Brooks School

October 22, 2014

 

Dear Parents,

 

It is hard to believe Parents Weekend is already upon us. We are looking forward to seeing all of you beginning with Thursday night's reception for third- and fourth-form parents in the science building, and this will be a great way to begin a weekend with your sons and daughters while the school is in full stride. What follows on Friday and Saturday will be full and fun, as well, and it seems we will even have some fall foliage hanging in there for all of us to enjoy!

 

With so much in the news, I think it makes sense to begin this letter with mention of the remote possibility that Brooks School might somehow come into contact with the Ebola Virus. A day does not pass without extensive coverage of the virus, and I want to assure you that the school's health professionals are staying current on a daily basis with guidelines set forth by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). The Health Center is prepared to assess, diagnose, and act in the unlikely event of a community member or visitor presenting signs or symptoms associated with the virus, and will continue to update its approach in accordance with CDC protocols and best practices. I want to underline that we have not been near any Ebola case, or even a suspected case, and are doing everything we can to ensure the safety of the school community.

 

In that spirit, we have decided to reschedule our Exchange Program process until later in the fall or early winter when more current information about traveling to and from seven of the eight schools we exchange students with is available. For those who are not aware, we have exchange programs with schools in Scotland, France, Spain, Hungary, Kenya, Botswana, Uganda, and Peru. These are signature programs and extraordinary experiences for participants, in particular, and the school, in general. We are proud of them and certain of their mission-driven impact on our school. Thus, we do not want to make a premature decision about whether or not these exchanges will run this year. At the same time, we will not go forward if concern about Ebola emerges and grows in these areas, or if any other serious health and safety concern surfaces in the coming month. For reasons that have nothing to do with Ebola, and everything to do with State Department concerns about political instability, we have determined that we will not be sending our students to our partner school in Kenya this year. We will continue to monitor the remaining seven schools, along with all other international travel programs we participate in, and final decisions about proceeding will be made as late in the year as possible. If your son or daughter is interested in the Exchange Program, the director of the program, John McLoughlin, will be available this Saturday at 11:30 a.m. in the Frick Dining Hall to talk about the application process. If you have questions for me, please let me know.

 

In my last letter, I made reference to our trustee meetings this past Friday and Saturday, and to a "summit" with what turned out to be about 80 people who participated in a full day of conversation about the school's current state and its aspirations. In particular, we looked at the school's program, campus and facilities, and financial picture, in hopes of emphasizing our many areas of strength, while also noting some challenges and vulnerabilities that concern us. Our hope going into the day was that we would have an opportunity to share our goals and needs with all attending, while sharpening how we might achieve those goals over the months and years ahead. The day exceeded our highest expectations in every way, and we are now sorting through impressions and feedback we have received about our plans. I look forward to sharing a bit more about the event with all of you on Saturday morning.

 

The first marking period will be complete by the time you sit down with your daughter's or son's advisor during Parents Weekend, and this should allow for a full conversation about how work in and out of the classroom is going. During these meetings, there is a tendency to turn quickly to particular areas or pieces of feedback that stand out for some reason, and I would counsel all of you to hear and digest the whole description of how classes and life at school have gone to this point before you turn your attention to anything all that specific. It is my belief that our kids will take us to the conversations we want to have about their work in and out of the classroom, and will do so if we allow them. So, some patience and restraint can play an important role in a successful Parents Weekend!

 

I also want to note that this coming weekend marks the halfway point of our Brooks Together push in support of this year's Brooks Fund. We are grateful to many of you who have made gifts and commitments to this vital effort, which allows the school to deliver on its mission. Without the ability to be confident about a robust annual giving program, we would be considerably less able to run the school in a mission-driven manner. In all of its forms, your support matters.

 

Before closing, I would like to note that Rob Bramhall, father of Charlie '15, will open his show in The Robert Lehman Art Center on Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m. We have been the direct beneficiaries of Rob's expertise, as he designed Chace House, and examples of his work are beautifully displayed. If time permits, I would suggest having a look Thursday evening. The show will remain up through Monday, November 17.

 

Also, please note that there is still hope for those of you who have not yet had the pleasure of experiencing an athletic event under the lights on our new turf field. Our second and first field hockey teams will be playing The Governor's Academy on Friday night at 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., respectively. In addition, once we are all back following a break over Parents Weekend, both first soccer teams will be playing Noble and Greenough School on Saturday, November 1 -- the girls at 5 p.m. and the boys at 7 p.m. We have been thrilled with the evening football games we have already hosted on the field, and anticipate much the same this weekend and next. Hope you can make it!

 

Have a safe trip to campus.

 

Best,

 

John R. Packard

Head of School