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Sage Hill School Leaders Attend the National Association of Independent Schools Conference

Learn about Head of School Gordon McNeill's recent experience at the National Association of Independent Schools 2014 conference in Orlando, Florida.
There’s just about no place I’d rather be than right here on our idyllic Newport Coast campus, yet time away enhances my leadership at Sage Hill School—especially when I spend that time in the company of the nation’s leading educators. Just a few weeks ago, I attended the annual National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Conference in Orlando, Florida. This year’s theme, “Dare to Explore and Discover,” seemed especially pertinent considering we at Sage Hill just completed our strategic planning process. At a time when our own school is charting its future, it was enlightening for me to see what other educators envision in years to come.

One speaker who inspired me to seek creative solutions was Lyn Heward, a lead consultant for Cirque du Soleil. When the unconventional circus arts company proposed their “Le Réve” show to Steve Wynn of the Wynn Casino, they requested an enormous budget. Wynn’s response was, “I want that show, but I want it for a fraction of the cost.” Rather than saying it wasn’t possible, Cirque du Soleil got creative. They found new methods to achieve mesmerizing special effects in a theater with a million-gallon water capacity, while working within the much smaller budget.

At Sage Hill, we want to produce our own version of mesmerizing effects, while also staying within our means. We realize this takes creativity, collaboration and critical thinking. One goal of our strategic plan is to ensure our school becomes a place where great educators come to thrive. Some might say we could achieve that with salaries alone. But we believe it takes more than money to keep employees engaged and fulfilled, whether at a school or at any workplace. We aim to empower our faculty and staff to drive initiatives and bring new ideas to the curriculum. By showing teachers that their ideas are heard, engaging them in the creative process and giving them a sense of ownership, I believe we can and do help them thrive here.

Another goal at Sage Hill is to create an environment of inclusiveness for everyone in the community. I was deeply inspired by speaker John Quiñones, host of the television program, “What Would You Do?” In case you’ve never seen the program, it puts unsuspecting bystanders in awkward situations, observing people behaving in controversial ways. The program looks at whether or not the observers step in to confront the misbehavers, who are actors. Situations like that make me think how great it would be if Sage Hill students would have the courage and character to intervene in all different types of circumstances. I know they often do, but I want to promote an environment where students will readily feel comfortable going to bat for one another. We strive for a culture of mutual support and inclusivity.

I also met with my fellow board members of the National Network of Schools in Partnership (NNSP), an organization dedicated to promoting public/private school alliances. We hosted a session called Partnerships 2.0: From moral imperative to real-world results. Our speakers discussed models for successful partnerships, such as the partnership between Sage Hill and the public schools in Santa Ana and Costa Mesa that partner with us in our service learning program. A growing number of independent schools are interested in adopting such partnerships, and I hear again and again how much they admire the model we designed.

An added value of being at the conference is the time spent off campus with my Sage Hill colleagues. Away from our daily responsibilities, we have time on the airplane, at dinner and between sessions to discuss big-picture issues. Patricia Merz, our future Head of School, and I continued to work toward the leadership transition that will officially take place on July 1, 2014. Some of her responsibilities will shift to Dean of Faculty Fiona Fraser, who was also along for the conference. And with Jason Gregory moving up north, Dean of School Life Jon Poffenberger will oversee certain aspects of service learning and Spring at Sage. With all of these administrators present, we were able to use our time together for a great deal of highly productive conversation.

As I was leaving my hotel in Orlando, I happened to meet the Disney character Goofy, who, incidentally, is as tall as I am. Inspired by the encounter, I found a quote from Goofy that harkens back to the conference theme “Dare to Explore and Discover”:
“Learn to take risks in life, because if you win, you can lead and if you lose, you can guide.”

At Sage Hill, we take risks. Risk-taking keeps us at the forefront of education and is enabling us to become the best independent high school in the nation. Most of the time, we all win—our students, our community, and the world beyond our campus. With the Board of Trustees putting a final stamp on our Strategic Plan this month, I feel certain Sage Hill School has a clear road map to the future. The NAIS conference, with its theme of “Dare to Explore and Discover,” only confirmed for me that we offer our students opportunities that will transform their lives.
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Sage Hill School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. The School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship programs, and athletic and other School administered programs.