Raina G. Cauley is the new director of the Middle School at Brookwood.

"Raina Cauley has the ideal background to fit into our Brookwood School family, and we're delighted that she will direct our 6^th, 7^th and 8^th grade program," said Brookwood Headmaster Mike Notaro.

For the past two years, Ashley Harper has served as director of both the Middle School and Lower School at Brookwood.

"We've had excellent direction, leadership and coordination by Ashley Harper," Notaro said. "But the workload was huge and getting even bigger. In honoring Mrs. Harper's request, we felt it was time to again separate the Lower and Middle School assignments, in order to keep up with the growth and development of our programs."

Harper will continue as director of the Lower School, including pre-school through the 5^th grade, and is working with Cauley this summer to align and coordinate the academic and extracurricular programs for the students. David Grooms is the director of Brookwood's Upper School.

Cauley has twice served as a teacher at Washington Middle School in Cairo, from 2000 until 2005 and from 2008 to 2010. Most recently, she taught pre-advanced placement 6^th, 7^th and 8^th grade reading and English. In addition, Cauley has been responsible for curriculum development and alignment with the Advanced Placement Program between Washington Middle School and Cairo High School and served as the Gifted Program liaison, lead teacher of the gifted team and Quiz Bowl coach, among other duties. For two years, she taught at Whigham School, and then served as the teacher-coordinator for the Grady County EXPLO Program in 2007-2008.

She and her husband, Kevin Cauley, an attorney, live in Cairo, Ga., and are the parents of Grace, a 7^th grader, and Ava, a kindergartener. Both children attend Brookwood School.

Besides her administrative duties, Raina Cauley will teach social studies classes during the coming school year.

"I'm passionate about teaching," Cauley said. "Brookwood is an excellent school for many reasons, but certainly the instruction is key. During my first year here, I want to observe how the teachers use the curriculum to create challenging and exciting learning experiences. I certainly don't want to change what works."

The new director said she aims to provide tools for students to focus on learning and to become more accountable for their learning.

"Middle school is an important step toward maturity and responsibility. The shift from elementary school, where a teacher is in charge of the students' schedule, to middle school with multiple classes, teachers, and schedules can be somewhat daunting without support from dedicated teachers and parents," she explained.

"Student-focused learning helps adolescents become more responsible for their own education. Because we want our students to begin high school with a firm foundation and the tools necessary for success, we must help them develop a level of expertise as they grow in independence and self awareness that allows them to be more accountable for their own educational success."

Cauley compared the Middle School years to a "dress rehearsal" for students' Upper School education.

"Just as in dance classes or sports practice, in Middle School, students can learn from their mistakes, and correct them. It's important that they have dedicated and caring teachers who set high expectations. This combination allows students to take risks and then if they fail, the teacher helps them get back on their feet, access the situation and try again. They can learn about themselves while preparing for the 9^th grade 'performance' and the 'championship game' of their Upper School years."

Cauley is a product of independent school education in her hometown of Macon, Ga., followed by her bachelor of arts degree from the University of Georgia and a master of arts degree from Georgia College & State University.