08/22/2026
šš VERY LONG POST!!!! Definitely worth the read!!!
After meeting with each grade level this week, I was genuinely amazed by the support and positive feedback we received regarding the address our administration shared with students.
In the spirit of transparency, I wanted to share exactly what we told our students during our time together.
The message was simple:
You matter. You belong here. We believe in you. And we expect you to become the very best version of yourself.
We challenged our students to take ownership of their choices, their effort, their character, and ultimately, their future.
We talked about excellenceānot perfection.
We talked about leadershipānot titles.
We talked about relationships, responsibility, discipline, and doing the right thing when no one is watching.
Most importantly, we reminded them that Brooke Pride is more than wearing green and gold. Itās about how you represent yourself, your school, and the people around you every day.
For those who were not in the room, here is the excerpt from our address to students on the first day of school:
āThe Standard Starts Todayā
Good morning, Brooke High School!
Welcome to the 2026ā2027 school year.
To our freshmen: welcome to Brooke High School. This is a new chapter, and I want you to understand something from the beginning: you belong here.
To our sophomores and juniors: you know what Brooke High School is about and what we expect. This is your opportunity to take another step forward.
And to our seniors: you are officially the leaders of this school. You have one year left to make memories, make an impact, and decide what kind of legacy you will leave behind.
So I want to ask every one of you:
What are you going to do with this year?
Because hereās the truth: nobody can make this year great for you.
Your teachers can teach you. Your coaches can coach you. Your parents can support you. Your administrators can challenge you.
But ultimately, you decide.
You decide how hard you will work, how you will treat people, whether you will make excuses or find solutions, and whether you will settle for average or pursue excellence.
Eric Thomas said:
> **āWhen you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then youāll be successful.ā**
Iām not asking you to be perfect. Iām asking you to careāabout your grades, your future, your teammates, your classmates, your teachers, and the person you are becoming.
Success is not one giant decision. It is a series of small decisions made every day.
Will you come to school prepared? Put your phone away when it is time to learn? Ask for help when you need it? Finish the assignment even when you do not feel like it? Encourage someone beside you? Walk away from a choice you know could get you in trouble?
Those decisions may seem small, but they add up. Every single day.
Eventually, your decisions become your reputation. Your reputation becomes your character. And your character helps determine the person you become.
So this year, I want us to change the way we think about expectations.
Do not see expectations as something adults are putting on you. See them as a statement that says:
āWe believe youāre capable of more.ā
We expect more from you because we believe in you. We expect respect because you are capable of being respectful. We expect effort because you are capable of working hard. We expect leadership because you are capable of leading.
Sometimes, we will ask more from you than you think you can give. That is part of our job. One of the worst things we can do to young people is expect too little from them.
At Brooke High School, I want us to demand more of ourselves: more effort, more discipline, more kindness, more courage, more responsibility, and more pride.
You do not have to be the best student, athlete, musician, or most popular person in the building.
But you do have to be willing to become better than you were yesterday.
That is the competition:
You versus you.
Eric Thomas also said:
> **āEverybody wants to be a beast, until itās time to do what real beasts do.ā**
Everybody wants the good grades, the championship, the scholarship, the college acceptance letter, and the successful career.
But are you willing to do the work when nobody is watching?
Success is built in the classroom when you are tired, in the weight room when you do not feel like finishing, on the practice field when you are frustrated, and at home when you would rather be on your phone.
It is built when you fail a test and decide to study harder, when you make a mistake and have the character to own it, and when you choose to keep going.
That is the work.
We talk a lot about Brooke Pride, but Brooke Pride is more than wearing green and gold. It is more than showing up on Friday night or posting āGo Bruinsā on social media.
Brooke Pride is how you carry yourself when nobody is watching.
It is how you treat someone who cannot do anything for you. It is how you respond when things do not go your way. It is how you represent this school in the community. It is whether you take pride in your classroom, your hallway, your team, your activities, and yourself.
Our mission at Brooke High School is:
Building relationships, pursuing excellence, and empowering every Bruin to lead with Brooke Pride.
Every word matters.
Relationships: Know the people around you and look out for one another.
Excellence: Not perfectionāyour best effort every day.
Leadership: A choice, not a title.
So here is my challenge to every person in this building:
Make this year count. Start today.
Walk into your first class and decide:
Iām going to give more.
Iām going to work harder.
Iām going to listen.
Iām going to be respectful.
Iām going to help someone.
Iām going to take responsibility.
Iām going to get better.
You only get one first day of the 2026ā2027 school year. And someday, you will walk out of these doors for the last time.
When that day comes, I want you to be able to say:
āI gave Brooke High School everything I had.ā
That is the standard. That is the challenge. And that is what every Bruin is capable of.
So letās work harder. Letās care more. Letās expect more from ourselves. Letās take care of one another. Letās pursue excellence.
And letās show everyoneānot just what Brooke High School is, but what a Bruin can become.
I couldnāt be more excited about what this school year can become.
