Category: Community Involvement

Job Shadow Opportunity for High School Students

If interested Corporate Environmental Risk Management, LLC (CERM) is having their annual Job Shadow Day.

At these events local high school, undergrad, and graduate students spend time in interactive sessions with employees and business partners to gain experience in engineering, environmental, and program management fields and learn more about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) related career options.

If you are interested, the deadline is Wednesday, March 18, 2020.

Click HERE for more information.

Ms. Noelle Tells Her Story to the Georgia Senate

On Wednesday, February 26, the day after Dyslexia Day at the Capitol, Ms. Noelle spoke before the Senate Education & Youth Committee regarding Senate Bill 386 and its possible impact on the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship (SB10). Her story, along with so many others, is so compelling that we wanted to share it. Below is her speech. If you would like your story featured, please EMAIL it, along with a picture.

“Thank you for taking the time to listen to me and my story.


“Let me introduce myself. I am Noelle Smith. I have a BA in Architectural Studies and a Master of Library and Information Science degree. I am a divorced mother of 3 young women, and we live in Acworth. My oldest daughter, Cheyenne, is studying to be a commercial pilot and graduated in 2011 from Harrison High School in Cobb County. My middle child, Charlotte, is a senior at Kennesaw State University and is studying Electrical Engineering and Mechatronics. She graduated in 2015 as valedictorian from Brookwood Christian School in Cobb County. My youngest, Collette, is a junior studying Neuroscience/pre-med at the Georgia Institute of Technology and graduated in 2018 as 4th in her class from Harrison High School. We were a military family for 22 years and stayed in Georgia after my ex retired from the Marine Corps.


“My daughter Charlotte and all the other children with learning disabilities are who I am here to represent today. Let me tell you Charlotte’s story. We had known since she was 5 that there was something going on with her ability to learn letters. They just did not make sense to her. I tried to have her tested at the schools we were at; however, this was immediately after 9/11 so we were transferred to Florida, Virginia, and Louisiana in quick succession. Charlotte received her first IEP in 2004 and a diagnosis of dyslexia.


“In 2006, we moved to Atlanta. Charlotte was in 4th grade. I immediately began the process of having a new IEP issued. At this point, she attended Vaughan Elementary in Powder Springs. She loved school but struggled because she was different and could not read more than simple words at this point. I knew unless she received intensive, one-on-one specialized instruction, she was going to be lost in the public school system and maybe never be able to read. I began to look for a school that specialized in helping students with learning disabilities. I found Brookwood Christian School in Acworth.


“Luckily, Charlotte had an IEP in place and the state of Georgia had just begun the SB10 program. This scholarship enabled me to place my child in a small school with specialized instruction and small classroom sizes. Best of all, all the students had a learning disability of some kind, so everyone was on a level playing field. She thrived.


“When Charlotte was in the 9th grade, my husband and I divorced. He was unwilling to help with her private education, so the SB10 scholarship literally saved my child. I am a teacher and my income was not enough to keep her in a private school. She was able to stay at Brookwood Christian School only because of the SB10 Scholarship. I knew fighting to keep her at Brookwood was worth all the hardships when she began reading books for pleasure. Now she is excelling at Kennesaw State University and has a 3.52 GPA.


“I fell into teaching because my child needed me, and as a teacher of students with learning disabilities, I have seen how the SB10 has changed lives. There are many success stories to hear. There could be many more. I have seen students that want to attend Brookwood Christian be unable to because their families were unable to pay the tuition. Many of these students had a 504. Many returned to the public school system in an attempt to obtain an IEP.  Some were successful at gaining an IEP and were able to enter Brookwood Christian. I have seen several who were unable to obtain an IEP. I remember one such student who dropped out of school. I fear for him. He has fallen between the cracks.


“I ask that you please expand this program to include all children with disabilities; be a part of the success stories. 


“I appreciate your time. Thank you.”

~Noelle Pearson

And THANK YOU Ms. Noelle, for taking the time to advocate for our students and other special needs students!

You can also read Mellie’s Story in our 2018-2019 Annual Report, and Blake’s Story in our 2017-2018 Annual Report, both are compelling, and the statistics for students who do not get appropriate reading instruction are grim, and outlined in the Progress Reports in both stories. You can also see the statistics regarding the success of our programs HERE.

