|
The School's faculty and staff engage in regular safety training events and programs. From running fire drills to practicing possible crisis scenarios, our professional community takes seriously their responsibility to keep our students safe. I would like to outline some of our procedures and practices.
Last week we tested our Emergency Contact System (AlertNow), and this week we tested our internal intercom system. Both continue to be in good working order. Next week we will run a practice lock down drill with the students. You will receive an email in advance of this drill so to avoid any confusion or worry.
We work diligently to be ready for the unexpected and to comply with the best practices available. Our administrative team practices emergency scenarios, and our full staff meets to review emergency procedures. In addition, the School has a comprehensive
Emergency Plan, which is placed in each room, in every building, on campus. To communicate effectively and quickly, the rooms and offices have a phone system that acts like an intercom system if the need arises.
We hold several fire drills a year, and we will be practicing an evacuation drill in November. Should we need to evacuate our students from campus, we have a relationship with Longyear Museum, at the end of Dunster Street, where we would go if circumstances warrant it. Our Emergency Plan outlines each step of the process.
For the day-to-day safety of our students, the School complies with the state law that requires all public and private schools in Massachusetts to conduct "criminal background checks on current and prospective employees, volunteers, school transportation providers, and others who may have direct and unmonitored contact with children." The School conducts background checks for faculty, staff, coaches, Extended Day Staff, summer camp counselors, and parent volunteers who wish to work in the library, classrooms, or join us on a field trip. Every volunteer at School must have a current CORI on file with the Assistant Business Manager, Mrs. Croffy. She holds the CORI forms in a confidential file. Once a CORI is completed and on file, it is current for three years from the date it was requested.
We are pleased with our proximity card system, and having Bridget as our visitor check in person in McCoy Hall is working well. If you have any questions or wish to look over our Emergency Plans, please feel free to call and request a meeting.
Sincerely,
Judy Guild
Head of School
|
Homecoming - Tomorrow!
Come to Homecoming tomorrow, Saturday, October 18. and get your own "Go Gators" cheer hand!
Join us at our Dedham Street Field!Noon - Girls' Varsity vs. The Master's School 2:30 p.m. - Boys' Varsity vs. Hoosac School
|
 Open House & Internal Tours
Our Open House takes place on Sunday, October 19.
Lower School: 1 p.m.
Middle/Upper Schools: 2 p.m.
Please help us spread the word!
Are you interested in seeing what goes on in another Division of the School? It's never too early to start planning ahead. If you would like a personalized tour of the Middle and/or Upper Schools, please give Myra Korin at call at 617-738-8695 or send an email to mkorin@brimmer.org to schedule an appointment.
|
Community Diversity Night
Thursday, October 23, 2014, 5 p.m.
Chase Dining Room
Join us as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage month at Brimmer and May's first Community Diversity Night of the year! Enjoy a night of food, music, discussion, dancing, and tradition as we highlight the beauty and history of Hispanic and Latino cultures. All are welcome!
|
Reserve Your Tickets Online to Great Expectations
You are invited to the Upper School's production of Great Expectations By Barbara Fields Based on the novel by Charles Dickens Directed by Bill Jacob Thursday, Nov. 13 @ 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14 @ 7p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15 @ 2p.m. Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for students. Tickets are on sale now and must be reserved online. Get Your Tickets Here! Announcing a New Ticketing Policy for All Shows at Brimmer and May We want your theatre experience at Brimmer and May to be as pleasant and stress-free as possible. That's why we're implementing a new policy this year and asking our audience to reserve their tickets in advance, using our online partner, Ticketstage.com. Middle School productions and the Holiday and Spring Concerts will still be free of charge, but now you will be able to reserve your seat for all of our shows ahead of time with a few clicks online. Here's how to do it: The School website News and the Bulletin will announce when tickets will be available for specific shows. * Go to the ticket website: www.ticketstage.com * Locate Brimmer and May from among the theatres. * Choose your performance date. * Choose your seats. Print out your confirmation page or confirmation email, and bring it with you to the theatre. This is your ticket. Don't worry if you lose it; we have a record, but it's easier if you bring it. Thanks very much. We hope you enjoy the show! Bill Jacob Creative Arts Chair |
 Harvest Fest Celebration
Friday, October 31, 2014, from 9-10 a.m. on the athletic field.
Lower School students will pair with Middle School and Upper School students to make harvest mandalas out of pinecones, leaves, and other natural materials. They will participate in pumpkin rolling relay races and enjoy popcorn and apple cider. As always, we will be treated to wonderful Harvest Fest music courtesy of Landon Rose and his musicians.
|
International Student Program
This week, our Mandarin teachers, Yuhong Jia and Gina Chang, hosted a very nice event for our Chinese parents living in the United States, to answer specific questions, to assist with helping families to understand American and Brimmer and May cultures, and to help them connect with the School and each other. Thank you so much to Mrs. Jia and Mrs. Chang for all of their hard work in organizing such a wonderful event and to the parents who were enthusiastically in attendance. Many thanks to our Parents' Association presidents Lynn Segal and Roslyn Pedlar for all of their extra attention to our international families and to Lisa Ayres for being so available and welcoming!
