Register for 2018 SAIS Events!
From the Classroom to the Sidelines: Teacher Coaches Fill Important Role
By Christina Mimms, SAIS
A question commonly asked of teachers in school job interviews is “Can you coach?” As veteran athletes from high school or college teams or experienced youth coaches, many teachers enjoy the opportunity to serve as coaches in addition to teaching English, science, or other subjects. The schools gain (hopefully) a coach with staying power as well has having someone on the field or court who understands the school’s mission. 

Social Media Wellness by Ana Homayoun
Reviewed by Jonathan Davis, Middle School Head at Shorecrest Preparatory School, St. Petersburg, FL
As educators and parents, we have heard all of the buzzwords like “digital natives” and “screen time.” We have seen the impact that smart phones, tablets, and computers have on our students’ lives. And when we are being honest and reflective, we have experienced many of those same changes in our lives. At times, it feels as if the modern world is performing a giant social experiment where no one is quite sure how to manage disruptive new technologies or how to limit the use of them.
Registration is OPEN for the 2018 SAIS Athletic Directors Conference, January 16-17, in Charlotte, NC. Early bird rates expire November 30!

Session topics include:
  • Athletic Directors: Leaders and Culture Keepers
  • Developing the Moral Thought Process of Student Athletes
  • Women in Leadership: Assets and Challenges
  • Athletic Director Duties: What They Don't Tell You
  • Four Easy Ways to Control Your Message
  • Developing the Multi-Sport Athlete at a Small School
  • Budgeting Practices for Athletics
  • How to Manage the Logistical Nightmare

See full session descriptions here. Register at sais.org/ADC.
Registration is OPEN for the 2018 SAIS Finance Institute, January 16-17, in Charlotte, NC. Early bird rates expire November 30!

Sessions will include:
  • Making the Most of DASL for Your School Finances
  • Budgeting Practices and Recent Research on Reserves
  • Managing the Mountains of Data 
  • Endowment Best Practices
  • Financial Planning Tools for Successful School Leadership
  • Independent School Finance for English Majors, Historians, Coaches, Aspiring Heads, and Other Leaders

See complete session descriptions here . Register at sais.org/FI .
SAIS Featured School: Woodward Academy
Woodward Academy is the largest day school in the continental U.S., and the oldest in Atlanta, with 2,668 students in grades pre-K-12 located on two campuses in metro Atlanta. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8:1, classes are warm and intimate, giving each child a place to safely spread their wings. Each school is its own close-knit community, and as students progress, their experiences at Woodward build, preparing them for a smooth transition to college and beyond. This very low ratio provides Woodward students attentive, personalized instruction from faculty, coaches, counselors, mentors, and advisors in order to realize their best selves.
SAIS Collaboration Grant Applications Due 12/31
SAIS is accepting applications for The Stephen P. Robinson Collaboration Grants from now through December 31, 2017. Five member schools each will receive a $5,000 grant. Those applying must demonstrate a vision and capacity to pursue and carry out meaningful collaborations. Successful examples have demonstrated efforts that benefit the greater community or region in unique ways. The Robinson Collaboration Grants were created to encourage independent schools to form new partnerships with other schools or institutions of higher education, with preference given to collaborations with other schools serving students in any grades from K through 12th. Schools selected for grants will share their results with the SAIS community. Submissions are due by December 31, 2017. www.sais.org/grants  
Top Tweets
Wonder, kindness, Thanksgiving, service learning, NAEYC, and more. 
Blog of the Week
Group Gear
Michael Ehrhardt, head of Cary Academy in Cary, NC, shares a four-day journey with students. 
NAIS is extending the NAIS member discount to SAIS schools for registration for the 2018 NAIS Annual Conference, March 7-9, in Atlanta . This discount is open to schools that are not members of NAIS. Go to annualconference.nais.org to register.
Check out #SAISAC Videos

Videos from the 2017 SAIS Annual Conference are now available on YouTube at SAIStv . The Annual Business Meeting and the General Session "Finding Balance" are online, with additional videos coming soon.
Announcing the 2018 SAIS Leadership Retreat: April 23-24, Louisville, KY
Pushing Our Horizons: How Do We Tackle the Big, Hairy Challenges of the Next 20 Years?
An opportunity for leaders to sharpen their skills in today’s evolving educational landscape that will go beyond “why” and focus on “how” change can best be accomplished in a setting that is often change-resistant.
Led by  Grant Lichtman , an internationally-recognized K-12 transformation thought leader, attendees will work together as they imagine futures that may look very different from the past and build a capacity and comfort with ongoing change. Participants will examine what it means to shift schools from being teaching organizations to learning organizations, which traditions are important to preserve, and which traditions hamper this shift to a long-term growth mindset. Register at sais.org/LR .
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