Brimmer Magazine, Fall 2021

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 Sue Cuyler

Nicky DeCesare

Matt Gallon

Elizabeth Smith

Carl Vallely

Sarah Wyllie

Photography

David Barron Oxygen Group

Nicky DeCesare

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

Christian Stratter Database Administrator

Around Campus

reflection, resilience & reconnection

A letter from Judith Guild

Summer is a wonderful time for reflection and reconnection with friends and family, and both were particularly important after a year of pandemic management with social restrictions. I have heard many stories of families traveling to be with one another after a long period apart, and while gatherings sounded a bit simpler and more outdoor oriented, students’ stories were filled with happy times with long-anticipated family gatherings.

As we open the 142nd school year at Brimmer, the faculty embraces an important theme that will shape the work we do together: The New Three R’s: Reflection, Resilience, Reconnection. This

theme offers us an important focus as we emerge with a spirit of hope and optimism from a year unlike any other and embark on another year of learning. In this edition of Brimmer Magazine, our faculty share how they implement the School’s health and wellness curriculum and programs as well as how we strive to meet the missiondirected objective of what it means to belong at Brimmer.

Health and wellness came into sharp focus this past year. As educators, we are much more mindful of teaching the importance of having a balanced life. The research of Moore and Lippman as outlined in their

study, “What Do Children Need to Flourish?” (2005), highlights the importance of having a positive attitude toward learning within the school environment and in a student’s life. School provides a space for friendships to develop and connections to occur. Their research reveals evidence that when students have positive peer relationships they are more resilient and less likely to feel depressed or troubled. The pandemic interrupted school

At Top: Head of School Judy Guild speaks at our 8th Grade Commencement Celebration in June. At Right: Middle Schoolers enjoy lunch outside on the field.

for many of our nation’s young people, and while Brimmer was in-person learning all year, peer relationships were still disrupted. Outings and casual gatherings were limited, or sometimes eliminated completely, and friendships were interrupted. The needed

we prioritized having an interactive and supportive school experience for each student with as many social opportunities as possible. This year, we will continue to explore ways to help our students be resilient during times of change and understand how to be aware of

This year, we will continue to explore ways to help our students be resilient during times of change and understand how to be aware of their own needs.

emotional support that comes from these relationships was challenged for many students.

Even when faced with the pandemic’s disruption during the 2020-2021 school year,

their own needs. The details in the articles that follow highlight the various ways Brimmer’s faculty are helping students have a positive formation of self, develop healthy habits, and strive for positive values and behaviors so they can be healthy and resilient people.

Additionally, last year when we added the fifth Core Value Equity, it prompted fresh and meaningful discussions about our curricular choices and offerings. Understanding the importance of every student seeing themselves in the content we teach spurs the formation of self. We will continue to explore what this means within our School community and examine how our curricular choices and program offerings impact our students’ feeling of belonging.

While COVID-19 has affected our community in many ways, our response to prioritize learning, protect the most vulnerable, and share in the responsibility for our students to flourish inspires me. The work of many made last year possible, and I am eager to see how that same committed spirit of shared responsibility will carry us forward. We are eager to reconnect and find time to be together once again. ■

Middle School Magic

Fostering Growth and

Positive

Sense of Self in Middle School

by Carl Vallely, Head of Middle School Matt Gallon, Middle School Dean of Students

We have seen it all over the course of our time in the Middle School: Tears over challenging friendships. Disappointment over casting decisions or an assessment performance. Exuberance over a win on the athletic field. Pride over an exhibition. Excitement over a favorite lunch or a special “First Friday” treat. Middle School is undoubtedly a time of big feelings, big growth, and big opportunities. In fact, the only period of human development in which young people undergo more physical, psychological, and emotional change than during early adolescence is between birth and the age of two! During their Middle School years, children start to see themselves as independent beings, separate from their parents and families, and begin to explore and make decisions about who they are and what they will become. While society tells us that Middle School is a challenging time to be survived or endured, we strive to flip that narrative by meeting our students where they are with an educational program that fosters growth and a positive sense of self in a caring culture and climate.

A POSITIVE, INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT WITH A FOCUS ON CORE VALUES

A climate and culture that honors students’ identities and empowers them to reach their full potential is at the heart of our Middle School program, and Brimmer’s Core Values of Respect, Responsibility, Kindness, Honesty, and Equity provide the foundation for this work. In division-wide morning meetings and assemblies, as well as in smaller advisory group meetings, students and faculty discuss the meaning and significance of each of the Core Values and how they inform our Middle School culture.

We explicitly highlight upstanders and role models from outside of our community,

both past and present, who have exemplified our Core Values in their own lives and work. This year, we held several assemblies dedicated to learning about John Lewis and the Selma to Montgomery March and the Our Planet documentary series with David Attenborough that examined the themes of social and environmental equity. Our annual Voices assemblies elevated the voices of Black students and faculty, as well as those who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community. These programs and the ensuing small-group discussions that followed allowed us to explore the Core Values and their role in building an inclusive community. They also provide opportunities for students to find “windows” and “mirrors” into the different aspects of their own and other people’s identities to see where and how they intersect.

Finally, each week we issue commendations to the students and faculty who have exemplified one or more of the Core Values. These commendations reiterate our commitment to our Core Values and draw attention to how acts of goodwill, no matter how large or small, can have a positive impact on our community.

DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE SOCIAL EVENTS AND OUTINGS

Co-curricular programming provides an important opportunity for students to build peer relationships in a developmentally appropriate setting. Structured differently than the classroom, these events and activities are expertly organized and facilitated by Middle School faculty and outside professionals to ensure a positive and healthy social experience for students. They encourage students to take risks and cultivate a stronger sense of self and identity in a safe environment. They also create opportunities for students to connect with classmates with whom they have not had the opportunity to get to know.

School Outdoor Education hikes Blue Hills Reservation.

Middle School Magic

We begin each year with two days of outdoor activities focusing on team building. This year, Project Adventure and Grit ‘n Wit facilitated activities aimed at bringing new students into the fold, enhancing the cohesiveness of each class, and developing a strong sense of community across the Middle School. Outdoor Education trips to places like the Natick Community Farm, Blue Hills Trailside Museum, and Minuteman Trail in the spring and fall also provide an opportunity for students to bond as they explore a new environment and try new physical activities that encourage them to stretch to the edge of their comfort zone with the enthusiastic support of their teachers and friends.

Community Service also plays an important role in the Middle School. Trips to the Greater Boston Food Bank, where students sort canned goods and pack bags of food, present an opportunity for students to think about how they can support the needs of other people and put our Core Values into action outside the walls of the School.

While society tells us that Middle School is a challenging time to be survived or endured, we strive to flip that narrative with an educational program that fosters growth and a positive sense of self in a caring culture and climate.

In addition to these outings, the Middle School Student Senate organizes several social events over the course of the year. These events include dances, bingo night, gradelevel hangouts, and a kickball tournament. Given the age range of our students, we also know that there can be a vast difference in the types of social activities that are appropriate for students in Grade 6 and Grade 8. For this reason, we limit some dances to only seventh and eighth grade students and host special events for individual grades. This way students feel comfortable and can look forward to engaging in a range of different social events over the course of their Middle School experience.

RELATIONSHIPS WITH TRUSTED ADULTS

Research shows that adolescents who have positive, trusting adult relationships in their lives are more likely to be happier, welladjusted teenagers and adults. In our Middle School professional development and faculty meetings, we are intentional about ensuring our teachers hone their relationship-building skills each year. Shared faculty reads like Hacking School Culture by Angela Stockman and Ellen Feig Gray and Middle School Matters by Phyllis L. Fagell provide a common language and structure to this important work and help ensure our entire faculty have the tools they need to build these essential authentic connections with students.

Our small class sizes allow for each student to be known and for teachers and students to build deep, trusting relationships, and our advisor program ensures all students have an adult advocate within the community whom they can approach about anything. We provide weekly prompts to engage students and advisors in important conversations, and we utilize the Handbook for Advisors from the Center for Spiritual and Emotional Education to further develop and build connections. These relationships help our students feel safe to try new things, take risks, and know they have a soft place to land should things go awry.

At Left: English Teacher Will Arndt’s 6th and 7th graders wrote letters to friends, family members, essential workers, doctors, nurses, and hospital staff to share their support during the pandemic. Top Right: Head of Middle School Carl Vallely prioritizes building authentic relationships between faculty and students. Bottom Right: Middle School students participate in community-building activities led by Project Adventure and Grit ‘n Wit.

WELLNESS AND SOCIALEMOTIONAL LEARNING CURRICULUM

Just as important as our core academics, our Growth Education curriculum is a key part of a student’s experience in the Middle School. These courses, which cover health and wellness, study skills, and socialemotional learning, are a vital part of our Middle School. They help students learn about themselves as individuals, identify their personal learning style and strengths to help them find academic success, and navigate interpersonal relationships, and they teach stress and anxiety management skills. We also incorporate curricula from the Anti-Defamation League, the Choose Love Program, and outside groups like The Wellness Collaborative, Media Girls, and Boys for the Better to discuss identity, challenge stereotypes, emphasize our Core Values, and help students gain an awareness of the importance of digital citizenship and their digital footprint. Finally, we partner

with EduHealth Boston (formerly Partners in Sex Education), a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of Greater Boston youth through comprehensive, developmentally appropriate education about sexuality, sexual health, consent, and relationships.

Our curricular and co-curricular programs complement each other and provide holistic

education for our Middle Schoolers as they approach and move through this unique stage of human development. While adolescence comes with its challenges, as Middle School educators we see these moments as opportunities for growth; we hope to inspire the same mindset in our students as they build a healthy and positive sense of self that will benefit them for years to come. ■

nurturing the social & emotional well-being of our students

Between a global pandemic and national unrest, there’s no better time to “choose love.”

By Sarah Wyllie, Kindergarten Teacher

In 2019, a team of Lower School faculty came together to brainstorm the essential components of a strong social-emotional learning (SEL) program with the goal of finding a curriculum that would best meet our students’ needs while aligning with our mission and our Core Values. Through faculty surveys and interviews, we found that teachers wanted common language and practices that could be threaded throughout grade levels with increasing complexity at different ages.

After a thorough search, we landed on Choose Love, founded by Scarlett Lewis, who pursued this work after losing her son in a school shooting. Inspired by a message he had written on a chalkboard, reading “nurturing, healing, love,” she realized that love, connection, and belonging are universal wants and needs that connect all of humanity, and that perhaps, if the shooter had received more of that, there may never have been such a tragedy. Lewis worked with educators, child psychologists, and neuroscientists to build a program rooted in the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) framework of five core competencies: self-awareness, selfmanagement, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Her son’s message of “nurturing, healing, love” led to the creation of the Choose Love formula and drives her mission to provide a no-cost, life span SEL and Character Development program for schools.

Choose Love incorporates the latest findings from neuroscience and positive psychology research into lessons that teach mindfulness, character, and emotional intelligence. An essential component that sets Lewis’s program apart from others is how it teaches students about the brain and the science behind their feelings and emotions. This builds self-awareness and metacognitive skills and helps students understand how our emotions and body are connected. Having the whole Lower School focused on the same topic helped to enforce a common language

that will only strengthen over the years. It also proved to be a nice way for faculty to connect across grade levels as we devoted staff meetings to reflecting and sharing out at the end of each unit. We already have ideas on how to further these cross-grade connections.

Though our preparations were well underway, we decided to wait until the fall of 2020 to launch the curriculum. The reimagined, pandemic-related learning environment in which we found ourselves prompted us to step back and be more intentional in our instruction and discussion probes. With students assigned to tightly knit cohorts for the 2020-2021 school year, and in and out of remote learning, it was critical to spend ample time building a safe environment and nurturing strong connections.

We started the school year with a special unit, entitled “Brave New World,” which was designed to address the unrest our country and world were facing. These lessons helped students navigate the

challenge of making connections across physical distance.

After reading While We Can’t Hug by Eoin McLaughlin, Kindergartners brainstormed and practiced ways to show one another care and respect without physical touch. In Grade 4, students were inspired to make Compassion Art after reading The Art of Miss Chew by Patricia Polacco. While some

Social & Emotional Well-Being

students chose to be more abstract, one student drew her grandfather who died last winter.

Each quarter, we immersed ourselves in a component of the Choose Love formula. The lessons in each unit were guided by four key elements (see below) and comprised thoughtful discussions, meditations, exercises of mindfulness, self-reflective activities such as journaling, and partner and group activities.

Along with Choose Love, the Lower School also implemented Building Blocks, an anti-bias curriculum, this fall. During the first weeks

of school, teachers discovered how naturally the two curriculums complemented one another. Both programs began with a strong focus on building a safe and comfortable classroom environment and both led to understanding the concept of courage. We seamlessly made connections to the Building Blocks unit of “Understanding My Strengths, Skills, and Identity.” Grade 1 spent the year exploring courage by incorporating a Building Blocks unit on “Understanding and Appreciating Differences” and bringing it full circle with Choose Love’s unit on compassion. Integrating the two programs is fostering dialogue, interpersonal, and intrapersonal skills necessary for the 21st century. The dialogue we have been having in our classrooms is empowering students to be participants in the global community as we

take these units and apply them to our social studies curriculum, thus working to build intercultural competencies.

Brimmer’s student-centered community is one that supports the whole child, thus nurturing the social and emotional well-being of our students. By “Choosing Love” we are strengthening our commitment to our Core Values, which are central to our School’s mission. As our mission statement says, we are a student-centered community that develops learners who are informed, engaged, and ethical citizens in our diverse world. ■

Choose Love Curriculum: Four Key Elements

Courage

The willingness and ability to work through obstacles despite feeling embarrassment, fear, reluctance, or uncertainty.

Gratitude

Mindful thankfulness and the ability to be thankful even when things in life are challenging.

Forgiveness

Choosing to let go of anger and resentment toward yourself or someone else, to surrender thoughts of revenge, and to move forward with your personal power intact.

Compassion in Action

Both the understanding of a problem or the suffering of another and acting to solve the problem or alleviate the suffering.

Brimmer PK friends making “worry monsters.”

brimmer wellness team spotlight on the

Leading important conversations about how we meet the needs of our students. We sat down with our Wellness Team to get their perspective on the health and wellness landscape, both how it is changing and what is ahead for mental health clinicians in the coming years.

Dr. Beth Meister, Director of Counseling Services School Counselor (PK-8)

Licensed Psychologist

EDD from Boston University

MED from Tufts University

BS from Cornell University

Training & Prior Experience

Hall Mercer Children’s Center, McLean Hospital, Psychologist; Harvard/ McLean joint appointee; Instructor, Harvard Medical School; Brookline Public Schools, doctoral research; Private psychotherapy practice, Belmont and Winchester; Harvard Business School, assistant instructor in self-assessment; Longterm member of Boston Marathon medical team; Masters rower, Head of the Charles Regatta

“It has been my pleasure to be Brimmer’s Dr Beth over the past 38 years. I have a strong background and interest in developmental psychology and try to view our students from that perspective. I believe we need to keep in mind children’s individual developmental levels, which vary from child to child, in order to personalize academic, social, and personal goals. I join Brimmer teachers and administrators in our carefully thought through plans to honor students’ strengths, while supporting individual areas of challenge. True equity in education requires the unique needs of each child to be recognized and addressed, for example, feeling accepted and included in the peer group, feeling one’s personal abilities and interests are valued, wanting to have opportunities for leadership, needing specialized help with academics, and more. I like to approach my work at school with humor, kindness, patience, and appreciation of how even young children view their world, whether I am meeting with an individual, a group, or a classroom. Growth Education is the Middle School weekly Wellness class I have taught over the years, and it has been a great venue for teaching relevant skills such as managing stress, expressing opinions, goal setting, strategies for managing relationships and feelings, and others. Recently, I enjoyed outdoor talks/walks with some of our younger students, meeting with small groups to talk about the concepts of planning, inclusiveness, empathy, and taking the high road in friendships, and partnering with Middle Schoolers to complete and hand in work. Research has indicated that social-emotional learning considerably enhances academic performance. I will continue to help our students attain high levels of positivity, resilience, self-awareness, patience, and empathy for others as they strive for academic success each day.”

