9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

12:00-1:30 p.m.

1:30-2:00 p.m.

2:00-3:00 p.m.

3:00-4:00 p.m.

This opening session will outline the essential components and building blocks for establishing a healthy residential community. It will also focus on the ways a school’s mission statement is incorporated into and guides a residential program.

4:00-4:15 p.m.

4:15-5:30 p.m.

7:45-8:45 a.m.

9:00-10:30 a.m.

Adolescence 2008
Carol Hotchkiss
Adolescents are facing the same developmental tasks as generations before them, but the setting and support systems have changed dramatically. As a result, teachers and schools are faced with the challenge and the opportunity of teaching critical personal and community skills by modeling the possibility of an intentionally ethical, diverse, and reflective community.

10:30-10:45 a.m.

10:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Advising 101 – (for new staff members)
Ginger Love Garcia
Students are at the center of our schools. The support network that surrounds them hinges on the advisor. This workgroup examines the role of the advisor and offers strategies by which advisors may best act as advocates for their students. Whether you are new to advising or have questions or ideas to share borne of experience, join us for a look at the protocol and practicalities, the rewards and responsibilities of advising.

Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Doug Dickson
In this session, we will view a video produced by United Educators and then discuss the difficulty that this scenario poses for a boarding school. We will then expand the discussion to talk about how we commonly handle mental health issues on our campuses and I hope we will touch upon health leaves, reentry to campus, the availability of mental health providers, and the need to know in our communities. This scenario will allow us to examine the role of the student, parents, teachers, residential advisers, counselors, and administrators in the fictitious scenario to allow us all a better understanding of the implications in our own communities.

Developing Men of Quality
Rob Genetelli
How do male students find and develop a healthy self-identity? The current concepts of what being a “man” means and the internal conflicts boys face about self are alarming. Society, relationships, family all put pressure and expectations on them, yet there is little work being done to support their growing into men of character and quality. This workgroup will delineate the issues and develop an action plan.

Addressing Social and Emotional Issues in the Dorm
Carol Hotchkiss
Even our most well adjusted students occasionally experience the storms and stresses of adolescence, and some of our students are arriving with more than their share of both. At the end of a long day, the dorm may be the place where students let down or act out, challenging our patience and expertise while creating an uproar.  This session will explore how residential staff can manage both chronic and episodic student crises and return the dorm to a more functional routine.

Implementing a Formal Residential Life Curriculum
Doug Dickson
in this large group session, we will present a model for the creation of a Residential Life Curriculum in a boarding school. We will explore roadblocks and obstacles along with the enormous benefits that come from this concept. We will discuss the logistics and details that come with such a program. Following this presentation, we will split into four groups and work through a lesson plan for one Residential Life Curriculum session in these four smaller groups. These sessions attempt to convey how it is possible to have substantive and sometime difficult conversations in the residential setting.

Affinity Groups by Job Title or Responsibility
Student Sexuality and Development
Drugs and Alcohol
Diversity
Ethical Decision-making

LD 101: Understanding Their Needs, Modifying Your Programs, Creating Success!
Robb Genetelli
With increasing numbers, students who are nontraditional learners are being admitted into our programs. Support centers and academic accommodations are frequently offered, but rarely do faculty understand the basic concepts surrounding learning issues. The complexity of these students and the myriad issues they represent are often unidentified, mishandled or simply unmet. Language processing is a cornerstone to understanding these students. How much do you know about how the brain processes language? At the end of this session, you will walk away with a clear understanding and a better ability to work effectively with this population.

Learning Disabled and Residential Life
Robb Genetelli
When the school day ends, learning disabled students continue to have learning disabilities, but staff, particularly the residential staff, are often ill-prepared to meet the complex needs as they become manifest in residential programming. What skills are important? Are you frustrated by the lack of effective time management skills, organizational skills, study skills and underdeveloped peer relationships? This workgroup will offer participants the opportunity to learn and understand how to better provide services to the learning disabled student after the school day ends.

Student Activities Programming
Ginger Love Garcia
“I’m bored; there’s nothing to do around here!” This complaint is as common on boarding school campuses as book bags littering the lobby. What can we do about it, or more to the point, what can they do about it? In this session, we will build a list of practical ideas for activities programming in a variety of environments and on a variety of budgets that will attract and engage students. More importantly, we will consider strategies by which to involve students themselves in the programming process, thereby improving their buy-in and participation. Please attend this workgroup if you are new to the student activities programming role or if you are a veteran with interest in the exchange of ideas.

Boundaries: Fostering Healthy Relationships While Preventing Harmful Relationshipss
Doug Dickson
In this session, we will explore the components of establishing personal boundaries in boarding schools and the safeguards your institution might employ to avoid harmful behaviors. Prevention in this area of school life is essential to the health and well being of students, teachers and ultimately, of your school. We will also detail the key components for mandated reporting responsibilities that many of our schools face now and into the future. Establishing a mandated reporting system can be a deterrent to harmful relationships.

The Adolescent Brain: A Work In Progress
Carol Hotchkiss Eliot
Current brain research has demonstrated what dorm staff experience on a daily basis: intelligence, reason and good intentions are not the only measures of adolescent behavior. Using recent studies on cognitive and decision making skills, sleep and multitasking, this session will explore how we can stop fighting the adolescent brain and help it develop and function more efficiently in a residential community.

