Summer Dreams
Summer is finally here—the time of year when hallways quiet down and school leaders everywhere try to squeeze in planning, prep, and maybe even a nap by the pool, where you can be having summer dreams and creating your savings schemes!
But we know the truth: independent schools don’t really “slow down.” You’re reviewing budgets, rethinking your tech stack, and trying to figure out how to fix that surprise facilities issue without blowing your 2025–2026 forecast.
The good news? You’re not alone. Our MISBO partners have the tools, resources, and sneakily genius ideas to help you make the most of your summer purchasing schemes—and still enjoy a dream or two along the way.
We’re thrilled to introduce two new partners who are bringing fresh value to MISBO member schools:
Southern Turf, Inc: Go green year-round with Southern Turf Co.! From sports fields to putting greens, indoors or out—they design and install stunning synthetic turf where real grass won’t grow. Expert crews, custom designs, and zero mowing required!
Master Enterprises: Preserve your past, digitize your future! Master Enterprises helps MISBO schools convert fragile archives, tapes, film & docs into high-quality digital files—with expert care and zero stress. Custom strategies & conservation-trained pros included!
Summer is the golden hour for facility teams. Whether you're prepping for rentals, renovations, or the “what even happened to this ceiling tile?” mysteries, now’s the time to check those boxes.
Start with the Summer Break Campus Checklist from Campus Services—a handy reminder to shut those windows, unplug the mystery microwave, and make sure the classroom goldfish have a plan.
Need something a bit bigger? TMS South offers turn-key restroom renovations that take the stress out of facility upgrades.
Meanwhile, Meteor Education helps you plan for the unexpected with cost-saving strategies like Build and Store and Quick Ship—smart ways to lock in pricing and beat those pesky tariffs.
Keep your team certified and trained this summer with SkillCat! They have rolled out June upgrades that’ll make your admin heart happy: instant certification downloads, smarter onboarding filters, and drag-and-drop course planning for smooth, headache-free training. Contact Brendan Arsenault to learn more and schedule your demo of this fantastic platform! Brendan@skillcatapp.com, 978.882.9483
Facilities may not be flashy, but in the summer? They’re the MVPs.
Summer is also a smart time to tackle those long-postponed tech upgrades. If you’re still exploring what tools and strategies you’ll need this fall, don’t miss Microsoft’s June webinar series, partnering with MISBO and CDW-G. With topics like Microsoft Defender XDR and Mocrosoft CoPilot on deck, your tech team can stay ahead of the curve—without hallway interruptions. NOTE the new dates for these events! Please register so we can gauge interest!
Empowering Education with Copilot: Smarter Tools for Smarter Schools, Wednesday, June 18, 1:00 - 2:00 pm ET.
Ready to see AI in action? Join our lively 60-minute webinar to explore how Microsoft Copilot is shaking up the K12 classroom—think faster lesson planning, personalized learning, and way less admin work. Plus, catch a live demo on building your own Copilot agent and walk away with ideas you can use right away!
Strengthening Cyber Resilience with Microsoft Defender XDR: Unified Threat Protection, Thursday, June 12 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm ET
Cyber threats don’t take summers off—join us for a power-packed webinar to see how Microsoft Defender XDR unifies your security game and shuts down digital bad guys across your campus. From smart automation to advanced threat hunting, we’ll show you how to keep your school’s data safe without the drama!
Just because students are out doesn’t mean you aren’t planning for a serious upgrade to your digital resources in the fall. The MISBO Digital Educational Resources (DER) Portal is full of solutions to keep your educators ahead of the game (and maybe even relaxed while doing it)!
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Keep summer reading sizzling with Capstone! From engaging eBooks to the brand-new PebbleGo Next Animals and expanded Spanish K–5 content, Capstone makes it easy to keep young minds curious and learning—even when school's out. With fun downloadable activities and tools like PebbleGo Create, your students can explore, read, and respond creatively all summer. No sunburn, just brain gains!
Big Motivation, Small Budget: No-Cost Reading Challenge Rewards
Looking for fun and effective ways to motivate student readers without breaking the bank? Beanstack's latest blog shares a roundup of creative, low- and no-cost reading challenge rewards for every grade level.
While students are soaking up the sun, educators can be soaking up time-saving strategies with MagicSchool. Designed by teachers, for teachers, this AI-powered platform helps with lesson planning, data analysis, and reducing the mountain of admin work that always seems to grow overnight. It’s your behind-the-scenes summer sidekick, helping you get ahead for next year without the burnout. Trusted by thousands of schools and millions of educators, MagicSchool is here to make your job easier, smarter, and just a little more magical.
Wrapping Up: Budget Smart, Dream Big
Independent schools are nothing if not resourceful. This summer, let’s turn wish lists into action plans, tackle maintenance like pros, and squeeze every ounce of value from your budget (while maybe still finding time for a popsicle).And remember—your MISBO partners are here to help make it all just a little bit easier.
Director of the Purchasing Consortium
susankimmel@misbo.com
404.920.8844
Susan curates the MISBO Purchasing Consortium by maintaining and enhancing current partner relationships and pursuing new partnerships based on the needs of our members. Susan educates on and informs members of the benefits of utilizing the MISBO Purchasing Consortium. She facilitates communications with partners concerning contracts and product offerings and assists in providing optimal partner exposure. Susan has a bachelor’s degree in business administration, an MBA with an emphasis in MIS, and a certificate in Social Media Marketing and Leadership Excellence. In her spare time, Susan is a mom to 4 grown kids, Gigi to five, a personal growth junkie, crochet hobbyist, travel enthusiast, dog lover ... cat tolerator, DIY wanna-be, outdoorsy-ish, and an occasional binge watcher.
MISBO is here to help you find great products and services at great prices! Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have questions, need help finding a partner to fill your needs, have recommendations, or just want to talk about purchasing!
You can reach her at the number and e-mail above, or set up a Zoom call with her here: