2015 Bement School viewbook

The Bement School THE BEMENT SCHOOL Fly on your own wings

94 Old Main Street P.O. Box 8 Deerfield, MA 01342 USA

Main phone (413) 774-7061 Admission Office (413) 774-4209 Fax (413) 774-7863 Email admit@bement.org

bement.org

K I N D E R G A R T E N

T H R O U G H

G R A D E

9

•

D A Y

&

B O A R D I N G

S C H O O L

welcome!

Finding the right school is about making a connection, finding a fit.

Bement fits both students who love school and students who don’t yet know they love school. It also fits students who want to pursue sports and arts as well as students who have not yet discovered their passion but are eager to do so. Bement welcomes families wanting a community that knows, appreciates, and values their child, and where all children can be themselves. At Bement, students explore questions and discover their best selves. Parents recognize that Bement is a closely knit community in which dedicated faculty and staff work with students to challenge and support them in the classroom, on the stage and fields, and in dormitories. We live our mission every day: “From the classroom to the dorms, we live and learn as a family, while encouraging responsibility for our own work and actions.” We support personal growth and prepare our students to “fly on their own wings” in secondary school. If you want to learn more about The Bement School, this book will help you discover more about who we are and what we offer all students.

We encourage you to visit Bement for a closer, more personal look. Bement is a great fit for many; come see if it is the right fit for you.

M I S S I O N The Bement School provides an education based on time-honored school traditions and values for children in kindergarten through ninth grade, day and boarding. From the classrooms to the dorms, we live and learn as a family, while encouraging responsibility for our own work and actions. Bement actively seeks an academically diverse, international, and multicultural student body. Students and adults at Bement work together to create a climate of acceptance, kindness, and challenge, which nurtures each child intellectually, creatively, physically, and emotionally.

D I V E R S I T Y M I S S I O N Guided by The Bement School mission, the school is committed to creating a diverse coeducational community of students, faculty, staff, administrators, and trustees representing a breadth of race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, family structure, socioeconomic status, and religious affiliation. The school seeks to provide an inclusive environment in which to foster mutual respect and understanding within our school and the world around us.

The Bement Community Community is at the center of all relationships we build at Bement, whether with one another or with the world beyond. Every day at Bement begins with a morning meeting. During our weekly all-school meetings, grades kindergarten through nine come together for performances and presentations. At our family-style lunches, faculty and students from different grades join one another at tables with assigned seating that rotates every three weeks. Our boarders come on average from 16 different states and countries, bringing a multiplicity of perspectives and traditions. In the lower school, our Reading Buddies program is an opportunity for older students to share stories with their younger peers. The upper school’s community service activities begin in sixth grade and culminate with an international service-learning trip in ninth grade. Community is an integral part of life at Bement. Kindness, respect, and belonging are words we live by, and Bement’s community is truly an example of faculty and students living and learning together in ways not often experienced elsewhere.

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MINI-TERM What do astronauts, the Great Wall of China, and Frank Lloyd Wright have in common? All were part of Bement’s mini-term topics in the last few years. Mini-term is a three-week period in December when everyone at Bement studies the same theme. When we studied space, we listened to an astronaut, who is also a Bement parent, tell us firsthand about life on the International Space Station. When we studied China, we benefited from the expertise of our Chinese students. Likewise, our architecture mini-term was enhanced by a past parent who is an architect and who designed several of our buildings.

Innovative projects and electives, all-school field trips, guest speakers, and performers allow students and teachers to learn and work together.

Upper and lower school students share group work, thus strengthening the bond between them.

Mini-term is a long-standing, much-anticipated yearly tradition.

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The Heart of Bement— Talented and Dedicated Faculty A 1968 graduate of Bement described his educators this way: “My teachers saw the good in every child.” More than 40 years later, this teaching ethos continues to thrive. With an average class size of 12 in the lower school and 15 in the upper school, Bement teachers know their students well.

Our teachers are enthusiastic about their students and their jobs, and they look forward to coming to work each day. In this environment, devoted adults know students in multiple contexts and can most effectively inspire and empower them. Our teachers, coaches, and dorm parents are dedicated to knowing and nurturing the whole child. Our faculty attend weekly meetings in which they discuss our students and strategize how best to serve them. Dorm parents attend an additional weekly meeting on Monday mornings to review the weekend’s activities, from day trips to dorm chores. At Bement, students are not just part of a class or grade; each student is known and makes a difference. The faculty extends respect to the students, and expects that students will contribute to the community atmosphere we strive to maintain: one of diversity, kindness, diligence, honesty, friendship, and laughter.

