Brookwood eNewsletter 03/14/2008
March 14, 2008

Brookwood eNewsletter
Wisdom, Honor, Achievement, Citizenship

Brookwood School Mission Statement
The purpose of Brookwood School is to provide an exceptional college-preparatory educational experience to students from four years of age through the twelfth grade.  Brookwood is committed to developing the whole child:  academically, physically, spiritually, and socially.

March 14, 2008
 

FROM THE HEADMASTER...(Mike Notaro)

More Congratulations

 A little more than a week ago our boys and girls basketball teams reached another milestone for Brookwood by making it to the Final Four.  Our girls played as hard as they could, but their late rally fell short to eventual state champion Trinity Christian.  Our boys, on the other hand, played an excellent Pinecrest team and won the State Championship.  We congratulate our head coaches Shondra Johnson and Brad Piazza, as well as their assistants, cheerleaders, sponsors, parents, fans, and students.  Brookwood School continues to ride this great wave of outstanding accomplishments.

I especially want to recognize the supporting cast of these great teams.  I am speaking of the players who have limited playing time and receive little recognition. Personally, I have a great deal of interest in our girls' program, not only as a Headmaster, but as a parent.  I have seen, for the most part, six girls play the majority of the minutes throughout the season and could not help noticing the work and assistance that the other six teammates performed.  Their unselfish support includes filling water bottles; being sure that during timeouts each player in the game has fresh water and a place to sit; working as hard as possible in practice as the opponents to help make the other players better; sharing a piece of equipment when someone has misplaced or forgotten hers; and many other unnoticed tasks that the casual fan does not see or recognize.  This same group would then read the paper the next morning only to see that their names were rarely, if ever, mentioned.  Along with the hard work of the coaches, and the predominant starters' skills, I feel that both our teams reached such great heights of success this season due, in no small part, to these other unselfish teammates.  This attitude is another example of what sets our kids apart.  Please join me in a special congratulations and recognition to the supporting cast of the girls' team: Christy McMillan, Liz Olson, Maria Olson, Paige Petrey, and Grace Allen.  The boys include  Ben Jones, Clay Childs, Jonathan Wood, Terry Chastain, Kyle Porter, Evan Qualhiem, Stephen Stubley, Hayes Balfour, Chance Harbin, Thurman Walker, and Wyatt Egan.  A special thank you also goes out to Ryan Jorge for his many hours of volunteering work by filming and lending his support anywhere we needed help.

Literary Team

Our Literary team won the Region for the fourth consecutive time.  Out of a total of 13 events our students won 7 first places and 3 seconds.   Literary wins are really a tribute, not only to our students, but to their teachers and parents who have worked with them over the years to improve their thinking, writing, speaking, and musical skills.

Annual Town Meeting

The turnout for our Annual Town Meeting was extremely good; in fact, I have been told that this was the largest crowd we have ever had at this required gathering.  I thank you for your support and the many positive comments we have received.  If you were unable to attend and would like to have the information that was discussed, please email me and I would be more than happy to forward you the power point presentation.

Another Successful Auction

Last Saturday evening Brookwood School hosted its 28th annual Auction.  A great crowd turned out to "Travel the World on the Warrior Clipper."  We extend to the Auction Committee our sincere thanks for the great job they did. From the boarding passes to the exceptional presentation of the entire event, their attention to detail was amazing. We thank all of you who made the trip with us.  Your generous support will continue to help our children for years to come. 





Last Nine Weeks

Did you realize that we have only nine weeks left in this school year?  Report cards will be distributed today, and I once again would urge you to dedicate some time to sit down with your child and review his or her report with encouraging words.

Warriors of the Week

Congratulations to our Warriors of the Week, David Hopkins, Katie Bramblett, and Tom Danner! Way to go, David, Katie, and Tom!

Spring is Here

I have mentioned before that spring is in the air and, in some cases we are beginning to see "Senioritis."  There are many activities that will be encroaching on our students' time and school work.  Please remind your child that there needs to be a plan in place for maintaining their school work.  We all like to see our children participate in extra curricular activities but with each there is a great deal of sacrifice.  We are very proud of the participation from our student body, but at the same time we must caution them to not overdo it.

Please have a great and restful weekend, and remember to let your children know how much they are loved.

Mike Notaro, Headmaster


COLLEGE COUNSELING (Vic Spigener)

Last Tuesday night's Junior Parent Night was well attended.  Parents are reminded to return the Parent Questionnaire to Mr. Spigener.  Parents and juniors are also reminded that the deadline to register for the May 3 SAT in April 1; the June 7 SAT's deadline is May 6.  Brookwood will be giving the June test.  The June 14 ACT's deadline is May 9

Mr. Spigener has been meeting with the juniors during their homeroom on Tuesdays and Thursdays and will continue to do so.  Brookwood's College Application Process is being discussed so students will know what to expect as they approach this very exciting stage in their lives.  Our College Handbook has been distributed to each student, and parents are urged to read its contents as well.  As a reminder, parents need to set up an appointment with Mr. Spigener.

