Six Brooks students recently spent four days in Washington, D.C., at the National Association of Independent Schools Student Civic Leadership Summit.“It was a learning experience that allowed us the chance to dig deeper into meaningful issues that we may not normally get the chance to talk about,” said Kevin Kahu ’27. Read about their experience in our "Learning to Listen" news story.

Schedule Alerts

• Feb. 12: Giving Day
• Feb. 13: Treats for Your Sweets
• Feb. 17: Lunar New Year Celebration, 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the Keating Room (for Asian Student Alliance students and invited guests).
• March 7 - 25: Spring Break, boarding students return by March 25 at 9 p.m.
  

Business Office

Re-Enrollment Process

The re-enrollment process for returning students is starting soon, in coordination with the Business Office and Blackbaud Enrollment Management. Enrollment agreements will be available within OnBrooks with a parent or guardian account. The agreements will be generated to OnBrooks and available for completion beginning as early as Feb. 2. Signed agreements and deposits will be due on or before March 10. 

Please note that your family’s 2025-2026 Blackbaud Tuition Management balance must be current (i.e., no balance in arrears/past due as of Jan. 31, 2026) for the enrollment agreement to be released for 2026-2027. If you have questions regarding outstanding balances, please contact Senior Accountant Christine Llewellyn or Director of Financial Operations/Controller Jo-Ann Bevis in the Business Office. If you need help signing into OnBrooks, please contact Registrar Lisa Saunders.

Academics

Winter Term Grades and Comments

Winter Term report cards with grades and comments are available starting this afternoon. All families should now have access to these documents in the Progress > Performance area of OnBrooks. Please contact Registrar Lisa Saunders if you need help signing into OnBrooks.

For more information about what is included on report cards, please see the Report Cards, Progress Reports and Transcripts explainer. Contact your student’s advisor to follow up on anything in the report card. For broader questions about Winter Term, feel free to reach out to Dean of Teaching and Learning and Director of Winter Term Joanna McDonough.

The Winter Term symposium gave students a chance to show off all the opportunities they explored, skills they learned and adventures they enjoyed last month — and what a month it was! Click to read our website story recap, “Favorite Time on Campus.”

Student Life

New Dean of Student Life

As many of you know, Director of Student Affairs Ingrid Knowles begins her parental leave on Feb. 6. Thankfully, Brooksians will have the pleasure of seeing her and her family around campus through the end of the summer before they leave for their next chapter in Vermont. While she leaves big shoes to fill in her absence and departure, the office will be in very capable hands between Associate Director of Student Affairs Cora MacKenzie’s leadership and the help of others from within the community. In four years, Ingrid has made a meaningful impact on our school and culture in countless ways, and she will sorely be missed. Brooks is grateful for her leadership and vision for the school and wishes her well in the upcoming adventures ahead.

After a national search for Ingrid’s replacement, Jennifer Weissbach will join us on July 1 as our next Dean of Student Life. A boarding school person through and through, she has experience at both The Hill School and Phillips Academy Andover, where she is a cluster dean, science teacher, and head coach of varsity field hockey and basketball. At Brooks, she will be our girls 1st field hockey team head coach and a science teacher alongside her student life responsibilities. Our community is thrilled to welcome her to the Brooks family and she is equally as enthusiastic to join us in July. 

Spring Break Transportation

While we are officially underway with the start of the second semester, we understand that some families are beginning to plan for Spring Break. Spring Break will officially begin on March 7. Students are permitted to begin departure for Spring Break after their final commitment on March 6 (full day of classes). We will provide shuttles to Boston's Logan Airport, South Station and to C&J Coach tours, which transports students via coach bus to New York City. If you would like to sign up your student, please do so here. You can reference specific details regarding each shuttle option on the school break transportation document. Additionally, you can reference the school break planning details document.

All boarding students must return to campus by March 25 at 9 p.m.

