Spring Magazine 2022

M A G A Z I N E

CHANGING THE PARADIGM

03 | Brandon Allen ’12 reflects on his path to success founding one of the few Black-owned VC firms in the country

06 | Bringing the UN’s Global Goals to life in the Lower School 10 | Advancing the Brimmer campus into the future 14 | Elevating student leadership with new Gator-Aide mentor program 18 | Bissell Grogan Symposium explores resilience during challenging times

SPRING 2022

Brimmer Magazine

Spring 2022

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HEADER GOES HERE

Co-Editors Sue Cuyler Director of Marketing & Communications Nicky DeCesare Associate Director of Marketing & Communications

Editorial Counsel Judith Guild Head of School

Contributing Writers Jessica Christian P ’33, ’35 Sue Cuyler Nicky DeCesare Judith Guild Joshua Neudel P ’30 Dona Rehm Elizabeth Smith P ’17 Sarah Wyllie

Photography David Barron Oxygen Group Nicky DeCesare Edan Zinn ’23

Graphic Design blazar design studio

Alumni Affairs & Development Office Elizabeth Smith P ’17 Director of Development Sharin Russell Director of the Annual Fund Amanda Spooner Eppers ’88, P ’22 Director of Alumni Affairs & Special Events Lower Schoolers work on their Global Goals projects.

Connect with us Twitter: @BrimmerandMay | Instagram: @BrimmerandMaySchool

Christian Stratter Database Administrator

Front Cover: Brimmer alum Brandon Allen ’12

Facebook: @BrimmerandMay & @BrimmerandMayAlumni LinkedIn: Brimmer and May | YouTube: Brimmer and May School

© 2022 Brimmer and May School. All rights reserved. Published by Brimmer and May School, 69 Middlesex Road, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 (tel) 617-566-7462 | brimmer.org | Please send change of address to Christian Stratter: cstratter@brimmer.org

IN THIS ISSUE

Table of Contents

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Features 03 |

CHANGING THE PARADIGM Brandon Allen ’12 reflects on his path to success founding one of the few Black-owned VC firms in the country

06 | BEING A CHANGEMAKER Bringing the UN’s Global Goals to life in the Lower School 10 | SPOTLIGHT ON SASAKI Advancing the Brimmer campus into the future 14 |

18 |

MEET OUR GATOR-AIDES Elevating student leadership with new Gator-Aide mentor program 17TH ANNUAL BISSELL GROGAN SYMPOSIUM

Alumni Happenings 03 |

CHANGING THE PARADIGM

17 |

ALUMNI DAY

58 |

CLASS NOTES

30 Around Campus 02 |

FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

24 |

HARVESTFEST

28 |

DEVELOPMENT UPDATE

30 |

HOMECOMING

34 |

GETTING CREATIVE

44 |

VIRTUAL BOARD OF VISITORS DAY

46 |

ATHLETICS

54 |

BRIMMER READS

61 |

RETIREMENTS

64 |

ON THE MOVE

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FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

amplifying our mission A letter from Judith Guild

T

he disruptions our School faced over the past 24 months also provided us with the opportunity to examine our priorities, rely on and amplify our mission, and seek ways to become stronger and better. We are emerging from the pandemic with an undiminished sense of purpose and commitment to the wellbeing of each other.

In this edition of Brimmer Magazine you will read how we are turning our attention to meet the goals outlined in the Strategic Priorities 2020 & Beyond plan. Addressing the demand to support the health and wellness of our students, which the pandemic made more urgent, lead our faculty to elevate the goal of creating leadership opportunities, connecting with one another, and ensuring a sense of belonging for all our students PK-12. You will learn how the Lower School students reunited with their Buddy Groups after 20 months of pausing the program. The faculty designed lessons using the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Choose Love curriculum for the Buddy Groups to use as they explored new friendships and meaningful connections. You will read how the new Upper School GatorAide mentor program unites students across grade levels and how learning leadership skills can help build stronger connections in

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life. Developing connections with others also requires understanding one’s self and having a strong identity. When our librarians led an effort to evaluate our library collection through the lens of belonging, the faculty decided to expand our representation of the voices of our nation’s and world’s diverse population. These important voices are reflected in the selection of new books and novels and have already impacted the core curriculum. Our goal is to help our students see themselves in our collection and curriculum, which in turn will help them strengthen their own identities. These are just a few ways the strategic goals are being met.

Our mission emphasizes the importance of being informed citizens of a diverse world.

With travel restrictions and in-person global connections on pause during the pandemic, our faculty turned their attention to exploring new opportunities where they could bring the world into the classroom. Our Bissell Grogan

theme Resiliency in a Time of Change helped us launch a speaker series that once again connected us to experts on a variety of topics. Our speakers explored how we can build resiliency within ourselves, in our communities, and in the environments where we live. You will also read how our Lower School faculty, under the leadership of Sarah Wyllie, launched a new curriculum that brings the United Nations’ Global Goals to life in our classrooms. From understanding the connectedness of life below water, life on land, and climate action, our youngest students are learning how we are an interconnected world and need to be globally minded. Additionally, in all divisions of the School we invited speakers into the classroom from regions around the world using the ZOOM platform.

These changes are here to stay!

Our spotlight is on the success of our graduates. In the cover story on Brandon Allen ‘12, you will read how a strong educational background, an appetite for some risk, and a foundation in following a set of core values lands a person on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. When looking to our future, there is no better place to start than our alumni body. Our sense of belonging in the world begins with belonging at school.

I hope you enjoy the various stories in this edition and feel as inspired as I do when reading about the hope that lies within each one. ■

Our Lower School Buddy Groups working together (see page 6).

ALUMNI EXCELLENCE

changing the paradigm Alum Brandon Allen ’12 reflects on his path to success founding one of the few Black-owned VC firms in the country.

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n December, Forbes released its annual 30 Under 30 list, which “highlights bold, innovative young leaders who are changing the course and face of business and society.” The Brimmer community was thrilled to learn that 2012 alumnus Brandon Allen was featured on the list of distinguished venture capital (VC) professionals. Allen was recognized alongside his cofounder and college roommate Marcus Stroud for their work leading TXV Partners, an early-stage venture capital fund focused on software and human performance.

While at Brimmer, Allen was known to be fiercely curious with an exceptional intellectual mind. Reflecting on his time here as a student, Head of School Judy Guild recalls that Allen always enjoyed a challenge, choosing to read various philosophers for pleasure and then seeking opportunities to debate his new knowledge.

That quest for knowledge also showed itself on his Winterim trips to China and South Korea, where he was fascinated by the nuances of governments different from what he was used to in the United States. It is no surprise that Allen’s curiosity and educational accomplishments landed him at Princeton for his undergraduate work, where he majored in politics.

Tell us about your career path leading up to where you are now.

I graduated Princeton with a degree in politics.

My academic area of focus was comparative politics, which culminated in my thesis. I undertook an analysis of 20th-century theories of macroeconomic development, and how they may be interpreted in the context of the postindustrial age. After considering my options, I ended up in consulting, working for two firms in Boston. The first, Stax, specialized in doing due diligence for over half of the top 20 PE LBO firms, ascertaining market dynamics as it related to acquisitions and operational improvements. I then moved to Chartic, a firm that focused on consulting in industrials, mostly for clients with over $1B in revenue.

Over the last two years, Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Jessica Christian became acquainted with Allen through her communication with alumni of color. In their conversations, Allen made clear how his racial identity has always been something that has influenced his educational, social, and professional experiences. He has spent much of his short career reflecting on the intersection of race and career pursuits. It is, therefore, not lost on Allen nor is it insignificant that his firm is one of only a few Black-owned VC firms in the country.

You were recently featured with your business partner on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

Congratulations! How is it for you to have been this successful at such a young age?

We had the pleasure of sitting down in December with Allen to reflect on the path to his current success. It was wonderful to hear him talk about his work, what it means to him personally and professionally, and how he is able to navigate the challenges of being a young Black man in his industry.

I suppose my impulse is twofold when I hear questions like this. The first impulse continued on page 4 Brimmer Magazine

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Changing the Paradigm continued from page 3

is to say thank you for characterizing what we’ve accomplished so far as such, and it was incredibly gratifying. The second impulse is that there is so much work yet to do. We sought to establish a diverse-led firm in Texas that would change the paradigm of who could be a venture capitalist and democratize access to venture capital. While we as a country and an asset class have made strides in creating more opportunities, we still fall well short of the goal.

On a personal level, I never want to lose sight of the fact that we stand on the shoulders of giants.

If it weren’t for the venture capitalists in Texas and others of similar heritage to mine who came before, we could have never accomplished what we did. Moreover, if it weren’t for the ambition,

vision, and, above all, sacrifice, of my parents, John and Betsy Allen, I never would have gotten out of the gate. My success is not as much mine as it is theirs. Finally, as a person of faith, I am sustained and healed by a power that transcends my understanding.

You and your business partner Marcus founded one of the few Black-owned VC firms in the country. To what extent is that distinction important to you, and how does it inform how you run your firm?

It’s extremely important to me personally. The statistics are clear. By my back-of-the-envelope calculations, African American owned firms control less than 1% of the total assets under management in the private markets. As the private markets and venture-tech investment

have been the primary driver of economic growth in this century, it amounts to a nearsystemic exclusion of African Americans from the largest legal creation of wealth in our lifetime. This is wrong. There are reasons both nefarious and not so nefarious that this is the case. However, it was never our desire to be the Black venture capitalists, but the best venture capitalists who happened to be Black. I hope that in coming from my community, one which is capable of so much brilliance and resilience, and that, frankly, has experienced so much pain allows us to be better investors by accessing networks and perspectives that may be missing in homogenous firms.

Our commitment and our purpose is rooted in the fact that people invest in our firm for excellent returns. That is what, above all, we promise and commit to producing. Some may heavily weigh the fact that we are Black in why they want to allocate money with us.

But frankly, I know others who don’t at all.

Regardless, I know what my job is.

How, if at all, did your family and your upbringing inform your career decisions and career path?

It’s interesting. I will admit here that there was a little bit of a divergence in terms of anticipated career path. Moving to Texas and starting a venture firm was not necessarily what I believe my parents had in mind when they sent me to Princeton. However, to me, being entrepreneurial is about grit and making it work. My parents set expectations for us and, gosh darn, they weren’t going to change if we thought the burden was a little too heavy.

