With students out for the summer, private schools across the country have an opportunity to breathe and prepare for the coming fall semester. With that in mind, we asked ISM Consultants to offer up their own summer reading list for you this year. We won’t quiz you, but you will improve if you apply the strategies and research found in these books.

Summer break is finally here. Although the next eight to 10 weeks are scheduled with projects you couldn’t focus on while your campus buzzed with students and activities, hopefully, you’ve also penciled some summer fun for yourself. Here are seven reminders and tips for staying safe this summer.

Since the smartphone's introduction in 1994 and the subsequent consumer explosion a decade ago, texting while driving has been a concern. TextingAndDrivingSafety.com reports in 2011, 23% of auto accidents involved cell phones—1.3 million crashes. This comes as no surprise as 55% of young adults claim it’s easy to text and drive, and 77% are very confident that they can safely text while driving. However, 13% of drivers age 18–20 involved in car accidents admitted to texting or talking on the cell phone at the time of the crash.

Q: We have always considered our business office staff as exempt but can we continue under the final regulations?

Providing health insurance to your school’s employees can be a tricky business, especially when you’re considering a switch. It can feel a bit like “the devil you know versus the devil you don’t,” making you hesitant to change from your current provider—no matter how much trouble you’ve experienced. This month, we’ve made a checklist of questions for you and your broker to ponder while evaluating your insurance carrier and weighing your options.

When trouble strikes your school, you need to inform your parents in a timely effort about what’s occurring. By managing emergency communications, you’re controlling the panic and misinformation that can spread like a virus through your community. How you disperse this information is a critical element in containing the situation. The advent of mass-communication systems—text messages, emails, and automated phone calls—can be both effective and damaging in certain scenarios. Here is a look at the pros and cons of most communication systems used in sync with risk management protocols.

Congratulations to your graduating students, School Heads! There’s just one more step you must take with them before they embark on their bright futures—getting them through commencement ceremonies. To lighten your mood during this hectic season, we’ve found what we think are some of the most entertaining, profound, or downright unbelievable commencement speeches delivered by high school students to their peers.

Nicer weather translates into a busier playground, which means there’s never been a better time to take a walk around your campus with your Facilities Manager to look for risks and inspiration for possible upgrades. Here are a few tips from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Public Safety Handbook to help you keep your school’s playground risk-free this spring and summer.

“You’ve got mail!” If you’re over thirty, you’ll remember booting up the computer and feeling a frisson of excitement when your system announced the arrival of email. It didn’t take long, however, for that excitement to be dampened by caution. Hackers quickly figured out ways to invade our privacy, capture personal information, and freeze our systems—which was so often delivered by the very same communication vehicle that made us smile: email.

Considering our fragile national economy, it’s prudent to include a financial contingency plan for your school’s worst-case scenario in your strategic planning documents. While each school’s particular situation determines the plan’s specific details, there are common characteristics each private school should include. As Board President, charge an ad hoc committee to craft your plan. ISM suggests the following example for inclusion in your document.