1880
BRIMM R
INSPIRED TO LEARN • ENCOURAGED TO EXPLORE • EMPOWERED TO LEAD
From the North, West, or South of Boston
Take Route 128 to Exit 20-Route 9 East. Follow Route 9 for 3.6 miles. Turn left onto Hammond Street. At the first stop sign, turn right onto Middlesex Road. Drive down Middlesex Road to the first stoplight. Brimmer and May is located on both sides of the street.
From Downtown Boston by Car
Follow Route 9 West through Brookline to the intersection of Route 9 and Hammond Street. (Route 9 is also called Huntington Avenue in Boston and Boylston Street in Brookline.) Turn right onto Hammond Street. At the first stop sign, turn right again onto Middlesex Road. Drive down Middlesex Road to the first stoplight. Brimmer and May is located on both sides of the street.
Parking
Admissions parking spaces are available in our main parking lot on the left preceding all School buildings and along the side of the Admissions Building at 73 Middlesex Road. On-street parking is also available.
69 MIDDLESEX ROAD | CHESTNUT HILL, MA 02467 | 617-738-8695 | www.brimmer.org
lower school
Brimmer and May is a Pre-K to grade 12 coeducational day school that upholds high academic standards while implementing innovative ideas. We develop lifelong learners who are informed, engaged, and ethical citizens and leaders in our diverse world.
Our Guiding Principles Inspired to Learn
We foster active learning and challenge students to think and work independently and collaboratively to become confident problem solvers and critical thinkers.
Encouraged to Explore
We encourage students to engage their curiosity, expand creativity, explore interests, develop voice, and strive for personal best in an inclusive environment.
Empowered to Lead
We empower learners to embrace opportunities in our student-centered environment. We believe developing intellect with character prepares our students to succeed in our global community.
Our Life Rules
Respect, Responsibility, Honesty, Kindness
combining
tradition & innovation for a 21st-century education A Model and Leader Brimmer and May has a proud history of more than 135 years of academic rigor and community involvement. Brimmer is also a school on the cutting edge. Emerging technologies,
The essential capacities include: •
Academically Demanding
•
Project-based Learning
•
Classrooms that Extend Beyond School Walls
•
Digital Technologies and a Global Perspective that Infuse the Program
interdisciplinary learning, and experiential and applied learning define the Brimmer experience. No other school in New England has been designated a “Model School” by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). The
•
Vibrant Arts Programs
•
Learning Communities
•
A Culture of Engagement and Support
•
Transformational Leadership
recognition is based on what NAIS considers to
The future of education is already here
be “Essential Capacities for the 21st Century.”
at Brimmer.
Nurturing the Whole Child Students in Pre-K to grade 5 at Brimmer come to love learning in a nurturing, home-like atmosphere that’s just the right size and scale for young learners. Our everyday school environment emphasizes the values of Respect, Responsibility, Honesty, and Kindness. Forging positive relationships with teachers and peers, children see school as a fun, friendly, joyful place to learn and grow.
Opening Up a World of Learning Experiences Our globally focused curriculum is designed to create compassionate critical thinkers and active learners.
inspiring a love of learning
Brimmer is a place where • Project-based and interdisciplinary learning captivate
children’s imagination and foster complex thinking. • Students employ their creativity, not only in visual and performing arts experiences, but also
• Children do hands-on and observation-based science and math that’s relevant to our global society. • French for all children begins in Pre-K. In grade 5 students may continue with French or study Mandarin.
in their use of emerging technologies and in STEAM-related activities. • The development of reading and writing skills
Together our learning environment and our curriculum create an exciting space for children to
goes hand-in-hand with exploring, explaining, and
grow intellectually, physically, socially, emotionally,
understanding culture and history.
and ethically.
hubert
williams
parent ’25
“ The Brimmer and May community values education. But this is not unique. What stands out is that it is open, honest, and respectful. It is outstanding in its creative approach to education and the way it brings joy to learning. My dream for my children is that they become kind, curious, humble citizens of the world who use their talents, skills, and relationships to help others. My wife and I think that Brimmer is well suited to producing influential problem solvers who develop strong relationships and are highly empathetic.”
