A Dream Come True

If you think watching the ball drop in Times Square is the best way to start the new year, you should have been at Brookfield Academy on Monday, Jan. 4 when everyone was having a ball celebrating the opening of the new Upper School, Patriots Hall.

Upper School students - genuinely excited to return from a two-week vacation - met in Freedom Hall for a final assembly.

Then they took a brisk, ceremonial walk to their new home in Patriots Hall, passing between throngs of Lower and Middle School students waving American flags and cheering them on.

Upon entering Patriots Hall, students experienced their first assembly in the new field house.

Bob Solsrud, Head of School, welcomed them by sharing some impressive facts about the amazing new Upper School facility:

* At 110,000 square feet, Patriots Hall is double the size of Freedom Hall
* More than 1,000 donors contributed to the capital campaign that funded the construction
* The campaign raised $12.5 million, plus another $2.5 million in estate gifts
* More than 250 volunteers gave of their time and effort to serve on committees and to solicit gifts

Most importantly, Dr. Solsrud told the students, Patriots Hall symbolizes the goodness and determination of the human spirit, accomplishing this worthwhile endeavor for others regardless of the sacrifices involved. What is clearly evident, more than a beautiful building, is the enthusiastic and committed philanthropic spirit that made this dream a reality.

What a glorious way to begin 2010.

Happy New Year!

You can find more photos from this historic event on Brookfield Academy's Flickr account.

Truly A Remarkable Person

Dear Friends of Brookfield Academy,

I regret to inform you that after a long and courageous battle against cancer, Brookfield Academy’s Chairman of the Board of Directors, W. Stewart Davis III, died on December 13, 2009. Stew was elected Chairman of the Board in 1989.

Stew Davis was the son of Brookfield Academy founders Walter S. Davis and Betty Grede Davis, husband of Sandy Davis, and father to Brian Davis ’94 and Cynthia Davis ‘98. Stew was one of 33 students in attendance when Brookfield Academy, then The Academy of Basic Education, opened its doors on September 10, 1962.

Stew will be remembered for many admirable qualities exemplifying the Academy’s Five Stars, but none more than his unabashed love and commitment to the school’s ideals and vision. His vision and determination to turn dreams into realities were the driving force behind the Academy’s many successes.

I was blessed, as Head of School, to partner with Stew for 17 years along this glorious path of Brookfield Academy’s expansion and achievements. He was truly a remarkable person whose passion for the school was evident in his voice when speaking of the school and in his eyes when proudly walking the campus. Addressing the faculty and staff each year before school began, Stew always concluded his remarks with great conviction, saying, “I promise you this will be the best year ever in the history of Brookfield Academy.”

Sadly, Stew will not be here for the Patriots Hall ribbon-cutting ceremony on January 31, 2010, an event he so wanted to experience. When we celebrate the opening of the building, Stew’s presence will be seen and felt in the enthusiasm and pride we will share, along with our gratitude for his unparalleled and selfless efforts to raise the necessary funds to construct this impressive Upper School building.

As I spoke with him last week, I mentioned that Patriots Hall is nearing completion and will be ready for classes in January. He struggled to form a response. His daughter, Cindy, asked, “Dad, did you say, ‘Dreams come true’?” With a smile on his face and a glint in his eye, Stew gave me the thumbs up sign.

Funeral arrangements are scheduled with visitation on Friday, December 18th, 4 p.m.-8 p.m., at the Becker Ritter Funeral Home, 14075 W. North Ave., Brookfield, and the memorial service on Saturday, December 19th, 3 p.m., at the First Congregational Church of Wauwatosa, 1511 Church St., Wauwatosa. A reception will follow at the church.

Yes, Stew, thanks to you, this will be the best year ever in the history of Brookfield Academy. We commit ourselves to doing everything in our power to advance the good name of Brookfield Academy as Stew so often challenged us to do. We ask that you please keep the family in your prayers at this difficult time.