The International Multicultural Experience in Boarding Schools
Ginger Love
International students are essential contributors to and beneficiaries of a diverse educational community. Schools with diverse populations encounter a wealth of both opportunities and challenges brought about by the apposition of cultures. In this session, we will examine various language and cultural issues that impact residential life. We will discuss philosophy and practice behind optimizing cultural sharing and learning. In addition, we will consider strategies that may anticipate and alleviate possible problems, and we will discuss a range of options for responding when problems do arise.

Korean-Specific Culture in Boarding Schools
Christine Oh Chapman
Korean families are very interested in the Canadian and US boarding school experience, and, as a result, a large number of students from Korea are enrolled in our schools.  How do we work best to serve these Korean students whom we bring onto our school campuses and what are the issues that boarding schools face once these students are admitted? Come join a lively discussion about issues pertaining to Korean students. Please come prepared with questions – and don’t be shy! We can talk about anything from food and visas to hygiene and hierarchical issues. We can explore issues of the dual identity crises many of these students face and try to find ways to make them feel more comfortable in our schools.

International Multicultural Experience: Orientation and Programming
Ginger Love
Making the most of the international multicultural experience on our campuses requires thoughtful design and programming. This workgroup builds on the ideas presented in the last large group session, presenting specific orientation plans to prepare international students for the linguistic and cultural challenges of transitioning to life in our schools. We will also share best practices ideas for activities designed to promote cultural exchange on our campuses.

The Outsiders
Carol Hotchkiss
Boarding schools have become an attractive choice for many families who have not traditionally considered this option.  The economic, cultural, geographical, learning styles, gender, and family backgrounds of our students are more diverse than ever.  Nontraditional students and their families face many adjustments that may go unnoticed in the busy life of a school.  Sensitivity to these modifications can improve retention and avoid accumulated pressures that may arise.

Legal Issues for Residential Life Faculty
David Wolowitz, attorney

Effective Documentation
Robb Genetelli
When a situation develops, staff members typically are the ones on the scene to resolve the conflict. Often, a report is generated to facilitate the disciplinary process. Given the expectations of the legal system and the needs of the institution, effective documentation is crucial to a successful disciplinary process. The need for institutional consistency and effective documentation practices will be examined in this workgroup.

Boarding School Best Practices
Carol Hotchkiss Eliot
In the busy day-to-day life of boarding schools, have you ever wondered what standards and innovative programs comprise an effective residential curriculum? Boarding School Best Practice has been a yearlong, exhaustive research study of 130 boarding schools across the U.S. and Canada who volunteered to share their programs, insights and concerns. Using the survey data and case study writings, this session will present common and exemplary programs that represent current best practice in the field of residential education.

Q & A for Administrators
David Wolowitz & Doug Dickson
Continuation discussion from the large group session, "Legal Issues for Residential Life Faculty"

Reviews and Evaluations
Ginger Love Garcia
Working as a dormitory parent in a boarding school is a highly challenging position. Most schools put advance effort into training staff for this role, but ongoing support and evaluation often fall by the wayside. Reviews and evaluations are essential tools to encourage the highest degree of professionalism in residential life staff, and reviews and evaluations are invaluable tools to identify and target areas of needed support for residential life staff. In this workgroup, we will exchange models for summative and developmental evaluation of residential life personnel.

Creating the Culture of our Community
Carol Hotchkiss Eliot

Assessing Drug nd Alcohol Use on Campus
Doug Dickson
Do you know how extensive drug and alcohol use and other risk behaviors are on your campus? Learn how one school administered the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, developed by the Center for Disease Control to determine risk behavior on campus. This survey provides valuable information about risk behaviors and a direction for the use of resources and educational initiatives.

Peer Sexual Misconduct in Schools- Don’t Look Away
Ginger Love Garcia
Students of all ages engage in sexual misconduct. The misbehavior ranges from consensual to unwanted and violent acts. Sexual misconduct can seriously harm students physically and emotionally and can interfere with students’ ability to access an education. School officials must not look away; they must protect students to preserve the school’s educational mission. This workshop will present resource for programming to address sexual misconduct in schools. We will utilize case studies to consider possible situations and brainstorm solutions.

Transition Issues
Robb Genetelli
“Transition” is becoming one of the buzz topics in independent schools. Graduation, attrition, and untimely departures all provide a sense of insecurity within an adolescent population. With the growing number of students entering and exiting our programs throughout the year, the need to understand and respond to transition issues is increasing. What about the needs of those entering from wilderness or emotional growth programs? Does your program have an understanding of these issues? The goal of this workgroup is to identify issues surrounding transition and to develop an action plan to bring back to your school.

Respect and Desensitization
Carol Hotchkiss Eliot

Negotiating Technology in the Residential Community
Steve Banks

Break

Now What? Communication and Change
Carol Hotchkiss Eliot, Doug Dickson, Ginger Love Garcia, and Robb Genetelli
How can you take all these new ideas back to your school in a way that will strengthen your program without adding hours to your day? How will you keep the professional excitement of doing this important work alive when you have been on dorm duty four nights in a row, just had to deal with a distasteful disciplinary event, have an endless stack of papers to grade and your family says they never see you any more? How can you convince the faculty (and maybe administration!) back at your school that residential life is critically important work that everyone in the school needs to support and get involved in? How can you get teachers, dorm staff, coaches, support personnel, parents and students all on the same team to create a healthy and educational residential community?