Eight Ideas for School Milestones

Advancement // April 28, 2016

Does your school have a special milestone approaching? Such anniversaries offer an excellent opportunity to ramp up advancement efforts. Start planning for those special years, and take advantage of the community spirit to push your school’s advancement plans to the next level.

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Six Ways to Welcome New Families Into the Fold

Advancement // April 26, 2016

New enrollment contracts enter the Admission Office each spring, bringing fresh faces and new hopes to the school community. But, your job as the Admission Director doesn’t end with enrollment! To assist with future re-enrollment, making sure your new families are as welcomed as possible within the new school community is vital. Try these six ways to make new students and their parents feel part of your school from Day One.

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Admission Lessons from Mount St. Mary’s

Advancement // April 26, 2016

Last month, we spoke to lessons that School Heads could take away from the recent Mount St. Mary’s University debacle, which included students compared to bunnies that needed “Glocks put to their heads” and suspect dismissal of tenured teachers. School Heads aren’t the only administrators who can learn from this dramatic story, though. In fact, Admission Directors probably could have helped avert the entire problem before it exploded in catastrophic waves for the entire Mount St. Mary’s community.

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“Buddy Bench” Encourages Empathy on School Playgrounds

Private School News // April 25, 2016

When a student is the odd man (or woman) out at recess, it can be discouraging and awkward for that student to try inserting him- or herself into ongoing games. But—through one young student’s clever and simple idea—loneliness on the playground might be a thing of the past, thanks to the Buddy Bench.

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Wimbledon High School Invites Public Speaker to Discuss Toxic Cliques During “Fail Better” Week

Private School News // April 25, 2016

In the 2004 comedy Mean Girls, the movie follows an insular and materialistic group of “popular” teenage girls—aptly named “the Plastics”—and its odd inclusion of a young lady who sought community and acceptance at her new school. As the actresses’ antics devolve into a predictable high school drama-fest, the movie itself offers a startling look into what can happen in toxic student communities. These toxic communities may be funny when presented on the big screen, but their formation is especially troubling after recent events at a public high school in Wilmington, Delaware. A freshman was killed fighting over a boy with another female student, during which she was surrounded and assaulted in the girls' restroom. To combat this potential for dangerous, damaging relationships to form within student social circles, Headteacher Jane Lunnon at Wimbledon High School—an independent girls’ day school in Wimbledon, England—invited educational speaker and trainer Emma Gleadhill to discuss how to build healthy relationships, both in school and later in life.

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CAPE & Niche Report Private School Students Score Higher, Are More Prepared for College

Private School News // April 25, 2016

Families enroll their children in private schools for many reasons, including safety, unique educational opportunities, and their students’ ultimate academic future. That future often includes higher education and college—and the practically required expectation of standardized testing. In the last few years, several comparison studies lend third-party support to the theory that private-independent education better prepares students for college than public schools do, as indicated by those test scores.

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Five Steps in Responding to Sexual Harassment Claims

Business and Operations // April 11, 2016

Sexual harassment and assault claims need to be treated swiftly and delicately. Failure to manage sexual claims appropriately can lead to fines and lawsuits. The following five steps will help your school reduce its legal risks.

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Depression Awareness: Gender Differences

Business and Operations // April 11, 2016

Depression is a very real disease. Melancholy moments are something we all deal with from time to time, however, clinical depression is depression lingering for two or more weeks that significantly interferes with daily life—and is not an emotional state we all experience at one time or another. It does not discriminate. Depression affects people of all ages, nationalities, genders, and religious orientations. And, it’s costly. Each year, employers spend billions in sick time and medical costs related to depression.

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Helping Students Find Summer Work

Business and Operations // March 31, 2016

As March turns to April, the summer season feels closer than ever—which means your students may be anticipating seasonal employment. Perhaps you’ve heard murmurings from faculty or parents that the school should formalize relationships with community employers of students. Such a project requires a large initial output of resources and research, and must be properly maintained from year to year. Still, a database helping your students find and connect with mission-appropriate employers might help more than just the newly employed in the long run. With that in mind, we’ve got some key points for the Business Office to hit while collecting resources for would-be student workers.

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Ask ISM’s Health Care Reform Specialist

Business and Operations // March 31, 2016

Q: I received a legal-looking letter from The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) asking for information about a Medicare Beneficiary or Spouse. Is this letter legitimate, and do I have to do something with it?

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