Carl Vallely's Blog

List of 20 news stories.

  • Winter Curriculum Highlights

    The winter months are a busy time in the Middle School at Brimmer. I wanted to share with you some of the exciting units of study students have been exploring.

  • Exploring the Lessons of History: MS Classroom Highlights

    In my recent classroom visits, I focused on our Middle School history classes. Studying history is particularly crucial at this moment in time because it offers valuable insights into the patterns and consequences of human behavior. 

  • The Power of Questions

    Questions are the keys that unlock the doors to knowledge, creativity, and growth. They ignite curiosity and inspire us to explore the world around us. Today, I want to emphasize just how crucial it is to ask questions, not just in the classroom but in every aspect of your life.

  • A Student-Centered Approach to Learning

    Brimmer’s Middle School prides itself on being a student-centered environment. Student-centered learning is a pedagogical approach that prioritizes the needs, interests, and abilities of individual students. 

  • Winter Middle School Curriculum Highlights

    With the new quarter came new units of study across the Middle School. Students in Science 6 have been studying the physics and engineering of bridges. In Grade 7 Visual Art, students are beginning a project in tandem with their current science unit on Biomimicry Design.

  • A Wonderful Start to the Year

    Our students have begun to settle into the new year. They are making new friends, getting to know their teachers, and launching into their studies. Our trip to Camp Northwoods was a success as students built relationships through community building activities and got to know each other across grade levels. 

  • Sparking Joy

    Before the pandemic, Marie Kando’s KonMari method went viral. The KonMari Method is a simple method of decluttering both literally and metaphorically. It uses a unique selection criterion that enables one to choose to hold onto only what sparks joy.

  • Middle School Winter Curriculum Highlights

    One of the highlights of my week is visiting our Middle School classrooms. It is always wonderful to see first-hand the incredible teaching and learning that happens in our classes daily.

  • Theater Arts is Back on Stage

    It has been almost two years since a Middle School production has been performed live on the stage at Brimmer. I’ve had the opportunity to watch some of the rehearsals for the fall play, The Witches, and I can’t wait to see the full production in December.

  • Resilience When the World is Watching

    Resilience is the ability to withstand adversity and bounce back from difficult life events. Being resilient does not mean that people don't experience stress or emotional reactions. Resilience is important because it gives people the strength needed to process and overcome hardship.

  • Finding Light in Times of Darkness

    It is so easy to focus on the darkness of these last 16 months, but as we head into summer, I hope you too will be able to take some time to reflect on the light you experienced during this challenging year.

  • Inclusive & Diverse Curriculum in MS

    The MS English Department has prioritized crafting an inclusive, diverse curriculum that aims to provide our students with "windows and mirrors."

  • Reinforcing Research Skills & Strategies for Middle Schoolers

    In the 6th grade at Brimmer, core research skills are taught and reviewed across disciplines to prepare students to take on more in-depth research projects in the later Middle School and Upper School years. 

  • Ensuring our Democracy Endures: A Response to the Attack on the U.S. Capitol

    Despite the horrors seen in our nation’s capital yesterday, I am confident that we will walk through this moment together, that our democracy will endure, and that we will emerge from this moment. However, we must also recognize and call out the evils that led to the attack and continue to grapple with how we got to this point.

  • A Brimmer Core Value: Kindness

    I reflected on our core value of kindness and the notion of tuning out unkindness. In fact, I thought about it even one step further, about taking unkind words or actions, and doing what one can do to turn them into something positive.

  • Take Each Tear and Grow Together

    We must continue to do our part break down these systems of oppression so that we can create a more just and equitable world. In order to do so, we must listen to, look at, and learn from the injustices that have happened in our country, not just in the last week, the last month, or the last year, but for generations. 

  • Monday Middle School Moments - A Glimpse into Brimmer's Middle School

    Over the past few months, Middle School Dean of Students Dr. Gallon and I created a series of short, fun videos to share more about the tenets of Brimmer’s Middle School program. These #MondayMiddleSchoolMoments showcase the ways that our Middle School program furthers Brimmer’s Lower School educational philosophy that focuses on the whole child and builds academic and social skills for success as students take on greater independence and responsibility.

  • Giving Back: A Look at Community Service in Middle School

    Community service is a key part of the Middle School experience at Brimmer, and I want to highlight three initiatives that work towards fulfilling our mission to develop ethical citizens who contribute to the greater good in our diverse world.

  • Curriculum Spotlight: Inquiry-Based Approach to MS Science

    I want to share a snapshot of one of our classes, Science 7, that highlights the project and inquiry-based approach that we believe leads to a vibrant learning environment for our students.   

  • What Are We Reading Now?

    Reading is the foundation of all learning. School administrators set the tone in a school in so many ways, and authentically promoting reading is one of the priorities of the educational leaders of the school.

    • Head of Middle School Carl Rapisarda Vallely with Middle School students.

Brimmer and May School

69 Middlesex Road
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
617-566-7462
As an inclusive private school community, Brimmer welcomes students who will increase the diversity of our school. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, or any other characteristic protected from discrimination under state or federal law, in the administration of our educational policies, admissions practices, financial aid decisions, and athletic and other school-administered programs.