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The two Middle and Upper School assemblies this week highlighted this year's theme "Design for Excellence." Mads Reinholdt Rasmussen, a Danish rower and double world champion and Olympic Gold medal winner in the Lightweight Double Sculls, captivated his audience when he passed around the Olympic gold medal he won at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. While his Olympic gold status was impressive in itself, his concurrent pursuit of a medical degree while actively parenting two children offered a strong role model for our students. Mr. Rasmussen's message was clear: set goals, work hard, use your talent, and work on your weaknesses.
The next day Taylor Reynolds presented her work at Continuum in Newton, a global innovation and design consultancy that drives business innovation through the design of products, services, and experiences. The company has earned more than 200 innovation and design awards and holds more than 330 patents. One of the most notable products in their portfolio is the Swiffer. It was clear in Ms. Reynold's presentation that she is passionate about people's problems and their interaction with their environment, which in turn drives her design practice. The students were engaged and rapidly fired questions in the final twenty minutes of her presentation. Her work sparked their curiosity, and Ms. Reynolds complimented the quality of our students' questions.
Our assembly programs are designed to augment the standard curriculum. In November, we are pleased to welcome a guest speaker from iRobot who will talk with our Lower School students. These programs are one way we are focusing on the STEAM disciplines while also inspiring our students to strive for excellence.
Sincerely,
Judy Guild
Head of School
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 Grandparents' and Special Friends Day
The Grandparents' and Special Friends day invitations have been mailed to grandparents and visitors, so please have them be on the look out for them. For details on both days, please see the following invitations.
Lower School invitation
Middle/Upper School invitation
Amanda Spooner Frank '88
Director of Alumni Affairs and Special Events
afrank@brimmer.org
617-264-1424
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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 |
Food Day!
Today is Food Day! Food Day is a nationwide celebration of and movement toward healthy, affordable, and sustainable food. This year's theme focuses on food justice, which means paying a living wage to those who grow our food and work in food as well as providing them with safe working conditions. Although every day can be "Food Day," in the food we eat and the actions we take, we recognize it officially on October 24. Brimmer and May began Food Day with the screening of Fed Up for the Middle School on October 1. This Food Day the kitchen staff will be giving out samples of kale chips. Please come by for a taste! For more information on Food Day check out foodday.org.
Erin Hickey
Chef
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 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.
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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.
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News from Lower School
Dear Lower School Families,
Thank you, again, to the families who helped this past weekend with our successful Open House. The visiting families really appreciated the opportunity to speak with our current students and their parents!
A few nuts and bolts:
* If you show up late for your child's dismissal, please park in the gym lot or on Dunster Road (by the tennis courts) and go to the foyer of McCoy Hall (#69); your child will be waiting for you there.
* Please label your child's coats and sweaters. These are items that tend to be left behind, and if they are labeled, there is a far better chance of getting them back to their owners.
Grade-Five Parents: I will be hosting a light breakfast meeting in the Lower School library on Friday, November 7. Dr. Meister will speak about and answer question regarding social curriculum, and Ms. Mattocks will speak about the World Languages program.
Ms. McGillicuddy will be collecting surplus candy in her office on Monday and Tuesday, November 3 and 4. She will be sending it to Operation Gratitude, which sends candy to our troops serving overseas! More on this later. . . .
Finally, if you do not get a response to an email in a timely manner, please leave a voice mail message. Our spam filter is very aggressive, to protect our students who have accounts. We all check the spam filter on our accounts, but it is easy to overlook a good email due to the significant amount of spam we receive. Thank you for your understanding.
Best wishes,
Thomas Fuller Courtney P. McGillicuddy
Head of Lower School Assistant Head of Lower School
Early Childhood Coordinator
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Extended Day
Please read Important News for all Extended Day families
Matt Vaughan
Extended Day Director
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Grade 5 STEAM Activities
During the Creative Design period in fifth grade, four stations offered different activities including pure creativity with popsicle sticks, pure art with geographic blocks, engineering with tower building, and math puzzles. See more photos.
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Spirit Day Video & Photos
Lower Schoolers enjoyed Spirit Day last week. Students, all decked out in their green and white, had a great time cheering with the Gator and proudly forming a human Gator and the letters BMS. Click here for video and photos!
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Middle School News
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Reminders
Dear Parents/Guardians
A few reminders:
1) Quarter 1 ends on October 31. Please expect grades to be available to parents the following week.
2) Parent-Teacher Conferences are Thursday, November 6 and Friday, November 7. Please see MS/US News below, and refer to the recent mailings for instructions on how to sign up for conferences.
3) There is NO SCHOOL for students on Thursday November 7.
Peter Gordon
Middle School Head
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Costume Party Tonight!
The Middle School Senate is putting on a Costume Party tonight, Friday, October 24, from 7-9 p.m. Ice cream and snacks will be served. There will be Halloween-themed games, a costume contest, music, and prizes. This event is for Brimmer and May students only. Please join us for a spooktacular time!
Brian Purcell
Grade 7 Dean
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 Middle School Outdoor Education Day
Middle School Outdoor Education Day took place in October. Sixth graders hiked Mt. Watatic, seventh graders biked the Minuteman Bikeway, and eighth graders paddled on the Charles River. Read more and see photos.
