Mission & Academics

In this episode of Mission Moments, host Linda Pryor welcomes Brookfield Academy freshman William Schoonenberg, who recently earned first place at the Wisconsin Junior Classical League Convention.  William shares how students prepare for the wide-ranging competitions that make up the convention, from language and mythology to geography, history, and even graphic arts. He also gives listeners insig...

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 lear...

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 s...

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 s...

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 Up...

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...

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 skill...

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...

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 o...

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 Indi...

In this special episode of Mission Moments , we are thrilled to highlight some notable Lower School students. These young scholars participated in our Expert Program. They each selected a topic of personal interest to research and master, dedicating their time and energy beyond the regular curriculum to become true experts. Join us as we dive into their fascinating discoveries and hear their passi...

In this episode, Linda Pryor, extends the Student Changemakers podcast with another BA student who is running a successful non-profit organization.  Bella Smith, a junior at the school founded her nonprofit organization called, Dress Campaign, Inc., about a year ago. The mission of the organization is to provide lightly used dresses for teens so that everyone has an opportunity to have their own d...

In this episode, host Linda Pryor, speaks with four of the five seniors from Brookfield Academy who completed the International Freedom Scholar Certificate this year.  The International Freedom Scholar Certificate program was started 10 years ago to encourage students to more deeply investigate the principles of the school's Freedom Philosophy. The principles include:  A theistic view of life Jude...

If you're looking for something positive to listen to today, this episode is for you. Host Linda Pryor talks with Raghav Vijayapal and Krish Sharma, two BA Upper School students who have started non-profit organizations.  Service is a part of student life at all Levels of BA. The school's youngest students participate in service projects such as making toys for dogs in shelters, collecting and del...

In this episode, host Linda Pryor, interviews BA Upper School teacher, Ms. Karen Ray who recently was named the High School Teacher of the Year by the Wisconsin VFW. Ms. Ray earned this recognition based on her exemplary performance across four distinct criteria: Citizenship, Innovation, Resources, and Passion for Teaching. During their conversation, it becomes clear why Ms. Ray was deserving of t...

In this episode, Linda Pryor is joined by Dr. Daniel Coupland, Dean of Masters in Classical Education and Professor of Education at Hillsdale College. The two have an engaging discussion about the key components and value of a classical teaching of reading and grammar. His broad background in linguistics, as a classroom teacher, as well as his role educating teachers provides for an interesting co...

Linda Pryor, Executive Director of the Center for Mission & Academics at Brookfield Academy, begins Season 5 of her podcast with an amazing guest, Dr. Wilfred McClay. Dr. McClay wrote Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story and the book was recently added to the Middle School History curriculum at BA. The conversation provides a glimpse into this fascinating scholar and why the...

This episode is somewhat different from others this season, as host Linda Pryor talks with guest Jorge Galicia, an emigre from Venezuela. Still a young man, Mr. Galicia, shares stories from his experience with the dramatic economic and social change that have occurred in Venezuela during his lifefiime. His story is fascinating, especially when one considers stories from his youth that seem similar...

Brookfield Academy has always offered students a "classical" education. An important part of that is Latin. In this episode, Linda Pryor talks with Dr. Ron Roessler, a BA parent and coach of the school's Certamen teams. Dr. Roessler describes his personal interest in Latin and how this program has captured the interest of many - there are more than 40 students on the Certamen team - students at BA...

In this episode, host Linda Pryor, talks with Brookfield Academy Athletic Director, Jon Kahle. Mr. Kahle has been at BA for 14 years and talks about advancements in the athletic programs including increases in athletic participation, increased opportunities for female students, the addition of the Fitness Center, and more. They discuss that the focus on character building through athletics, develo...

In this episode, host Linda Pryor talks with Mr. Peter Grossman, Director of Development. Peter has a long history with Brookfield Academy. His father was one of the early board members for the school and he attended Brookfield Academy from Level B through his graduation in 1989. In addition to his current role with the school, he has served as a teacher, coach, and athletic director. His children...

In this episode, host Linda Pryor talks with Upper School Mathematics Department Chair, Mr. David Reiner. Mr. Reiner has been a teacher at BA for many years and is well-liked by students, faculty, and BA parents. He currently teaches AP Calculus AB & BC. Mr. Reiner talks about tradition, not only meaning "looking back" but also traditional ideas of teaching. The ideas of structure in class, es...

In this episode, Upper School teacher Ms. Karen Ray talks about attributes of excellence and how she and colleagues encourage excellence in their students and each other. Ms. Ray teaches Mideast Studies, Western Civilization 2 and Western Civilization 2 Honors. She is also the advisor for Rho Kappa, a national Social Studies Honor Society for juniors and seniors. To learn more about Brookfield Aca...

In this episode, Rebecca Auskings shares insight into the many traditions in the Brookfield Academy music program and how they enrich the lives of students and the school. Ms. Auskings teaches Chorus, Musical Theatre, and AP Music Theory in Brookfield Academy's Upper School as well as serving as the Music Department Chair and teaching Music for Levels 6, 7, and 8 in the Middle School. For more inf...

Middle School is often considered a challenging time for students. In this episode Dr. Mark Bullio, Head of the Middle School at Brookfield Academy, shares a glimpse into the Middle School and how excellent these very formative years can be. Ranked the #1 Private School in Wisconsin for the last three years, if you'd like to learn more about Dr. Bullio or the Middle School at Brookfield Academy vi...