Brimmer and May Weekly Bulletin


  January 23,  2015   
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Lower School     Middle School    Middle/Upper School     Upper School    Parents' Association Top

Brimmer teachers don't just teach writing, they also publish what they write. Two of our teachers recently published their work in nationally recognized publications. Middle and Upper School English teacher Ms. Sidebotham wrote the trending article in the National Association's online publication last week. Her essay "21st Century Skills in the Decade of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown" challenges educators to consider the importance of teaching about justice and peace. Her concluding remark resonates with our School's mission: "In our effort to teach young people 21st century skills, the first thing we could do is show them that our priorities involve aspiring to create a just and peaceful society."

 

Upper School journalism and history teacher, and Brimmer alum, Mr. Cutler published an article on public and private school partnerships that was just released in this week's edition of The Atlantic. He shares his opinion on how teachers must learn from each other by crossing the lines between public and private professional practices. He will also be publishing another article in the New York Times and Edutopia in the coming weeks. You can follow his work on his website SpinEdu.

 

  

 

Sincerely,

 

Judy Guild

Head of School 

 

All-School News
5th & 8th Grade Parent Chats

Attention 5th and 8th grade parents. Please join us for a "fireside chat" at the home of Judy Guild to learn more about the Middle and Upper School programs. Hear from administrators and faculty about curricular offerings, athletic programs, and extracurricular activities.

 

Upper School Fireside Chat (8th grade parents): 

Tuesday, January 27, at 6:30 p.m.

Middle School Fireside Chat (5th grade parents): 

Thursday, January 29, at 6:30 p.m.

 

* A light dinner fare will be served

 

Brian C. Beale

Director of Middle and Upper School Admissions and Director of Financial Aid

Tuition Information Sessions

Please join us for the last of three information sessions with the Head of School and members of the Board of Trustees to learn more about the new tuition model for the 2015-2016 school year.

 

February 19 at 6:30 p.m. - Dining Room

Diversity Night Photos

Read about and see photos from our very successful Asian Diversity Night.

 

 

 

Family Skating Night!

Please join the Alumni Office and members of the Alumni Association for our Annual Family Skating Night!

 

When: Friday, February 20, 2015

Time: 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Where: Larz Anderson Skating Rink in Brookline

 

This event is free to the Brimmer and May Community.

The Snack Bar and Skate Shop will be open for food and rentals. Please remember to bring cash.

 

Amanda Spooner Frank '88

Director of Alumni Affairs and Special Events

afrank@brimmer.org

617-264-1424

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Lower School News
News from Lower School 

Dear Lower School Families,

 

We want to remind pre-kindergarten and kindergarten families about an important event. Next Friday, at 8:00 a.m., they will have an opportunity to see their children's artwork, and they will also have an opportunity to watch a presentation that highlights the skills and curriculum pre-k and kindergarten students are working on in their creative arts classes. 

 

 

Best wishes,

Thomas Fuller                             Courtney P. McGillicuddy

Head of Lower School          Assistant Head of Lower School

                                              Early Childhood Coordinator   

After School Clubs
Enroll your child now for any of our exciting After-School offerings: the Innate Mathematician, Cooking with Erin, Mandarin Club, Imagine and Move, Young Scientists with an MIT Scientist, Inventorium, Strategy Games, and Diversity Club. Click here to read more. 
Middle School NewsMS

From the Middle School 

Please see below for some important information:

 

Grades/Comments

Quarter II grades and comments will be available on the parent portal next week. We will send an email alerting you to the exact day when they are published.

 

Advisor Conferences

Following the publication of Quarter II grades and teacher comments, parents and guardians have the opportunity to meet with Middle School advisors at their mutual convenience. We have set aside time after School during the week of January 26 for this purpose; however, meetings may be arranged during other times of the day as schedules allow. Advisors will contact parents to set up these meetings.