They set moral and achievement standards and demanded that we met them. To this day, I’ll occasionally call my mother to complain, because she might be the only one who will listen. She gives me about five minutes before she tells me she has something better to do. She does the same for my brother. I learned at the feet of my folks.

At Top Left: Brandon Allen (L) with parents, Trustee John and Betsy Allen at Brandon’s Senior Dinner in 2012; At Bottom: Brandon Allen (L) and Marcus Stroud; Image

by Korey Howell Photography; Above right: Brandon Allen at Brimmer in 2011

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What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in school (at any level) that has been instrumental to your success?

I believe in the power of language. To be able to read, write and articulate my thoughts clearly, I think, is probably the best skill that I have. My education at Brimmer heavily emphasized this skill, as did my education at Princeton. You have to be able to clearly and succinctly articulate your thoughts in a way that is persuasive. At the end of the day, all we do all day is make persuasive arguments to ourselves, each other, and our stakeholders. I would say the second lesson, and I remember when I started to grasp it in high school, was about the power of initiative and proactivity. We have a saying in the South that “closed mouths don’t get fed.” If you need something, your first step is to ask for it. You might be surprised at the response you receive, especially when you ask politely more than once.

In initial conversations with us, you mentioned that the first eight months of your VC work were extremely hard. Tell us more about how your response to failure played a role in your success, and what kept you motivated to keep going.

The lessons you learn are primarily emotional. The first I learned was about accountability. Your ownership over failure is total, and your ownership over success is shared. That’s just the way it has to be. The second lesson you learn is you have to be able to take a punch. My partner Marcus has a mug that says “nobody cares, work harder.” Things are going to happen.

As a person of faith, I recall the Book of Job. Suffering is a part of life; it is endemic.

When Job asks God why he lost every single thing that he had although he was a righteous man, God responds “Where were you when I created the Heavens and the Earth.” I understand this to mean that there are some things that happen to you that will, upon first examination, surpass your understanding. As such, the only real

BRANDON ALLEN AND MARCUS STROUD TXV PARTNERS COFOUNDERS, TXV PARTNERS ALLEN AND STROUD, COLLEGE ROOMMATES AT PRINCETON, response is to learn to suffer well. Any failures are a reminder that even in spite of not accomplishing something, I am incredibly blessed and there are those that have less. To me, that’s a positive response to adversity. As my partner, Marcus, who had a tough go of it early on in his life says, “adversity is privilege.”

There is no better teacher than failure.

Dealing with it may be simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. I find it best not to dwell. Go to bed, you wake up, and you say, “let’s get going.” It’s not that complicated.

FOUNDED TXV IN TEXAS IN 2019. THE DUO HAVE INVESTED $20 MILLION-PLUS INTO STARTUPS INCLUDING FUTURE FIT, DATA.WORLD, OURA, FUTURE, KAMBR AND TRAX, FOCUSING ON COMPANIES THAT BENEFIT FROM A LOCAL TEXAS PRESENCE. ALLEN WORKED AT CONSULTING FIRMS STAX AND CHARTIC PRIOR TO TXV; STROUD

Are there personal or career goals you have for the future that you’re willing to share?

You know, I just try and keep it simple. I just want to make sure that the people in my corner are taken care of. I serve Marcus by being the best friend, partner, and brother Christian that I can be (not that I’m a good one). I want to support causes that I think will positively impact the world.

Beyond that, I believe the world is in need of leadership. Whether I’m worthy of that will depend on my character. That’s the ball game. ■

WORKED FOR SEVERAL LOCAL FUNDS AND INVESTED ON BEHALF OF ATHLETES AS PART OF A VEHICLE CALLED THE CLUBHOUSE INVESTMENT CLUB. TXV’S PORTFOLIO INCLUDES FUTURE, KAMBR AND OURA. Source: Forbes Magazine, November 2021; Edited by Alexandra Wilson with Alexandra Sternlicht

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being a changemaker

Coming together as a community to address global challenges

By Sarah Wyllie, Kindergarten Teacher

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GLOBAL CURRICULUM

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ast year, I participated in a Global Think Tank through Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, collaborating with educators around the world to develop plans to empower global citizens in our educational communities. We centered our discussions on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, which were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a “universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.” We considered how best to apply them to curriculum, and I returned from this outstanding professional development opportunity excited about how clearly the program connected with Brimmer’s mission and determined to find ways to bring it into our classrooms.

I spent the summer revisiting the Global Goals, collaborating with our Director of Teaching and Learning Ina Patel, researching materials and resources to support Lower School students in learning more about the goals, and narrowing our focus to three goals that we could work on together: Life Below Water, Life on Land, and Climate Action.

We worked on connecting these global

initiatives not only to our mission but also to other aspects of Brimmer’s Lower School program. How could our weekly community Share program be used to learn more about these goals? What resources are available in our library? How could this work connect with our existing community service efforts, our STEAM program, and our focus on the design process? How could Buddy Groups come together in a meaningful way to address a global challenge?

When the school year started in the fall, we were ready to begin studying the first of the three goals, Life Below Water, and we investigated the ways this goal could be applied to each grade’s country or continent of study. For example, Kindergarten students were studying sea turtles in North America, and they investigated the threats that are putting these incredible animals on the endangered animal list. They learned about people and organizations who are working to help sea turtles, virtually visited a sea turtle hospital, and identified the many ways humans can help.

OUR MISSION WE ARE A PK-12 ALL-GENDER SCHOOL THAT UPHOLDS HIGH ACADEMIC STANDARDS WHILE IMPLEMENTING INNOVATIVE IDEAS IN A SUPPORTIVE AND STUDENT-CENTERED COMMUNITY. WE DEVELOP LIFELONG LEARNERS WHO ARE INFORMED, ENGAGED, AND ETHICAL CITIZENS AND LEADERS IN OUR DIVERSE WORLD.

this work. All Lower School students engaged in a two-week investigation of “the plastic problem,” reading articles and watching videos about the ways in which our oceans and fresh bodies of water are affected by plastic as well as the many alternatives to plastic. In our investigation, we discovered organizations and activists all over the world,

We have also developed ways to come together as a Lower School community to do

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Being a Changemaker continued from page 7

Through our Global Goal work, students have discovered concrete ways to make a difference in the world, and they understand that there is no action too small. The entire Lower School was introduced to the incredible story and work of Jadav Payang.

Through beautiful pictures books, interviews, and articles, students learned that when Jadav was a child, he noticed the devastating effects that erosion was having on his island on the Brahmaputra River in India.

trying to reverse and halt the damage caused by plastic. At the start of the year, each grade received the following books: Old Enough to Save the Planet: Be Inspired by Real-life Children Taking Action Against Climate Change and How to Make a Better World: For Every Kid Who Wants to Make a Difference. After reading about Amy and Ella, two children in the UK who started the organization Kids Against Plastic, students then began to reflect on their own plastic use and what positive action they, too, can take. We collected recycled materials from our homes and came together in our Buddy Groups to design a device, using recycled materials, that would pick up or filter plastic waste from the ocean without disturbing the natural ecosystem.

A few days after our Buddy Group activity, our Kindergarten students identified something at School we could change to help protect sea turtles and other marine life. Together, the students crafted a letter to Chef Craig and Mrs. Guild, drawing pictures to support their case, requesting that Brimmer no longer use single-use plastic bags for sorting Lower School snacks

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and instead use reusable bags. Sure enough, they made a compelling case and change happened!

This winter, we turned our focus to the Life on Land goal to protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and biodiversity loss.

Once again, students in their respective grades took time to explore their countries of study through the lens of this goal. As the second graders studied Brazil, Drama teacher Rachel Wolf-Heyman worked with the students on a process drama unit that explored deforestation and reforestation using two children’s books, The Great Kapok Tree and The Umbrella, as a starting point.

Across the grades, students reflected on what it means to be “nature positive.” In their Buddy Groups, students discussed what nature means to them, what plant or tree resonates most with them and why, and shared ways in which they engage with nature every day.

We were all touched by Jadav’s beautiful heart and his efforts to improve life on land, and students came together with their Buddy Groups to engage in ARTivism For Nature.

ARTivism combines art and activism, using art to bring about social change or raise awareness about a topic. ARTivism For Nature calls for students around the world to make artistic trees that will be compiled to design a digital forest. Buddies worked together to design a mixed media tree inspired by the native trees Jadav has been planting in his forest. This digital forest will be shared with leaders at this year’s World Biodiversity Forum.

This spring, students will put their learning into action and tackle Climate Action for our final Global Goal of the school year. To begin, they will be introduced to young changemakers around the world who are working to reduce our carbon footprint. Students will investigate signs of climate change, both at home and abroad, and will explore various ways to do our part to make a difference. They will then have an opportunity to experiment with different forms of climate change activism.

In addition, we are looking forward to celebrating Earth Day, participating in Earth Hour, and working in the Brimmer Garden.

When students were first introduced to the Global Goals at the start of the year, they took a quiz to better understand activism. The quiz was broken down into four categories—animal rights activism, community activism, human rights activism, and environmental activism. The results

helped students reflect on the kinds of causes they might support. As the weeks went on, they began to share their own wishes for the world as they learned about various ways to champion a cause. They investigated, discovered, and connected with one another and the world around them. It was incredible to watch them translate their learning and inspiration into actions to make the world a better place – fourth graders restarted biweekly recycling collections in all the classrooms; third graders led a 500+ book collection for schools in Kenya; Kindergarteners participated in a neighborhood trash collection, raising money to symbolically adopt endangered animals.

This year, through learning together about Life Below Water, Life on Land, and Climate Action, some of our students may have discovered a new lifelong passion, and every student became a changemaker. ■

LOWER SCHOOL BUDDY GROUPS DESIGNED TO BUILD COMMUNITY AND FACILITATE LEADERSHIP, BRIMMER’S BUDDY PROGRAM OFFERS OUR YOUNGEST IN EARLY CHILDHOOD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE PAIRED WITH OUR UPPER ELEMENTARY STUDENTS FOR A VARIETY OF ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. FROM BUDDY WALKS TO STEAM ACTIVITIES, TO CHEERING EACH OTHER ON IN A PUMPKIN-ROLLING CONTEST AT HARVESTFEST, THE PROGRAM INTENTIONALLY BUILDS MEANINGFUL AND REWARDING CONNECTIONS BETWEEN OUR YOUNGEST AND OLDEST LOWER SCHOOL STUDENTS, BOTH ONE-ON-ONE AND IN SMALL GROUPS. IT IS NO SURPRISE THAT OUR ALUMS LIST BUDDY GROUPS AS ONE OF THEIR TOP MEMORIES FROM LOWER SCHOOL.

