"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." These words of Benjamin Franklin's were cited during the Fifth Grade Exhibition yesterday. The students presented their understanding of a particular event or person who represented independence, and the level of engagement proved Mr. Franklin's saying to be true. Likewise, Dr. Gallon's Middle School science class is involved in exploring the "power of GIS software to map earthquakes and tectonic plates in China" according to the Twitter feed this week. And today, our Upper School Physics students are at Six Flags as part of their exploration of the fundamentals of physics. These are just three examples of how our teachers make learning meaningful for our students.
Warm wishes to all of our mothers for a wonderful weekend with your families. I hope we get to see some sunshine!
Judith Guild
Head of School
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"Oh, The Places You'll Go" Spring Auction Raises Over $100,000!
 Thank you to all of our parents and faculty who attended the Auction last Saturday night at the Wellesley Country Club. It was a wonderful evening to support Brimmer professional development and financial aid, and we are thrilled to report that the auction netted over $100,000 for those programs! In addition, the fund-a-need portion of the auction resulted in 6 laptops for the Lower School Design Center, 6 laptops for the Middle and Upper School Writing Center and Library, and 10 iPads for students receiving financial aid.
If you have items that were not picked up either at the Auction or from the online auction, Bidding For Good, please call or email Amanda Frank to arrange for pick up at afrank@brimmer.org or 617-264-1424. Or you can look for her on the 3rd floor of #73/Cummings Hall. If you won a live auction item that requires instructions, Amanda will be in touch with you directly. Receipts were sent to everyone in the mail this week.
A great big thank you again to all of our donors, attendees, bidders, and volunteers. The Executive Committee of Lisanne Kandiah, Jessica Purdy, and Erika Siegal was second to none. We owe our success to all of you! Click here to enjoy the video and photographs of the events!
Amanda Spooner Frank '88
Director of Alumni Affairs and Special Events
Elizabeth Smith
Director of Development
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 The Sound of Music
Tickets for the Middle School musical production of The Sound Of Music will be available to the public at 10:30 a.m on Friday, 5/6. Performances of The Sound of Music are Wednesday, May 25 @ 7:00 p.m. and Thursday, May 26 @ 5:30 p.m. Admission is free, but tickets must be reserved beforehand. Please reserve only as many tickets as you need and email boxoffice@brimmer.org if you have tickets you will not be using. Please remember to include your name and the order number, if possible. Bill Jacob Creative Arts Department Chair |
Earth Day Coin Drive
During Earth Day, students made banks for a coin drive to raise money for the Trees for the Earth campaign sponsored by the Earth Day Network. We are collecting coins until May 27. Large, plastic bottles have been placed around campus for collection of the coins and can be found in the following locations: Mrs. Robinson's office, the Reenstierna Library in Chase, Room 48 in Chase, the lobby of #69, and the lobby of #73.
Our goal is to raise enough money to buy a tree for each person on campus as well as 500 extra--that would be $1,000!
Mrs. Iuliano
Middle and Upper School Math and Science Teacher
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 Athletics Schedule
Support Brimmer sports! Click here for the athletics schedule. Select "Spring Teams" from the left of the page, and you will see each team's season schedule and game results.
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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,
You can tell it is May; the opportunities to visit campus are starting to grow. Next week's offering is the following: Thursday, May 12 Grades 2-5 Chorus and Band Concert at 6:30 p.m. in the theatre.
Also, make sure you mark your calendar for the All-School Celebration of the Arts on Thursday, May 26!
Wednesday, May 11 is an early dismissal day: Pre-K & K at 11:30 a.m. and 1-5 from the playground at noon.
Fourth Grade Parents: Your children need to decide whether they will take French or Mandarin by Friday, May 13. Please make sure your child returns the selection sheet, which will be backpacked today, to their homeroom teacher.
