Message from the Head of School

“ This reaccreditation process was not at all what we imagined it might be way back in

March 2019, but the challenges we faced over the three years that ensued strengthened our school in ways that will pay dividends over the years ahead.”

A MESSAGE FROM JOHN R. PACKARD JR. HEAD OF SCHOOL

Learning As We Go

As we returned to school from Spring Break in late March 2019, we had no idea what the next few years would bring. We did know, however, that it was time for an introduction to our 10-year reaccreditation process with a representative from our accrediting body, the New England Association of Schools & Colleges (NEAS&C), scheduled to visit with us. We were at the very beginning of launching work on a selfstudy, which would be completed through the 2019–2020 school year and allow us an opportunity to take a close and critical look at our school with an eye on what we might do to improve moving forward. The work began as scheduled, and we were well into the process when Spring Break arrived in early March 2020. Then, the COVID-19 curtain dropped, we pivoted to pandemic management and work on our self-study was paused indefinitely.

I have not been one to point to the pandemic’s silver linings with much frequency, as I find doing so diminishes all that so many students and faculty members lost during the acute phase we were in for the better part of 18 months. Yet, there is no question that pausing our self-study for all of those 18 months broadened and deepened the final draft, which we submitted this past summer — two years later than originally anticipated. We learned a great deal through the pandemic by virtue of needing to operate in so many different modes and schedules. When relegated to screens as the only means of gathering as a whole community, a fundamental strength of our school was put to the test. We missed Chapel, School Meeting, gathering for plays, concerts and games, and enjoying meals together. Physical distancing and masks limited our ability to foster community and build and nurture relationships that are part and parcel of who we are. We were challenged to know one another well. We created our own diversity standard in our self-study to put the spotlight on how we were doing at realizing equity, inclusion and belonging within our community, which is more measurably diverse than it has ever been. We found ourselves needing to keep our distance from one another as we tried to foster and realize community in new ways at the same time — no small challenge.

Thus, it was so satisfying to finally welcome a visiting committee comprising independent school educators from all over New England to our campus in October to assess our school through the lens of the self-study we pulled together over the course of this tumultuous threeyear span. While we are and will be working through the thoughtful feedback the visiting committee shared with us, it felt great to have a peer group see and feel the strength of our community in the ways that we do. It felt great to have a peer group applaud our resilience through the heart of the pandemic. It felt great to have our commitment to trying to reach, include and realize belonging for all who are part of our community acknowledged and encouraged. This reaccreditation process was not at all what we imagined it might be way back in March 2019, but the challenges we faced over the three years that ensued strengthened our school in ways that will pay dividends over the years ahead.

As we move further toward Brooks School’s second century, we see that the past few years have provided important opportunities to learn in ways that will help us better realize our mission and stay in pursuit of continuing to be a better and better version of ourselves.

I wish all of you a wonderful start to 2023.