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A school can have the newest technology or the greatest buildings, but it’s the people who make the school what it is.

ALUM

Bement is a school in which students are nurtured, teachers are respected, individuality is supported, and arts and music are treasured. PARENT

From day one, we teach them to try new things—to take chances—and we support them in all they do. Wonderful things happen here. FACULTY I work in a community of teachers who are looking for the good in children and who are actively seeking the best from children in order to celebrate who they are and who they can become. FACULTY

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O U R S O N had been at Bement since kindergarten, and as the eighth grade drew to a close, he felt the pull of the larger world and wasn’t sure he wanted to stick around for the ninth grade. We hoped he’d stay but left the decision up to him. At almost literally the last minute, he decided: Bement!

It turned out to be one of the best decisions of his life.

PARENT

Lower School

GRADES KINDERGARTEN–5

A common sight at Bement is seeing lower schoolers skipping down the path each morning to join their teachers and friends for another school day. Warmth and smiles greet each child.

The family atmosphere pours from every corner of the lower school. Classrooms are found in small houses filled with unique character. Our days begin with a morning meeting, during which teachers read aloud, lead the group in song, or present on relevant topics.

What makes Bement special is the joy with which each member of the community arrives each day. The students

The structure of the lower school day is optimally designed for young children.

The curriculum includes physical education and daily fine arts (both vocal and instrumental music, drama, and visual arts); world languages (Chinese, French, and Spanish); and academics that both enrich and challenge. In addition to a rigorous curriculum, we also value outdoor play. An array of play structures delight children on our playground, as does an enchanting cedar tree grove, where children play “store,” make mud pies, and build fairy houses among the thick roots. Our lunch tables, each headed by an adult, seat a mix of all grades in the lower school. Our family-style meals provide an opportunity to develop healthy eating habits as well as appropriate table manners and conversation skills.

are excited to come to school every morning, to see their friends and teachers, and to learn from one another. The teachers have smiles just as big as their students’ on their faces when the students enter the room.

FACULTY

In the lower school, each grade typically has one or two classrooms. Lower school students become accustomed to transitioning from their home classroom to different teachers for art, drama, world languages, music, and physical education. Fifth grade students experience coursework and expectations from two daily academic teachers—one for math and science, and the other for language arts and social studies—preparing students for the upper school.

At the core of Bement’s curriculum is the kind treatment of others. Classroom teachers begin the year by developing a student-generated list of expectations on which kindness and respect are always featured.

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Lower School GRADES KINDERGARTEN–5

LANGUAGE

ARTS

MATHEMATICS

SCIENCE

A D V E N T U R E My daughter started Bement in kindergarten and graduated at the end of ninth grade.

Her experiences were plentiful: learning how to swim, skate, ski, and climb mountains; exploring new languages, world history, math, and science; and acquiring a love of reading and writing. Most importantly, Bement lets children grow up at their own pace. PARENT

SOCIAL

I N

WORLD

LANGUAGES

L E A R N I N G

Beginning in kindergarten, students develop pre-reading skills through a variety of methods.

Students in all grades (K–5) participate in a balanced literacy program that is literature based.

This program includes shared reading, independent reading, guided reading, assessment, literature circles, and a supplementary reading and spelling program called Fundations (K–3).

Social studies, science, and art integrate with language arts through thematic teaching.

Bement students learn to read in grades K–2 and read to learn in grades 3–5.

Our early literacy and numeracy curricula offer a firm foundation for the years ahead.

The Zaner-Bloser handwriting program is part of our grades K–2 curricula. The Benbow cursive handwriting technique is introduced in grade 3.

Bement approaches the teaching of mathematics by creating a balance among conceptual understanding, computational fluency, problem solving and reasoning, and the use of technology to support curriculum. Teachers support a Math Talk Community, where students have opportunities to invent, question, model, represent, and explore while learning to practice important

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STUDIES

math strategies. Teaching goals include providing an inquiry environment that develops effective conceptual, visual, and linguistic supports. Further goals include students taking responsibility for their own learning as well as partnering with teachers and parents to foster invention, representation, exploration, and development of math strategies—both orally and in writing.

The five themes of geography—namely location, place, human-environmental interactions, movement, and region—establish a foundation for our social studies instruction.

We introduce science to our lower school students through a unified science curriculum, which is hands-on, discovery oriented, and inquiry based. Each term, lower school students study an earth science, a life science, or a physical science. We encourage students to ask questions about the natural world and to use observed evidence to draw conclusions.

The science program prepares our students for the upper school science program. Lower school science often incorporates the classroom literacy-based themes, to enhance and enrich science learning.