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spotlight on sasaki Meet the architects hired to help advance the Brimmer campus into the future As Brimmer works towards fulfilling the goals of our strategic plan, we have partnered with Sasaki to complete a campus master plan that will provide a roadmap for the implementation of future projects, including the conceptual design of a new Health & Wellness Center and the renovation of our existing 4th and 5th grade spaces in Cummings Hall. We reached out to the team to learn more about their work.

Above: Drone shot of Brimmer’s campus

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ELEVATING SPACES

Can you tell us about some of Sasaki’s past projects in the education industry? How does Sasaki approach its work with schools?

Sasaki is actively engaged in shaping the campus environment for independent schools, colleges, and universities. Our work synthesizes programmatic excellence, economic and analytical rigor, resilience, community empowerment, and keen aesthetic judgment. More importantly, this work is done within the cultural context that defines each of our clients, not only as it pertains to heritage, but also as it relates to aspiration and physically advancing their

missions. In other words, we work within a cultural continuum that embraces context and opens opportunities for change and evolution.

How do you incorporate a school/ institution’s strategic plan into your overall process?

We look at master plans as the physical manifestation of an institution’s strategic roadmap. Our teams strive to establish a simple but discernible link between a school’s strategic positioning and the range of places and spaces that would enable its manifestation on a daily basis. For

instance, as Brimmer further emphasizes its commitment to diversity and inclusion, we look to frame the campus as a constellation of spaces that enable different activities and encourage a sense of ownership by the community at large. A similar point can be made about community: being such a central tenet of the Brimmer ethos, we believe every space – indoor or outdoor, for academics, athletics, or student life – should double as a moment for community building.

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MEET THE SASAKI TEAM

Spotlight on Sasaki continued from page 11

What are your views towards sustainability and green initiatives?

Vinicius Gorgati Principal-in-Charge Architecture Lead

Caitlyn Clauson Principal Planning Lead

Carla Ceruzzi Project Manager Architect

Rachel Bowers Planner

Letitia Tormay Landscape Architect Urban Designer

Robert Titus Sports and Recreation Designer

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John Joo Spring 2022 Brimmer Magazine Architectural Designer

We think of campus and buildings as ecosystems – no one element or service can be considered without understanding how it impacts others and the system as a whole. As such, our team involves building scientists, data analysts, and sustainability experts who will collectively develop integrated ideas informing planning and conceptualization of individual projects. We connect these distinct strategies to make sure the foundations for future implementation are set in place.

Potential future measures or certifications would therefore be a subset of a deeper and comprehensive set of resilient attitudes that guide projects throughout design and construction.

We approach sustainability through an integrated framework that considers carbon, energy, water, waste, ecology, mobility, health and wellness, and operations – to identify goals and ultimately strategies and recommendations that can be realized through built projects and plans.

With a new Brimmer Health & Wellness Center anchoring a larger campus-wide comprehensive plan, take us through how a massive project

like this gets thought through and implemented. Who did you speak with and how do you generate community engagement?

One of the benefits of developing the Health & Wellness project in parallel with the master plan is that we were able to learn from a much broader set of constituencies as we were developing the program for the building.

As a result of extensive outreach – to faculty, staff, students, parents, and alumni – we feel confident that the essence of the building is reflective of both heritage and forward-looking thinking. As an illustration of how we translate input into space, we heard a lot about the need for additional learning spaces that would be flexible enough to allow for traditional classes but that could also double as nontraditional learning, socialization, and even extended day. In addition, we capture intense interest in spaces that, above and beyond, will strengthen Brimmer’s sense of community. With that in mind, the plans were developed to provide intense connectivity with the broader campus while a large portion of the new spaces can support multiple uses.

With that strong foundation, the development of the design becomes that much more intuitive and streamlined. We moved from programming to massing, open space, and architectural character in a close dialogue with the management team and the broader community, making sure at each step that the design development remained consistent with the project’s broader aspirations.

What is your process for determining the most appropriate and effective smaller projects for Brimmer’s future growth?

One of our suggestions to the Brimmer community, made during our interview process, was to establish a three-pronged strategy for the design works, combining workflows for the master plan and the Health & Wellness Center with a notion of strategic initiatives addressing emerging needs. The renovations of 4th & 5th grade classrooms are a great example: the need to improve those grades’ experiences was immediate, and we took advantage of our learning acquired through the planning works to assess the opportunities and, just as importantly, make sure that the renovations would be consistent with the broader directives of the master plan. As a broader note, planning is really about creating a framework that informs implementation but also accepts changes in priorities as we move forward. It is very exciting to be in a position to see project implementation as a demonstration of the strategic thinking moving Brimmer forward.

Tell us about some of the work your team is doing this year in the Brimmer classrooms?

In addition to our focus groups and outreach via the survey, we had the pleasure of working with the Upper School Architecture class on a vision exercise. We asked the students to select a space on campus and create a collage to evoke a new vision for the experience of that space. The students used found imagery to describe, through collage, a vision for spaces such as the Dining Commons, the Ruth Corkin Theatre, the Waintrup Courtyard, and the Solarium on the second floor of the Hastings Center. It was a lot of fun for us, and we appreciated the creativity that the students brought to this challenge. We enjoyed seeing the students’ visions, many of which included copious greenery and other biophilic elements.

We plan next to engage with younger students in a similar design-vision exercise through their art class. ■ At Left and Bottom Right: Sasaki works with our Upper School Architecture class on a collage challenge.

At Top Right: Collage by Alex Hoffman ’24.

At Middle Right: Collage by Eli Lewis ’25.

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meet our gator-aides New peer mentorship program elevates student leadership

By Joshua Neudel, Head of Upper School and Dona Rehm, Associate Director of College Counseling

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LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

P

ut yourself in the shoes of a 9th grade Brimmer student. Whether you are moving up from our Middle School or starting anew at Brimmer, entering high school is a time of transition. It is a time of new opportunities, growing independence, and self-discovery. While an exciting beginning, students still enter Upper School with questions, anxiety, and uncertainty about what comes next.

Over the past few years, Brimmer has worked to improve this key transition by reshaping familiar programs and creating new ones. Innovation Hour, a newly created requirement for all eighth graders, provides students with a formal introduction to the Makerspace and an opportunity to get to know the Head of Upper School, who teaches the course. Programs such as Curriculum Night, New Student Orientation, and Grades 9 and 10 Wellness have been revamped to better address the developmental challenges facing students and families in their first years of high school. While these programs have created a stronger sense of community, a better understanding of Upper School culture, and an earlier connection to advisors, we felt there was still an opportunity for improvement.

Now, consider the arc of a student’s development during their time in Upper School as they gain experience and develop an understanding of how to be successful in high school. As their independence and confidence grows, new opportunities come into their lives, and there is a natural progression into leadership roles within the School.

Whether on an athletic team or in a theater performance, in clubs and activities, through the Tour Guide Ambassador program, or Peer Tutoring, Brimmer provides ways for students to hone their skills and grow into confident peer leaders.

At Left: Program Director Dona Rehm (bottom right) with Brimmer’s first cohort of Gator-Aides

We recognized that while our students have many opportunities to lead in their later years of high school, they were missing key competencies and a firm understanding of foundational leadership skills. These skills were being taught in certain pockets of the Upper School, but there was no overarching curriculum to cultivate the skills necessary for impactful leadership. We found ourselves wondering, “What does it mean to be an effective leader, and what leadership skills are critical for high schoolers to develop?”

’’

Gator-Aides are taught how to be an effective mentor and coach; how to pick up verbal and nonverbal cues; and how to actively listen.

They are also given tips on how to build trust with the students they are mentoring, including what information should be kept confidential and when to ask for help. We put a lot of trust in our Gator-Aide mentors, and they hold a big responsibility as they lead the Grade 9 cohort throughout the year.

What does it mean to be an effective leader and what leadership skills are critical for high schoolers to develop?

THE GATOR-AIDES PROGRAM

Established in June 2021, this new peer mentorship program exists at the intersection of the Upper School by providing support to students in their early high school years while developing foundational leadership skills for Grades 11 and 12. Older students were given the opportunity to apply to be Gator-Aide mentors, and many noted how they would have appreciated a similar relationship when they were new to the Upper School. “I remember what is was like to be a 9th grader...it was nerve-wracking,” writes a current mentor. “This kind of a program would have made my transition to the Upper School a lot smoother.”

While the application process includes both written reflections and an interview, students who are selected to be Gator-Aides must complete a comprehensive training program before they begin to mentor students. This training focuses on helping students find the balance between being a friend and a leader.

Using a combination of Brimmer’s Learning Management System, Canvas, printed materials, and in-person training sessions,

Incoming 9th graders meet their mentors during New Student Orientation in late summer before the start of classes.

Orientation for the Class of 2025 this past fall included peer-led sessions, various introductions to resources and departments, and different ways for students and mentors to create meaningful connections with each other. Clad in their mint green shirts, GatorAide mentors provided a perspective to Orientation that could only be given by those who had lived through it before.

This introductory event was a great kickoff for the mentoring meetings to come throughout the year.

In addition to checking in with one another on an individual basis, our Gator-Aide pairs have been meeting during lunch every few weeks to discuss topics such as how to get involved in different aspects of school life and how to prepare for exams. With sweet treats and games built in, these lunch meetings aim to be both fun and educational. Typically, the meetings break the students into smaller groups continued on page 16 Brimmer Magazine

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MULTILAYERED APPROACH TO LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

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to allow for conversations and questions.

However, some meetings, like our full GatorAide panel to launch second semester, include the entire Grade 9 and all current mentors.

The Gator-Aides Program is still growing and evolving. We have added new students to our mentor cohort, and we continue to adapt the program based on student and faculty feedback. In these first few months alone, our 9th graders have reported feeling greatly supported. Equally important, our mentors have grown as creative thinkers, strong communicators, and dynamic leaders.

The success of the Gator-Aides Program is in large part due to the leadership of our mentors.