Emily Luckett, Upper School Counselor

Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) MSW from Smith College BA from Brandeis University

Training & Prior Experience

Beth Israel Medical Center Outpatient Psychiatric Department; Beth Israel; Emergency Room; Boston Rape Crisis Center; Jacobi Hospital in New York.; Boston Children’s Hospital Psychiatric Inpatient Unit; Boston Children’s Hospital Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic; Judge Baker Children’s Center; Boston Medical Center Psychiatry Department; Roxbury Children’s Services (family therapy); The Boston Ballet (mental health consultant)

“I have been Brimmer’s Upper School Counselor for the past 30 years, and it has been an extremely rewarding experience working with such a diverse, intelligent, and insightful school community. The pandemic demonstrated to mental health clinicians that helping folks develop strategies for resilience is more vital than ever. I have seen an increase in adolescent stress, anxiety, self-injurious behaviors, and depression, even prior to COVID, due in part to the role social media plays in the lives of young people, and the loneliness and isolation it can create. The pressures that young people face today present challenges that require an internal resilience that many struggle to maintain. The key is to develop social and emotional competence. This ability to know one’s self includes understanding one’s emotions and the emotions of others; learning to regulate emotions and deal with trauma; developing flexibility in thought and behavior; developing empathy for others; and managing relationships. Developing these over time is essential to coping with the ups and downs of life and maintaining overall good mental health.

’’ The pressures that young people face today present challenges that require an internal resilience that many struggle to maintain. The key is to develop social and emotional competence.

In particular, these four sets of skills have proven to be extremely helpful, not just for teens, but for everyone. They include mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. However, if a student is in need of more specific intervention, I am available to meet with them individually to process these skill sets.”

Beth Escobar, Director of School Health Services

Boston University: BSN in Nursing, MSN in Psychiatric Consultation-Liaison Nursing; Northeastern University: Certified in Advanced School Nursing; Certified Sexuality Educator; Certified in Mental Health First Aid for Youth

Training & Prior Experience

Private psychiatric hospitals; McLean Hospital (adolescent to geriatric population); Children’s Hospital (treating eating disorders and abuse); Beth Israel Hospital (teaching fellow nurses); School Nurse for Framingham Public Schools; Member: ANA (American Nurses Association), MNA (Massachusetts Nurses Association), MSNO (Massachusetts School Nurse Organization), ISNG (Independent School Nurses Group)

“I’ve been at Brimmer since 2010, and I consider it home. After this history-making, COVID-19 year, I see a new appreciation for the role of the school nurse. We became frontline workers in the public health arena, attending to students’ and families’ requests for help navigating the physical, social, and emotional needs of the individual, the family, and the School community at large. It was important for me to educate myself every chance I got as the needs were so great this past year. Last summer I took a course on contact tracing through Johns Hopkins University and that prepared me for a year of weekly, on-site PCR testing. I collaborated with our local Boards of Health on a regular basis and learned a great deal from those experiences. Most helpful to me has been participating in Brimmer’s COVID Response Team (CRT), a mixed group of faculty and staff that meets weekly to keep our fingers on the pulse of what’s going on in our community, state, region, country, and world as we visualize how to keep Brimmer open, safe, and healthy. I could not have done my job without their ongoing support. I will continue to monitor all things COVID-related during the 2021-2022 academic year while working to enrich the health and wellness offerings at Brimmer. The pandemic has reinforced how important the total person is in the equation. Our minds and bodies are connected and so interrelated that if one doesn’t find a comfortable balance, it can be difficult to get things done. Being a psychiatric nurse, I have always looked at the big picture while dealing with the little details. One can’t lose sight of the other.

’’ During the pandemic, school nurses became frontline workers in the public health arena, attending to both students’ and families’ requests for help navigating their physical, social, and emotional needs…

This past year has made people aware of the need to talk about health and wellness in a way that removes the stigma of mental health. School nurses have been dealing with how to provide accurate information to our students and families about mental health, as well as how to access mental health care outside of School while using learned strategies during the school day. Every year I meet with our students to remind them that the school nurse is always a resource for them. They don’t need to be bleeding to come see me.”

All

School Celebration of the Arts

Betty Wang Reflection Graduation

Ada Dotty the Sea Turtle

Michelle Xu Dream of a Horse

Sergei Tourian Landscape

continued on page 16

Ginger Biederman

Lego Still Life

Charlotte Hurley Candy Contour Line Drawing

Elijiah Kinney Autoline

Upper School students worked with Director of Innovation Kathryn Lee and mentors from Artists for Humanity to plan, brainstorm, design, and build a large-scale sculpture to be permanently installed on campus. L to R: Marianne Alagos ’21, Emma Goldstone ’22, Lily Goodman ’22, Avery Alperin ’21, Kat Klacko ’21, Wanyi Wang ’21, Theo Johnson ’22, and Martin Maynard ’22 (not pictured: Michelle Xu ’21)

The Lower School Creative Arts Department proudly presents: The f irst ever VIRTUAL Four th and Fifth Grade musical-z

OPENING ACT: Want to Watch TV? written and performed by The Fourth

Grades 4 & 5 Musical

MAIN EVENT: Super Happy Awesome News! performed by The Fourth and

Middle School Musical

The Show Must Go Online

Over 20 Middle Schoolers spent the spring months rehearsing, performing, and stage managing for the Middle School Musical The Show Must Go Online. Director Nick Malakhow described the plot in an interview with Gator student reporter Marlie Kass ’23 (featured on page 20), explaining that, much like what our students experienced during the 2020 school year, “the show begins as the school musical is canceled due to the pandemic. The students spring into action, communicating through video messages with one another to rehearse and, ultimately, perform their show online.” Kass writes, “Just like in the script, the actors and creative team must adapt to new circumstances to keep the stage thriving.” The show was pre-recorded and edited to combat any technological challenges and is available on Brimmer’s Vimeo channel for viewing.

This year’s Upper School Musical, Is It Over Yet?, was an original production written and directed by Creative Arts Department Chair Bill Jacob, with music by Middle and Upper School Music Teacher Max Holman. The show wrestles with the experience of living through the pandemic with a lighthearted and upbeat spirit, following a handful of teenage characters from just before the closure of schools in March 2020 to the present. Jacob shared the following on an interview with Gator student reporter Kate Hirschen ’23: “[Both Max Holman and I] felt like this would be the best way we could tailor our production for the specific students we have participating in the project. It’s important to scare yourself regularly, and the thought of starting a musical from scratch on a deadline scared me a lot!” The cast and crew expertly navigated the challenges of Zoom to deliver several fantastic performances, one of which is available online to view on Brimmer’s Vimeo channel.

Upper School Musical

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR SCHOLASTIC AWARD WINNERS!

Eight Brimmer students were selected for achievement in the 2021 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, sponsored by The Boston Globe. More than 3,500 students enrolled in public, private, and parochial schools in grades 7–12 in Massachusetts submitted artwork, including painting, photography, mixed media, printmaking, and sculpture. Jurors selected winners for the Gold Key, Silver Key, and Honorable Mention awards from over 5,000 entries.

Michelle Xu ’21

Dream of a Horse, Painting

Silver Key

Michelle Xu ’21, Lion King, Mixed Media

Gold Key

Michelle Xu ’21 Mutopia, Painting

Gold Key

Michelle Xu ’21

Tree Elves, Printmaking

Gold Key

Kyrell Luc ’21

Steps and Shade, Photography

Silver Key

Molly McHugh ’21 Hoops, Photography

Silver Key

Leo Wen ’21

Iroh, Ceramics

Honorable Mention

Zi Han Hebe Qiang ’23

Surprise, Sculpture

Honorable Mention

Eleanor Reyelt ’23

Camouflage, Mixed Media

Silver Key

Helen Chu ’26

House of Pattern, Sculpture Honorable Mention

Stephanie Altschul ’25

One Ocean, Digital Art

Honorable Mention

Stephanie Altschul One Ocean

Michele Xu Tree Elves

Helen Chu House of Pattern

Michelle Xu Mutopia

marlie kass ’23 in the tank with

Award-winning student director showcases her talent at Brimmer.

We caught up with Brimmer Lifer Marlie Kass ’23 to discuss the debut of her student-directed play In the Tank and to hear more about her experiences in the Creative Arts over the years.

Was this your first directing role? What was one challenge you tackled, and what was the most exciting and enjoyable part for you?

Directing is an aspect of theater I have always been interested in pursuing, and while I had previously directed shows outside of Brimmer, I knew that tackling the studentdirected play this year would bring its own unique challenges and rewards. The greatest

surprises certainly came up towards the beginning. There were many things I realized I needed to account for, including time restraints, scheduling, cast size, technical elements, and more, before I could even start planning rehearsals. Let’s just say that many, many spreadsheets and Google forms were created in those first couple weeks!

Fortunately, I eventually landed on a perfect show and an amazing cast and was ready to begin! Unfortunately, by that point, I had only three weeks until the set date of the show! So began what was probably the quickest, but one of the most fun, rehearsal periods I have ever experienced. I would spend the day planning rehearsal, taking notes, and rereading the script between classes, and then running rehearsal and writing reflections in the evening. I was pretty used to working on the Zoom stage by that point, and what could have been more perfect for that medium than a play with characters literally trapped in a glass box? So, I had fun playing around, designing and creating virtual backgrounds, and choosing sound effects and music. The small cast ensured that rehearsals could be flexible, and we could really spend time focusing on what truly needed our attention. By the time show week rolled around, I was more than proud to put the posters up around the School. The actual night of the show involved a lot of me running back and forth between my room where I had the show running and watching it and listening to my parents laughing downstairs. It flew by so quickly, but I truly savored every single minute of it.

Tell us a little about what you are focusing on in the Creative Arts Diploma Program (CAP) and outside of Brimmer.

My first year in CAP looked unusual, to say the least, considering I was focusing

on performing arts in a year where most performances were unable to happen in person. However, I worked hard to have a productive year, and I’m so thankful for all I still got to do. Of course, there was the Upper School play and musical that, even if they looked very different, gave me the experience of exploring and learning a new show, or a very, very new show in regard to the musical, where it was a completely original script.

Outside of School, I was certainly never bored! One thing that has been a surprising plus is that over the past year and a half, I’ve been able to be involved in things virtually that I would not have been able to do otherwise, especially in regard to out-of-state programs. I had a wonderful time being involved with a wonderful theater based in New York last year and over the summer, and I also enjoyed being part of a teen Shakespeare performing troupe on Zoom for a few weeks. I’ve also spent a lot of time on my playwriting, writing several new plays, some of which got readings in different festivals and such. Other than that, I try to always stay involved and engaged with theater, whether that’s continuing voice lessons, writing workshops and classes, reading new scripts, or simply discovering and listening to new cast recordings! Over the summer, I headed out to my camp, where I was able to not only perform on an actual stage with costumes, sets, and lights for the first time since 2020, but I was also selected for the opportunity to workshop, direct, and produce a play I wrote. Words cannot possibly express how much I was looking forward to it!

What have you learned during your first year in CAP? What do you hope to accomplish by the time you graduate?

In my first year of CAP, I’ve learned that even in times where everything seems to be falling apart, I can still always turn to what I love to do, even if it’s not always what I expect. My CAP journal and Instagram account have been extremely helpful tools for me to record what I’ve been doing; I can then use them to

Top Right: Marlie performs with classmate Edan Zinn ‘23 in the Grades 4 & 5 Musical Princess Whatsername. Bottom Right: Marlie performs in the Middle School production of James and the Giant Peach

look back on later and see my thoughts and growth. It really has given me a focus point to check in with myself and make sure I have a path for where I want to be going.

By the time I graduate, my one goal is to have done and grown as much as possible! However, I’m not sure what exactly that will look like yet, which is what actually excites me. Of course, I’d love to be actually performing in and directing more shows, but I know opportunities and surprises will come from the most unexpected places, and I can’t wait to see what they’ll become!

Can you share a fond memory or two from your time in the Lower/Middle School performances? Any reflections on how you’ve grown as an artist since then?

I remember that, even way back in Kindergarten, drama was the highlight of my week. It was so much of a standout that I had

a dress with movie tickets printed on it in a pattern that I would insist on wearing every single day we had drama class just to celebrate. The excitement I had from finally becoming a “big kid” and performing on the stage in front of the School for the first time, whether that was in the third grade French play or the fourth and fifth grade musicals, still makes me smile when I think of it. I wish my Lower School self could see me now and know that we didn’t lose that joy and excitement, but if anything, it grew stronger and now we’re always finding

ways to keep ourselves immersed in the theater world nearly every single day.

The greatest way I think I’ve grown as an artist is through realizing it’s not about the end point; it’s not just about getting that role or being in that show, but it’s about loving what you do, taking joy in creating something new, and just sitting back and enjoying the ride. It’s something I try to remind myself when I need it, and I’ve found that that’s what has kept me motivated to continue to grow and do what I love. ■

removing the invisible mask on belonging:

by Jessica Christian, Director of Equity & Inclusion

The 2020-2021 school year was, without a doubt, the most unusual year for students that younger generations have ever seen. COVID-19 shut down schools around the globe, severely impacting not just academic progress, but also the social and emotional development and well-being of our children. As the world slowly opens up again, schools, including Brimmer, are preparing to put in place programming that will address students’ mental health and wellness as they return to school.

Last year at Brimmer, we were fortunate enough to have access to resources that allowed us to keep school open, and the majority of our students chose to learn on campus. We moved forward with our curricula and programming, including critical Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work. This involved moving beyond

inclusion toward true belonging. It felt like a cruel joke that during a year when we worked so hard to address topics of diversity and inclusion we were barely able to see each other’s faces due to mask mandates. To be sure, diversity is about far more than what we look like, and how we have physical similarities and differences. But to have conversations about inclusion, equity, and belonging without being able to read expressions on each other’s faces or simply celebrate the uniqueness of a face different from one’s own added a new level of difficulty to DEI efforts.

As we prepare this edition of Brimmer Magazine, the world is managing new complications with variants of the COVID-19 virus, suggesting that a maskfree future might be a little further away than we’d hoped. While physical masking

may be in question, we can surely address the “invisible masks” that so many in our community wear—consciously and subconsciously—every day at Brimmer. Like many older independent schools around the country, Brimmer began in 1880 as a school that enrolled wealthy, white students almost exclusively. Our values and the norms we have upheld continue to reflect, to some degree, what is historically honored in educated, white populations. Along the way, however, we have enrolled a much more diverse group of students and families, leading us to examine what we demand of our students. With students coming to us from a range of neighborhoods, countries, and traditions, to what extent must they wear the invisible mask of the “traditional private school student” in order to feel as though they belong at Brimmer? To what extent are we silently asking them to do this through our practices? These are the masks that must be removed, so that our students can feel safe showing up as their authentic selves.

