you know, and then compressing them all into a single small, radiant object. That is what a smartphone represents to us. No wonder we can’t take our minds off it.” But smartphones can also foster anxiety and undermine performance. “[E]ven hearing one ring or vibrate, produces a welter of distractions that makes it harder to concentrate on a difficult problem or job,” says Carr. “The division of attention impedes reasoning and performance.” One study found that when a person isn’t able to answer a ring or vibration, blood pressure spikes, the pulse quickens, and problem-solving skills decline. Researchers have found negative effects in five areas: • Test performance – In a 2015 experiment at the University of California/San Diego, 520 undergraduates took tests of fluid intelligence and available cognitive capacity. Subjects were divided into three groups: - The first placed their cell phones in front of them on the desk. - The second stowed their phones in pockets or handbags. - The third left their phones in another room. Students whose phones were in view got the lowest scores; those whose phones were in another room did best; and students whose phones were in their pockets or handbags scored in the middle. Interviewed afterward, almost all students said they hadn’t been distracted by or even thought about their phones while taking the tests – but that obviously wasn’t true for two-thirds of them. A similar study found that students with phones in sight made more errors on a test. • College lectures – A study at the University of Arkansas found that students who brought cell phones with them to classes and exams scored a full letter grade lower (whether or not they checked their phones during classes) than those who left phones back in their dorms. Another study came up with similar results, and revealed that the more heavily students relied on their phones in their everyday lives, the greater the cognitive penalty when they tackled mentally challenging tasks. A researcher said the areas most affected were learning, logical reasoning, abstract thought, problem solving, and creativity. “The evidence that our phones can get inside our heads so forcefully is unsettling,” says Carr, “Smartphones have become so entangled with our existence that, even when we’re not peering or pawing at them, they tug at our attention, diverting precious cognitive resources. Just suppressing the desire to check our phone, which we do routinely and subconsciously throughout the day, can debilitate our thinking…” • Personal connection – A study at the University of Essex in the U.K. asked 142 participants to have private one-on-one chats for ten minutes. Half of the subjects had a phone in the room, half did not. Subjects were then given an assessment measuring affinity, trust, and empathy. “The mere presence of mobile phones,” said the researchers, “inhibited the development of interpersonal closeness and trust” and diminished “the extent to which individuals felt empathy and understanding for their partners.” The effect was most striking when a personally meaningful topic was discussed. • Memory – Studies have found that ready access to information via Google and other search engines, plus how easy it is to jot ideas into our devices, leads us to make less of an effort to remember information because we can always look it up. But the fact that we are storing less information in long-term memory is a problem. In an 1892 lecture, William James said that “the art of remembering is the art of thinking.” Carr agrees: “Only by encoding information in our biological memory can we weave the rich intellectual associations that form the essence of personal knowledge and give rise to critical and conceptual thinking. No matter how much information swirls around us, the less well-stocked our memory, the less we have to think with.” • Gullibility – In a 2013 Scientific American article, Daniel Wegner and Adrian Ward said we may be suffering from delusions of intelligence, confident that we know stuff because we can access it so quickly. When we can quickly find information, we feel as though we ourselves generated the information. “The advent of the ‘information age’ seems to have created a generation of people who feel they know more than ever before,” said Wegner and Ward, even though “they may know ever less about the world around them.” This may be why so many Americans believe lies and half-truths spread through social media by foreign agents and other bad actors. “If your phone has sapped your powers of discernment,” said Ward, “you’ll believe anything it tells you.” “When we constrict our capacity for reasoning and recall or transfer those skills to a gadget,” concludes Ward, “we sacrifice our ability to turn information into knowledge. We get the data but lose the meaning. Upgrading our gadgets won’t solve the problem. We need to give our minds more room to think. And that means putting some distance between ourselves and our phones.” “How Smartphones Hijack Our Minds” by Nicholas Carr in The Wall Street Journal, October 6, 2017 ESHA Is Delighted to Welcome Its New Members
October Boulder Retreat Boulder covered it all! Among other things, Donna Orem talked about the change in our independent school market and what millennial parents want for their children. Tim Fish challenged us to make our schools as innovative as possible. Andy Watson touched on leadership skills. Attendees met for dinners at Walnut Brewery and the Rembrandt Yards Art Gallery, not to mention the terrific St. Julien Hotel, site of the retreat. And on October 9th, it snowed! Most of all, members had a chance to connect with new friends and old and to address issues of interest both in discussion groups and in their leisure time.
