How do students move from relying on adult direction to becoming confident, self-driven learners? In this episode of Mission Moments, host Mrs. Linda Pryor, Executive Director of the Center for Mission & Academics at Brookfield Academy, is joined by Ms. Tanya Schwartz, Head of the Lower School (grades 3-5), for a thoughtful conversation about building age-appropriate independence in young learners. 

Ms. Schwartz shares her background at BA - from Level 3 teacher to Head of Lower School - and reflects on how Lower School (grades 3-5) is intentionally designed to support students as they naturally seek greater independence and help them establish a solid foundation of strong study habits, self-awareness, and personal responsibilty. 

Listeners will hear practical examples of what independence looks like at this age and how to nurture it, including:

• Learning to reflect: "Who am I as a learner? What works for me? What doesn't?"
• Developing valuable work habits such as organization, time management, and creating an effective workspace.
• Building study skills like note-taking, highlighting, reviewing corrections, and more.
• Using choices to promote autonomy while retaining structure.

The conversation explores the important role of parents in this process and how the BA Triangle, students, teachers, and parents working together to support student success, makes a difference. 

Ms. Schwartz emphasizes that growth is not linear and that mistakes are essential to learning and phrases like, "practice makes progress," "reset, reflect, and restart," and "learn from your mistakes" capture the Lower School's growth mindset and culture.

If you like what you hear, we encourage you to follow the Mission Moments podcast and share with friends. Additional Parent Presentations with many great speakers are available in the MIssion section of the BA website. 

If you would like to learn more about Brookfield Academy's Lower School - or any Division - please contact our Admissions Office. You can email [email protected] or call (262)783-3200. They will be happy to answer your questions and schedule a visit. If you've thought a BA education is out of reach, we encourage you to contact us. Many families are happy to see that it is more attainable than they expected. 

How do students move from relying on adult direction to becoming confident, self-driven learners? In this episode of Mission Moments, host Mrs. Linda Pryor, Executive Director of the Center for Mission & Academics at Brookfield Academy, is joined by Ms. Tanya Schwarts, Head of the Lower School (grades 3-5), for a thoughtful conversation about building age-appropriate independence in young learners. 

Ms. Schwartz shares her background at BA - from Level 3 teacher to Head of Lower School - and reflects on how Lower School (grades 3-5) is intentionally designed to support students as they naturally seek greater independence and help them establish a solid foundation of strong study habits, self-awareness, and personal responsibilty. 

Listeners will hear practical examples of what independence looks like at this age and how to nurture it, including:

• Learning to reflect: "Who am I as a learner? What works for me? What doesn't?"
• Developing valuable work habits such as organization, time management, and creating an effective workspace.
• Building study skills like note-taking, highlighting, reviewing corrections, and more.
• Using choices to promote autonomy while retaining structure.

The conversation explores the important role of parents in this process and how the BA Triangle, students, teachers, and parents working together to support student success, makes a difference. 

Ms. Schwartz emphasizes that growth is not linear and that mistakes are essential to learning and phrases like, "practice makes progress," "reset, reflect, and restart," and "learn from your mistakes" capture the Lower School's growth mindset and culture.

If you like what you hear, we encourage you to follow the Mission Moments podcast and share with friends. Additional Parent Presentations with many great speakers are available in the MIssion section of the BA website. 

If you would like to learn more about Brookfield Academy's Lower School - or any Division - please contact our Admissions Office. You can email [email protected] or call (262)783-3200. They will be happy to answer your questions and schedule a visit. If you've thought a BA education is out of reach, we encourage you to contact us. Many families are happy to see that it is more attainable than they expected.

In this episode of the Mission Moments podcast, host Linda Pryor is joined by Dr. Mark Bullio, Head of the the Upper School and Mrs. Jessée Tomchek, Assistant Head of the Upper School, for a thoughtful conversation about how academic achievement and personal development are interconnected at Brookfield Academy. They share how challenge - paired with meaningful support - helps students learn from setbacks, strengthen their resolve, and grow into confident, capable young adults. 