I grew up attending independent schools in northern New Jersey in the 1980s and 1990s. Then, the only DEI programming that we had focused on “tolerance” and “diversity.” There was no mention of equity and inclusion, and there was certainly no talk of belonging. Schools are much better at this now, but research spanning the last several decades continues to talk about “code switching” as a very real and difficult part of everyday life for students of color and those from other marginalized groups. “Code switching” refers to how

Right: Graduating the Class of 2021.

Top: Jessica Christian speaks at Honors Convocation in June. At

those from underrepresented communities often change how they present themselves when they show up in predominantly white, privileged spaces. This is a form of invisible mask-wearing, and it can be tasking on one’s mental and emotional energy and incredibly damaging to one’s mental health and wellness. For any student to feel as though they must change who they are to be accepted when they walk onto our campus is incredibly problematic and is our responsibility to address and fix.

As we focus on reconnecting with one another this fall, we will pay particular attention to the health and wellness of our students. The events of last year created an enormous amount of anxiety for our young learners and other community members. Layered on top of that was—and continues to be—a national debate about race, difference, and equity, providing additional stress that is nearly impossible to escape.

Learning about what makes each of us unique and celebrating that, whether it’s ethnicity, ability, learning style, race, or gender expression … is the only way to create an environment of belonging for everyone.

Each student at Brimmer must feel not only that they are included, but that they belong. Learning about what makes each of us unique and celebrating that—whether it’s ethnicity, ability, learning style, race, or gender expression, among others—is the only way to create an environment of belonging for everyone. And that feeling of belonging, particularly for those moving through their formative years, does wonders for one’s mental health and wellness.

We will continue with our DEI programming this year and have exciting plans to expand this work. I encourage you to diversify your conversations at home. Read books and engage with media that celebrate cultures different from your own. Talk about those with physical and mental disabilities to develop skills of empathy and understanding. Experiment with foods from other countries. Step outside of what is familiar. The variety in who we are is a gift if we allow it to be. ■

Our 2021-2022 Faculty Innovation Award Winners

This year, our Faculty Innovation Grants are funded by the Kirwan-Smith family and the Faculty Compensation and Teaching Excellence Fund. The following four grants will each provide $6,000 in classroom materials and $4,000 stipends to compensate faculty for planning time. “We are so grateful for our donors who support faculty innovation at Brimmer,” said Director of Development Elizabeth Smith. “Implementing innovative ideas in a supportive and student-centered environment is key to delivering on our mission, and these grants allow us to pilot new ideas yearly for our students in all three divisions of the School.” ■

Lower School

Budding Builders: Empowering Early Engineers

Sarah Wyllie, Kindergarten Teacher

Rachael Rabinovitz, Kindergarten Teacher

This grant will provide our Early Childhood students with an array of engineering materials to enhance the current STEAM program with a focus on bringing play and building into their everyday experience at Brimmer. Students in Grades PK – 1 will engage with carefully curated materials to design on both a small and large scale, as well as both inside the classroom and outdoors, giving them more diverse opportunities and tools to explore how things work and to use their imagination to build and create.

Middle School

Amazonian Biotope Aquarium

Matthew Gallon, Middle School Science (Grades 6 & 8); Upper School Science (Geographic Information Systems [GIS], Archaeology)

To enrich our science curriculum, which explores the concept of rivers through several different fields of science, these resources will help build a living model of an Amazonian freshwater ecosystem. The large aquarium, known as a biotope tank, will replicate a portion of a unique ecosystem, including the specific fish, invertebrates, plants, sediments, and water conditions found in the Amazonian River Basin. This project will enhance classroom science labs as well as informal discussions surrounding environmental equity and conservation.

Upper School

Maker Space UV Printer

Chris Hardman, Upper School Physics and Digital Fabrication, STEAM Diploma Director, and Maker Space Manager

The addition of a UV printer in the Maker Space will enhance STEAM Lab, a senior elective that is the capstone class of the STEAM Diploma Program, and Digital Fabrication, an elective that introduces students to the tools and devices in the Maker Space and the software packages that control them. In both classes, students work on both 2D and 3D design projects, which are then fabricated using tools such as 3D printers, laser cutter, CNC router, or vinyl cutter. The new printer will facilitate cleaner, faster, and higher-quality print work than the previous method of screen printing and will allow students more time to focus on their designs.

Middle School

Horticultural Garden in Waintrup Courtyard

Andrew Beal, Middle School Math (Grades 6, 7 & 8)

Matthew Gallon, Middle School Science (Grades 6 & 8); Upper School Science (Geographic Information Systems [GIS], Archaeology)

Jared Smith, Middle School Science (Grade 7); Upper School Science (Chemistry)

Our Middle School students experience the power of horticulture firsthand by working to grow food that they then eat in our very own Dining Commons. Through this process, they gain an intimate knowledge of the importance of soil conservation, plant physiology, and sustainable horticultural practices. Building on previous innovation grants, this project funds four elevated self-water planters that will help expand the horticultural curriculum currently serving as a model for other schools. Additionally, it will increase the use and beauty of the courtyard and will provide additional studentgrown produce for our School kitchen.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR 2020-2021 ATHLETIC AWARD WINNERS!

During the final week of school, the Class of 2021 gathered for the End-of-Year Athletic Awards Ceremony, which honored their achievements and contributions to Brimmer’s Athletic Program throughout the course of their high school careers.

Four-Year Varsity

Athlete Recognition

Marianne Alagos

Isaiah Claiborne

Stephanie Cranmore

Tristan Durocher

Karly Hamilton

Alphonse Houndegla

Katrina Klacko

Jacob Mejia Levy

Kyrell Luc

Molly McHugh

Clayton McLaren

Quinton Nsamba

Angeline-Nur Dervisevic

Aneuris Quezada

Gianni Thompson

Leo Wen

Collegiate Athletic Recognition

Avery Alperin

Crew at The University of Rochester

Kyrell Luc

Basketball at The College of the Holy Cross

Gianni Thompson

Basketball at Boston College

Clayton McLaren

Track at Lincoln University

Career Achievement Award

Marianne Alagos

Avery Alperin

Gianni Thompson

Most Improved Player Award

Joseph Bahhady

Gator Award

Quinton Nsamba

Heart & Hustle Award

Stephanie Cranmore & Leo Wen

Never Give Up & Never Give In Award

Molly McHugh

Gianni Thompson

Sportsmanship Award

Jacob Mejia Levy

Aneuris Quezada

Betty Wang

Spirit & Leadership Award

Katarina Klacko

Isaiah Claiborne

Outstanding Athlete Award

Marianne Alagos

Angeline-Nur Dervisevic

Tristan Durocher

Kyrell Luc

Scholar-Athlete Award

Karly Hamilton

Alphonse Houndegla

green & white auction spring ’21

In Support of Financial Aid and DEI Initiatives

After having the Spring ’20 Auction cancelled due to the pandemic, we were excited to be able to come together virtually for a fantastic evening of bidding and fundraising on April 24th. Prior to the event, we sent gift boxes to all attendees, including insulated wine tumblers and chocolates, in the hopes of raising a glass together. Thanks to fantastic auction software, amateur and professional video footage, and the magic of both live and online bidding, it almost felt like our parents, alumni, alumni parents, and Trustees were all together in person. A special thank-you to students and faculty who participated in adorable videos that really made the evening special.

Bill Jacob resumed the role of our live auctioneer, and with all of the wonderful donations and the community-wide support, the night was a huge success. We had spectacular wines for the Wine Grab, amazing trips, student- and staff-created items, and much more. The event netted over $115,000 in support of financial aid and DEI initiatives School-wide.

As hoped, the evening ended with a Zoom toast and the Brimmer community energy and goodwill was palpable. We are both humbled and grateful for our community and its generosity in support of our students. ■

Green & White Auction

Brimmer and May School

April 24, 2021

We auctioned off these beautiful pieces created in our Lower School classrooms!

Clockwise from top left: PK

“All About Our Community”

Our youngest students illustrated a bookshelf with sketches that captured their favorite parts of their classroom community.

Kindergarten

“Down Under”

While exploring the amazing Great Barrier Reef during our travels to Australia, students painted an underwater scene of their favorite marine animals.

Grade 1

“Framed North American Bird Project” Students created color pencil sketches of North American birds and perched them together on a beautiful tree.

Grade 2

“Framed Spirit Animal Zoom Meeting”

Our young artists each created a whimsical sketch of their spirit animal and mounted them together in a handmade Zoom meeting.

Grade 3

“Ancient Egyptian Scarab Beetles” While studying Ancient Egypt, students created watercolor replicas of scarab beetles symbolizing creation, regeneration, and renewal.

Grade 4

“Japanese Children’s Day Festival Canvas”

To complement their studies of the Silk Road, students painted a Japanese landscape and added handdrawn images of traditional Japanese carp kites.

Grade 5

“Thinkers”

Students practiced drawing items in perspective and, after posing for a close-up, they let their thoughts and imagination go wild.

Mugar Family Playground & Outdoor Learning Space Dedication Ceremony

Welcome New Trustees

This fall, Brimmer and May welcomes two new members to its Board of Trustees. As alumni parents and current parents who have been actively engaged in the School community, they are excited to take on this important volunteer leadership role and serve the School.

Danny Best P ’18, ’20 Brockton, MA

Danny Best and his wife Condase were parents at Brimmer from 2011 to 2020 while sons Tyler ’18 and Miles ’20 both attended from Grades 4 and 6, respectively, through 12. During those nine years, Danny and Condase were integral community members who volunteered in various roles as Parent Class Representatives, Athletic Boosters, and Creative Arts Boosters, not to mention logging many hours on the sidelines of soccer and lacrosse games and in the Corkin Theater for Greenline concerts and musical theater performances. Today, Tyler is a senior at Wheaton College and Miles is a sophomore at Skidmore College. Danny has been tapped to bring his expertise in human resources (HR) and diversity and inclusion, and his long experience as a Brimmer parent to our Board of Trustees.

Danny is currently a Vice President leading the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Prior to that role, Danny was most recently the Director of Global Diversity and Inclusion at Dell Technology. Danny has a deep knowledge of integrating ethnic and cultural empowerment within the strategic planning process for institutions. His team at Dell was also responsible for partnering with academic and special interest organizations to scale. Prior to joining Dell, Danny was an HR executive at Dana Farber where he oversaw talent acquisition, employee relations/HR business partnerships, learning and organization development, and workforce development. Danny also spent 12 years at Bank of America, where he led HR and DEI programs.

Beyond his experience as a seasoned diversity and HR executive, working across various industries including IT, biopharma, healthcare, and financial services, Danny strongly believes that having an inclusive workforce and academic environment is the pathway to ongoing innovation and overall organizational success. Danny holds an MBA from Northeastern University where he also attended as an undergraduate.

Please join us in welcoming Danny back to Brimmer in this new role as Trustee!

David Souza P ’26, ’30 Chestnut Hill, MA

David Souza and his wife Tatyana came to Brimmer as new parents in the fall of 2019 when they enrolled their two sons Nikolai (8th) and Andreas (4th) at the School. Seeing their sons thrive at Brimmer has been life changing and they are looking to give back to the School however possible. Tatyana will be an 8th grade Parent Class Representative this year and is a volunteer for the Spring Auction. Before the transition to Brimmer, their children were enrolled at a Brookline Public School where David was the PTO treasurer for four years and ran the school’s Spring Fair for three years.

David joined P/E Investments, an asset management firm based in Boston, in 2000 as an intern while studying at Babson College and has been with the firm ever since. He currently is a Partner, Portfolio Manager, Director of Research and Trading, and a member of the firm’s Management Committee. His passion is building quantitative forecast models covering global equity indices, developed and emerging currencies, government fixed income, and commodities. David received a master’s degree from the Statistics Department at Harvard University where he focused on Bayesian methods.

Outside of work, David loves to spend time with his family exploring nature. He is an avid athlete and has competed in motocross (in his younger years), ironman triathlons, ultra-distance running events, and adventure races across the globe. Most notably, David completed the four deserts challenge in 2016 by finishing four 250-kilometer foot races across the most extreme deserts in the world: the Gobi Desert in China, the Atacama Desert in Chile, the Namib Desert in Africa, and Antarctica. He has also run the Boston Marathon as a charity runner to raise funds for the Brookline Teen Center and has cycled the Pan Mass Challenges to raise funds for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. In addition to fundraising, David has guided a visually impaired runner through “Team with a Vision” for events such as the Boston Marathon and the Paris Marathon.

We are looking forward to tapping into David’s finance and wellness expertise as the School continues to work through our Strategic Priorities 2020 &e Beyond. Please welcome David as a new Trustee!

Prom 2021

A dedicated community turned the Brimmer Field into an unforgettable event.

Aneuris celebratory

congratulations class of 2021

What a thrill it was for our entire community to finally come together again to celebrate our seniors for the School’s 141st Commencement ceremony in June. Held beneath a tent on the field, it was an unforgettable event, with Head of School Judith Guild, Assistant Head of Academic Affairs Joe Iuliano, and Head of Upper School Joshua Neudel shining a spotlight on each senior and their accomplishments. We are so proud of the Class of 2021. Like the class that came before them, they showed resilience, perseverance, and positivity during a unique year, and we wish them the very best as they head into the next phase of their lives. We hope they will come back to visit!

Paola Mammano ’20 and family approach the diploma station

Aneuris Quezada ’21 leads the class through the celebratory recession following the ceremony.

Jacob Mejia Levy ’21 receives his Lifer Award from Board Chair David Kreisler

Wanyi Wang ’21 with Co-Director of International Students Helen Du (L) and Mandarin Teacher Yuhong Jia (R)

Board of Trustee Susie Durocher and family with Tristan Durocher ’21

STEAM Diploma recipients with Program Director Chris Hardman

Ana Forgit ’21 and her advisor Director of Development Elizabeth Smith P ’17

Zoe Kaplan ’21 and family

Avery Alperin ’21 and family with Head of School Judy Guild

Scholar Society with Program Director Cecelia Pan

Faculty gathers ahead of the ceremony

Creative Arts Diploma recipients with Program Director Bill Jacob

Stephanie Cranmore ’21 accepts her diploma from Board Chair David Kreisler

Senate President Katarina Klacko ’21

Quinton Nsamba ’21

Trustee Susie Durocher with Tristan Durocher ’21

Math Teacher Rupa Houndegla P ’21, ’26 presents Alphonse Houndegla ’21 with his diploma.

Gianni Thompson ’21 and Stephanie Cranmore ’21

Jiayu Huang ’21 and family

ONWARD…THEIR JOURNEY CONTINUES

Boston College

Boston University

Bucknell University

Carnegie Mellon University

College of the Holy Cross

Colorado College

George Washington University

Lincoln University

Massachusetts Maritime Academy

Mount Holyoke College

Northeastern University

Northwood University

Quinnipiac University

Rollins College

Rutgers University

Sacred Heart University

Skidmore College

Spelman College

St. John’s University

Stanford University

University of California

Santa Barbara

University of Connecticut

University of New Hampshire

University of Richmond

University of Rochester

University of Southern California

Koller Phillips ’21 and family

Jaden Cheung ’21

Global Studies Diploma recipients with Program Director Kelly Neely

Class Notes

1954

Josephine (Joey) Saxe Wechsler

“I became a great-grandmother this past year! Lucy will be one year old this August!”

