INSPIRE! Session 2 – 2024 ICGS Conference
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INSPIRE! Session 2
Wednesday, June 26
8:30-9:30 a.m.
INSPIRE! Session 2The 8 Key Steps to Build and Benchmark School Reputation
The reputation of a girl’s reputation constitutes its most asset – nothing is more important than building, managing and evaluating reputation. Yet, there is a genuine lack of robust measurement and coordinated responsibility for reputation management in almost all girls’ schools.
This interactive INSPIRE! session will give an internationally proven, unique wide 8 step, practical evaluation and benchmarking framework for reputation evaluation and development that joins up all aspects and roles in schools. It will provide a robust and proven approach to tangibly shape your schools’ reputation, and the all-important concept of word of mouth (advocacy).
Presenter: Stephen Holmes, Principal and Founder | The 5Rs Partnership (Singapore)
Audience: Elementary/Primary/Lower School; Middle School; Upper/Senior/High School; Heads of School/Principals/Presidents/Headteachers; Senior Administrators; Admissions/Enrollment; Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Practitioners
Aspiring Leaders Program for Middle School Girls
At Garrison Forest School, I run a skill-based leadership program for students in 6th-8th grades. The workshop would be about building and expanding the magnitude of leadership opportunities at a middle school level and building a skill-based program (interviewing, values, difficult conversations, conference planning, decision making). The program is embedded in the school day.
Presenter: Lauren Anderson, Assistant Head of Middle School | Garrison Forest School (United States)
Audience: Middle School; Student Life; Extracurricular/Co-Academic Programs; Deans; Assistant Heads
Blended Learning: Individual Learning for Each Student
This session would include an overview of blended learning and how educators can personalize learning for their students’ needs. In this session we would discuss ideas to create a student-centered classroom and how to make sure every girl grows in a rigorous classroom! Examples of how this is used in a PreK, Kindergarten, and 1st grade classroom would be shared.
Presenters: Haley Shaheen, First Grade Teacher; Marisol Reyna, PreK Teacher | Solar Preparatory School for Girls (United States)
Audience: Early Childhood; Teachers/Faculty
The All-Girls Team: Building a Robotics Community
The Bionic Bears of Roland Park Country School is an award-winning FTC Robotics team that has just completed its second year. During this time, they learned that preparing for competition goes beyond designing, engineering and programming a robot; it requires collaboration and communication, both within the team and in the greater community. The team established connections with industry, built relationships with other robotics teams, and shared knowledge with area schools. The goal of this presentation is to help other schools understand what it takes to have a team, as well as to create a supportive network amongst all-girl robotics teams.
Presenters: Neda Blackburn, Director of The Holliday Heine STEM Institute; Audrey Pierre, Class of 2026 | Roland Park Country School (United States)
Audience: Upper/Senior/High School; Heads of School/Principals/Presidents/Headteachers; Teachers/Faculty; Student Life; Extracurricular/Co-Academic Programs; Alumnae Relations; Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Practitioners; STEM/Technology
Virtual Learning is Here to Stay: How Girls Can Thrive
Today’s live, virtual classrooms can take your preconceived notions about remote learning and flip them on their heads. So, how can you use virtual learning to benefit your students? In this session, you will learn how to leverage online learning for your school and classrooms, the essential characteristics of successful online students, and trends in the virtual learning space, especially for girls. We will also share some surprises and lessons learned as we launched Bryn Mawr Online in 2022. In small groups, participants will collectively share if/how their schools are using online learning and brainstorm ways online learning could further benefit their schools.
Presenter: Justin Curtis, Head of Bryn Mawr Online | The Bryn Mawr School (United States)
Audience: Middle School; Upper/Senior/High School; Heads of School/Principals/Presidents/Headteachers; Senior Administrators; Teachers/Faculty; Student Life
Harnessing Student Voice and Power in Personal Statements
Given the Supreme Court decision on affirmative action, the personal statement takes on even more importance within college applications. At BELA, an all girls charter school in Brooklyn, NY, we have built the structures, the curriculum, and the opportunities for our students to craft personal statements that best represent who they are, and who they would like to become. This session will focus on how to support girls in empowered storytelling, owning their stories and the narratives they present to colleges.
Presenter: Cassie Magesis, Dean of Postsecondary Success | Brooklyn Emerging Leaders Academy (United States)
Audience: Upper/Senior/High School; School Counselors; College or Postsecondary Counselors/Directors/Deans
Resilience and the English Classroom: Can pedagogical choice improve student wellbeing?
In high achieving academic settings, pressure to succeed is no doubt impacting the wellbeing of students. A student’s perception of “the grade” often dominates their preparedness to develop essential skills necessary for the agile learner. This session focuses on approaches to learning and feedback that foster not only the critical thinking skills necessary for future fit individuals but emotionally intelligent and resilient young people.
