Faculty prepared for the start of school with meetings in the Science Forum this week. |
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Arrivals & Packing Reminders
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Coming to campus: The countdown is on to opening days, Sept. 2 through Sept. 5! An updated opening schedule has been added to the Parents Resources page. Check it out for details about where students/families need to be — and when. If you cannot arrive during your scheduled time, please contact Associate Dean for Student Affairs Andrea Heinze directly.
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Boarding students: As your boarding student is preparing to pack for dorm living, please keep in the mind the following regulations and read the dormitory fire and decoration regulations guide for dorm rooms. If a student arrives with any of the restricted items, they will need to take them back home. In particular, please note:
- Monitors/TVs may only be up to 32" (with an exception for sixth-form students: They may bring devices with a larger size screen.)
- Gaming consoles are only allowed in rooms of sixth-form students.
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Any outside furniture must meet the fire regulations explained in the decoration guide.
- No air conditioners
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Packing: In addition to items in the packing guide, please consult Brooks School's dress code for guidance about attire to bring to Brooks. Don't forget a swimsuit for the swim test (see details below)!
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New families: New families who are arriving on Friday are invited to return on Monday for new family programming, which begins at 1 p.m., if you are able to attend.
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Do You Have Last Minute Questions?
Thank you to everyone who attended the New Family Zoom last evening. We were able to answer a range of questions from what are drop-off times to how does school security work to when to use the REACH system? Please continue to ask your questions and let us know how we can help. Contact information is on our website, and if you aren’t sure where to direct your question, please reach out to Director of the Brooks Fund and Family Engagement Mary Merrill and she will be happy to point you in the right direction.
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Swim Test
Given Brooks' beautiful location on Lake Cochichewick, our sailing and crew programs, and other opportunities to participate in water activities on and off campus, Brooks administers a swim test for students at the start of the school year. This is to assess swimming proficiency. We will be giving the swim test to all new students. Students will not be allowed to participate in the sailing or crew programs unless they have passed the swim test. Students who are not proficient swimmers should indicate so and will not be asked to participate in the swim test. The test will be held on Sept. 6 as part of orientation. Students should bring a bathing suit and towel.
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Important Construction Details for Opening Days
While we are incredibly close to completion, there are still a few outstanding projects happening in the center of campus. As you are visiting over the coming days, please note the following:
- The new vestibule front entry to Wilder Dining Hall, off of campus' Main Street, is not open yet. Contractor signage will label points of entry/exit.
- The access into Wilder Dining Hall will be off the patio via the side door that faces the athletic center. The mailroom entry and the arts quad entry on the lower level remain open. All stairs and the elevator are available for public use.
- The landscaping around the patio will be hydro-seeded tomorrow and Brooks' grounds crew will put up yellow barriers to prevent pedestrians from walking on newly seeded areas. Please only walk on paved or concrete surfaces and stay off of yellow barrier areas until grass is established and the barriers are removed by our grounds team.
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Mailroom & School Store Hours
If you are planning ahead for shopping at the school store and collecting any packages sent to Brooks, the school store and mailroom hours have changed slightly this year:
Store: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Mailroom: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
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Campus Leaves Procedure
As Associate Head for Student Affairs Andrea Heinze shared in her student affairs information email last week, there are procedures and expectations for any campus leaves — for all students. Please review the communication to learn the rules regarding leaving campus, taking overnights and missing school or school commitments for various reasons. We will work with the students once they arrive to learn the REACH system for leave requests.
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E&R Laundry Services Reminder
For those boarding families who missed the opportunity during the enrollment process to sign up for laundry services, please review and complete the E&R form (please disregard last year's date. This is the most recent information and details are current). Once complete, the form can be sent to Brooks' business office.
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Class Schedules Are Available
Parents and guardians can now view assigned blocks and teachers for student-enrolled courses in OnBrooks. Once in OnBrooks using the assigned parent/guardian account, click the name of the student and then select the Progress Tab to view the classes, blocks and teachers. To determine the weekly schedule match the blocks with the weekly schedule. For more information or assistance, please contact Registrar Lisa Saunders.
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Special Academic Schedule (Sept. 6-7)
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Still Need to Order Books?
Please make sure to check your student's course enrollment in OnBrooks, especially if they are signed up for electives, and order the books. As long as you get the correct ISBN and edition from the Follett site, you may order the texts from any vendor. If it says a text is backordered, please consider purchasing the online e-text version, so that your student can gain immediate access and be prepared for the start of classes. All information about backordering status comes from Follett; Brooks does not receive this information. If you choose to have your shipment delivered to Brooks, you can pick it up in the Student Center, adjacent to the mailroom, upon arrival to campus. Should you have any questions please email Associate Head of School for Academic Affairs Susanna Waters.
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Help Prepare Your Student for Classes
A reminder to students: Continue working on summer reading and assignments! Check OnBrooks > Groups > Summer Reading & Assignments for details about the required readings and classwork. Deadlines vary so please read the information carefully. Of course, don't forget to join us in our All Community Read: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, required of all students and faculty!
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Athletics Equipment Reminder
Invitation only, pre-season team practices begin tomorrow, on Sept. 2. All afternoon programs begin on Tuesday, Sept. 6. Students should be ready to participate in their activities at that time and have brought from home all the equipment they will need. Please review the note from the athletics department for a detailed list of the equipment required for each fall activity and for more information about the upcoming sports season.
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Accommodations Update from the Learning Center
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Parents of new students: If you would like to have your child continue their academic accommodations from a previous school, please provide the Learning Center with a copy of a neuropsychological evaluation completed within the last three years. Documentation may be emailed to Interim Director of the Learning Center Karina Moltz.
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Parents of returning students: if your child uses accommodations at Brooks and would like to request accommodations for the SAT or ACT, please contact Karina Moltz as soon as possible. This process takes six to eight weeks, and the testing cycle starts this month for the 2022-2023 academic year.
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Recipes From Home
To kickstart our B Well wellness program, we are looking for families to send in special recipes from home. These recipes might be ones featured in your holiday celebrations and traditions, or may just be your child’s favorite! We will share each recipe with our dining services team, who will recreate the recipe for our community.
We recognize that food is more than just nutrition, and provides important connections in families and communities. We believe that sharing our recipes with one another broadens our appreciation of the diversity within our community and builds relationships and understanding. We hope that each recipe from home will spark conversations, grow connections and ease homesickness.
Please email Director of Health and Wellness Melissa Donais your recipe with “Recipes From Home” in the subject line. We hope to feature recipes throughout the school year, so send as many recipes as you’d like. You can also send recipes throughout the year. Recipes may be entrees, side dishes or even desserts. (Please note: Our dining services team avoids cooking or baking with nuts, as they are a common allergen).
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Family Volunteer Zoom Meeting
Are you interested in volunteering for Brooks? If so, join us for our family volunteer Zoom meeting on Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. Fellow parent volunteers will outline the schedule of events and opportunities to become involved with school life on and off campus. You can also note your areas of interest on the Family Update 2022-2023 form or our Get Involved page.
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Tell Us About Your Family
In an effort to keep our school records up to date, please take a few minutes to fill out our Family Update 2022-2023 form. This information is for internal school use only. We request that you fill out this update by Sept. 9. Thank you!
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Not on social media? Visit the Brooks Social page to see what we've shared!
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