Alexander Dawson School Podcast

Our new host of the Dawson Podcast, Chief Academic Officer Dr. Brandon Wiley, welcomes listeners to this season! Dawson's academic leaders - Head of Middle School David Perram, Head of Lower School Amanda Murray-Musgrave, and Head of Early Childhood & Admissions Krista Jacobsen - join him in a conversation all about school and family partnerships. Topics include tips for a successful school year, advice for addressing concerns about your child's experience, and ways that Dawson offers families better insight into the school day. For more from the Dawson Podcast, check us out online at adsrm.org/podcast. Dawson is an independent private school in Las Vegas for students in Early Childhood through grade eight. As Nevada's first Stanford University Challenge Success partner school, Dawson offers a student-centered, research-based program that emphasizes student wellbeing and a healthy school-life balance. To learn more, visit www.adsrm.org

Dawson faculty Katie Figg and Sara Greenspan join Assistant Head of School Andrew Bishop and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Brandon Wiley in a conversation about project-based learning in early childhood education at Dawson. In this episode, our teachers share their first-hand experience with implementing PBL in their classrooms, the challenges they've faced, and the outcomes they've witnessed with their students. You'll also hear about their hopes for the first EC PBL Conference at Dawson in February! Learn about the EC Butterfly Project. Listen to Kindergarten Podcast Episodes 37, 38 & 39. Find out more about the EC PBL Conference. For more from the Dawson Podcast, check us out online at adsrm.org/podcast.

Author and educator Sara Lev joins Assistant Head of School Andrew Bishop and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Brandon Wiley in a conversation about project-based learning in early childhood education. In this episode, they discuss the common misconceptions and the benefits of PBL for children ages 3-8. Plus, you'll hear about the genesis of a professional development opportunity that Sara and her co-authors (Amanda Clark and Erin Starkey) are partnering with Dawson to host on our campus in Las Vegas in February 2024: the first-ever Early Childhood Project-Based Learning Conference. Find out more about the EC PBL Conference at https://www.earlychildhoodpbl.com/conference.  Learn more about Sara Lev, her book, and team at https://www.earlychildhoodpbl.com/. For more from the Dawson Podcast, check us out online at adsrm.org/podcast.

During her inaugural visit to Las Vegas to help the School bring new life to the Ruffin Organic Garden, Farmer Stephanie McDonough joined us to share her journey from a marketing job at the NBA Headquarters to farming with kids. Farmer Steph is a Life Lab-certified School Garden Educator and owner of Farm to Table Kids. In this episode, she talks about how she helps kids connect and find what lights their hearts in nature. You'll also learn about her passion for regenerative farming and her daily ritual of a morning garden walk. Learn more about Farm to Table Kids at https://www.farmtotablekids.org/ For more from the Dawson Podcast, check us out online at adsrm.org/podcast

Charles Vogl joins Assistant Head of School Andrew Bishop and Head of School Roxanne Stansbury in an important conversation about building community and belonging in this era of loneliness. As Dawson dives into its Core Value of Belonging, Charles's concept of the Campfire Principle will guide the School's efforts to plan the events and spaces that support each student, family, and employee. Learn more about the research behind his work and how organizations and companies can reimagine how they facilitate connections. Charles is an adviser, speaker, and award-winning author of "The Art of Community" and "Building Brand Communities." His work is used by organizations including Airbnb, LinkedIn, Twitch, Amazon, ServiceNow, Meetup.com, Wayfair, and the US Army. Find resources and learn more about Charles Vogl at charlesvogl.com. For more from the Dawson Podcast, check us out online at adsrm.org/podcast.

We have a special treat for our Dawson Podcast listeners: a three-episode dose of SWEETNESS in your earbuds from our Dawson Kindergarten show hosts! In the spring, students learned all about our school-wide throughline, LEVEL UP. Then, we passed them the mic to interview members of our community about what it means to LEVEL UP in their lives. They invited faculty, staff, alumni, parents, and friends to share. They wrote the introduction, closing, and all of the interview questions, and you do not want to miss it. Enjoy! For more from the Dawson Podcast, check us out online at adsrm.org/podcast.

We have a special treat for our Dawson Podcast listeners: a three-episode dose of SWEETNESS in your earbuds from our Dawson Kindergarten show hosts! In the spring, students learned all about our school-wide throughline, LEVEL UP. Then, we passed them the mic to interview members of our community about what it means to LEVEL UP in their lives. They invited faculty, staff, alumni, parents, and friends to share. They wrote the introduction, closing, and all of the interview questions, and you do not want to miss it. Enjoy! For more from the Dawson Podcast, check us out online at adsrm.org/podcast.

