Joshua Neudel's Blog

List of 20 news stories.

  • Opening Convocation Speech 2026

    "Building community rarely happens through one grand act. It happens through the choices we make every day. We notice someone. We ask a question. We take a risk. We imagine that something could be better."

  • Commencement Speech 2026

    "Class of 2026, may you move forward with confidence, but also with humility. May you speak clearly, but listen carefully. May you hold strong beliefs, but always be willing to look again. And when the world tries to convince you that the glass is only half full or half empty, I hope you remember: technically, the glass is always full."

  • Senior Dinner Speech 2026

    "Class of 2026, as your time at Brimmer comes to a close, I leave you with this: do not underestimate your impact. You have already made a difference here. You have left your mark on this school and on the people who had the privilege of teaching, coaching, advising, and learning alongside you."

  • Honors Convocation Speech 2026

    "Some of that growth is easy to see. Some of it is quiet. And some of it may not be fully visible until next year, or even years from now. So today, as we celebrate the end of the year, let’s remember where the beauty really lives. It lives in the build-up. It lives in the work. It lives in the small choices, and the way you kept playing."
  • Photograph: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

    Extraordinary Possibilities Are Waiting

    In a school community devoted to encouraging students to explore, may we continue to help them see that even in the midst of ordinary routines, extraordinary possibilities are waiting just beyond the horizon. 

  • Teaching Leadership With Intention

    I recently had the opportunity to teach a session on running effective meetings with students in Brimmer’s Leadership Institute. As I prepared for the class, I found myself thinking not only about agendas, room setup, and discussion protocols, but also about the larger work we have done as a school to be intentional about leadership development.

  • Problem Solving Through Design

    Innovation, empathy, and creativity come together in powerful ways in the Upper School, where students are challenged to think beyond themselves and design with purpose. Courses like Problem Solving Through Design encourage students to engage deeply with real-world challenges.
     

  • What Students are Grateful For

    I am grateful for the joy our learning community brings to one another each day, for our dedicated faculty, and for the hard work our students put into their learning as they continually strive to grow. 

  • Student Creativity in Photography & Music Technology

    Students have been diving into authentic learning experiences, experimenting, designing, and producing work that is uniquely their own. These are the moments that showcase the best of the Upper School: students taking risks, expressing themselves, and discovering what they can create with the right tools, guidance, and imagination.
  • Upper School Technology Teacher Darol Ware working with students

    Incorporating AI In the Classroom

    Our Back-to-School Night in September is an opportunity to give families a taste of what students experience each day at Brimmer, including how our teachers are incorporating AI in their classrooms this fall.

  • Lead with Integrity

    Leading with integrity isn’t about being flawless. It’s the steady habit of taking responsibility, aligning conduct with conviction, and choosing the right thing, especially under pressure.

  • Sunita Williams Visits Brimmer and May

    The 12th grade and STEAM Diploma students recently had the unique experience of video conferencing with American Astronaut Sunita Williams while she was orbiting the Earth 250 miles away aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

  • Inter-Divisional Magic

    One of the very special parts about Brimmer and May is the positive interactions between Upper School students and younger students.

  • AI in the Classroom

    “Today’s version of AI is the worst version you will ever use” is a common statement that is shared among futurists and those thinking about the impact that generative artificial intelligence will have on our society—an idea that is supported simply by the level of accuracy that was seen with ChatGPT at this time last year versus it's improved accuracy. 

  • Creating Something Greater Than Ourselves

    This summer, many of you read the book The Boys in the Boat. Our school is like that boat. It’s not just the building, the classes, or the grades. It’s the sum of all of us, working together to create something greater than ourselves. 

  • Embrace the Impossible!

    While we cannot fully predict what will become possible in the next 4 or 8 years, we know that the skills you developed at Brimmer are the building blocks for your future success.

  • Using AI Effectively to Study for Exams

    As students head into assessment week, I wanted to share some helpful reminders for students who are preparing for exams as well as offering tips for using AI as an effective study tool.

  • Summer Reading

    Last spring, we had a March Madness-style bracket to choose the summer reading books for the Middle and Upper Schools.

  • Unleash Potential

    At Brimmer and May, your voices are valued, and we hope that you will be active participants in the learning process. The adults in our community have big hopes for you, and we work hard to help you achieve your goals.

  • Commencement 2023 Speech

    Read Head of Upper School Josh Neudel's remarks from Commencement 2023.

    • Josh Neudel

      Head of Upper School

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.