Welcome to the 135th school year at Brimmer and May! The students' outstanding work of the past school year still lingers as the administrative team prepares for another inspiring and enriching school year. We welcome approximately seventy-five new families to our academic community in September coming from a range of places local and international, and together we will embark on helping students grow and succeed as they work to pursue their personal best.

This fall a committee comprised of trustees, administrators, volunteer parents, and members of PeaPod Design will work together to produce new branding and informational material and develop a marketing campaign for the School. I wish to thank those who completed the Horgan Marketing surveys over the past two years; your feedback serves as an important body of research as we position ourselves in the Independent School market.

Last month the Administrative Team met to review the surveys, set annual goals, and determine the 2014-2015 year's theme. Expanding on last year's theme of Better and Better: Be the Future, this year our work and instruction will be guided by the theme Design for Excellence. I look forward to seeing how this theme will advance our mission and enrich the learning experience for our students.

This summer the faculty is preparing for the fall by studying, taking workshops on how to digitally-enhance our classrooms, participating in subject specific conferences, and reading Creative Confidence by David Kelley. The thesis of this book supports Brimmer and May's belief that keeping a student's creativity alive and nurtured is critical for producing effective work and innovative ideas. By using critical thinking and creative design skills, our teachers will work together to enhance our curriculum. To further our goal of infusing relevant digital technologies into our daily work, the faculty will take part in a full-day workshop with leaders from EdTech Teacher. Part of this training will also include instructional sessions on teaching digital citizenship in a Pre-K-12 school as we work together to educate our students on their responsibility with these tools and systems.

The first Parents' Association meeting on October 2 will feature a presentation from innovation specialist and lead educational technology and digital citizenship teacher, Tanya Avrith. Ms. Avrith was instrumental in the vision and execution of a district-wide Digital Citizenship Program in Montreal, Canada. It is an honor to have Ms. Avirth speak at our School, and I am certain you will find her presentation helpful and informative as you guide your children in the importance of controlling and monitoring their digital footprint.

As part of this electronic welcome packet, I have included a document that introduces our new teachers and highlights some of the administrative changes for the fall. Please also read the "Must Do" sheet, so your children are ready for the start of School. Finally, I wish to remind you that our website holds the most current information, and every family must sign in to the password protected portal of the site to access school-related information on the online Resource Board.

I look forward to beginning a new school year with your children. As we seek to inspire students to be the best they can be, I believe our student-centered environment, where our faculty coach their students to work hard and smart, will produce outstanding results again this year.

Sincerely,

Judith Guild

Head of School

PLEASE COMPLETE ALL FORMS BY AUGUST 20.

Thank you!

Website Login Information 

For new families and returning families who have not yet logged in, please follow the steps below to get started.

1. Navigate to www.brimmerandmay.org and click on Community Login in the upper, right corner.
2. Select "First time logging in."
3. Once logged in, you will be taken through a guided tour of some of the new website features. In particular, take the time to go through the Account Settings tour. You will have the opportunity to set up automatic Notifications (via text or email) regarding game changes and scores, news, announcements, etc.
4. The Resource Boards contain downloads and links and are only accessible when logged in. Grade and schedule information for Middle and Upper School students can be found here. 
5. The Activity Stream lists updates made to the website and links to the news, calendar, etc.
6. Click on the Brimmer and May logo for the homepage.
7. Problems logging in? Contact Katya d'Angelo at kdangelo@brimmer.org or 617-278-2359.

Once logged into the Brimmer and May website on your device, go to the calendar,  click on the feeds button (looks like a wifi signal), and copy the url that appears next to ical. Then paste that url into your calendar. How you do this will be different depending on which calendar you use. On Google calendar for example, when adding a calendar you will click on add by url, and paste the url in the box provided. 

Parents' Association Information

Welcome Letter

Volunteer Sign Up (Click here to be taken to Sign Up Genius)

CORI Release Form - 

All volunteers (classroom and PA) are required to complete a CORI form. Please sign and return to Carol Croffy by mail or scan and email to ccroffy@brimmer.org.
 

Leadership Positions

Class Reps

Parent Liaisons

Committees

PA Events

Did You Know? Letter

Transportation Flyer

PA Upcoming Events to Remember

Other Information

2014-2015 Calendar - Please use the website calendar for the most up-to-date event dates and times.

iPad Specifications for 2014-2015

Yearbook Online Orders

While you are filling out all these forms, go online and order a 2014-2015 Yearbook!

Click here to be taken directly to the form. The School password is: gators. Online orders must be purchased with a credit card. Mail-in orders can be paid by check.

Contact Katya d'Angelo if you have any questions.

Please join Brimmer and May's Head of School, Judith Guild, at her campus home directly after Lower School drop-off

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Head's House

81 Middlesex Road

(next door to the Admissions Building)

• Tuesday, September 2, 12:30-4:00: Pre-K-5 Goal-Setting Parent  Conferences
• Wednesday, September 3, 12:30-4:00: PK-5 Goal-Setting Parent Conferences
• Thursday, September 25: No school - Rosh Hashannah
• Monday, October 13: No school - Columbus Day
• Wednesday, November 5: No school - Parent Conferences
• Tuesday, November 11: No school - Veterans' Day
• Friday, January 16: No school - Admissions Testing/Professional Development
• Monday, January 19: No school - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• Wednesday, February 25: No school - Parent Conferences
• Friday, April 3: Good Friday - Dismissal at 11:00 for PK/K and 11:15 for 1-5
• Monday, April 20: No school - Patriots' Day
• Wednesday, May 13: Dismissal at noon for grades 1-5 - Professional Development
• Monday, May 25: No school - Memorial Day
• Friday, May 29: Graduation - Dismissal at 11:00 for Pre-K & K and 11:30 for grades 1-5

Lower School Dismissal Times

Pre-K/K: 2:30 on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday

             11:30 on Wednesday

             2:00 on Friday 

Grades 1-3: 2:50 on Monday-Thursday

                         2:20 on Friday

Grades 4 and 5: 3:05 on Monday-Thursday

                                 2:35 on Friday

Thursday and Friday, September 4 and 5: Pre-K-1 will dismiss from McCoy Hall (#69) at 11:00

Middle and Upper School Welcome Back Coffee

Please join Brimmer and May's Head of School, Judith Guild, at her campus home directly after Middle and Upper School drop-off for coffee and conversation. 

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Head's House

81 Middlesex Road

(next door to the Admissions Building)

Gr. 6-12 Grandparents' and Special Friends' Day Invitation Request Form

Click here to complete an online form to request that invitations be sent to guests for the Middle/Upper School Grandparents' & Special Friends' Day on Monday, November 24.

Summer Reading Lists (gr 6-8) UPDATED as of 6/10/14

Middle School Field Trip Authorization form

Athletics Forms

ImPact Test Letter

ImPact Consent Form

Insurance Athletic Waiver

Middle and Upper School Welcome Back Coffee

Please join Brimmer and May's Head of School, Judith Guild, at her campus home directly after Middle and Upper School drop-off for coffee and conversation. 

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Head's House

81 Middlesex Road

(next door to the Admissions Building)

Gr. 6-12 Grandparents' and Special Friends' Day Invitation Request Form 

Click here to complete an online form to request that invitations be sent to guests for the Middle/Upper School Grandparents' & Special Friends' Day on Monday, November 24.

Summer Reading Lists (gr 9-12) UPDATED as of 7/1/14

Upper School Field Trip Authorization form

If you need printed copies of any forms, please contact Patty Poulin at ppoulin@brimmer.org or 617-278-2327.