Each lower school day is filled with opportunities to learn, to create, and to be challenged.

FO R DETAILED CU RR ICU LU M GU ID E

bement.org/academics

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Lower School GRADES KINDERGARTEN–5

A R T S

&

P H Y S I C A L

From the first day of kindergarten to the final weeks of ninth grade, arts and physical education are an integral part of daily life at Bement. We encourage each child to develop creativity, confidence, poise, skill, and maturity.

DRAMA

We believe drama, in its many forms, enables children to grow as communicators. Storytelling, pantomime, collaborative games, and shared goals all lead children toward growth. An ability to speak for oneself under different conditions is an essential skill. The responsibilities of actor and audience mesh in important ways. Stage performance builds confidence and public-speaking skills. And, just as important, we know how much fun it is.

VISUAL ART

Typically, lower school visual art assignments thematically correspond with academic coursework. Our art studios encourage an innovative, self-expressive process, and students in each grade create a yearly portfolio containing a self-portrait.

E D U C A T I O N

We proudly exhibit student artwork throughout the buildings on campus.

MUSIC

Our music program provides daily opportunities for students to sing and learn a musical instrument.

Our kindergarten and first grade curricula incorporate songs and dance into the daily fine arts class.

Students in second through fifth grades each have a term of music, which includes singing, reading music, and dancing. In addition, students learn to play the recorder in third grade. This prepares them for fourth and fifth grades, when they learn to play a band instrument and participate in a grade-level concert band.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Our athletics program aims to instill a lifelong respect for physical fitness, while emphasizing the importance of teamwork and sportsmanship.

In addition to our own fields, we enjoy the use of many of Deerfield Academy’s athletic facilities, including the swimming pool, track, and basketball and tennis courts.

PLAY We believe in the importance

of play and its role in a healthy, happy childhood. In K–5, the day begins with an outdoor recess, and students enjoy other recess time during the school day. This unstructured time allows students to use their imagination as they choose which games to play or invent.

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Glimpses of our school day—a supportive environment for exploration and discovery

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Lower School GRADES KINDERGARTEN–5

C R E A T I V E

A C A D E M I C

C U R R I C U L U M

The lower school curriculum is enhanced with projects, presentations, and hands-on learning that allow students to stretch themselves academically and socially. Having participated in daily fine arts since kindergarten, and performing onstage at least once a year, our students build confidence that permeates everything they pursue.

Our KINDERGARTEN program is an opportunity to explore our natural environment.

We learn about the world around us, from pumpkins and apples to maple sugaring.

Fairy houses, created and cared for by our youngest community members, become treasured places on campus.

FIRST GRADERS enjoy

many project-based units. A favorite is investigating our campus pond and learning about the life cycle of frogs. Reading, writing, and art are an integral part of this unit.

SECOND GRADERS continue

to celebrate their individuality in many ways. An author study of Tomie dePaola’s memoir style helps each student create a life memoir that is presented to parents and schoolmates at an Authors Tea. Research writing is introduced and combined with a scientific study of insects. Books and informational technology are used as resources, and children create a beautifully illustrated book that highlights their research. This project culminates in an Insect Fair presented to the Bement community in the spring.

Each year our lower school looks forward to the THIRD GRADERS’ biography study. This unit culminates with a much-loved Bement tradition, the Biography Fair, during which such luminaries as Amelia Earhart, Clara Barton, Sacagawea, Rosa Parks, Jackie Robinson, Maria Tallchief, and Albert Einstein transport us to their life and times. Other highlights of the third grade year include studying all of the states and presidents, and visits to the Amherst Cinema to study film in the See-Hear-Feel program.

FOURTH GRADERS immerse themselves in a study of colonial life. Historic Deerfield

provides students with primary and secondary sources for their hands-on unit of study.

Students develop study skills, as they are assigned the task of researching one of the historic homes. A culminating activity for this unit is an authentic Colonial Ball at the Hall Tavern.

Live music creates the backdrop as students, dressed in colonial clothing, learn a variety of period social dances. Parents and students enjoy a luncheon of early American recipes.

Our son came home from school yesterday, excited about the fishing trip he had taken with his class.

He also commented about what a fun year he had as a third grader and how much he was looking forward to fourth grade.

He said, “You know, Mom, it just keeps getting better and better. Each grade is more fun than the last one.” Proof positive that you are all doing things right! PARENT

Leadership opportunities abound for our FIFTH GRADERS. They are paired with kindergartners as Reading Buddies, and in the lunchroom they are responsible for getting food to all tables and heading tables. They end their year at Nature’s Classroom, an overnight experience in ecological, conservation, and outdoor education.