Get to Know Families Impacted by Georgia’s Special Needs Scholarship.

Noelle Smith, Teacher, Brookwood Christian School.

#SayDyslexia #UntilEveryoneCanRead #1in5 

Dyslexia Day at the Capitol 2020

Yesterday, Ms. Kim & Ms. Tammy went to the capitol for Dyslexia Day 2020 and this year they took two students, Will & Krissy. Both students were able to see how the legislative process works, as well as interact with advocates and lobbyists for dyslexia and other special needs students.

In addition to speaking with the leaders at other dyslexia schools, we spoke with other advocates for dyslexia including groups such as Decoding Dyslexia-Georgia and International Dyslexia Association-Georgia Chapter, and Meredith Pope, Mrs. Georgia US Continental, who volunteered her time to read to our students on Dr. Seuss Day last year.

We were also able to speak to Representative Ed Setzler (House District 35) and Senator Lindsey Tippens (Senate District 37), both of whom represent the school’s district and are very supportive of our mission. Senator Tippens is Will’s grandfather! 🙂

There are currently 2 new bills being introduced this legislative term, as well as the possibility of reconsideration of one that did not pass last term. They are briefly summarized here and you can link to our more detailed posts about each of them.

Senate Bill 386 will make it easier to get the Georgia Special needs Scholarship, as well as open up possibility of appeals and more access for those already receiving it or who have been denied a medical waiver.

House Bill 939 will amend HB 217, which raised the cap on the Georgia Tax Credit Scholarship from $58 million, to $100 million. HB 217 has the cap reverting back to $58 million and HB 939 would eliminate that.

Senate Bill 173 is up for reconsideration during this legislative session and would allow parents to use funds earmarked for public education to pay for qualified education expenses, including private school tuition.

Please CONTACT YOUR SENATOR and REPRESENTATIVE and ask them to support these bills so that our families have the financial assistance they need so their children can go to school where they can thrive AND LEARN! Tell them your story if it applies! 

You can read Mellie’s Story in our 2018-2019 Annual Report, and Blake’s Story in our 2017-2018 Annual Report, both are compelling, and the statistics for students who do not get appropriate reading instruction are grim, and outlined in the Progress Reports in both stories. You can also see the statistics regarding the success of our programs HERE.

Left to Right: Senator Lindsey Tippens, Will Resh (student), Kim Wigington (Principal), Krissy Nagel (student), Tammy Urban (Director of Development), and Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan
Left to Right: Krissy Nagel (student), Mrs. Georgia US Continental – Meredith Pope (Dyslexia Advocate), Kim Wigington (Principal), Will Resh (Student), Representative Ed Setzler.


Santa at the Holbrook

The Holbrook in Acworth was the title sponsor of our recent Acworth Charm Tour fundraiser, and instrumental in the success we had. Please consider supporting them and thanking them for their generosity.

Students will be bringing home information about the upcoming Christmas Event the Holbrook is hosting:

Sunday, December 15 the Holbrook will be hosting Santa and Mrs. Claus from 2:30pm – 4:30pm and Brunch at Zinnia Cafe & Market from Noon – 3pm.

Please RSVP for Brunch by email or calling: 678-424-3053.

#GivingTuesday 2019

Acworth, GA (November December 2, 2019) – December 3, 2019 is #GivingTuesday, a global day of giving that harnesses the collective power of a unique blend of partners – charities, families, businesses, and individuals—to encourage philanthropy and to celebrate generosity worldwide. #GivingTuesday is held annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, this year, December 3, 2019, to kick off the holiday giving season and to inspire people to give. Millions of people around the world have participated in the movement.

This year, Facebook will be matching up to $7 million of funds raised on Facebook for US nonprofits. Whether you have $10, $100, or $1000 to give, it all adds up for us! Especially when being matched! This is also a great way to maximize an end of year tax deduction. In our first #GivingTuesday we raised $1,870. During our second one, last year, we raised $2,765 and exceeded our $2,500 goal! … Our goal this year is $3,000.

