I Am Free!

"Liberty" is more than the name of a campus building for Elfie and Ned Gallun, long-time supporters of Brookfield Academy. It is a tangible concept that makes even the air smell sweetly different.

As a teenager in 1951, Elfie Gallun made an incredible and courageous journey from communist East Germany to the free West. To this day, she and her husband, Ned, do not take personal or political liberty for granted.

Ned and Elfie have embraced Brookfield Academy for its philosophical focus on the precious, priceless, and perishable nature of freedom. Their son, Martin, graduated from BA in 1988, and Ned served on the Board of Directors from 1986-1988. Over the years, the Galluns have continued to generously support the school. To recognize their exceptional commitment to the ideals of Brookfield Academy, an informative display honoring Elfie Gallun's escape to freedom has been installed in the Liberty Hall foyer.

This educational exhibit uses pictures and narrative to tell the story of Elfie's remarkable journey during World War II and the years following from Danzig, Poland to the United States of America, where she was awestruck by her first sight of the Statue of Liberty.

Read Elfie Gallun's full story in the upcoming issue of Knights Notes.

A Letter Home

Dear BA Community,

I am writing this “letter home” to give a brief update on life post-BA. I am in my fourth year at the University of Chicago, majoring in economics and international studies. Usually, students with these majors go on to do graduate work or pursue a career in finance. I have been thinking about doing a mixture of the two—possibly in a development context.

In a lot of ways, I think that the path my college career has taken was the next step in a process that started back at BA. After all, spending a week studying in the library is normal for anyone who ever took AP Bio. My BA economics courses still rank among the most enjoyable and thought-provoking I have ever had, even in a university department known for its Nobel prize winners. I believe BA trained me well and I am grateful to all my teachers there who worked so hard to do so.

During the past four years, I have had the chance to observe students from a large variety of educational backgrounds and I am convinced that the people who have the most success are the ones whose education will allow them to pursue whatever field they like. This is to say that, upon arrival at University, the students who are most prepared by their high schools have the greatest advantage with regard to their course of study.

While my own career at the U of C has not been without challenges, I think that the success I’ve had is due to the preparation I received at BA, and I am very grateful for that.

All the best,

Robert Reavis ’06

The Future Is Bright

On Jan. 31, the new Upper School home, Patriots Hall, was officially dedicated with much fanfare and celebration.

As has been the case since Patriots Hall opened on Jan. 4, we all felt joy and pride in the accomplishment of so many "dreamers" who made the dream a reality. Today, our Upper School is housed in a magnificent building that permits us to deliver an education second to none.

We have the classroom and lab space to provide a high quality college prep experience; we have extensive art and computer graphic art rooms; we have a spacious and beautiful library with room for quiet study; we have a state-of-the-art fitness and weight room and field house providing complete support for all our athletic programs; we have a very large music and drama room for practice and future performance; we have an inviting and spacious cafeteria/student commons area for relaxation and conversation. In short, we have a wonderful, secure home for Upper School programs.

But the dedication, and the mission of the Upper School, is much more than the steel and bricks and mortar of a new facility. The building houses the people who deliver a special program with passion and enthusiasm. Our programs intend to take all students and guide, teach, and direct them to achieve personal excellence and prepare them to make a positive change in our world.

Our graduates are doing that now, and many have come back to tell us about what they are accomplishing. This is a special time for the Upper School and for Brookfield Academy as a whole and the future remains very bright for all of us fortunate enough to be part of this enterprise.

Dan Davis, Head of Upper School

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!