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The design of the Kittredge Building complements our upper school curriculum. The large, open space at the center of the building provides the setting for our daily meetings. Our classrooms are bright and spacious, and each student has an individual space for storing books and outdoor gear. These cubbies and students’ sports lockers, which have neither doors nor locks, reflect Bement’s commitment to maintaining a respectful and trustworthy community.

Upper School

GRADES 6–9

At its core, Bement’s upper school encourages our students to realize their potential. Our faculty is eager to inspire this growth and development. We seek to •

provide a well-rounded education while emphasizing academic preparation •

build close, meaningful student-teacher relationships

•

develop a strong sense of community

•

encourage personal excellence inside and outside the classroom •

celebrate and inspire lifelong learning

The small community allowed us to make friends in other grades and mentor younger students. Sharing lunch

We guide our sixth graders through the transition to upper school with an Information Literacy course that includes cyberbullying, digital citizenship, Internet safety, media literacy, financial literacy, and entrepreneurial skills.

Our sixth and seventh graders begin to exercise more independence: teachers expect students to manage their homework, binders, note taking, and questions.

Throughout eighth grade, coursework becomes increasingly challenging as students mature. By the end of the year, students tend to practice good study skills on their own, rather than having them imposed by teachers and advisors. The ninth grade year prepares our students for secondary school by emphasizing selfdiscovery, leadership, and strong community spirit. The culminating event of the ninth grade year is a service-learning trip, typically to the Dominican Republic.

and sports with students from all upper school grades really allowed me to form friendships with people I might not know otherwise. ALUM

The school day begins with an upper school morning meeting and advisory time; then continues with academic classes, recess, a family-style seated lunch, and a faculty-proctored study hall where students get extra help or start on homework; and ends with sports practices. A balance between social development and rigorous classes provides students with equal opportunities to grow and develop their minds and spirits.

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UpperUpper SchoolSchool G R A D EGRADES S 6 - 9 6–9

A C A D E M I C

P R O G R A M

With an average class size of 15, our upper school students are encouraged to be active participants in every class, enriching discussions with their ideas. As they accrue skills and develop independence across the curriculum, older students set an example for their younger peers. As leaders in the community, they embody The Bement School motto: Fly on Your Own Wings. When students graduate from Bement, they are prepared for both the academic and the social landscape of secondary school.

UPPER SCHOOL COURSE OF STUDY ENGLISH

MATHEMATICS

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING (ELL)

Grade 6: Fundamentals in Mathematics

WORLD LANGUAGES

Grade 6: Introduction to Latin Grades 7, 8, and 9: Choice of Chinese, French, Latin, or Spanish SCIENCE

Grades 6, 7, and 8: Integrated Science (studying earth, physical, and life sciences) Grade 9: Physics

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I believe that Bement was the single most influential learning

Grade 7: Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1

opportunity of my daughter’s

Grade 8: Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, Intermediate Algebra 1, Algebra 2

formative and important time

Grade 9: Algebra 1, Geometry

life.…Bement came at such a in her growth as a person that it remains the platform most

SOCIAL STUDIES

responsible for her confidence

World Geography, American History, World History

as an intelligent and loving

HEALTH

human being. PARENT

FO R DETAILED CU RR ICU LU M GU ID E

bement.org/academics

ENGLISH

SCIENCE

Reading comprehension and the writing process are emphasized throughout the English curriculum. Highlights of our English program include a poetry portfolio, a writing workshop, public speaking, cross-curriculum work with the fine arts department, and extensive essay writing.

Frequent opportunities are sought to nurture a love of and respect for reading.

Three major goals inspire the science curriculum: awareness and appreciation of the natural world, skill in the scientific method, and problem solving. The science program uses an array of traditional and creative assessment methods, ranging from tests, labs, and papers, to projects, special challenges, and fieldwork outside the classroom.

MATHEMATICS

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING (ELL)

The ELL program provides language instruction, academic and cultural support, and guidance, as students for whom English is not their first language acquire the language competency necessary to be successful in the broader academic program.

Two or more sections of math are offered for each upper school grade. Classes are designed to provide both depth and breadth. By ninth grade, students usually take either Algebra I or Geometry, depending on which pace is appropriate for their individual learning styles.

SOCIAL STUDIES

WORLD LANGUAGES

All sixth grade students take introductory Latin.

This background helps them develop grammar and vocabulary skills that assist their study of English and any of the Romance languages.

In seventh grade, students commit to Latin, Chinese, French, or Spanish.

