Dear Brooks Families and Staff,
I hope that you are enjoying your summer and that you and your students are looking forward to a great school year together. We are excited to introduce you to two key members of our newly restructured administrative team for the 2023-24 school year:
- Dr. Denise Gildon will serve as Associate Principal of Teaching, Learning and Arts. Dr. Gildon joins District 97 after serving as the assistant principal of Haven Middle School in Evanston for the past two years. In this role, she worked to improve instructional practices, maintain a positive, safe and efficient school environment, and maximize resources for students. After a career in accounting, Dr. Gildon decided to pursue her passion for public education 15 years ago, and has since served students as a fourth- and fifth-grade classroom teacher, academic advisor and elementary and middle school assistant principal in the Chicagoland area. Click here for a full bio >>
- Roshaun Bowens will serve as Associate Principal of Climate, Culture and Athletics/Clubs. Mr. Bowens comes to District 97 from EPIC Academy High School in Chicago, where he served as assistant principal for the past two years. There, he led the multi-tiered systems of support team and worked with the college and career director to support students in planning for postsecondary success through six career pathways. Mr. Bowens started his career as a middle school counselor and later led social emotional learning specialists and school-based leadership teams as a social emotional instructional lead in Chicago Public Schools. Click here for a full bio >>
Dr. Gildon and Mr. Bowens will support the day-to-day operations of Brooks Middle School by working to ensure excellent core instruction and the daily integration of social/emotional support during the 2023-24 school year. As part of the new middle school structure, Dr. Gildon will oversee all arts programming and Mr. Bowens will oversee all athletics and clubs.
Please join us in welcoming Dr. Gildon and Mr. Bowens to the Brooks community! We look forward to seeing sixth-graders and new students at our Welcome Back Night on August 16 and seventh- and eighth-graders on August 17. Please be on the lookout for more information regarding the 2023-24 school year in the coming weeks.
Sincerely,
April Capuder
Principal
Brooks Middle School
Dr. Luis Fernando De Leòn
Assistant Superintendent of Middle Schools
Oak Park Elementary District 97