Issuu

EMPOWERMENT By Brandon Hall’s Dean J. Fusto

Interview with BETHANY DI NAPOLI of ISCA

26 How the Pandemic Changed Independent Schools

118 Keeping Up Your Wellness Routine in Changing Weather

PUBLISHER

Thomas Schenck, President Dartmouth Associates EDITOR Rhodora O COVER Hagan Schenck ART DIRECTION Rhodora O SOCIAL MEDIA: Kayleigh Stevenson APPROACH US WEBSITE:

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It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to the flagship edition of ROR Magazine; the only lifestyle magazine for the admissions professional anywhere! As a former Director of Admissions I found you, my colleagues from around the world, to be some of the most dynamic, bright and fun people I’ve ever met. Consequently, the vision of this magazine is to exult the extraordinary qualities that make you truly renaissance professionals. You embrace the excitement of living and are lifelong learners in all areas of personal interest. Furthermore, you are the new breed of admissions professional with a fearless, entrepreneurial approach to overcoming all challenges. I’ve seen how proactive you can be about refining your acumen by incorporating sales skills into your recruiting process. This magazine will continue to be a project of many creative people who put it all together, as well as your personal contributions of professional articles, interviews, art and humor. We want it to be something you will want to read! I am here to support you… do not hesitate to reach out to me. Now is our time… It is time to ROR! Yours in Excitement,

RORMagazine INSTAGRAM:

Tom Schenck Publisher & President

ror_magazine

THE ROR PHILOSOPHY: Interventional Playbook Podcast

FULL SUMMER EDITION OUT IN AUGUST 2021

Disclaimer: ROR Magazine will not be held liable for any contents of the magazine attributed to a particular contributor/creator. This applies to advertisement. The contributor will be liable for any copyright claims. Details behind the back cover. Copyrights: No part of this magazine may be copied, reused or redistributed in any form. This copyright notice does not apply to images noted as Stock Photos or credited photographers who placed their work for royalty-free re-use on Unsplash, Pixabay, Wikimedia Commons and other Stock websites.

Editor’s Message When Thomas Schenck invited me to join the ROR Magazine team as the editor, I accepted immediately. It is an absolute honor and, given the creative freedom Thomas allows, a blast. We are preparing this magazine as a labor of love, a summation of Thomas Schenck’s lifelong efforts to contribute to the growth of the Admissions Sector of Independent Schools, globally. There is a misconception that private schooling only caters to a limited section of society. In America and the rest of the world, independent schooling offers a broad swath of options—both curricular and economically —for parents dreaming and laboring to achieve a better education for their children. It is a matter of choice, rights, and quality. Admissions professionals at these schools work tirelessly and often without appreciation so families can avail their school’s services as feasibly as possible. They also collaborate with corporations, funds, and non-profit organizations, so that more kids — whose parents cannot afford tuition fees — have access. Our magazine sees and appreciates the unnoticed efforts of this profession the world over and aims to provide a voice to its leaders and workers. The magazine caters to both the professional and lifestyle interests of your profession. We are including features covering a broad range of topics from How the Pandemic Changed Independent Schools to How to Maintain your Wellness Routine in Changing Weather. Since this is the Preview of our complete Summer Edition, coming out in August this year, we are still accepting contributions. The pages henceforth guide you in detail in what to contribute. Show up in these pages with your story, perspective, ideas, experiences, creations, images, and successes. We cannot wait to take you along with us in this journey.

Rhodora O Rhodora O Editor

In this

PROFILE Interview with Bethany Di Napoli, Executive Director, ISCA By Thomas Schenck

FEATURE 26 PANDEMIC How the Pandemic Changed Independent Schools By Rhodora O

TECH FEATURE NextCloud: The Free Software Suite for Schools Looking to Move Beyond Google By David Rutland

ADMISSIONS FEATURE How to Improve Your Inquiry Response Rate via Email By Travis Waddington

LEADERSHIP FEATURE Empowerment By Dean J. Fusto

FINANCE FEATURE 3 Tips to Make a Welcoming Financial Aid Web Page For Families By Alisa Evans

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ART FEATURE The Perfect Pastime: Digital Art and it’s Endless Possibilities

TRAVEL FEATURE Pandemic Road: Safe Travel Hotspots to Plan Your Next Vacation By Kayleigh Stevenson

PSYCHE FEATURE Living in the Moment By Nelly Neamo

Features.