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Leading Off Dear ESHA Friends, Some of you have already been back in session for a week or two while some are starting up this week. Regardless, your school is - as it is every year - different than it ever has been or will ever be with new students, new faculty, new parents, new board members. So you're probably reverting to your primary roles as Head teachers while also attending to your equally important but sometimes overwhelming role as managers of the school's business. It's always a lot! I certainly wish you the greatest success in the 2017-18 year and encourage you to remember that you, like your staffs, need occasional time away from school, some professional development, and a reasonable plan to regularly give yourselves a break. These are proven tasks that result in better leadership over the long haul. If you can, start this work now and consider attending ESHA's retreat in October (see below at the end). Be with your true peers, enjoy the company of our wise and upbeat members, learn from the stimulating presenters, and take in the inspiring surroundings. You're sure to get a nice boost and good energy for the job back home. Cheers! Chris From ESHA President Muddy Waters  Dear ESHA Colleagues, As I write this, the hallways are readied for our community to regather, but they are still a week away from beginning to return. I have always loved summer, but when we get to the middle of August, I am excited to start the new school year and look forward to another year of growth and possibilities. Just as summer flies by, so has my time as President of ESHA. I want to thank the Board and the Executive Committee for all of their wisdom and hard work. Also, it has been an honor to work with Chris Abell whose energy and passion for this work has made our organization even stronger. For me, the good news is that I plan to continue to be an active ESHA member and look forward to more exciting annual gatherings and conversations with my mentoring flight. Have a wonderful opening to the school year and see you in Boulder. Best, Muddy Heads Up! From ESHA member Dane Peter's "Dane's Blog," here is a quick review of the traits of inspirational leaders. Dan Rockwell's "Leadership Freak" addresses ways to deal with mediocrity. We are all aware of this alarming and frustrating trend, and Judy Twenge reports on it in detail in her article in The Atlantic, "The Impact of Smartphones and Social Media on Young Teens." ESHA Is Delighted to Welcome Its New Members
2017 ESHA Retreat
"Head Teacher to CEO" October 7-10, 2017 St. Julien Hotel & Spa Boulder, Colorado Registration for ESHA’s 2017 Annual Retreat, to be held this fall at the St. Julien Hotel & Spa in Boulder, Colorado, is now open. The event will take place from October 7th to October 10th (Saturday to Tuesday). Saturday’s pre-conference workshops and dinner are optional as the official proceedings begin Sunday afternoon (October 8th). Highlights Donna Orem, President of NAIS, will deliver the keynote speech on Sunday afternoon, October 8th. Tim Fish, NAIS’s Chief Innovation Officer, speaks Monday morning, and Andy Watson of Albuquerque Academy talks about practical leadership on Tuesday. On Saturday, October 7th. Peter Philip of Carney Sandoe leads pre-conference discussions for new (or newish) Heads as well as Heads considering next steps. Plus breakout sessions on topics of interest and great dining venues! Before registering for the retreat, be sure to make a lodging reservation for the evenings you desire as follows: Contact the St. Julien in-house Reservations Team at sjreservations@stjulien.com or through the hotel line 720-406-9696. You may also reserve online by using this exclusive Elementary School Heads Association Annual Retreat Web Link. The link is valid until 30 days out from the event, but it is not accessible on mobile devices. When registering for the retreat, please note that there is a $100 discount for active members who reserve prior to September 15th. In addition, ESHA offers a discount to all first-time retreat attendees as well as to associate and retired/honorary members. REGISTER NOW!  Leading Off Dear ESHA Friends, This is just a quick mid-summer "hello" and a wish that your summers are going well and that you are getting a good break. I'll suggest two things that would only briefly interrupt your relaxation time: 1) If you haven't yet done so, make sure to register below for our October Retreat in Boulder, Colorado. 2) Take a look at the short articles below as both a primer for the retreat and a different way of looking at the future enrollment. Cheers! Chris  From ESHA President Muddy Waters Dear ESHA Colleagues, As I write this, I am on the deck looking out at Long Lake in Naples, Maine. We have all of our kids and grandkids here, and it is the best. I hope that all of you are making some time to rest and recharge and get away from the hectic pace of the school year. I really believe it is important to do that so we can be our best selves with the reserves required to do the job well. Happy summer, and I look forward to seeing you in Boulder. Best, Muddy Heads Up! ESHA member Aaron Cooper of The Elisabeth Morrow School wrote the piece linked below for the summer edition of Independent School. If you haven't read it yet, take a look! https://www.nais.org/magazine/independent-school/summer-2017/market-shift/ Also, check out the article from the September, 2016, issue of the Harvard Business Review on "Knowing Your Customers." You might read the first four or five pages to get the thesis and then the last three on Southern New Hampshire University's experience. https://hbr.org/2016/09/know-your-customers-jobs-to-be-done Finally, note that The Jane Group, a crisis management and communication firm, offers scaled pricing for ESHA schools based upon the size of the school. Jane Hulbert, who spoke to us at our Savannah gathering in 2015, can be contacted through the janegroup.biz.
