2015 Friend and Fund Raiser

February 26th was a lovely evening! Despite the threat of winter weather, nearly 500 supporters and new friends joined us at the Hilton to hear keynote speaker, Wes Moore, and to celebrate the mission of Brookstone school. Jane and Tom Coyle and Barbara and Steady Cash served as the event's honorary co-chairs. The gifts raised in donations and pledges will go a long way in providing excellent Christian education.

Our Christmas Program

On Friday, December 19th (only three days after the students began at our new school), we hosted many parents and guests for the annual Christmas Program. Each grade prepared a song to share with the audience, and we deeply enjoyed this special time set aside to give glory and honor to our Savior.

A second life for "old" curriculum materials

Our school principal, Ms. Preston, spent lots of time lately sorting and discarding old curriculum materials. In light of our relocation, it was the perfect time to clear out unneeded items.

Although, these "uneeded" items are actually needed...and wanted.

In the Takoradi region of Ghana, there is school that receives what Brookstone can't use anymore. Konji (mom of four students enrolled at Brookstone) and her husband gather these materials, and with the support of their church, mail them to the school in Ghana to be used by teachers and students there. They are glad and grateful to give our old curriculum books a second life.

We recently received the letter below from Konji's husband:

This letter is to thank you for your generous gift of books and supplies to our ministry.

S.O.W International Outreach Ministry is a non-profit 501-3C organization that ministers to Strangers, Orphans and Widows.  Our vision and mission is to spread the good news of the Gospel around the globe while engaging community through sponsorship and fund raising that effects the quality education and lifestyle of the single family, low income, the battered, the widow and the homeless in the community.

S.O.W International Outreach Ministry has planted a new church in Ghana- West Africa in the Takoradi region.  The church is currently meeting in Essipom Primary school compound. Since the school has opened their doors to us we in turn sponsor them.  We have also adopted 30 orphans whose life are in great danger without support and care.  We would like to thank Brookstone Schools for their recent generous donation of educational resource materials to the S.O.W International Outreach Ministry in Ghana/Takoradi region. 

These resources are much needed for the teaching staffs and students in Essipom Primary School were most of the orphanage children are receiving their education.  Thank you Brookstone Schools for impacting lives for the Kingdom sake.We are greatful for your gift and look forward for future partnership as together we change the future and the destiny of Strangers, Orphans and Widows one life at a time for all eternity.

May God richly bless you!

Overseer, Pastor Eugene Boakye

S.O.W International Outreach Ministry

All of us at Brookstone are thrilled to play a small role in this educational loop.

Birthday Party for Jesus

On a rainy day, the first Saturday in December, our dear friends at Uptown Church hosted a birthday party for Jesus at our previous location. Students enrolled at Brookstone were invited to attend along with anyone else from the community!

The morning began with an exciting story about the birth of Jesus.

There were caring volunteers who acted out the story of Jesus' birth. Following that, was a very fun time filled with face-painting, making reindeer masks and creating personalized Christmas ornaments.

The kids all gathered in the cafeteria to sing Happy Birthday to Jesus and have cupcakes and juice.

Thank you, Uptown Church, for this special annual tradition that you share with Brookstone!

Saying goodbye to Lester Street

For three years, Brookstone Schools has called 2414 Lester Street in Charlotte our home. As of December 12th 2014, our new home will be at 301 South Davidson in the Educational Center of First Baptist Church.

With any relocation, there's excitement and hopefulness about the future. At the same time, there's sadness for leaving a place that holds special memories. Many students experienced their first day of school here; wrote their first sentences; learned the complexities of the multiplication tables. For some, they learned to play violin within these walls. Unique milestones will be remembered and we thank God for His love and protection in this space. God loving provides for Brookstone. Although the address may change; the comforting promise of His provision is lasting.

Sweet Potato Pancake Breakfast

Ms.Kathleen and Ms. Elizabeth came to help plant sweet potato seeds and in October they came back to help harvest the garden.

Those sweet potatoes were prepared into a delicious pancake breakfast by Chef Lambert, which is a tradition lasting four years now. 

Thank you to our volunteers who are dedicated to helping the students learn about nutrients found in the vegetables we grow. Thank you for teaching them about the process from planting to harvesting to enjoying!

The sweet potato pancakes were delicious!

Partner Day

Monthly class feature: 8th grade

Class photos by Susan Goode

For the first time in the history of Brookstone Schools, we have an 8th grade class! Ms. Rebecca Essah came onboard as the 8th grade teacher. She took a few minutes to answer the questions below:

What one word best describes the group?
Peaceful

What are the students currently learning?  
Motion, Speed, Scientific Method

Describe a moment that you won't forget this school year.
The first class skit that the students did for History Class. During this assignment, I was privileged to witness these students learn to work together, come out of their own shells and personalities, and use their various gifts and talents to accomplish the task at hand. It was a pleasure to watch them develop as leaders, and I thoroughly enjoyed their finished product!

8th grade skit - September 2014

The 8th grade class studied the country of Turkey for our recent Nations Day event. Students researched the Turkish culture, clothing, foods, flag, religions and presented the information for guests who were visiting.

Above photos taken on Nations Day - October 29, 2014

We are grateful for the Lord's provision in allowing Brookstone to expand to the 8th grade, and we pray many blessings on this group of talented and bright individuals.