For seniors, a huge congratulation goes out to them for all the wonderful college acceptances that have been turned in to Mr. Spigener.  Some of our seniors are eagerly awaiting the last notification letters.  Congratulations go out also for the merit money that has been awarded to the Class of 2008.  If students/parents haven't done so, please give Mr. Spigener a copy of all award letters.  This is vital information for our records.  Parents are encouraged to e-mail Mr. Spigener at vspigener@brookwoodschool.org to verify scholarship awards.  

Vic Spigener, College Counselor


ATHLETICS (Robert East)

The Varsity Boys Basketball team has won the GISA AA State Championship for 2008!!!  The Varsity Girls Basketball team also had a great season in reaching the Final Four.  Congratulations to each of these teams!  Brookwood School is on a run of unprecedented success on the basketball court.  Commemorative T-Shirts are for sale ($15).  E-mail reast@brookwoodschool.org with your size and quantity.  Peach Sports has professional photographs available for purchase.  (This is a function of the GISA, not Brookwood School.)  See www.peachsports.com for information.

The spring sports season is in full swing.  Baseball, both Middle School and Varsity, has several home dates over the next 2 months.  Varsity tennis is playing its home matches at Glen Arven Country Club.  There are only 4 weeks left in their regular season.  Varsity and Middle School Golf are competing at Glen Arven and in Cairo for home matches and both teams have several road matches scheduled in the next few weeks.  Varsity Boys' and Girls' Soccer are entering the region portion of their schedules.  Varsity Track ran its first meet this past Wednesday at Deerfield and will run next Wednesday at Tiftarea.  Keep up with all these teams at www.brookwoodschool.org. Check out the web site for each team schedule and come out to cheer for the Warriors!

Please remember to check out the school web site, www.brookwoodschool.org, for updates for all sports.  Also, click the link to the Brookwood E-Store to see what Brookwood gear is available.  The concessions and gate roster for spring sports is posted online.  Please find someone to swap with you if you are unable to work your assigned time.  Contact Coach Jarvis at pjarvis@brookwoodschool.org if you swap your time.

FOOTBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP RING CEREMONY

The rings are in and it's time to crown a champion. There will be a ring ceremony for the cheerleaders and football team this Sunday, March 16, at 6:00 p.m. at the Municipal Auditorium. Dress is casual. Please come out and enjoy this celebration. All Brookwood families and friends are welcome. There is no charge for this event.  Please contact Shane Boggs at sboggs@brookwoodschool.org if you have any questions.

Coach Robert East, Athletic Director


ERB STANDARDIZED TESTING FOR GRADES 2-8 (Ashley Harper)

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings, March 18th - 20th , students in grades 2 - 8 will be taking the Educational Records Bureau (ERB) CTP4 standardized tests.  These tests measure student knowledge and application in mathematics, writing, reading comprehension, and vocabulary.  Written by the authors of the SAT the tests are designed for independent schools and prepare our students for success on the SAT.  As well, the results are used to measure individual growth and for curricular analysis.  Please help your child do well next week by encouraging a normal bedtime routine, a good breakfast, and arriving at school on time.  Testing will take place from 8:15 am to 10:30 am each day.  Thank you for your support. 



Literary Team Wins Region and Competed at State

Brookwood's Literary Team recently won their fourth consecutive Region Championship!  Out of a total of 13 events our students won 7 first places and 3 second places to take first place over Valwood, Southwest Georgia, Randolph Southern and Tiftarea schools.

Our first place winners were: Tom Danner in boys' argumentative essay, Victoria Bufford in girls' argumentative essay, the boys' quartet consisting of Chase Clayton, Davis Flowers, D. J. Grooms and Will Hanna, Lucy Mitchell in piano, D.J. Grooms in boys solo, Jacob Lewis in extemporaneous speaking on an international topic, and Laurel Derby in extemporaneous speaking on a domestic topic.

Our second place finishers were:  the girls' trio consisting of Katelyn Reed, Maizie Jones, and Ellen Stauffer, Jonathan Wood in spelling, and Ashley Laramore in Girls' solo.

Also competing for Brookwood were Mickey Betters and Ashley Laramore in oral interpretation. 

All of our first and second place finishers advanced to the state literary competition held at Valdosta State University this past Tuesday.  Our students gave excellent effort and performances though we were not able to win our fourth consecutive state championship.  D. J. Grooms won first place and the state championship in boys' solo.  Second place finishers included Ashley Laramore in girls' solo and our boys' quartet.  Tom Danner placed third in boys argumentative essay and Jacob Lewis placed third in extemporaneous speaking.  Lucy Mitchell placed fourth in piano.  Our students gave their best and represented Brookwood in a very commendable manner. 

