Brooks School
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Brooks School
| Motto | VICTURI TE SALUTAMUS |
|---|---|
| School type | Private, Co-ed |
| Established | 1926 |
| Head of School | Lawrence W. Becker |
| Campus | Small town, 342 acres |
| Endowment | $71 million |
| Religious affiliation | Episcopal |
| Location | North Andover, MA, USA |
| Mascot | |
| School colors | Green, Black, White |
| School website | www.brooksschool.org |
Brooks School is a private co-educational preparatory secondary school in North Andover, Massachusetts on the shore of Lake Cochichewick.
Contents |
[edit] Overview
The school was founded in 1926 by the Rev. Endicott Peabody, the headmaster of Groton School at the time, and named after Phillips Brooks, a well-known nineteenth century Episcopal clergyman, orator and author, rector of Trinity Church in Boston, Bishop of Massachusetts, and resident of North Andover.
The school opened on September 29, 1927, with fourteen boys in the first and second forms (seventh and eighth grades). The school added one form (or grade) each year thereafter until it comprised grades 7–12, denoted by the British educational notations Form I, II, III, IV, V and VI, respectively. Forms I and II (seventh and eighth grades) were later dropped. Today, Brooks consists of Forms III, IV, V and VI, or grades 9–12, corresponding to the U.S. public educational system's equivalent of a high school. Students entering Brooks in the Third Form are colloquially referred to as Beagles, in honor of the first headmaster's famously disoriented pet.
Brooks School is unique among schools for the continuity of its leadership, having had just three heads of school in over 75 years. The School's first headmaster, Frank D. Ashburn (a graduate of Groton School, Yale University and Columbia Law School), was appointed at the age of 25 and served for 46 years until his retirement in 1973. He was succeeded by H. Peter Aiken who served until 1986, when he was succeeded by Lawrence W. Becker, the school's current headmaster who will step down in 2008. He will be succeeded by John Packard, the current Dean of Faculty.
The school admitted day students in the early 1950s and became co-educational in 1979.
Brooks has 5 boys dorms and 5 girls dorms. The girls dorms are Merriman, Gardner, PBA, Hett West and Hett East. The boys dorms are Whitney, Thorne, Blake, Peabody, and Russell. The largest dorm on campus is Thorne House with 40 boys.
Brooks has many clubs and organizations on campus. They range from Irish Club to Brooks Brothers and Sisters (BBS). Other groups include Amnesty International, the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA), Ashburn Society, Phillips Brooks Society (PBS), Art Association, Students Embracing Culture (SEC), Debate Team, Peer Tutoring, Ski Club, Model UN, Environmental Club, International Club, Rugby Club, Sushi Club, Harry Potter Club, Weekend Activities, Jewish Student Organization (JSO), Fins and Feathers Club, Gentlemen's Club, Film Auters Club, Cheese Club (for lovers of fine cheese), Rock Band, and Math Team.
The academic program at Brooks focuses on a college preparatory curriculum. Community life at Brooks includes bi-weekly chapel services (with a third service on Sundays for boarding students) in a non-denominational setting, community service programs serving locally and beyond, and extracurricular activities in the arts and athletics. Athletically, Brooks competes in the Independent School League. Its traditional rival is the Governor's Academy (Formerly known as Governor Dummer Academy). However, recently rivalry had been struck up with The Middlesex School.
The school's motto, victuri te salutamus, is Latin for "We, who are about to live, salute you." - a variation of the famous motto of the Roman gladiators' "nos morituri te salutamus," or "we who are about to die, salute you."
[edit] Dormitories
| Boys Dorms | Thorne | Blake | Whitney | Peabody | Russel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Girls Dorms | Gardner | Hett East | Hett West | PBA | Merriman |
The school has 10 dormitories, five each for girls and boys. At least two faculty members live in each residence, and dorm prefects are appointed to work with the younger students as they adjust to living away from home. On weeknights and Sunday evening, dorms are quiet for study hours between 8 and 10. Third formers have assigned study hall in Wilder Dining Hall and sixth formers are free to study outside of the dorm.
Dorms include a common room that usually has a fridge, microwave, and TV for late night television.
For your first year at Brooks, the housing committee chooses roommates for you, according to your submitted rooming questionnaire. Every year after that the choice is up to you.
