Thank you to all the parent volunteers who treated the Brooks community with Halloween treats and raffle prizes today during our annual Ghostly Goodies event! See all the photos.

Schedule Alert

• Nov. 2: No classes or athletic contests
• Nov. 7: Museum of Fine Arts Day for all third-form students 
• Nov. 8 from 6:15 to 8:30 p.m.: Required advisory dinner and All-Community Read speaker

Academics

Winter Term

Students received their Winter Term 2025 course enrollment on Oct. 30 via email. The course change period begins Nov. 5 and ends Nov. 12. If you have any questions, please contact Dean of Teaching and Learning Joanna McDonough.

Student Life

It's Spirit Week: Prizes for wearing U.S.A. gear, pajamas, Halloween costumes and dressing as twins this week include a get-out-of-detention pass, golf cart ride to class and other silly rewards!

Thanksgiving Break Heads Up

Thanksgiving Break will begin on Nov. 23 at 12 p.m. Our dormitories will close and all students are expected to depart campus no later than 3 p.m. that afternoon. 

• Brooks will offer bussettes to Boston’s Logan Airport and South Station at the start of each break. Families should plan their travel from either South Station or Logan. If you would like to sign your student up for the bussette to either Logan or South Station on Nov. 23, please complete this form. 
• All students will be expected to submit a REACH request for Thanksgiving Break indicating their travel plans. This will become available for students to submit during the first week of November. 
• Please be in touch with Associate Director of Student Affairs Cora MacKenzie with any questions and review the travel calendar to help you make plans. 
• International students: Need plans for Thanksgiving break? Here are a few options: 
• Cogito World Education Thanksgiving Break Program
• World Ocean School Program: Thanksgiving at Sea 
• Prospect Academy: Reach out to this program directly for more specific information regarding the Thanksgiving Break Program.

School Photo Retake Day

Mark Lawrence Photographers will return to campus on Nov. 8 from 10 to 11 a.m. to take any photos for students who were missing on school picture day in September or would like to have their photos retaken. 

Reminder: Beginning Sept. 30, families were able to order individual photos here.

Weekend Activities

This weekend is packed with trips and activities. See the full schedule of opportunities including:

• Portsmouth, NH outing (Brooks will pay for lunch)
• Merrimack College trip to see their soccer game vs. Sacred Heart University (featuring Brooks alum, Alejo Woelper '23)
• The Loop/Raising Cane's trip
• Assembly Row trip
• Dodgeball tournament
• Big-prize bingo (win a Razor scooter, Beats headphones, Amazon Echo, gift cards and more)!

Challenge Success Survey

Brooks School is planning to survey the student body on Nov. 19 using the Challenge Success Survey through REACH. We hope to gain data that will help inform us about how the student body is feeling and how we can best improve our programming on campus.

The Challenge Success team, a non-profit affiliated with the Stanford University Graduate School of Education, is a great partner for this work as they will help us make sense of our data and provide Brooks with suggestions for programmatic changes based on student responses. For more information please read the Research Information Sheet Regarding Survey Participation (provided in English, Mandarin, and Spanish).

The Lockers Are In!

Students have been enjoying new "Amazon"-style lockers for their mail and packages. Comments heard in the hallway include "These are so cool!" and "Wow! Awesome!" The lockers are accessible by emailed passcode or by scanning a student ID. Packages and mail can be picked up anytime the dining hall building is unlocked, making it much more convenient for students.

Athletics

Tomorrow is full of home games, starting with boys 3rd soccer vs. St. Sebastian's School, followed by matchups vs. Noble & Greenough School (field hockey: 1st and 2nd; soccer: girls and boys 1st and 2nd; and volleyball: 1st and 2nd) and culminating in a special football game vs. Lawrence Academy under the lights. This event is dedicated to former student and football player Preston Settles, who died during his first year at Brooks in 2022.

Arts

Order Your Mean Girls Tickets Today

Don't miss the chance to see Brooks Firetrail Theatre in action on Nov. 14, 15, and 16 at 7:30 p.m.! This incredible group of student performers and technicians have pulled out all the stops to bring the iconic musical Mean Girls: High School Version to life at Brooks.

"Cady Heron may have grown up on an African savanna but nothing prepared her for the wild and vicious ways of her strange new home: suburban Illinois. How will this naïve newbie rise to the top of the popularity pecking order? By taking on The Plastics, a trio of lionized frenemies led by the charming but ruthless Regina George. But when Cady and her friends devise a 'revenge party' to end Regina’s reign, she learns the hard way that you can’t cross a Queen Bee without getting stung."

• Details: Visit MTIshows.com to learn more about the production's history and content.

• Content warning: Please note that this production contains mature themes, language and situational humor that are not suitable for all audience members. 

• Seats: Reserve your free ticket here before they’re gone.

Boston Pops Trip Sign-Up

Attention parents of students in Brooks music ensemble classes: We are excited to offer an opportunity for your students to see the Boston Pops live in concert on Dec. 8 at 3 p.m. Tickets are fully paid for thanks to a generous donation by the Bell Family (Arch Bell ‘94, P’27). To sign your student up for the trip, please fill out this form by Nov. 2 or email Vocal and Orchestral Programs Director Dr. Emily DiAngelo to confirm their place on the list.

Family Programs

Acting Head of School Nina Freeman fielded questions during the second dinner in our Parent and Guardian Dinner Series. There are still a few spaces available for the Dec. 12 event if you would like to register.

Boston-Area Parents and Guardians: Save the Date

This year’s Brooks Boston reception will take place on Feb. 4, 2025 at the The Lenox Hotel in Back Bay. We are grateful to Brooks alumnus and The Lenox Hotel owner Gary Saunders '73 for welcoming Brooks alumni, parents, guardians and friends to this special annual celebration.