Head of School's Letter - October 10 - Being Neighborly

One of my favorite things about working in a school is the sheer variety of conversations I get to have in a single day. In the span of a few hours, I might hear a knock-knock joke from a Kindergartener, join a meeting on strategic planning, and then find myself talking about—of all things—parking.

It may not be the most glamorous topic, but like so many of the everyday rhythms of school life, driving and parking are part of how we live our values. At Brookwood, being a good neighbor is something we practice in small, daily ways. We do it in the hallways, where students hold doors for one another. We do it on the playground, where games expand to make room for an extra player. And we can do it, too, in the way we arrive and leave each day.

Brookwood Road is, quite literally, a neighborhood street. Families live along it, with driveways that open out onto the road all the way down to the Lower School playground. It is also the path our children walk, bike, and ride every day. Driving slowly, sharing the road both ways, and noticing who else is moving alongside us are small ways we show our children how to move through the world with care and respect.

Parking, especially on busy game days, can sometimes feel like its own Olympic sport. But it’s also one of those moments where a smile, a wave, or a little extra patience can shift the whole tone. Our maintenance team, who double up as parking attendants, are there to make things easier, and I know they appreciate being met with the same kindness we ask of our children.

The truth is, our kids are always watching. They learn from how we handle the rush, how we treat the people guiding traffic, how we share the road and move through the world when things don’t go perfectly. If we can approach our driving and parking with the same neighborly spirit we hope our students bring to their friendships and classrooms, we’re teaching lessons that go well beyond the road.

Warmly,