Brookwood Elementary School

The Braden Family joined our staff in a special brick-laying ceremony to honor the dedication and service Mr. Braden gave to the Genoa City Joint 2 School District. Mr. Weber shared these words at the ceremony: Thank you to Luke's family, our staff, and all those who have joined us today as we dedicate this memorial brick in his honor. The stone we are laying in Luke's honor today is small, but the legacy it represents is very large. Luke's story at Brookwood came full circle. He first walked these halls as a physical education teacher, helping students build confidence, develop healthy habits, and discover the value of teamwork and perseverance. Years later, he returned to Brookwood as principal, bringing with him the same energy, care, and commitment that had defined his work from the very beginning. I only had the privilege of knowing Luke for the past two years. When I came to Brookwood to interview for the superintendent position, Luke was the person who gave me a tour of the building. I remember walking through the hallways with him and immediately sensing the pride he took in this school. He spoke about Brookwood with enthusiasm and purpose. It was clear how much he cared about the students, the staff, and the work of being a principal. More than that, it was clear how much he loved being the principal of Brookwood. Luke believed in people. He believed in students, in staff, and in the importance of creating a school where everyone felt welcomed, valued, and supported. He understood that education is about more than academics. It is about relationships, encouragement, and helping young people become the best version of themselves. The true measure of a person's life is not found in titles or accomplishments alone, but in the impact they have on others. By that measure, Luke's influence can be seen all around us. It lives on in the students he inspired, the staff members he supported, the friendships he built, and the countless lives he touched during his time here. While this brick will remain in one place, Luke's influence will continue to move forward through the students, staff, and families who carry his example with them each day. As students, staff, families, and visitors pass by this brick in the years ahead, may it serve as a reminder of a man who loved this school, cared deeply for this community, and dedicated himself to making Brookwood a better place. On behalf of the Braden Family: We are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of love, support, and kindness our community has shown our family. Your prayers, encouraging words, and generosity have meant more than we can ever express. Thank you.

This afternoon, staff gathered for our annual end-of-the-school-year staff luncheon. During this time, we recognized the dedication of our team members who have reached milestone years of service. Congratulations to Gina Whitlock and Kelly Cassady on 5 years of service, Karen Bullock and Briana Brenek on 10 years of service, and a special congratulations to MaryEllen Kanthack on 26 years of service as she begins her well-earned retirement. Thank you to each and everyone of our staff members for their continued commitment to our students, staff, and school community. Wishing everyone a wonderful summer!

Second and third-grade musicians stepped outside to express their musicality through chalk drawings. Students created solfege hopscotch, drew rhythms, and pictures representing some of the songs we sang. A fun idea to do over the summer!

As part of our graduation festivities, the 8th graders went to BES on Tuesday to walk the halls! It was a bittersweet day for students and staff as we reminisced on where it all began. The BES students made signs and lined the halls to wish our graduates well as they transition to high school. 💙

Here is the June Mustang Minute! Make sure to click on the grade levels to view grade-level newsletters! BMS & BES calendar links are also linked and available to view via a QR code. Every month is filled with a lot of individual activities at both buildings that we cannot list out on the Mustang Minute, so please check them out via the school calendars! Enjoy:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dWWubab2-42-X9cJ76BZxS21f3lFKA3K/view?usp=sharing

The 4K outeach event, Games & Goodies, was full of fun, laughter, and connection! Families and children brought their favorite games and snacks to share while enjoying time together. Thank you to everyone who joined us for a wonderful morning of board games, cards, community, and sweet memories! 🎲🍿❤️

BES Mustang Morning Show

The Mustang Morning crew works together weekly to share announcements, special events, and fun updates with everyone in our school. Along the way, students practice teamwork, creativity, speaking skills, and learning how to put a show together. Best of all, they have a lot of fun while helping our school start the week together!

Enjoy this edition of the BES Mustang Morning Show:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itrTw5pfij8

Congratulations to Mary Ellen Kanthack as we celebrate her retirement and congratulating her on receiving the Children’s First Award at the May 18th school board meeting. Mrs. Kanthack has made a lasting positive impact in the lives of countless children throughout her years of service at Brookwood. Her dedication, compassion, and commitment to students have helped shape our school community and inspired generations of learners. Thank you, Mary Ellen, for the many years you have devoted to our students and families. Your care and passion for education will leave a legacy that will not be forgotten. Congratulations on your well-deserved retirement and this special recognition! We wish you all the best in this next chapter!