Featuring Free Guided Script for Meditation & Relaxation

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WELLNESS FEATURE Keeping Up Your Wellness Routine in Changing Weather

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By Junaid Qasim

FOOD FEATURE The Detox Water Trend: What to Know By Tom Sankara

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ROR RECOMMENDS Contemporary Music: Greta Van Fleet’s “The Battle At Garden’s Gate”

ROR INSPIRES Jordan P. Barnes’ Routines for Success to go from addiction to award-winning penmanship.

ROR POET I am a Leech By Christopher M. Eithun.

Departments

ROR STORY Time Fever By Alice J. Taylor. ROR BOOKSHELF REVIEW: How The One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House by Cheri Jones

ROR RECOMMENDS Sashimi Recipe

ROR SCREEN REVIEW: Roadrunner by Morgan Neville REVIEW: The Father by Florian Zeller

ROR BUZZ The Yin and Yang of Sibling Coffee By Thomas Schenck

ROR POET Beatniks and Nuditudes By Olan Smith.

ROR RECOMMENDS Classical Music: Stravinsky’s “Symphony of Psalms”

ROR TELESCOPE Tools for Your Toolbox: Virtual Open Houses. By AISAP

ROR PROFILES A Family Affair: Introducing Admissions Professionals around the country.

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ROR BOOKSHELF REVIEW: An Ordinary Age by Rainesford Stauffer

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ROR SCHOOL Thomas Schenck’s Vision of How to Regroup & Move Forward in the Pandemic

ROR HAPPENINGS

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Unmissable Upcoming Events for Admissions Professionals

ROR INTRODUCTION

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Cascade Academy: A Holistic Program for Adolescent Girls with Severe Anxiety

JORDAN P. BARNES Author Barnes is a writer whose debut memoir on his recovery from addiction won awards in the indie publishing world. He resides in beautiful Kailua, Hawaii with his lovely wife Chelsea and son Logan. He enjoys bodysurfing and gardening.

ALISA EVANS Founder | Mission Enrollment With her 20-years of experience doing data analysis and developing best practices for sustainability of independent schools, Evans has devoted her life to helping with strategic and successful enrollment management.

NELLY NEAMO Anthropologist Kayleigh works in facilities management, hospitality and luxury retail. She stays in tune with current trends, news, and topics of social and environmental significant.

DAVID RUTLAND Freelance Technology Writer Rutland is the epitome of freelance and wouldn’t be caught relying on softwares from tech giants of today. He hosts his own websites and is the master of tech DIY. Also, he writes and is a self-published author.

OLAN SMITH Poet A born resident of Missouri, Olan started writing poetry in college and obtained M-Ed in Science. His poems have been published in various literary journals and anthologies and have found a home on Wattpad.

ALICE J. TAYLOR Author An east-coast, Canadian mom of two, Alice is a freelance writer by day and a tale-slinger by night. Find her and her many published works at www.emilyshurricane.com

CHRISTOPHER M. EITHUN Army Veteran, Author & Poet Eithun is a US Army Veteran. He is a freelance writer and poet. With his live in experience of addictions and mental health afflictions, he is a strong advocate of mental health issues.

DEAN J. FUSTO Head | Brandon Hall With a career in education spanning three decades, Fusto has founded Teach.Learn.Lead as a connecting network for teachers everywhere. As the head of his school, he also started the Center for Global Youth Leadership.

JUNAID QASIM Medical Professional In real life, Junaid helps save lives. He has contributed to medical research in his country and has co-authored over 30 research reports. He loves translating academic medical research for general readership.

TOM SANKARA Freelance Writer Tom has a penchant for website building and letting sites grow through content development He is a diligent researcher and is a passionate writer on health, fitness, technology, finance and travel.

KAYLEIGH STEVENSON Anthropologist Kayleigh works in facilities management, hospitality and luxury retail. She stays in tune with current trends, news, and topics of social and environmental significant.

TREVOR WADDINGTON Digital Marketing Strategist Trevor started out as an independent school teacher for 8 years. Now, he has headlines Truth Tree with his 17 years of experience in admissions, marketing, & communications in schools.