Listeners will hear how Brookfield Academy's small class sizes, advisory system, and activities like clubs and athletics - provide a supportive environment where students are known as individuals. The conversation highlights how teachers intentionally guide students from adult directed learning toward increasing independence. 

The episode looks beyond traditional academic metrics to discuss what success truly looks like: wisdom, integrity, good judgement, and the ability to contribute positively to the world. As Mark and Jessée explain, the ultimate goal is more than college acceptance, it is helping students develop a lifelong love of learning and a sense of purpose grounded in character. 

If you like what you hear, please subscribe, download, and share this podcast with a friend. If you are interested in what BA can offer your child, please contact our Admissions Team ([email protected]). 

In this episode of Mission Moments, host Linda Pryor, Executive Director of the Center for Mission & Academics at Brookfield Academy, speaks with Mr. Nick Rechlitz, the school's Athletic Director. Listeners will learn more about Mr. Rechlitz's background and the knowledge he brings to the role, as well as more about the tremendous value that BA places on athletics as an important part of the school's overall program. 

Athletics extend important lessons from the classroom and provide valuable opportunities for character development and leadership. Brookfield Academy offers more than 20 sports for Upper School (high school) students and 15 options for students in Middle School. At BA, all stidents are able to participate in athletics. While the "no-cut" policy, may seem unusual, the school's teams do very well and often move deep into playoffs, even earning State titles. Several families have sought out BA, because their children have the chance to make the team and play - where they might not at other schools. This can open doors in the future and even if students don't pursue athletics, the skills - perseverence, teamwork, time management, and more - and the friendships they develop serve them well. For more specifics about our athletic program, visit the Athletics page of our website.

If you would like to learn more about what BA can offer your child, please contact our Admissions team ([email protected]) to schedule a tour. If you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast and share it with your friends.

In this episode, Linda Pryor, host and Executive Director for the Center for Mission & Academics at Brookfield Academy is excited to welcome Dr. Dan Davis to talk about Shakespeare. 

Dr. Davis is a well-recognized and well-respected member of the Brookfield Academy community. He has been a faculty member for more than 25 years including leading the English Department, serving as Head of the Upper School and now leading a Writers Lab and assisting with many special projects across campus. 

One of his specialties is Shakespeare. He wrote a dissertation on leadership and Shakespeare. We are excited for him to share the knowledge and sense of humor that he brings to the classroom with special sessions for our parents. Continuing our series that offers parents the opportunity to read and discuss the classics their children are reading at school, this year we are featuring Shakespeare. Today's podcast provides a glimpse into what you can expect from these sessions. If you'd like to participate, you can find more information here. 

As always, if you like what you hear, please consider subscribing to our podcast and sharing it with your friends. If you'd like to learn more about what Brookfield Academy can offer your child, visit the Admissions section of our website to learn more about the process and schedule a visit.

In this episode of Mission Moments, host Linda Pryor sits down with Daniel Hoefs, a new U.S. History teacher in the Upper School at Brookfield Academy, to hear more about his journey and experiences during his first month at school. 

Daniel brings deep interest in and knowledge of the U.S. Constitution. During their conversation, he shares insights into his teaching approach, what he enjoys most about the profession, and the reasons he chose to come to BA. Listeners will gain a fresh perspective on the Brookfield Academy Mission, the Five Stars, and the curriculum when seeing it through the eyes of someone new to the school community. 

If you enjoy the episode, please subscribe and share it with your friends and family. 

To learn more about BA and what the school can offer your child, visit www. brookfieldacademy.org or reach out to our Admissions team at [email protected].

In this episode, host Linda Pryor, Executive Director of the Center for Mission & Academics at Brookfield Academy, continues her conversations with students from Levels 3-5 who recently completed the BA Expert Program. The program is an exciting, optional learning experience that gives students the chance to dive deeper into a topic they are passionate about while sharpening key academic skills. 
This second installment features fascinating new subjects, including:

• The unique beauty and background of Norwegian Fjord Horses
• The surprising habits - and sounds - of Coyotes
• The intelligence and skills of Dolphins
• The science of Fireworks.

