Judith Guild

Dear Parents and Guardians,

In an effort to keep you as informed as possible with respect to our plans for learning, we’d like to share our current thinking about the Thanksgiving holiday week, the post-Thanksgiving return to school, and December break.

Based on the information we have at this time, it is our intention to continue in-person, on campus learning at our current level in the weeks between Thanksgiving and December break. In order to ensure that our community is ready for those weeks, Brimmer will be closed for the entire week of Thanksgiving from Monday, November 23 to Friday, November 27. This will allow for faculty planning time as well as a good period of time for rest.

On Monday, November 30, the School will request all students, faculty, and staff come to campus and take a school-administered non-invasive test. You will receive an email with the all-school community testing protocol in the coming weeks.

Since that Monday will be a testing day only, no school programming or classes will be offered. Our goal is to have all test results back by Tuesday, so we can reopen in person with a stable virus baseline on Wednesday, December 2. The School will send a confirmation for the Wednesday reopening after 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday evening. Tuesday, December 1, will be a remote-only learning day. For anyone preferring to opt out of testing, students will be asked to quarantine for 14 days or submit an approved test dated three to five days after Thanksgiving Day. If you are unable to come to school on Monday, you can use one of the state’s free testing sites.

As you finalize your plans for the Thanksgiving break, we ask that you consider the importance of keeping Brimmer healthy. We will do the same. Please adhere to the state guidelines around travel and return from travel. These guidelines contain specific guidance for quarantine restrictions for those who travel to several states. To the extent possible, please consider those with whom you plan to spend the holiday break; we encourage everyone to practice risk mitigation strategies and be safe. Testing is not a substitute for responsible behavior.

While our post-December break plans are not yet finalized, at this time we are planning for remote learning only the week of January 4 – 8, with in-person classes resuming the following week. During the week of January 4, the School will request once again that all students, faculty, and staff come to campus and take the school-administered non-invasive test. It is unclear at this time what our testing schedule will be post-December break. It may be possible to shorten the remote-only plans, but we are erring on the side of caution for planning purposes. For anyone preferring to opt out of testing, students will be asked to quarantine for 14 days or submit an approved test dated three to five days after New Year’s Day.

Sincerely,

The COVID Response Team

With the first Tuesday of November looming in the windshield like the Rocky Mountains on the drive westward across the Wyoming plains, we have arrived at the final weeks of our four-year national election cycle. While four years is the time period determined on paper, this cycle actually began in January of 2017 when President Trump formally filed his papers seeking re-election. This official act was followed eight months later with the filing by the first of more than 20 Democratic Party challengers, former Congressman John Delany from Maryland. In January and February of 2018, the bulk of the Democratic field submitted their paperwork, and the final candidate, former governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick, filed his a year ago in November of 2019. After a host of entrances and exits by erstwhile candidates, we are now down to two major party tickets (plus choices from the Green-Rainbow and Libertarian parties on the Massachusetts ballot). Here in Massachusetts, we are also voting for a US Senate seat and several US Representatives in addition to greater and lesser slates of local town and city candidates.

As we enter the final throes of the election process with debates, polling, mail-in and in-person early voting, and a 24/7 news-cycle, Brimmer has opted to offer its students educational opportunities and examples to instruct our current and future voters about the election process. This effort takes on decidedly different goals and approaches within each division of the school. The Lower School replicates the process without referencing the national political process and polemics. The Middle School is hosting assemblies and providing direct instruction at each grade level about the specific processes, elements, and timelines of the local and national election process. The Upper School is offering both direct instruction in the classroom and a host of extracurricular presentations and workshops on how local and national elections are conducted, balloting and voting, and the presidential election in particular. [Read more in Mr. Iuliano's latest blog post.]

Thank you to all the families who have already donated to the Birthday Book Program this year. While our libraries look different this year, our librarians are selecting books in your students' names that will be accessible for years to come. A portion of your donation may also be used for the extensive e-book needs we have this year by selecting 'librarian's choice per collection needs' on the Birthday Book order form, which can be found under Resources--->School Forms in the Parent Portal. We are so grateful for your support of our libraries' physical and digital resources!

Megan Dolan

Stephanie Golas

Susan MacPherson P '26, '28, '30

Our School app makes it easy to access key Brimmer information from your phone, including the COVID Screening form each family is required to complete daily before sending their child(ren) to school.

