Brookwood’s first week brings excitement, new faces
Pencils have been sharpened; backpacks, stuffed; and new shoes, purchased.
Brookwood students returned to school this week — the school’s 49th academic year — to find a booming enrollment, a few changes and some new faces amongst the faculty “We are very pleased to welcome many new students into the Brookwood family,” said Headmaster Dr. Randy Watts. Interest in Brookwood was high throughout the spring and summer, yielding the third year in a row of increased enrollment.
“The families who selected Brookwood come from a wide range of diverse backgrounds and interests. The common denominator was that they sought an excellent education in a welcoming community for their children,” Watts said. Brookwood’s theme this year, determined by a vote of the faculty, is “Inspire.”
English teacher Jonathan Groover said he believes the theme is an appropriate follow up to last year’s,“Build.” “We are seeking to be a community building leaders,” he said. “Leaders need to be inspired to lead effectively And leaders need to
inspire to lead effectively So, by focusing on how we can be a community that is inspired and that inspires, we are rounding out our commitment to created passionate, effective leaders.”
Students from Junior Kindergarten to 12th grade returned on Monday to a culture of innovation; Brookwood is one of only 400 Apple Distinguished Schools in the entire world, and every member of the faculty is an Apple Certified Teacher. This year, inspired by a design executed by a previous eighth-grade class, Brookwood has reinvented several classrooms with furniture that facilitates a flexible learning environment.
“It is about adding flexible learning spaces to elevate student engagement and accommodating the content and use of technology,” said Josh Hanke, director of Technology and Design Thinking teacher.
“Students can easily rearrange the room for a group discussion, move into groups for collaboration or separate the desks for a test, all within seconds. We had our students use Design Thinking to re-imagine the classroom learning experience; they were the ones who were driving the change.”
The campus continues to be developed to meet the needs and learning styles of today’s student. In addition to the new classroom furniture, an outdoor classroom for the Academic Resources Center was unveiled last spring, and an outdoor STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Arts Math) lab is currently in the works.
There, children will have the opportunity to observe the life cycles of animals, plants, butterflies and other pollinators as they practice Citizen Science, said Lower School science teacher Lori Stauffer.
Student Government Association President Nick Lauderdale, a senior this year, said student leaders also have been hard at work getting ready for the year ahead, with the addition of several new experiences for the students to look forward to.
“Just one example is a service project each grade will be doing as a class,” Lauderdale said. “Each grade will do one community service project that allows them to bond with each other and also reach out and have a hand in the Thomasville community.”
Kim Lord, Brookwood’s new director of College Counseling, is creating programming to help students and parents stay informed about the ever-changing world of college admissions. Lord is also teaching an eighth grade course devoted to the exploring college and will welcome additional college and university representatives to campus. She holds an undergraduate degree from Vassar College and a master’s degree from Harvard University; she has worked as a in college admissions and as a director of College Counseling at several schools. Other full-time faculty include Brookwood’s incoming librarian, Kathryn Green. The third librarian in the history of the school, Green has a background in children’s services in public libraries and has a strong vision for the future of library services. She holds degrees from North Carolina State University and Kent State University
Teaching history and English in the Upper School is Reverend Wallace Marsh, who formerly served as the canon for Pastoral Care and Worship at The Cathedral of St. Philip, Atlanta, Ga. Marsh will also coach football and serve as the head tennis coach.
He holds degrees from Sewanee: The University of the South and the Berkeley Divinity School at Yale University Kate Brown joins Brookwood from Alexandria, Va., as the Lower School art teacher. Formerly an art therapist, she holds degrees from Bard College and George Washington University.
Coach Todd Webb, Brookwood’s new head girls basketball coach, will also teach physical education and serve as assistant athletic director. Webb is a Kentucky native, graduating from Western Kentucky University with both his B.S. and M.S. degrees in physical education.
Jill Richardson (Lower School Assistant, first semester), Danyelle Copeland (Lower School Assistant, second semester), and Katelyn Lang (Lower School Assistant) will all add value to Brookwood’s community of educators. In athletics, the Brookwood Warriors are strong shape with the addition of several new coaches who join an already strong and seasoned group of educators.
Clay Targets will be led by Mike Simpson, who brings more than 20 years of coaching experience to the position, including his involvement with the USA National Team since 1996.
Kristi Heim, Brookwood’s new Middle School softball coach, has four years of JV and varsity softball coaching experience in Iowa and has invaluable experience in training pitchers.
The administration has been working all summer for this moment, Watts said.
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.