Winter mornings are bitterly cold at the top of the hill, but Lower School scholars warm our hearts with cheers of delight when we announce that the sledding hill is officially open for its first riders of the season. Their enthusiasm for this longstanding Brookfield Academy tradition is infectious.

If our youngest scholars only knew how many Brookfield Academy traditions will actually shape their lives once they graduate prepared for college and life. As adults, we know the value of traditions, and we would like to cheer whenever we see one play out during the day. For now, we will wait anxiously for the day when our scholars grow up and return with stories of how the traditions in the Lower School influenced their futures.

There are certain to be stories about morning assemblies, where, with honor and regardless of the weather, a student raised the flag, and the pledge and prayer kicked off the day. A student or two will certainly remember the time spent at recess playing tirelessly with friends, practicing kindness and respect. Scholars will recall weekly visits to the library, gym, art, music, and language classes. Even the tradition of homework, where the lessons of the day were reviewed and mastered, and poems were memorized, will bring fond memories.

More than any tradition remembered, however, will be the commitment and dedication of their teachers. Brookfield Academy teachers know their students and take the time to help each one of them reach his or her fullest potential. They model lifetime learning by continuing to study their profession and apply that knowledge in the classroom, where mediocrity is cast aside and high expectations are the norm.

Here at BA, every season brings its lessons along with treasured traditions.

Heather Caponi, LS A-2 Division Head

The popular BAME (Brookfield Academy Mini-Economy) simulation gives Level 7 and 8 students lessons on how an economy, a competitive market, government, banking, and politics coexist with each other.

After a recent BAME market day, I overheard a student exclaiming that he had a lot of Peschos (BAME currency) and would soon be "loaded." Often, students in BAME focus on instant wealth and overlook the important lessons of this simulation. Our themes of

Personal Responsibility and Gratitude Inspires

present ideas that can be woven into the lessons of BAME, reminding students that they will make contributions to others in their future.

Billionaires such as Bill Gates and Warren Buffett have said the rich have benefited from their nation’s assets and systems to become wealthy. Gates and Buffet are committed to giving away the majority of their wealth through a program called "The Giving Pledge." What message can we give our students while still within the borders of Freedom Hall and so diligently earning the mighty "Pescho"?

• We can raise awareness that generosity is not just about giving money but also about giving of self. It is less about the size of the check and more about the personal satisfaction of giving and the outcomes seen.

• We can teach that giving back does not have to be made with a financial donation. Students can give of their time and talent to make a difference.

• We can remind students that what we have today at Brookfield Academy is the result of hard work, support, and donations from many people over the course of 50 years. Students are the ones who are reaping these benefits.

Being thankful for what we have allows us to give back and inspires us to do more as responsible, constructive, free people.

Doug Ricci, Middle School Head

Advocating For Our Independence

Wisconsin’s educational landscape is undergoing noticeable tremors reverberating throughout the nation. While tension and rhetoric are increasing, isn’t it refreshing and encouraging to be at an independent school free from the current political turmoil?

As an independent school, Brookfield Academy eschews government funding to avoid inclusion in this inevitable confrontation. Our independence encourages freedoms that form the foundation and ultimate strength of our school. That strength is manifested by our freedom to define our unique mission, determine our curriculum and programs, hire mission-appropriate faculty, and admit mission-appropriate families.

We are fond of saying, and rightly so, Brookfield Academy is held accountable to its "stakeholders" (parents, students, alumni), not bureaucrats or politicians. We embrace our freedom by providing the best educational experience for families seeking the perfect match between their beliefs and educational aspirations and our mission, philosophy, program, and people.