It's time again to sign up for our Community Garden! If you are interested in providing produce to our local food pantry, for your own table, and to learn more about veg gardening, please join us! Our communal Community Garden is located behind BMS and serves as a teaching garden as well as a way to educate about agricultural science and raising awareness of pollinators, providing produce and flowers to our community, both at school and out of school. Anyone is welcome. Give a week of your time to help water and weed, spread mulch, and help out, and you are welcome to harvest what you need all summer. Just fill out the form and/or contact me with questions. I can be reached until June 8th at my school email and then at mekanthack3@gmail.com

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSed6pP6kv7wXHFphKtjOQ_Ywhat8TL1nbPDt0tUAeZfmMbMog/viewform

As we wrap up another amazing school year of "Growing into Greatness," we are excited to celebrate with a special countdown to summer! During the final eight days of school, students are invited to join in on some MUSTANGS fun each day.

5/27:M Morning Mode-Wear your school appropriate PJ's
5/28: U Undercover Day-Dress in disguise.
5/29: S STEM Day-Students will have fun buildling, creativity, and teamwork challenges
6/1: T Team Day-Classrooms will pick a color to wear today and do a team acrtvity
6/2: A Animal Day-Bring your favorite stuffed animal to school
6/3: N Number Day-Wear. shirt that has a number(s).
6/4: G Get up & Go!
6/5: Summer Vibes!

Yearbooks are here! There are a limited amount of extra yearbooks if you did not get a chance to pre-order yours. You can go online to yearbookforever.com OR send in a check or cash with your child's name and grade level to your child's school. Yearbooks are $25 each.
Yearbooks will be distributed the last week of school. If you're not sure if you ordered already or have questions, email Mrs. Garrett at kim.garrett@gcj2.k12.wi.us

Third-grade students recently wrapped up their final reading and writing unit by becoming experts on marine animals! 🌊🐠

Over the course of six weeks, students researched their animal’s adaptations, habitat, food web, classification, and many other fascinating facts. To celebrate all of their hard work, students created either trading cards or detailed aquarium diagrams and their own kahoot quiz to showcase what they learned.

Every project turned out amazing, and students had an absolute blast diving into the world of marine life! We are so proud of their creativity, research skills, and dedication throughout this unit. 🐙🦈🐢

BES is still looking for about 6-8 field day volunteers for both Morning and Afternoon times on Thursday, June 4th.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeJPZ-Qlg1_vyk3OkzCzye4M2mtXpm3_iWMhl7q_QD83m0Lwg/viewform

4K families are invited to the May 27th outreach event at BES from 9:30-11am at BES. There is no regular 4K programming on this day.

Questions: contact your child's homeroom teacher

Last Day of School June 5th // Early Release: BMS 11:30 BES 12:25

Please contact your child's homeroom teacher/advisory teacher if you have questions!

GCJ2 No School: May 25, 2026

Memorial Day Program: Please join the BMS Band and Genoa City American Legion Post at Brookwood Middle School on May 25th at 10 am

**Please note that the program will be held at Brookwood MIDDLE School**

This past week, BES enjoyed a beautiful day at their all-school field trip to Green Meadows Petting Farm!

It looks like the nearly 500 photos our staff captured throughout the day are making social media a little unhappy, as it won’t allow us to upload them all on any of the platforms. Please click the link below to view and enjoy all the pictures our staff took on the field trip to share with you!

Thank you to everyone who volunteered to chaperone, and a special thank you to our amazing staff for making this end-of-the-year field trip such a fun and memorable experience for our students!

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1GRKQ6XpvoNQvipopvi_m1y36Qu_Kokoh?usp=sharing

3rd Grade Kindness Squad students voted to end their year with doing community service hours at the Lakeland Animal Shelter. They will be taking in all the donations from the animal shelter donation drive going on now and helping shelter workers with cleaning the cat rooms and other jobs that help all animals on May 26th.

In Guidance Class, 4K students are learning about careers. Last week, after they learned all about construction workers and tools construction workers use, they got to create their own houses.