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Middle and Upper School News
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Upcoming Events
Parent-Teacher Conference Sign Up
Sign-up information has been sent home via postal mail. Parents and guardians may choose to conference with any or all of their child's teachers on either Thursday, November 6, 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. or Friday, November 7, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Brimmer and May is using the web-based Parent-Teacher Appointment System ™ to set up parent-teacher conferences. This system is truly a "first-come, first-served" arrangement, and you are encouraged to set up conference appointments as soon as possible. The online site for sign up is available until November 4.
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 Thai Students Visited Brimmer and May
Brimmer and May hosted 17 Thai middle and high school students, along with three Thai teachers, who came to the United States as part of the 12th King of Thailand Birthplace Foundation Cultural Exchange. Read more and see photos.
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Upper School News
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 Upper School News
School Rings
The deadline for purchasing a School ring has been extended to October 31 for students in the junior class. Purchase of a ring by this date will assure having it available for the Ring Ceremony on December 20. Students need to go to Marquis Jewelers located at 80 Winchester Street in Newton (617-964-0007).
Athletics
Brimmer and May's Cross Country team runs in the MBIL Championship Race at Gann Academy on Wednesday, October 29, at 3:30 p.m. Brimmer and May's Cross Country team is the defending League Champion from 2013 and hopes to repeat their success in this year's championship meet. Please support our runners before and at the race.
Joseph Iuliano
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 Winterim Announcement - Is Your Child's Passport Ready for Travel this March?
If your child does not currently have a passport, please go to travel.state.gov to learn about the application guidelines. This should be done as soon as possible to give enough time for the State Department to process the application, so you don't have to expedite the paperwork and pay additional fees. If your child does have a U.S. passport, make sure it does not expire for at least 6 months after the date he/she will return to the U.S. in March.
If your child has a passport from another country, let the trip leader know as soon as possible so the School can determine the visa guidelines for international students.
Kelly Neely
Director of Global Studies
Co-Chair, Humanities Dept.
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 Greenline Choral Clinic Video
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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.)
BC SPLASH, Sunday, November 16
Boston College is offering a full-day program on campus for students in grades 7 through 12. This fun day will include interesting activities as well as classes taught by Boston College undergrads. There will also be a parent program which parent/guardians can attend while their students go to classes. This program is a great way to hear from different speakers about various aspects of college and the admissions process. The program takes place on Sunday, November 16. Register by November 12 at bcsplash.com. For questions email bcsplash@gmail.com.
College Night - "Admissions Game"
On Thursday evening, Oct. 16, guest speaker Peter Van Buskirk presented his program "The Admissions Game" to an interested audience of parents and students in the Chase Theatre. We learned about how admissions decisions are made and how applicants can enhance their chances by understanding what factors are most important when preparing their applications. Audience members also received admissions packets for fictitious applicants and became the admissions committee. We had to review our candidates and contribute to the discussion of each applicant and then vote for the one we wanted to admit. This was a very enlightening and interesting evening
Cindy Pendergast
Director of College Counseling
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| From the Parents' Association |
PA News and Reminders
Class Representatives-Thank You
A tremendous thank you to our Class Representatives! In these first two months of School, they have kept parents informed and connected through weekly class emails, helped organize potlucks and playdates, and welcomed new and returning families to the Brimmer and May community. We are grateful for their efforts!
Equal Exchange Foundraiser - Due October 31!
Only one more week to place your order! Equal Exchange coffees, teas, jewelry, scarves, and hardwood toys make great gifts. Your catalog orders will be beautifully packaged and delivered to School the first week of December, just in time for the holiday season. Items ordered online will be shipped to your home (charges apply). Please leave your order form and check with Mrs. Beech and Mrs. Gates. Questions? Contact stella_o_lee@yahoo.com. Thank you for all your support!
Harvestfest October 31 - Nature Donations Needed
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.
Upcoming Parent Liaison Meeting
Please take the opportunity to give feedback to your Parent Liaison in time for their November 13 meeting with Judy Guild. The purpose of the parent liaison system is to facilitate communication between parents and the School administration, and to provide another channel for parents to share their ideas, concerns, and general feedback with the School. The School holds two formal sessions during the year for liaisons to share the feedback received from parents.
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).
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Connect with Brimmer and May!
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Brimmer and May news and photos are posted to social media on a regular basis. Stay connected with us!
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| Click here for Brimmer and May School's website. |
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Please note that this email was generated from a "no reply" email box.
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10/31
Harvest Fest
11/2
Daylight Savings Time Ends
11/5
No School Pre-K-5
Gr. PK-5 Parent Conferences
Varsity Athletes' Dinner, 6 p.m.
11/6
PA Meeting,
8:15 a.m.
Gr. 6-12 Parent Conferences,
3:30 pm.
11/7
No School Gr. 6-12
Gr. 6-12 Parent Conferences,
8:00 a.m.
11/11
No School - Veterans' Day
11/13
Great Expectations,
7:00 p.m.
11/14
Great Expectations,
7:00 p.m.
11/15
Great Expectations,
2:00 p.m.
11/24
Gr. 6-12 Grandparents and Special Friends Day
No after-school study hall
No MS/US lunch
Dress Day, Thanksgiving assembly,
12:00 p.m.
11/25
No School Gr. 6-12
Gr. Pre-K-5 Grandparents and Special Friends Day, 8:00 a.m.
Pre-K-5 early dismissal, no extended day,
11:00 a.m.
11/26-11/28
No School
View the full School calendar
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