We have a special treat for our Dawson Podcast listeners: a three-episode dose of SWEETNESS in your earbuds from our Dawson Kindergarten show hosts! In the spring, students learned all about our school-wide throughline, LEVEL UP. Then, we passed them the mic to interview members of our community about what it means to LEVEL UP in their lives. They invited faculty, staff, alumni, parents, and friends to share. They wrote the introduction, closing, and all of the interview questions, and you do not want to miss it. Enjoy! For more from the Dawson Podcast, check us out online at adsrm.org/podcast.

Dawson was fortunate to welcome Challenge Success co-founder Dr. Denise Pope back to the podcast during a recent campus visit in November for a conversation with Assistant Head of School Andrew Bishop. In this episode, they discuss the work that Stanford University's Challenge Success is doing to transform student experiences through a community model to improve their well-being. You'll hear about the importance of engagement, well-being, and belonging in school, how parents should think about partnering with schools, and social media use as it relates to success. Learn more about Challenge Success at Dawson at https://www.adsrm.org/academics/challenge-success For more from the Dawson Podcast, check us out online at adsrm.org/podcast.

CultureEd Collective Co-Founders Kori McMillion and Jacinta Williams join Head of School Roxanne Stansbury and Assistant Head of School Andrew Bishop for an in-depth conversation about their important work of helping independent schools build and sustain a culture of belonging. As experts on diversity, equity, and inclusion, they discuss what it takes to create a better reality for all people, the critical skills and competencies students will need in order to thrive in their future, and how parents can that a school is delivering and actualizing the mission, vision, diversity statements. Learn more about Culture Ed Collective at cultureedcollective.com/ For more from the Dawson Podcast, check us out online at adsrm.org/podcast. Resources mentioned: How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi NPR Code Switch podcast The Conscious Kid Biased by Jennifer Eberhardt

Dawson Alum and BRINC Drones Founder/CEO Blake Resnick '13 (recently named the youngest honoree of the 2022 Forbes 30 under 30 Social Impact list) joins Assistant Head of School Andrew Bishop and Director of Academic Innovation and Design Rich Lehrer to discuss the importance of innovation, the origin of BRINC, and how technology can be used to benefit the greater good. You'll also hear about the skills and mindset needed to be successful as an entrepreneur and real-world problem-solver. Learn more about BRINC at brincdrones.com. For more from the Dawson Podcast, check us out online at adsrm.org/podcast.

In Part two of this conversation with six boarding school admissions representatives in conversation with Assistant Head of School Andrew Bishop, you'll learn about how boarding schools are focusing on the health and wellness of their students, the life skills and competencies that students will develop, and what the future may hold for Dawson and the boarding schools represented. Thank you to the following boarding school admissions representatives for visiting us our campus in October 2021 and spending time with our students: Amy Graham of Stevenson School, Jake Bennett of Kent School, Jamie Buffington Browne '85 of Santa Catalina School, Mike McKee of Dunn School, O'Neal Turner of Fountain Valley School and Sarah Garcia of The Webb Schools. For an in-depth Q&A with the boarding school admissions experts in this show, go to https://www.adsrm.org/boarding-school-admissions-qanda For more from the Dawson Podcast, check us out online at adsrm.org/podcast.

In part one of this conversation, you'll meet our guest boarding school admissions representatives in conversation with Assistant Head of School Andrew Bishop. Topics include the importance of the parent/school partnership while attending boarding school, how boarding schools define and manage college placement expectations, and the movement away from standardized testing. Thank you to the following boarding school admissions representatives for visiting us our campus in October 2021 and spending time with our students: Amy Graham of Stevenson School, Jake Bennett of Kent School, Jamie Buffington Browne '85 of Santa Catalina School, Mike McKee of Dunn School, O'Neal Turner of Fountain Valley School and Sarah Garcia of The Webb Schools. For an in-depth Q&A with the boarding school admissions experts in this show, go to https://www.adsrm.org/boarding-school-admissions-qanda For more from the Dawson Podcast, check us out online at adsrm.org/podcast.