As part of the BA expert Program, each student chooses their topic, works with a mentor, and learns how to effectively focus their ideas, conduct research, assess sources, write clearly, and share their expertise confidently with friends, family members, and teachers. Mrs. Pryor's conversations with these young experts reveal not only their curiousity and knowledge but also the joy of learning that is sparked when students are empowered to explore what interest them. 

If this episode sparks your interest and you'd like to learn more about Brookfield Academy, we invite you to visit our website or contact our Admissions Office at [email protected] to schedule a visit.

In this episode, host Linda Pryor, Executive Director of the Center for Mission & Academics at Brookfield Academy, sits down with students from Levels 3-5 who recently completed the BA Expert program - an optional, in-depth learning experience that provides an opportunity for students to pursue a subject that fascinates them while building essential academic skills. 

Through the Expert Program, students choose a topic they are passionate about and work with an adult mentor to explore it. Along the way, they learn how to narrow their focus, conduct research, evealuate sources, write reports, and ultimately present their findings to an audience of family and friends. 

During her conversations with these young scholars, Mrs. Pryor uncovers a diverse range of topics and shared enthusiasm for learning that is both inspiring and infectious. You'll hear firsthand how the program works and encourages students to think critically, communicate effectively, and grow in confidence. 

If this episode sparks your interest and you'd like to learn more about Brookfield Academy, we invite you to visit our website or contact our Admissions Office at [email protected] to schedule a tour.

In this episode of the Mission Moments podcast, Linda Pryor talks with Dr. Marcus Witcher, Teaching Assistant Professor of Economic History at West Virginia University.

Dr. Witcher has written several books including his first, Getting Right with Reagan and his most current that was co-authored with Rachel Ferguson titled, Black Liberation Through the Marketplace: Hope Heartbreak and the Promise of America. 

Dr. Witcher will be presenting at Brookfield Academy on Constitution Day. His talk is titled: A New Constitution for a New Nation" and will explore the historical reasons the Founding Fathers created the American Constitution. He will consider the lessons Americans had learned from British Imperial rule and through the process of creating state constitutions, as well as examining the circumstances and pressures that led Madison, Washington, and Franklin to believe that a new Constitution was necessary. 

Through their discussion, listeners will gain some insight into Dr. Witcher as he shares more about his career path and current interests. 

If you enjoy this podcast, please listen to previous episodes, follow us, and tell your friends. For questions about this podcast please email the host, Linda Pryor, Executive Director of the Center for Mission & Academics at Brookfield Academy, at [email protected].

To learn more about Brookfield Academy and what the school can offer your child, visit www.brookfieldacademy.org or contact our Admissions Office for a personal tour.

In the first episode of the new season, host Linda Pryor, Executive Director of the Center for Mission & Academics at Brookfield Academy, speaks with Doug Ricci, Head of School. 

The two talk about the value of setting a theme for each year and how they each think about this year's theme: Unlock the Power of Intellect. 

The school's Five Stars - Truth, Character, Intellect, Heritage, and Individuality - are incorporated into all aspects of academics and student life, and the annual theme encourages the school's community to go even more deeply into a specific Star in a given year. 

BA is well known for offering exceptional academics and while the theme Unlock the Power of Intellect seems to align directly to schoolwork, Mrs. Pryor and Mr. Ricci, talk about the many other dimensions it offers for exploration. 

Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please review, subscribe, and consider mentioning the Mission Moments podcast to a friend. For questions about this podcast please email the host, Linda Pryor, Executive Director of the Center for Mission & Academics at Brookfield Academy, at [email protected].

To learn more about Brookfield Academy and what the school can offer your child, visit www.brookfieldacademy.org or contact our Admissions Office for a personal tour.