2015-2016 Annual Report
BREWSTER ACADEMY 2015-2016 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Roy C. Ballentine, Chair (Susan ‘94 , Brian ‘97) Arthur W. Coviello Jr., Vice Chair David E. Hadley, Treasurer (Olivia ‘12, Juliet ‘15) Ronn Bronzetti ‘92, Secretary Karen Boykin-Towns (Jasmine ‘13, Trinity ‘19) Beverly Bruce C. Richard Carlson, Estate Trustee David L. Carlson ‘54 Candace A. Crawshaw ‘64 James C. Curvey George J. Dohrmann III (George ‘05, Geoffrey ‘12) Karen W. Fix (Will ‘11, Keenan ‘13) Gabrielle J. Gatta ‘05, President, Alumni Association Michael Keys (Matthew ‘04) Robert J. Mueller Barbara Naramore (Maya ‘16) Carlos Noble ‘70 Arthur O. Ricci, Estate Trustee The Reverend Nancy Spencer Smith, Estate Trustee Steven R. Webster (Brooke ‘08, Tori ‘11) Dr. Craig N. Gemmell, Ex Officio
TRUSTEE EMERITI P. Fred Gridley ‘53 (Deborah ‘81) Daniel T. Mudge (Tapley-Ann ‘98, Ashley ‘02)
HOW DO WE MEASURE PROGRESS? An introduction from Head of School Craig Gemmell Having completed my first year at Brewster, I am proud to share this year’s annual report and reflect on all that was accomplished this past year. Even more, I am excited about the Academy’s continued evolution and how we are uniquely positioned to support and challenge students during their formative years.
When I was a teacher, the purpose of an annual report was somewhat foreign to me. My daily teaching responsibilities were all-consuming. I was perpetually living in the moment, immersed in the particulars of teaching and generally worrying about a small handful of students who needed extra time, care, and attention while trying to maintain a level of excellence for each of the kids in my charge. I functioned, at best, on a week-to-week horizon – more often, on a day-to-day or hour-to-hour sprint. Each June, I would pick my head up from grade reports and take account of the year. I’d take a breath, reconnect with my family, and think about ways I had helped kids reach their goals, find their passions, and become more themselves. Even more, I would think about the kids I felt I had let down, those I didn’t reach, those I ran out of time with, those who needed more expertise than I could give.
That was my annual report, and I tracked progress year to year through my students and graduates. As Head of School, I think about similar topics but from a changed vantage point and with a rather different lens. I view my role as an incredible opportunity and a terrific responsibility. Now, I am not only accountable to a class of students, but to 360 students from all around the globe, 55 faculty members, 105 staff members, nearly 4,000 alumni, and generations of parents, friends, and trustees. Thankfully, (for me and for Brewster), I am not alone in my work. Brewster has a remarkable team of faculty, staff, and administrators who have dedicated their lives to education and who work tirelessly to make Brewster stronger each and every year. The Academy also has a group of devoted trustees who share our vision for the way education should be and who have made Brewster one of their top priorities. Together with the Board and the Brewster team, and with the benefit of our NEASC accreditation self study, we have developed a vision for the Academy that seeks to build upon all that makes Brewster special. Our goal with this and future annual reports is to share our journey on a year-over-year basis. It is my hope that you will read this report as an invitation to join the conversation. As Brewster approaches its 200th anniversary in 2020, I am reminded that we are temporary caretakers of a storied institution. I hope you will take a few moments to learn more about our unique history, what makes us distinct in the independent school market today, and our hopes and dreams for the future as we work together to make the Brewster experience ever more purposeful and enriching. In Partnership,
Craig Gemmell
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BREWSTER IN BRIEF
Every day upon the hour, a bell tolls in downtown Wolfeboro, faithfully marking the passage of time as local residents go about their daily lives and students make their way across Brewster’s campus to the Academic Building. This bell, forged by the son of Paul Revere, hangs in the clock tower of the recently renovated town hall. It is the original bell from the Wolfeborough & Tuftonborough Academy, from which Brewster draws its roots, and it has been marking time for students since 1820. John Brewster, a successful Boston banker and businessman, attended the Wolfeborough & Tuftonborough Academy as a young man. When John passed away in 1886, he provided what was, at the time, a vast sum of money to rename the school Brewster Free Academy. Brewster’s gift was remarkable, but even more so was his directive: “No restriction shall be placed upon any person desiring to attend and
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BREWSTER ACADEMY • 2015-2016 ANNUAL REPORT
