MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD

From the Head of School & the Chair of the Board of Trustees

As we begin the 2021-2022 school year, Brimmer and May’s spaces have been restored to their original purposes – Dining Commons, Innovation Space, Maker Space, libraries, and music and art rooms. Although there are still uncertainties ahead, we look forward to a return to more normal times: classrooms full of engaged students; friends, new and old, catching up; teams taking the field; choirs singing; performing arts returning to the stage; maker and design spaces bustling with activity; and children gardening and playing in a new playground area. We wish to thank all members of our community – faculty, parents, alumni, alumni parents, grandparents, friends, and Trustees – for their extraordinary support, which helped make the 2020-2021 school year successful on many levels.

As noted in the spring Brimmer Magazine, the School was successful on two important fronts: first, keeping our students and faculty safe and engaged on campus; and second, making significant progress on our Strategic Priorities 2020 & Beyond. Much of what we were able to accomplish is directly related to our engaged and generous community.

• The efforts we undertook to accommodate COVID safety protocols, including the implementation of new classroom technology, testing, hiring of additional staff, the purchase of furniture, handwashing stations, personal protective equipment, and tents for outdoor classrooms, were quite expensive.

• We made significant progress on the Strategic Priorities 2020 & Beyond, including: the completion of the Lower School Mugar Playground and Outdoor Learning Space; the establishment of an historic $5 million Fund for Faculty Salaries and Teaching Excellence, which allowed the School, among other things, to raise faculty salaries above the median for our peer institutions; and a renewed commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programming and initiatives for faculty and students.

We look forward to continuing the momentum this school year as we redouble our commitment to equity, belonging, and justice work and turn our attention to a master planning process for our campus, including improving our wellness and athletic facilities.

None of this would be possible without the generosity of our community. During this past fiscal year alone, members of our communities donated in excess of $7,000,000 to Brimmer through generous Annual Fund gifts, capital and endowment gifts, payments on campaign pledges, and the Auction. The Annual Fund far exceeded its goal, raising over $1.1 million, and the Virtual “Green & White” Auction netted over $115,000 for School-wide financial aid and DEI initiatives. We are confident that our community will step up again this year as we continue to make progress on our most important priorities.

Brimmer has a rich 142-year history as a PK through grade 12 school, where students are inspired to learn, encouraged to explore, and empowered to lead. Brimmer continues to provide a transformative educational experience for its students in a state-of-theart facility. We are keenly aware that fulfilling Brimmer’s mission and the flexibility needed to serve today’s students are a direct result of the generosity of all of our donors.

Thank you for your continued confidence and support.

Judith Guild, Head of School

David P. Kreisler President, Board of Trustees