A Summer Message from Dr. Watts

To the Brookwood Family:

 

Reflecting back on this past school year is a surreal experience...Masks…. Hand sanitizer…. Quarantines…. Broadcast Learning…. CDC guidelines…. Contact Tracing... Videoconferences….. These words had little or no significance eighteen months ago and are now burnt into our collective memories.

 

As the veil lifted in the spring and each day brought the joy of increased normalcy, we placed reinvigorated significance on the simple joys of being together at ballgames, field day, and closing ceremonies. 

 

Through it all, we had an outstanding year. In all, we have learned, grown, and prevailed. Brookwood School has emerged in a position of significant strength. I would like to share with you an overview of the state of the school. This will include updates and accomplishments from this past year and, in some cases, recent years:

 

Brookwood has increased in student enrollment each year for the past four years and is tracking to have a larger enrollment for the upcoming academic year. While we have seen a record level of interest in Brookwood, and have made some moves to expand some of our grade levels, the goal within achieving healthy enrollment numbers is to continue to seek a deeper mission-appropriate applicant pool, and thus admitting students who we believe will be a great fit for our school.

 

At present, we have reached or exceeded capacity in many of our grades. To accommodate this interest, we will expand our Junior Kindergarten program to three sections, as well as expand the 8th, 9th, and 10th grades to three sections. We have also continued to diversify our student body in many ways, notably in ethnic and socioeconomic diversity. 

Brookwood continues to have a healthy balance of tradition and innovation in our curriculum. We continue to emphasize the foundation of learning (e.g. reading, writing, critical thinking, and verbal expression). Additionally, we have emphasized innovation through our STEAM, Design Thinking, and Foundations of Innovation classes. 

This year has arguably been the most successful year in athletics in Brookwood’s history. Our varsity teams earned a total of nine region championships, one state runner-up, and one state championship. We had two individual state championships in track and one doubles team state runner-up in tennis. Ten members of the 2021 graduation class will play athletics in college — almost a quarter of the class. 

The pandemic posed many challenges to the arts, specifically, with performing arts. I am proud that we were able to have a One-Act competition in the fall and they were recognized for their strong performance, and the all-school musical (albeit a virtual production) this winter. I am excited to see what our young actors will be able to do next year.

Regarding visual arts, one senior placed second in the GISA Visual Arts Contest, GISA’s first-ever art contest. Middle School students studied color theory with cupcakes and custom-colored frosting, and Lower School students turned Crozer Cafeteria into a gallery since local art shows were canceled. All divisions submitted amazing pieces of art for the annual auction, proceeds from which will help spruce up the playground. 

A more comprehensive list of our students’ success in interscholastic competition this past year can be found here.

Brookwood seniors boast a long history of 100% college acceptance, with 93% of the class of 2021 accepted to their first or second-choice schools.  Graduates have found their collegiate home in outstanding colleges and universities. You can find a  list of colleges & universities to which Brookwood students have matriculated in recent years on our college profile.

This past May, we bid farewell to the 44 members of the Class of 2021.  We will miss these fine young men and women and are excited for them as they take their first steps into their adult lives.  There are many ways to measure the success of a school, with college outcomes being one of the strongest measures of perceived success. 

This fall they will attend — among other impressive schools — Auburn University, Baylor University, Clemson University, Coastal Carolina University, College of Charleston, University of Chicago, University of Colorado Boulder, Elon University, Florida Institute of Technology, University of Georgia, Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia Southern University, Mercer University, University of Miami, University of Mississippi, Samford University, and Sewanee: The University of the South.

 

As a final note….. 25 of these graduates — 57% of the class — have attended Brookwood since Junior Kindergarten or Kindergarten.  

 

Brookwood has completed its five-year plan, “Inspiring Leaders.” This past year, we once again engaged the services of Ian Symmonds & Associates to generate a new strategic plan, “Advancing the Brookwood Way,”  which emphasizes the following:

The strategic plan document is the result of a thorough review of our school, our surrounding environment, and the current and projected educational landscape. We went to great lengths to seek input from stakeholders, analyze data objectively, engage the wisdom of our steering committee, capitalize on the success of our previous strategic plan, and utilize the vision and thought-leadership of Ian Symmonds & Associates. 

Our strategic planning process has yielded a vision that has exceeded our expectations. In a succinct and thoughtful manner, this plan powerfully articulates where we are — and we are going — in the context of our unique community and school culture.

In the fall, we will share more specific goals for our strategic plan, as well as announce details about a vision for Brookwood’s campus development.

The relative quiet of the summer has been a time of reflection and planning. When our students return in August, they will find returning and new teachers who are eager to support and challenge them. They will find the campus returned to “normal” with a few surprises mixed in. They will find old friends and some new faces. Most importantly, they will find the welcoming Brookwood Family ready to take on another year.

I wish you safe, relaxing, and adventure-filled summer days!  Go Warriors!

Warm regards,

Dr. Randy Watts

Headmaster