Kindergarten Devotional

Every morning the classrooms of Brookstone engage in a devotional to give their days to the Lord.

This particular morning in September, Mrs. Wasko's kindergarten class began their day learning about how God is good; how He created the world, and how He loves them. The main scripture was derived from Genesis 1:31 which says, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.”

Mrs. Wasko asked the students what were some of their favorite things that God made. Reponses ranged from people, to animals, to airplanes. After Mrs. Wasko prayed corporately, they prayed together in a circle with the opportunity for each student to pray out loud.

The prayers of each of the children who prayed aloud were precious and I was reminded of Matthew 18:3 which says, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Contributed by Lani Short, Charlotte Fellow

Mark your calendar for February 26th!

Thank you, Church at Charlotte!

Brookstone was greeted last week by Cathleen Gallagher and the week prior by Robin Weaver, both loving volunteers and also members at Church at Charlotte. They had very good news to share!

Church at Charlotte selected Brookstone as the recipient of two separate grants through their Jeremiah Fund, totaling $1,500. This is a program that invites their church members to apply for a grant to be given to a non-profit organization in Charlotte where they have volunteered at least 20+ hours.

Cathleen and Robin are both dedicated "Lunch Buddies" at Brookstone.

We are honored to receive such a meaningful gift. Not only was a check handed to us, but with it came much encouragement! Thank you to everyone at Church at Charlotte for recognizing our mission to represent Christ well and to make a difference in the future of the young children here in Charlotte.

From right to left: Suzanne Wilson, Director of Advancement, receiving the grant award; Cathleen Gallagher, presenting the award along with her lunch buddy, Justice (7th grade)

(To learn more about Brookstone's Lunch Buddy Program, please click here.)

A Sweet Tradition

There's a tradition at Brookstone that happens once a month, on Friday after the CHAMPS ceremony at chapel. It's a tradition the kids love, and it involves ice cream!

To back up a bit, CHAMPS is an award ceremony that recognizes students in each grade who have excelled academically, socially and have displayed excellent Christ-centered character traits for the month.

Following the ceremony, ice cream awaits for the CHAMPS recipients.

The ice cream treats are lovingly donated, prepared and served by our dear volunteer, Bob Lee, who has made this his special gift to students for the past two years.

Mr. Lee often has the help of his daughter and granddaughters (who are in high school and college), and who also enjoy coming to see the smiles on the kids' faces.

Nancy Turbeville, our Volunteer Coordinator said, "Bob has chosen to bless Brookstone in so many ways in his retirement, and we are especially thankful for his willingness each month to not only purchase the ice cream and toppings for more than 60 students, but to cheerfully serve them. His joy is evident in his smile, and his extended family has joined in this effort to make this special celebration happen each month."

All of us at Brookstone appreciate the people who share their time to make life a bit sweeter for our students. Thank you, Mr. Lee!

The mailing miracle

One of the roles of the Advancement Office is to communicate information to our supporters. A primary way we do that is through mailings. This week, we had nearly 2,500 letters to mail announcing our new location. The process for getting a letter delivered involves several steps: printing, sorting, folding, stuffing, sealing, sorting again, etc... It's a big job, and we couldn't do it without the help of volunteers.

Typically, we have one dedicated group from Matthews OPC who tackles the mailings. They're efficient and incredibly kind to Brookstone, often showing up and spending the whole day working together to finish the task.

We didn't have them for this week's mailing, and we weren't sure how it would unfold.

On Monday, a few volunteers from the parent group worked alongside two of our Charlotte Fellows, and they were able to complete about 25% of the mailing. On Tuesday morning, the remaining 75% of the work was staring us in the face, and we had absolutely no idea how it would get accomplished. Although it seemed daunting, the four Advancement Team members decided to simply start - taking it piece by piece.

Little did we know that God was sending us helpers.

Seth showed up. Mae came in with Nancy. Meg D. was helping in 1st grade and came after that. Meg H. was here for her lunch buddy's birthday, and she stayed to help. Lynn was here with her lunch buddy, and said she couldn't leave knowing we needed her. Artaevia, Debi and Valerie cheerfully strolled in to seal the envelopes. Elizabeth popped in for a few hours.

With each new face that walked through the door, we felt thankful. What a loving God we serve! He provides for Brookstone in the big and small ways, sending us exactly what we need. When our team wasn't sure how the next 30 minutes would look, we were amazed at the joyful and unexpected display throughout the day.

By 3 pm, the mailing was done! Each piece was neatly in it's bin according to zip code, ready for the post office.

It's a day our team won't forget. It's a lesson that will always be a good reminder.

Welcome, Charlotte Fellows!

On Monday, September 8th, Brookstone welcomed 10 Charlotte Fellows to work alongside us in this mission. They show up bright and early at our school every Monday morning from 8 am - noon and help us tackle many jobs.

Charlotte Fellows is a local initiative that disciples recent college graduates as they learn to use their gifts and talents to help meet the needs of our community.

Please join us in welcoming these interns to Brookstone.

To learn more about Charlotte Fellows, please visit: http://www.charlottefellows.org/

Gardening and Growing

Thank you to our volunteers, Kathleen Smith and Elizabeth Stamas, for helping us grow sweet potatoes and teaching us how fun it is to garden.

Thank you also for coming earlier in the school year to help us create all natural bird feeders. 

We love learning about the garden with you two!