ESHA News
 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.
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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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