Brick Brings Local Authors to the Community

Fall Event

In partnership with the Parents League of New York, the school hosted award-winning journalist Jennifer Breheny Wallace for a conversation about her critically acclaimed book Never Enough: When Achievement Pressure Becomes Toxic – and What We Can Do About It.  Wallace's book, based on extensive research, examines toxic achievement culture and its impact on children and families, and provides parents with tools to help raise healthy achievers. She co-founded the Mattering Movement, an organization dedicated to "help[ing] parents, students, and teachers untangle self-worth from achievement." Wallace and her husband are raising their three children in NYC. This September event was very well-attended by parents, educators, school administrators, and others from Brick as well as the larger independent school community. We were so pleased to be able to provide the opportunity for this important conversation.

Winter Event

We look forward to hosting Daisy Dowling, executive coach and leading expert on working parenthood, to discuss her highly acclaimed book Workparent: The Complete Guide to Succeeding on the Job, Staying True to Yourself, and Raising Happy Kids, here at Brick in January 2024.  Dowling is the Founder & CEO of Workparent, the coaching, education, and community-building firm with the mission to "provide working mothers and fathers, and the organizations that employ them, with the information and tools they need to succeed – and to take dignity and pride in doing so." The premise at the center of both her book and her firm is Dowling's belief that "all working parents can succeed on the job and remain true to themselves while raising terrific kids." Dowling and her husband are raising their two young children in NYC. We are very excited to bring this conversation to our families, faculty, and the wider community in the new year.

Where Are They Now: Catching Up with Brick Alumni

Celebrating Four Generations of Connection to The Brick Church School  

When James (Jimmy) C. Edwards, returned home to NYC after serving in WWII, he found himself in need of someone to talk to, to help him process what he had been through in the war. It was not easy for him to open up about his experience, but he found comfort in speaking with the Rev. Paul Austin Wolfe, Senior Minister at The Brick Church and founder of The Brick Church School. Pastor Wolfe served as an important support to Jimmy and they developed a very special relationship. 

When Jimmy later married, he and his wife Sally raised their two children, James C. Edwards Jr., who goes by Jim, and Anne Dunwoody (née Edwards) at Brick, and Jim and Anne attended the nursery school in the late 1950s. To this day, Jim has many fond memories from his childhood of being at Brick. He credits Brick with instilling in him his lifelong love of music.   

As an adult, Jim and his wife Barbara also chose to raise their family at Brick and sent their three daughters, Lorrie, Caroline, and Courtney, to the school in the early 1990s. One event that was a highlight for the family was the Christmas Sharing Party. For the Edwards family, helping with this party was a meaningful way to give back to the community. Families in need would come to Watson Hall to pick out gifts for one another to be exchanged on Christmas. When the Edwards moved out of the city, they brought the tradition with them and started a Christmas Sharing Party at their new church in Connecticut. 

Just like her dad, Courtney has many happy memories from her years as a student at Brick. She especially remembers one teacher, Mrs. Bennett, whom her family kept in touch with for many years. Courtney has also stayed in touch with many of her Brick classmates and recently attended the wedding of one classmate where the largest group of friends in attendance were friends since their days at The Brick Church School. 

Courtney was excited to rejoin the Church with her husband, Matthew Kahn, and they now enjoy being parents at Brick with their daughter, Charley, who is in 3 North AM. When applying for Charley, Courtney found the school to be familiar in some ways and new in others, a place still grounded in the same values and traditions, but with wonderful additions to the program and an expanded student body. Charley loves school and shares many details about her days, including vivid descriptions of books that have been read in the classroom. She is eager to go to Brick each day and Courtney credits this to not only the wonderful curriculum and program but also how well the teachers know the children, seeing each one as an individual and knowing them for who they are and what makes them special. She is so happy that Charley, and one day her younger daughter, Emma, will continue to experience the longstanding traditions she enjoyed as a child, while also benefiting from Brick’s ability to recognize and embrace changes that are right for the school moving forward. 

Connect with Us!

To update your contact information, share an update on an alum, or to let us know about someone who would be interested in receiving Brick by Brick, please email dayschool@brickchurch.org.