In the spirit of giving, we will rekindle our #GivingTowelTuesday campaign to donate towels to Lake City & Acworth Animal Hospitals (one of our biggest supporters) to use for their Road Trip Home Animal Rescue support. On the last Tuesday of the month we will collect gently used towels and blankets to donate to help them help the rescue.

“After an overwhelming show of support from our community during our 2018/2019, raising $122,340.65, we feel compelled to continue our Giving Towel Tuesday program.” Said Kim Wigington, Principal, “One of our biggest sponsors & supporters, a local veterinary service, is constantly needing towels for one of the charities they support, Road Trip Home Animal Rescue. We knew our families would support this and they did not disappoint. We collected over 175 towels and blankets during our first year and almost double that last year!

Those who are interested in joining Brookwood Christian’s #GivingTuesday initiative can visit 
https://www.facebook.com/donate/473334129957473/

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About Brookwood Christian

Brookwood Christian School is a private, non-profit, non-denominational Christian school that serves students who have not been successful in public or private schools due to their unique learning needs: individual or multiple learning disorders such dyslexia, reading & language processing disorders, auditory processing disorders, attention deficit disorder, neurological disorders, and other specific learning disabilities. Most of our operating budget comes from tuition payments augmented by the Georgia SB-10 scholarship program. Eighty percent of our students receive some sort of financial assistance. Recognition such as this helps with our fundraising which helps keep our operating costs and tuition low.

About #GivingTuesday

Founded in 2012 by the 92nd Street Y – a community and cultural center in New York City − #GivingTuesday inspired millions of people to give back and support the causes they believe in. Over $300 million was raised online to benefit a tremendously broad range of organizations, and much more was given in volunteer hours, donations of food and clothing, and acts of kindness. “It’s been a privilege to work with remarkable leaders all over the country building a movement around #GivingTuesday,” said Henry Timms, 92Y’s Executive Director and founder of #GivingTuesday. “This initiative has truly been crowd-sourced by some of the smartest and most connected minds among the next generation of philanthropists and entrepreneurs.”

It inspires people to take collective action to improve their communities, give back in better, smarter ways to the charities and causes they believe in, and help create a better world. #GivingTuesday demonstrates how every act of generosity counts, and that they mean even more when we give together.

To learn more about #GivingTuesday participants and activities or to join the celebration of giving, please visit:
Website: www.givingtuesday.org

or follow @GivingTues and the #GivingTuesday hashtag on social media.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GivingTuesday
Twitter: twitter.com/GivingTuesday

Media Contacts:

Tammy Urban
Director of Development
Brookwood Christian School
first.last@brookwoodchristian.com
678-401-5855

THANK YOU!

We absolutely have the best families and community.

On May 13, we posted an end of year fundraising appeal because we had so much generosity this year that we were so close to the $100,000 mark (which we did not anticipate) that we thought we’d try to actually break that mark!

Well, it happened, and on May 22 we posted how we had not only met the $100,000 mark, we made it to $102,450.65. We were beyond ecstatic, as that is the most we have raised in a year, ever.

Then we posted about the Apogee cap not being met, and combined with a few other donations, we are currently at $108,011.65, and for the first time ever, school fundraising broke the 25% mark, at $27,802.53!

Where it all came from.

Your gifts make a huge difference in the academic experiences of our students and help us further our dyslexia reading programs. Tuition only supports 80% percent of the annual operating budget, and contributions from all members of The Brookwood Christian Community: parents, grandparents, alumni, past families, faculty & staff, foundations, community partners, and friends; bridge the gap to help us deliver the unique learning experiences our students deserve.

Again, thanks to ALL of you!

We DID IT!

We are beyond overwhelmed with the support from our families and community! We had an amazing year, we asked to help push us over the $100,000 mark, and you delivered!

Thanks so much to all of you, we have raised $102,450.65 this year! By far our best fundraising year to date.

Your gifts make a huge difference in the academic experiences of each student and help us further our dyslexia reading programs. Tuition only supports 80% percent of the annual operating budget, and contributions from all members of The Brookwood Christian Community: parents, grandparents, alumni, past families, faculty & staff, foundations, community partners, and friends; bridge the gap to help us deliver the unique learning experiences our students deserve.