“ Exhibitions of Knowledge at the Lower School level allow students to gain mastery over a topic and share that mastery with the community. At Brimmer, we believe students engage more deeply with the material when asked to create not only a written research report but also a visual, tactile project that allows students’ different learning styles and strengths to be showcased. As a teacher, I’m seeking a level of comfort with public speaking, self-confidence, and student ownership in the work. Learning the material is the first step; being able to articulate and explain what you know is the sign of true understanding.”
molly serventi-gleeson
teacher
julie nijmeh
“ Every teacher at Brimmer possesses a passion for helping each student find success. We are a family. It’s amazing to watch the children grow. When students plead with me for a few extra minutes at the end of social studies class so they can find another fact for their research project, I know they love their topic and are engrossed in the research process. When my whole class of second graders crouches over a small hole they dug in the School garden to examine a huge earthworm, I know they are engaged and excited by science.”
parent ’25, ’29
“ I believe that parents are valued in the Brimmer community. I feel like everyone knows our child and knows us by name. We frequently visit the classroom to share our fields of expertise with the kids and talk about what we do. We love the fact that we have an open relationship with the teachers. They have always been extremely responsive. The teachers want each student to reach his or her full potential— and they get us involved in helping our children get there.”
andrew stattel
teacher
engaging young minds
Children’s learning experiences at Brimmer make them want to know more, see more, do more—and empower them to share what they’ve learned. Our stimulating, nurturing learning environment prepares students for school success in the years ahead and lays the foundation for lifelong learning.
Projects for All Kinds of Learners
dynamic
Project-based learning, a hallmark of the Brimmer Lower School, engages students in different ways of thinking,
learning experiences
enables children to pursue topics that are of most interest to them, and offers opportunities for students to show creatively what they’ve learned. For example, the fourth grade’s wide-ranging
Students’ work in core academic disciplines is enhanced by integrated learning experiences in world languages, art, music, drama, physical education, and social competence. Teachers combine critical skill building and foundational knowledge with encouraging students to follow where their curiosity leads them.
Engaged by a Global Curriculum
research on Asian geography, history,
What does it mean to say our curriculum is globally focused? It means
and cultures leads to individual projects—
that students’ work in math, science, and STEAM-related fields is
such as creating a board game about
relevant to real-world problem solving. It’s not unusual for parents to
the Silk Road or a model of the Taj Mahal
find that their children have developed a passion for recycling or for
for our annual FourthFest.
saving the rainforests. It means the world’s civilizations and cultures provide the content for our students’ key skill development in reading, writing, research, comparative and critical thinking, and appreciation of the arts. Our students learn to view the world through a lens of interconnectedness and take the diversity of our own community as a starting point. From the Kindergarten inquiry into the seven continents to the study of Egyptian culture in grade 3 and the Silk Road in grade 4—Brimmer students truly explore!
Creative Teaching and the Use of Technology Creative, collaborative, and supported by professional
For the Love of Language and Literature Brimmer actively cultivates a love of reading, an appreciation for libraries and their role in research, and a sense in students that they are authentic authors and creators of content. Writing is emphasized across the curriculum, whether by composing poetry inspired by nature, creating a synopsis of a history-related field trip, or writing a lab report for a science experiment. Exhibitions of Knowledge, which are culminating experiences at the end of units of study, further emphasize communication through written, oral, and visual means. Grade-level exhibitions give students an opportunity to convey what they have understood and internalized. The process of acquiring knowledge and then sharing insights and perspectives in clever ways helps to build an impressive community of learners.
development opportunities, Brimmer’s teachers embrace emerging technologies. They view each new tool or software as presenting new possibilities to enhance teaching and learning. Brimmer’s technology curriculum and 1:1 iPad
program offer opportunities for exciting collaborative learning projects. Our students might work together to direct an insect documentary, create an iBook, or blend original Haiku poems with drawings. Technology at Brimmer is also used to advance individual learning, as when students use educational software to practice and solidify math skills or improve reading. Finally, technology supports our use of portfolios to represent our students’ individual growth and progress over the year. Children select elements for both paper-based and digital portfolios that reflect their progress across the disciplines.