The Executive Director of Independent School Chairpersons Association | Interviewed by Thomas Schenck

The most important thing that committees on board chairs can do in establishing a healthy culture for the board is really in the on-boarding and vetting process, before that member even steps into the boardroom.

ecently, I had the delightful opportunity to sit down with Bethany Di Napoli, Executive Director of the Independent School Chairpersons Association (ISCA). ISCA provides support to the board chairs serving all private schools in America by creating opportunities to network with the community, access development opportunities for education leadership roles, and other resources. Bethany has served in her position since August of 2017, connecting members and experts in respective disciplines including governance, legal, ﬁnancial, and diversity experts. Tom: What you're doing and what the organization is doing is absolutely critical. Being a board chair at an independent school is almost solely an “on the job training” situation and that's the kind of training you provide. So, thank you for all that you're doing. Would you please talk us through the evolution of the association? Bethany: I ﬁrst came to know ISCA as a member. What I found extremely valuable was this peer network of support that was available to me through their online discussion forum. When I took over in 2017, I thought there room for taking advantage of

technology and being able to serve our members who are scattered across the country. I wanted to find a way to provide more regular, consistent contact with our members and we did that by offering webinars on a monthly basis. I also started doing a weekly chair post where I share one piece of information with our members on a weekly basis that is relevant to the work they are doing as board chair. It could be a useful statistic, it could be a link to an article, or it could be an announcement for some upcoming program. We also started a peer advisor program for first year board chairs, providing the opportunity to pair up with an experienced board chair who will be your peer mentor through your first year of service. Additionally, we partnered with governance consultant, Cathy Trower, who is well respected in the governance community. She responds to questions that our members submit. Another new feature I added is called chair chats: less formal gatherings over zoom. We also added archives to our website, so the full members list is always available to our members, as

Greta Van Fleet’s “The Battle at Garden’s Gate” showcases a collection of cinematic tracks inspired by the band’s recent, pre-pandemic world travels. The release of Greta Van Fleet’s second album was highly anticipated after the success of their first album. The rock stars from Michigan grew up in the midwest with outdoors as their main pastime, rather than phones and video games. This influence shows in their gritty commitment to old school rock influences and their happy to piss off the critics attitude. They even adapted the name of a home-towner for their band name. The album’s first single “My Way Soon” was released back in October 2020 setting the tone for the theatrical compilation to follow. Carrying over the classic sound from the 60s and 70s, the tracks are filled with extravagant group vocals, cinematic strings, and ostentatious song structures which recall early Led Zeppelin. The teaser track “Broken Bells” is a multi-phased, instrumentally dense rock anthem, with righteous rifts, complete with a Pink Floyd inspired

nostalgic character. However, the use of filmic strings hasn’t quite managed to replicate the classic rock charm or charisma, unlike some of the other tracks here. “Stardust Chords” blinds the listener with rays of choral vocals that critics may find leaning on the dramaturgical rather than the creative side. Yearners for the bygone “glam rock” sound, however, will relish the extravagance. The album also serves a treat for those seeking a more modern take on timeless rock. The track “Age Of Machine” is much stronger in composition, while “Weight Of Dreams” builds on fascinating layers that feel likable and familiar. “Lady Bird” and “Little Women” are also highlight tracks, albeit with very recognizable influences. Overall, the production is sharp and there are traces of darkness, absent from the debut effort, allowing for a deeper tone. Josh Kiszka’s vocals are heavenly at times, but he also shrieks gleefully where his classic tune demands it. Some of the track’s instrumental passages and compositions are extremely ambitious. Overall, “The Battle at Garden’s gate” is a fresh glimpse into the sounds of the past.

The Story of How a Former Addict Used His Program of Recovery for Writing Success !

By Rhodora O.

Behind. A digitally colorized, highly magnified image of a virus. CDC, USA.

s we approach the second school year to begin during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are painfully aware of the many things that have changed forever. While most changes apply to schooling in general — readiness to go virtual, and precautionary protocols for in-person instruction, etc, some apply solely to the thousands of independent schools that exist in the country.