Finally: Yes, spring is supposed to arrive next week. . .really!! The warm weather brings a need to refresh our memory regarding appropriate clothing. Please address the following with your child(ren):
- Boys and girls should wear shorts that reach mid-thigh
- Boys should wear shirts with sleeves
Thomas A. Fuller
Head of Lower School
Courtney P. McGillicuddy
Assistant Head of Lower School
Early Childhood Coordinator
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Read The Brimmer Eye!
Click here to download the latest edition of the Lower School's newspaper, The Brimmer Eye, written, edited, and produced by students in grades 2-5.
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Save the Date for our Lower School Spring Concert!
Thursday, May 12, at 6:30 p.m.
Students in grades two, three, four, and five will present instrumental and choral pieces honoring the rich heritage of Russian music. In addition to our special evening performance, the Lower School bands will play in a Share Assembly on Friday, May 6, at 9:00 a.m., and the Lower School choruses will sing in Share Assembly on Friday, May 13, at 9:00 a.m.
Elizabeth Wooster
Lower School Music Educator
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Middle School News
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Dear Parents and Guardians,
On Wednesday, I had the honor of presenting at the PIN meeting at the Meadowbrook School on the community service projects that we do with our students in grade 8. I was also there to receive two awards from PIN that recognized the 8th grade Community Service project (part of Like Skills 8) and the Birthday Wishes drive that the 8th graders led this year. It was an honor to represent Brimmer and have the opportunity to share the excellent work we are doing to give back to our greater community. Upcoming Important Events and Dates Wednesday, May 11 Grade 8 Community Service Exhibition - 8:15-9:15 a.m. Friday, May 13 Grade 8 Outdoor Education Day - 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Friday, May 20 Middle School trip to Six Flags - 8:00 a.m.- 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 25 - Friday, May 27 Middle School Musical: The Sound of Music Monday, May 30 No School - Memorial Day Sincerely,
Carl Rapisarda-Vallely
Middle School Head
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Sixth Graders Design Amusement Parks 
Sixth graders in Ellinor Wareham's class designed their own amusement parks! Click here to learn more about the design project and see photos.
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Middle/Upper School News
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 Middle and Upper School Spring Concert The Spring Concert, featuring Greenline, May Chorale, and Soloists from the CAP Program was fantastic! Click here to view/order pictures by our professional photographer, David Barron. |
Upper School News
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Senate Candidate Speeches
Student candidates in grades 8 -11 for the 2016-2017 Upper School Senate leadership positions will present speeches to their peers on Wednesday, May 11. Students in Grade 8 (rising freshmen) are eligible to run for the position of Upper School Senate Treasurer, while rising sophomores may seek election to the position of Secretary. Rising upperclassmen may seek the position of Vice-President as juniors, and President as seniors. The election will be held during Upper School lunch on Thursday, May 12, and results will be published in next week's Bulletin.
AP Exams and Exam Schedule
Students must arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of each exam with needed materials (pencils, pens, calculators, etc.). Students who arrive late will not be allowed to sit for an exam. Exams will be held in either the College Counseling Office or the Wright Conference Room. No electronic devices are allowed in the exam room. Students are provided a break during AP exams and should not seek other breaks than those provided already within the testing period in order to make best use of their time.
Schedule for the Second Week of AP Exams
Monday, May 9
8:00 a.m. Biology, Wright Conference Room
8:00 a.m. Music Theory, College Counseling
Tuesday, May 10
12:00 p.m. French Language and Culture, College Counseling
Wednesday, May 11
8:00 a.m. English Language and Composition, Wright Conference Room
12:00 p.m. Statistics, Wright Conference Room
Thursday, May 12
8:00 a.m. World History, Wright Conference Room
12:00 p.m. Macroeconomics, Wright Conference Room
Friday, May 13
8:00 a.m. Microeconomics, Wright Conference Room
Saturday, May 21
Junior-Senior Pre-Prom Gathering, 5:30 p.m., Brimmer Campus
Junior-Senior Prom, 7:00 p.m., Newton-Marriott Hotel
In order to make this year's prom a safe, fun, and memorable evening Brimmer has organized the following activities and made the following arrangements:
Head of School Judy Guild will host a Pre-Prom Party at 69 Middlesex Rd. with professional photographer, David Barron. This event will begin at 5:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served and all are welcome! David will be posing the students as a group, in pairs, in friendship groups, and randomly. Parents, family, and friends are welcome and should be sure to bring their own cameras too.