I hope that we can start other such groups this year and look forward to telling you more about the upcoming events that include a Karaoke Night for international students in November and an international family pot-luck dinner in December!
Christine Chapman
Director of International Students
|
Reserve Your Yearbook Ads
Place an ad in the Yearbook! Say congratulations or how proud you are of your child's accomplishments this year. Say thank you to a great teacher, or goodbye to the Class of 2015! Fill out an Order Form and return it to the School by November 15. Questions? Contact Kyla Graves at kgraves@brimmer.org
Yearbook Order by December 1
The deadline will be here before you know it!
Go to Coffee Pond to order a yearbook. Password is gators.
|
News from Lower School
Dear Lower School Families,
We want to thank the families who have volunteered to join the classroom teachers this Sunday for the Open House. Your efforts and the fact you are giving us time on a weekend are greatly appreciated. All of us are looking forward to Harvest Fest on Friday, October 31; this is another time when we need to say thank you for your efforts and time!
Starting on this Monday, October 20, you can call Ms. Beech to sign up for parent conferences, which will take place on Wednesday, November 5. (There will be a limited number of times on other days that week.) There is no school on the 5th, but there will be Extended Day starting at 8:00 a.m. for those enrolled in that program.
A reminder: To keep dismissal running smoothly, please do not arrive more than ten minutes ahead of your dismissal time to keep your place in line; also, please do not park on Devon if you plan to walk up to get your child. For those who have younger children who need help buckling up, we will load your child into the car, and we would like you to pull down past the playground gates before getting out of your car to assist with buckling the seat belt. Thanks!
Grade 4 Parents: I will be hosting a meeting for you on Friday, October 24 from 8:15 to 8:55 a.m. The topic is Brimmer and May's Physical Education and Sports Program, and Kim Woods and Peter Gordon will be joining us.
Finally, today was "Spirit Day," and the Lower School students certainly made everyone green with envy as they displayed their School spirit. . . go Gators!
Best wishes,
Thomas Fuller Courtney P. McGillicuddy
Head of Lower School Assistant Head of Lower School
Early Childhood Coordinator
|
Lower School Mandarin Club
The Extended Day Program is happy to announce the fall session of Mandarin Club! The group is open to Lower School students from grades 2 through 5. The goal for the club is to cultivate students' interests in learning Chinese language and culture. Students will learn some Mandarin such as greetings, numbers, families, animals, food and fruits. Students will also learn some songs, rhymes, and stories in Chinese. In addition, we'll do some cultural activities such as using chopsticks, practicing calligraphy, making and painting face masks, making paper cut and origami, studying martial arts and etc. Some of these activities could be presented at the annual Chinese New Year celebration. The time for Mandarin club is every Wednesday from 3:00 to 4:00 PM, beginning on October 22nd. Please contact Matt Vaughan, Director of Extended Day, if you have any questions at MVaughan@Brimmer.org.
Click here to read about the other Extended Day offerings!
Matt Vaughan
Extended Day Director
|
Middle School News
|
Middle School Notes
Dear Parents/Guardians
Please see below for important information regarding School events for the next couple of weeks and also read the Middle/Upper School news section.
Grade 8 Parent Breakfast, 10/22 in the Wright Conference Room beginning at 8:10 a.m.
CWRA Testing for Grade 8
The School will administer the College Work and Readiness Assessment (CWRA) to members of the 8th grade class during the next 2 weeks. Students will be tested on one day for approximately 90 minutes. Results will be available in early winter. Please see the attached Student Guide for information about this computer-based, performance task standardized. This is a change from other years where 8th graders have taken the ERBs.
Peter Gordon
Middle School Head
|
Grade 8 News
Dear Parents and Guardians,
The Grade 8 students are incredibly busy with their studies. Here is a glimpse into what is happening in their classes.
We look forward to seeing you all at the Grade 8 parent breakfast next Wednesday at 8:00 a.m. in the Wright Conference Room.
Carl Rapisarda-Vallely
Grade 8 Class Dean
|
Students Built Hot Air Balloons
|
Middle and Upper School News
|
Upcoming Events
Homecoming Soccer Games, Saturday, 10/18
Please support the Girls' and Boys' Varsity Soccer teams at their matches at the Orr Field on Dedham Street on Saturday, 10/18. The Girls' team plays The Master's School (CT) at 12:00 noon and the Boys' team matches up against Hoosac School (NY) at 2:30 p.m. This is a great opportunity to show some School spirit, support the community, and enjoy some great games.
Admissions Open House, Sunday, 10/19
Board of Visitors' Day, 10/23
This is a Dress Day for students in the Middle and Upper School. Appropriate dress means "work" (not social) attire will meet the expectation for this day. If a student or parent has any questions, please contact your Division Head.
Parent-Teacher Conference Sign Up
Sign up information will be sent home via postal mail next week, and information will be provided in this Bulletin as well. The online site for sign up is being prepared now and should be available next week. Parent-Teacher conferences at the end of Quarter 1 will be held in the Chase Building on Thursday, November 6, 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. and Friday, November 7, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
|
 Dick Hoyt Assembly
Boston's Dick Hoyt, who has competed in over 1,000 events (including 72 marathons) with his son Rick Hoyt, recently addressed students. Read more and listen to an interview with Mr. Hoyt.
|
Upper School News
|
 Upper School News
Please see the Middle/Upper School news section above for upcoming events.
