Headmaster's Letter

September 2007

A Great Start, A Scare, A Great Response

Dear Brookstone Family:

I had carefully wordsmithed my September Headmaster's Letter extolling the wonderful start that we have enjoyed this year, and I was about to send it to press Friday, August 31, when we received a visit from the police department announcing a possible threat to our school.  By now, you know the story...the police, acting on a 911 call, had reason to believe that someone (or some group) was going to come to campus and attempt to do us harm in some way.  So, our happy Friday afternoon heading into Labor Day weekend turned into the ultimate safety drill.  We have taken steps to improve our campus safety and security, and we were mostly gratified at our reactions to this circumstance.  None-the-less, we are deconstructing our actions and assessing how we can improve our emergency response in the future.  (Enclosed is a synopsis of the school's communication plan.)  Blessedly, the threat turned out to be a non-event, but the school's collective reaction to our circumstances reminded me of how lucky I am to work every day with such an outstanding group of administrators, teachers, students, and parents. 

Thinking overall about our school year thus far, I am reminded that school years vary from one to the next with each finding a particular and distinctive rhythm.  Often the quality of a school year is affected by the leadership (or lack thereof) of the senior class.  I challenged the members of the Class of 2008 that Brookstone both expected and needed them to "step up" and lead us this year.  I am proud to report that our seniors, with almost a fifth of their year behind them, are off to an exceptional start.  In fact, across the entire school, we have witnessed an excellent beginning to the year: teachers are energized; students are attentive and engaged...in short, the whole place is pumping with energy and spirit.   I could provide a litany of improvements that we have witnessed this year, and the credit for such is spread among the entire school.  This is not to say that we have not had some disappointments.  We lament the suspension of our softball program for the year, and we are working on the future of the program right now.  Brookstone softball will be back in 2008 and will compete for championships again soon.  We have also encountered the "routine" challenges of school life, but we have faced those challenges with our eyes fixed on positive results.  So, imagine again the positive momentum that was disrupted last Friday.  Yet somehow, it wasn't.  In a difficult situation, the best of Brookstone shone through, and that fact provides me as much encouragement and prompts as much pride as any "routine" accomplishment.

So, thank you Brookstone for a great start to the year.  Next month I will address an educational topic of paramount importance, one which will witness Brookstone's commitment and leadership in the years to come.  For now, Go Cougars!

Sincerely,

Scott A. Wilson