 

Motown: The Musical

Brimmer and May's Middle School has secured 60 tickets for our students to see the Broadway hit Motown: The Musical on Friday, February 13, from 5:45 p.m. until 11:15 p.m. A Bertucci's dinner will be served at School. Interested students have been given flyers for this wonderful event. If your child did not bring home a flyer and you are interested in having them attend, please see the document with all the information. Seating is limited so PLEASE don't hesitate if you would like your child to attend this AMAZING event!

 
  
Peter Gordon

Middle School Head

Congratulations AMC 8 Math Medalists!

Congratulations to the top scorers of the AMC 8 Math Competition held in November. The top scorers were Daniel Sun-Friedman '21 earning the Gold with 22 correct answers out of 25; Benjamin Jaffer '21 winning the Silver with 18 correct answers; and a tie for Bronze to Richard He '19 and Shidong Xu '19 both with 14 correct answers. Brimmer and May also received a Certificate of Merit for a team score (top three scorers) of 50 or better. Congratulations to all twenty-four Middle School students that participated.

 

Middle and Upper School News                            US

MS and US Band Concerts

Middle and Upper School students in band and instrumental ensembles gave amazing performances during two separate assemblies in January. Watch videos of both performances.

 

Upper School News                                                US

Upper School Information

Important Upcoming Events 

 

Semester I Grades

Tuesday, 1/27: Grades and comments for Semester I will be posted to the grade portal of the School's website. Look in your email for an announcement and instructions for how to access grades.

 

While Semester II grades for full credit courses are averaged with Semester I grades to create the final year grade, students and parents should note that grading for coursework begins anew in the second semester; therefore, students have an excellent opportunity to improve their grades going forward and to maintain excellent grades that they have already earned. I encourage students to redouble their efforts where needed and congratulate them on their successes in the classroom to date. I hope that they will continue to seek out their academic and intellectual interests, continue to follow their passions, and take the opportunity to develop new ones as we begin the second semester.

 

Semester II Courses Add/Drop Deadline

Tuesday, 1/27: The deadline for adding or dropping courses (Semester II, .5 credit courses only) without penalty is the end of the day (3:30 p.m.) Students in Signature Programs or those planning to apply to these programs or those seeking to complete credit requirements, should be sure to meet with their advisors to complete their scheduling by this deadline.

 

Advisor-Parent Conferences

Tuesday, 1/27: and thereafter:  Parents are invited to set up conferences with their child's advisor in order to review Semester I grades and comments and progress to date in the school year.

 

College Counseling Night for Juniors and their Parents/Guardians

Required Event for Students in the Class of 2016

Thursday, 1/29, 7:00 p.m. Chase Building

 

Note: Juniors have begun their participation in the Jr. College Counseling Class that meets weekly in three sections. Mrs. Pendergast, Mr. Murphy, and Mrs. Chapman conduct this class to prepare members of the junior class for the use of Naviance, college campus visits, college essay writing, standardized testing, etc.

 

 

Joseph Iuliano

Upper School Head

Chaucer Exhibit Video & Photos

See video and photo from the 9th grade Chaucer Exhibition.

 

 

 

Upper School Play Rehearsal Schedule

Seussical Schedule through January 31.

College Counseling

Junior College Night

            Thursday, January 29

            7:00 p.m.

            Corkin Theatre

Required for Juniors, and parents and guardians are urged to attend.

  
PSAT Meetings

Students in grades 10 and 11 are now meeting with members of the college team to review the results of their PSATs. Please remind your students to register. This is a good opportunity for students to learn more about how to use the PSATs to prepare for the SAT, and it is also a good opportunity to begin a relationship with the College Counselors.

 

Free Practice Tests

On many weekend mornings, Summit Educational Group offers free SAT and ACT practice exams at their Newton office. They administer the exams, score them, and return them to students at no charge. This is a wonderful way to experience both exams before actually taking the real exam. Exams will be offered on Saturday and Sunday mornings in January and February from 9 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. For more information or to register, contact Summit Practice exams at 800-698-8867 or go to mytutor.com.