This week, we held our second Families of Color Affinity Meeting. Our consultant, Lawrence Alexander, joined us, and he and I facilitated a wonderful discussion that allowed parents of color the safe and brave space to discuss their concerns about the current interconnectedness of race and politics. Many in our community have found it difficult to navigate conversations about the two topics, as each has become more complicated. The affinity space this week provided validation of fears and concerns, as well as support and advice. The next Families of Color Affinity Meeting will take place at 7 p.m. on December 15.

I am pleased to share that the Admissions Office has added another event to our calendar for prospective families. We will be hosting an event specific to our DEI programming with discussion about our shift toward becoming an actively anti-racist community. As Brimmer has put DEI efforts at the forefront this year, it is important that we communicate to prospective families the importance of this work to our community.

I attended a Board of Trustees meeting this past Monday and conducted a training with the group. We focused on ways in which the Board, within their committees, can support and mirror the DEI work that we are doing daily at Brimmer. I shared a lot of information with the Board, and it was immediately agreed upon that our work together would continue in future meetings moving forward. Lawrence will be involved as well. It is excellent to work with a Board that is so ready to embrace and uphold this commitment.

As we move toward what has become a very emotional election season, I encourage each of you to engage in conversations with one another and your children. Listen well, support one another, and learn as much as you can. Make sure to take the breaks you need to and find time for health and wellness.

Jessica Christian

Please help us spread the word for our second virtual Open House of the year. We also welcome families in 5th and 8th grade to attend to learn more about our Middle and Upper Schools.

 Dear Upper School Families,

We have heard some wonderful news about our Upper School students over the past few weeks that I am excited to share with you.

First, I want to offer congratulations to Isaiah Claiborne ’21, Karly Hamilton ’21, and Betty Wang ’21 on receiving commendations from the College Board. Isaiah, Karly, and Betty placed within the top 3% of over 1.5 million 11th grade PSAT test-takers last fall. In doing so, they earned recognition in the National Merit Scholarship program for their high achievement!

I also want to share the incredible news about another twelfth grader, Avery Alperin '21. Through Brimmer's Problem Solving Through Design class, Avery and Vivi Lorusso developed an anti-tip mechanism to attach to walkers. Through their coursework and mentorship from Director of Innovation & Design Kathryn Lee, these students invented, modeled, and prototyped their invention. They then worked through the intellectual property process with representatives at WilmerHale and have applied for a patent on their design through the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Their application is currently under review by the patent office.

Kyrell Luc ’21 and Gianni Thompson ’21 have verbally committed to Holy Cross and Boston College to play basketball next year. Both of these students have earned scholarships for their hard work in the classroom and on the basketball court. We look forward to celebrating as a community in November when they sign their letters of intent.

Congratulations are also in order for Natalie Kozhemiakin '23. Her essay "The Reflection of the American Dream Through ‘Nickel and Dimed’" was published online by The American Prospect and earned Honorable Mention.

Lastly, I would like to congratulate our newly elected Student Senate members. The full slate of student representatives for 2020-2021 are:

Katarina Klacko '21 - President

Sophia Spring '22 - Vice President

Angeline-Nur Dervisevic '21 - Treasurer

Charles McLaughlin '22 - Secretary

Alex Boch '21

Alphonse Houndegla '21

Jacob Mejia Levy '21

Ayanna Jefferson '22

Zakkai Mares-Van Praag '22

Tahina Trias-Lazima '22

Daniel Murray '23

Sylvia Tejada '23

Owen Williams '23

Helen Chu '24

There is a lot to celebrate from the first six weeks of school!

Joshua Neudel

The Election by Don Zolidis

The Election by Don Zolidis

This week in College Counseling we did a refresher on various types of financial aid: need-based aid, merit scholarships, and outside scholarships. We discussed what materials are required for the FAFSA and CSS Profile, various ways that merit scholarships are determined, and resources for outside scholarships. We also encouraged students to discuss these options with their parents/guardians, in order to make sure the family is on the same page about needs and expectations.

The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) was released on October 1. Students and families hoping to apply for federal financial aid are encouraged to check out the MEFA (Mass Education Financing Authority) webinar recording from October 7.

On Tuesday, the Boston Independent School College Counselors Association (BISCCA) hosted a webinar with admission professionals (representing UMass Amherst, Dickinson, UChicago, and Syracuse) for an update on the 2020-21 college admissions landscape. The recording is available here. (Passcode: 6dZzA3=B)

Those November deadlines are looming and we’re in the home stretch--doing final reviews of the Common App, helping students narrow down their lists and prioritize applications, and of course, lots of essays being polished. We have been reminding students that they need to communicate with us about upcoming deadlines and be proactive about sharing their essay drafts with time to spare!

