Building Bridges to Confidence

Flashback to 2010: A tiny Oompa Loompa skips across the stage to talk to Willy Wonka. Her emerald green hair glimmers under the stage lights, contrasting sharply with her bright orange make-up and exaggerated white eyebrows. “Her enthusiasm was undeniable,” remarked Bill Jacob, Creative Arts Department Chair and director of Brimmer’s production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory that year. That Oompa Loompa was Laura Lopez, a fourth grader at the Sumner School, a public elementary school in Roslindale, MA. Wearing baggy overalls and a big smile, she was performing onstage for the first time ever and thrilled to be pulling it off. It was Lopez’s first taste of theater, and she was determined not to make it her last. “I told my mom,” she remembers. “When I go to high school, I’m going to Brimmer and May!”

Fast-forward eight years, and Lopez is deep into a very busy senior year at Brimmer.

Fresh from serving as co-stage manager of the Upper School’s production of Tom Jones she was already looking ahead to the spring musical, Newsies. Since enrolling at Brimmer in 9th grade, she has embraced everything the theater has to offer—performing in Candide and In the Heights and working behind the scenes co-stage managing Into the Woods and Alice in Wonderland—in addition to Tom Jones. With a heavy academic course-load, as a member of the school’s curling and recreational tennis teams, and with a plan to pursue pre-med and political science studies at college next year, Lopez doesn’t plan to slow down anytime soon. “Laura has been a really valued member of our community since she arrived,” reflects Jacob, Lopez’s advisor for the last four years. “It has been marvelous to watch her confidence grow.”

Jeanette Pizzaro, Sumner’s Extended Day Director, remembers Lopez as a sweet, shy student who emigrated as a non- English speaker from Colombia at age four. Reflecting back on Lopez’s stage debut, Pizzaro is emphatic. “I was amazed. Without words,” she recalls. “I teach my students you can do whatever you want, and it was incredible to see her doing just that.”

Laura returned to Sumner with Bill Jacob this winter to visit Sumner Extended Day Director Jeanette Pizzaro

This unique partnership between Sumner and Brimmer, now in its 14th year, began as a way to collaborate on creative arts, with Brimmer students making quarterly visits to Sumner’s Extended Day program. When Brimmer launched its signature Creative Arts Diploma Program (CAP) in 2008, giving students the opportunity to focus on a chosen arts concentration and share their talents with the larger community, “It was a natural progression to take the program to Sumner,” says Jacob.

Each year, a few Sumner students are selected to participate in Brimmer’s two Upper School productions, and approximately 50 students are invited to attend all four Middle and Upper School productions throughout the year. “We select students who would not otherwise have the opportunity to be on stage, and you can see how the experience impacts them as they grow,” exclaims Pizzaro. “Laura was identified early on by Sumner as a student with promise,” adds Jacob, leading to her role in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Brimmer’s first collaborative production with Sumner.

“It made me feel so good about myself,” recalls Lopez on her first stage role. “I was so excited to learn choreography and dress up. It was a big deal for me.” It became a wonderful opportunity for growth. “Brimmer students made it all look so easy,” she adds. “When you come here, you see everyone working hard together, and you realize that being a part of the theater is a great way to bond and grow. I’m so grateful for the experience.”

Today, Brimmer CAP students visit Sumner twice a week and work with the same group of students throughout the year. Each fall, Jacob leads a new group of Sumner students in singing, rhythm, dance, and drama. As the year progresses, CAP 11th and 12th graders take the lead in these hands-on activities. Lopez still remembers how, as a quiet elementary student, the circle activities helped her develop her voice. Brimmer’s relationship with Sumner extends right into the summer months as well, with several camp scholarships offered each year.

The collaboration between Brimmer and Sumner has been beneficial to both school communities, with the continuity over the years leading to authentic relationships between the students. Brimmer students serve as role models and mentors, giving Sumner students a glimpse into future interests and opportunities. Younger students’ circle of trusted young adults expands as they connect with their student teachers. “They are thrilled to see their Brimmer teachers on stage,” says Pizzaro. “And even years later, they remember the characters they played.”

Laura Lopez ’19 (third from left) performing in her first Brimmer production, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” as a Sumner Elementary student.

David Barron/Oxygen Group Photography

Brimmer alumni report that working with Sumner students was a high point of their high school education. “I realized how important it was that everyone experience art, and I saw the effect it had on the students,” reflects Gen Lefevre ’15, Harvard University ’20. “It was so inspiring to have younger kids look up to me, especially as a young person myself. It made me feel important and helpful in that moment; whereas, most parts of my high school life were helping me be prepared for my future.”

Tony Ni ’16, Berklee College ’19, adds, “The kids had so much artistic potential. We presented a variety of artistic expressions so that they could explore their interests and get a sense of possible future careers. As a pop artist and musician, one of my goals is to use my music to inspire others to reach for their dreams. The Sumner students reminded me what it means to fall in love with art—the same way I fell in love with music when I was a kid.”

The program has been recognized on a national level, receiving several professional accolades including the 2017 Arts | Learning Award for “Outstanding Community Arts Education Collaborative—Mixed Media,” which honors organizations and individuals that have developed model arts collaborative programs between school and community cultural resources. It has also received multiple awards from the Parents of Independent Schools Network (PIN) for community service. In 2018, Jacob was honored to present the program at the National Network of Schools in Partnerships Inspire Conference in Washington, D.C., which aims “to support public-private school partnerships and to meet the growing demand for models of best practice.” It’s this award-winning collaborative approach that is at the heart of the program’s success. “Independent schools like Brimmer, which draw from Boston and over forty Greater Boston communities, benefit from their diverse population and are enriched beyond their own school walls and into the larger community of learners,” believes Brimmer Head of School Judith Guild. Ms. Pizzaro agrees. “It’s an amazing advantage to have collaboration—it contributes to our students’ views of the arts and gives them an experience that many of them might never have had,” she says. “Bill [Jacob] and I both care about our students, connect with each other regularly, and share great ideas. We just make it happen!”

When she thinks back on her high school life, Lopez is proud of the path she has taken. “When I came to Brimmer, I knew I would work hard to be as perfect a student as possible,” she reflects. “I didn’t think about how I would grow as a person. The theater department taught me how to evolve. Backstage it’s all teamwork. It’s stressful. But once it plays out on stage, it’s so satisfying and exciting!”

Laura and fellow senior Cara Rittner ’19 work behind the scenes on “Newsies”

David Barron/Oxygen Group Photography

Ultimately collaboration is about building bridges and working together to maximize learning and growth opportunities; creating something in the process of which students can be proud. These two schools have accomplished that mission, providing experiences that empower the next generation of leaders.

“I’m thrilled that we’ve had such longevity,” muses Jacob when asked about the success of this model collaborative program. “It has enabled us to share the arts with so many students over the years.” ■

Former Brimmer Communications Director and founder of Mass Communications Concepts Jody Weinberg enjoyed reconnecting with Bill Jacob and Laura Lopez for this freelance piece. Having watched the CAP Program grow from its inception, she was delighted to share this “full-circle” story. She has a deep interest in working with schools and following innovative trends in education.