2017 ESHA Retreat"Head Teacher to CEO" October 7-10, 2017 St. Julien Hotel & Spa Boulder, Colorado  Registration for ESHA’s 2017 Annual Retreat, to be held this fall at the St. Julien Hotel & Spa in Boulder, Colorado, is now open. The event will take place from October 7th to October 10th (Saturday to Tuesday). Saturday’s pre-conference workshops and dinner are optional as the official proceedings begin Sunday afternoon (October 8th).  Highlights
Donna Orem, President of NAIS, will deliver the keynote speech on Sunday afternoon, October 8th. Tim Fish, NAIS’s Chief Innovation Officer, speaks Monday morning, and Andy Watson of Albuquerque Academy talks about practical leadership on Tuesday. On Saturday, October 7th. Peter Philip of Carney Sandoe leads pre-conference discussions for new (or newish) Heads as well as Heads considering next steps. Plus breakout sessions on topics of interest and great dining venues! Before registering for the retreat, be sure to make a lodging reservation for the evenings you desire as follows: Contact the St. Julien in-house Reservations Team at sjreservations@stjulien.com or through the hotel line 720-406-9696. You may also reserve online by using this exclusive Elementary School Heads Association Annual Retreat Web Link. The link is valid until 30 days out from the event, but it is not accessible on mobile devices. When registering for the retreat, please note that there is a $100 discount for active members who reserve prior to September 15th. In addition, ESHA offers a discount to all first-time retreat attendees as well as to associate and retired/honorary members. Leading Off  Dear ESHA Friends, Several items come to mind as we move into spring. First, on a somber note, please keep Jerry Ward, Head of The Fenn School, in your thoughts. Sadly, he lost his dear wife Lorraine on March 9. Lorraine was a true friend and inspiration to many of us, and members of ESHA’s Executive Committee – on which Jerry recently served - certainly mourn her passing and extend our condolences to Jerry. Jerry can be contacted c/o The Fenn School at 516 Monument Street, Concord, MA 01742. Second, as happens every year, several veteran ESHA members are retiring. Steve Barker of Friends Academy (MA) (we were at NAIS Institute for New Heads of 1984 together!) and Larry Griffin of Shore Country Day (MA) have both supported and served ESHA consistently over the years. Palmer Bell at Riverside Presbyterian (FL) has likewise been a long-time booster. And there are others whom I’m no doubt forgetting, so please remind me! Most of all, Steve Hinds of The Meadowbrook School (MA), President of ESHA in 2002-2003 and a long-time board member, has doggedly, enthusiastically, and cheerfully promoted and guided ESHA through thick and thin. Thank you, Steve, for your terrific service to our organization, and thanks to Palmer, Larry, and Steve Barker as well. Your devotion to ESHA has had a major and beneficial impact. Third, we had a terrific annual dinner on March 1 at the Calvert School in Baltimore, thanks to our host Andrew Holmgren and his staff. Nearly 60 Heads, spouses, partners, and guests – including the dynamic duo of Rob Evans and Michael Thompson – attended the event and were treated to a delicious meal and an outstanding tour of the school. I was so caught up in the evening that I forgot to fulfill my role as ESHA photographer and thus sadly have no photos to share with you. They were ALL beautiful people, however. Fourth, I’m including below an “article” – really a series of questions and answers – that tells the stories of a dozen Heads who were in the 1984 class of what I like to call the “New Heads’ Boot Camp” that NAIS runs. The stories were compiled a while ago, in 2012, and may or may not be of interest to you. As a participant, I certainly enjoyed reading them and learned a lot. It’s a hefty compilation, but the reflections are certainly manageable in small doses. Cheers, Chris  From ESHA President Muddy Waters Dear ESHA Colleagues, As I write this, we are getting over a foot of snow! There goes the welcome to spring letter I had planned. It was great seeing those who could make it to the wonderful dinner we had at The Calvert School. For me ESHA has been all about relationships, and our annual retreat and annual dinner are times to share the joys and challenges of our unique jobs. I do wish you a wonderful spring and conclusion to another school year. Where does the time go? Thanks for all you do to support ESHA! Muddy Heads Up! As mentioned above, here is the report on the New Heads of 1984. ESHA Is Delighted to Welcome Our New Member  Marie Leary The Sage School, MA  2017 Annual Retreat
Boulder. Colorado October 7-10 "HEAD TEACHER TO CEO" Donna Orem, President of NAIS, will deliver the keynote speech on leadership at the October Retreat. Leading Off
Dear ESHA Friends, It's a brand new year, one that will hopefully be extremely fulfilling for you and your schools. I was thinking that in your work, the calendar year flipflops the school year since you start 2017 with the second half of the game before you begin another first half in August ot September. Now you're able to make any half-time adjustments that are appropriate so that your team can finish well. I send you my applause and encouragement for both what you've accomplished in the first part of the annual contest and for what you plan in order to seal the victory in the second half. Go, ESHA Heads! Cheers! Chris Abell Executive Director |
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