DECEMBER 5, 2019
The first snowfall has come to Brooks! See photos of the frost and gorgeous sunset on campus earlier this week.
Students' Exam Schedules
Click here for students’ schedules for the next two weeks.
Upcoming Arts Events
Mark your calendar!
  • Dec. 7: Rock Band and Advanced Rock Band concert, Center for the Arts, 7:30 p.m. 
  • Dec. 13: Jazz Band and Advanced Jazz Band concert, Center for the Arts, 7:30 p.m.
  • Dec. 15: Lessons and Carols (for families and the community), Frank D. Ashburn Chapel, 2 p.m.
Toys for Tots Drive: Last Call
Saturday is our last day collecting new, unwrapped toys for the Community Activities Board (CAB)’s Toys for Tots drive. Gifts can be dropped off in Wilder Dining Hall during the day or students can bring them to Dec. 7 Ugly Sweater Dance. In the past, four boxes of toys were collected. We're hoping to make it even more this year!
Sixth Form Parent Gift
The Brooks Together program is a tradition in which the parent community comes together in making a gift to the Brooks Fund . We will launch the Brooks Together parent participation drive for our third-, fourth- and fifth-form families this spring. However, this fall we are introducing the Sixth Form Parent Gift , a new opportunity for our sixth-form families to come together under the Brooks Together umbrella.

In this milestone year, your contributions send a message of appreciation to the faculty and leave a legacy of support for future Brooks students. Parents can make their contribution in honor of their child or of a teacher, mentor or coach who has had a particular impact on their child’s Brooks experience. Sixth-form parents have been asked for single gift in the late fall with a goal to top 90 percent parent participation by winter vacation (in cash or pledges). We thank all sixth-form families in advance for their consideration in celebrating the Brooks class of 2020 through the Sixth Form Parent Gift . If you have any questions, please contact a member of the Sixth Form Parent Committee or the Director of Annual Giving and Donor Relations Mary Merrill .
Attention Third-Form Parents!
On Jan. 16, the third-form Winter Term classes (just the third form) will travel to Boda Borg in Malden, Mass. Boda Borg organizes small group challenge activities ("quests") that promote teamwork and collaboration. For students to participate, a parent MUST sign Boda Borg Boston Brooks School's Electronic Waiver and the waiver MUST come from the parent's email address . After completing the waiver, you will be sent a confirmation email to which you must reply in order to complete the process . Please check your spam folder if the confirmation email does not make it to your inbox. Your child cannot participate without this waiver. Thank you!
Parents Committee Nutcracker Sweets
On Dec. 19, we will treat our students, teachers and staff to holiday goodies before they head off for break! We're in need of volunteers who can bake or buy a treat and drop it off in the Wilder Dining Hall. If you can stay and work the table, that’s great too! If you would like to help, please contact Joan Ziady P’18, P’20, P’22 .
School Store Holiday Shopping
Looking for the perfect holiday gift? Look no further than the Brooks School store. If you can’t get here, just call us at (978) 725-3216 and we will ship directly to you. Gift certificates are also a great idea! In addition to regular hours, there will be extended shopping hours on the following dates:
  • Dec. 7 : 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Dec. 14: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Dec. 21: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
  • Dec. 23: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Happy holidays from your friends at the school store!
"Through Brooks"
"Through Brooks” is a fundraising challenge to support some of the groups that Community Service works with throughout the year. At the end of the Math hallway near the Deans’ Den, there is a "Through Brooks” sign on which various holiday wishes (called challenges) provided by the Haverhill and Lawrence Boys & Girls Clubs are posted. These challenges are gifts or needs that we hope to fulfill, similar to a more traditional giving tree. Any group or individual who might want to contribute can take a challenge and complete it by delivering the item to the Deans’ Den by Dec. 16. Thank you!
Fall Afternoon Activities Awards
Brooks celebrated students who excelled in community service, sports and theater this autumn with awards in Chapel. Click to see who was honored and view an album of photos from the ceremony on Nov. 22.
All-Community Read
With increasing demands on our students for summer work, we are once again moving our All-Community Read to a time which provides more breathing room and can allow for a more thoughtful approach. The end of fall exams and the start of winter term should provide us with that space. The World Languages Department is proud to have chosen The Road To Sparta by Dean Karnazes as this year’s All-Community Read. 

Karnazes is an American ultra-marathon runner, named by Time Magazine one of the “Top 100 Most Influential People in the World." An internationally recognized endurance athlete and New York Times bestselling author, Karnazes has pushed his body and mind to inconceivable limits. The Road to Sparta is his account of running the Spartathlon under the same conditions that Pheiddippides did in ancient times, eating and drinking only what was available in his day, while at the same time competing against the most elite ultra-marathoners of today. We are lucky to host Karnazes on campus Jan. 14 at 7:30 p.m., when he will speak to the campus community.
 
We would like all students to obtain a copy of the book by the start of Winter Break and to have read the book by the completion of Winter Term. If you have any questions or need assistance purchasing the book, please contact Chair of the World Languages Department Peter Neissa .
All School Photo
The all-school photo is available for purchase now via Panfoto. Click to order online or download a printable order form . Prices start at $35 for t he 8" x 26" all-school photo and $25 for the class of 2020 8" x 12."
Student Activities This Weekend
Check out the schedule of events . Highlights include the rock bands concert and a Winter Wonderland party!
Upcoming Events 
  • Nov. 1-Dec. 14: "200 Women" art exhibit
  • Dec. 7: Rock Band and Advanced Rock Band concert
  • Dec. 10: Austin Reception for Alumni and Parents
  • Dec. 13: Jazz Band and Advanced Jazz Band concert
  • Dec. 15: Lessons and Carols (for families and the community)
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