Chair of the Science Department Laura Hajdukiewicz offered a speech in Monday’s Chapel about a great collaborator in the world of plants, the marigold, and how it could inspire us all — then passed out 300 for students to share with each other!

Schedule Alerts

Oct. 18 - 19: Community Weekend

Oct. 22: Late start to the academic day — classes begin at 10 a.m.

Oct. 24 - 25: Family Weekend and Homecoming

Oct. 27: School Holiday

Oct. 31: Ghostly Goodies

Nov. 1: Early start to the academic day — classes begin at 8 a.m.

Nov. 3: All-school dinner and All Community Read presentation 6:15 - 8 p.m. (required)

Academics

Save the Date: Required Dinner and Event Nov. 3

We will welcome Julie Carrick Dalton, the author of Brooks' All Community Read, The Last Beekeeper, to campus on Nov. 3. Dalton will be with us throughout the day, visiting classes before a required advisory dinner at 6:15 p.m., followed by a community talk at 7 p.m. in the theater.

The event is required for all students and will end by 8 p.m. Students with a FLEX approved by the athletic department or outside commitments should plan to attend this event on campus. 

Families, you are invited to a "Meet the Author" reception with Dalton in the admission waiting room that evening, Nov. 3, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and are welcome to attend her talk in the theater, as well. Learn more and RSVP to let us know you'll join us!

Schedule Change: Oct. 22 (Late Start)

Students will begin classes at 10 a.m. next Oct. 22 to accommodate a special faculty meeting in the morning. We will run a shortened class schedule that includes all regular Wednesday classes. See more details in the updated Important Dates & Special Schedules document.

Semester 1 Midterm Progress Reports

Semester 1 Midterm Progress Reports will be available in the Progress > Performance area of OnBrooks for parents and guardians on Oct. 23 after 3:15 p.m. These progress reports include a snapshot of current class averages, as well as comments for classes, afternoon programs, and residential life. If you need help signing into OnBrooks, please contact Registrar Lisa Saunders. For questions about progress reports, please contact your student’s advisor or Dean of Academic Affairs Currie Joya Huntington.

This week, Brooks students tried out potential chairs, couches, desks and tables for Luce Library at a "furniture fair." With the coming renovation of the library, we are grateful to have student input on what furniture is most desirable for this newly imagined space.

Exchange Application Open

Students were notified during the weekend that the application for Brooks' Exchange program is now open and available to students through Oct. 29. Information on our four programs to Botswana, Hungary, Peru and Scotland, along with the application, can be found in OnBrooks > Groups > Exchange Program Information.

A student information session will be offered on Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. in the Bowers Room. Families are invited to hear more about the program at the Signature Programs Open House during Family Weekend on Oct. 24 at 2:30 p.m. or contact Director of Exchange Programs Lisa Saunders.

Student Life

Boarding Car Application

Boarding students may apply to have a car on campus for a specific purpose and for a set period of time. No car will be allowed on campus for the entire school year or for a "to be determined" period of time. No boarding student should ever have a car on campus unless they have gone through the approval process. All who are interested in going through the application process for the winter may contact the Director of Student Affairs Ingrid Knowles. Applications for the winter are due on Oct. 23 and will be reviewed by a small committee. Another round of applications for having cars on campus during the spring will be communicated to families in early January.

Looking Ahead: Family Weekend Leaves

Campus will remain open over all long weekends throughout the academic year. Boarding students who wish to remain on campus do not need to sign up to do so. We will assume students will remain on campus unless they submit a weekend leave request. If a student does decide to leave for the weekend, it does not count towards their 11 overnights permitted over the course of the year.

All-School/Class of 2026 Photo Ordering

Families interested in ordering copies of the all-school photo or the class of 2026 photo may do so here through Panfoto.

Weekend Activities

The annual Block Party takes place this Saturday night in the 2020 Quad! Get a start on fall and Halloween celebrations with this special community event. See the full weekend schedule.

Athletics

Good Luck, Rowers!

Good luck to the following Brooks students competing at Head of the Charles this Sunday!

• Mens Youth 1x, race time - 7:45 a.m.: 
• Armaun Dehpanah ’26
• Womens Youth Coxed Quad, race time - 8:40 a.m.:
•  Olivia Booth ’27, Emma Zheng ’28, Natalia Clark ’27, Emma Nagle ’26, Kamryn Shumsky ’26
• Mens Youth Coxed Quad, race time - 10:57 a.m.: 
• Teddy Fishman ’28, Rohan Amin ’26, John Zaccaro ’26, Jimmy Nagle ’27, Julian Wei ’26

Winter Sports Alert

We are still in the thick of the fall season, yet winter is just around the corner. Changes to student selections for winter activities will close on Oct. 22. First team (varsity) tryouts will begin on Nov. 13, pending fall season playoffs. All winter activities will begin on Nov. 17 and run through Nov. 21. Students electing to participate in ice hockey must have their own equipment.

Arts

Tickets for "Into the Woods" Fall Musical

Inspired by the theme of Cinderella’s wish to “go to the festival,” and combined with the beauty of the Brooks School campus, specifically the namesake of the theatre program “Firetrail Theatre,” we are excited to put on this outdoor production for the community. It offers a unique learning experience for our performers and technicians, while also allowing the community to engage in an outdoor theatrical experience. Given that the performance is fully outdoors and with the hope that the New England weather is on our side, we encourage audience members to dress warmly.

Reserve Your Free Ticket

Oct. 23 at 7 p.m.

Oct. 24 at 7:30 p.m.*

Oct. 29 at 7 p.m.

Oct. 30 at 7 p.m.*

All performances are weather-dependent and may be cancelled up to two hours before curtain time. If a show is cancelled, ticket holders may have the option to transfer their reservation to a future performance, subject to availability.

*Performances marked with an asterisk: If weather conditions prevent an outdoor performance, ticket holders are invited to the Center for the Arts' mainstage theater for a special “in-concert” version of "Into the Woods," highlighting the music and vocal talents of the cast.

Family Programs

Ghostly Goodies Is Two Weeks Away!

The first of this year’s parent-sponsored events, Ghostly Goodies, is coming up soon! Whether it's donating donuts, volunteering at the lunchtime event or buying items from our Amazon Wishlist, we are grateful for your help with this treat for our students and employees. Here are the three ways you can participate:

• Visit our SignUp Genius to pursue our volunteer opportunities, as well as to sign up to bring items to campus on Oct. 31.
• Purchase candy or other Halloween treats for the day from our Amazon Wishlist. Items from the wishlist should be sent to: Brooks School, Attn: Sara Bird, 1160 Great Pond Road, North Andover, MA 01845.
• Venmo a contribution to Jen Pagliuca (@Jennifer-Pagliuca) to help underwrite the event and purchase donuts (always a hit!) and other items.

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! Any questions? Please contact one of the co-chairs or Director of Alumni and Family Programs Sara Bird.