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"Creativity may be hard to nurture, but it's easy to thwart," writes Adam Grant in his article " How to Raise a Creative Child, Step One: Back Off." This New York Times article caught my attention, and it caused me to reflect on the subject of creativity and childhood. Grant points out several interesting and somewhat controversial ideas about how we can develop creative children. He focuses on research that indicates parents who "place emphasis on moral values, rather than on specific rules" seem to produce better results regarding creativity in their children. By limiting discrete rules, he goes on to say, children are encouraged to think for themselves. Psychologist Teresa Amabile also reports that when raising children who go on to become creative adults, "Emphasis was placed on the development of one's own ethical code." While the article focuses on other ways we can help our children to be creative, I found this idea of having an internal moral code and its link to one's creativity to be an interesting one, especially because of the focus of last week's PIN (Parents of Independent Schools) conference at Brimmer.
Last Friday I had the opportunity to present at the PIN conference on the subject of educating responsible, ethical students who develop into people of good character. I outlined Brimmer's Pre-K-12 programmatic efforts to help students become ethical citizens and leaders in our global society. The room was beyond capacity, clearly indicating that parents are striving to raise good people. Helping our children develop an internal code of ethics has many benefits for our children as well as for our world.
Judith Guild
Head of School
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Realizing the Vision Campaign Kick-Off Dinner
On January 20, Brimmer held a Realizing the Vision Campaign Kick-Off Dinner at The Country Club in Brookline. Head of School Judy Guild and Board of Trustees Chair David Kreisler thanked the many generous donors who have already contributed $5.8 million to the $7.5 million campaign goal. It was an exciting night for Brimmer as we look forward to the Chase expansion plans. Click here to see photos of the evening. |
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Family Skating Night
Please join the Alumni Office and members of the Alumni Association for our annual Family Skating Night, on Friday, February 12, from 5:00-7:45 p.m. at the Larz Anderson Skating Rink in Brookline. The skate rental shop will be open as well as the concession stand for food, snacks, and cocoa (for purchase).
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Spring Break Camp and Photo Camp
REGISTRATION for SPRING BREAK CAMPS running from March 14 - 18 is OPEN.
This March we are offering camp for students in Pre-K to 10th grade!
Kathryn Lee is offering her signature PHOTOGRAPHY CAMP for 6th - 10th graders. This 5-day camp includes daily trips (on the T) in and around Boston to take photos. Afternoons will be spent on campus learning about developing and experimenting with digital work. Each student will end the week with a personal portfolio of images. Email Mrs. Lee with questions: klee@brimmer.org.
Lower School students are welcome to join us for an exciting week of SPRING BREAK DAY CAMP, running from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. each day. Students will cook, engage in STEAM activities, play outdoors and in the gym, write and produce a play, and much more. Email Laura Foley for more information: lafoley@brimmer.org.
Register for camp via your Ultracamp account or create one here. |
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Birthday Wishes Community Collection Drive
Birthday Wishes, an organization that provides birthday parties for homeless children, believes that all children, regardless of their living situation, should celebrate their birthdays joyfully. A "Birthday Box" allows a parent to have a party for their child no matter what their living situation is. As a community service project, Brimmer's goal is to collect 40 Birthday Boxes. The eighth-grade class will put the Birthday Boxes together; however, we hope to have the entire Brimmer community (Pre-K-12) get involved by bringing in any of the following items for the boxes.
Each box will include the following items:
 1 Cake Mix 1 Frosting 1 Disposable cake pan 1 Box of candles 1 Tablecloth 5 Juice boxes Small pack of plates Small pack of napkins Pack of spoons or forks Pack of party hats Decorations/Filler: streamers, balloons, blowers, masks, birthday banner, etc Extra Fun Items: stickers, jewelry, card games, etc. Please put a post-it note on your box that includes your name and the age/gender of the child you prepared the box for. Birthday Gifts (optional): Provide 3-4 birthday gifts totaling approximately $40. Gifts should be age appropriate, new, unused and unwrapped. We will be collecting items throughout the month of February. Please help make us meet our goal of 40 Birthday Boxes! Collection boxes can be found in grade 6-12 homerooms, the Dining Room, and the entry of #69.
Nancy Bradley Community Service Activity Advisor - Grades 6-12 Math Department Chair |
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Connect with Brimmer and May!
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Join the Conversation!
Follow Brimmer on social media for lots of news, photos, & video!