Bob Solsrud, Ed.D.
Head of School

http://www.jsonline.com/news/obituaries/79373252.html

Two Gold Medals

Junior Kelsey Hojan-Clark stole the show at the girls state swim meet, setting two Division 2 state records. Hojan-Clark won the 200-yard freestyle in 1:49.13, breaking the record of 1:49.94 set in 1996. Then she won the 500 free in 4:50.19, once again breaking a 1996 record of 4:53.94. Her time in each race also ranks second all-time in Division 1. Her spectacular races brought the entire crowd at the UW-Madison Natatorium to their feet.

Signed and Delivered!

In a ceremony at the Upper School on Friday morning, November 13, senior Troy Huff signed an official letter of intent to play basketball for the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux. Huff is the first BA student to be offered a full scholarship to play for a Division 1 college basketball program. Congratulations Troy!

Ready, Set, Go!

The 2009-10 Annual Fund Appeal

This is an exciting time at Brookfield Academy. Patriots Hall is set to open to students in just 42 days! Next year, Middle School students will move up the hill and into Freedom Hall. Lower School students will spread out in Constitution Hall (levels A-2) and Liberty Hall (levels 3-5). Space for every student will double! With these exciting moves come needs to get these buildings READY! Your generous support for the Annual Fund will help get everything SET, so they can GO!

Brookfield Academy's annual fund appeal was delivered a little differently this year. Instead of the traditional brochure, letter and pledge envelope being sent through the mail, we opted to try a more cost effective, twenty-first century approach. The annual fund appeal was sent to all current parents electronically. Three short videos on the BA web site illustrate the capital needs in all three divisions. Things like desks and tables, classroom renovations and improvements, books and playground equipment are all on the list. Annual fund gifts can be made quickly and securely online or more traditionally by printing a gift form and mailing a check. Please take a few minutes to look at the videos and learn more about what students will need next year when they move into their new buildings. Then, consider how you can help and make your gift to this year's Annual Fund!

A Tribute to J. R. Drez

Written by BA Board Chairman Stew Davis '64 and printed in the 2009 Annual Report

Dr. Solsrud’s selection of the theme for the 2008-09 school year presented the opportunity for me to reflect upon the nascent days of Brookfield Academy and inspired me to compose the following message:

When the Academy of Basic Education (ABE) opened its doors for the very first time to admit new students on September 10, 1962, yours truly, at the ripe “old” age of 13, was one of the lucky handful of “guinea pigs” who comprised the Upper Form (7th and 8th grades) of this recently launched experiment in independent education. Our classroom, as were all ABE classrooms, was located in the building we now call Founders Hall. In preparation for opening day, our small second-hand student desks along with the over-sized used desk of our teacher were neatly arranged in the easternmost room of the original Risney home— the very same room that now serves as the school’s business office (there was no interior partition wall in those days).

Following the inaugural all-school assembly around the flagpole at the top of the hill, including recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance (“stand tall”) and the Academy Prayer (a near verbatim replica of the New York State Regents’ Prayer, which had been declared “unconstitutional” by the United States Supreme Court just a few years earlier), we were introduced to our teacher— the one and only, incomparable, avuncular Mr. J. Robert (“Bob”) Drez, who hailed from “Nawlins” (Louisiana) and who had been educated in the Jesuit tradition of the Roman Catholic Church.