In part three of our series on boarding school admissions with eight experts in conversation with Assistant Head of School Andrew Bishop, learn how they're helping students find their best-fit schools, how they're moving towards more inclusive and equitable enrollment processes during the pandemic, their thoughts on standardized testing, and how they hope their schools will evolve in the future. Thank you to the following boarding school admissions representatives for visiting us our campus in September 2021 and spending time with our students: AJ Yates of The Thacher School, Allison Letourneau of Kimball Union Academy, Christopher Barnes of Midland School, Dana Anselmi of Berkshire School, David Flynn of Holderness School, Jack Flanagan of Choate Rosemary Hall, Joe Mallen of Middlesex School, and Vanessa Cruz Santana of Cate School. For an in-depth Q&A with the boarding school admissions experts in this show, go to https://www.adsrm.org/boarding-school-admissions-qanda For more from the Dawson Podcast, check us out online at adsrm.org/podcast.

In part two of our conversation with eight boarding school admissions representatives in conversation with Assistant Head of School Andrew Bishop, you'll learn about the opportunities that have come out of the pandemic for admissions offices, how schools work to embed diversity, equity and inclusion work on their campuses, and why boarding schools are so expensive. Thank you to the following boarding school admissions representatives for visiting us our campus in September 2021 and spending time with our students: AJ Yates of The Thacher School, Allison Letourneau of Kimball Union Academy, Christopher Barnes of Midland School, Dana Anselmi of Berkshire School, David Flynn of Holderness School, Jack Flanagan of Choate Rosemary Hall, Joe Mallen of Middlesex School, and Vanessa Cruz Santana of Cate School. For an in-depth Q&A with the boarding school admissions experts in this show, go to https://www.adsrm.org/boarding-school-admissions-qanda For more from the Dawson Podcast, check us out online at adsrm.org/podcast.

In part one of this conversation, you'll meet our guest boarding school admissions representatives in conversation with Assistant Head of School Andrew Bishop. Topics include strong parent partnerships, mental health and wellness for students, and how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted their individual communities in their approach to promoting a holistic educational experience for kids. Thank you to the following boarding school admissions representatives for visiting us our campus in September 2021 and spending time with our students: AJ Yates of The Thacher School, Allison Letourneau of Kimball Union Academy, Christopher Barnes of Midland School, Dana Anselmi of Berkshire School, David Flynn of Holderness School, Jack Flanagan of Choate Rosemary Hall, Joe Mallen of Middlesex School, and Vanessa Cruz Santana of Cate School. For an in-depth Q&A with the boarding school admissions experts in this show, go to www.adsrm.org/boarding-school-admissions-qanda For more from the Dawson Podcast, check us out online at adsrm.org/podcast.

We're kicking off the 2021-2022 school year with Head of School Roxanne Stansbury and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Brandon Wiley in conversation with Assistant Head of School Andrew Bishop about curriculum innovations at Dawson and around the world. Topics include educational trends, personalized learning, using data to set up frameworks for student success, and casting vision for the future of education and project-based learning at Dawson. You'll also hear about Dawson's Design Lab, the core of excellence, a new education committee, and what parents should look for in Curriculum Night. Tune in as we set our community up for success this year! adsrm.org/podcast

This is the time of continuous learning. In this episode, Assistant Head of School Andrew Bishop is joined by Donna Orem, president of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), for an in-depth conversation about the ways in which schools must evolve and innovate in the coming years. Topics include: education in this fourth industrial revolution and third education revolution; the four basic jobs of parents and what they're looking for in schools; diversity, equity, and inclusion through the lens of wellbeing and learning; and redefining the purpose of education as it relates to supporting children to develop the skillset and mindset to do anything. adsrm.org/podcast

Assistant Head of School Andrew Bishop is joined by Mark Crotty, the executive director of the Northwest Association of Independent Schools (NWAIS). They discuss the essential skills students need to thrive, what they hope schools learn from this pandemic year and advice for parents looking for the right school for their child. They also talk about the necessity for independent schools to engage in diversity, equity, and inclusion conversations in order to become part of the greater solution. Other topics include the purpose of independent school associations, the in-depth accreditation process, and how Dawson uses that feedback to enhance its strategic direction. adsrm.org/podcast

In this episode, Dawson welcomes Sanje Ratnavale, founder and president of Online Education Strategies for Independent Schools (OESIS), to the podcast! In conversation with Assistant Head of School Andrew Bishop, Sanje discusses the opportunities presented by distance education in the past year, the capacity of schools to change, and project-based learning. Topics also include thinking creatively about time and space, competency-based education, assessing for skills versus content, and more. adsrm.org/podcast