OUR FOUNDER
“Everyone is a genius, but if you judge a fish by his ability to climb a tree he will live his whole life feeling stupid”
Albert Einstein
Hi! My name is Shelly, and I am the founder of the new and exciting non-profit private school, Brookstone Academy! Brookstone is the realization of a life long wish to create a school that offers all students individualized programming and allows students to feel accepted, cared for and supported to be themselves, find their strengths and build the confidence to become the innovators, creators and leaders that they all have the potential to be.
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As a very bright but sensitive student myself, and with a TON of energy, I struggled my way through school with memories of feeling so much more capable than I was able to demonstrate and like I never really quite fit anywhere or truly belonged. Flash forward 30 years, I made it through university with honours and a Masters Degree in Education by learning to appreciate and build on my strengths and have enjoyed a successful career as an innovative educator and administrator. But, as a mother of a young child that is also very bright, but struggling in the conventional school system much the same way I did, even having had wonderful teachers, it was finally time to put this amazing program that has lived in my head for years, into action!
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As Einstein said, "Education is not the learning of facts but the training of the mind to think." Sounds simple enough, right? True thinking however, “to create the capacity of integrated understanding and an ability to use knowledge intelligently”* is a dynamic process that requires compassionate communication and active participation from and between students and their teachers/facilitators, in a setting that promotes creative and independent thinking, respectful dissension and healthy debate. All these qualities are fundamental building blocks of the Brookstone program and are what help students to feel a sense of belonging and the sense of safety required to take on educational challenges that lead to true learning and growth, intellectually and emotionally.
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To create Brookstone’s groundbreaking program I have drawn from all the leading educational thinkers and theories in education and my amassed education and experience, beginning with my Masters Degree in Education and culminating with a 20 year career in education with private and public boards, as a teacher and vice-principal. The Brookstone program represents the amalgamation of the best of the best strategies and philosophies of education. Countries all over the world are already radically transforming their education systems in a similar way to our program, to better meet the needs of a new generation of students. Students today have very different needs than we did and have a very different world they need to be prepared for success in. At Brookstone we endeavour to give students the strongest foundation possible and the tools they need to reach and succeed their potential and be prepared for success in high school and beyond and success in life. Please feel free to reach out anytime for more information about our program and how we can support your child, to book a visit or to start the admission process. Come find out why Brookstone is a great choice for your family! Come see what your child can do!
Sincerely,
Shelly Long-Bokma
Master of Education, Hons BA, OCT
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*From https://in.one.un.org/education-is-not-the-learning-of-facts-but-the-training-of-minds-to-think/#:~:text=Albert%20Einstein%20during%20his%20visit,a%20school%20or%20college%20education.
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