Mission & Academics Blog

This year has been an inspiring celebration of 60 years of excellence at Brookfield Academy…a celebration of the wisdom, courage, and perseverance of a few families that wanted something more for their children and took action. We have all enjoyed the fruits of their efforts. Our school has grown and impacted many, many families. We are grateful to all the people that have been a part of our school community.  

But as the year is coming to an end, I have reflected often on what has kept our school firmly grounded in practices and programs that create excellence for our students. Every time I find myself returning to our Five Stars: Truth, Character, Intellect, Individuality, and Heritage.   

While the decades have gone by, times have changed. Society has emphasized new concerns, new areas for growth, new technologies, new challenges. Yet, we have found our answers at each new moment by relying on those Five Stars that our founders provided back in 1962.  

Truth - This Star reminds us - assures us - that not everything is relative. There are absolutes and we treasure them. At Brookfield Academy, we will always seek what is good, true, and beautiful in the world. We will strive to teach our scholars to take this search to heart in their own lives. We do not try to force truth on them but to guide them and encourage them to study their world, evaluate, reflect, research, and stretch - always seeking the truth. As faculty and administrators, we work to model this same approach. Our school was founded on enduring principles such as a theistic view of life, a Judeo-Christian ethic, personal responsibility, and the fruits of an education. Perhaps the greatest truth lived out each day is the power of love - love of freedom, love of learning, and most importantly, love for our students. 

This year I have had the opportunity to sit and discuss several  books with both faculty and parents. Sometimes the groups were small and intimate, other times we had a crowd. I was the one to benefit in all cases. Reading and then, socializing what you learned with others is incredibly enjoyable, meaningful, and rewarding. I hope that more and more BA parents consider joining us next year. 

“ If you want a child to know the truth, tell him the truth.  If you want a child to love the truth, tell him a story.” 
 – Andrew Peterson, author