Students examine a wide range of cultures through our geography, history, and social studies curricula. This discovery process includes hands-on projects, group collaboration, research, and experiential learning opportunities.

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Upper School GRADES 6–9

ACADEMIC SUPPORT

ELECTIVES

FIELD STUDY

EXCHANGE PROGRAM

TRI-WEEKLY REPORTS

ELECTIVES

During the fall and spring terms, upper school students will sign up for an elective course. Electives are led by Bement faculty members and take place on select Fridays. Past electives have included jazz/rock band, cycling, photography, dance, culinary arts, coding, stop-motion animation, maker space, and mindfulness.

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Every three weeks, parents access secure, electronically posted academic tri-weekly indicator reports, which include grades, effort marks, and comments from faculty. At Bement, effort marks receive the same emphasis as achievement. Frequent communication keeps students informed about their progress and enables parents to support and encourage their child’s learning.

ADVISORY

As students learn to trust their beliefs and instincts, make and maintain friendships, and set boundaries for themselves and others, advisory groups become a part of the daily upper school routine. In addition to performing campus and community service activities together, advisory groups provide a forum for student-driven discussion about successes and challenges within the Bement community. Advisors meet one-on-one with advisees throughout

TECHNOLOGY

the year to set academic goals and review tri-weekly reports. In addition, all advisories participate in a monthly Get Organized Day. Advisors use this time to preview the calendar of important dates and reinforce timemanagement and organizational skills.

DIRECTOR OF LEARNING SERVICES

Bement is a school with high academic expectations, but we understand that young learners reach their potential in a wide variety of ways. Our learning specialist works directly with identified students and consults with teachers to optimize the learning experience.

STUDY HALL

Study hall, at the end of each class day, provides an opportunity for students to seek extra help from teachers, begin some of their assignments, or organize tasks to complete in the evening.

We learn through exploration and discovery, inspiring respect for all cultures and developing a sense of adventure.

DOMESTIC FIELD STUDY

We appreciate our proximity to academic, artistic, and natural resources. From local farms to museums at the Pioneer Valley’s Five Colleges to Historic Deerfield and Gettysburg, our students experience a range of opportunities to enrich what they learn in the classroom by traveling off-campus.

INTERNATIONAL STUDY

Our students have the opportunity to either host or become exchange students through our relationships with Ermitage in France and Beijing Xu Beihong Academy in China. In addition, our ninth graders participate in a weeklong service-learning experience.

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Upper School GRADES 6–9

MUSIC Concert Band Orchestra Phoenix Rising Upper School Singers Music History VISUAL ARTS Studio Arts Computer Arts Art History DRAMA Play Production and Performance Drama History

F I N E

A R T S

Our art program allows students to learn techniques, to try new pursuits, and to celebrate individuality through creating and finding their voice. The Arts Wing of our Barn resonates with the sound of our singers, concert band, and orchestra ensemble. The hallways are vibrant with the rich colors of art projects by students from every grade. Onstage, students develop performance skills under the guidance of our warm, imaginative faculty. The ninth grade fine arts program is a collaborative, interdisciplinary design integrating drama, visual arts, and English. At Bement, creative expression in the arts is an essential part of our focus on the whole child.

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FALL Cross-Country Field Hockey Boys Soccer Girls Soccer Recreational Tennis SPRING WINTER Boys Basketball Girls Basketball Dance Alpine Ski Racing Squash Swimming/Diving

Golf Boys Lacrosse Girls Lacrosse Outdoor Exploration/Martial Arts/Yoga Competitive Tennis Track and Field Ultimate

A T H L E T I C S Our athletic program is designed to make healthy physical activity a part of life. Each season, students typically have five options, which include team and individual sports, competitive and noncompetitive sports, and outdoor exploration and dance.

On Friday afternoons in the winter, the upper school skis or snowboards recreationally at nearby Berkshire East. Our neighbor, Deerfield Academy, generously shares its state-of-the-art sports facilities with our students. A full schedule and travel to other schools prepares our students to play on high school sports teams. In addition, we emphasize teamwork, sportsmanship, and fair play, instilling the belief that physical fitness should be pursued for a lifetime, not just a season.

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WHEN I THINK

of my decision to send my daughter to

Bement for her ninth grade year, the same thought always comes to mind: I made the right choice. I watched the growth of her confidence and character, and her teachers and dorm parents served as warm, caring mentors. My child was well prepared for the next stage of her high school journey, and I am deeply grateful to Bement for being a part of her history.