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Lower School News 
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Dear Lower School Families,
Break out your ice skates a week from today for skating at Larz Anderson. The event runs from 5:00 to 7:45 p.m. (There was some confusion about the starting time.)
Parent conferences will take place on Wednesday, February 24. Please call Ms. Beech to set a time to meet. There will be no school for students on the 24th, but there will be Extended Day from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. for those students already enrolled.
Thomas A. Fuller
Head of Lower School
Courtney P. McGillicuddy
Assistant Head of Lower School
Early Childhood Coordinator
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Extended Day News
Please click here for the February Extended Day newsletter. |
Middle School News
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Dear Parents and Guardians,
Peer leadership has been defined as "the ability to influence positively the behavior, ideas, attitudes, and values of people in the same age group." We know from studies and research that young people learn by watching their peers. The 8th grade Peer Leaders program is designed to give students training and experience in leadership and planning skills, communication, problem-solving, and conflict resolution. The primary work of students in this Program is to serve as leaders in the student body and in all areas of the community.
The students in the program have chosen two organizations to donate time and resources to this year-the Alzheimer's Association and the Jimmy Fund. Over the course of the spring, the Peer Leaders will put on several events to help raise money for these excellent causes. The first, a dress down day, will be held on Friday, February 12. We hope you will encourage your students to participate.
Please remember that there is no school on Monday, February 15, and Tuesday, February 16.
Sincerely,
Carl Rapisarda-Vallely
Middle School Head
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 Guest Speaker Spencer Christian
On Tuesday, January 26, Spencer Christian, father of Director of Diversity and Middle/Upper School Associate Director of Admissions, Jessica Christian, was the guest speaker at a special Middle and Upper School assembly celebrating Martin Luther King Day and Black History Month.
Click here to read more and see a video of his presentation. |
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Lacrosse Clinics
The Varsity coaches are hosting Lacrosse Clinics this winter in the Brimmer gym to introduce themselves, teach the game, and learn the sport before the spring! Topics will include stick work, offense, defense, and small game scenarios.
- All MS/US students are welcome to attend. Please check the schedule below for dates/times.
- Bring stick, pads, & mouthguard & wear sneakers.
Boys' Clinics:
February 13 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
February 20 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
February 27 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Girls' Clinics
February 27 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
March 5, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Questions? Follow up with Mr. Gates, Ms. Graves, or Ms. Nyland.
Abbey Nyland
Middle School Athletic Director, Lower School PE Teacher
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Middle School & Junior Varsity Winter Sports Assembly
The Middle School & Junior Varsity Winter Sports Assembly will be held on Tuesday, March 1, from 2:30-3:30 p.m. The assembly will begin in the theatre with a slide show, coaches' remarks, and team awards, followed by dessert, certificates, and team picture distribution in the Dining Room. Students who played a Middle School or JV level sport this winter are expected to attend while parents/guardians and siblings are invited to join us!
GO GATORS!
Abbey Nyland
Middle School Athletic Director, Lower School PE Teacher
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Upper School News
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From the Upper School  Parking Lot Drop-Off Concerns
Parents should not drop off students in the gym parking lot in the morning as this presents safety concerns and causes difficulties for those students and faculty who park in this lot each day. Drop-off should be made in front of Cummings Hall (73) or the Chase Building in the morning.
Academic Information about Seniors
Members of the senior class are now working on their Senior Thesis and Senior Project Proposals and will take the CWRA test by the end of the month as well.
Privileges for Second Semester Seniors
The School extends a late arrival privilege to any senior who earns Honors or High Honors for the first semester. This privilege allows students to arrive at School before the start of their first scheduled class for the day on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. Students must sign in upon arrival to School. Failure to sign in or unexcused absence from a class or commitment will lead to loss of this privilege.
College Counseling Class for Juniors
College Counseling classes for members of the junior class have begun in preparation for the college application process that is fast approaching for them. Juniors are required to attend these classes and must complete all assignments. In addition, parents of juniors need to complete the questionnaire for parents that is on the Naviance website, and schedule a conference with their child's college counselor (Mrs. Pendergast, Mr. Murphy, or Ms. Du) once they have completed the questionnaire. Login information for Naviance was disseminated at the College Night on January 28.
College Counseling class meeting dates:
Wednesdays, 2:30 - 3:10 p.m.
January 27,
February 10,
February 24,
March 9,
March 30,
April 13,
Monday, April 25 (College Essay Writing Workshop from
10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.), April 27,
Upcoming Events
Thursday, February 11
College Counseling Q & A for Parents and Guardians of Students in Grades 9 & 10 -- join us to get information about the college process at 7:00 p.m. in the Wright Conference Room.
