March 2024 Secondary School Newsletter
Hello, Everyone ~
These are busy and exciting times for our 8th graders; the play “opens” next week, Spring Break is in sight, and independent secondary schools will most likely be notifying everyone of their decisions Sunday, March 10. Getting through this last week of school can be exhilarating, exhausting, and emotional all at the same time. But the good news is that break is near and with it comes quality family time, rest, and long awaited admissions results.
Here are a few quick words about the concluding weeks of the independent secondary school process:
1 Evan, Cathy, and Dave Samson met with the entire 8th grade yesterday Our objective was to collectively develop a list of norms focused on how students react to and share their secondary school news This can be a highly charged time for everyone, including parents, and we want to help the entire class to develop common language and behaviors that are both supportive and appropriate for this important day, especially with decisions going out to families while we’re on break Most likely, there will be a flurry of social media activity on Sunday morning, and we wanted to make sure that the kids are thinking about being sensitive to their peers when sharing their news. There will be lots of jubilation, peppered with some disappointment, and as a community and a class it’s important for everyone to be thoughtful and considerate of one another.
2. There is absolutely NO compelling reason to contact a secondary school over the break, OTHER than to accept or to decline an offer, or to let them know if you wish to remain active on a waitlist; however, these can all wait until after vacation. If you are feeling very clear about the school your child will attend if accepted, please let the school know as soon as possible, but do not jump the gun if you are not certain. We also encourage the kids to write a thank-you note to the schools they decline.
3 After you have received your secondary school news, please send an email to Cathy and Evan indicating results for each school to which your child applied and your decision about enrollment, once known, so that we can maintain accurate final records in the database Thank you!
4. Schools really cannot answer questions about waitlists for several weeks or more after March 10 because they don't get enough early responses to estimate their yields. Evan would be happy to talk with you about the wisdom of staying on a particular waitlist, and is available to connect on Sunday, 3/10 and Monday, 3/11, or any mutually agreeable time during break. Cathy is also available the first week of break via email, phone, or Zoom to chat about anything related to school news you receive.
5. Typically, revisit days are a great opportunity to return to a school's campus and enjoy one last opportunity to get to know everything a given school has to offer now that your child has been admitted; revisit days can be very helpful to inform and affirm your final decision. Please do not revisit schools that you have no interest in attending as it misleads the schools themselves, plus we prefer to have your students here with us at Brookwood.
When you know about firm revisit plans and school days that will be missed, please notify your child's advisor and Jen Greene in the front office. Reminder: Revisits are only available to admitted students, not those who are on a school’s waitlist.
6 If your child does not have a known next school on March 10, or receives results that fall short of expectations, DO NOT PANIC. Every year we run into this situation and it always works out Evan will be available over break on 3/10 (yes, that is a Sunday) and on 3/11, or other mutually agreeable times over break to discuss next steps
Additionally, he can schedule meetings following break so we can begin to strategize, to help you sort through options, and offer any additional guidance moving forward
Honestly, it may be stressful, but we will continue to work in partnership with you until we find an appropriate school for every student
We know that the last days of this waiting period can be difficult, but all of your kids have managed the long search and application process with grace and relative calm. We truly hope that everyone has a wonderful Spring Break, and the time away with family and friends is restful and restorative. And, we are all looking forward to an outstanding play production!
Most sincerely,
Evan and Cathy