While the main discussion topics are planned in advance, our student leaders often have to think on their feet and pivot when needed.

Due to their extensive training and the trust that we have instilled in them, we are able to rely on our mentors to problem-solve complex scenarios and ask for help when needed.

In addition to their training program, our mentors have been the first cohort of students to take part in our new Leadership Institute (see sidebar), where monthly workshop lunches serve a dual purpose. They provide opportunities to directly train Gator-Aide mentors, and they have allowed students to use their emerging competencies in other roles such as club leadership, Student Senate membership, and sports captainship. Each Leadership Institute topic brings in guest speakers from across Brimmer’s campus to share their expertise and the ways each lesson can be implemented across multiple areas. At the end of this year, our first cohort of Gator-Aides will have a Leadership Toolbox filled with the necessary knowledge to be active leaders beyond Brimmer.

The Gator-Aides Program is positioned to be a prototype for a larger student leadership curriculum. We see the Leadership Institute growing to provide the necessary skills for

LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE

OUR MENTORS ATTEND MONTHLY WORKSHOPS TO ADDRESS SPECIFIC

LEADERSHIP SKILLS THAT WILL BE HELPFUL BOTH WITHIN AND BEYOND THE GATOR-AIDE PROGRAM AND THEIR EXPERIENCES AT BRIMMER. TOPICS INCLUDE:

LEADERSHIP STYLE ASSESSMENTS DIFFERENT TYPES OF LEADERS GOAL SETTING TIME MANAGEMENT CONFLICT RESOLUTION PUBLIC SPEAKING & AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT INNOVATIVE IDEAS & THINKING ON YOUR FEET

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other students to take on leadership roles in the School through a new leadership certificate program. It is exciting to think about the positive impact that this would have on our community. Imagine if every student interested in taking on a leadership role at Brimmer first engaged with a dynamic curriculum – one that introduced important leadership concepts, offered tools to be adaptive leaders, and provided the structure to be successful in their role?

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Why invest so much time and energy into student leadership development? For one, it is an essential part of Brimmer’s Mission and Guiding Principles. To “develop lifelong learners who are informed, engaged, and ethical citizens and leaders,” we must invest time into teaching them how to be effective leaders and what successful leadership looks like. Like any other skill set, it needs to be scaffolded, developed, and honed over time.

Developing core leadership competencies throughout our Upper School community positively impacts what happens in the classroom and in cocurricular activities. A deeper understanding of conflict resolution and stronger communication skills make students better collaborators in group projects. Students learn how to be better problem-solvers and more adaptable as they encounter unexpected challenges, helping them be more resilient when they face adversity. Learning to listen to others and respond with empathy helps students learn how to disagree and engage in classroom conversations that do not lose sight of the person.

Leadership guru Ron Heifetz of the Harvard Kennedy School refers to teaching leadership as an experiment due to its adaptive nature.

The rate of innovation and change in schools and the workforce has shown that for today’s high school students to be successful in the future, they must have the knowledge and skills to lead in a complex, rapidly changing, and ever-evolving professional landscape.

The curriculum that we are developing in the Upper School focuses on just that, with skills that prepare students for the unknown by building a strong foundation that can withstand challenges and help them excel in the face of those challenges. ■

ALUMNI DAY

ALUMNI

Welcome BACK to Campus

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SPARKING INTEREST IN HUMANITIES

17th annual bissell grogan symposium Virtual Speaker Series: Resiliency in a Time of Change This year’s speaker series explores the concept of resilience during challenging times through the lenses of race and social justice, climate and the environment, and how the arts and creativity have managed to pivot and thrive. “In the upcoming months, our speakers will share topics designed to make you think critically about how your individual actions can help have a positive impact on the world in which we live,” said symposium namesake Kennie Grogan ’76. “As a school that develops lifelong learners who are informed, engaged, and ethical citizens, we hope you find the entire symposium inspiring and that you will feel empowered to live out our mission.”

CAROLYN CHOU, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ASIAN AMERICAN RESOURCE WORKSHOP (AARW) JANUARY

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FROM STOPPING ASIAN HATE TO BUILDING ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY VOICE

INTRODUCED BY: HEBE QIANG ’23, GLOBAL STUDIES DIPLOMA PROGRAM, CO-PRESIDENT OF THE AAPI STUDENT CLUB

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arolyn Chou advocates tirelessly for the Pan-Asian communities in Greater Boston as executive director of the Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW), a member-led organization committed to building grassroots power through political education, creative expression, and issuebased and neighborhood organizing. The rise of anti-Asian violence during the pandemic has shown a real need for education, change, and action. So how can we better understand the issues impacting Asian American communities and work together to make sure that those most impacted are at the center of our efforts?

“Asian American communities are diverse and include a wide range of class experiences, languages, and gendered experiences,” she explained. “My

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organization is focused on bringing people together to build something better than any one voice or idea could.” After coming to Boston for college, Carolyn worked in Dorchester, where she lives today, in afterschool and summer programs for youth.

She noticed how much race, class, and gender mattered to the families working and living in this neighborhood. “I really got invested in Dorchester as a community,” she said. “In supporting others, I could see that I was helping to build leadership in the community, too.”

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students, she asked, “How do we unlearn what is internalized?”

According to Carolyn, it starts with understanding how Asian Americans are seen.

Speaking from experience, she shared that Asian Americans are typically racialized in two ways: as the model minority, a concept created to pit people of color against one another, and as the perpetual foreigner, those “not from here.” By presenting key moments in history that trace anti-Asian violence back to the mid-1800s, she shared the historical

My organization is focused on bringing people together to build something better than any one voice or idea could.

Carolyn shared with students the idea that racism, and oppression in general, functions at many levels. On an ideological or cultural level, it makes up one’s belief system – one that is maintained at an institutional level by laws and public policy. At an interpersonal level, the idea that one group is better than another becomes internalized. Challenging

context that leads to what we read about today. “A passage about civil disobedience in 1887 could be mistaken for one from two years ago,” she noted. “This is the legacy of people coming together to make change for their very survival.”

In sharing the important work of AARW,

THE BISSELL GROGAN HUMANITIES SYMPOSIUM WAS

Carolyn described a coming together of staff and volunteers to crowdsource support using their immigration and deportation work as an example. “By helping connect residents with much-needed legal resources, we help lift up their important stories to be heard, and we advocate with legislators for their support,” she explained. “We fight for these cases because our success impacts everyone,” she said. “We can change the system, and we can change the narrative.”

Their housing justice work is a direct reflection of their vision for building stronger, safer communities, as is their civic engagement/voting rights work. She pointed out that basic ideas such as bilingual ballots can lead to civic participation that directly impacts the bigger issues at stake. It is a clear reminder for students that we can all bring something to the table to make the world a better place. “We don’t all want or need the

same thing, but how can we come together and realize that what is best for others is better for all of us?” she asked. “We have to build together. We can’t support solutions that harm other people of color. We must show up for one another and support one another.”

In closing, she shared three key lessons (at right) as well as a tree analogy to acknowledge the work ahead. “If the roots of the tree are the systems, then the branches and leaves reflect how they show up. We know we need to change the systems, but we also need to know that they show up differently across marginalized groups.” She also reminded students that there are many ways to get involved. “Volunteer with a nonprofit or become an intern at a grassroots organization. Knocking on doors and talking to people in their homes helps to ground this work,” she said.

ESTABLISHED IN 2006 IN HONOR OF KENYON BISSELL GROGAN, FORMER CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND BRIMMER GRADUATE OF THE CLASS OF 1976. THE GOAL OF THE SYMPOSIUM IS TO BOTH EDUCATE AND ENGAGE STUDENTS IN RELEVANT TOPICS OF TODAY. AN ANNUAL EVENT ATTENDED

BY STUDENTS IN GRADES 7-12, IT INCLUDES KEYNOTE SPEAKERS AND WORKSHOPS THAT EXPLORE A DIVERSE RANGE OF SUBJECTS ON A CHOSEN TOPIC. IN RECENT YEARS, WE HAVE FEATURED A VIRTUAL SPEAKER SERIES THAT

WE WELCOMED CAROLYN CHOU TO CAMPUS IN FEBRUARY to meet

ALLOWS US TO OPEN THE

with students in the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Club during lunch and

SYMPOSIUM UP TO A WIDER

assembly block. She answered student questions, spoke more about her work as a community organizer, shared her experiences as a woman who identifies as part

AUDIENCE.

Kennie Grogan

of the AAPI community, and helped students think about ways to do their own advocacy work.

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CALEB STRATTON, CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER, CITY OF HOBOKEN STRATEGIES FOR CLIMATE RESILIENCY IN OUR MUNICIPALITIES

INTRODUCED BY: EVAN MICHAELI ’24, CO-PRESIDENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CLUB

It was a subsequent formative project with GlobalFoundries, a global shipping investment firm, that exposed him to a new level of complexity in building design and convinced him to pursue graduate school.

“The Spitzer School of Architecture in New York City really broke me out of my urban planning mindset and shifted it to systems thinking and how architecture relates to climate change,” he remembers. Not long thereafter, Stratton moved to Hoboken, NJ, to focus on sustainability in municipal government.

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rom devastating wildfires to unprecedented rainfall and floods, we are already experiencing the dire effects of climate change. We are at a global tipping point for our future, and climate action is needed now. Brimmer welcomed keynote speaker Caleb Stratton to our Bissell Grogan Symposium Speaker Series to share how he addresses the climate crisis every day in his work and to give students insight into managing uncertainty and finding hope, even as we enter the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Originally interested in pursuing a career in engineering, Stratton pivoted to studying urban planning early on in college due to a scheduling conflict. He quickly began to appreciate a career path focused on helping societies develop in a way that improves the health of its constituents. After graduating, he landed an internship in upstate New York learning how to create a sense of place centered on a human scale, not an architectural scale – think walkable, bikeable city centers that are not dependent on automobiles. “In both study and practice, we hoped to move past a dependence on fossil fuels,” he explained.

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Often asked what a chief resilience

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officer does day to day, Stratton said it is a role that emerged from the Rockefeller Foundation immediately after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, one that organizes collective efforts and finances around climate-related events. Working with a team of public and private stakeholders, including architects, web designers, meeting moderators, environmental specialists, and lawyers, Stratton identifies shocks and stressors in the system daily.

