As we return to classes after a wonderful Parents Weekend, I continue to feel great about the time we were able to spend together on campus through the day on Friday and Saturday. While this year's weekend fell a bit later in October than is usually the case, I hope the opportunity to think together at the end of the first marking period with comments, effort marks, and grades in hand was helpful. There is still a lot of work to be done before the first semester comes to a close in mid-December, and we hope that the weekend allowed for some time to strategize about how to maximize these late fall and early winter weeks. Above all, it was a lot of fun to have so many of you here experiencing a glimpse of what all of us are privileged to enjoy on a daily basis. Now, on to the three weeks leading up to Thanksgiving vacation!

 

When I last wrote, we were on the verge of our fall trustee meetings, and we had excellent sessions over that two-day stretch in October. The progress we have made on The Campaign for Brooks is particularly noteworthy for two exciting reasons:

 

First, I noted during my welcome to Parents Weekend that one year ago at this time, we had received a total of about $26 million in gifts, pledges, and intentions. I then shared that over the course of the past 12 months, this total has risen to $45 million in gifts, pledges, and intentions. The lengths to which so many are going to ensure the school succeeds in achieving the $60 million goal we have set for this campaign has inspired us at every turn. The leadership of this effort and participation of so many is carrying the day.

 

Second, I spent some time during my remarks sharing just a few images of the arts facility and theater we are still on track to begin work on as soon as the current school year ends in early June. This $28 million facility comprises almost half of the whole campaign, and we have received gifts, pledges, and intentions that currently sit at about $24 million after a $4 million matching challenge was launched by two donors in October. We are aiming to increase that challenge to $4.5 million with a third gift, and will then work hard to try to turn that $4.5 million into $9 million. When we achieve that goal, we will have fully funded the most ambitious capital project the school has taken on in decades.

 

These are ambitious goals that will require our best effort over this year and next. The combination of realizing the new arts facility and substantially increasing the school's financial aid capacity will lead to a far richer and fuller experience for current and future Brooks School students. Success in this campaign will lead to an even stronger program, physical plant, and community of people. It is our goal to do all we can to earn the support of the school's whole constituency down the stretch.

 

In the time between our trustee meetings and Parents Weekend, a few more points of interest:

 

First, I have mentioned a number of times the remembrance garden being built behind the Science Forum with funds from the Anna Trustey Memorial Fund. I shared over the weekend that the garden is now essentially complete, and you should feel free to visit it when on campus. We have been so pleased with how it has come along and are confident all who visit it will find it to be a lovely space. We will plan a more formal dedication of the garden in the spring, and will share those details as they come together.

 

Second, I mentioned in my remarks to parents on Friday that our U.S. Government and Politics students have done an excellent job debating the issues within the current presidential campaign at a far higher level than we have all endured over the past number of months. We will hold our own election next week. Earlier this week, we attended two speeches given by the two teams assigned to campaign for Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, respectively. Will Gibeley '17 spoke on behalf of Secretary Clinton, and Els Caulo '17 spoke on behalf of Mr. Trump. Both of them delivered wonderful speeches that allowed all of us to consider the actual differences between the two candidates, as opposed to the constantly declining level of discourse we see, hear, and read about day after day. I was proud of Els and Will, their campaign teams, and the way in which we have managed to elevate a critical national conversation. We will continue to stay that course up to and after the election itself on Tuesday of next week.

 

Third, as we continue to update our campus safety protocols, Associate Head for Student Affairs Andrea Heinze has arranged for a number of us to participate in a "tabletop" drill with the North Andover Police Department on Monday of next week. We have done this before, and this type of exercise will allow us to think through various emergency scenarios in order to test our readiness for circumstances we hope to never encounter. This work is coupled with an ongoing conversation with the NAPD, updates we are making to our own protocols and, eventually, some drilling we will do with the school community. Our 251-acre campus presents challenges in this broad area, and we are committed to staying in touch with evolving best practices as we go forward. If you have questions on this front, please let me know.

 

Before closing, I would highlight some of what will add to the excitement of the few weeks leading up to Thanksgiving vacation:

We will make our way into Thanksgiving vacation on Saturday, November 19, and I will look forward to being in touch again at some point over the break. Until then, please do let me know if you have any questions. I am always glad to catch up.

Best,

 

John R. Packard

Head of School