The pandemic changed the purchase power of a broad swath of the population, which means the monthly tuition for independent schools is now much more harder for parents to manage. To survive in a post-pandemic reality requires an objective audit of the enrollment situation, new strategies to keep up with admissions challenges, and concerted eﬀort to retain the existing student body.

The way the virus situation keeps evolving to new variants, some deadlier, some stealthier, and with the delays and controversies in vaccination, things are truly moving at a snail’s pace. It is futile, or at least impractical, to expect things to go back to the old ways. Even if they did, schools must remember that the economic losses suﬀered by the families since March 2020 will take a long time to re-

-cover. In the following pages, we take a recap of all the issues that have gripped independent schools since then, including the few silver linings. We hope that the presentation helps admissions professionals with a holistic view, so they can see beyond traditional approaches to recruiting that they have fallen back on until now.

Top. The Ivywild School in Colorado closed in 2009 and was purchased by the Bristol Brewery. By Madalyn Eudy.

Debra joined the SAIS staff in July 2019. She grew up in Connecticut, where Debra Wilson, President she graduated from the Williams School, an independent school located on the of Southern Association campus of Connecticut College. Debra received her B.A. in English from of Independent Schools Sewanee, The University of the South, and her J.D. from the University of South Carolina at Columbia. She previously served as general counsel for NAIS for 19 years. In addition to her role as chief legal officer, she has presented to school leaders around the country and abroad, including at many SAIS events. SAIS school leaders may also know her from phone calls and emails that she’s fielded from member schools facing legal or governance issues. Before joining the NAIS staff, Debra was a tax litigator at the Department of Justice. She is an avid reader, photographer, and cook, and loves to be outdoors in the low country of South Carolina. Relatively new to the position, Debra has already made her mark as one not afraid to take on tough challenges and create critical initiatives, and also doing it with grace and collaboration. Listen to her thoughts on incorporating DEI practices into the culture of schools, the new heads database project, as well as key skill sets for admission professionals in the new era … and why her go-to Polish dessert is a great stress buster.

People who work in the admission world are special individuals and we are delighted to introduce you to some of your colleagues. Reach out to them as we can all learn from each other!

Amy Graham is the newly appointed Dean of Enrollment Management at Stevenson School, CA. She will begin her tenure this July. Currently, Amy is the Director of Enrollment Management at Pomfret School in Pomfret, CT, a position she’s held since 2016. Previously, Amy led the admission office at Pomfret from 2017 to 2021 and the Midland School (CA) from 2011-2016, ﬁrst as the Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, and later, as the Assistant Head of School for Enrollment Management. Before Midland, Amy held leadership positions in admissions and advancement at The Family School (CA), Dunn School (CA), and The Hill School (PA). Amy holds a bachelor of science in marketing from the University of Connecticut and a master in city and regional planning from California Polytechnic State University. Amy is a member of the Independent Educational Consultant Association (IECA) Schools Committee and a faculty member of the Enrollment Management Associations, Admissions Training Institute (ATI).

Amy Graham, Dean of Enrollment Management and Financial Aid, Robert Louis Stevenson School

Amy believes it is crucial to create an authentic story for her school as well as the crucial approach to be a constant seeker of new information and be nimble enough to make changes when necessary. She also feels that transparency is a key to eﬀective leadership to help the team truly woo parents and their students. She keeps her sanity in the hectic routine of life with good coﬀee, dog walks, grilled pizza, crepes, puzzles and a few episodes of the Gilmore girls.

“Mouth of the Wabash (Indiana),” 1833, United States. Watercolor on Paper by Swiss Romantic Painter, Karl Bodmer (1809-1893).

A stained glass skylight under a glass dome, in a Neiman Marcus store in Union Square, San Francisco, California. Photography Credit: The Jon B. Lovelace Collection of California Photographs, Library of Congress, USA.

By DAVID RUTLAND Freelance Technology Writer

NEXTCLOUD: The Free Software Suite for Schools Looking to Move Beyond GOOGLE

he last 18 months have proven a logistical nightmare for schools. Kids and teachers have been dropping in and out as the waves of infection ebb and ﬂow. Virtual schooling has taken a front seat. Where in-person learning returned earlier, virtual instruction still played a major part due to the evolving pandemic.

inappropriate postings in the space for classroom materials were commonly reported. Add to all that, Google’s status as a known predatory ecosystem which tracks and gathers data on its users and sells it to third parties. It’s no surprise then that school administrators have been wondering what other options exist other than Google.