The School will provide a bus to and from the prom and will provide adult supervision in the School parking lot when the bus returns.
The 2016 Junior-Senior Prom will be held at the Newton Marriott at 2345 Commonwealth Avenue, Newton. The Prom begins at 7:00 p.m. with hors d'oeuvres followed by dinner and dessert. Dinner will be the "Night to Remember Buffet" with an unlimited soda bar and a make-your-own-sundae bar. Following dinner there will be dancing until 11:00 p.m. Faculty and administrators will be chaperoning, and a special Photo Booth (free of charge) will be part of the entertainment.
Prom tickets are $75 per person. These must be purchased by Wednesday, May 18. Mr. Murray will set up an online sign up for Prom tickets and transportation. Juniors and Seniors should look for an email from him about the Prom.
So that the Prom can be fun for all those attending, we ask that students remain at the Prom until 10:30 p.m. Once students begin to leave, the party is less exciting for those who stay. We hope the students will respect this community value well.
We look forward to seeing our students at the Pre-Prom party!
Upper School Head
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Senior Week & Commencement Information
Senior Week takes place beginning Monday, May 23, and Commencement takes place on Friday, June 3. Click here for details on these events.
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 Student Passion for Racing
Mark Donato '19 lives by the quote, "Racing is more than a sport, it is a way of life." In 2016, Mark raced in five national karting events and one local event. He competed in four races in the Florida Winter Tour Series, an FSeries race in North Carolina, and a local race in New York. Due to both the intensity and complexity of the sport, Mark uses the same personal coach and tuner to assist him at each race.
Mark is pictured here with his coach/tuner.
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Colleges That Change Lives Reception at Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel
One of my favorite books to recommend to students and parents is Colleges That Change Lives by Loren Pope. As an outgrowth of the book, the 40 colleges described in it formed an organization that travels across the country to proclaim how their colleges have changed so many lives. Admission directors from the 40 colleges will be in Boston on Saturday, May 14, at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel. The program will begin with a 30-minute session on the college search process followed by a college fair when families will have the opportunity to meet with the representatives from the colleges. I encourage you to read the book before you attend the program. This is a not-to-be-missed event. The colleges included in this book are favorites among educators. I am attaching here an article entitled " College Counselor: I'm sick of reading about golden kids getting into Harvard. Here's the story I want to see" that appeared recently in the Washington Post and referenced Loren Pope and his book. The article is written by Valerie Strauss, who reprinted an article written by Brennan Bernard, a college counselor at an independent school in New Hampshire. Brennan writes numerous articles on the college process and is usually spot on in his opinions.
Inside the Application Process at Boston University
What: Inside the Application Process
Where: Boston University College of General Studies, 871 Commonwealth Ave. Boston MA
When: Wednesday, May 18. Registration and refreshments at 6:30 p.m. Presentation at 7:00 p.m.
In a flyer advertising this event, Boston University poses the question about 3 students--"Which student did we accept?" One student had straight As; one student had enrolled in 4 AP classes; one student was a National Merit Scholar. If you are curious to know the answer, the admissions staff at BU will explain how they make their decisions. This program is open to parents and students. Please RSVP to admissions@bu.edu.
Exploring College Options
Admissions representatives from the following colleges will present an evening informational program for interested students and their parents:
Duke University
Georgetown University
Harvard University
University of Pennsylvania
Stanford University
Where: Hyatt Regency Boston
One Avenue de Lafayette
Boston, MA
When: Sunday, May 22, at 7:00 p.m.