Literary wins are really a tribute not only to our students, but to their many teachers, including their parents, who have worked with them over all of their years to improve their thinking, writing, speaking, and musical skills. 

A special thanks and congratulatory note to Mrs. Barbara Lee who works with our musical competitors and Debbie Beeson who assists in a wide variety of ways with our students and to Mr. Grooms whose excellent administrative skills organized the entire region literary competition.  This involves securing judges, scheduling events, and resolving conflicts.  Also thanks are owed to Mr. Notaro who assisted in the tab room, Jimmy Sadler who helped with the set up and take down, Mona Lewis and Ann Larson who ran events, and Vicky Bryson, Karen Holt, Karla George and Keith Massey for their assistance. Also a special thanks to the parents of our literary competitors for their unfailing support for their students.  Most importantly, thanks to each and every student who took of our time and talents to represent our school in this "extra-curricular" competition.  Brookwood is very proud of each and every one of you.  It does indeed "take a village" to produce the quality performers that we have at Brookwood. 

Phil Danner, Literary Coordinator

 



HONOR COUNCIL NOTES
submitted by Phil Danner

A 2006 survey of 30,000 high school students performed by the Josephson Institute revealed that 60% of students cheated on a test during the last year and that 33% had used the Internet to plagiarize a paper or report.  Our students face a lot of pressure to succeed and are not immune from the pressure of cheating.  As a school we are committed to the highest standards of academic integrity.  You as parents do have a role to play in promoting academic integrity in your students. The following information is found taken from the Josephson Institute organization's website, www.charactercounts.org and is reprinted with their permission.  

1.       Take your child's integrity seriously. Be attentive to your child's values and behavior. Remember how you taught your child to say "please" and "thank you"? Be equally relentless in teaching your child the importance of honor, trust and honesty.

2.       Discuss your values and establish ground rules. Don't be accusatory, but initiate a serious discussion with your children within the next two weeks (if you put it off, you may never get to it).

o         Ask them what they think about the results of the Josephson Institute's national survey showing that at least 60% said they cheated on an exam in the past year and 28% stole something from a store. Ask them whether they think "a person has to lie or cheat sometimes in order to succeed."

o        Ask them whether kids in their school are cheating or stealing. Let them talk.

o        Ask them what they think parents should do if they discover that their child cheated or stole.

o        DO NOT BE VALUE-NEUTRAL. Tell your children it is very important to you that they are honorable and trustworthy. State unequivocally that no matter the pressure, no matter the temptation, you think cheating and stealing is wrong - and you expect them to have the strength of character to be honest no matter what's going on around them.

o        Talk to your children about the importance of building trust and credibility (explain to them what that means). Tell them it's important to do well in school, but that you would be far more disappointed and upset if they ever cheated than if they did not do well on an exam.

o        Discuss the consequences on reputation, relationships and job opportunities if they are caught cheating or stealing.

o        Determine and clearly state what sanction you would impose if you learned that they cheated or stole. Leave no doubt that you will back up your talk with serious consequences. (The sanction ought to be very serious: loss of driving privileges, extended suspension from sports or other activities, denial of an important event. To be an effective deterrent, it must be something they really don't want to happen.)

3.       Continually reinforce the value of integrity. Look for "teachable moments." Use news stories, TV shows and movies to highlight, discuss and comment on situations revealing the presence or absence of integrity.

These common sense suggestions can have a positive impact on your student and help them resist the temptation to take illicit shortcuts in their school work and life.  Brookwood believes that the education of the character and spirit is as important as the education of the mind and body.  In this the partnership between school and parents is essential. 


COFFEE HOUSE PRODUCTION

Come enjoy an evening of performances by Brookwood Upper School students in a café setting, complete with coffee, tea, and baked treats.  The Coffee House, sponsored by the Brookwood Drama Guild, will take place Friday, March 21st, from 8:00 - 10:00 p.m. in the Commons Area of Flower's Hall. 

Brookwood art students will have artwork on display and for purchase throughout the evening.  As in years past, entertainment will include music, dramatic readings and performances.  Spend a stress-free evening enjoying the works of these talented artists, musicians, singers, writer, and actors.

Admission is free but donations are welcomed!


Congratulations to Jessi Singletary!
First Place
Youth Arts Competition










BOX TOPS AND CAMPBELL LABELS

If you have any box tops or labels saved, please send them into the library.  We will be preparing a shipment to be mailed May 1.  This is an on-going project, so please continue saving during the summer months.


Students in Grades 1 - 5

Are you looking for a way to spend an exciting week of summer with friends?  Mark your calendar and make plans to attend the Brookwood Science Camp.  Students finishing 3 - 5th grades are eligible for the week of June 2 - 6.  Students completing grades 1 and 2 will attend the week of June 16 - 20.  Both weeks will include interesting science experiments, adventures to area attractions, and lots of fun with friends!  Watch for details, soon!  Contact Jenni Martin with questions at jmartin@brookwoodschool.org.


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