Brookville Intermediate School

Please allow me to extend a warm and sincere welcome to Brookville Intermediate School. It is an honor and privilege to assume the role of school principal in this outstanding community. As people have congratulated and welcomed me to the Brookville Schools community I have half jokingly stated, “I feel like a sixteen year old kid whose dad just handed him the keys to the corvette.” What a great opportunity but immense responsibility! I am thrilled to have the privilege of working alongside such wonderful students, staff, and families. Although new to this position, I am very familiar with Brookville Schools and the tradition of excellence. 

It is a deeply held belief of mine that in order to fulfill the mission of our school to, “challenge, prepare, and support all students to realize their full potential,” we must strive to get a couple things right: 

Engage in open and honest communication.

Research from Ohio State University’s Family Engagement Center highlights the positive and powerful impact that open lines of communication between families and school staff  can have on a student's attitude and academic achievement. An open and ongoing dialogue between school and home fosters a positive relationship built on trust that in turn creates consistent and appropriate expectations and improves student motivation. Parent Square and Progress Book serve as our primary methods of communicating important updates and academic information. I encourage all parents and guardians to create accounts for these two digital tools. While we live in a digital world, staff at BIS still values good old face to face communication as well. Families are always welcome to call (937) 833-6731 and set up meetings with staff.

Encourage a resilient growth mindset.

Grades four (4) through eight (8) are a time in which students begin to demonstrate a desire for more independence and autonomy. At Brookville Intermediate we understand this season of life can have occasional bumps in the road and we embrace the triumphs and challenges our students are likely to experience while navigating new responsibilities, relationships, and emotions. As students develop increasing independence, we value affording opportunities for them to grow while also partnering with their families to provide needed support along the way. It is crucial that we teach early adolescents that mistakes or setbacks are opportunities for growth and with enough practice and effort success is possible. 

Encourage students to explore opportunities and get involved. 

In the book, The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch the author discusses how going to school is like having a membership to a fitness facility, you get out of it what you put into it. Simply having the membership does not equal results. At BIS we encourage all students to find ways to make the most of their membership. Get involved, explore creative arts, join a club or team, participate in student government, or attend and cheer on your classmates at one of their events. Becoming involved develops a deep sense of community and belonging that enriches the school experience. 

On behalf of the staff at BIS I thank you for your support of the students and we look forward to a year of growth and opportunity.