Mr. Samson - Upper School Update, Nov. 4, 2022

Dear Upper School Parents and Guardians,

It’s been another beautiful week at Brookwood, beginning with the Halloween parade and culminating in Parent/Teacher Conferences. The fall sports season came to a close, and we are preparing for winter sports, Revels, the 8th Grade Play, and more. Below are a few announcements, updates, and ways parents might be able to help with Steep Days. We’ll have the Ask Me Abouts back in the next Upper School Update!

Student Art: If you are on campus, please walk through the lobby and see the amazing Upper School student art. 8th graders have graphic word displays focusing on color, imagery, and intent and a visual message inspired by the artist Keith Haring. 7th-grade students have their self-portraits on display and Autumn leaves paintings. The 6th-grade students have their personal mandalas, and their radial designs focus on color, symbolism, and the things that represent them. The 5th-grade students worked with yarn based on the Hutlchol Yarn Paintings, and their Calaveras are on display which are skeleton collages in honor of Dia de los Muertos. The variety and depth of the artwork are extraordinary.

Body Image Program for 7th and 8th Grade: On November 15, Meghan Brown from the Renfrew Center will speak with 7th and 8th-grade students on the issue of Body Image. In her presentation, she will discuss body image and how it relates to social media and diet culture and provide some information about eating disorders. That evening there will be a parent program on Body Image at 7:00 PM over zoom for all Upper School parents, and Jennie Dockser, also from the Renfrew Center, will be facilitating the parent presentation on the same topic. Here is a link for the zoom call.

Samson Strolls: I visited 8th Grade with Mr. Falconer this week. Please click here to learn more about the class. If there is something you would like to see, please email me!

Steep Days Brainstorm: During our last week of school, Upper School students chose a specific program led by our faculty and “steep” themselves in something outside the Brookwood curriculum. The goals of the program are to transcend “school as usual” by providing a deeply immersive and enriching learning experience for students and to allow teachers and students to share their passions, explore an area of established or potential interest, connect in new ways, and pilot initiatives that could be incorporated into future curriculum. This year Steep Days are June 12 - June 14, and we are wondering if you have any ideas to support the program.

• Do you work in an organization that would allow student visitors to learn about your industry?

• Could Upper School students provide a service to help your organization?

• Thanks in advance for any ideas and/or suggestions you might have!

Article / Resource: NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) has a podcast. Episode 28 is an interview with Dr. Shimi King in which she discusses the impact of technology on children's brain development. Here is the link to the details about this podcast.