As we move in the direction of our Lessons and Carols service this evening, I find it hard to believe that this relatively short stretch between Thanksgiving and the winter holidays has just about run its course. The winter season is off to a good start, we have experienced some of the snow and cold we are likely to see more of in January, February, and early March, and we managed to navigate first semester exams over the past few days. It will be fun to celebrate the holiday season together tonight, and I am confident that your daughters and sons have earned the rest that awaits them over the next few weeks.
Our return from Thanksgiving vacation has us jump right back into the pace we kept throughout the fall. Accordingly, we have accomplished a great deal during these two-plus weeks and I would like to point out some of the highlights:
A number of you were able to attend "Partners in Prevention," offered by
FCD's John Tummon on the night we all returned from the break. Mr. Tummon was with us for the better part of two weeks, and he had a lot of contact time with students via our Self-In-Community classes. He also spoke to the whole school in Chapel one week ago, and left us with two points to consider, among others.
- First, it is important to note that substance abuse amongst adolescents does not represent a social norm. At times, we develop a sense that illicit and dangerous use of drugs and alcohol is rampant and widespread. While we are challenged by these issues at Brooks in the same way secondary schools are across the country, the significant majority of students are not abusing drugs and alcohol. To do what we can to continually underline this fact as the actual social norm helps all students feel less pressure to engage in behavior that their better judgment tells them to avoid. We will continue to impress this point upon our student body.
- Second, Mr. Tummon was eloquent in Chapel when sharing the power that even brief moments of intervention have on those who are using drugs and alcohol. When a student, teacher, or parent expresses concern to another about that person's drug or alcohol use, the immediate response might be unpleasant. Yet, the weight of these interventions becomes harder to carry over time for someone who is using. Mr. Tummon shared a few moments of intervention in his own life that he resisted at the time, but continues to be grateful for today. To do what we can to foster a culture that encourages students to help one another in these ways is an important part of our prevention program.
Ahead of seeing some of you at the FCD event on the day your sons and daughters returned to school following Thanksgiving vacation, the school's employees participated in some crisis planning and dangerous intruder training with the North Andover Police Department. I am sure that a number of you are familiar with the
ALICE
(Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) protocol that many school districts and independent schools use. We spent the afternoon introducing this approach to all employees and then went through three simulations in order to familiarize ourselves with this practice. While the likelihood of ever encountering one of these scenarios is extremely low, our goal is to equip all adults with initial steps and options that the NAPD recommends. We will be moving in the direction of involving students in this training as we get into 2017.
In addition, we are entering into a contract with
Copsync911, which is a communication system that gets word to first responders in ways that cut the typical 911 response time in half. Once this is up and running, we will have a direct line to the NAPD cruiser closest to the school at the time of an incident. We hope to never need to use the training or communication systems we are updating and adding, but we are intent on staying in touch with ways to make our 251-acre campus as safe as it can be. If you have any questions about these steps, please let me know.
I referenced exams briefly when beginning this letter, and it would not be a reach to state that preparing for and then taking these exams has been the focal point of all academic work over the past two weeks. We try to create final assessments that are comprehensive, fair, and appropriately weighted in relation to all that has been done in classes throughout the semester. To do what we can to encourage all of your daughters and sons to work and not worry has been the goal. I hope that our efforts along these lines were at least moderately successful from your point of view. We are all glad to have exams behind us!
In and around exam preparation, we enjoyed the fall electric concert on the first Friday we were back in session. I was in Washington at a conference that evening, and was sorry to miss the many performances a number of you were able to enjoy. I heard that all who performed did extremely well, and this was also true at this past Sunday's Lessons and Carols service. All told, our instrumentalists and vocalists have ushered in the holiday season with some wonderful music. Tonight's Lessons and Carols service for the whole school will cap things off beautifully.
With a semester's worth of work culminating in and out of the classroom at this time of year, we were also treated to a series of talks given by the students enrolled in the fall semester oratory class. I was able to attend the three nights of these talks, and know that all in attendance would agree that being present was a privilege. In working with the course's instructor, John McVeigh, each student found his or her way to incredible messages and stories that were personal and honest in ways that spoke volumes about each of them. I marvel at the degree to which our students find their voice in these ways, and then find the confidence required to share what they have to say so authentically. This, of course, has much to do with each of them, and much to do with the community they are a part of. I was awfully proud to be a part of the Brooks School community on all three nights.
As we head into winter vacation, we do so with a chance to exhale a bit over the second half of this month and first few days of 2017. We also have the excitement of Winter Term awaiting us on the other side of this vacation, and I am looking forward to the opportunity I will have to be in the classroom with John Fahey teaching a course on the complexity of war during the first three weeks of January. Winter Term puts a bit more bounce in our step as the heart of winter takes hold at that time of year!
I wish you all a wonderful holiday season with your Brooks School sons and daughters, along with family and friends. We will look forward to seeing you in 2017.