1988

Amanda Spooner Eppers

“I got married on June 12th, 2021, to Christopher Eppers at a small gathering at my father’s home in South Dartmouth, MA. Best friend and Brimmer alumna Jennifer Mugar ’88 was in attendance. My 17-year-old daughter, Marlo, will be a senior in the Class of 2022 at Brimmer this year after having attended since 1st grade (when Courtney McGillicuddy ’89 was her teacher)!”

2000

Julia Feinstein

“We moved from New Jersey to Maryland in March 2020 because my husband Markus got a job there. We bought a townhome, but then we realized we needed a yard, so we bought a new construction home and moved in last month. Our son, Harrison, is now five years old.”

2002

Emma Rawls

“I am going through lots of big life transitions. After an unprecedented year in leadership as a clinical director of a residential program for women in early recovery from substance use, I quit my job and moved to the western part of the state to pursue a career change— working with college students at Greenfield Community College. I work with students

who are experiencing mental health challenges while navigating the college student life. Also, I am now part of a union for the first time and getting to do more advocacy on a policy level. I am always grateful for the confidence and

Class of 1992 members Alice Peters, Samantha Ebert Morgan, and Malinda Tam gathered in Boston for a recent mini reunion.

Julia Feinstein’s ’00 son, Harrison

Emma Rawls ’02

support I received at Brimmer in my younger years, and it has greatly influenced my presence in the professional world. I am also closer to my family and looking to settle in the Pioneer Valley for good! If ever in this part of the region, give a holla!”

2003

Rajuli Khetarpal Fahey

“I am a mother of two. I received a BFA with distinction from Massachusetts College of Art and Design from the Studio for Interrelated Media (SIM) department, and I am a licensed massage therapist in MA. I have traveled the country and supported myself off art and belly dance performance/teaching. We just bought our first home in Winchendon, MA, and I am opening a dance studio focused on world dance and yoga: Magnolia Studio. The grand opening was July 24, 2021—please come see me!”

2011

Jared Fay

Jared has been working as a Procurement Contracting Officer (PCO) since March of 2020. He is responsible for ensuring compliance with terms and conditions of the contract and negotiating contract actions that are consistent with laws, regulations, and policies. He also analyzes proposals to ensure a fair and reasonable price through various cost and price analysis techniques and negotiates win/win contract actions with industry to safeguard the interest of the United States in its contractual relationships. Jared has spent time as a PCO for the Battle Management Directorate and currently in the Command, Control, Communications, Intelligence & Networks Directorate within the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center. Prior to his work as a PCO, Jared worked as a Contract Specialist since April of 2016 within the Battle Management Directorate as well as the Strategic Services Division, specifically in the Federally Funded Research and Development Center with MIT Lincoln Labs. As a PCO, Jared managed a $890 million contracting portfolio across four branches during his time in the Aerospace Management Systems Division. His portfolio consisted of Weather Systems, Landing Systems, and Air Traffic Systems. In addition, during his time in the Battle Management Directorate,

Jared served as the PCO in the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Division. Jared worked directly with the Royal Jordanian Air Force on the sustainment of their Command, Control, and Communication (C3) System as well as the acquisition of required commercial radios for military operations and in country on-site Early Warning Systems. Currently Jared is the PCO for Aerial Networks Division within their FMS branch. Jared’s portfolio supports a range of countries, which includes NATO nations as well as other US partner nations for the development, sustainment, and acquisition of Ground Support Systems (GSS) that support Link 16 operational and training needs for those countries. Although Jared is stationed in Massachusetts during his time with the Air Force, he has been able to travel and work for varying periods of time in Ohio, Maryland, Illinois, Iowa, and Alabama. Jared hopes to travel abroad with his current portfolio as COVID-19 international travel restrictions loosen up.

Nicole Strauss

“I went to Franklin and Marshall College after Brimmer and then on to Boston University School of Public Health where I earned a master’s degree with certificates in biostatistics and epidemiology. After working in a variety of hospitals (MGH, Tufts Med, and Seattle Children’s) in research, I was able to find an opportunity to exercise what I learned in graduate school and secured an epidemiology position working for Seattle/King County Public Health. I am currently working as a communicable disease and immunization epidemiologist primarily focusing on the COVID pandemic (conducting analysis, analyzing

local, state, and federal information, creating dashboards, writing summaries, and consulting).”

2013

Heather Gates

Heather completed her master’s and clinical doctorate degrees in occupational therapy from the University of Southern California (USC). Since then, she has been working as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Occupational Therapy at USC. She spends the majority of her time at Keck Hospital of USC where she provides occupational therapy evaluation and intervention to patients in the acute care setting across numerous service lines, including cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, pulmonology, orthopedics, neurology, and oncology. She also teaches occupational therapy students in the clinical setting and engages in research. Her research is focused on demonstrating occupational therapy’s distinct role and value in evaluating individuals for advanced heart failure interventions, including heart transplantation and left ventricular assist device implantation. She is passionate about providing high-quality

Jared Fay ’11

Nicole Strauss ’11

Class Notes cont’d

patient care and engaging in research in the clinical setting to advance occupational therapy practice and improve the lives of the patients she treats.

2014

Jessie Alperin

After graduating from Brimmer in 2014, Jessie received her BA in Comparative Literature from Kenyon College in 2018 and her MA in the History of Art from the Williams College Graduate Program at the Clark Art Institute in 2021. During her time at Kenyon, she curated “Stories of Self-Reflection: Portraiture by Women Photographers” at the Graham Gund Gallery, as well as published and presented her research on Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, and Stéphane Mallarmé internationally. Prior to pursuing a master’s at Williams, she worked as a research assistant and archivist at the Cantonal and University Library in Lausanne, Switzerland, on a project focused on 20th-century illustrated encyclopedias. At Williams, she served as a research assistant for the Clark museum’s study center for works on paper and on

projects related to 19th-century art. She also co-organized a virtual conference entitled “Imagining the Atmospheric Invisible,” and wrote her thesis on Auguste Rodin’s illustrations of Charles Baudelaire’s The Flowers of Evil. Beginning in September, Jessie will be pursuing a dual doctoral degree at the University of Chicago with the Committee

on Social Thought and the Department of Art History. She plans to primarily focus her research on 18th- and 19th-century art and literature with a particular emphasis on the trans-European symbolist movement. Beyond her studies, Jessie is the founder and Editor-in-chief of Venti Journal: Air, Experience, and Aesthetics, an interdisciplinary publication dedicated to the study and critical resonances of air and atmosphere (venti-journal.com).

Dietrich Pultinas

“I am currently working at Kerry Foods as an associate food scientist. I work mostly on developing beverages for restaurant chains and other food companies. I’m often working on juices, lemonades, smoothies, coffee, dairy products, and syrups, among other things! I started my journey into product development at UMass Amherst, where, as a transfer student, I decided to pursue food science. My personal interest in health and nutrition really sparked my curiosity for food science. At UMass, I was able to create a winning ice cream flavor for my senior capstone project and compete at the American Society of Baking in Chicago.”

20

15

Heather Gates ’13

Jessie Alperin ’14

The Gates family at Kristin’s graduation from the Worcester County Sheriff Academy: (L-R) Jeff, Mary, Kristin ’15, and Nicole ’13

Kristin Gates

Congratulations to Kristin on officially becoming a Worcester County Sheriff Officer. Mary and Jeff Gates say that Kristin was the class president of her graduating class and gave the class address at the graduation ceremony. Mary attributes Kristin’s ability to write and deliver such a meaningful and thoughtful speech to her education at Brimmer and May. Kristin is also a member of the Army National Guard.

David Watkins

“I’m excited to start the next chapter on my journey as a Graduate Assistant Coach for the VCU Men’s Basketball program while pursuing my master’s degree in sports leadership.”

2016

Alina Fischer Medina

“Over the past year, I have been working at the Beth Israel Lahey Health Urgent Care full time as a patient care technician. I use my Emergency Medical Technician Basic Life Support certification to provide patient care and work alongside other technicians, nurses, and emergency room physicians. For me, my experience in healthcare really grew during the pandemic in the urgent

care although I had held a few healthcare positions in the past throughout my four years at UMass Amherst. I began by receiving my EMT BLS certification at Boston University the summer after my freshman year of college and applied for an EMT position at UMass Emergency Medical Services, the student-run agency on campus. At UMass EMS I had my first patient care experiences working standby EMS shifts for any university-run event of more than 50+ (think dinners, concerts, conferences, plays, musicals, and sporting events) and also applied to be a field supervisor for the agency and a teaching assistant for our own EMS course. The connections I made at UMass EMS along with the patient care and leadership experiences encouraged me to apply to be a volunteer EMT at a largerscale physician-run standby agency called ConMed Response and to apply to be an EMT-B at Action Ambulance Services, Inc. responding to 911 calls in Holyoke, MA. When the pandemic hit I was still in college and during our semester-long quarantine in Amherst I grew more curious about healthcare outside of the pre-hospital setting. The increasing demand for healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic motivated me to search for a patient care technician job, and I interviewed and was hired to work at the BILH Urgent Care in Chestnut Hill.

Currently, I spend my days taking in patients, doing vitals, performing EKGs and other noninvasive exams, assisting the physicians with procedures, doing phlebotomy, and splinting broken bones. In addition to this I also manage the medical supplies ordering and inventory for the urgent care and am the preceptor for any new technicians we hire. My interest in medicine has grown immensely since working at the urgent care, and I encourage anyone with an interest in any form of healthcare to find a position where they can ask questions, learn in person

from various healthcare professionals, and gain patient care experience as it is more valuable than any class you could take on this subject. To continue on my path of becoming a healthcare professional I have started shadowing one of the physicians I work with at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center ER in Boston and the ER in Needham to better understand a physician’s medical decision-making and gain even more exposure to other paths such as nurse

practitioner and physician assistant. Working during the COVID-19 pandemic was a genuine learning experience and came with lots of uncertainty, but it was truly a privilege to be a part of the healthcare community during such a vulnerable but important time in medicine and I am excited to continue on this path.”

David Watkins ’15

Alina Fischer Medina ’16

Class Notes cont’d

Ned Manus

“As a Mentor with Equality California’s AmeriCorps program in Fresno, CA, I work with LGBTQ+ youth as emotional and academic support. I am also placed at a statewide nonprofit called California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA). CRLA provides free civil legal services to low-income residents of California’s rural counties. CRLA has programs specifically tailored to providing legal services to benefit Indigenous peoples, LGBTQ+ people, and agriculture workers.”

IN MEMORIAM

Nancy Levy P ’09

Jane Orr P ’91

Anne Selle Spitzer ’72, P ’06

Jeffrey Wu ’18

Class of 2016 members Mark Gasperini, Sean Lee, Nathan Greene, and Simon Acevedo got together recently on Nathan’s roof deck for an evening out.

Go, Gators! Class of 2017 members Raymani Walker, Noa Schabes, and Liam Johansson graduated from Skidmore College in June 2021.

2016

2017

2018

Recent college graduates from the Class of 2017 got together at Raymani Walker’s graduation party. Top Row: Unknown, Liam Johansson ’17, Ju’Quan Mills ’17, Raymani Walker ’17, Anthony Anderson ’17; Middle Row: Noa Schabes ’17, Sarah Smith ’17, Elizabeth Teklu ’17; Kneeling: Alexis Ifill ’17, Unknown.

2020

Class of 2020 members and faculty gathered together for the first time since graduation for a summer BBQ and young alumni reunion. Catching up with these grads was amazing! See page 55 for more details!

2021

Sean Lee ’16 graduates from Boston College in three years after taking a short 19-month break to fulfill a required South Korean Army assignment.

Class of 2018 members Jack Donnelly, Michael Hastings, AJ Reeves, Tyler Best, and Dylan Rigol show us that good friendships last the test of time—and COVID!

Brimmer Summer welcomed alumni Camp Counselors Cara Rittner ’19, Laura Lopez ’19, Ben Ernest ’19, and Emily Onderdonk ’18. (Seen here with director of Alumni Affairs & Special Events Amanda Spooner Eppers ’88) Missing from photo: Michael Hastings ’18.

Our

Alumni Day gathering via Zoom included Sharin Russell (top row, third from left), who wore a green Brimmer and May blazer from either Durrie or Amy Durant!

brimmer

reads

Faculty & staff share the books and resources that have inspired health and wellness

This book, which I read this summer, helps one to understand the varying degrees of response that traumatic experiences, from the loss of a family member to living through a global pandemic, cause on both the body and the mind. Through research and case studies, van der Kolk offers not only insight into how we react to trauma, but also how we can overcome it.

Carl Vallely Head of Middle School

Don’t miss Carl Vallely’s cover story “Middle School Magic” (pages 4-7)

Wellness Team Picks

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is suffering from ADHD or is close to someone who suffers from ADHD. Through case studies, Dr. Hallowell captures the challenges that people face but also the strategies that help people cope. Because he suffers from ADHD himself, Hallowell is compassionate in his writing and his book has helped

many to see the benefits that go along with having ADHD despite the challenges that also come with this diagnosis. I personally found it to be an interesting and enjoyable read.

Emily

Luckett, Upper School Counselor

My husband and I would often read poetry together to end each day. Poets have a way of expressing both joy and sorrow, and Emily Dickinson perfectly articulates the human soul. During difficult times, I find her poignant words to be a way to express myself without saying a word.

Sharin Russell Director of Annual Giving

This is an inspiring and useful resource for parents and teachers who want to help kids develop a “yes brain” that is balanced, resilient, insightful, and empathic. It is clearly written and research based. The book is also helpful to anyone who wants to try new brain strategies to increase personal resilience, positivity, and a sense of well-being.

Beth Meister, Director of Counseling Services

In my home, we have conversations all the time about race and religion as those are the centers of our identities. But this book highlights those who are differently abled and are so often forgotten. Our fourand six-year-olds have developed incredible empathy through reading this book again and again, at their own request, and have dubbed it

“The Equity Book”!

Jessica Christian Director of Equity & Inclusion

While not a health book per se, this novel reminds all of us that life is full of beauty even during times we may be enveloped by sadness or despair. The French author’s English debut, it is a moving and breathtaking novel that showcases love and light. Violette, the main character, does not have an easy life, but not only does she persist, she also believes that no matter what challenges are placed before her, happiness is always a part of life. Violette shares with the reader that everyday encounters and simple moments offer an abundance of joy if only we are willing to see it. There are moments of deep sadness and pain balanced by beautiful moments of love and laughter.

Gemma Kevaney Fourth Grade Teacher

This is one of my favorite books for all ages as it shares the journey of life, its challenges, and its joys. I’ve been known to read this book to students as well as families when they stop by to see me. I often read it to myself when I need a boost! The line that resonates most with me is: “Remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act.” I like to remind myself and others that life isn’t one-sided. There are pluses and minuses to everything and it’s so important to lead a balanced life. We’ll live a longer and healthier life if everything is kept in perspective.

Beth Escobar, Director of School Health Services

To learn more about Brimmer’s Wellness Team, be sure to read our Spotlight (page 11)

While this is a wonderful story of a little boy who teases a friend and learns what it means to be kind, this book doesn’t simply point out the importance of kindness. It also shows

children that everyone makes mistakes. It’s the lessons we learn from those mistakes that help us grow and learn. As citizens of an ever-changing and interconnected global community, kindness is an important skill that helps us connect to others and break down barriers to understanding different perspectives. Teaching our students about what it means to be kind is so important as they grow and become part of our larger global community.

