We are sad to share the news that Patricia Ann “Pat” Ellis, Director of Nashoba Brooks School from 1972 to 1992, passed away on Tuesday, March 28.
Pat drew on her experience as an independent school graduate, a Wellesley woman, and an educator to inform decisions that continue to have a direct and meaningful impact on the work we do at Nashoba Brooks every day. She oversaw the merger of The Brooks School of Concord and Nashoba Country Day School. She was an early supporter of initiatives, including our partnership with Chewonki, interscholastic athletics, diversity and inclusivity, and competitive employee compensation.
In 1987-1988, the Board established the annual Ellis Lecture in honor of her first 15 years of leadership. The Ellis Lectures, which continue to this day, were intended to “broaden our thinking and stimulate curiosity.” It is fitting that we gathered yesterday for our annual Ellis Lecture. Trustee Charlotte Whitmore and her client Eugene Gilyard captivated current employees, trustees, and friends of the School as they shared Eugene’s story. Represented by Charlotte, Eugene was the first person to be exonerated through the work of the Pennsylvania Innocence Project after serving 15 years of wrongful imprisonment for a crime he did not commit. As we listened and learned together, we all wished that Pat could have been with us. This topic is one that we know would have resonated with her as a champion for civil rights.
Pat will be remembered for her advocacy for teachers and dedication to social justice, as well as her strength, keen intellect, wry sense of humor, and commitment to providing outstanding educational opportunities for girls and women. Joan McCarthy and I had the opportunity to visit with Pat last week. Even as she was nearing the end of her life, Pat was attuned to the rhythms of the academic year and very much interested in the latest happenings at School—teachers, curriculum, athletics, placement, and the daily lives of students were at the forefront of her mind. Her courage and humor were both notably Pat and remarkably inspiring. We are deeply grateful to Pat for the leadership and vision that established the strong foundation on which we continue to build. We will miss her.
Grade 3 students participated in a favorite Nashoba Brooks tradition: a Sharing of Understanding. This event hosted family members to listen and learn about what their students have been working on at School, including a recorder recital and in-depth explanations of multiple indigenous peoples.
It was a packed weekend on the Nashoba Brooks campus for Fall Weekend!
Thank you to all the parent volunteers, student ambassadors, faculty members, and all other roles who contributed to making this weekend so memorable for our School.
After weeks of hard work, Grade 3 students had the opportunity to present their Community Hero projects to their families and their interview subjects!
The Nashoba Brooks School campus was bursting with excitement Friday, November 4, through Sunday, November 6, as we celebrated our annual Fall Weekend.
After almost a year of research, school visits, interviews, self-reflection, and essay writing, the Grade 8 class is enjoying a variety of excellent high schools to choose from.
Alongside the book fair and poetry month, April has been a wonderful time for literature at Nashoba Brooks School. Sharon Draper and Jen Campbell, two celebrated authors, left their mark on the community over the past few weeks.
More than 75 parents responded to this year’s annual School survey and numbers were well balanced across all grade levels. The results of the survey are impressive and the feedback the parents offer to the School is glowing.
As Black History Month comes to a close, students and faculty alike celebrate diversity, acknowledging that a school is not only classrooms, gymnasiums, and fields, but also the people within these walls. Each year and at every grade level our students contemplate the presence and importance of different backgrounds, experiences and beliefs. And this month provides community members with an opportunity to reflect on what it means to be Black in America.
Rachel Adams graduated from Nashoba Brooks School in 2001. She went on to study at Lawrence Academy followed by Maine College of Art and Design. Now living in Portland as a successful artist, textile designer, entrepreneur, wife and mother of two, Rachel shares her journey from student to full time artist.
Guida Mattison, Nashoba Brooks School's director of secondary school placement, wants to remove as much stress as possible from the high school application process that Grade 8 students go through each year.
Situated on a beautiful 30-acre campus in historic Concord, Massachusetts, Nashoba Brooks School enrolls all genders in Preschool through Grade 3, and students identifying as girls in Grades 4 through 8. Nashoba Brooks is an independent school designed to build community, character, and confidence in its students.