PARENT

Upper School GRADES 6–9

N I N T H

G R A D E

A T

B E M E N T

Ninth grade at Bement is an integral year filled with much-loved and much-anticipated school traditions, student leadership opportunities, and one-of-a-kind experiences. Parents and students alike appreciate the many advantages that come during this last year at Bement. We believe that our close-knit kindergarten–9 community extends childhood; at the same time, our ninth graders grow into confident, mature community members who help lead our school. They are well prepared for the academic demands and social challenges found in secondary school.

LEADERSHIP

In a given year, ninth graders typically serve the Bement community in the following leadership capacities: • mentoring younger students • facilitating discussion groups during mini-term • designing and presenting on community standards at school meetings • planning student activities and proposing policies that affect student life • serving as ambassadors and guides for campus visitors • presenting at trustee meetings GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES

In preparation for an annual international education and service experience, our ninth grade program includes a global studies curriculum focusing on the Caribbean region, cultural diversity, and cross-cultural awareness. In recent years, students have lived and worked in a boys orphanage in the Dominican Republic. Through this experience, students develop lasting relationships as “brothers” and “sisters” to the children of the orphanage, extending the family-like culture we enjoy on our campus every day.

SECONDARY SCHOOL PLACEMENT

Our students graduate from Bement prepared to succeed at a range of excellent secondary schools. Each year, we welcome 40 to 50 secondary school admission representatives, who hold information and groupinterview sessions. Our director of secondary school placement supports the placement process for our students and their families with multiple consultations, guiding them through each step of school research, application, and placement. Our director also works closely with schools to support the placement process for our students and their families.

FO R DETAILED 9th GR AD E PRO G R AM

bement.org/9thgrade

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C O M M U N I T Y

S E R V I C E

Community service is essential to the Bement curriculum.

We believe that community service takes a variety of forms. Caring for our campus environment, volunteering at a nursing home or food bank, or collecting toothbrushes and canned food for families in need are the kinds of experiences to which our students grow accustomed. While many of our efforts are locally based, our community responds to national and international crises, such as Hurricane Katrina, flooding in Cambodia, and the tsunami in Southeast Asia.

LOWER SCHOOL

Our lower schoolers eagerly participate in community initiatives and campus-wide activities throughout the year. For example, the Supper for Six program encourages students to bring in a bag of groceries to feed a family of six. A pet food drive for the local animal shelter and a canned soup “Soup-er Bowl� drive to benefit local survival centers are yearly causes. On campus, our students clear their own lunch tables, rake leaves, and plant flowers, instilling in them a sense of shared responsibility.

UPPER SCHOOL

Upper schoolers use part of their advisory time each year to perform community service on campus and beyond. All grades either sponsor special projects or volunteer together at local food banks, nursing homes, or the United Way. Upper school students can participate in service learning as an optional activity on Fridays in the winter.

All students look forward to the capstone project of the ninth grade year: a weeklong international service-learning experience.

BEMENT CARES Local organizations and charities that Bement faculty and students are consistently involved with: The United Way Western Massachusetts Food Bank Buckley HealthCare Center Birthday Wishes Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society Supper for Six

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I am doing well at secondary school, and I hope all is well at Bement. I have been thinking a lot about La Suiza Orphanage and wanting to help the boys there. Even more than a year later I still feel a deep connection to the orphanage....Some members of my Bement class have expressed interest in returning to the Dominican Republic. I know that none of us will ever forget that trip and what it taught us.

ALUM The trip to the DR opened my eyes to the world around me. The bond I formed with the boys in the orphanage and with my class will be with me forever. ALUM

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PEOPLE ASK ME

if I miss my daughter while she is away at

school. Of course I miss her, but they should also ask me if I am proud of the person she has become while she has been away at school.

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PARENT

B O A R D I N G

A T

Homes for our boarding students are new, beautiful, and environmentally green, but we are most proud of the familial atmosphere created in these homes away from home.

Being boarders at Bement has opened doors for a lifetime of connections throughout the world. My two sons have had opportunities to live in homes across the world and experience life beyond our borders. They are enriched because they know how to live side by side with our neighbors. PARENT

With 40 boarders each year, our residential community is small enough to feel like one large family, ideal for younger students living away from their own families. The focal point of boarding life in the dorm is the common room, where dorm parents and students come together to live as a family in a warm, safe, nurturing atmosphere. Students and dorm parents prepare a Sunday breakfast and often a snack after study hall, play cards or a board game, work on a puzzle, or watch a movie together. Connections are made in these moments that can last a lifetime, and each student becomes a member of his or her dorm

B E M E N T

parent’s family. One recent graduate shared that “the faculty are so much a part of our lives.”