Coast to Coast College Tour
Admission representatives from the following colleges will present an evening information program for interested students and their parents:
Dartmouth College
Northwestern University
Princeton University
University of California, Berkeley
Vanderbilt University
Where: Boston Marriott Cambridge
50 Broadway
Cambridge, MA
When: Sunday, June 5 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Registration for SAT and ACT
Juniors should register NOW for the June 4 SAT and the June 11 ACT. Deadlines are fast approaching!
REMINDER: All students are able to take free practice tests at the Newton offices of both Summit Educational Group and Kaplan. This is one of the best ways to prepare to take these exams. Students can become familiar with the test format and content, which reduces anxiety for the actual test day.
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From the Parents' Association
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PA Meeting Thank You
Thank you to Brimmer librarians Megan Dolan and Sarah Abrams for their lively and informative presentation on great Pre-K - 12 summer reads! Topics included developing visual literacy through picture books and graphic novels, sustaining student interest in reading from grade to grade, as well as a spirited discussion on rereading books: to reread or not reread? Mrs. Dolan and Ms. Abrams will provide links to Brimmer's Library newsletter and online resources, to be included in future Class Rep notes.
Thank you to our parents for supporting the PA meetings throughout the school year. We welcome your feedback on this year's topics, and suggestions for next year. Email us at brimmerparents@brimmer.org
Book Fair, May 31-June 3
Browse Pre-K through Grade 12 titles, volunteer to decorate, set up, or staff the register at the PA's annual end-of-year fundraiser. Click here to volunteer. New this year: Grade 1-5 Summer Reading selections can be purchased online by clicking here.
Books ordered by May 21 can be picked up at Brimmer in June.
Friday Parent Walking Group 
All parents and guardians are invited to join us at 8:15 a.m. in front of the Chase Building for a 40-60 minute walk around the Reservoir (weather permitting). Babies, strollers, and leashed pets are also welcome.  Brimmer Receives 2 PIN Community Service Awards Brimmer was awarded two PIN Special Recognition awards for this winter's Birthday Wishes Project and the annual Grade 8 Individual Community Service Project. The PIN committee was especially impressed by the way the projects "integrated student advocacy and passion to engage the school community." Thank you to our students for initiating the Birthday Wishes project and to the Brimmer community for supporting their efforts. This year's Grade 8 Community Service Exhibition takes place next Wednesday, May 11, 8:15 - 9:15 a.m., and is open to the community. Support the PA When You Shop Amazon
Give back to the PA every time you shop Amazon.com! Our PA receives a portion of every purchase when you shop on Amazon. Go to the PA website page under the "Discover Brimmer and May" tab on the Brimmer website. Thank you!
Sincerely,
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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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5/7
SAT I & II
5/11Grade 8 Community Service Exhibition 8:15 a.m. Pre-K & K Early Dismissal 11:30 a.m. Gr. 1-5 Early Dismissal 12:00 p.m. Grade 2-5 Chorus and Band Spring Concert Alumni Weekend
5/13
Grade 8 Outdoor Ed. Day
5/16
Gr. 1 Crepe Party
8:30-9:30 a.m.
5/20 Student Directed Play 7:00 p.m. 5/21
Pre-Prom Gathering
5:30 p.m. Juinor/Senior Prom 7:00 p.m.
5/23
Senior Week begins 5/25Middle School Musical - The Sound of Music 7:00 p.m. 5/26 All-School Celebration of the Arts
3:10 p.m. Middle School Musical - The Sound of Music5:30 p.m. 5/30Memorial Day - No School 5/31
Kindergarten Portfolio Exhibit
8:00 a.m.
Senior Project Exhibition 3:30 p.m. Chamber Concert Reenstierna Library 6:00 p.m. View the full School calendar
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