FROM THE HEADMASTER...

We now have completed another outstanding academic year.  Although this year had some trying times, most of which we had no control over, I feel very good about what we have accomplished and overcome.  Through our collaborative efforts, this year was probably the most successful during my three years at Brookwood.  I am confident we have grown stronger in many ways, we have experienced some events that challenge our fortitude, and our school's community bond has grown closer and stronger.

Our year began with another record enrollment and a completely renovated campus, for the most part.  With the opening of Crozer Hall, we now truly realize the importance and need of that facility.  As the year progressed we performed very well in our new athletic classification of AAA, and reached the playoffs and farther in a number of sports as well as Literary.  The year seemed to be running very smooth until February 19, 2009.

The early morning tornado in February  brought this school family together, I would bet more than it has ever been since it's founders vision 39 years ago.  Through the collaborative efforts of many, led by Philip Watt, Charles Allen, and the Administration, as well as our Alert Now system, a plan was in place and only two days of school were lost.  In most school communities I venture to say they could not have pulled off such a dramatic cleanup and turnaround of classroom usage.  We have moved forward and feel we will be a better school because of it.

Graduation

Each year I am overly impressed with our Graduation ceremony.  This is a dignified ceremony that has so many behind the seen moving parts that it amazes me how every detail comes together for an extremely memorable evening.  Thank you to all faculty, staff, Board members, volunteers, and especially Ann Larson, for their diligent efforts to be sure every "t" is crossed and "i" dotted.  We also want to express our appreciation to the lovely Julie Moran for returning to Brookwood to give the commencement speech.

Alert Now

Unfortunately or fortunately, we discovered that our Alert Now Emergency system that has the ability of notifying families, students, and faculty of important situations was a very worthwhile investment.  Thanks again to the Auction for providing this service for this year.  There will be a $5.00 fee per student next fall to continue this valuable service. 

Plans for Technology

Through the work of our Parent Council and the success of our Auction, we have also improved and upgraded our fleet operation vehicles that in the immediate future will save us money and increase the safety of our children.  These two organizations have also earmarked dollars to help supplement a revamping of our entire technology system.  This will include replacing our servers, all computers in classrooms, and our labs.  We will also review all of our licensing agreements and update those so that we have the most up to date programs in place.  We will also implement a plan to further develop our teachers understanding and use of this technology through faculty development.  This is a huge undertaking that we will begin immediately in order to have all equipment in place well before school begins in the fall.

Mr. Otis

You may have heard from you children that over the past few weeks Mr. Otis was not present in the lunchroom and a substitute was in his place.  As you know last summer we made a very good decision to change food service providers from Sage Dinning to Sodexo Food Services.  Mr. Otis had been employed with Sage for almost thirteen years and hurt his back on the job during the fall of 2008.  After a number of doctor visits, it was recommended that Otis not return to work until he was cleared by the doctors with a clean bill of health.  In short, Sage Dinning was not satisfied with the information they were provided by the physicians and eventually let Mr. Bass go.  We, in turn, made the decision to let Sage Dinning go.  Already unhappy with the service Sage was providing, we made a decision to investigate other food services and eventually choose Sodexo on the condition that they interview and strongly consider hiring Otis and his wonderful staff of Gloria, Sharon, and Casper.  When Mr. Otis began working for Sage many years ago within his contract a no compete clause was included.  Sage has recently enforced the no compete clause and for the time being will not allow Otis to be at all present on Brookwood's campus.  Sodexo is in the negotiating process with Sage and we hope to have this ridiculous situation solved in the very near future.  Perhaps now you have a clearer picture of what kind of company we were dealing with and another reason to move to another food service.

Summer Off

With the summer months upon us all the administration, staff and many teachers continue the planning process for the next academic year.  I am often asked, "Now that school is out and you have the summer off, what do you plan to do?"  There is a general perception by the public that we "have the summer off." Nothing could be further from the truth as we take advantage of this time to put the final touches on the upcoming year.  A great deal of work will be done by all Independent School personnel to ensure all details are covered before you return in August.

Blue Book

Our review of the Blue Book will take place immediately and it is important if you have pertinent information that has changed such as address, phone numbers, or email addresses, you should contact the front office now.

Summer Construction

In addition to the normal work that takes place we will once again be moving classrooms back to their original locations prior to the tornado as the Pre-K building is completed.  Repairs will also be made to Chubb Hall and extensive work will be done on Stoddard Gym, including replacing the roof, insulation, damaged beams on the interior, removing completely and replacing the gym floor.  This work cannot be completed until the bleachers have been disassembled and removed.  Relocating the items stored in the semi trailer out front that was graciously provided by Tom Simmons is another priority.

Team Work

With the exception of the tornado, I could not be more pleased with the year we have just completed.  As I have said numerous times, our work is not complete, we must continue to evaluate and look beyond the upcoming year at ways we can not only get better but be the best we can be.  As with any successful program it will take a great deal of teamwork from everyone.  We must continue our positive attitudes and everyone must maintain their positions as ambassadors throughout the community.

The Faculty and Staff

Great Independent Schools are only as good as their faculty and staff, and we are no exception.  Although there may be occasions that you may not agree with some decisions that a faculty member, coach, or I make, I am certain that you would agree for the most part, our children are very fortunate to have such a high quality and caring faculty and coaching staff.  I want to publicly thank all of our employees and our Board of Directors for another fantastic year.

I will periodically write over the summer to keep you updated and informed on how things are going at this great school.  I wish you a wonderful and safe summer and thank you from my heart for your continued support. 

God bless you all,

Mike

Brookwood Photo Site

Have you checked out the Brookwood online photo site? If not, take a look at:  http://brookwoodschoolphotos.shutterfly.com/   You probably won't need a password, but if you do, it's "Blue & White."  Faculty, parents and Brookwood staff may view photos of the campus and events, download pictures to your computer or order prints from Shutterfly. You may even order photos online and pick up prints at Target.

Faculty and alumni are invited to upload photos of classrooms, field trips, special events and other campus scenes reflecting life at Brookwood.

Thanks to Sherrie Callaway, Lissa Worthey, Ann Larson, Annette Lee, and other photographer contributors who have helped make this a valuable addition to Brookwood's photo archives. Please check with Debbie Quinton in Crozer Hall if you need assistance in accessing and using this Website.

Enjoy!
Mike

ATHLETICS (Robert East, Athletic Director, Head Football Coach)

Keep Informed

 Detailed school-wide calendar and athletic event information can be found simply clicking the following link: http://www.brookwoodschool.org/page/brookwood_today

Want to know a game score? Check out http://www.brookwoodschool.org/page/athletics