Friday, February 12
Academic Warning Period for Grades 9 - 12. Warnings will be issued on 2/17.
Joseph Iuliano
Upper School Head
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Chaucer Exhibition
Ninth graders researched medieval Britain and the role that Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales plays in providing insight and commentary on that historical era. Click here to see photos and video. |
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Junior Reminders
Parents - Please share these reminders with your students.
Please complete the Naviance registration process. Your first assignment is to complete the Student Questionnaire. We will be sending you additional assignments to complete on Naviance, so you must be sure to check your Brimmer email daily. Have you met with a college counselor to discuss your PSAT results? Use this as your opportunity to get to know your college counselor. We also hope that parents and guardians will complete Naviance questionnaires as soon as possible as this aids us in the initial counseling process as well as with writing the School Report.
President's Weekend is a good opportunity to visit colleges. If you aren't able to travel, go online and find out when local colleges offer campus tours and information sessions.
The ACT prep class begins this Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. Students who have not registered are welcome to come to this first session with their registration forms and payment. This information is also available online and was sent to all families. If you have misplaced the online forms, email Ms. Pendergast.
Grades 9 and 10 Parents and Guardians
Next Thursday evening, February 11, at 7:00 p.m., we will hold an informal discussion about college planning/looking ahead. This meeting is not meant to be a nuts and bolts meeting about specifics; rather it is a general discussion of what to expect in the next two or three years and how we help prepare families to successfully navigate the process. We are calling this meeting "Mythbusters" because we hope to shatter some of the rumors that circulate-that are simply not fact-based-but rather serve to stir the pot of anxiety. We will meet in the Wright Conference Room.
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From the Parents' Association
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Thank you to Elizabeth Wooster and Frank Van Atta for a wonderful and informative joint presentation on Pre-K to grade 12 music education at Brimmer. They discussed how they apply music pedagogy to teach the pillars of the music curriculum: Move, Play, Listen, Sing, Read, and Create. Thank you to Greenline for demonstrating how a choral sound is built and to parent Eric Kamen P '20, for sharing his experience collaborating with Mrs. Wo oster and Mr. Van Atta.
Staff Appreciation Lunch - Rescheduled for Friday, Feb. 12
We look forward to thanking Brimmer's amazing staff
NEXT FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, at the annual Staff Appreciation Luncheon. We are grateful for all that they do to educate and care for our children every day. Thank you to all our parents for coming together to make this special day possible. A tremendous thank you to Paulette Adams P '22, for chairing this event!
Save the Date!
Winterfest, Saturday, March 5, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. in the Gym.
Enjoy a day of family fun at Winterfest, our Annual Lower School Carnival and Scholarship Fundraiser! Kids can bounce in the bouncy house, make arts and crafts, play carnival games, win raffle prizes, savor delicious food, and try their luck at the ever - popu lar Cake Walk. This is a PA-sponsored event. We have many volunteer opportunities, fitting all schedules. Help set up, donate a cake, run a carnival game, sell raffle tickets, or do a run for supplies. Please contact our Winterfest chair, Melinda Tarbox P '26 (rodbox7@comcast.net)
Brimmer Web Express Apparel Store, February 8-15
Back by popular demand! New selections are available! More than 40 items from brands such as Nike, UnderArmor, and more. A link will be available on Brimmer's home page on Monday, February 8 through Monday, February 15. Youth and adult sizes available. Perfect for Middle School and Upper School winter and spring sports. Your order ships directly to your home. Contact Victor Bellemare with questions.
Parent Coffee Group
Meet us in the Dining Room for coffee and casual conversation every Friday at 8:15 a.m. Parents and guardians from all grades are invited.
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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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2/6
ACT Test
2/10
Grade 8 Inspirations Assembly
8:00 a.m.
2/11
College Counseling Q & A
(Gr. 9 & 10 Parents)
7:00 p.m.
2/12Staff Appreciation Day
Academic Warnings (Gr. 6-11)
Family Skating Night
5:00 -7:45 p.m.
2/15 - 2/16
No School - Winter Weekend
2/17
Grade 8 Inspirations Assembly
8:00 a.m.
2/19
Grades 1 & 2 Celebration of the Arts
8:00 a.m.
2/24
No School for Pre-K-Grade 5
Parent Teacher Conferences (Pre-K- Grade 5)
Extended Day available for Enrolled Students
2/26
Mid-Semester II (Gr. 12)
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