Dear Brilla staff, families, and friends: 

Welcome to the 2021-2022 school year and the sixth edition of The Perch! After a year and a half of remote and hybrid learning, we are thrilled that all Brilla Schools have started this academic year fully in person. Nothing compares to seeing the joyful smiles and hearing the elated giggles of our students as they walk through our hallways once again. We now serve over 1,625 students across five campuses: Brilla College Prep Elementary and Middle School, Brilla Veritas, Brilla Pax, and Brilla Caritas.

We know that each student is not just a number, but a beloved daughter or son, and we are committed to the health, safety, and flourishing of each one. In preparing for this school year, we have considered an array of contingencies and are confident that our in-person model will best serve the holistic well-being of our students and families. In consultation with the most up-to-date guidelines from the local, state, and federal governments, we are employing a robust reopening plan to mitigate risk. Our multi-layered approach includes masking, social distancing, physical barriers, and daily health screenings. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to our operations teams, teachers, staff, and families who have worked tirelessly to create the best possible learning environment for our scholars.

Our mission at Brilla Schools has always been to help students to grow intellectually, socially, and physically into young men and women of good character and spirit, and to be prepared for excellence in high school, college and beyond. This mission, along with our founding principles of human dignity, enduring truths, and free choice, animate everything we do at Brilla. We recently created a new video which tells our founding story and explains our unique model. I hope you will take a few minutes to watch it and learn more about what makes Brilla special.

To our dedicated staff, mil gracias for your incredibly hard work throughout four weeks of intense onboarding to prepare for this school year. Your persistence, flexibility, and sense of humor are what make our mission come alive. To our parents, thank you for entrusting the education of your children to us. We believe this is a sacred trust and we do not take it lightly. It is a privilege to partner with you in this noble endeavor of forming your children for lives of flourishing. To our scholars, thank you for showing up each day with curiosity, joy, and your authentic selves. We can’t wait to explore goodness, truth, and beauty with you this year!

Warm regards, 

Luanne D. Zurlo, Executive Director

Kelsey LaVigne, Chief of Schools