After dinner, our boarders develop strong study skills and positive work habits during a 90-minute study hall. Faculty members take turns supervising this study hall, providing opportunities for our boarders to ask questions or seek extra help.

On weekends, our boarders often enjoy a trip to the movies together, going on a bike ride with a dorm parent, playing in the snow, baking cookies, or simply relaxing in the common room. “Town runs” for groceries and other supplies are frequent, as are overnight visits with day-student families, or day-student guests spending time with their friends in the dorm.

WEEKEND ACTIVITIES Our weekends provide enough time for rest and work, as well as plentiful opportunities to enjoy outdoor activities and local cultural offerings. The nearby towns of Greenfield, Amherst, and Northampton are renowned for international cuisine, and the Pioneer Valley’s Five Colleges offer museums, theatrical performances, and sports events that our students enjoy.

Other destinations include Boston, the Berkshires, and neighboring state parks, as well as ski trips to nearby mountains.

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SECONDARY SCHOOL MATRICULATIONS: The Academy at Charlemont Avon Old Farms School Berkshire School Blair Academy Brewster Academy Choate Rosemary Hall Concord Academy Deerfield Academy Dublin School Fountain Valley School George School Groton School Holderness School The Hotchkiss School Kent School The Lawrenceville School The Loomis Chaffee School The Master’s School Mercersburg Academy Middlesex School Milton Academy Miss Porter’s School Northfield Mount Hermon School Phillips Academy Phillips Exeter Academy Pomfret School Portsmouth Abbey School Proctor Academy St. George’s School St. Mark’s School St. Paul’s School Suffield Academy Tabor Academy The Taft School Vermont Academy Walnut Hill School for the Arts The Webb Schools Westminster School Wilbraham & Monson Academy The Williston Northampton School 28

B E Y O N D

B E M E N T

Bement’s tradition of sending care packages to recent graduates is a reminder that we continue to be proud of every student we have had the privilege to know. Frequently, we hear that our graduates choose to take on leadership roles in secondary school, serving as the captain of an athletic team, for example, or acting as a mentor in a dorm. Our alumni tell us that Bement helped cultivate their leadership skills and their commitment to caring for their communities. Administrators at secondary schools often tell us, “I can spot a student from Bement immediately. They trust teachers and the learning process, and they are willing to take intellectual risks.”

“With the year complete, and having just received our daughter’s final grades and comments, we want to take the opportunity to formally thank all Bement faculty and staff for nurturing our daughter over the past two years. She thoroughly enjoyed her time at Bement and made great friends and memories along the way. We feel that she is well prepared for secondary school, and we are extremely grateful. You should be proud of the education you offer this community.” PARENT

I feel very prepared and ready for tenth grade at my new school—Bement helped me find exactly the right school for me. ALUM

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V I S I T I N G

B E M E N T

We welcome the opportunity to show prospective families our school, and we encourage you to visit our campus during school hours, so you can meet students and teachers and observe our community at work and at play. We welcome questions about any aspect of Bement, from our kindergarten program to boarding life to the advantages of the ninth grade year. Enjoy a cup of coffee or tea and a good conversation with our admission officers.

To schedule a visit, please call the admission office at (413) 774-4209.

We look forward to seeing you!

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HISTORIC DEERFIELD Historic Deerfield offers a museum of history, art, and architecture along a mile-long street laid out in 1671 and still lined with 18th- and 19th-century houses on their original sites.

Inside these buildings, visitors find one of the best public collections of art and antiques in America while exploring the lifestyle of early New England. Our spacious green campus is surrounded by the quintessential New England village, working farms along the Deerfield River, and educational institutions— an ideal setting in which to learn and grow.

94 Old Main Street, Deerfield, MA 01342 From Springfield; Hartford, Connecticut; and

VERMONT

points south: Take Exit 24 off I-91 North.

NEW HAMPSHIRE 91

2

Turn right at the end of the exit ramp. Drive

Bement

north approximately 5 miles and turn left

MASSACHUSETTS

at the Historic Deerfield sign onto Old Main Street. Bement is .6 of a mile on the right side of Old Main Street.

90

Logan Airport

Springfield Bradley Airport

84

Hartford

CONNECTICUT

From Vermont, New Hampshire, and points north: Take Exit 25 off I-91 South. Turn left at the end of the exit ramp and left at the

Boston

95

RHODE ISLAND

New Haven

lights onto Routes 5 & 10. Drive north approximately 4 miles and turn left at the Historic

NEW YORK

Deerfield sign onto Old Main Street. Bement is .6 of a mile on the right side of Old Main Street.