October is winding down, but we’re still seeing college rep visits during almost every available block (including Colorado College, Colby, and Spelman this week.)

The current list of college visits is on the Resource Board in the Parent Portal.

NACAC Virtual College Fair – Sunday, November 8 from 2:00 - 10:00 p.m.

On each fair date, more than 600 colleges and universities will offer Zoom sessions and meetings. Students everywhere can log in, drop in, and ask questions.

December College “Coffee” - Friday, December 4 at 12:00 p.m.

An informal check-in for any Upper School parents/guardians. The College Counseling team will begin by talking about what’s currently going for 12th graders in the process, then open up the session for any questions or discussion.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Today, we have arranged for Annawon Weeden, a member of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribal community located on Cape Cod, to speak with students in grades 6 and 7 (pictured above). This was in honor of Indigenous People Day and ties in with the 7th grade Humanities curriculum, where students are wrapping up their study of the native people of the region. It was a wonderful experience for the students, and we were so pleased to welcome Annawon to campus.

In this week’s COVID Response Team update, we have laid out our current plans and thinking around Thanksgiving and winter break. Please look it over carefully, and please feel free to reach out with any questions.

The first quarter of the year ends on October 30, and grades will be released the following week. This week, you should have received information regarding Parent-Teacher Conferences. Conferences will take place on Thursday, November 5 from 2:00 - 5:30 p.m. and on Friday, November 6 from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. These conferences will take place over Zoom.

Carl Vallely

The Middle School students are holding a mask drive for Cradles to Crayons. Here are the requirements:

The Middle School Senate will be collecting donations in homerooms every other day. If your student has any questions, they should ask their senator! Thank you for supporting our first community service event of the year!

Andrew Beal

The Middle School Senate will host their first social event on Friday, October 30. They will be playing bingo under the tents! Candy and snacks will be provided, and prizes will be awarded to the winners. The event will run from 2:45 - 4:15 p.m. If concurrent students are interested in participating, they just need to email Mr. Beal (abeal@brimber.org) by Friday, October 23 so he can send them a game board. Parents can pick up their children in the gym parking lot. If there are any questions, please feel free to email Mr. Beal (abeal@brimmer.org).

Dear Lower School Families,

Last Friday, we had a Parent Coffee with Kindergarten and Grade 1 families. Kimberly Tolpa, our Lower School Director of Academic Services, talked with families about early literacy development and the foundational skills that are needed for fluent, joyful, and deep reading. Lower School Librarian Stephanie Golas also joined us to talk about how to navigate the different resources located on the Lower School’s Library Canvas page, including lists of popular books for children of this age. It was an informative morning, and if you weren’t able to attend, you may access the recording here (Passcode: Lp+X3KxL).

While laying the foundation for reading, Kindergarten teachers are also reimagining their integrated global studies and travels around the world. Beginning this year’s journey on the continent of South America, they have already participated in three virtual field trips. The first was with three llamas, Paco, Dolly, and Sheeka. During this virtual adventure, students observed the animals and learned about their role and significance in South American countries.

Following this exciting “outing,” Kindergarten students traveled on the Amazon River to the rainforest with the Museum of Waterworks who helped them explore the concepts of sink and float through virtual demonstrations, a virtual story time, and specially packed kits for each Kindergarten student. The kits provided students with the materials they needed for a hands-on exploration and classification of objects based on whether they would sink and float. After exploring these concepts and gaining a better understanding of the types of materials that would float, Kindergarteners were presented with an exciting design challenge where each student worked with a set of materials to create a boat that would stay afloat. They tested their designs in water-filled bins on the playground. Imagine their excitement!

The fun and learning never stops, as students then teamed up with Maxine, the two-toed sloth, from the Stone Zoo. Maxine was their introduction to the first of many endangered animal research projects. Similar to their sink and float challenge, Kindergarten students will be testing their iterative design skills by attempting to create a 3-dimensional sloth out of recycled materials. Many thanks to Mrs. Rabinovitz, Ms. Vaughn, and Mrs. Wyllie for their creative, and always dynamic, approach to the curriculum and to the circumstances that surround them.

A few reminders:

Have a great weekend!

Emily Miller

As COVID infection rates are rising on both the local and national levels, our last Parents Association Friday Walk will be today. Thank you to all who were able to participate!

We are looking forward to meeting you virtually. Please feel free to reach us via brimmeparents@brimmer.org.

Sincerely,

Didem Ertan P ‘28

Jeffrey Lahens P ‘28, ’31

Rossanna Lizama-Soto P ‘22