By DANICA LEE | Brookwood High School junior
School — we all know what it is, and we all know what one looks like. But, have you ever really thought about what it does for us?
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On the Internet, school is defined as “an institution for educating children” — a pretty bland definition, if you ask me. While school does help you to expand your knowledge on more topics than you ever knew existed, it doesn’t always offer the solution from a by-the-book approach. School tests your ability to think outside of the box — sometimes you have to use your willing suspension of disbelief in order to understand why Kelly would want to buy 75 watermelons, and then willingly proceed to eat 47 of them (strange, I know). Although it doesn’t always offer realistic scenarios, school helps students to deepen their understanding of the basic concepts in areas such as math, English, science, and history; it leads them to discover new things each day and encourages them to continue to grow.
This is exactly what Brookwood is all about: helping students to thrive in a positive environment — motivating them to position themselves on the path to obtaining a higher education in their areas of interest at some point within their future. By encouraging students to partake in numerous co-curricular activities, such as our new chess club, acapella group, and trapshooting team, Brookwood is hard at work trying to make school the best that it can possibly be. I myself have participated in many of these activities, including forensics, theatre, solo and ensemble, and volleyball, all of which have helped me to broaden my horizons and have led me to discover new things about myself.
In addition to this, Brookwood also has adopted a modified block schedule as of the 2021–22 school year. In short, this schedule allows more time for teachers to educate their students, instead of having a mere 45 minutes per day to teach them. This schedule allows students like myself more time to complete assignments, and it also enables us to take our time comprehending the presented material. I feel as though this scheduling has been rather beneficial for our school because it grants students more opportunities to ask questions, and it also helps them to strengthen their grip on their ever-growing understanding of various topics.
I can’t even begin to describe to you how amazing it feels to be able to walk into a classroom and feel like you belong there — like you know exactly what you are doing and that you have the ability to complete exceptional work. Brookwood is doing a phenomenal job of clearing all of the hurdles that are placed in its path during these difficult times, and I feel that this major accomplishment should not go unnoticed. By providing positivity to its students and staff, Brookwood is able to make everyone feel welcomed and accepted in whatever they enjoy. Thank you, Brookwood, for giving me the opportunity to shine in whatever I set my mind to. Thank you, Brookwood, for giving me a chance.
