Brookwood School It Starts Here.

Although each grade often has its own traditions, there are many annual Brookwood events that involve most or all of the community. These are events that parents and students do not want to miss. For new and returning Brookwood families, here is a list of noteworthy events. We look forward to a great year.

TRADITIONS AND OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT BROOKWOOD

School Meeting: A favorite Brookwood tradition! Every Thursday at 10:00 a.m. the entire school community gathers for announcements, student performances, poetry readings, game reports, the Headmaster’s quiz, and more. Parents are always invited and encouraged to attend.

This Week at Brookwood (TWAB): Check your inbox every Friday for the online edition of TWAB, which contains the calendar and lunch menu for the following week as well as important announcements from faculty and the administration. TWAB is also accessible from the Brookwood website, click here: This Week at Brookwood.

www.Brookwood.edu: The school’s website is the place to go for school closing or delay information, sports schedules, information on upcoming events, admissions and more.

Parents’ Association Meetings: All parents are invited and encouraged to attend the PA meetings. The meetings are scheduled throughout the year, alternating mornings and evenings to try to accommodate all who want to participate. Meetings for 2010-2011 will be held on September 30, December 2, February 17, and May 26.

Back to School Night: Parents come to school in the evening to meet their children’s teachers and to learn about the curricula covered during the year. Sign-up sheets for first-term parent-teacher conferences are typically offered at this event. Back to School Night will be held on September 23, 2010.

New Parents’ Dinner: A gathering held to acquaint new parents with each other as well as with trustees and administrators.

All School Cookout: All families are invited and encouraged to attend. Bring your own blanket, catch up with friends new and old. The food and fun will be provided.

Spring and Fall Book Fairs: Sponsored by the Parents’ Association, these sales provide funds for the faculty to buy books for classroom libraries. In addition, there is typically a parent book fair held around the holidays. The Fall Book Fair will be held on October 13-14, 2010, and the Spring Bood Fair on May 11-12, 2011.

Halloween Parade: Held for the Lower School, usually on or around Halloween. Lower school students (and often faculty!) dress in their costumes and parade around the front courtyard for the Middle and Upper School students. Parents are invited and encouraged to attend. This year's parade will be held on October 29, 2010 at noon.

Revels: A special holiday celebration in which the entire student body and audience participate. This is a special event dress day (see below) for all students and is held on the Friday before winter break begins. Parents and families are invited and encouraged to attend. Revels will be held on December 17, 2010 at 11 a.m.

The Eighth Grade Play: An annual production that involves the entire Eighth grade class and is a must-see for all members of the Brookwood community. Tickets typically go on sale a few weeks prior to the production and will be announced in TWAB. Performances are held in the evening of the week prior to March break. This year's production will be held on March 8-10, 2011.

Annual Spring Fund Raiser: Definitely an event not to be missed! Stay tuned for more information about the 2010 Spring event. The Parents' Association depends on the entire community to support this event.

Special Event Dress Days: These dates, which include Revels, Grandparents’ Day, and others noted on your 2010-2011 school calendar, have special dress code requirements. These are specified, by division, in the Handbook for Families.

Parent Education Nights/Coffees: The Parents’ Association sponsors outside speakers to discuss various topics of interest. Watch This Week at Brookwood for more details on dates and topics.

Headmaster’s Coffees: Informal morning gatherings with Headmaster John Peterman and sometimes other school personnel to address a theme or timely issue.

Transition Coffees: Held in the spring for families of students entering Third and Sixth grades to discuss the transition to the Middle and Upper Schools, respectively.

Lost and Found: There are two Lost and Found boxes at Brookwood, one located near the Cutler Gym and another in Lower School. Occasionally throughout the year, all lost and found items are laid out on the Cutler Gym floor for parents to check. When this is planned, a notice will be run in This Week at Brookwood.

Carpool Line: Even seasoned families mess this one up on occasion! The spots marked “First in Line” and “Second in Line” in the lower and upper school pickup lines are reserved for the winners of those auction items each year; so, if you arrive for pickup and those spots are empty simply line up behind them.

Winter Break Dismissal: If you attend Revels, the car pool lines and double parked cars will not seem as frustrating. However, if you have been out running the last errands before the kids are home for two weeks and are planning on a quick trip to pick them up, this will not happen. Be prepared to wait a little longer than usual. A good book and a cup of coffee always help, or you can look at it as your last few moments of peace and quiet!