This week I received the AP School Scholar Report from CollegeBoard. I am delighted to announce that Brimmer and May has nine AP Scholars, two AP Scholars with Honor, two AP Scholars with Distinction, and one National AP Scholar. This is an impressive report especially considering the percentage they represent of our graduating class. While tests do not tell the whole story of a student's strengthens and successes, it is one measure that ranks them on a national level with their peers.

Another nationally benchmarked assessment, the CWRA, will be given to our ninth graders this coming week. This assessment offers a constructed-response approach to the assessment of higher-order skills, such as critical thinking and written communication. The CWRA presents students with realistic problems that require them to analyze complex materials. Students' written responses to the task are graded to assess their abilities to think creatively, reason analytically, solve problems, and write clearly and persuasively. Our students have performed well above the expected mean on this assessment. In addition, outstanding progress is made in students' assessed skills between their freshman and senior year at Brimmer at May.

We have been administrating this assessment for several years now. This past summer, Brimmer and May hosted a training and information session for CWRA that many local heads of school and administrators attended. Mr. Iuliano hosted them and was able to answer their questions and explained our process as they too consider offering this important assessment to their students.

Sincerely,

Judy Guild

Head of School

Brimmer and May Open House - October 20    

Learn More about our Middle and Upper Schools   

School Psychologist in Monitor on Psychology

Spirit Day- Friday, October 18   

Would your child like to wear our newly redesigned Brimmer and May apparel? Please click here to download the order form. We have extended the order date to Monday, September 30.  All orders received by then will be sent home in time for Spirit Day. Contact Craig Niemann, at craigniem@gmail.com , with any apparel related questions.

Homecoming - October 19

Families, staff, alumni, and friends

Please join us for our

HOMECOMING GAMES

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Varsity Girls' Soccer vs. Landmark School at 10:30 A.M.

Varsity Boys' Soccer vs. Newman Prep at 1:00 P.M.

Fall seasonal snacks to be served between the games.

 ** Bag lunches will be provided for all of the players

Brimmer and May's Orr Field, 908 Dedham Street Newton, MA

Shuttle bus service will be provided from the Brimmer and May parking lot as there is limited parking available. The shuttle will run from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.  

Dear Lower School Families,

When this email is sent to you, your sons and daughters will be happily gathering apples at Honey Pot Hills Orchard! Boy, did we luck out with the weather!!

Thank you for your help making dismissal run as smoothly as it can at the beginning of the year. Please remember that Wednesday, October 2 is an early release day for goal-setting conferences. Pre-K/K will dismiss as usual at 11:30 a.m. and Grades 1-5 will dismiss at noon from the playground gate.

Sibling testing for admission will be Wednesday, December 11; please call Myra Korin at 617-738-8695.

Best Wishes,

Head of Lower School              Assistant Head of Lower School

Early Childhood Coordinator 

The School will administer the College Work and Readiness Assessment (CWRA) to members of the freshman class on Tuesday, 10/1 and Friday, 10/2. Click here for the description of the CWRA (this document was included in parent folders at Back-to-School Night as well).  

The School will offer an information session to students on Wednesday, October 9, and will administer the test on Wednesday, October 16.    

On Wednesday, Oct. 16, all students in grades 10 and 11 will take the PSAT. Registration will take place at School, and the fee of $14.00 will be billed home. All students have been given practice booklets that contain important information about the format of the PSAT as well as practice questions. Parents may want to remind their children to pick these up and bring them home to look at them. The exam will begin promptly at 8 a.m. in the Chase Theatre; students must be in their seats by 7:45 a.m.  

In the next few weeks, we will conduct a pre-exam practice session at School to help familiarize students with the format and content of the exam. A mailing to parents containing more specific information will be mailed home.

Seniors need to be in dress day clothing. Boys should wear their School ties, and we need everyone present! This is THE yearbook photo!  

The Upper School would like to announce the following election results to date:

U.S. Senate

President -- Javier de Diego

Vice President -- Hector Morales

Secretary -- Sean Lee

Treasurer -- James Queriuso

Grade 12 Class Representatives: Samantha Gordon, Liza Gourinovitch

Grade 11 Class Representatives: Grace Pilkington, Kino Shen

Grade 10 Class Representatives: Regina Carey, Rayl Meng

Grade 9 Class Representatives: to be elected

Student Members of the Judicial Board

Quinn Iuliano

Tori Smith

Houghton Yonge

Alternates: Ruth Wooster and Breezy Zhuo

Senior Class Officers

President -- Hallie Black

Vice President -- Aaron Yemane

The Fall College Night will take place on Thursday, October 17. It will begin at 7 p.m. in the Chase Theatre. Panelists for the program are admissions staff members from Bates College, Bard College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute. This program is open to the entire Brimmer and May community. It is a required event for members of the Class of 2015.

Common Application 

The Common Application, that allows students to apply to nearly 500 different colleges using one form, has been updated this year. The new version went "live" online on August 1. Although the changes and updates were instituted to make it easier for students and guidance counselors to navigate, the rollout of this form has been fraught with glitches. The personnel at Common Application are working to correct the problems that have surfaced. At the moment, secondary schools are unable to send transcripts to colleges using the Common Application; they hope this will be corrected in the next week or so, which is well in advance of Early Decision and Early Action deadlines. I was briefed on these issues and many others last week in Toronto where I was attending the annual meeting of the National Association of College Admission Counseling.

The Equal Exchange fundraiser has begun! You should have received your catalog from your student this week. Don't have one? Check their backpacks. Still don't? Please contact KB Spector, (kirstblan@yahoo.com ), and we'll get you another one.  Last year, the Parents' Association funded over $12,000 in direct support of the School through our fundraising efforts. Your help counts! Equal Exchange products can be used in the home and are perfect for gift-giving. This delicious fundraiser is on going through November 1. Put your order form with check, payable to the Brimmer and May Parents' Association, in an Equal Exchange box today. Boxes are located in Ms Robinson's and Ms. Beech's offices. Thank you for your support!  

Executive function skills are used to perform activities such as planning, organizing, paying attention to and remembering details, and managing time and space. Completing schoolwork independently can trigger sign of a problem with executive function.

Come and learn more on October 3, 8-10 a.m. in the Ruth Corkin Theatre.

Sarah Ward, M.S., CCC-SLP from Cognitive Connections will speak on "Executive Function Skills and Strategies for Parents."

Don't miss this important talk! Bring a friend!

Enjoy a steaming mug of Equal Exchange cocoa while wearing a cozy Brimmer and May sweatshirt this winter! Our new apparel is here, and better than ever. See it at Homecoming. It is also on display in the Dining Room. Click here for the order form.  

Our Parents Walking Group is every Friday at 8:15 a.m. We meet in front of the gym. All are welcome for this fun 45-60 minute walk. Please join us! Babies and dogs are welcome. Come and enjoy the fresh, crisp fall air!   

Like Brimmer and May on Facebook by clicking here!

 We're also on Twitter--click here!