From the desk of Rod Fletcher, Headmaster:

This is the time of year when I get really energized and excited.    (The students think I am crazy – but I just remind myself that I have pretty stiff competition – SUMMER.)  I love this time of year because with a new school year comes a fresh start – an opportunity to make resolutions and grow.  Growth is one of the most satisfying things in life – and a new school year provides just that opportunity.

I am especially excited about this upcoming school year at Brook Hill because of ALL of the new things that are happening.  We are taking HUGE steps forward in a number of areas that will truly enhance the student experience.

Here are just a few:

• Food Service: We are transitioning from in-house food service to a professionally managed food service vendor. Flik Independent School Dining (flik-usa.com) is the independent school arm of the Compass Group, a globally recognized food service company. Brook Hill will join some of the nation’s largest, most reputable private day and boarding schools in offering students nutritious food prepared fresh daily.
• To upgrade Brook Hill’s current transportation inventory, we have added two Lion Buses, each comfortably seating forty passengers, and a twenty passenger shuttle bus. We’ll also be replacing our existing Chevy Tahoe with a newer model Suburban.
• In order to meet the demands of a growth, a major office restructuring has taken place this summer. New office suites for Academic & College Counseling, Business, and Residential Life have been added.
• Existing carpet in numerous classrooms in Ornelas and Lauderdale has been replaced with new, highly-durable commercial carpet.
• Student desks have been added around campus to upgrade the learning environment.
• The Annual Brook Hill Fall Football Classic has been changed to the Tyler Ford/Brook Hill American Warriors Bowl.  The entire weekend will be dedicated to the men and women who have served our country.  Three games will be played instead of two and two of the teams will be from out of state including Brook Hill’s opponent from St. Bernard’s Catholic High School in Eureka, California.
• An additional College/Academic Counselor dedicated to boarding students has been added to the Academic Team.
• New Upper School Courses have been added: SAT/ACT Prep, Dual Credit Biology, Microeconomics
• Both Boys’ Boarding houses are undergoing renovations and cosmetic improvements. Each suite in the Boys’ houses will receive a privacy wall, fresh paint, and new fixtures (i.e. commercial toilets!) in the bathrooms. In addition, a new storage building has been added behind each house to accommodate the various storage needs of the residents. The addition of the new storage buildings will allow the existing upstairs storage room in each house to be converted into a quiet, designated study room for the boys. The downstairs and upstairs common areas in each house will also receive a fresh coat of paint. Finally, the mattresses in each will be replaced with new ones.
• Computer classes available to all students in grades 6-8.
• Two mobile technology labs for the MS/US, comprised of Microsoft Surface 3 Tablets
• Two mobile technology labs for the Lower School , comprised of iPad Air 2 tablets
• Complete roll-out of Moodle to all Middle School students and teachers
• Interactive Whiteboards added to the Lower School for new PreK, K, and 1^st grade classrooms
• Internet bandwidth increased from 20MB to 100MB.
• Wi-Fi network upgraded across all campus buildings ensuring that a strong Wi-Fi signal can be found anywhere on campus.
• Hallway TVs with media players added across campus for digital communications

As Brook Hill enters its 19^th year it is poised to provide its largest number of students yet  with the best educational program yet.  I am excited for another school year – especially one with so many enhancement, innovations, and improvements.  I am excited that so many families are choosing for their child a comprehensive, quality, Christ-centered, college preparatory education.