receive instruction from…[the] academy on account of his or her age, sex, or color, provided only he or she is of good moral character.” With John’s gift, the Academy reinvented itself – though not for the first, nor the last time. Brewster Academy’s history and path has not been straight or traditional. Among the many unique qualities of Brewster is the Academy’s ability to transform itself to meet the evolving needs of students. From 1887 until the mid 1960s, Brewster Academy served as a boarding school and public school for the surrounding towns. The Academy was tuition free until 1930 when costs outran the trust’s support and tuition had to be charged. During the war years, Brewster sent students off to serve their country. On campus, students and faculty tended victory gardens and waited
for news from afar. After, GIs returned to finish their degrees and were welcomed back to the classrooms and sports fields. In 1962, Headmaster Burtis Vaughan informed the towns that the Trustees had unanimously voted to return Brewster Academy to its private status beginning in the fall of 1965. The town opened Kingswood High School in 1964 and the majority of local students transferred to the new public high school. Once again Brewster Academy reinvented itself. For the next decade, the Academy worked toward making the difficult and complex transition to a private boarding school. During the 1970s and 1980s, under the direction of Headmaster David Smith, the Academy emphasized teaching the skills necessary to be successful not only at Brewster Academy but in future learning
as well. At this time, the Learning Skills Center was created to support students with different learning styles, which later became the current Instructional Support Department. The school grew in facilities and enrollment through the 1980s and 1990s under the guidance of Headmaster Smith. In order to deliver on the school’s mission of maximizing “academic achievement and personal development leading to the successful completion of a college experience and to a satisfying life,” the administration, trustees and faculty knew they had to closely examine how to better serve Brewster’s students and secure a sustainable future. In 1993, the Board of Trustees approved a plan for a comprehensive school reform that redesigned and integrated all aspects of the school. Under the direction of Dr. Alan Bain, researchbased best practices were integrated into the curriculum and the
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integration of technology as a tool to enhance learning was pioneered with one of the first 1:1 laptop programs in the country. The twelve-year tenure of Head of School Dr. Michael Cooper, which began in 2003, was marked by the introduction of important additions to Brewster’s program. The Academy recognized how the nature of technology and the information age were changing the world, thus project-based learning was introduced to the program as a means of
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emphasizing the skills and abilities that students need for college and the workforce. The school also understood that the ability to recognize and manage emotions was critical for students’ academic success as well as their ability to form lasting relationships, which drove Brewster to implement an emotional literacy program in partnership with the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence.
BREWSTER IN 2015-16
Bicentennial and Beyond:
A Vision for Brewster We seek to transform our students, who come to us with diverse academic profiles and from diverse backgrounds, into self-aware, capable adults who are committed to that which is larger than the self. We’ll accomplish this using the time-tested, research driven Brewster Model as a foundation upon which to build within a student-centered and nurturing school community.
Throughout the winding path of Brewster’s history, great men and women made it their life’s work to shape students and the path of the Academy. In his 2015 installation speech as Brewster’s 12th Head of School, Craig Gemmell said, “People make such a place – not just handsome buildings or a stunning location. As the Academy charts a course for the school into the future, we have the benefit (not the burden) of history to guide us.” During the 2015-16 school year, Brewster conducted a Self Study as part of the NEASC re-accreditation process. Coming out of a yearlong examination of our programs, practices, resources, and results, our faculty, staff, and trustees developed and affirmed a vision for the Academy that calls for the continued development and evolution of the Brewster Model.
our program by refining practices purposefully in response to the needs of our students and the world they inhabit and expanding the Brewster Model to include all dimensions of a student’s experience.
our community impact by acknowledging our deep history as a public institution and strengthening our current role as an independent institution lodged within broader communities by engaging more actively as a school in our surrounding communities through increasing access for local students to a Brewster education and participating more fully in projects in our area that support the greater good.
how other schools serve the students in their care through engaging in broader conversations about education.