Ina Patel Lower School Director of Teaching & Learning

reimagined alumni day 2021

This year’s virtual Alumni Day on May 15th featured a record-breaking number of alumni in attendance. The pandemic may have postponed Alumni Day ’20, but we rallied this year with a joint celebration of all classes ending in 0, 5, 1, and 6. The event featured student-led campus tours, a State of the School presentation from Head of School Judy Guild, and reunion class breakout rooms where our guests spent time catching up with former classmates. We were so thrilled to finally be able to celebrate together!

Alumni Day

May 15, 2021

alumni summer luncheons

North Shore, MA

Standing (L to R): Doreen Davis Gove ’45, Head of School Judith Guild, Director of Alumni Affairs & Special Events Amanda Spooner Eppers ’88, Director of Development Elizabeth Smith; Seated (L to R): Patricia Folts Dooley ’45, Nancy Biddle Lemcke ’50.

Class of 2020 Get Together

We had such a great evening catching up with members of the Class of 2020 on campus in July!

Front Row (L to R): Anja Westhues ’20, Caroline Champa ’20, Catherine Leeder ’20, Samantha Estrada ’20, Head of School Judy Guild, Megan Stander ’20, Elias Kazin ’20, Olivier Khorasani ’20, Math Department Chair Nancy Bradley, Upper School History Teacher David Cutler ’02, Director of College Counseling Lisa Summergrad, Humanities Department Co-Chair Kelly Neely; Back Row (L to R): Math Teacher Pete Slaski, Assistant Head of Academic Affairs Joe Iuliano P ’14, ’15, ’18, Director of Technology Michael Langlois, Director of Alumni Affairs & Special Events Amanda Spooner Eppers ’88, P ’22.

Annual Fund Gift makes a Big Difference

The 2021–2022 Annual Fund

Last year, our generous community demonstrated that the success of Brimmer’s Annual Fund is more critical than ever to the continued excellence of a Brimmer and May education. A record Annual Fund allowed the School to continue to deliver a top-notch education during unprecedented times and provided the flexibility to pivot and increase technology, tents, handwashing stations, testing, financial aid, and more.

Please continue to make the Annual Fund your top philanthropic priority this year. We continue to have additional needs related to the pandemic including tents, furniture, technology, and classroom aids. The Annual Fund helps us to attract and retain the very best faculty; create state-ofthe-art classrooms; create a strong, diverse community of learners through financial aid; and offer a well-rounded blend of academics, arts, fitness, and athletics.

Every donation to the 2021-2022 Annual Fund is an investment in a Brimmer education and benefits each student and faculty member.

Our strong parent, alumni, alumni parent, and faculty community works together for Brimmer each year. Thank you.

Message from the Head of School & the Chair of the Board of Trustees

As we begin the 2021-2022 school year, Brimmer and May’s spaces have been restored to their original purposes – Dining Commons, Innovation Space, Maker Space, libraries, and music and art rooms. Although there are still uncertainties ahead, we look forward to a return to more normal times: classrooms full of engaged students; friends, new and old, catching up; teams taking the field; choirs singing; performing arts returning to the stage; maker and design spaces bustling with activity; and children gardening and playing in a new playground area. We wish to thank all members of our community –faculty, parents, alumni, alumni parents, grandparents, friends, and Trustees – for their extraordinary support, which helped make the 2020-2021 school year successful on many levels.

As noted in the spring Brimmer Magazine, the School was successful on two important fronts: first, keeping our students and faculty safe and engaged on campus; and second, making significant progress on our Strategic Priorities 2020 & Beyond. Much of what we were able to accomplish is directly related to

our engaged and generous community.

• The efforts we undertook to accommodate COVID safety protocols, including the implementation of new classroom technology, testing, hiring of additional staff, the purchase of furniture, handwashing stations, personal protective equipment, and tents for outdoor classrooms, were quite expensive.

• We made significant progress on the Strategic Priorities 2020 & Beyond, including: the completion of the Lower School Mugar Playground and Outdoor Learning Space; the establishment of an historic $5 million Fund for Faculty Salaries and Teaching Excellence, which allowed the School, among other things, to raise faculty salaries above the median for our peer institutions; and a renewed commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programming and initiatives for faculty and students.

We look forward to continuing the momentum this school year as we redouble

our commitment to equity, belonging, and justice work and turn our attention to a master planning process for our campus, including improving our wellness and athletic facilities.

None of this would be possible without the generosity of our community. During this past fiscal year alone, members of our communities donated in excess of $7,000,000 to Brimmer through generous Annual Fund gifts, capital and endowment gifts, payments on campaign pledges, and the Auction. The Annual Fund far exceeded its goal, raising over $1.1 million, and the Virtual “Green & White” Auction netted over $115,000 for School-wide financial aid and DEI initiatives. We are confident that our community will step up again this year as we continue to make progress on our most important priorities.

Brimmer has a rich 142-year history as a PK through grade 12 school, where students are inspired to learn, encouraged to explore, and empowered to lead. Brimmer continues to provide a transformative educational experience for its students in a state-of-theart facility. We are keenly aware that fulfilling Brimmer’s mission and the flexibility needed to serve today’s students are a direct result of the generosity of all of our donors.

Thank you for your continued confidence and support.

Judith Guild Head of School David P. Kreisler President, Board of Trustees

Message from the Chair of the Development Committee

On behalf of the Development Committee, I wish to thank you for your generosity and support of the Brimmer and May Annual Fund, which this year surpassed $1.1 million!

Your support of the Annual Fund is key to the financial health of the School. Your contributions help the School to attract and retain incredibly dedicated and talented faculty and provide them with classrooms equipped with the most up-to-date

technology and educational materials. Annual Fund dollars fund professional development financial aid, and help to ensure well-rounded athletics and arts programs.

This year’s unprecedented results enabled Brimmer to provide many things, including weekly COVID testing for our students and faculty, tents throughout the campus for outdoor learning, handwashing stations, individual desks, teaching assistants, Zoom licenses, additional nursing staff, and personal protective equipment for our campus. Funds also enabled enhancements to the School’s diversity, equity, and inclusion curriculum.

I would like to extend my profuse thanks to Director of Development Elizabeth Smith, Director of Annual Giving Sharin Russell, and their dedicated parent volunteer team. Special thanks also to Annual Fund parent Co-Chairs Cindy and Paul Gamble P ’23 and our leadership calling team of Trustees Chris Chou P ’29, ’33, Katie Terino P ’24, ’29, and Sara and Panos Demeter P ’24, ’27, ’27.

This leadership group along with 25 class callers and the fundraising committee of the

Alumni Board helped us surpass our goal of $900,000 by more than $200,000 with over 75% parent participation, increased alumni participation, and 100% Trustee and faculty and staff participation. This record level of giving is extremely important as we reach out to foundations, which appreciate demonstrated strength in the percentage of parent and alumni giving.

The Annual Fund bridges the gap between tuition dollars and the actual cost of an independent school education and is, therefore, vital to support the School’s enduring mission.

Thank you for being an integral part of the success story that is Brimmer and May.

With warmest wishes,

Kenyon

Bissell Grogan

’76 Trustee, Chair of the Development Committee

giving report

july 1, 2020–june 30, 2021 annual

Annual Fund Unrestricted

Named, Restricted, and Scholarship Funds

For Athletics, Birthday Books, Brimmer Community Fund, Creative Arts, Financial Aid, and other Restricted Current Use Funds

Special Funds

Playground Fund, Realizing the Vision (RTV) Payments, Other Endowments, and Other Capital and Major Gifts 37 3 60 $1,032,621 $134,496

$5,902,003

2020-2021 Total Annual Fund Raised: $1,167,117

2020-2021 Total Raised for Annual Fund, Endowments, and Special Funds Giving: $7,069,120

than k you

Brimmer and May maintains its high standards of excellence in large part because of the extraordinary generosity from the many individuals and organizations noted in the Annual Report. We are most grateful for your continued support. Giving Circles reflect all gifts to the School made between July 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021.

Heartfelt thanks to the many volunteers who helped make phone calls and write notes on behalf of the 2020-2021 Annual Fund. Your time, effort, and enthusiasm helped us significantly surpass our Annual Fund goal, especially during the unexpected pandemic. This would not have been possible without your support.

Annual Fund Unrestricted, Named, Restricted, and Scholarship

Athletics, Birthday Books, Brimmer Community Fund, Creative Arts, Financial Aid, General Restricted, STEAM, Albert Borkin, Nancy Drourr, Mary Jane Hoey, Barbara Shoolman, Al Simms, and Ruth Whalen.

Endowments and Special Funds, Playground Fund, RTV Payments, Major Gifts, and Bequests For a complete list of endowments, please contact the Development Office.

Participation Board of Trustees: 100% Faculty & Staff: 100% Current Parents: 75% Alumni: 15%

100% BOARD, FACULTY & STAFF SUPPORT THE ANNUAL FUND

80% OF FACULTY HOLD ADVANCED DEGREES

100% OF STUDENTS ARE INVOLVED IN SCHOOL-SPONSORED COMMUNITY SERVICE 17donors GAVE $25,000 OR MORE TO BRIMMER IN FY ’21

17AP COURSES OFFERED

14 GRADES COMMITTED TO DEI WORK THROUGH A globally focused curriculum

6:1 STUDENT TO FACULTY RATIO

100% OF FACULTY & STAFF WERE tested weekly during COVID

3 signature diploma programs PLUS SCHOLAR SOCIETY

GIVING TO BRIMMER AND MAY AND SEEING HOW YOUR GIFT IMPACTS EVERYONE!

thank youto all of our dedicated and supportive donors !

All constituents are listed here by society, and current parents are also listed by class.

Giving Circles

Head’s Circle

($50,000 + )

Anonymous (2)

Barry and Mimi Alperin

Cornelia Cook ’84

John and Suzzara Durocher

The Hastings Family

Emily C. Hood Foundation

Caroline Levine

Robert Lloyd Corkin Charitable Foundation

Marjorie Corkin Kaplan ’65

Janice Corkin Rudolf ’66

Susan Kirwan and Garth Smith

David and Tatyana Souza

Gang Wu and Yi Xing

Hastings Circle

($25,000 +)

Ernest Boch, Jr.

Jon Grenzke and Elizabeth Kensinger

The Nichols Trust

Adam and Elika Portnoy

Daniel and Linda Waintrup ’72

Chase Circle

($10,000 + )

Anonymous

Andrew and Sarah Bishins

Jeff and Jody Black

Charles E. & Charlotte T. Curry Foundation

Cherbec Advancement Foundation

Carrie Farmer ’70

Tom and Joan Feeley

Paul and Cindy Gamble

Sean and Jennifer Anne Gavin

Lang and Irina Gerhard

Kristen Gillis

John Greene

Leslie Stimmel Guggiari ’73

Todd and Liz Hammer

David and Stephanie Kessler

Mark and Marsha MacLean

Richard and Jennifer Mynahan

Frank and Britta Nielsen

Parents’ Association

Young Park and Anja Langbein-Park

Pam and Steve Rosenberg

Derrick Rossi and Nina Korsisaari

Robert Seaver and Tracey Bolotnick

Joe and Katie Terino

Robert and Kirsten Whalen

Jeffrey and Marla Wolk

Cummings Circle

($5,000 + )

Charles Altschul

Paul Bernon

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Inc.

Eleanor Hoey Bright ’74

Chris and Jessica Chou

Panos and Sara Demeter

Junhua Dong and Yan Kong

Jun Ge and Xiaolin Dai

Kenyon Grogan ’76 and C. Jeffrey Grogan

Scott and Danielle Herritt

Farouc Jaffer and Kathy Economy

Gajen and Elisabeth Kandiah

Bernie and Faith Kaplan

Robert Kass and Shayne Gilbert

Thomas and Kristin Knox

Alexander and Jennifer Kozhemiakin

David Kreisler and Gwyn Williams

Robert and Helen Lockhart

Jack and Alexandra Lull

Tracey McCain

Art and Jeanne Meehan

Mark and Ines Merolli

Michael and Maya Mindlin

Samuel Pang and Andrew Pang

Art and Nicole Papas

Weibin Peng and Wendy Wang

Hao Tan Pi and I-Tseng Chan

Leonard Rosen

Eden and Lauren Siff

Robert and Tamara Sitkoff

Robert and Sara Spalding

John D. Spooner

Chaoran Sun and Jing Sun

James and Liza Tague

Eliot and June Tatelman

The Hawk Foundation

David Young and Michelle Mayer

May Circle

($2,500 + )

Anonymous

Hussam and Arghavan Batal

Steven and Michelle Bearak

Carson Biederman and Susan MacPherson

Andrew Brzezinski and Ashley Tarokh

Carol Rohl and Amy Coe

Jason and Julia Hamilton

Christopher and Nicole Hurst

Kevin Johnson and Linda Lynch

Joy Kaplan and Becky Brooker

Jeffrey Karp and Jessica Simonetti

Rusty and Betsy Kellogg

Samuel Kellogg ’03

Mark Landis and Mary Singleton

Howard and Carla Leeder

John Liu and Sharon Song

Hari and Susmitha Mallidi

Blaine and Krista McKee

Jordan and Evonne Meranus

Todd and Stephanie Morrison

Erik and Ann Ostrowski

Adrian Priesol and Nurhan Torun

Laura E. Riley ’77

Michael Singer and Baharak Asefzadeh

Jihong Sun and Zhen Li

Stanley Szwartz and Jacqueline Washburn

Joshua and Tanja Tatelman

Jay and Lainie Wagner

Hubert and Evandra Williams

McCoy Circle

($1,000 + )

Anonymous (2)

Raja Elie Abdulnour and Julie Nijmeh

Pascal and Irina Aguirre

John and Betsy Allen

Paul and Veronica Apen

Shakil Aslam and Erica Gonella

W. Gerald and Patricia Austen

Jonathan and Julie Bedard

Damian and Cigdem Betebenner

Pat and Joan Byrne

Thomas Calhoun and Katherine Taylor

Bem and Victoria Claiborne

Elizabeth Cleveland ’71

Carol Tesone Croffy ’67

Trish Cucci

Suzanne Del Vecchio ’60

Kevin Dutt and Darlington Hicks

Michael and Laura Ehlers

Amanda Spooner Eppers ’88

Emmanuel and Karine Ernest

Henry and Niki Fayne

The Feaster Family

John Fitzgerald and Peggy St. Clair

Kevin and Carla Fitzgerald

Stephen and Elizabeth Foley

Gail Gabriel ’71 and Donald Kaiser

Eric and Kathleen Gheewalla

Charlie and Abby Glassenberg

Ilan and Alexandra Goldberg

David and Melissa Goldstone

Larry and Jacquelyn Gordon

Peter and Wendy Gordon

Bill and Judy Guild

Elisabeth Schneider Hall ’55

Laurie Hall

Lei Han and Tieying Yu

Allan Heff and Francine Laden

Neal and Susan Heffron

Jeff Hesselbein and Amy Bland

Julian Hickman

Ben Hinkle and Ann Walker

Heidrun Jacobi

William and Rebecca Knott

Aaron and Lauren Lapat

Lorenzo and Nelida Lepore

Miao Liu and Ting Huang

Holly Malin-Murray ’91

Peter and Cheryl Marconi

John and Carolyn McGillicuddy

Jennifer Mugar ’88

David and Heather Myers

Tom and Liz Niedermeyer

David Pellman and Margaret McLaughlin

John and Lisa Phillips

Nihar Prasanna and Tasneem Kanji

Jim and Cathy Rafferty

Nancy Starr Raphael ’53

Kathleen Riley ’61

Sharin Russell

Stephen and Darlene Sallan

Andrew Shimomura and Sarah Walters

Elizabeth and Rod Smith

Alexander and Caroline Stangle

John Stefanon and Michael Gackstetter

Christopher and Laura Suraci

John and Melinda Tarbox

Monte Wallace and Anne Wallace ’48

Nina Webber

David and Louisa West

Mahlet Woldemariam ’95

Simon Wong and Wincy Fung

John and Judie Wyman

Qin Zhu and Yong Cao

Middlesex Circle

($500 + )

