Head of School Brad Bates moonlights as the Board Vice President of the Association of Independent School in New England (AISNE). Last week he skipped school to go ballroom dancing with AISNE folks at the Association’s annual Head of School Retreat in New Castle, NH. 

He was there to provide an update on AISNE’s strategic planning process, which he is responsible for leading, but had the additional privilege of introducing arts educator Rodney Eric Lopez who spoke about what social dancing has to teach us about social and emotional learning, team-building, and vulnerability. 

As a continuation of this conversation, Lopez invited attendees to participate in a ballroom dance lesson, summoning all the powers that be in New England Independent School world to learn the basic steps. Brad noted the exercise served as a bonding opportunity for Heads of Schools, while also providing a unique forum for discussions about how to encourage students to lean into potentially vulnerable situations.