First Day of (Remote) School
“…social support provided by teachers was the only inter-individual factor that influenced students' engagement (in online learning). Moreover, the sense of community was also a significant direct predictor of online learners' engagement.”
— from “Psychological Engagement of Students in Distance and Online Learning: Effects of Self-Efficacy and Psychosocial Processes” in the Journal of Educational Computing Research, Volume: 55 issue: 2, page(s): 197-218
March 31 is the first day of school at Brimmer and May, again. In September, the first day of school comes with both a feeling of genuine loss for the life experiences of the previous three months—weekends at the beach, adventures with friends, family vacations, summer camp activities, summer sports leagues, summer stock theater—and a feeling of real excitement—reconnecting with schoolmates and making new friends, meeting teachers, diving into next level course work, trying out for a team, auditioning for the fall play, or joining a fun after school activity.
Our first day of remote school may feel like it comes with less excitement—and certainly we will feel some loss of physical connection, school programming, and personal and community life experiences that occur during final quarter of the school year—but we will continue to join together as a learning community. While we take the necessary steps to secure our own and our fellow community members’ good health, we will continue to attend and conduct classes. These will include live discussions—in English, French, Mandarin, and Spanish—reading and writing, calculating and computing, creating and designing, and thinking, and sharing. We may be limited temporarily to seeing each other and ourselves only through the modern version of Alice’s Looking Glass—the electronic screen—for the next several weeks, but our Wonderland will still be the Brimmer and May School, a community of students, teachers, parents, staff, administrators, trustees, and alumni. The defining characteristics of our community are reflected in the quote above; this school is a legitimate community not constrained by physical space but defined by shared experiences, shared values, shared ideals, and a shared commitment to learning.
So on March 31, it’s time to break out a second set of back-to-school clothes, sharpen up your pencils, get out your notebooks, put on your thinking caps, and pull up next to your friends online for some Brimmer and May home cooking. There you will find comfort food served up by Brimmer and May’s faculty and staff: familiar classes, fun collaborations, and the finest school community looking froward to your return. You are one click away from our school community; go to Zoom and select “Join.” We greatly anticipate seeing you online, for now, and in person, as soon in the future as we can.
Brimmer and May School
69 Middlesex Road
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
617-566-7462
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.