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BREWSTER’S FUTURE Asking the right questions to track our success
According to a fall 2015 parent survey:
Do our academic and co-curricular programs serve the needs of our students?
94%
96%
of parents agree that “The school does what it says it does.”
of parents agree that “The school actively takes into consideration the individual needs, learning styles, and characteristics of students by providing developmentally appropriate programs and activities to help students achieve their potential.”
Inquiries
Are students and families seeking us out?
1,413
Applications
611
Acceptances
312
New Students
152
According to a fall 2015 student survey:
Are students happy with their Brewster experience?
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93%
91%
94%
of students agreed that “This is a great place to go to school.”
of students agreed that “The school actively takes into consideration my individual needs and learning abilities by providing programs and activities that help me achieve to the best of my abilities.”
of students agreed that “My teachers provide me with a positive learning environment.”
BREWSTER ACADEMY • 2015-2016 ANNUAL REPORT
Are our graduates finding success in college? Brewster regularly tracks our graduates to determine their college readiness and to ensure that they are making good matches. At 96% last year, our college retention rate from freshman to sophomore year remains well above the national average of 64.2%.
100
4
3 14
4 12
Is The Fund for Brewster (gifts in support of current operations) growing over time? 2010-11
60
40
Nearly 1,000 donors come together each year to support the Academy with gifts of all sizes.
10
7
80
1,000
6
6 14
Does Brewster have a robust group of supporters?
80
80
87
$865,000
2011-12
$1,011,000
2012-13
$1,012,000 $1,202,000
2013-14 68
66
$986,000
2014-15
$1,453,000
2015-16 20
0
0
300,000 600,000 900,000 1,200,000 1,500,000
Class of ‘10 Class of ‘11 Class of ‘12 Class of ‘13 Class of ‘14 students students students students students responded responded responded responded responded
Returned for sophomore year Transfered for sophomore year Did not return
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BREWSTER’S FUTURE Asking the right questions to track our success
2010-11
Is total giving increasing over time?
$965,000
2011-12
$1,618,000
2012-13
$1,671,000
2013-14
$2,342,000
2014-15
$1,896,000
2015-16
$1,888,000 0
Are we seeing growth in our endowment?
500,000
1,000,000 1,500,000 2,000,000 2,500,000
2010-11
$5,989 $6,217
2011-12 2012-13
$14,451,000 $13,896,000
$8,384
$7,620
$15,069,000 $9,925
$17,545,000
2014-15
$7,333
$10,847
$18,180,000
2015-16
$7,404
$10,824
$18,228,000
Brewster Endowment
10
$7,679
$6,685
2013-14
Would alumni choose us again?
$8,462
Interest in Perpetual Trust
According to a fall 2015 alumni survey:
94%
95%
of alumni agreed that “The school did what it said it would do.”
of alumni agreed that “This was a great place to go to school.”
BREWSTER ACADEMY • 2015-2016 ANNUAL REPORT
Are our finances well managed? Operating Revenues and Expenses 2015-2016 100
2% 3%
ENDOWMENT INCOME MISCELLANEOUS
6%
AUXILIARY ACTIVITIES
90
5%
SUMMER PROGRAMS
7%
DEPRECIATION
6%
GIFTS & PLEDGES
15%
PLANT OPERATIONS
18%
ADMINISTRATION
19%
FINANCIAL AID AWARDS
35%
INSTRUCTIONAL & STUDENT ACTIVITIES
80 70 60 50 40
84%
TUITION & FEES
30 20 10
REVENUES $24,319,074
EXPENSES $23,814,272
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Brewster Academy
80 Academy Drive Wolfeboro, NH 03894 www.brewsteracademy.org/giving
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