Presenter: Sandra Nolan, Lead Teacher of Excellence – Years 9 and 10; English Faculty | Pymble Ladies College (Australia)
Audience: Middle School; Upper/Senior/High School; Heads of School/Principals/Presidents/Headteachers; Senior Administrators; Teachers/Faculty; Development/Advancement; School Counselors; Student Life
The Power of Co-Curricular Programming
Through five distinct areas of excellence—Finance and Entrepreneurship, Career Exploration, Digital Content and Communications, Civic and Global Engagement, and Ethical Leadership—the Experience+ program enhances learning at all grade levels. Each area offers innovative coursework and relevant experiences that challenge students to learn by doing in real-world situations. By applying their knowledge in meaningful ways, St. Paul’s students gain a deeper understanding of their studies along with greater confidence and mastery. Join us to learn how lower school through upper school students hone their skills, expand their horizons, and take learning beyond the classroom.
Presenters: Whitney Price, Director of Strategic Initiatives; Jesse Anderson, Upper School Mathematics/Financial Literacy Coordinator | St. Paul’s School for Girls (United States)
Audience: Elementary/Primary/Lower School; Middle School; Upper/Senior/High School; Senior Administrators; Teachers/Faculty; Student Life; Extracurricular/Co-Academic Programs
How Innovative Schools Are Addressing Social Media, Current Events, and Tech
Without a doubt, social media has one of the biggest influences on students’ well-being, and students’ attitudes and behaviors around technology are evolving as fast as devices themselves. The Social Institute will share results from the world’s largest school survey about students, teens, and social media. Learn what more than 1 million student responses can tell us about what they think about the most popular apps, the role of technology in school culture, how they would navigate difficult yet common social situations that involve technology, and more!
Attendees will learn:
- The top apps and devices 3rd-12th grade students are using.
- The positive impact social media has on students’ lives.
- Real-time insights into how students are navigating everyday situations related to social media and tech.
Presenter: Lisa Stern, Strategic Partnerships | The Social Institute (United States)
Audience: Elementary/Primary/Lower School; Middle School; Upper/Senior/High School; Heads of School/Principals/Presidents/Headteachers; Senior Administrators; Teachers/Faculty; Admissions/Enrollment; School Counselors; Student Life; Extracurricular/Co-Academic Programs
Equitable Restorative Practices and Policies: Lessons from Girls’ Experiences
This session is aimed at strategies for more equitable and sustainable implementation of restorative justice practices. You will be able to: learn from girls of color and teachers about “what works” in restorative justice, understand the brain-body connection to biased decision making in disciplinary decisions and conflict resolution, and discuss systemic solutions to equity-driven school discipline reform.
Presenter: Anna Cait Wade, School Psychologist | Girls Inc. (United States)
Audience: Middle School; Upper/Senior/High School; Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Practitioners; School Psychology
Independent School Financing Market Update
Join this insightful workshop designed to delve into key aspects of financing options tailored to the unique needs of independent educational institutions. From traditional mortgage loans to tax-exempt bond financing and capital campaign bridge lines of credit, we’ll explore various avenues for funding school initiatives. You’ll receive valuable insights on loan pricing, fees, and considerations when engaging with banks and lenders and gain a comprehensive understanding of school borrowing considerations, including a detailed review of term sheets to ensure informed decision-making. This interactive session will feature a dedicated Q&A segment, allowing participants to seek clarification and guidance on specific financial challenges they may encounter.
Presenter: Mark Cardone, First Senior Vice President, Brendan Boswell, Vice President, ConnectOne Bank (United States)
Audience: Heads of School/Principals/Presidents/Headteacher; Senior Administrators, Business Officers, School Board Trustees
Empowering Spaces: Enhancing Student Advocacy in All-Girls Schools
In this session, educators will explore with you the critical role physical spaces play in supporting and amplifying student voices in all-girls educational settings. This discussion will explore the design and utilization of school environments that are specifically tailored to foster student advocacy, ensuring that every corner of the campus serves as a catalyst for empowerment and expression. Participants will engage in case studies and interactive discussions that highlight successful strategies and practices. By the end of this session, you will be better equipped with the tools and insights necessary to envision and transform school spaces into hubs of student advocacy, where girls feel valued, heard, and motivated to engage in their educational journey and beyond.
Presenters: Aria Dellepiane, Associate Designer; Janet Jefferson, Learning Designer; Marlene Watson, Learning Designer | Fielding International (United States)
Audience: Elementary/Primary/Lower School; Middle School; Upper/Senior/High School; Heads of School/Principals/Presidents/Headteacher; Senior Administrators; Teachers/Faculty