Annual Meeting 2016 Takeaways

Dr. Randy Watts
What was the point of that story?... and other takeaways from the Annual Meeting
What was the point of that story?... and other takeaways from the Annual Meeting

In the movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Steve Martin’s character turned to John Candy’s character during a meandering monologue and said “Here’s a good idea -- have a POINT. It makes it SO much more interesting for the listener!”

After our Annual Meeting, it was brought to my attention that I forgot to state the reason why I read the children’s story He Saves the Day.

Oops.

For those of you who did not attend (and, yes, we did take attendance….), I read about a young boy who imagined saving the day as a fighter pilot, racecar driver, knight, and pirate.

I read the story to reinforce the idea that every child -- not just the quarterback, class president, or valedictorian -- has an innate drive to lead and will grow when presented with opportunities that nurture leadership.

Here are several other takeaways from the 2016 Annual Meeting:

Leadership -- We unveiled our strategic plan. It has has been in development for more than a year; was guided by Ian Symmonds & Associates, a highly-regarded consulting firm; and involved input from our entire community. The central theme of the plan is leadership. We believe that the Brookwood experience is inextricably intertwined with leadership.

We describe leadership as providing students with a diversity of opportunities to develop their confidence and skills in areas about which they are passionate and can, then, be used to influence others. We will continue to develop these opportunities and plan to share this theme with our students.

The Strategic Plan  -- Beyond the description of leadership, you will find an articulation of our core operating principles and educational philosophy. Combined with our mission statement, they addressed the topics of “What We Do,” “What We Believe,” and “How We Do it.”

We also listed our signature programs: The Brookwood Family, STEAM, Advanced Placement, Academic Resource Center, Athletics, Spiritual Development, and the Honor Code.

Finally, we identified four goals for Brookwood’s future:
  1. Further enhance and refine our academic program
  2. Define and enhance our leadership focus
  3. Enhance institutional advancement, marketing communications, community relations, and enrollment management
  4. Develop our campus to meet current and future programmatic needs

Each of these strategic goals contains several strategic initiatives and numerous action plans that will be articulated in a final strategic plan.

Peruse an electronic copy of the strategic plan or stop by the front office to pick up a hard copy.

The Value of a Brookwood Education -- We shared an infographic highlighting key facts and figures about the Brookwood experience. Here are just a few:

Did you know?
  • One-hundred percent (100%) of Brookwood graduates are admitted to college
  • Ninety-seven percent (97%) of our University of Georgia applicants have been admitted in the last five years
  • Seventy-one percent (71%) of our Seniors graduate with honors
  • Brookwood students score an average of 414 points higher than the local competition (Thomasville City and County Schools) on the SAT
  • One-hundred percent (100%) of surveyed alumni felt that they were prepared or well prepared for college: both overall and specifically in the areas of college-level writing and study skills
  • Fifty-three percent (53%) of Brookwood faculty have advanced degrees

Keep an eye out for communications from Brookwood with more facts and figures about the value of a Brookwood education.

Finances -- From the beginning, Brookwood has aimed to keep tuition as low as possible. Costs associated with financial aid and capital improvements are not a part of tuition; funding for these projects as well as 24% of our operating budget is raised through separate donations.

Did you know?
  • Tuition and fees cover only 76% of the cost of educating a Brookwood student
  • The difference between the true cost of educating a Brookwood student and the average tuition cost is $3,237
  • Fundraising through such means as the Brookwood Fund, GOAL tax credits, financial aid, Booster Club, Parent Council, and the Auction has totaled nearly one million dollars
  • Last year, the average cost of tuition at Brookwood was $2,359 below average tuition costs at Maclay, Holy Comforter, Valwood, and Brookstone
Brookwood is a very special place with a proud past, a vibrant present, and an exciting future. Thank you to all of the members of our community for helping us to continue to strive for excellence.  

Dr. Randy Watts
Headmaster




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Brookwood School

Located in Thomasville, GA, Brookwood School is a private school for grades JK-12. Students benefit from a challenging academic program, fine and performing arts, competitive athletics, and a wide selection of extracurricular activities.