In the panic to get a virtual learning environment up and running quickly, many schools and local authorities turned to Google, with its ubiquitous, low-cost Chromebooks, office suite, and virtual classroom facilities.

The remote learning solution I am presenting here is designed so it’s possible for a school to deploy it on its own hardware, on its own premises. This remote learning solution is complete, scalable, and free to boot. While you can use it as cloud service as well, all you need to make your virtual schooling independent from external services is basic hardware that you most probably already have in your computer lab and a digital technician to help set things up.

But relying on external services can be a source of many frustrations, as several schools last year discovered. Schools are subject to the whims of the company providing them and Google is famed for shutting down its own services with little or no notice given to the end user. Security issues are not uncommon for such a vast, worldwide system, and cases of students and teachers’ accounts being hacked, student impersonation for mischief, and

INTRODUCING NEXTCLOUD Nextcloud is Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). This means it's free to use, free to change however you see ﬁt, and free to tailor the needs of your unique ecosystem and instructional preferences. At its core, it provides a similar functionality to Google Drive and Dropbox, so it’s operation is already familiar to new users. It's designed so that organisations can deploy it on their own hardware if they choose. It also excels in its (also free) apps, which allow admins to further expand the software to cover multiple use cases. Remote users such as at-home students can access the system through their browsers or via mobile apps.

Safe Travel Hotspots to Plan Your Next Vacation

By Kayleigh Stevenson

Photo Credit: Jakob Owens.

we can all agree that a much-needed vacation is in order, especially after the last 18 months. Our perspectives have dramatically changed since COVID-19 spread across the world and we’ve all had to adapt our daily lives to reduce the risk of transmission. As the world starts to open up again, so have our thoughts of travel and escape from our “new normal” … whatever that is! So much so that nearly nine in ten Americans have plans to travel in the next 6 months which is a new pandemic high, according to a survey by Forbes. While this excitement is warranted, now more than ever we need to protect ourselves and others whilst adjusting to these global changes. Travel involves a new level of caution for holidaymakers and travel destinations, with the future of vacationing now focused on safety and convenience as much as on sightseeing, leisure and pleasure. Travel precautions aside, there are a number of destinations in the US that are appealing to the post-pandemic market. Travel demand has changed to suit the new “revenge traveller”, an angsty new term to describe this apparent pent-up demand for travellers eager to get away after being restricted for so long. With a slowdown in international travel and the tired school professional’s desire for a change of scenery, our own country showcases the best travel destinations for this year. Let’s explore a select couple.

A Tedious Conference, Francois Burney (1849-1926).

What’s Happening, ROR?

02 September, 2021

AISAP Webinar: “Make a Virtual Escape

08 September, 2021

ISM Webinar: “How to Use

10-12 September, 2021

4th International Conference on Teaching, Learning and Education:

Room for Your School” - “Learn how to create a virtual escape room for prospective students to explore your school in an interactive and slightly competitive game. No need to be a technology guru to attend.” - USA

Content-Marketing to Attract Mission-Appropriate Families” - USA

“It addresses the most significant questions in the areas of early childhood education, public education policy, machine learning, theory and practice of physical education development, and more. Our prestigious panel of speakers will guide the discussion for maximum engagement, offering you a unique opportunity to learn from your peers from all around the world. Finally, it is your chance to share your knowledge with thousands of members of our network, be it through paper publications, poster presentations, or networking sessions.”

14 September, ILA Intensives Digital Learning 2021 Event: “Supporting Multilingual Learners with Translanguaging Strategies.” - USA

21-25 September, 2021

EMA Annual Conference: “Are you ready to recharge, reunite, and recommit? Enrollment leaders around the world have reinvented their work, their schools, and themselves. Chances are you might be looking forward to an opportunity to fill up on inspiration, energy, and hope. AC21 is the place to start!” - USA

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By Nelly Neamo

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Being present and attuned to the moment is akin to looking for lost treasure. Treasures we lost to materialistic pursuits. Treasures that are close to the simpler essence of man.

calm

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By Tom Sankara

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