“There are so many opportunities for resiliency and overcoming challenges in this role,” he said. “And the pandemic really shifted the dynamic of the work

Adaptation is a key tenet of resiliency.

environment. Adaptation is a key tenet of resiliency.”

One of the things Stratton loves most about his job is the myriad ways in which he engages with the public, and they are not all city planners. “I work with building architects on construction and landscape architects on plant tolerance. I bring in engineers to help me understand the physics involved, urban planners to focus on zoning, and urban designers to show me how potential buildings interact with the cityscape,” he shared. “I recently worked on curriculum development for a middle school.”

Currently an adjunct professor at Spitzer teaching flood plain management, Stratton shared the history of Hoboken with our students, including changes in its waterfront over the last 150 years. “While the development of communities and water standards has led to increased access and a vibrant waterfront community, 75% of Hoboken is vulnerable to storm surge events,” he explained. “Hurricane Sandy was the worst event our city had ever experienced. Sea levels are rising and so are our vulnerabilities.”

During the Q&A session, we asked if Stratton had any advice for students interested in advocating for environmental change. He stressed the importance of getting involved with organizations at the city level that encourage teen participation.

Community Emergency Response Team was one such example. “When students look to local government for ideas that can grow into national solutions, it’s a way for them to have a real impact,” he said.

In closing, when asked how far we have come in the past decade, Stratton’s response was hopeful. “Hoboken is ten years ahead of the curve, but Boston is catching up.

The city of Boston has a CRO on board and they are focused on these same issues and practices. I’m very optimistic for the future.”

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LIZA ZAYAS (LUNA DEL FLOR), SPOKEN WORD POET

THE RESILIENCY OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT EXPERIENCED THROUGH POETRY INTRODUCED BY: MARLIE KASS ’23, CREATIVE ARTS DIPLOMA PROGRAM (CAP) Zayas shared that the experience is one’s own. “When you are doing something that feels purposeful to you, it feels easy and energetic,” she said. Whether she is writing commissioned pieces or personal pieces, she finds that writing brings her great joy.

“Everyone has a God spark, and when you create something, it becomes a part of you… it has a life.”

Photo by John Brewer Photography

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ibrant poet Liza Zayas joined us on campus to inspire and encourage our students to delve into their inner writer and appreciate the creativity and honesty that unlocks when they do. Zayas began writing at an early age. “In writing, there is release,” she said. “You are struck by inspiration, and you must write it down!” What began as simplistic rhymes and songwriting later turned into poetry inspired by her Puerto Rican roots, life’s challenges, and her quest for justice and equity. “It’s my walk and my talk.”

Zayas treated the audience to a reading of three commissioned works, including “Huntress,” a poem commissioned for International Women’s Day and dedicated to her grandmother. She followed that with a reading of “Descendants of Genocidal Colonization,” written for an Afro-Latinx event and celebrating the cultures of both Latin America and Africa while also addressing the prejudice of colorism. She also shared a personal piece entitled “You are Real,” written to give voice to the experience of depression. “We often feel like we must be masked and hide our pain,” she explained.

“We aren’t trained to hold one another in that space and simply ask, How can I help?”

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When asked about her artistic process, Zayas confessed to doing her best work at dawn.

“Most of my pieces are birthed during sunrise,” she shared, “I then reread, revise, reread, and revise again, trying always to maintain the same emotion and excitement of my first draft.” Her hope is always to create work that brings others in, regardless of the topic, and allows people to digest issues that are often difficult to discuss. A student asked if writing has a greater purpose, and

In a powerful closing moment, Zayas had the audience repeat her three favorite assertions: I am powerful. We are united.

We are never alone.

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When you are doing something that feels purposeful to you, it feels easy and energetic.

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ROSS GAY, AUTHOR & POET

THE ROLE OF THE WRITTEN WORD IN CHALLENGING TIMES INTRODUCED BY: EFFIE CHEN ’24

during a pandemic has been figuring out how to maintain the kind of energy that comes from being together in a classroom. I encourage my own students to collaborate regularly, and, whenever possible, we gather as a class outside to capture that energy.”

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uthor and poet Ross Gay closed out our speaker series with a beautiful reading of “We Kin,” an essay from his book Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude, that he read aloud for the very first time with our students. He described his book as “a sustained meditation on that which goes away – loved ones, the seasons, the earth as we know it – that tries to find solace and resilience in the processes of the garden and the orchard. These are poems that study the wisdom of the garden and orchard, those

places where all – death, sorrow, loss – is converted into what might, with patience, nourish us.”

A 2015 nominee for the National Book Award for Poetry, Gay also teaches both undergraduate and graduate students at Indiana University. Prior to his keynote, Gay held a 90-minute poetry workshop with Upper School English students where he helped them with their writing prompts. “The challenge with teaching

WHAT BOOKS CURRENTLY BRING ROSS GAY JOY? “THESE THREE ARE CHANGING MY LIFE RIGHT NOW,” HE SAID.

While he admits to not having a firm daily writing process, Gay did share the success he had when working on his 2019 anthology, The Book of Delights. “My natural inclination is to get consumed by my work.

But for this project, I decided I would write for 30 minutes a day for one year. It was the first time I had a real routine,” he said.

The result was “a spirited collection of short lyric essays … reminding us of the purpose and pleasure of praising, extolling, and celebrating ordinary wonders.”

(Algonquin Books, February 2019) Before closing, Gay treated students to a reading of one of his earlier poems, “To the Fig Tree on 9th and Christian.” It was a wonderful way to wrap up our speaker series for the year. ■

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The challenge with teaching during a pandemic has been figuring out how to maintain the kind of energy that comes from being together in a classroom.

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2021 Harvestfest

Our annual School-wide event celebrates fall in New England!

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DEVELOPMENT UPDATE

what “advancing brimmer” means in 2022

By Elizabeth Smith, Director of Development

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wo years ago, Brimmer and May’s Board of Trustees and Administration launched our Strategic Priorities 2020 & Beyond to share the roadmap for advancing the School’s future.

Since that time, it has been amazing to see the progress we have made and the determination to move the School forward in the midst of a pandemic. This has taken the form of vastly improved faculty compensation, DEIB-focused initiatives and programming, health and wellness programming, and a new playground, to name a few. For our alumni, the students and faculty relationships and the culture of Brimmer as a place where students are known well and challenged to reach their best is alive and well.

We are moving ahead, always with our eyes on the prize – retaining and recruiting the best faculty who will continue to develop innovative curriculum; empowering our students to contribute to an inclusive community and enrich each other’s perspectives; and enhancing our collective experience of community.

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We are grateful that, as of February, we have already raised $900,000 for the 2021-2022 Annual Fund with high levels of parent and alumni support. With your help, we are on our way to another recordbreaking fundraising year, and we couldn’t be more grateful to our community for prioritizing Brimmer and recognizing that your philanthropic dollars stretch far here. We hope to be significantly over the $1 million mark by June 30th as the community continues to give our Board and Administration the flexibility to pivot and make decisions to fund initiatives and programs School-wide throughout the year.

A strong Annual Fund speaks volumes about the Brimmer experience and guarantees continued excellence for today’s students.

Remember, you have until June 30th to make a contribution to the Annual Fund – all gifts count, and all gifts matter.

Although we had to cancel our NYC Alumni event in January and our Florida Alumni trip in February because of the Omicron surge, we plan to return to in-person parent and alumni events this spring, even if they look a little different.

We are looking forward to an outside, tented Auction on our Middlesex Road field on Saturday, April 23. Plan to join us, in raincoats if needed, for The Lawn at Brimmer, where safety and can-do attitudes will be our uniforms of choice. There will be fire pits, games, food trucks, drinks, and silent and live auction items. There will be an online component as well, so our Brimmer community can participate from afar.

Above: Grade 2 teacher Angela Park with her students; At Top Right: Upper School Math Teacher Pete Slaski helps student with Algebra II; At Middle Right: Dr. Matt Gallon teaches Grade 6 Science; At Bottom Right: Andrea UnderhillCurtin teaching Middle School English.

Proceeds will benefit student financial aid and faculty professional development.

Alumni Day is coming up on Saturday, May 14, with special class reunions for those classes ending in “2” and “7.” All alumni are invited as we welcome them back to campus for the first time in three years. The day will be packed and include a student and alumni basketball game; reunion class gathering time; a State of the School talk by Head of School Judy Guild; a cocktail party and dinner under a tent on the field; and more. Please consult the website and your email for the invitation and schedule. We will continue the highly successful Alumni & Parent 3-Day Challenge, and we will celebrate the Alumni Recognition award recipient and the newly revamped Alumni Athletic Hall of Fame awards. Please come back to see your classmates, Brimmer’s administrators, and your favorite teachers.

We look forward to reconnecting with many of our community members over the next few months as campus reopens to visitors. In the meantime, thank you for your ongoing support of Brimmer and our students during these unusual times. Go, Gators! ■

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HOMECOMING

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GETTING CREATIVE

Upper School Play Trap After a year of virtual plays and musicals, the Upper School play was back on the stage with a live audience this fall.

According to Director and Creative Arts Department Chair Bill Jacob, Trap is about an event in 2020 in Menachap, California, where an entire audience and the cast of a play are found inexplicably unconscious—all except for one audience member.

Veteran performer and one of the play’s leads Marlie Kass ’23 shared, “It is so great to be back [in person]. The level of interaction that can be portrayed in person is so different than online.”

—Amelia Bowman ’25, Reporter for The Gator

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Middle School Play The Witches “The Witches by Roald Dahl is a story about overcoming obstacles, magic, and love,” said Director Andrea Underhill-Curtin.

The play follows the plot of the popular children’s dark fantasy novel, centering around a child and their grandmother choosing to stay at a luxury hotel where danger lurks just around the corner, and showcases the talent and dedication of the Middle School Theater Department, along with creative staging and shadow screens.

Katherine Knox ’26, who plays the grandmother, shared, “Our cast and crew have worked hard to create an amazing performance, with fabulous humor, an incredibly exciting plot, and characters who seem as if they could walk off the stage at any moment.”

—Marlie Kass ’23, Reporter for The Gator

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Winter Band Concert In January, for the first time in nearly two years, our Middle School Bands returned to the stage and our Upper School Band performed for a student audience in the Ruth Corkin Theatre. Middle and Upper School Music Teacher and Band Director Luca Antonucci shared, “It was very meaningful for the students, and I know that they really appreciated the opportunity to perform!”