[edit] Athletics
Brooks has been very successful in winning many championships in the Independent School League and New England over the recent years, including:
[edit] Fall Sports
- Boys Cross Country - 2005 New England Division 3 Champions, 2007 ISL Champions
- Girls Cross Country- 2007 New England Division 2 Champions, 2007 ISL Champions
- Girls Field Hockey - 2004 New England Class B Tournament Champions, 2005 New England Class B Tournament Champions, 2006 New England Class B Tournament Champions,
- Boys Soccer - 2003 ISL Champions, New England Class A Tournament Champions, 2004 ISL Co-Champions, 2005 ISL Tri-Champions, 2007 ISL Co-Champions, 2007 New England Class B Tournament Finalists
- Girls Soccer - 2001 ISL Champions, New England Class B Tournament Champions, 2002 ISL Champions, New England Class A Tournament Champions, 2005 ISL Champions, New England Class A Tournament Finalists, 2007 ISL Co-Champions
[edit] Winter Sports
- Girls Basketball - 2003 New England Class B Tournament Champions, 2006 New England Class B Tournament Champions
- Boys Ice Hockey - 2004 ISL Eberhart Division Champions, 2005 ISL Eberhart Division Champions, 2006 ISL Eberhart Champions
- Girls Ice Hockey - 2004 New England Division 2 Champions
- Girls Squash - 2006 New England Class B Champions - two players
- Boys Wrestling - 2005 ISL Graves-Kelsey Co-Champions, 2006 New England Champions - two wrestlers, 2007 New England Runner-ups, Champions - two wrestlers, National Prep Champion, Sean Bilodeau
[edit] Spring Sports
- Girls Crew - 2004 NEIRA Regatta Winners, National Champions, 2005 NEIRA Regatta Winners, National Champions
- Girls Lacrosse - 2004 ISL Champions, 2005 ISL Champions, 2006 ISL Champions
- Softball - 7 ISL Championships in the past 8 years
[edit] Study Abroad
Brooks offers several opportunities for students to study abroad, including:
- African Exchange - with four non-racial institutions in Africa: Kenya, Botswana and Uganda
- Hungarian Exchange - began in 1990 as the first and only US-Hungary exchange program at the secondary school level and funded by the Samantha Smith Memorial Exchange Fund, a program of the United States Information Agency and Soros Foundation, students attend the Deák Ferenc Gimnázium in Szeged, Hungary.
- Scotland Exchange - with Glenalmond College in Perth, Scotland
- School Year Aboard (SYA) - founded in 1964 by Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts and now a consortium including top independent schools across the country, SYA is the only secondary school level program which allows students to live with a foreign family for an entire academic year while earning U.S. graduation credits and preparing for selective U.S. colleges and universities.
[edit] Notable Brooksians
- Kier Byrnes '91, musician
- Barry Bingham, Jr. (1933-2006), newspaper publisher.[1]
- Jake Burton Carpenter 1960s (did not graduate from Brooks), founder of Burton Snowboards.[2]
- Charlie Davies '04, professional soccer player for Hammarby IF
- Steve Forbes '66, publisher.[3]
- Anthony Perkins, actor
- Bernard Arnault, '70, CEO of LVMH
- Michael Scott, '43, Regional Manager of Dunder Mifflin Scranton (look in the athletic center)
- James Spader (did not graduate from Brooks), actor
- Parker Stevenson, actor
- Mark Shuttleworth (exchange student), entrepreneur
- Michael Weatherly '86, actor
[edit] References
- ^ McFadden, Robert D. "Barry Bingham Jr., Louisville Publisher, Is Dead at 72", The New York Times, [{April 4]], 2006. Accessed December 12, 2007. "He attended the Brooks School in North Andover, Mass., and graduated from Harvard in 1956 with a bachelor's degree in history."
- ^ Chamberlain, Tony. "CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD BURTON'S INNOVATION HAS FOSTERED A SNOWBOUND SENSATION", The Boston Globe, December 18, 1997.
- ^ Bumiller, Elisabeth. "POLITICS: ON THE TRAIL; In Political Quest, Forbes Runs in Shadow of Father", The New York Times, February 11, 1996. Accessed December 11, 2007. "Christine Todd, Mr. Forbes's childhood friend from the Far Hills Country Day school, would grow up to become Governor Whitman.... His son went off to the Brooks School in North Andover, Mass., then on to Princeton, Malcolm Forbes's alma mater."