Weekend Activities

Between a Masked Singer competition in the theater on Saturday night and a Super Bowl party in the Keating Room on Sunday night, it is a full weekend of community activities and adventures this weekend at Brooks. Check out the Weekend Bulletin for more information.

Athletics

Girls 1st ice hockey celebrated National Girls and Women in Sports Day yesterday after their home game against Thayer Academy. They invited local youth girls ice hockey teams to the game and skated with them afterward.

Arts

All-State & Jr. District Music Ensembles Audition Results

Phoebe Dooling '27 (on left) was accepted into the Massachusetts All-State chorus for the second time! She auditioned with students from all over the state and was chosen from more than 600 auditionees from across the state. Isabelle Kim '29 (on right) was accepted into the Massachusetts Northeastern Junior District Symphony Orchestra on flute, where she received the highest score out of all of the flutes that auditioned. The All-State and Junior District festivals will take place in March during Spring Break.

Students had a great time in workshops and in discussions with visiting artist Roberto Lugo last Thursday and Friday on campus. See photos from his visit and exhibit, which will be on display in the Robert Lehman Art Center until March 6.

Giving Day

One Week Until Giving Day!

As we strive to top 1,000 gifts for this year’s Giving Day, parents can play a vital role in achieving this goal. Your donations on Giving Day will also count toward Brooks Together, our parent Brooks Fund drive. Last year 70 percent of Brooks families contributed to Brooks Together and raised nearly $800,000 for the Brooks Fund, with 128 families making their Brooks Together donation on Giving Day! 

This year we are grateful and excited to share a Giving Day Challenge for our current families: two families will match all Brooks Fund donations up to $50,000 on Giving Day! 

Family Programs

Treats for Your Sweets is Next Week

Thank you to everyone who has donated cookies, candy and Valentine's Day items for next week's Treats for Your Sweets. This year, our hope is to provide Cookie Monstah cookies for all of our students and employees: more than 400 cookies!

The spots on our Sign Up Genius for volunteering at the event are nearly all full, but if you would still like to volunteer just email Director of Alumni and Family Programs Sara Bird. We can always make space for extra volunteers!

Thank you to co-chairs Elena Foster P’26, P’27, Adrienne Principe P’26, P’27, P’28, Aybike Crott P’25, P’28 and Jen Pagliuca P’25, P’29, P’29 for coordinating this event. Questions? Please contact one of the co-chairs or Sara Bird.

You're Invited to "Brooks Gives Back"

Alumni, parents, Brooks employees and friends of the school are invited to join us on March 28 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Lazarus House Ministries' shelter and soup kitchen in Lawrence as part of our annual "Brooks Gives Back" day of volunteering.

Participants will help in a variety of ways, including clean-ups; organizing and packing supplies; preparing meals — even heading outside for yard work. Click to get all the details and register.

We also have Brooks Gives Back volunteering events in Boston, Chicago, London, New York and Washington D.C. on March 28 that families are welcome to join. Click to see the details for all the volunteering opportunities.

What's Your Middle Schooler Doing This Summer?

For families with middle schoolers, the Leaders-in-Training (LIT) Program offers a purposeful summer experience focused on leadership, responsibility, and real-world skill building.

Designed for teens ages 13-15, LIT helps participants develop skills that translate well beyond camp — supporting success in the classroom, on athletic teams and in future jobs. Through guided training, hands-on practice, and mentorship from experienced staff, LITs build confidence in communication, teamwork, problem-solving and initiative.

Rather than a traditional camp role, LIT is a career-readiness pathway for young teens. Participants learn how to show up prepared, work with peers and adults, take feedback and lead by example —skills that matter in school settings, competitive sports and early employment opportunities.

As teens progress through the program, they assume greater responsibility while continuing to receive coaching, reflection time and support in an age-appropriate environment. It’s an ideal fit for young teens who are ready for more independence and a summer experience with purpose.

Visit Summer at Brooks to register.

Past LITs, shown here: Alex Staniscia '24 and Ben Pettorelli' 25 with summer campers