 

FAFSA and Profile

Seniors applying for need-based financial aid MUST complete and submit the FAFSA immediately in order to be eligible for any federal funds from colleges. All colleges require this form. The form is accessed online. More information can be found in the Brimmer and May College Planning Guide, found on the College Counseling webpage, or by going directly to the FAFSA website. Many private colleges also require the CSS Profile which is also found online. There is help available for filling out the FAFSA. MEFA (Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority) has centers at the Boston Public Library, in Brockton, and at several other locations with financial aid professionals to provide help. Also, throughout the months of January and February, at various sites around the state on Sundays, special FAFSA Massachusetts days will be held. Be forewarned, however, that many colleges have FAFSA deadlines of February 1 or 15. For questions that cannot be answered on the websites, email Ms. Pendergast.

 

Summer Opportunities

All students in the Upper School have been receiving informational emails about various summer programs as it comes in to the College Office. There is also a box of print material in the College Office. Students are urged to consider this information if they are seeking ideas for a summer experience.

 

 

Cindy Pendergast

Director of College Counseling

From the Parents' Association

PA News and Reminders

Final Tuition Information Sessions

Thursday, February 19, 6:30 p.m., Chase Building Dining Room

We encourage parents and guardians to attend the final Information Session with Head of School Judy Guild and members of the Board of Trustees. This is a great opportunity to ask questions, give feedback, and find out more about the new tuition structure.

 

Parents' Association Meeting, Thursday, February 5, 8:15 a.m. Wright Conference Room

Global Connections at Brimmer and May

Learn how Brimmer and May is teaching our children to be global citizens at our next PA Meeting. Kelly Neely (Director of Global Studies and Humanities Dept. Co-Chair) and other Brimmer faculty will lead a presentation on Global Connections throughout the LS, MS, and US curriculum. All parents and guardians are invited to attend.


 

 
Faculty/Staff Appreciation Lunch, Friday, February 6

Join the Parents' Association in showing our gratitude to Brimmer and May's dedicated faculty and staff! To find out how your family can contribute to this wonderful day, read the Parent Information Letter.

 

Upper School Semi-Formal, January 31

Upper School parents can read all about the Upper School Semi-Formal in The Gator, Brimmer and May's online newspaper. U.S. parents can help by donating food and decorations for this event. Further details to come! 

 

Reminder: CORI Forms for Parent Volunteers

If you are planning to volunteer for Faculty/Staff Appreciation Lunch, Winterfest, or other events this spring, please remember to submit a CORI form as soon as possible. Please sign and mail (with a photocopy of picture ID) to Carol Croffy, Assistant Business Manager, or scan and email to ccroffy@brimmer.org.

 

Parent Coffee Group

Join us for coffee and casual conversation every Friday at 8:15 a.m. in the Lower School French Library. Parents and guardians from all grades are invited.

 

We welcome your questions and comments! Please feel free to email us at brimmerparents@brimmer.org.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Roslyn Pedlar P'18 (roslynpedlar@aol.com) and 

Lynn Segal P'26 (lynnbrennersegal@gmail.com)

PA Co-Chairs

Click here for Brimmer and May School's website.
Please note that this email was generated from a "no reply" email box.
Gator Laydown
 
Important Upcoming Dates

1/29
Gr 11. and Parents College Counseling Evening
7:00 p.m.

1/30
Pre-K, K Informance
8:00 a.m.

1/31
US Semi-Formal
7:30 p.m.

2/5
PA Meeting, 8:15 a.m.

2/6
Staff Appreciation Lunch

Dress Day, gr 6-12

2/16-2/17
Winter Weekend
No School

2/20
Skating Evening
5:45 - 7:45 p.m.

2/25
No School Pre-K-5
Parent Conferences Pre-K-5


View the full School calendar
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