2023 Year-end Letter from Brookwood's Board Chair

Dear Brookwood Community,

Spring at Brookwood is such an exciting and busy time. Our traditions and special events such as recess regatta, recitals and declamation are punctuated by smaller moments of discovery, passion, and confidence-building that fill the days and weeks. For my family, this is our last year with a student at Brookwood, which makes us treasure that much more all of these events and the moments that culminate in them.

The trustees recently had the opportunity to spend part of a school day at Brookwood, visiting classrooms and truly seeing our mission in practice. In classrooms led by faculty who embrace our culture of curiosity, kindness and academic accomplishment, we saw students taking powerful ownership of their learning and their contributions to the Brookwood community. Brookwood has long been a leader in bringing innovation and creativity to teaching and learning, and our students continue to engage in a wide range of programming and experiences that support their academic, social and personal growth and development in a holistic and integrated way. From word study and wonder walks in Early Childhood through Mock Trials and the Eighth Grade Play, our children are engaged with their teachers, each other, and our families in rich and varied experiences.

Thanks to the efforts of the faculty, staff, and leadership of the school, Brookwood has enjoyed a successful year. In his second year as Head of School, Jon has led real progress in implementing each of the pillars of our Strategic Plan. Investments in wellness, changemaking, and athletics strengthen and expand opportunities for the personalized learning, academic rigor, and purposeful risk taking the Plan envisions for all of Brookwood’s students. Investments in an inclusive community ensure that these benefits are enjoyed by all and teach our students how to respect and communicate across differences. The school’s first Sustainability Plan will guide investments and student empowerment to tackle the challenges of climate change and preserve our planet for all. Brookwood is well positioned to continue to execute on our plan; several of the initiatives underway are have multi-year implementation components, and we are excited for the results as they continue to unfold.

A crucial element of Brookwood’s success is community support for the school through philanthropic giving. We are excited to welcome Matt Drake as the Director of Development to lead our Development Office and enhance our advancement efforts. Matt’s deep experience and strong enthusiasm for Brookwood will bring both expertise and connection to supporting our mission and enabling the school to continue to make investments that further our strategic goals and offer our students the best possible educational experience. We are grateful for the long-term support and generosity of our families and look forward to ongoing success in our development efforts under Matt’s leadership.

Finally, I am so grateful to my fellow trustees for their commitment to and passion for the school. Our current board has led the school successfully though a significant transition and a challenging pandemic, and come out much stronger, blazing a path forward to an even better future. This year, we are saying goodbye to departing trustees Rachel Rosenfeldt, Faith Emerson, Katy Langhorst, and Arthur Steinert. “Thank you” does not even begin to express my appreciation for the dedication and time that each of these trustees has given to the school.

Each year, the Board’s Governance committee develops a list of priorities for recruitment of new trustees based on the needs of the board and the our assessment of Brookwood’s near- and medium-term opportunities and challenges to ensure the board can benefit from a range of skills and perspectives from among our community. We are excited to welcome Trey Eppes (P`30), Chip McConnell (P`28, P`26), Qi Ott (P`27, P`29, P`30), Kitty Creighton (P`29), Malcolm DeSieyes (`97), Peter Wernau (P`29, P`32), and Georges Dyer (`92, P`26) as new board members with terms beginning July 1, 2023, and are confident our community will benefit from the talents and energy they will bring to help lead the school over the coming years and into a successful future.

Sincerely,

Kira Fabrizio P '20, '23