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Circles 18: A Coffee House “Although the COVID-19 pandemic caused the School to move its annual winter alumni event to a virtual livestream, Circles 18: A Coffee House attracted over 120 remote audience members. Performers took rapid COVID-19 antigen tests before gathering in the Ruth Corkin Theatre for a socially distanced studio show. From a faculty group rendition of Paul Simon’s “Slip Slidin’ Away” to the Coffee House tradition “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” performers and audience members call the event a success.”

—Edan Zinn ’23, Co-Editor-in-Chief of The Gator Photos by Edan Zinn ’23

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Holiday Concert In December, the Creative Arts Department invited the School’s choral and instrumental ensembles to perform together for an in-person audience of families and friends for the first time in two years. The concert also featured the debut of a newly formed Faculty & Staff Choir. Co-Editor-in-Chief of The Gator Edan Zinn ’23 captured beautiful photos of the event.

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award-winning artists The following students received coveted 2022 Scholastic Art Awards

Zak Adler, Midcentury Modern Sculpture/Gold Key

Sam Gavin, The Peaks of Reality Printmaking/Honorable Mention

Oliver Baggett, Due Process Photography/Honorable Mention

Adi Houndegla, Exploring the Jungle Digital Art/Honorable Mention

Thomas Ghewalla, Cylinders Photography/Silver Key

Stephanie Altschul, Circles 18: A Coffee House, Design/Gold Key

Lumi Korsisarri-Rossi, Mushroom Village Sculpture/Honorable Mention

Meer Gandhi, Marbled Plant Painting/Honorable Mention

Jen Ngo, Mushroom Digital Art/Honorable Mention Brimmer Magazine

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CELEBRATING LEARNING

virtual board of visitors day

Reflection, Resilience, Reconnection

Though we were unable to welcome our Board of Visitors (BOV) to campus this fall, we built on the success of our virtual BOV event last year and came together online to celebrate the many ways in which Brimmer continues to reflect, reconnect, and move forward during the 2021-2022 school year. Our BOV, including former trustees, alumni, parents, educators, and friends, were treated to presentations about our diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) initiatives, our reimagined library services across all three divisions of the School, our vibrant Makerspace, and Upper School student leadership. “Our BOV play an important role at Brimmer,” says Director of Development Elizabeth Smith. “These engaged members of our community stay informed on all things Brimmer and act as ambassadors, sharing what the Brimmer experience looks like today. We appreciate their continued commitment to the School.”

REINTRODUCING LIBRARY SERVICES

Elyse Seltzer, Director of MS/US Library, DEI Curriculum Liaison Stephanie Golas, LS Librarian The pandemic demonstrated how essential libraries are to providing access to quality resources. Our School Librarians shared the many additions and enhancements they’ve made to advance their programs. “The library program focuses on fostering open-minded, diverse readers, as well as critical thinking and research skills,” says Seltzer. “It is our hope that the collection represents the diversity of the world and, along with our curriculum, prepares students to engage as compassionate leaders and ethical global citizens.” The pandemic offered an opportunity to rethink and redesign the physical spaces themselves. “In order to make the Lower School Library more inviting

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for students, I created more gathering and learning spaces with comfortable seating that highlight our wonderful collection of books and materials and allow for more visual browsing,” says Golas. “The result is a space that kids want to be in.” Seltzer concurred, sharing that today’s library is quite different from libraries of old. “My goal is to have our library feel like the heart of the School,” she says. “A hub of activity that is a safe space for students to gather, collaborate, and create.”

MAKERSPACE SMORGASBORD Chris Hardman, US Science; Kathryn Lee, Director of Innovation & Design Sofia Shih, Grade 8 Because an in-person visit to the Hastings Center was not an option, Director of STEAM Program Chris Hardman treated our BOV to a walk-through of the fully equipped Makerspace, including its 3-D printers, laser cutters, CNC Mill, and more. Then, with the help of Sofia Shih ’26, Director of Innovation & Design Kathryn Lee shared the range of Middle School curricular offerings, elaborating on the popular Make Me a Maker, a program Shih participates in often. “We wanted to give our guests a glimpse into all the exciting opportunities the Makerspace provides our Middle School community,” she said. “From structured class projects across a wide range of disciplines to individual exploration, our students can innovate, design, collaborate, and create with our state-ofthe-art programming and facility.”

STUDENT LEADERSHIP PANEL Joshua Neudel, Head of Upper School We closed out the program with a student leadership panel featuring Upper School students. Sophie Katz ’22 (top right) and Behare Goshime ’22 (top left) shared their experiences with the new Gator-Aide Program (learn more on page 14); Theo Pellman ’22 (bottom right) discussed the Peer Reading Program that began in 2020; and Natalie Kozhemiakin ’23 (bottom left) discussed the leadership skills required as Co-Editor of The Gator. “Our student leadership panel was a wonderful way to highlight the incredible work that Upper School students are doing at Brimmer,” says Head of Upper School Joshua Neudel. “Students are enhancing the experience of classmates while also developing and practicing important skills that will pay dividends for them in the future.”

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CELEBRATING 100 WINS Varsity I Boys Basketball Coach Tom Nelson celebrated his 100th Brimmer win on Friday, February 18, with a big victory over St. George’s at home! He always reminds our student-athletes to work hard and stay the course, and he inspires us all by embodying these same values in his coaching and teaching. Nelson has been coaching at Brimmer for a decade and joined the Brimmer community full-time in 2011, taking on the additional roles of assistant athletic director and Upper School Math teacher. During his time at Brimmer, he has helped over 15 student-athletes get recruited to NCAA Division I and II schools and basketball programs, a number of whom are now playing professional basketball around the globe. This year, the Varsity I Boys Basketball broke their single season win record and received a bid for the NEPSAC-AA Tournament for the first time since 2013.

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FALL AWARDS & ACCOLADES Varsity Boys Cross Country Team MBIL Champions Brian Gamble ’23 Varsity Boys Cross Country, NEPSTA IV Individual Champion, MBIL League Most Valuable Runner, MBIL League All Star, 2021-22 Boston Globe Boys’ Cross-Country All-Scholastic Edan Zinn ’23 Varsity Boys Cross Country, MBIL League All Star Xoren Livingston ’23 Varsity Boys Cross Country, MBIL League All Star Talia Hammer ’23 Varsity Girls Cross Country, MBIL League All Star Brian Barrera ’22 Varsity Boys Soccer, MBIL All League Theo Pellman ’22 Varsity Boys Soccer, MBIL All League Kaylee Little ’23 Varsity Girls Soccer, IGC All League

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FACULTY & STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS

brimmer reads (& listens!)

Faculty and staff share their favorite books and podcasts of the past year, and it’s just in time for summer!

This was my year of the According to the author, “Deep work is

mystery book, and I thank

the ability to focus without distraction on

author Louise Penny for the

a cognitively demanding task.” In an age

introduction to Chief Inspector

of 30-second TikToks and Ridiculousness

Armand Gamache, a kind and

strobing video clips, periods of sustained

brilliant problem-solver. The

concentration appear to be a thing of the

local characters in Three Pines,

past for most people and an unknown

Quebec, are fragile and full of

quantity for younger generations.

spirit, the crime always becomes

Newport suggests that “a deep life is not

more complex before there is a

just economically lucrative but also a life

smidge of solution, and the French phrases woven throughout

well-lived.” For students and those in the workforce alike, there is value

the book series give an added sparkle. I haven’t read the series in

in this book for suggesting a means to “wring every last drop of value out

order, but it hasn’t mattered! I recently finished this newest entry,

of [one’s] current intellectual capacity.” Reading this book can get one

and I would have loved to linger in the Three Pines Bistro just a

thinking about a good method to do just that.

little bit longer.

Our Librarian Picks

Joseph Iuliano, Assistant Head of Academic Affairs

54

Ellen Foley, Director of Lower School Admissions

Sesame Street has always had

odds that were continually stacked against it. Davis tells the

a very special place in my heart.

story with such obvious love for Sesame Street and weaves

I adored the show as a child, and

a beautiful, engaging tale. A new documentary of the same

now get to experience it all anew

name was released this year!

through my two young children. This

Stephanie Golas, Lower School Librarian

book dives deep into all the people that came together to create

An economic and social policy

this groundbreaking, magical show,

specialist, author Heather McGhee

starting with Joan Ganz Cooney and the Children’s Television

traveled across the country

Workshop in 1966. I had no idea that Jim Henson and the

interviewing and researching to

Muppets were a pivotal part of the show’s founding and early

answer the question, “Why can’t

success. I’m a huge reader of nonfiction books, so I enjoyed

we have nice things?” To further

learning the details of how the show came to be despite the

quote McGhee, “The solution?

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Brimmer Magazine

The novel

This book is

Written in

is set in the

such a contrast

the ’70s, it is

near future

to the mysteries

a beautiful,

in Thailand,

and nonfiction

dark, searching

which is thriving

titles to which

exploration of

in a time of

I normally

what makes an

unscrupulous

gravitate. I

individual life

genetic

quickly became

worth living.

engineering

invested in the

The heroine,

and corporate

characters, and

who is neither

profiteering

I enjoyed the

attractive

because of bioengineering genius and a well-

mixture of humor and suspense throughout.

nor well educated nor particularly intelligent,

protected seed bank. Among the plot lines are

However, as much as I enjoyed the book, I

nonetheless has an unshakable sense of

a love affair between a corporate spy and a

do not plan to watch the movie. That’s just

self-worth that transcends her miserable

genetically engineered human named Emiko

how I roll.

circumstances, to the astonishment of the

who is driven by the need to be more than completely obedient, and the heroics of a

Kimberly Tolpa, C/OGA Lower School Director of Academic Services

ministry that enforces customs rules on imports.

attractive, well-educated, intelligent, and spiritually empty narrator. Much funnier and more graceful than it sounds!

Don Reese Co-Chair, Humanities Department

Don Reese Co-Chair, Humanities Department

I loved this book because it was an interactive exploration of body acceptance. How we view ourselves and others; judgments that we make, consciously or not; and what next steps to take, and retake, on a regular basis. Katie Sturino has a direct, relatable, and comical approach in her writing.