This shows the sources of our fundraising, and we could not have done this without the help of all of our families, donors, sponsors, and community partners.

Again, we thank each and every one of you for your help.

Thank You Acworth!

Well it has been a hectic two weeks… from our Spring Tea & Auction, supporting Tommy Nobis Center Galaxy of the Stars Gala, having 2 proms a week apart, and then being named one of the 2019 Top 25 Businesses of the Year by the Cobb Chamber of Commerce!

We want to thank all of our supporters,  donors, volunteers, and local community and businesses. Our goal for this year’s Auction was to actually break $10,000. Thanks to all of you, we made it to $15,526 ❤

THANK YOU ACWORTH!


Dyslexia Day at the Braves!

Join the International Dyslexia Association Georgia (IDA-GA) for Dyslexia Day at the Braves, a fundraiser game at SunTrust Park where a portion of every ticket sold through https://groupmatics.events/event/Internationaldyslexia will go back directly to IDA-GA. Seats are available in the Home Run Porch (outfield) and Grandstand Reserved section.

Braves vs. Mets
Saturday, April 13th @ 7:20pm EST
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS.

IDA-GA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, scientific and educational organization formed to increase public awareness of dyslexia, the most common cause of reading, writing, and spelling difficulties (affecting 15-20% of the population). They are a resource and support system for educators, parents, and all professionals concerned with dyslexia and related reading difficulties.

IDA-GA provides community outreach activities including the annual Dyslexia Dash 5K run/walk, professional education conferences, scholarships and grants focused on teacher training, an information and referral hotline, and e-newsletters to increase awareness and educational solutions for struggling readers. Learn more at ga.DyslexiaIDA.org.

You can also purchase this hat for pickup at stadium or delivery. More details HERE.

#Until everyone can read! 

Cobb Chamber recognizes Brookwood as one of the Top 25 Small Businesses of the Year.

Acworth, Georgia (April 8, 2019) – On Friday, April 5, the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce recognized Brookwood Christian School one of Cobb County’s 2019 Top 25 Small Businesses of the Year. Each year, the Chamber celebrates the achievements of small businesses that contribute to the vitality of the community by announcing the Top 25 Small Businesses of the Year. Cobb County is home to many fast growing small businesses, and as a pro-business advocacy organization, the Cobb Chamber is committed to supporting these businesses.

“We are very honored to be named one of the Top 25 Businesses”, said Kim Wigington, founder and Headmaster at Brookwood, “This time last year we were crowded in our original building undergoing construction. Now we have our new building and are quickly filling the extra space. This recognition highlights the hard work of all our staff.”

In addition to Brookwood Christian School, the following businesses were also named one of the 2019 Top 25 Small Businesses of the Year:

AquaGuard Foundation Solutions, Artisan Custom Closets, Assured Comfort Heating Air & Plumbing, Deluxe Athletics, DeNyse Companies, DynamiX, Elder Law Firm, The Employment Law Solution: McFadden Davis, Fulfillment Strategies International, Inc., Georgia Trade School, InPrime Legal, The Marietta Local, Mills Specialty Metals, LLC, North Georgia Staffing, Otter’s Chicken, Poole’s Pharmacy, RE/MAX PURE, Roam Innovative Workplace, SpeedPro Imaging Marietta, Three-13 Salon, Spa & Boutique, Tom + Chee Kennesaw, Vertisys, Williamson Bros. Bar-B-Q, Yalo!

An overall winner will be selected among the Top 25 and announced on May 6 at the Small Business of the Year Breakfast at the Cobb Galleria Centre. The top winner is determined by a thorough selection process including applications and site visits by a panel of outside judges. The breakfast will honor the Top 25 Small Businesses of the Year and the Small Business Hall of Fame inductees.

Tickets to the breakfast are $35 for members and are $60 for general admission. Visit www.cobbchamber.org/SBOY for more information and event registration.

The 2019 Small Business of the Year awards are presented by LOUD Security Systems and S.A. White Oil Company. For more information about the Small Businesses of the Year awards, contact Jani Dix at 770-859-2335 or jdix@cobbchamber.org.

Media Contacts:

Tammy Urban
Director of Development
Brookwood Christian School
first.last@brookwoodchristian.com
678-401-5855