Head of School's Weekly Letter - 4 to 14 Speaker Series

Dear Families,

What does it look like to see school through a child’s eyes?

It is a question that sits at the heart of our work as educators, and just as importantly, at the heart of our partnership with you as parents. At Brookwood, we often speak about how school and home, when in true dialogue with one another, can create something far greater than either could alone. It is in that spirit that we look forward to welcoming Dr. Michael Thompson to campus on Tuesday, April 14 as part of our 4 to 14 Speaker Series.

Since its founding in 2011, the 4 to 14 Speaker Series has invited leading voices in child development to join our community to help us think together about the complex, meaningful work of guiding children through their formative years.

Dr. Thompson’s work is particularly resonant in this regard. Drawing on decades spent as a clinical psychologist in classrooms and in conversation with families, he has a remarkable ability to illuminate the inner lives of children. He reminds us that beneath the visible markers of kids’ lives, there is a quieter, deeply human journey unfolding.

What I have long appreciated about his perspective is its balance of clarity and compassion. He offers a way of seeing that helps us better understand the emotional landscape our children navigate each day. In doing so, he equips us, as a community of adults, to support them not only toward accomplishment, but toward confidence, resilience, and well-being in an increasingly complex world.

Evenings like this are, at their core, an invitation. An invitation to pause, to reflect, and to engage in conversation with one another. An invitation to deepen the partnership between school and home that is so essential to a child’s experience. And perhaps most importantly, an invitation to consider how we might more fully stand alongside our children as they grow.

I hope you will join us for what promises to be a thoughtful and enriching evening. The program will begin with a reception at 6:00 p.m., followed by Dr. Thompson’s presentation at 7:00 p.m. in the Lower School Town Square (RSVP).

Warmly,

Jon