From Boston and Eastern Massachusetts:

Approximate driving times:

Take Mass Pike (I-90) West to Exit 4 and

Boston: 2 hours

onto I-91 North. Then follow directions from

New York City: 3 hours, 15 minutes

Springfield above or take Route 2 West to

Springfield: 35 minutes

Greenfield and follow GPS.

Bradley International Airport: 1 hour Amherst: 25 minutes Northampton: 20 minutes Brattleboro: 30 minutes

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CAMPUS MAPS

5

OLD MAIN STREET

ATHLETIC FIELDS

JIAYI AND BLYDENBURGH HOUSES

FER RY ROA D

HAAS HOUSE

MARY HAWKS HOUSE

A

A. Mary Hawks House: Head of School Residence

B

OLD

A

NORTH CAMPUS

NORTH CAMPUS

BR

OU

GH

AM

S

B. Haas House: Dean of Boarding Residence

C

C. Jiayi and Blydenburgh Houses: Boys Dormitories

PO

ND

RO

AD DORMS AND MAIN CAMPUS

D

5

SHELLEY AND ROB JACKSON HOUSE

D. Shelley and Rob Jackson House: Girls Dormitories

5

OLD MAIN

STREET

NORTH CAMPUS

KEITH SCHOOLHOUSE

KITTREDGE BUILDING

G

F

J BEMENT HOUSE

SNIVELY HOUSE

L

BARTON HOUSE

H

THE BARN

E

MAIN CAMPUS

K

POLK BUILDING

DRAKE BUILDING

Design

Penny Michalak P’14

MAIN CAMPUS

Printing

Mansir Printing

E. Barton House: Admission Office, Business Office, Health Center

J. Kittredge Building: Grades 6–9 Classrooms

F. Bement House: Dining Room

K. Polk Building: Clagett McLennan Library, Dance Studio, Mac Lab, Maker Space Lab

G. Keith Schoolhouse: Kindergarten, Grades 1–2 Classrooms H. The Barn: Performing Arts, Fine Arts, Assembly Hall I. Drake Building: Grades 3–5 Classrooms

L. Snively House: Alumni/Development Office

Photos

Tim Young ’61; Ben Bensen P’86 ’92 ’98 ’01 ’02; Ross Feitlinger; Paul Franz, p. 24, middle photo; Julie Waggoner, MicaBlue Creative, p. 26

The Bement School admits students of any race, color, sexual orientation, ancestry, religious affiliation, national and ethnic origin, to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities made available to its students. The school does not discriminate in the administration of its educational, admission, financial aid policies, and athletic or other school administered programs.

In an effort to conserve natural resources, we have eliminated several pages of our view book. Annual information such as faculty and staff listing, school-year calendar, and curriculum guide can be found on our website: bement.org. All application forms and materials may be found there as well.

32

ROUTE 10

I

welcome!

Finding the right school is about making a connection, finding a fit.

Bement fits both students who love school and students who don’t yet know they love school. It also fits students who want to pursue sports and arts as well as students who have not yet discovered their passion but are eager to do so. Bement welcomes families wanting a community that knows, appreciates, and values their child, and where all children can be themselves. At Bement, students explore questions and discover their best selves. Parents recognize that Bement is a closely knit community in which dedicated faculty and staff work with students to challenge and support them in the classroom, on the stage and fields, and in dormitories. We live our mission every day: “From the classroom to the dorms, we live and learn as a family, while encouraging responsibility for our own work and actions.” We support personal growth and prepare our students to “fly on their own wings” in secondary school. If you want to learn more about The Bement School, this book will help you discover more about who we are and what we offer all students.

We encourage you to visit Bement for a closer, more personal look. Bement is a great fit for many; come see if it is the right fit for you.

M I S S I O N The Bement School provides an education based on time-honored school traditions and values for children in kindergarten through ninth grade, day and boarding. From the classrooms to the dorms, we live and learn as a family, while encouraging responsibility for our own work and actions. Bement actively seeks an academically diverse, international, and multicultural student body. Students and adults at Bement work together to create a climate of acceptance, kindness, and challenge, which nurtures each child intellectually, creatively, physically, and emotionally.

The Bement School THE BEMENT SCHOOL Fly on your own wings

94 Old Main Street P.O. Box 8 Deerfield, MA 01342 USA

Main phone (413) 774-7061 Admission Office (413) 774-4209 Fax (413) 774-7863 Email admit@bement.org

bement.org

K I N D E R G A R T E N

T H R O U G H

G R A D E

9

•

D A Y

&

B O A R D I N G

S C H O O L