Micah and Rebecca Adler

Imad and Rouba Bahhady

Suzanne Barrett ’70

Vicky Ann Barrette ’61

David Barron

Cynthia Blanco

Pamela Bottomley ’67

Bob and Julie Brayboy

Judith Brezniak ’60

Meg Caven and Laura Warren

Peter and Robin Cheung

Ray and Sheryl Comenzo

Patricia Folts Dooley ’45

Nancy Sobin Drourr ’66

Selma Duhovic ’02

James and Anastasia Economy

Brian and Susan Enyeart

Daniel and Erica Esrick

’’Richard and Marcy Hirschen

Ed Hjerpe

Mary Jo Goggin Hopkins ’48

Brian Hurley and Christine Cignoli

Carol Jason ’75

Eileen Kiley

Christian Klacko and Sandra Vrejan

Chappell and Elizabeth Lawson

Rossanna Lizama-Soto

Scott McIsaac and Suzanne Durrell

Domenic and Maria Messina

Angela Mong

Linda S. Moulton

Ammar and Barrie Naji

Joshua Neudel and Samantha Levine-Neudel

Craig and Jennifer Niemann

Jason Park and Cindy Na

Drew Peck and Liz Sullivan

Jennifer Perry Potter ’81

I attended Brimmer and May from kindergarten through my senior year of high school, and 10 years later still have so much gratitude for my experience. I built not only a network of friends and teachers, but a true community of family and lifelong mentors. My years at Brimmer didn’t just prepare me for success in college, they also led to confidence in my professional and personal life long after. This is the reason I continue to contribute to the Annual Fund. I know that any amount helps to ensure that others have the same experience I was so lucky to have.

—Hanna Pastor

’11

Andres Estrada and Sarah Brooks

Leslie Fallon ’66

Julia Feinstein ’00

Andy and Maggie Ferrara

Ann Marie Foran

Frances Fremont-Smith ’75

James Gammill and Susan Alexander

William and Janette Gartner

Celeste Gehring

Durrie Durant Golding ’75

John Green and Sue Green

Gary and Jill Hatton

Daniel and Melanie Rudoy

Garrett and Ludy Shih

Deon and Peggy Stander

Peter and Susan Stevens

Helen Sulkowski

Jukka and Suzanne Westhues

Joanne Seale Wilson

Helen and Tim Wright

Eric Zimmerman and Audrey Kalmus

Green and White Circle

($100 + )

Anonymous (9)