Having demitted priesthood in favor of teaching, Mr. Drez was a man who possessed close to zero tolerance for the bitter cold of Wisconsin winters (which he had yet to actually experience at that time) and who suffered from an extremely severe case of dipterophobia that instantly transformed him into a totally non-functional human being by the mere presence of an ordinary house fly. No, the back door to the outside in the middle of the east wall close to the fly-infested woods was never left open “intentionally” by any of his students. Even so, on those (not so) rare occasions when an unsuspecting dipteran displayed the audacity to violate restricted airspace, it very quickly was perfunctorily obliterated by a lethal strike from a lightening swift swatter, wielded by the ever vigilant erstwhile cleric. Only after all unwelcome intruders had been eliminated could academic instructional activity be resumed in the Upper Form classroom of ABE. (In all fairness to Mr. Drez, at some point, I did come to understand the source of his peculiar dislike for nature’s two-winged pests - in the more tropical climate of New Orleans, flies were associated with disease and decay and were to be avoided and/or eliminated whenever possible.) Except for math (which he readily admitted he didn’t know) and French (which he did know and probably could have easily taught), Mr. Drez instructed all subjects in the Upper Form, including U.S. History, English, and of course, everyone’s favorite, Latin. Every day, we learned something new from Mr. Drez: how to diagram English sentences, how to conjugate Latin verbs and decline Latin nouns, as well as his thoughts on the reasons behind the “War of Northern Aggression,” as he called the American Civil War . My closest personal association with Mr. Drez occurred between my ages of 13 and 15 when I was a student in his classroom for two years before leaving in 1964 for high school elsewhere. (Brookfield Academy did not yet have an Upper School.) Mr. Drez continued teaching at ABE, then BA, for many years before retiring and returning to his beloved “Nawlins,” where he resided until his death several years ago. A memorial fund was established in his honor and memory and continues to provide scholarship support to worthy Brookfield Academy students.
Today, nearly five decades since my first encounter with Mr. Drez, I finally realize what an uncommon person he was. The longer I live, the more I appreciate what he did for me and for so many other Brookfield Academy students over the years. For my part, it may be too little too late, but “Here’s to you, Mr. Drez! You taught so many of us to appreciate, to aspire, and to accomplish. And for that, we will be eternally grateful.”

Community Building

The excitement surrounding the construction of Patriots Hall is at least partially tied to that fact that we have been able to see with our very own eyes a building grow before us.

From the initial site preparation to laying the foundation, to the erection of walls and installation of windows, to the current concentration on internal drywalling and painting, we have been able to visually watch as Patriots Hall takes shape.

While construction has been challenging and complex for those actually involved in the building project, the greater Brookfield Academy community interprets the building in a much different way. The BA community is not so much focused on the process, but derive their excitement from the building itself. Reality in this context is derived from what they see every time they pass Patriots Hall.

However, Patriots Hall and Brookfield Academy in general are the result of a far more complex kind of building, the building of the Brookfield Academy community. The spirit, unity, shared values, and common commitment to excellence are built over time and through a myriad of processes. The "school" is much greater than merely walls and buildings; it is the culmination of historical events, stories, anecdotes, myths, and people. All of these less observable and measurable factors combine to "build" the authentic essence of Brookfield Academy.

The opening week of school serves to more fully develop this concept of building. On Sept. 10, the school community came together to celebrate Founders Day, the anniversary of the opening of Brookfield Academy in 1962. It is perhaps one of the most important days in the school year because it offers us the opportunity to reflect on the rich history surrounding the school. Held on the very same spot where the first students assembled on that day 47 years ago, we hear about the pioneers who founded the school, those first students and teachers, and most importantly the values and beliefs that continue to serve as the foundation for the school community. The powerful images and symbols that accompany the various speeches are part of the "building process," nowhere near as tangible as the brick walls of Patriots Hall, but equally important and just as strong.

It was the Academy's great pleasure to welcome as this year's Founders Day speaker, class of 1998 alum Ryan Law.

Ryan's presentation reflected a genuine appreciation for the values and beliefs that Brookfield Academy taught him, made even more poignant by the fact that Ryan's grandparents were part of the founding families of Brookfield Academy and Ryan's grandfather was one of the intellectual architects of the Brookfield Academy philosophy of freedom. Ryan conveyed the fact that his personal and professional life are manifestations of the Five Stars and that there is a fundamental relationship between hard work and success.

Following in the tradition of Founders Day is the recently established Founders Fest event. While Founders Day is perhaps characterized as a bit melancholy and reflective, Founders Fest is a good old fashioned all-school cookout to celebrate the beginning of the school year. Food, rides, music, fun and fireworks are all part of the night's festivities. Founders Fest is an opportunity to assemble the Brookfield Academy community for camaraderie and celebration. With a record turnout of parents and students from across all three divisions, Founders Fest is achieving its purpose of creating community and unity throughout the school.

Whether through bricks and mortar or shared values and experiences, Brookfield Academy takes seriously the concept of "building" a community.