Andrea Underhill-Curtin Middle School English and Drama Teacher

Stop buying into the false zero-sum paradigm and instead embrace the solidarity dividend: benefits that can only be gained when we

continued on page 56

she has power beyond anything she could have imagined.

Elyse Seltzer, Director of MS/US Library

come together across race.”

Elyse Seltzer, Director of MS/US Library

Overdue is an entire podcast about books you’ve been meaning to read

This debut novel will surely become an

but haven’t yet read. There will be

exciting fantasy series. I love it because it

spoilers because you should have read

is an action-packed Black feminist fantasy.

them by now. Two friends, Andrew Cunningham and Craig Getty, each

Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in a remote

pick a book that the other has not read, and, after reading them,

village and is anticipating the blood

they talk to each other about them. I started listening to it this past

ceremony, hoping her blood will run red

summer to catch up on classics that I felt like I should have read in

and not gold, the color of impurity. When

high school. Note to students: don’t try to listen to this podcast

it runs gold, the consequences are worse than death until she is given the option to defend the empire as a warrior. She will learn

instead of doing your class-assigned readings!

Elyse Seltzer, Director of MS/US Library

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Supreme Court

Brimmer Reads continued from page 55

decisions shape everything from marriage and Hosted by two Canadian literature professors (“lady

money to public

scholars”), this biweekly (“fortnightly”) podcast is my

safety and sex. We

current favorite. They use the Harry Potter universe as

know these are

a subject for sophisticated academic analysis of topics

important decisions we should all pay attention

like feminism, Orientalism, and unreliable narrators.

to, but they often feel untouchable and even

Progressing from the first book in the series straight

unknowable. This podcast connects you to the

through each of the movies, they also feature episodes

decisions made inside the court’s hallowed halls

on the theme parks, plays, and merchandising.

and explains what those rulings mean for “we the Kenley Smith Upper School English Teacher

people” who exist far from the bench. It bypasses the wonkiness and tells the stories behind some of the court’s biggest rulings.

Cassie Abodeely Director of Summer & Auxiliary Programs

Hosted by Rhiannon Giddens, who sings and plays banjo in bands like Carolina

Host Steven Levitt, the

Winner of Adweek 2021 Best Interview Podcast of the Year

Chocolate Drops and Our Native Daughters after having studied opera at the Oberlin Conservatory, the podcast chooses one great aria from a great opera, puts it in context, and explains how it works and what makes it great by connecting it to people’s lives. A stirring

unorthodox University of

monument to art and humanity, even if, like me, you know next to nothing

Chicago economist and co-author of the

about opera.

Freakonomics book series, tracks down other

Don Reese Co-Chair, Humanities Department

high achievers and asks questions that only he would think to ask. Guests include alltime Jeopardy! champion (and now host) Ken Jennings, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, WNBA champion Sue Bird, Operation

Creator and host Ian Chillag, former producer of NPR’s Fresh Air, offers a series of short, funny interviews with inanimate objects. These things are

Warp Speed chief Moncef Slaoui, and

given such distinct personalities and

neuroscientist/actress (also a Jeopardy! host)

temperaments that you start to wonder

Mayim Bialik.

who is more human.

Cassie Abodeely Director of Summer & Auxiliary Programs

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Don Reese Co-Chair, Humanities Department

I was never a huge fan of Paul Simon, though I have always respected him as a musician. My respect tripled after listening to this audio book, and so did my enjoyment of his work. You not only hear him explain his process, but you hear him play his music by way of example. I learned about the challenges he throws himself to keep his creativity interesting, such as trying to include every note in the chromatic scale in a particular composition. There was much more thought and craft behind his work than I was ever aware of.

Bill Jacob, Creative Arts Department Chair

An oral history of musician Trey

A regular on lists for Best True Crime

Anastasio’s career, this

Podcasts, it features short episodes on

podcast has been a fun

high-interest topics that go above and

listen in a time when

beyond other murder/true crime series.

seeing live music has

Published twice a month, each story is

been harder to come by. It was interesting to gain a deeper understanding of this beloved musician’s genius and to hear about all

truly unique and distinct from those that precede it.

Kimberly Tolpa Lower School Director of Academic Services

the creative ways that he collaborated to share music throughout the pandemic.

Rachel Wolf Heyman Lower School Drama

This podcast

Winner of iHeart Radio 2022 Best Advice/ Inspirational Podcast

appeals to a wide variety of listeners interested in supporting students with dyslexia. It is geared towards educators, parents, and advocates, and it is created by two dyslexia experts, one of whom was in my cohort for our Certified Level Orton-Gillingham training and practicum a few years ago.

Kimberly Tolpa Lower School Director of Academic Services

After the enormous success of her memoir Untamed (a book I highly recommend), author Glennon Doyle continues the conversation with this podcast, aptly named for her favorite mantra. Together with sister Amanda and wife Abby Wambach, Doyle hosts a series of guests who share relatable stories and wise insights while reminding us that life can be both messy and joyful. You will laugh, cry, and find real community among the “Pod Squad” as listeners call in weekly with questions. Do not miss the gorgeous theme song at the end of every episode, written and performed by Doyle’s 14-year-old daughter with backup vocals by Brandi Carlile. It is stunning.

Sue Cuyler Director of Marketing & Communications Brimmer Magazine

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Class Notes

ALUMNI

Above: Class of 2017

1948

Mary Jo Goggin Hopkins “Happy New Year! I prefer the old typewriter – not as fussy! I send greetings from sunny Florida and hope to see staffers in February.

EE is 97 and on Health Center and doing ‘reasonably’ as he puts it. Children visiting and we send Merry Christmas greetings and Happy 2022!”

1962

Claire Nahigian Bardakian “Doing volunteer work in my community and church. I work out in my condo health clubgym and do fast walking several days a week to keep in shape.”

Pamela Paine Spires “Despite being retired, I stay busy working our 70-acre farm, singing at church, and spending time with my two grandchildren in Atlanta. I hope to see my classmates at our 60th Reunion in May ’22!”

1965

Eleanor Whittemore Latimer “I run a nonprofit that funds Montessori initiatives in under-resourced communities around the world. We recently paid for teacher training for four young adults from Uganda. They will teach preschool aged children from an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Gulu, Uganda. These children had no access to education prior to the

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opening of Mother Earth Montessori School in February 2020. These four new teachers will start teaching immediately now that they have received their certification. It has been the most rewarding thing I’ve done in my career/adult life. Check us out at www. montessori-mggf.org.”

1971

Lilly Heckman Cleveland “I am a watercolor artist and genealogist.

I’ve had many one-woman shows and am a Signature Member of New England Watercolor Society. We have welcomed two grandchildren, Macartney Flanders Cleveland in 2020 and Olive Cooney Cleveland in September 2021. They live in Winchester, which is only 30 minutes away. We are blessed! I enjoyed seeing classmates over Zoom for our 50th Reunion!”

1972

Helenty Homans Hagen “I am retired after 32 years of teaching. I am doing a lot of volunteering in our community, including serving on three committees in my church. My first grandchild was born on June 20, five days after my mom passed away. I will spend Christmas with my son, my daughterin-law, and my new granddaughter in Atlanta, Georgia. That’s all my news from here in Nevada.”

1993

Rachel Wrightson “I’ve been living on the Cape for the past three years, working as an office manager for a small building company as well as managing a small satellite bait and tackle store during the summers.”

1994

Vanessa Walton Keefe “As my daughter gets ready to enter high school in 2022, I think a lot about how my education at Brimmer and May prepared me for college and the world beyond. Though we live in Western MA and Brimmer is too far from us, I hope my daughter’s school will impact her as wonderfully as Brimmer did for me!”

2001

Rachael Thorne Silard “After being displaced from our home in San Francisco due to a fire last August, we completed the necessary repairs and moved back home in March, just in time to welcome our baby girl Delphine into the world at the end of May (2021). Seeing her grow and change every day has, without a doubt, been the silver lining of the pandemic for us.

We continue to love living in San Francisco and are looking forward to taking our first international trip as a family this spring.”

ALUMNI

2005

2014

“2021 has been an amazing, challenging, and wonderful year! My daughter, Winifred, is turning one this December.”

“I am currently working as a Behavior Analyst at the New England Center for Children. I have been with this company for almost three years. I will be graduating with my MSEd from Simmons University this May (2022) and will begin a second master’s degree in ABA at Western New England University in the fall. I am living in the Seaport area of Boston with my long-term boyfriend.”

Julie Eaton Ernst

Alexandra Bullard “I moved to Medford, MA, in August. I hit my 4th annual recruiter contest at Aston Carter, generating over $700K in revenue, and earned equity in the company as well as a trip to Cancun, Mexico! I hung out with fellow Brimmer friends like Sam Taylor, Eric Falcone, Mario Kula, and Jill Lee.”

2009

Holly Eaton “It has been a busy and exciting year for me. I’m finishing up my third semester of business school at NYU Stern, specializing in Corporate Finance and Sustainable Business & Innovation, while also working full time as an AVP at Wells Fargo. I also became a firsttime aunt to the most wonderful baby girl last December”. (See photo of Winifred Ernst.)

Rachel Pepe

Victoria (Tori) Smith “I have been working for the RAND Corporation for the past three years, focusing on defense policy. I have worked for various US government entities as well as the Royal Australian and Canadian Navy. After spending time in DC, I recently moved back to the Boston area.”

Ruth Wooster “I work as a high school art teacher in Houston, TX. I live with my boyfriend Michael, who is a college football scout.”

Winifred Ernst, daughter of Julie Eaton Ernst ’05

2010

2016

“I graduated with my MFA from The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Sequential Art in November!”

“I’m living in Canton, OH, where I moved in May with my partner. I’m working remotely for AES world languages and cultures assisting with their Medical Spanish and English programs. I’m also substitute teaching in the local public school district. I hope to start law school in the fall of 2022!”

Deanna Soukiasian

2013

Caroline (Caro) Weber

Julie Blazar

Max (Horvath) and I got married on July 31, 2021, at the Boston Public Library. It was a magical day filled with love and celebration and shared with family and friends. Anthony Wright ’13 and Jeremy Guevara ’13 were groomsmen, and Tim Wright, former Brimmer Trustee, officiated our ceremony.

Right: Caro Weber ’13 and Max Horvath; Far Right (L-R) Max Horvath, Caro Weber ’13, Jeremy Guevara ’13, and Anthony Wright ’13.