Cassie Abodeely

Denge and Megan Agola

Fernando and Andrea Aguirre

Laura E. Allison ’80

Edith C. Armstrong ’75

Will Menarndt

Angela Baggett

Aliaa Barakat

Brian and Shannon Beale

Virginia Beech

Mitchell and Mary Anne Bell

Carol Bello ’74 and Kenneth Bello

Ashley Bernon

Fritz Biederman

Mollye Lichter Block ’66

Jason Bock and Miriam Gates

Kyle Bond ’08

Moli Luo and Michelle Borkin ’02

David and Byrna Bornstein

Gena Comenzo

Sandra Cooper

Sarah Crane

Diana Clark Crookes ’65

David Cucchiara and Nicole Cariglia

Parker Curtis

David Cutler ’02

Sue Cuyler

Margaret Dastrup ’57

Nicole DeCesare

Harold Dennis and Elizabeth Gerlach

Steven and Heather DePaola

Shirley-Ann DePeiza

Molly Diamond ’09

Megan and Daniel Dolan

Helen Du

Holly Eaton ’09

Marilyn W. Edgerton

Lew Eisenberg and Nancy Farrell

Elizabeth Engellenner ’05

Tom Engellenner and Carol Stolberg

Ken and Patience Epstein

Nancy and Peter Bradley

Tom and Patty Bray

Andrea Brayboy ’99

Robert Brayboy ’98

Shani Breiman ’18

Gregory and Margie Breslin

Clarke Bruno and Julie Braverman Bruno

Margaret Burke

Joan and Brian Canavan

Haracy Cardosa

Jacob Chou ’29

Jessica Christian and Josh Weinger

Enrico and Ann Ciabattoni

Didem and Kelami Ertan

Leigh Fairchild-Coppoletti ’88

Kelly Feeley

Vincenzo and Diana Ferrara

Miroslava Fitkova

Mary Beth Flynn

Raymond W. Forgit

Brendan Frank

Barbara Nichols Freedman ’60

Laurie Silverman Friedell ’75

Thomas and Beth Fuller

Patrick Gallagher and Eliza Gallagher ’10

Edith Gheewalla

Constance Abramson Golden ’61

John and Anne Grandin

Sara Green

Janet Grenzke

Mary Ellen Grossman ’65

Brian and Lynne Harrington

David Heller

Maija Hinkle

Steven and Michelle Hoffman

Kristen Howard and Ivy Krull

Sam and Amanda Hsiao

Constance Huebner ’50

Joseph and Jill Iuliano

Anne Price Iverson ’61

Yuhong Jia and Lingsheng Dong

Brian Kane and Julianna Schantz-Dunn

Craig and Carol Kapson

David and Heather Kapson

Carl Katz and Leah Oko

Donna Kazanjian ’64

Ilyse Kennedy ’05

Jeannette Kensinger

Deborah King ’72

Eduwardo and Rosemelia Kirikihira

Katharine Kirk ’05

Kazumi Kobayashi

Joan Kolligian ’69

Jeremy and Reedy Kream

Jeffrey Lahens and Charmain Jackman

Phillip Lane and Sharifah Niles-Lane

Eleanor Latimer ’65

Kathryn and Brian Lee

Nancy Lemcke ’50

Ken and Robin Levine

Joseph Levinger and Elizabeth Murphy

David Lindert

Yair and Stephanie Listokin

Craig and Dorothy Mael

David Mael ’05

Charity Majuru

Phernel Manigat and Islande Donnat

Juan Carlos Martinez and Maria Diaz

Alex and Olena Matov

John Maynard

Courtney McGillicuddy ’89

Mike and Amy McHugh

Avalon and Nicole McLaren

Michael and Geralyn McLaughlin

Sheila Meek ’53

Beth Meister

Owen Meredith ’16

Emily Miller

Stephen Moore and Maria Walsh

Edward and Nancy Mortimer

Benjamin and Sophia Niehaus

J. David Niehaus and Angela Koshewa

Craig and Charlene Oliver

Michael Onderdonk and Roslyn Pedlar

Robert Palmer and Nancy Smith

Cecelia and Davis Pan

Joseph and Melissa Panto

Arthur and Tina Papas

Hanna Pastor ’11

John and Erin Pels

Cindy Pendergast

Ellen Pendergast ’70

Justin Peterson and Jenna Breslin

Stephen Pfaff

Diane Pierce-Williams ’70

Diana Luce Plunkett ’62

Ellen Polansky and Robert Chisholm

Jeffrey and Valerie Pontiff

Dante Poole and Sherrell Pierre

Patty Poulin

Beverly Purcell-Guerra ’62

Carl Rapisarda-Vallely and Patrick Vallely

Eric and Anne Reenstierna

Richard and Rosamond Reiber

William and Olivia Reyelt ’90

Jeff Richards and Kerry Doyle

Elizabeth Rimas

John Rimas

Neil and Linda Ripston

Rob and Jennifer Robertson

Mary T. Rogers

Craig Roman

Martin Roura and Veronica Picon

Mitchell Schultz and Cris Ratiner

Stephen and Sara Scolnick

Janet Selle ’75

Anatoli and Diana Shabashov

Edward and Oksana Shapiro

Larry and Joan Siff

Rachael Thorne Silard ’01

Sandra Siler

Peter Slaski and Ann-Marie Holland

Pamela Spires ’62

Ryann Stilton ’05

Hank and June Szretter

Harry Tan ’18

Zach and Barb Taylor

William and Annmarie Thibeault

Souren Tourian

Willa Grant Trevens ’58

Susan Salny Trilling ’69

Madeline Snow Typadis ’71

Ann Van Praag

Robert Warren and Jane Grayson

George Washko and Diana Gallagher

Josephine Wechsler ’54

Richard and Joan Whalen

Susan Donovan White ’77

Elizabeth T. Wicks ’62

Abraham Woldeselassie and Mahlet Gessese

James and Melanie Wolf

Rachel Wolf-Heyman and Jeffrey Heyman

Kim Woods and Stew Smith

Elizabeth Wooster

Kelah Worrell

Clark Yeager

Kurt and Barbara Yeager

De Hua Zhou and Xin Ru Lai

Qingqing Zhuo ’14

Melanie Zibit ’66

Bernard Zimmerman and Cheryl King

Prentice Zinn and Gabrielle Cobbs

Friends

Anonymous

Lauren Abrams

Simon Acevedo ’16

Hannah Ahearn ’20

Benjamin Alford ’13

Daniel and Rebecca Alperin

Jessie Alperin ’14

Anthony Anderson ’17

Luca Antonucci

Martha Arroyoave

Nikki and Nigel Atkins

Ottolie Baggett

Ted and Nanda Barker-Hook

Josephine Barron ’80

Andrew Beal

Selamawit Berhane ’97

Karen Bernanke

Brian Binkowski

Sandy Bland

Alexander Bourgeois and Emily Anesta

Nia Boutwell

Alison Brockman ’98

Dianne Leavitt Brooks ’69

Robert Brooks ’15

Courtney Camps ’04

Barbara Carey

Shana Carr ’04

Deb and Fidel Castro

Claire Chafee-Bahamon

Caroline Champa ’20

Joanne and Marc Clamage

Chloe Cochener ’19

David Cohen ’11

Aubrey Conquergood

Amanda Crater

Olivia Damson

Giselle Davis

Kathleen Delaney ’17

Tenzin Dengkhim

Patricia Foley Di Silvio, Ph.D. ’62

Irene Diamond

Caryl Diengott ’73

Craig and Juliet Eastland

Beth Escobar

Samantha Estrada ’20

Melany Ferrimy

Ali Fisher ’12

Quinn Fitzgerald ’07

Elizabeth Foley ’20

Ellen Foley

Matt Gallon

Linda Garrity

Jeff and Mary Gates

Taran Gavrin

Yawen Geng

Wendy Thorsen Gifford ’53

Jaye Giglio ’12

Samuel Girioni ’15

Barbara Glazerman ’55

Stephanie Golas

Charles and Julie Goldberg

Joan Goldberg ’61

Mirna Goldberger

Ronald Gonella

Jennifer Greene

Joan Greer ’62

Aldolfo and Francisca Guevara

James and Stephanie Guseh

Thelma and James Guseh

Samantha Strauss Hanman ’02

Katherine Hardiman ’11

Chris and Emily Hardman

Emma Hastings ’19

Michael Hastings ’18

Jo Edith Heffron

Jared Heller ’19

Hali Hellmuth

Kelsie Higbie

Linda Hiller ’64

Max Holman

Lindsay Horbatuck

Rupa Houndegla

Tiesha D. Hughes

Bill and Kerry Jacob

Michael and Crista Jaeckel

David Jellinek and Sarah Spitz

Julia Jennings

Grace Jia

Lyrae Johnson ’80

Meredith Kaiser ’05

Gemma Kevaney

Christian Kiley

Myra Korin

Meenakshi Kumar

Jen Kunkel

Joseph and Christina Lafferty

Paul Lafferty ’16

Michael Langlois

Mary Lantz

Michelle Levinger ’19

Jaime Lin

Marie Lindahl

Mary Cooper Little ’59

Erica Lopez ’65

John Louis and Sophya Williams-Louis

Emily Luckett

Ben Ma ’12

Laura Mackey

Nicholas Malakhow

Anson and Sandra Mancebo

Kentaro Marchionni ’08

Rafael Mares and Karla Van Praag

Dana Mathews

Alexandre J. Maximilien ’01

Ely Mesa

Stephen Moreno Jimenez ’20

Vance and Dananai Morgan

Ashley Mosley

Corey Murphy ’12

Paul and Sara Murray

Abigail Mynahan ’19

Geraldine and Alfred Nadaff

Mallorie Nai

Kelly Neely

Tom Nelson

Liz O’Leary

Mary Olian ’70

Alexandra Oliver-Davila ’86

Deborah O’Malley

Julie O’Neill

Angela Park

Ina Patel

Joshua Poresky ’19

Katherine Poulson

Rachael Rabinovitz

Donald Reese

Dona Rehm

Brent Ridge and Patricia MacKenzie

Dylan Rigol ’18

Janeata Robinson

Maggie Rosenbaum

Nicole Rudolph

Rafael Salazar-Zapata

Diana Scharrer

Caroline Scheibe

Thomas and Namrata Schmottlach

Helen Selle ’76

Corley Sims

Jodi Slater

Sally H. Smart ’73

Amy Smith

Eric Smith ’99

Jared Smith

Kenley Smith

Sarah Smith ’17

Amy Solomon ’75

Benjamin Sommers and Melissa Wachterman

Robert and Nancy Spalding

Enna Spivak ’17

Larry Stahley

Star Market GIVE BACK WHERE IT COUNTS Program

Stop & Shop Community

Bag Program

Christian Stratter

Lisa Summergrad

Jessica Sutula ’04

Janet Sweezey

Gretchen Thompson ’54

Kim Tolpa

Vicki Trinh

Michael and Jodie Vasily-Cioffi

Matt Vaughan

Taylor Vaughn

David and Jennifer Walsh

Jake Weinberg and Becky Cohen

Jody Weinberg and Jeffrey Kotkin

Anja Westhues ’20

Sarah Wyllie

Young Alumni

Leadership Club

Elizabeth Engellenner ’05

Katherine Kirk ’05

David Mael ’05

Alumni

Simon Acevedo ’16

Hannah Ahearn ’20

Benjamin Alford ’13

Laura E. Allison ’80

Jessie Alperin ’14

Anthony Anderson ’17

Edith C. Armstrong ’75

Suzanne Barrett ’70

Vicky Ann Barrette ’61

Carol Bello ’74

Selamawit Berhane ’97

Mollye Lichter Block ’66

Kyle Bond ’08

Michelle Borkin ’02

Sheera Bornstein ’03

Pamela Bottomley ’67

Andrea Brayboy ’99

Robert Brayboy ’98

Shani Breiman ’18

Judith Brezniak ’60

Eleanor Hoey Bright ’74

Alison Brockman ’98

Dianne Leavitt Brooks ’69

Robert Brooks ’15

Courtney Camps ’04

Shana Carr ’04

Caroline Champa ’20

Elizabeth Cleveland ’71

Chloe Cochener ’19

David Cohen ’11

Carol Tesone Croffy ’67

Diana Clark Crookes ’65

David Cutler ’02

Margaret Dastrup ’57

Suzanne Del Vecchio ’60

Kathleen Delaney ’17

Patricia Foley Di Silvio ’62

Molly Diamond ’09

Caryl Diengott ’73

Patricia Folts Dooley ’45

Nancy Sobin Drourr ’66

Selma Duhovic ’02

Holly Eaton ’09

Elizabeth Engellenner ’05

Amanda Spooner Eppers ’88

Samantha Estrada ’20

Leigh Fairchild-Coppoletti ’88

Leslie Fallon ’66

Carrie Farmer ’70

Julia Feinstein ’00

Ali Fisher ’12

Quinn Fitzgerald ’07

Elizabeth Foley ’20

Barbara Nichols Freedman ’60

Frances Fremont-Smith ’75

Laurie Silverman Friedell ’75

Gail Gabriel ’71

Eliza Gallagher ’10

Wendy Thorsen Gifford ’53

Jaye Giglio ’12

Samuel Girioni ’15

Barbara Glazerman ’55

Joan Goldberg ’61

Constance Abramson Golden ’61

Durrie Durant Golding ’75

Joan Greer ’62

Kenyon Grogan ’76

Mary Ellen Grossman ’65

Leslie Stimmel Guggiari ’73

Elisabeth Schneider Hall ’55

Samantha Strauss Hanman ’02

Katherine Hardiman ’11

Emma Hastings ’19

Matthew Hastings ’18

Michael Hastings ’18

Jared Heller ’19

Linda Hiller ’64

Emily C. Hood ’49 Foundation

Mary Jo Goggin Hopkins ’48

Constance Huebner ’50

Anne Price Iverson ’61

Lyrae Johnson ’80

Meredith Kaiser ’05

Donna Kazanjian ’64

Samuel Kellogg ’03

Ilyse Kennedy ’05

Deborah King ’72

Katharine Kirk ’05

Joan Kolligian ’69

Paul Lafferty ’16

Eleanor Latimer ’65

Nancy Lemcke ’50

Michelle Levinger ’19

Mary Cooper Little ’59

Erica Lopez ’65

Runeko Lovell ’03

Ben Ma ’12

David Mael ’05

Holly Malin-Murray ’91

Kentaro Marchionni ’08

Dana Mathews ’92

Alexandre J. Maximilien ’01

Courtney McGillicuddy ’89

Sheila Meek ’53

Owen Meredith ’16

Stephen Moreno Jimenez ’20

Jennifer Mugar ’88

Corey Murphy ’12

Abigail Mynahan ’19

Mary Olian ’70

Alexandra Oliver-Davila ’86

Hanna Pastor ’11

Ellen Pendergast ’70

Diane Pierce-Williams ’70

Diana Luce Plunkett ’62

Joshua Poresky ’19

Jennifer Perry Potter ’81

Beverly Purcell-Guerra ’62

Nancy Starr Raphael ’53

Olivia Reyelt ’90

Dylan Rigol ’18

Kathleen Riley ’61

Laura E. Riley ’77

Janice Rudolf ’66

Helen Selle ’76

Janet Selle ’75

Rachael Thorne Silard ’01

Sally H. Smart ’73

Eric Smith ’99

Sarah Smith ’17

Amy Solomon ’75

Pamela Spires ’62

Enna Spivak ’17

Ryann Stilton ’05

Jessica Sutula ’04

Harry Tan ’18

Gretchen Thompson ’54

Willa Grant Trevens ’58

Susan Salny Trilling ’69

Madeline Snow Typadis ’71

Linda Waintrup ’72

Anne Wallace ’48

Josephine Wechsler ’54

Anja Westhues ’20

Susan Donovan White ’77

Elizabeth T. Wicks ’62

Sara Withington ’55

Mahlet Woldemariam ’95

Qingqing Zhuo ’14

Melanie Zibit ’66

Board of Trustees

2020–2021

David P. Kreisler, Chairman, P ’17, ’19, ’23

Suzzara Chace Durocher, Co-Vice Chairman, P ’18, ’21

John R. Fitzgerald, Co-Vice Chairman, P ’07

John R. Allen, III, Clerk, P ’12

Lisa R. Hastings, Treasurer, P ’18, ’18, ’19

Judith S. Guild, Head of School

Johanna Black P ’14, ’19

Chris Chou P ’29, ’33

Carol Tesone Croffy ’67

Karine Ernest P ’09, ’14, ’19

Gail S. Gabriel ’71, P ’05

Jon Grenzke P ’31

Kenyon Bissell Grogan ’76

Leslie Stimmel Guggiari ’73

Gajen Kandiah P ’23

Bernard E. Kaplan P ’05, ’07

Thomas Knox P ’26, ’28, ’32

Howard Leeder P ’15, ’20

Richard Mynahan P ’19

Derick Rossi P ’26, ’28

Garth Smith P ’27

Linda S. Waintrup ’72, P ’02, ’06

Durrie Durant Golding ’75

Wendy Gordon

Mary Ellen Grossman ’65

Laurie Hall

Samantha Strauss Hanman ’02

David Heller

Samuel Kellogg ’03

Eileen Kiley

Susan Kirwan

Aaron and Lauren Lapat

Carla Leeder

Nancy Lemcke ’50

David Mael ’05

Jennifer Mugar ’88

Liz Niedermeyer

Roslyn Pedlar

Ellen Pendergast ’70

Jim Rafferty

Kathleen Riley ’61

Leonard Rosen

Larry Siff

Katherine Taylor

Sara Withington ’55

Helen Wright

Nancy Venti Yonge

Board of Visitors

Michelle Borkin ’02

Robert Brayboy ’98

David and Byrna Bornstein

Bob and Julie Brayboy

Marilyn W. Edgerton

Lew Eisenberg

Andy and Maggie Ferrara

Quinn Fitzgerald ’07

Shayne Gilbert

Parents by Class

Class of 2021 - 61%

Daniel and Rebecca Alperin

Imad and Rouba Bahhady

Ernest Boch, Jr.

Peter and Robin Cheung

Bem and Victoria Claiborne

John and Suzzara Durocher

Kristen Gillis

Jason and Julia Hamilton

Rupa Houndegla

Joy Kaplan and Becky Brooker

Christian Klacko and Sandra Vrejan

Robert and Helen Lockhart

Mike and Amy McHugh

Avalon and Nicole McLaren

John and Lisa Phillips

Jodi Slater

Christopher and Laura Suraci

Kelah Worrell

Qin Zhu and Yong Cao

Class of 2022 - 68%

Mosa and Laila Alomran

Mitchell and Mary Anne Bell

Andrew and Sarah Bishins

Amanda Spooner Eppers ’88

Kevin and Carla Fitzgerald

Brendan Frank

William and Janette Gartner

David and Melissa Goldstone

Heidrun Jacobi

Michael and Crista Jaeckel

Kevin Johnson and Linda Lynch

Carl Katz and Leah Oko

Meenakshi Kumar

Rossanna Lizama-Soto

Phernel Manigat and Islande Donnat

Rafael Mares and Karla Van Praag

John Maynard

Michael and Geralyn McLaughlin

Erik and Ann Ostrowski

Jason Park and Cindy Na

David Pellman and Margaret McLaughlin

Elizabeth Rimas

John Rimas

Martin Roura and Veronica Picon

Jeff and Chrissy Teschke

Class of 2023 - 68%

Clarke Bruno and Julie Braverman Bruno

Sarah Crane

Nicholas Cross and Kelly Lindert

Junhua Dong and Yan Kong

Kevin Dutt and Darlington Hicks

Ann Marie Foran

Paul and Cindy Gamble

Eric and Kathleen Gheewalla

Aldolfo and Francisca Guevara

Todd and Liz Hammer

Neal and Susan Heffron

Richard and Marcy Hirschen

Sam and Amanda Hsiao

Farouc Jaffer and Kathy Economy

Gajen and Elisabeth Kandiah

Robert Kass and Shayne Gilbert

Alexander and Jennifer Kozhemiakin

Robert and Helen Lockhart

Jack and Alexandra Lull

Hari and Susmitha Mallidi

Paul and Sara Murray

Ammar and Barrie Naji

Frank and Britta Nielsen

Robert Palmer and Nancy Smith

Art and Nicole Papas

William and Olivia Reyelt ’90

Elizabeth Rimas

John Rimas

James and Liza Tague

Jukka and Suzanne Westhues

David Young and Michelle Mayer

Prentice Zinn and Gabrielle Cobbs

Class of 2024 - 67%

Angela Baggett

Joan and Brian Canavan

Bem and Victoria Claiborne

Aubrey Conquergood

Panos and Sara Demeter

Kevin Dutt and Darlington Hicks

Jun Ge and Xiaolin Dai

Allan Heff and Francine Laden

Kristen Howard and Ivy Krull

Ed Jaramillo and Amy Wyss

Eduwardo and Rosemelia Kirikihira

Anson and Sandra Mancebo

David and Heather Myers

Young Park and Anja Langbein-Park

Jeffrey and Valerie Pontiff

Dante Poole and Sherrell Pierre

Jeff Richards and Kerry Doyle

John Stefanon and Michael Gackstetter

Joe and Katie Terino

Michael and Jodie Vasily-Cioffi

Gang Wu and Yi Xing

Maftouh Youssouff and Maria Aduse

We are deeply grateful that our daughter had the opportunity to study at Brimmer. The School’s commitment to education was evident not only in its ability to continue to educate kids incredibly well during COVID, but also beyond thanks to Brimmer’s deeply rooted pedagogy of meeting each child where they are to help them achieve their full potential. Brimmer is comprised of a special brand of educators— nurturing and expecting high-caliber work all at once, giving each child the tools and confidence they need to succeed. This special commitment to teaching at the highest levels comes through continually at Brimmer, but the moment that resounded with us in particular was seeing each senior receive their senior speech at graduation, highlighting the care and attention that had gone into educating each and every graduate and giving root to each of their diverse strengths and interests. Brimmer’s Annual Fund is a critical way to support these talented teachers and administrators in continuing their excellent work.