Collaborative Laboratory and Fieldwork
creating
The Environmental ColLab is an inquiry-based science program for fourth and fifth graders that promotes active learning with units
active learners
that bring current environmental issues to life for students. Topics include Solar Energy, Wind Energy, Global Warming, Gardening, and Composting. Projects include making recycled paper, building solar ovens, and constructing wind turbines. One group of students created a wildlife habitat that was certified by the National Wildlife Federation. Every grade in the Lower School uses Brimmer’s
Garden Classroom as an outdoor laboratory for hands-on
Brimmer teaches students to be active learners, whose job is to explore, collaborate, create, innovate, problem solve, synthesize, and share.
Programs in
Disciplines
and observational environmental learning.
The Brimmer curriculum includes a developmental sequence of learning in the STEAM fields. Teachers engage students in planning, hands-on learning, critical thinking, and problem solving using the design process. For example, Grade 1 STEAM Lab is a yearlong, first grade curriculum that involves hands-on projects and introduces the engineering design process as a framework for problem solving.
The Engineering ColLab promotes collaboration among students
Grade 5 Capstone
in second and third grade. Through units on such topics as Bridge
The Grade Five Capstone Exhibition
Building and Hot Air Balloons, students gain hands-on engineering
is a long-term research project, an
experience using a variety of materials. The Creative Design block
exciting rite of passage, and a
is a weekly period when fourth and fifth grade students engage in
culminating experience for the Lower
various problem-solving activities, such as constructing zip-lines,
School. As part of the curriculum in the
which must be made with a limited set of materials and must carry
humanities throughout the year, students
a load across a specific distance.
explore the essential question of “What is Independence?� For the capstone, each student addresses that question by focusing on a person, group, political/ social movement, or event from the historical eras the class has studied. Guided by an exhibition advisor, students prepare a written composition, create an original visual component, and make an oral presentation of their work to an audience of adults and fellow students.
a
welcoming community The friendly, inclusive nature of our School is often the first quality visitors notice when they come to the Brimmer campus. Here you will find children and adults who share common values and who thrive on enriching collective experiences, including arts performances, School traditions, recreational events, and community service.
A Sense of Belonging
fulfilling
experiences On our campus and elsewhere, during the school day, the school year, and beyond, Brimmer’s caring, welcoming community nurtures the whole child and welcomes the whole family.
A Community with Art Connection, a sense of compassion, collaboration, personal expression, and joy are all wonderful benefits of exposure to and participation in the arts. Brimmer Lower School students experience the arts in numerous ways. They have weekly art, music, and drama classes, and their work in these classes is closely aligned with and supportive of the global curriculum. For example, children might compose an African call-and-response piece related to their study of that continent or draw animals they are studying in science. Chorus begins in second grade, and students have the option of participating in an instrumental ensemble starting in grade 3. Highlights of the drama program include the Third Grade French Play and the Fourth and Fifth Grade Musical.
A Community with Heart School-wide, Brimmer has a strong commitment to social responsibility and service. Lower School students engage in a variety of projects to benefit the local community and to make the world a better place. These include making valentines for children in hospitals, participating in read-a-thons to raise money for Helping Hands, and collecting donations for UNICEF. Through such activities, our students practice the Life Rules of Kindness and Respect and gain an understanding of the importance of community involvement. They also develop a validating sense of how they can make a difference in the lives of others.
For children in Brimmer’s Lower School, social and emotional growth and a sense of safety and belonging come from the many positive relationships they experience at School. Their teachers know them well and create an encouraging, collaborative learning environment. Children further benefit from friendships with students in other grades through Brimmer’s Buddy Program. Pairing older students in the Lower School with younger students, the Buddy Program gives older students a chance to be a big sister or brother and provides younger students with a friend as a role model.
growing in a family
Parents Connecting One of the great rewards of being a Brimmer parent is the opportunity to connect in meaningful ways with the School and with other parents. True partners in the educational process for their children, parents meet with teachers to share
environment As a Pre-K to grade 12 school, Brimmer is a community that families call home for a number of years. We know each other by name. We grow—and grow up—together.
their insights about their children’s strengths and challenges and to set goals for the year. All Lower School parents are invited to visit their child’s classroom. Many come to share areas of special knowledge or aspects of their cultural traditions. Parents enjoy celebrating the accomplishments of students at concerts, plays, and Exhibitions of Knowledge.