CWRA Testing for Grade 9
The School will administer the College Work and Readiness Assessment (CWRA) to members of the freshman class during the next 2 weeks. Students will be tested on one day for approximately 90 minutes. Results will be available in early winter. The School will administer the College Work and Readiness Assessment (CWRA) to members of the freshman class during the next 2 weeks. Students will be tested on one day for approximately 90 minutes. Results will be available in early winter. Please see the attached Student Guide for information about this computer-based, performance task standardized.
School Rings for Juniors - Deadline THIS Saturday!
The deadline for ordering rings for the Ring Ceremony is Saturday, October 18, 2014. Please note, while attendance at the Ring Ceremony is required, no student is required to purchase a ring in order to take part in this School tradition in December.
Please read the ring information and ordering details.
Joseph Iuliano
Upper School Head
|
 Oceanography Students Contribute to Data Analysis
Science Department Chair Cecelia Pan is incorporating real life research into her curriculum. Students in Mrs. Pan's Oceanography class are helping scientists and other researchers analyze their over-abundance of data by logging in to a crowd-sourcing data analytic website called zooniverse.com. Read more.
|
 Greenline Sings at Choral Clinic at UMass Amherst & Westfield State University Choral Invitational
On Friday, October 10, and Saturday, October 11, students in the Upper School choral ensemble Greenline participated in a choral clinic at the University of Massachusetts Amherst as well as at the Westfield State University Choral Invitational. While in Amherst, students experienced a voice masterclass as well as a rehearsal with the University's most elite ensemble, Chamber Choir. The Director of Choral Activities, Dr. Tony Thornton, worked with the ensemble on their repertoire as well as with soloists. On Saturday, Greenline joined with choirs from throughout Massachusetts to participate in a clinic with Dr. Andre Thomas, Director of Choral Activities at Florida State University. After two performances, Greenline joined with the other ensembles to perform two of Dr. Thomas's arrangements.
Frank J. Van Atta
Director of Middle and Upper School Music
|
College Counseling News
Mark Your Calendar
Tuesday, October 28 - Financial Aid Program
Paying for College: Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority Seminar
Noble and Greenough School, Lawrence Auditorium
7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Sponsored by BISCCA (Boston Independent School College Counseling Assoc.)
Cindy Pendergast Director of College Counseling
|
| From the Parents' Association |
PA News and Reminders
Please join us at our next PA Meeting
"Life Rules and the Code of Ethics at Brimmer and May: Practical Approaches by Division"
Our Lower, Middle, and Upper School heads will discuss how the life rules of Respect, Responsibility, Kindness, and Honesty shape the ethics of Brimmer and May students at every level of development, from Pre-K through grade 12.
Date: Thursday, November 6, at 8:15 a.m.
Location: Wright Conference Room, Chase Building Lower Level
Equal Exchange Foundraiser - Only two weeks left!
Please support the fundraiser so we can support your School! Find great coffee, teas, foods, gifts and crafts in the catalog and online. Be sure to check out both, as many items (like the super cool Panzi bag!) are only available online. Additional catalogs are available at the Equal Exchange order collection boxes in Ms. Gates' and Ms. Beech's offices. Questions? Contact stella_o_lee@yahoo.com. Thank you for all your support!
Nature Donations Needed for Harvest Fest!
We are now collecting natural items for harvest mandalas to be created by our children at Harvest Fest. We would love clippings from your fall garden cleanup: dried flowers, wheat stalks, pinecones, caps of acorns, pods, or seeds. (No acorn nuts, chestnuts or berries from trees and shrubs, please.) Bring your bagged donations to the collection bin located in Courtney McGillicuddy's office on the first floor of the Lower School building. If you have any questions, please contact Janet Eastwood P'16, '18, '22 at hkeastwood@gmail.com or 617-548-3225. Thank you.
Give back to the PA when you shop Amazon.com! Our PA receives a portion of every purchase when you begin your Amazon shopping through Brimmer and May's website. To start, go to the PA page on the Brimmer and May website. The Amazon link is on the bottom. Then start shopping!
Parent Walking Group
Our weekly Parent Walking Group meets every Friday in front of the Chase Building at 8:15 a.m. for a 45-60 minute walk around the reservoir (weather permitting).
|
|
Connect with Brimmer and May!
|
Brimmer and May news and photos are posted to social media on a regular basis. Stay connected with us!
|
|
| Click here for Brimmer and May School's website. |
|
Please note that this email was generated from a "no reply" email box.
|
|
|
|
10/17
Spirit Day
10/18
Homecoming,
12:00 p.m.
10/19
Open House
LS - 1 p.m.
MS/US - 2 p.m.
10/23
Board of Visitors' Day (Dress Day)
Community Diversity Night
5:00 p.m.
10/31
Harvest Fest
View the full School calendar
|
|
|