—Christian and Sandra Klacko P ’21

Class of 2025 - 73%

Raja Elie Abdulnour and Julie Nijmeh

Charles Altschul

Paul and Veronica Apen

Shakil Aslam and Erica Gonella

Paul Bernon

Steven and Heather DePaola

Kelly Feeley

Sean and Jennifer Anne Gavin

Lang and Irina Gerhard

Larry and Jacquelyn Gordon

Christopher and Nicole Hurst

Michael and Crista Jaeckel

Alexander and Jennifer Kozhemiakin

Jack and Alexandra Lull

Joseph and Melissa Panto

Weibin Peng and Wendy Wang

Eden and Lauren Siff

Susan Kirwan and Garth Smith

Peter and Susan Stevens

Jay and Lainie Wagner

Christopher and Elizabeth Walsh

Jake Weinberg and Becky Cohen

Hubert and Evandra Williams

Eric Zimmerman and Audrey Kalmus

Class of 2026 - 63%

Pascal and Irina Aguirre

Aliaa Barakat

Carson Biederman and Susan MacPherson

Cynthia Blanco

Andrew Brzezinski and Ashley Tarokh

William and Janette Gartner

Rupa Houndegla

Thomas and Kristin Knox

Yair and Stephanie Listokin

John Liu and Sharon Song

Phernel Manigat and Islande Donnat

Tracey McCain

Jordan and Evonne Meranus

Derrick Rossi and Nina Korsisaari

Garrett and Ludy Shih

David and Tatyana Souza

John and Melinda Tarbox

Jeff and Chrissy Teschke

Class of 2027 - 90%

Micah and Rebecca Adler

Shakil Aslam and Erica Gonella

Alexander Bourgeois and Emily Anesta

Carol Rohl and Amy Coe

Gena Comenzo

Panos and Sara Demeter

Tenzin Dengkhim

Craig and Juliet Eastland

Daniel and Erica Esrick

Ilan and Alexandra Goldberg

Sam and Amanda Hsiao

Brian Hurley and Christine Cignoli

Jeffrey Karp and Jessica Simonetti

Alexander and Jennifer Kozhemiakin

Chappell and Elizabeth Lawson

Mark and Marsha MacLean

Samuel Pang and Andrew Pang

Pam and Steve Rosenberg

Mitchell Schultz and Cris Ratiner

Robert Seaver and Tracey Bolotnick

Anatoli and Diana Shabashov

Oleg and Elena Shchegolev

Andrew Shimomura and Sarah Walters

Susan Kirwan and Garth Smith

Alexander and Caroline Stangle

Joshua and Tanja Tatelman

Class of 2028 - 86%

Steven and Michelle Bearak

Paul Bernon

Carson Biederman and Susan MacPherson

Didem and Kelami Ertan

Jeff Hesselbein and Amy Bland

Thomas and Kristin Knox

Jeffrey Lahens and Charmain Jackman

Mark Landis and Mary Singleton

Mark and Marsha MacLean

Craig and Charlene Oliver

Adrian Priesol and Nurhan Torun

Derrick Rossi and Nina Korsisaari

Michael Singer and Baharak Asefzadeh

Robert and Tamara Sitkoff

Robert and Sara Spalding

Zach and Barb Taylor

Steeve and Marie Texas

Jeffrey and Marla Wolk

Class of 2029 - 78%

Raja Elie Abdulnour and Julie Nijmeh

Denge and Megan Agola

Hussam and Arghavan Batal

Andrew Brzezinski and Ashley Tarokh

Chris and Jessica Chou

Daniel and Erica Esrick

Charlie and Abby Glassenberg

Ben Hinkle and Ann Walker

Phillip Lane and Sharifah Niles-Lane

Gareth and Lisa Amaya Price

Brent Ridge and Patricia MacKenzie

Eden and Lauren Siff

Benjamin Sommers and Melissa Wachterman

Joe and Katie Terino

Hubert and Evandra Williams

Rachel Wolf-Heyman and Jeffrey Heyman

Class of 2030 - 84%

Hussam and Arghavan Batal

Carson Biederman and Susan MacPherson

Carol Rohl and Amy Coe

Brian and Susan Enyeart

Lei Han and Tieying Yu

Scott and Danielle Herritt

David and Heather Kapson

Alexander and Jennifer Kozhemiakin

Todd and Stephanie Morrison

Joshua Neudel and Samantha Levine-Neudel

David and Tatyana Souza

Deon and Peggy Stander

Abraham Woldeselassie and Mahlet Gessese

Class of 2031 - 76%

Damian and Cigdem Betebenner

Alexander Bourgeois and Emily Anesta

Michael and Meghan Garcia-Webb

Ilan and Alexandra Goldberg

Jon Grenzke and Elizabeth Kensinger

Chris and Emily Hardman

Brian Kane and Julianna Schantz-Dunn

Jeffrey Lahens and Charmain Jackman

Dana Mathews ’92

Mark and Ines Merolli

Vance and Dananai Morgan

Robert Palmer and Nancy Smith

Daniel and Melanie Rudoy

Class of 2032 - 64%

Hussam and Arghavan Batal

Jonathan and Julie Bedard

Deb and Fidel Castro

Adam Cissell and April Nelson

Vincenzo and Diana Ferrara

Miroslava Fitkova

James and Stephanie Guseh

Jeff Hesselbein and Amy Bland

Thomas and Kristin Knox

Kathryn and Brian Lee

Abraham Woldeselassie and Mahlet Gessese

Rachel Wolf-Heyman and Jeffrey Heyman

Class of 2033 - 90%

Meg Caven and Laura Warren

Chris and Jessica Chou

Jessica Christian and Josh Weinger

David Cucchiara and Nicole Cariglia

Trish Cucci

Tenzin Dengkhim

Miroslava Fitkova

David and Heather Kapson

David and Stephanie Kessler

William and Rebecca Knott

John Louis and Sophya Williams-Louis

Juan Carlos Martinez and Maria Diaz

Michael and Maya Mindlin

Stephen Moore and Maria Walsh

John and Erin Pels

Justin Peterson and Jenna Breslin

Adam and Elika Portnoy

Simon Wong and Wincy Fung

Class of 2034 - 75%

Michael and Meghan Garcia-Webb

Kathryn and Brian Lee

Miao Liu and Ting Huang

Alex and Olena Matov

Vance and Dananai Morgan

Benjamin and Sophia Niehaus

Nihar Prasanna and Tasneem Kanji

Peter Slaski and Ann-Marie Holland

Chaoran Sun and Jing Sun

Grandparents

Fernando and Andrea Aguirre

Nathaniel Aguirre ’26

W. Gerald and Patricia Austen

William Lawson ’27

Ottolie Baggett

Oliver Baggett ’24

Fritz Biederman

Ginger Biederman ’26, Fischer Biederman ’28, Ford Biederman ’30

Sandy Bland

Edith Gheewalla

Thomas Gheewalla ’23

Charles and Julie Goldberg

Remi Goldberg ’31

Ronald Gonella

Alyssa Aslam ’25, Keira Aslam ’27

John Green and Sue Green

Elliot Fayne ’30

Janet Grenzke

Juliet Grenzke ’31

Thelma and James Guseh

James Guseh ’32

Jo Edith Heffron

Ariella Heffron ’23

Maija Hinkle

Julia Hinkle ’29

Craig and Carol Kapson

Parker Kapson ’30, Bode Kapson ’33

Jeannette Kensinger

Juliet Grenzke ’31

Mary Lantz

Samuel Gavin ’25

Ken and Robin Levine

Jacob Neudel ’30

Marie Lindahl

Jazzy Lang ’24

David Lindert

Kieran Cross ’23

Charity Majuru

Zahir Morgan ’31, Aydin Morgan ’34

Angela Mong

Jacob Chou ’29, Emilia Chou ’33

Edward and Nancy Mortimer

Julian Tague ’23

J. David Niehaus and Angela Koshewa

Theodore Niehaus ’34

Arthur and Tina Papas

Grace Papas ’23

Dan and Deb Peterson

Maxwell Hesselbein ’28, Meredith Hesselbein ’32, Phoebe Hesselbein ’32

Gregory and Margie Breslin

Connor Peterson ’33

Judith Brezniak ’60

Kate Hirschen ’23

Claire Chafee-Bahamon

Shyla Fernandes ’25

Ray and Sheryl Comenzo

Nydia Comenzo ’27

James and Anastasia Economy

Nicholas Jaffer ’23

Henry and Niki Fayne

Elliot Fayne ’30

Joseph S. Feaster, Jr.

Jaedin Feaster ’28

Tom and Joan Feeley

Madeleine Pogoda ’25

Raymond W. Forgit

Ana Forgit ’21

Connor Peterson ’33

Neil and Linda Ripston

John Pels ’33

Mary T. Rogers

Elliot Enyeart ’30

Stephen and Sara Scolnick

Chloe Rose Scolnick ’25

Sandra Siler

Ella Eastland ’27

Robert and Nancy Spalding

George Spalding ’28

John D. Spooner

Marlo Frank ’22

Jihong Sun and Zhen Li

Neil Sun ’34

Eliot and June Tatelman

Peyton Tatelman ’27

Ann Van Praag

Zakkai Mares-Van Praag ’22

David and Jennifer Walsh

Ada Moore ’33

Robert Warren and Jane Grayson

Jonah Warren ’33

Joanne Seale Wilson

William Lawson ’27

James and Melanie Wolf

Mia Heyman ’29

Jonah Heyman ’32

Past Parents

John and Betsy Allen

Andrew Beal

Jeff and Jody Black

David and Byrna Bornstein

Nancy and Peter Bradley

Tom and Patty Bray

Bob and Julie Brayboy

Pat and Joan Byrne

Thomas Calhoun and Katherine Taylor

Barbara Carey

Joanne and Marc Clamage

Harold Dennis and Elizabeth Gerlach

Shirley-Ann DePeiza

Irene Diamond

Megan and Daniel Dolan

Nancy Sobin Drourr ’66

Lew Eisenberg and Nancy Farrell

Tom Engellenner and Carol Stolberg

Ken and Patience Epstein

Emmanuel and Karine Ernest

Andy and Maggie Ferrara

John Fitzgerald and Peggy St. Clair

Gail Gabriel ’71 and Donald Kaiser

James Gammill and Susan Alexander

Linda Garrity

Peter and Wendy Gordon

John Greene

Laurie Hall

Mark and Lisa Hastings

Gary and Jill Hatton

David Heller

Hali Hellmuth

Tiesha D. Hughes

Joseph and Jill Iuliano

Bill and Kerry Jacob

David Jellinek and Sarah Spitz

Yuhong Jia and Lingsheng Dong

Bernie and Faith Kaplan

Rusty and Betsy Kellogg

Eileen Kiley

Kazumi Kobayashi

Jeremy and Reedy Kream

David Kreisler and Gwyn Williams

Joseph and Christina Lafferty

Aaron and Lauren Lapat

Caroline Levine

Joseph Levinger and Elizabeth Murphy

Craig and Dorothy Mael

John and Carolyn McGillicuddy

Scott McIsaac and Suzanne Durrell

Richard and Jennifer Mynahan

Geraldine and Alfred Nadaff

Tom and Liz Niedermeyer

Craig and Jennifer Niemann

Michael Onderdonk and Roslyn Pedlar

Cecelia and Davis Pan

Drew Peck and Liz Sullivan

Cindy Pendergast

Jim and Cathy Rafferty

Carl Rapisarda-Vallely and Patrick Vallely

Eric and Anne Reenstierna

Richard and Rosamond Reiber

Laura E. Riley ’77

Janeata Robinson

Stephen and Darlene Sallan

Larry and Joan Siff

Elizabeth and Rod Smith

John D. Spooner

Hank and June Szretter

Daniel and Linda Waintrup ’72

David and Louisa West

Elizabeth Wooster

Helen and Tim Wright

John and Judie Wyman

Christopher Yonge and Nancy Venti Yonge

Faculty & Staff

Cassie Abodeely

Lauren Abrams

Luca Antonucci

Martha Arroyoave

Nikki Atkins

Will Arndt

Ted Barker-Hook

Andrew Beal

Brian Beale

Karen Bernanke

Brian Binkowski

Jason Bock

Nia Boutwell

Nancy Bradley

Patty Bray

Tom Bray

Deb Castro

Jessica Christian

Joanne Clamage

Amanda Crater

Parker Curtis

David Cutler ’02

Sue Cuyler

Olivia Damson

Nicole DeCesare

Megan Dolan

Helen Du

Amanda Spooner Eppers ’88

Beth Escobar

Melany Ferrimy

Ellen Foley

Frances Fremont-Smith ’75

Matt Gallon

Jeff Gates

Mary Gates

Taran Gavrin

Stephanie Golas

Mirna Goldberger

Jennifer Greene

Judy Guild

Chris Hardman

Hali Hellmuth

Julian Hickman

Kelsie Higbie

Max Holman

Lindsay Horbatuck

Rupa Houndegla

Joseph Iuliano

Bill Jacob

Julia Jennings

Grace Jia

Yuhong Jia

Gemma Kevaney

Christian Kiley

Myra Korin

Jen Kunkel

Michael Langlois

Kathryn Lee

Jaime Lin

Emily Luckett

Laura Mackey

Nicholas Malakhow

Courtney McGillicuddy ’89

Beth Meister

Ely Mesa

Domenic Messina

Emily Miller

Ashley Mosley

Paul Murray

Geraldine Nadaff

Mallorie Nai

Kelly Neely

Tom Nelson

Joshua Neudel

Liz O’Leary

Deborah O’Malley

Julie O’Neill

Cecelia Pan

Angela Park

Ina Patel

Patty Poulin

Katherine Poulson

Rachael Rabinovitz

Carl Rapisarda-Vallely

Donald Reese

Dona Rehm

Brent Ridge

Janeata Robinson

Craig Roman

Maggie Rosenbaum

Nicole Rudolph

Sharin Russell

Rafael Salazar-Zapata

Diana Scharrer

Caroline Scheibe

Namrata Schmottlach

Thomas Schmottlach

Corley Sims

Peter Slaski

Elizabeth Smith

Eric Smith ’99

Jared Smith

Kenley Smith

Larry Stahley

Christian Stratter

Lisa Summergrad

Janet Sweezey

Stanley Szwartz

Kim Tolpa

Vicki Trinh

Matt Vaughan

Taylor Vaughn

Rachel Wolf-Heyman

Sarah Wyllie

In Honor Of

Jacob Chou ’29

In honor of Thomas Fuller

Bem and Victoria Claiborne

In honor of Josh Neudel, Beth Escobar, Ted Barker-Hook, and Brimmer’s support team

Ray and Sheryl Comenzo

In honor of Nydia Comenzo ’27

Margaret Cobb Dastrup ’57

In honor of classmate

Dr. Anita Panenka Hoffer

Tenzin Dengkhim

In honor of Tenzin Choeku Dengkhim –

A Fallen Military Hero

Nancy Sobin Drourr ’66

In honor of Judy Guild and the entire Alumni Team and Anne Reenstierna’s birthday

Andres Estrada and Sarah Brooks

In honor of the dedicated faculty and staff of Brimmer and May School

Laurie Silverman Friedell ’75

In honor of Richard Silverman

Constance Abramson Golden ’61

In honor of our 60th reunion

David and Melissa Goldstone

In honor of Joe Iuliano and Josh Neudel

Jo Edith Heffron

In honor of Ariella Heffron ’23

David Heller

In honor of Jared Heller, Brimmer ’19, Haverford ’23

Robert Kass and Shayne Gilbert

In honor of Marlie Kass ’23’s 16th Birthday

Christian Kiley

In honor of hugs

Eileen Kiley

In honor of Kerry Kiley Byrne

Christian Klacko and Sandra Vrejan

In honor of the amazing teachers and staff at Brimmer

Charity Majuru

In honor of Zahir ’31 and Aydin Morgan ’34

Vance and Dananai Morgan

In honor of Zahir ’31 and Aydin Morgan ’34

Linda S. Moulton

In honor of the class of 1975

Ammar and Barrie Naji

In honor of Yemen and Nazir Naji

Robert Palmer and Nancy Smith

In honor of Lilianna ’23 and Juliette Palmer ’31

Dan and Deb Peterson

In honor of Connor Justin Peterson ’33

Carl Rapisarda-Vallely and Patrick Vallely

In honor of Sharin Russell

Neil and Linda Ripston

In honor of John Pels ’33

Mitchell Schultz and Cris Ratiner

In honor of the Middle School administration and teachers

Brimmer and May School is a school like no other. It is a place where our two children are inspired to become lifelong learners and encouraged to become leaders in this diverse and global world. They have grown in ways they would not have elsewhere due to Brimmer’s sound mission and its application by excellent teachers and administrators. The teachers are dedicated, thoughtful, and nurturing. They provide rigorous academic challenges, as well as the tools and strategies needed to meet those challenges. The administration has its focus on the sound operation and continued relevance of a Brimmer education as it looks towards the future. The unparalleled experience our children receive is even greater than the sum of its parts. The glue that binds all of this together is the additional resources provided through the Annual Fund. During the most recent academic year, in what may have been one of the most challenging times in the School’s history, Annual Fund resources were crucial to the School’s continued in-person education and the uncompromising safety practices implemented within the Brimmer community. As a family, we are committed to supporting Brimmer through the Annual Fund.

—Chris (Trustee) and Jessica Chou P ’29, ‘33

David and Jennifer Walsh

In honor of Ada Moore ’33

James and Melanie Wolf

In honor of Rachel Wolf-Heyman,

Mia Heyman ’29, and Jonah Heyman ’32

Jeffrey and Marla Wolk

In honor of Serenity Wolk’s 5th grade graduation

The Wright Family

In honor of Nancy Drourr

Melanie Zibit ’66

In honor of Nancy Sobin Drourr for her dedication to Brimmer and her years in the Development Office

In Memoriam

Selamwit Berhane ’97

In memory of Barbara Shoolman

Karen Bernanke

In memory of Harold Bernanke

Margaret Burke

In memory of Ruth Whitaker Whalen

Susanne Del Vecchio ’60

In memory of Kathy Kelety

Nancy Sobin Drourr

In memory of Carolyn Plute’s husband

Marilyn Edgerton

In memory of Ruth Whitaker Whalen

Mirna Goldberger

In memory of Monica Steinert

Holly Malin-Murray ’91

In memory of Barbara Shoolman

Michael and Geralyn McLaughlin

In memory of Poppy and Grandpa Mac

Emily Miller

In memory of Jean Kuhl

Madeline Snow Typadis ’71

In memory of Anastasia Troubalos ’71

The Wright Family

In memory of Ann Burke Perik

In Memory of David Russell

Virginia Beech

Carol Tesone Croffy ’67

Nancy Sobin Drourr ’66

Linda Garrity

Joseph and Jill Iuliano

Lorenzo and Nelida Lepore

Sharin Russell

Jody Weinberg and Jeffrey Kotkin

In Memory of Dot Raymon

Nancy Sobin Drourr ’66

Lew Eisenberg and Nancy Farrell

Linda Garrity

Eric and Anne Reenstierna

Jody Weinberg and Jeffrey Kotkin

In Memory of Jim Orr

Virgina Beech

Patty Bray

Pat and Joan Byrne

Carol Tesone Croffy ’67

Nancy Sobin Drourr ’66

Lew Eisenberg and Nancy Farrell

Amanda Spooner Eppers ’88

Andy and Maggie Ferrara

Linda Garrity

Jon Grenzke and Elizabeth Kensinger

Jeffrey and Kenyon Grogan ’76

Judy and Bill Guild

Bernard and Faith Kaplan

Howard and Carla Leeder

Art and Jeanne Meehan

Richard and Jennifer Mynahan

Stephen Pfaff and “The Villagers”

Patty Poulin

Eric and Anne Reenstierna

Sharin Russell

Joan and Lawrence Siff

Amy Elizabeth Smith

Elizabeth and Rod Smith

Linda Waintrup

Nina Webber

Jody Weinberg and Jeffrey Kotkin

In Memory of Robert (Bob) J. Whalen

Ann Ciabattoni, her sisters, and Enrico Ciabattoni

Mary Beth Flynn

Brian and Lynne Harrington

Ed Hjerpe

Ellen Polansky and Robert Chisholm

Richard and Joan Whalen

Robert and Kristen Whalen

Clark Yeager

Kurt and Barbara Yeager

Bernard Zimmerman

In Memory of Mollye Lichter Block ’66

Nancy Sobin Drourr ’66

Leslie Fitzgerald Fallon ’66

Eric and Anne Reenstierna

Janice Rudolf ’66

Melanie Zibit ’66

Gifts in Kind

Elizabeth and Rod Smith

Garth Smith and Susan Kirwan

Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP

Bill and Judy Guild

Gad Liwerant and Rebeca Zichlin