Gathering Together
They also find it rewarding to connect with other parents for
Lower School students gain an appreciation for community through
all-School events and community service initiatives.
the weekly Share assembly. At Share, students sit with their designated Buddies to enjoy presentations and performances from their peers and from guests. Share assembly is a time when children enjoy being together, when students become familiar with others who are in different grades and with adults who may be their teachers in the following years. Lower School families come together for various picnics, concerts, and special events throughout the year. The entire School community celebrates several events for all ages, including the fall Harvest Fest and the spring All-School Arts Festival.
Creating an Inclusive Space
Enrichment Beyond the School Day Brimmer is a lively, active, joyful place well beyond the end of the class day. Monday to Friday until 5:30, children can participate in our Extended Day Program and After-School Enrichment Activities. Our Extended Day Program provides families with a variety of options. Younger students who enroll
Brimmer’s Diversity Coordinator and Diversity Committee spearhead
in the program enjoy playing with their friends in
efforts to promote inclusivity. Through the monthly Diversity
a supervised setting or pursuing organized
Storytelling Program, our program coordinator selects picture
activities. Students in grades 3 to 5 have a
books to read aloud to each class. The stories center on children
structured study hall for homework, followed by
living in different parts of the world, children who are adopted or
activities. Math Club, Song and Dance Club,
from blended families, children who speak a different language
Mandarin Club, Sports Club, and Newspaper Club
at home than at school, and the like. Diversity Dinners are
are just a few examples. Many students participate
all-School events for the whole family. These hugely popular events
in the After-School Music Program, which provides
involve sharing a meal in the Brimmer Dining Room and enjoying a
private music lessons from highly qualified
presentation, such as an improvisational spoken-word piece by
instructors, complementing the music education
a Cuban American writer or a performance by traditional Chinese
students receive in School and enabling them to
acrobats. Enhancing our sense of community, Diversity Dinners
pursue individual goals. Students in Pre-K and
are an opportunity for parents and children to learn together
grade 1 can take piano lessons. From grade 2 on,
and have fun.
students may choose strings, piano, woodwinds, or voice lessons.
Brimmer’s
benefits
Brimmer’s Lower School gives students the best of both worlds: a small, close-knit, nurturing environment for their first formal educational experiences, as well as connection to a larger learning community and the campus resources that come with a Pre-K to12 environment. Lower School students benefit from positive interactions that occur when the whole School comes together for Earth Day, Harvest Fest, Homecoming, and other events. The larger campus abounds with role models who shape children’s aspirations for what they can achieve as students, community members, artists, and athletes. Lower School students also benefit from the continuity of their learning experiences as they progress from one division to the next. Brimmer teachers work closely with each other to pave the way for positive, productive transitions from the Lower School to the Middle School and later to the Upper School.
a message from
the head of school When I spend time with students in Brimmer’s Lower School, I am day I might find Kindergartners collaborating with their fourth grade Buddies on dissecting apples, counting seeds, and making comparative graphs: This is math and science that engages and has purpose. I might come across first graders excitedly developing original percussion pieces based on Native American drumming patterns they’ve studied with help from a visiting expert. I might observe the light of fascination in the eye of a fifth grader who has discovered a totally new language—one without letters—in Mandarin. All of this joyful learning takes place in the context of three characteristics that are essential to Brimmer. The first is a decidedly global focus. Every day our students learn about other cultures, languages, and people while developing critical skills for our increasingly interconnected global society. The second is a penchant for innovation with a pedagogical approach that includes teachers working alongside our students and coaching them to succeed. Our many interdisciplinary initiatives, including STEAM programs that bring out extraordinary examples of inventive and creative thinking and problem solving, are evidence of this. The third is our value-centered culture, which helps our students from Pre-K on to become honest, respectful, responsible, and kind citizens. Thank you for getting acquainted with us. I invite you to visit in person to experience the exciting atmosphere here, where every day our students are inspired to learn, encouraged to explore, and empowered to lead.
Judy Guild Head of School
© Design & Primary Photography: Peapod Design, New Canaan, CT / Copywriting: Leslie Virostek / Additional Photography: Oxygen Group
inspired by the children’s unbridled enthusiasm for their work. On a given