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ALUMNI

Class Notes cont’d

2018

Jack Donnelly “I am graduating from the University of Michigan this coming spring and then moving to Baltimore to pursue a career in Private Equity.”

2020

Charlie Marconi “I’ve been working diligently in my studies in accounting and finance to be accepted into the business school here at Wake Forest University. I’ve decided to major in Finance with a minor in Sociology. This summer, I will be taking part in a cross-country cycling event called Journey of Hope, in which more than 100 of my fraternity brothers from Pi Kappa Phi spread awareness and raise funds for an organization called the Ability Experience. My team will spend the summer riding a combined 12,000 miles

from either the California or Oregon coast to Washington, DC. I anticipate that this will be a life-changing event for me, my fraternity brothers, and those we visit along the way.

We will spread the message of disability awareness through local media as we make stops each day at partner organizations to spend time with our friends from the disability community.

My goal is to raise at least $7,500 for the Ability Experience through fundraising events with my fraternity brothers at Wake Forest, but I need your help too. Donating to the Ability Experience means supporting people from all walks of life with disabilities, and donating to my Journey of Hope page means supporting me in my two-month, once-ina-lifetime opportunity to serve others. Your donation means a lot to me, my brothers at Wake Forest, and the entire Pi Kappa Phi philanthropy. Let’s crush this goal and then some!

I also cannot wait because I will be coming back to visit Brimmer when everyone returns from winter break!”

Charlie Marconi ’20

IN MEMORIAM PRISCILLA JACKSON MACKAY ‘45 DEBORAH HARVEY JONES ’45 RUTH SONIGAN ’45 JOAN (BOBBIE) KNIGHT THOMSEN ’45 HOPE HAMMOND SEELEY ‘62 LINDA SEIFERT KENNEY ’62 CYNTHIA FUSEK HILL ‘66 SUSAN A. EDWARDS FORMER HEAD OF SCHOOL JEFF GROGAN HUSBAND OF KENYON BISSELL GROGAN ’76, TRUSTEE

Brimmer Mandarin teacher Helen Du at University of Southern California with senior Peng Zhang ’18 and freshmen Michelle Xu ’21 and Kitty Huang ’21

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RETIREMENTS

athletic director jeff gates retires A

colleague of mine for nearly three decades, I have journeyed with Mr. Gates as he successfully led the School through the development and growth of physical education through varsity athletics programs, have been amazed by his year in, year out commitment to Brimmer students, and have witnessed his persistent and unconditional support for the School and its needs. I thank him for all he has done and continues to do for our School community.

—Judy Guild, Head of School

I had the pleasure of working in the athletic department and sharing an office with Jeff for ten years. He is one of the hardest working people I know. He is incredibly kind, patient, and full of positive energy. He maintains a high level of integrity and models Brimmer’s Core Values every day. Jeff cares deeply for the students he teaches and his student-athletes. He has an amazing ability to help students when they are struggling; his kind approach helps them to work through their challenges.

Jeff will be missed by so many, but his legacy will never be forgotten. Brimmer is a better place because of Jeff.

—Cindy Reardon P ‘27 Former Brimmer Coach

Clockwise from Top Left: Jeff Gates in 1994; Kim Woods, Cindy Reardon, and Jeff Gates at Homecoming 2021; Jeff with a group of Lower Schoolers

For 26 years, there was one constant for me at Brimmer: Jeff Gates. His dedication, unparalleled energy, and enthusiasm was contagious.

Jeff made it a pleasure to come to work every day.

—Kim Woods Former Lower School PE Teacher Jeff Gates always impressed me with his love for teaching. I appreciated how he supported the unofficial Lower School philosophy of challenging students in an atmosphere that honors childhood. It was a pleasure to work with Jeff during my 25-year tenure. His kindness and sense of humor are something I will always remember.

—Thomas Fuller Former Head of Lower School Mr. Gates is a fun, caring, and fatherly person who always makes time for you and continuously makes you laugh.

It is a pleasure working with him during basketball games, and I will surely miss the fun moments we have had over the years.

—Ben Ma ‘12 Jeff Gates is the consummate School person. He cares so deeply about Brimmer and the success of the athletes that play.

He supports his coaches and provides an athletic environment that is a model for other schools —Peter Gordon Former Head of Middle School Former Brimmer Coach

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patty bray retires from the business office Patty’s colleagues would share their experience with Patty from a different perspective. A good friend to many – one who loves to hear and share stories about family and adventures – Patty has made lifelong friends at Brimmer. Her lunch group, her walking buddies, and her life’s soulmate and partner have all been seen with her laughing and enjoying her kind and affirming presence. I have always felt noticed and appreciated when I have been around Patty, and if she and I are not careful, we can talk away an afternoon about nothing terribly important.

P

atty Bray has given her unconditional professional devotion and commitment to Brimmer for over three decades. With the various changes the office has experienced, Patty kept a steady hand on all that mattered while learning new systems, technical applications, and hardware. From paper bills and receipts to paperless and electronic submissions, Patty worked her hardest every day to keep moving the office forward.

Some people are part of the fabric of a school, and Patty Bray is one of those people. While we know she will be off enjoying a less work-focused day, we will always look forward to having her back and chatting with us at lunch.

—Judy Guild, Head of School

Clockwise from top left: Patty’s most recent Brimmer headshot; Patty (left) and Director of the Annual Fund Sharin Russell at the 2018 Brimmer Auction; Patty Bray in 1990; No matter the weather, Patty (seen here with CFO Julian Hickman (left) and educator Olivia Damson (middle), Patty is a dedicated presence at morning drop-off!

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bonney mastaby retires from food services worker in our kitchen. Over the years Bonney made changes and adjustments to the different ways of prepping food. While we have enjoyed many of her delicious creations, all of us at

F

or 30 years Bonney has sliced, diced, arranged, cooked, prepared, and baked our food. Throughout her time with us she has been a dependable, methodical, and conscientious

Brimmer rave over her muffins and baked goods. She is known as the birthday cake baker, which has brought many smiles to our campus.

Brimmer has enjoyed and benefitted from having Bonney part of the kitchen staff. She has a loving and caring heart, and we thank her for her wonderful dedication. She, and her baked goods, will be missed!

—Judy Guild, Head of School

Bonney (second from left) with the kitchen crew in 1994

admissions coordinator myra korin retires spring 2021 M

yra was a fixture in the Admissions office for the last 14 years, and Brimmer is grateful for all her contributions to the School’s success. She grew with the job and our ever-evolving profession and always held herself to the highest of standards. When we had to pivot to a remote working environment in 2020, she didn’t miss a beat and her amazing work helped to keep the ship afloat. During her time at Brimmer, she made a lasting impression on her colleagues and established several lifelong friendships along the way. We have retained everything she has imparted along the way, be it institutional knowledge, a

helpful Portal trick to save us headaches and time, or simply some life advice. We hope Myra is enjoying a wonderful retirement filled with many good books, meals and theater with friends, sunny days on the lake in New Hampshire, and most importantly, time well spent with family. We thank her for her service to Brimmer and to our Admissions office. She is greatly missed.

—Brian Beale, Director of Enrollment

Top right: Myra Korin (L) and Head of School Judith Guild in 2012; Bottom rightt: Myra Korin (R) and the Brimmer Admissions Team in 2021 Brimmer Magazine

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ON THE MOVE

carl vallely named assistant head of school School Dean of Students will be expanded.

In this newly created role, the Assistant Head of School will partner with the Head of School on the implementation of the Head’s vision and goals and the development and execution of strategic initiatives. The Assistant Head will act as a key advisor to the Head of School and will be prepared to take on the administrative responsibilities of the Head of School in her absence.

W

e are excited to announce that Carl Vallely has been named Brimmer and May’s new Assistant Head of School beginning July 1, 2022.

Mr. Vallely will remain in his role as Middle School Head while also fulfilling this new role at the School, and Dr. Gallon’s role as the Middle

In addition, the Assistant Head of School will be responsible for the culture and climate of faculty and staff experience, faculty and staff recruitment, mentoring and onboarding, coordination of physical spacing and scheduling PK-12, and student support and programming.

Specifically, this role will represent and advocate the interests of the faculty to the Head of School and senior administrative team, lead

emily miller leaving lower school continue her career in education, she would like to do so closer to home. We are sorry to say goodbye to Mrs. Miller in June but fully understand her need to move on.

T

he pandemic has affected us in many ways, and for Emily Miller it has meant significant travel difficulties between Boston and her home on Nantucket where her family resides. While Mrs. Miller plans to

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After joining our School three years ago, the majority of Mrs. Miller’s tenure with us has been leading our Lower School through the pandemic. We will be forever grateful for her expert skill, her attention to every detail, and her unrelenting work each day to keep our faculty and students safe while offering the best education possible.

Simultaneously, Mrs. Miller advanced many programs and curricular improvements that were earmarked in our strategic plan for advancing our School. Consequently, she leaves Brimmer in a strong position for the next leader. The Lower School leadership

on the hiring of all faculty and staff for the School PK-12, serve as a conduit between Academic Life and the Business & Operations and Advancement teams, and support Division Heads in addressing matters related to students, families, faculty, and staff. This role will work in partnership with Assistant Head of School for Academic Affairs Joe Iuliano, whose responsibilities include oversight of the faculty and staff evaluation process, curriculum documentation, and college counseling.

Join us in congratulating Mr. Vallely for accepting this position. His leadership of our CRT, his co-directing of the faculty and staff recruitment and mentorship program, and his leadership of the Middle School prepared him well for this next important step for the School.

—Judy Guild, Head of School

team is strong and visionary, our faculty is outstanding and committed, and the curriculum is forward thinking and layered with excellence.

In early January, we launched an extensive search for our next Lower School Head, and Mrs. Miller was an integral part of the process. In February, each candidate spent a full day on campus interviewing, interacting with our students, and sharing their vision and interests with the Lower School faculty and the senior administration. We are delighted to announce that we have hired Kimberly Formisano to be Brimmer’s next Head of Lower School beginning July 1, 2022. Ms. Formisano spent much of her career at The Park School in Brookline as a teacher, mathematics coordinator, and, most recently, as the Lower School Division Head. We look forward to introducing Kimberly to the Brimmer community this fall.

—Judy Guild, Head of School

DAY CAMP & SPECIALTY CAMPS Exciting and Enriching Programs for Ages 4 and Up

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