Winter Heads Retreat on Riviera Maya, Mexico

Montessori Life, Summer 2004 by Cichucki, Penny HildeBrandt

The 2005 Winter Heads of School Retreat is set for the weekend of January 14,15, and 16at the beautiful Club El Mandarin Resort on the Riviera Maya, Mexico (near the charming village of Playa del Carmen).

The theme of the retreat is sharpening the leadership of Montcssori schools. Marie M. Dugan,AMS interim executive director, will be facilitating the principal workshop, "The Development of Montcssori School Leadership: What You Have to Know to be Good at this Work." Our presenter will be Jack Blessington.

Jack Blessington is a man of many talents and life experiences. He was head of Whitby School in Greenwich, Connecticut, for 12 years, and he served on the AMS Board of Directors. He is author of the book, Let My Children Learn, which was re-published in 1999. As executive producer for CBS, he received an Emmy. He has a master's degree, a Montcssori credential, and several honorary degrees. Jack is a knowledgeable, insightful, and thought-provoking presenter who uses his quick wit and sense of humor to add an entertaining personal dimension to his presentations. He will have many thoughts and challenges for us as he delineates the knowledge and skills we need to serve as dynamie educational leaders of our school communities.

Although she claims she's best known now "as Hugo Moulin's grandmother" (!), many of you know Marie Dugan personally from all her many years of dedicated service to AMS. During the time she was the head of Wilmington (DE) Montessori School. She also served 6 years as president of the AMS Board of Directors. In addition, she led the newly formed AMS Heads section, where she represented the needs of our 750 schools and mentored so many of us. Marie and Jack will be sending out a short survey form to registrants to gather a bit of information about you and your school and your particular needs concerning leadership.

Our retreat location is very enticing! Club El Mandarin Resort is a 4.5 star resort located on a beautiful sweep of white sand beach. Our rooms are located in two-story bungalows with patios or terraces that have views of the sparkling Caribbean or the beautiful hibiscus gardens. All meals are included, and dining options vary from elaborate international buffets and poolside snacks and drinks to gourmet cuisine. There are tennis courts, a large beachfront pool, and a fitness center. The sheltered beach is perfect for simply enjoying the view while you relax, writing ajournai, reading a good book, or visiting with new and old friends. It is also great for wind surfing, catamaran rides, kayaking, or snorkeling...all of which are included in the resort package.

There is a complementary shuttle to Playa del Carmen, a delightful place to explore. At an additional charge, tours of Chichen Itza, Tulum, and other ancient traces of the Mayan Empire can be arranged, as well as rainforest tours; a ferry ride to Cozumel; and a visit to Xcaret, an eco-archaeological park where you can swim in an underground river, see ruins, go horseback riding, snorkel, or swim with dolphins. There are also several world-class golf courses nearby. You may want to extend your visit to take advantage of some of these additional adventures!

The retreat will begin with dinner on Friday evening, followed by time to get acquainted, share about our schools, and network. Saturday and Sunday mornings we meet with Marie and Jack for our workshop. The agenda will be flexible to meet your needs for afternoon and evening networking, recreation, and excursions.

For registration details, please go to the AMS web site: www.amshq.org or contact me; my Email address and phone number are below. The retreat fee is $210 through October 1,2004, and $250 after that. Aparcnt at my school, Patricia Frederick, cruiseclubintl@sbcglobal. net, is handling all the resort reservations. Her phone number is 815-3561880. The current all-inclusive rates for three nights per person are: $301 (triple), $306 (double), and $446 (single). Yes, that is the total for room and board from Friday afternoon through Monday morning!

Patricia will also search for favorable airfares, or you may make fl ight arrangements to Cancun on your own. Please note that rates for the resort package and airfares are subject to increase at any time, so it is a good idea to place your reservations immediately or as early as possible so that you get the best price. Spouses and families are welcome, and you may extend your stay at similar great rates. If you would enjoy getting to know another head of school and would like to take advantage of the double rate, I will be happy to help with arrangements. If you have any questions about this retreat, please do not hesitate to contact me.

I hope the 2004-05 school year is going well for all of you, and that many of you will be able to join us on this wonderful retreat in January.

PENNY HILDEBRANDT CICHUCKI is chair of the AMS Heads Section and head of Crystal Lake Montessori in Woods lock, IL. She can be reached at pjk13@mc.net or 815-338-0013.