As The Cushman School was one of a small group of schools in 1954 that founded the Florida Council of Independent Schools, our state’s premier accrediting body, it’s always been important that we continue to contribute our passion, time and expertise to the organization and its member schools. As a member of the FCIS Board of Trustees, I had the joy of co-chairing this year’s state convention, Leading with the Heart in Mind, that took place virtually last week.
With over 3,000 attendees including our administrators, faculty and staff, I had many proud moments because a large group of Cushman employees were not only on the ‘Steering Committee,’ but also delivered highly engaging presentations that addressed the changing landscape of independent schools due to COVID-19 and other continuing trends.
Hats off to the following Cushman School employees for leading the way with their hearts and souls, and for their eagerness to give of their time, and share their expertise and innovative ideas.
Steering Committee Members: Cheryl Rogers, Dr. Tracy Ross, Jill Sevilla, Pablo Gentile, Angus Cosgrove, Andrea Livingston, Sheri Rentzepis, Nancy Sullivan and me.
Our Presentations at FCIS:
1.) Diversity and Inclusion in the Classroom (Allison Luongo)
2. Creating a Welcoming School Environment by Deepening Core Knowledge of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (Angus Cosgrove)
3.) Tactics and Tools- Using Emotional Intelligence to Lead Teams Through Uncertain Times (Jennifer Williams)
4.) Empowering Innovators of Change: From TEDxYouth@Miami to a High School Initiative (Arvi Balseiro, Lisa Herbert, Sheryl Rudnick, Doug Romanik and Andrew Tripodo
5.) Adventures in Implementing Change (Glennda Sands)
6.) The Future of Fundraising: How Technology Can Help Us Move Forward (James Knapp)
7.) Building Out a Planned Giving Program (James Knapp)
8.) Standards-Based Learning and Assessment (Alyson Vengoechea)
9.) Developmentally Appropriate Classroom Management (Alyson Vengoechea)
10.) Top Twenty Tech Tools and Websites for Math and Science (Melissa Martin)
11.) New to Teaching this Year? (Jennifer Geimer)
12.) The Potential of Digital Citizenship (Andrew Tripodo)