Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to complete a separate application for each of my children?
Yes. Each child needs his/her own application.
Do I need to complete a separate application to apply to each of the Brooke Charter Schools?
No. We have one application for all three schools. You can select which campus you prefer, however we cannot guarantee your child will be assigned to that campus if accepted.
Do I need to provide proof of residency with my application?
No. You will need to show proof of residency upon acceptance to Brooke Charter Schools to maintain residential preference. We must give lottery preference to residents of Boston and Chelsea. Proof of residency can be a copy of your lease, mortgage, utility bill, pay check/stub, bank account statement or identification card. Bills, pay stubs, and account statements must be issued within the past 90 days.
How will I know if my child has been accepted?
We will host a public lottery at 6:00pm on March 7, 2018 at Brooke Mattapan. You are welcome to attend, but families in attendance will not receive preference. After the lottery, you will receive a letter in the mail with your admission status or your waitlist number if you are not admitted for the 2018-2019 school year.
If one of my children is accepted, and I have another child on the waitlist, will they be given sibling preference?
Yes, but this does NOT mean that the sibling will automatically be admitted. Once a child has accepted a seat at one of our schools, his or her siblings on the waitlist will be moved to the top of the waitlist for their grade at that school, among siblings currently waiting for admission. There are siblings at the top of the waitlist for most grades because siblings are only admitted if a spot is available in that grade.
What do I do if my child has been accepted?
If your child is awarded a seat in our lottery, you have one week to accept or deny your seat. Once you have accepted your child’s seat, we will follow up with you regarding required documents and enrollment paperwork.
How old must my child be to enroll in K2?
To apply to kindergarten, students MUST be 5 years old on September 1, 2018. That means that the child must be born on or before September 1, 2013.
Are students provided with transportation to and from school?
Yes. School buses are provided for all students in grades K2 – 5 who live more than 1 mile from the school and for students in grades 6 who live more than 1.5 miles from the school. Students in grades 7 and 8 who live more than 1.5 miles from the school will be provided with an MBTA pass. Students in grades 6-8 living in East Boston will be provided with an MBTA pass.
What are your school hours?
Our school day is from 7:45AM to 4:00PM Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, and 7:45AM to 12:20PM on Wednesday.
Why do school days end early on Wednesdays?
We believe that building great teachers will close the achievement gap. To support this philosophy, our teachers participate in intensive professional development on Wednesdays to reflect on their practice and build their skills in the classroom to ensure they are providing your child with the best education possible.
Do you offer after-school programming?
Yes. The after-school programming available at each campus is: Roslindale: After-school is offered every day until 6PM
Mattapan: After-school is offered on Wednesdays until 4:30PM
East Boston: After-school is offered through a neighboring Boys and Girls Club every day until 6PM.
At Roslindale and Mattapan, families are charged $4 an hour for use of the program, and $2 an hour for each additional sibling. Families are charged $1/ minute for any student remaining after 6PM. At East Boston, families pay an annual membership fee to the Boys and Girls Club.
Why would I want my child to go to Brooke?
You should apply to Brooke if you are looking for an academically rigorous school that consistently enforces high behavior expectations. Some ways that high expectations translate into practice are:
· Nightly homework, starting in kindergarten and the expectation that all children will complete high quality homework every night.
· 3 ½ hours+ of literacy instruction daily, starting in kindergarten.
· At least 70 minutes of math instruction daily, starting in kindergarten.
· A longer school day and school year. Our students spend about 30% more time in school than students who attend Boston Public Schools. We begin school in early August.
· Small class sizes that enable students to receive the support they need at their level. For instance, kindergarten classes have 15 students. First and second have 15-16 students per class, and upper elementary have 20 or less. Middle school classes are larger, but students receive small group tutoring and advisory periods.
· A school uniform that all students are required to wear daily. Students are not allowed in class if they are out of uniform, regardless of the reason.
What is Brooke’s mission?
Our mission is to provide an academically rigorous education to students from the Cities of Boston and Chelsea to ensure they are prepared to attend and succeed in college.
What am I committing to if I send my child to Brooke?
As a parent you are committing to the following things if your child attends Brooke:
· Attending new parent orientation sessions before the school year begins.
· Attending at least two parent-teacher conferences during the year.
· Ensuring that your child arrives to school on time and in uniform each day that he or she is not sick. This either means dropping your child off by 7:45 each day or bringing your child to the bus stop on time.
· Supporting our behavior expectations.
· Completing life work (our name for homework) every night with your child if your child is in kindergarten, first, or second grade and ensuring that your child completes their homework if your child is in third grade or higher.
· Staying in close communication with your child’s teacher so you can work together to support your child’s success.
What if I want to learn more?
If you want to learn more about our school, we encourage you to look on our website at www.ebrooke.org. Also, if you are admitted to the school you will attend new parent orientations and will learn much, much more about our school.
If you are accepted and attend the information session and decide this is not the right match for you, you will inform us that you want to decline your spot (even if you have already accepted your spot) and we will call the next parent on the wait list.
What if I want a tour of the school?
We only offer school tours to parents of admitted students. We have thousands of applicants each year and we don’t want to disrupt instruction by allowing tours for all those parents. Instead, if you are admitted, you will get an opportunity to come get a guided tour of many classrooms and an opportunity to ask as many questions as you would like of the principal.
How do Brooke scholars perform on the MCAS and PARCC?
Our students have some of the top scores in the state on the MCAS and PARCC. Please look at our website to learn more.
What if I am not sure if I want to apply or not?
If you are not sure if you want to apply, we suggest you go ahead and do it. If you don’t apply and decide after the application period is over that you wish you had, there is nothing that we can do to help you. But if you apply and you do receive a spot, you can always change your mind later. You will get a lot more questions answered and a lot more information about our school before you have to enroll your child. Plus, you can decline your spot any time during the process, so please don’t feel like this application is a final commitment.
What should I do if I have questions about the application?
If you have questions about the application or your eligibility to apply, you may contact us at 617-325-7977. If you prefer to email, you may contact us at . You are also welcome to stop in and ask your question in-person; our schools are open every day from 7:15am to 6:00pm.