WE WILL BE THE CHANGE!

Collaborative book project highlights interdivisional benefits of our PK-12 community.

By Joshua Neudel P ’30, Head of Upper School

In the spring of 2023, Brimmer held a March Madness-style bracket to choose the summer reading books for the Middle and Upper Schools. In this battle of the books, spearheaded by Director of Middle & Upper School Library Elyse Seltzer, students narrowed down the choices to four autobiographical titles focused on the iconic struggles and achievements of real-life protagonists: I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb; The Distance Between Us by Reyna Grande; The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer; and One Life by Megan Rapinoe. With two versions of the books to choose from representing different developmental levels, we sent students off for their summer reading with the goal of having combined activities for grades 6-12 upon their return.

By fall, students were revisiting their summer selections during an assembly period that had them in mixed Middle and Upper School groupings for book discussions through the lens of the schoolyear theme: Imagine. Question. Create. Student facilitators from AP English classes helped lead book-based discussion groups using a common protocol. Through this intergrade activity, all our students engaged in group discussions about each book. Students considered and shared their thoughts about the following statements:

Share an example of a moment from the summer reading where a character imagined a better circumstance.

Share an idea about what the characters needed to do to make those circumstances happen.

Share the word describing a characteristic that you think/feel is needed to create those better circumstances.

Where might your personal “best interest” enhance the community and where might it conflict with the community? How do we reconcile these conflicts?

“We wanted the students to have voice and choice in their summer reading, and it really boosted their interest and engagement in the books they chose,” said Seltzer. “I had great conversations with students about what they read, and because it wasn’t limited by grade, some students read multiple books.”

In many ways, the summer reading activities are a representation of some of the best aspects of being in a PK-12 school. Through this interdivisional work, not only were students engaged in curricular ideas, but it also highlighted several of the benefits of being in a community such as Brimmer:

Our eldest students had an opportunity to practice facilitating group discussions, empowering them to lead in our community.

Our Upper School students were able to model what academic dialogue looks like, while also making it accessible for learners of different ages.

Our Middle School students provided perspectives that many high schoolers were not considering.

All our students had an opportunity to practice active listening skills while also having the space to share their thoughts.

During the academic year, we have many opportunities to gather as an entire School or engage in cross-divisional work that is often identified by our graduating class as a highlight of their Brimmer experience. This past fall was no exception.

The collaborative process continued in November as our students came together in small groups to complete a campus installation on our front fence, WE WILL BE THE CHANGE, organized by Director of Innovation & Design Kathryn Lee P ’32, ’34. Wooden plaques filled each letter in the phrase and described a quality that each student brings to better their community. All the plaques were intertwined and connected, reflecting the strength and support of the community, and solar-powered lights made them twinkle at night for passersby. “Thank you to all the Middle and Upper School students and faculty who worked together to complete this impressive and meaningful project,” said Lee. “It was thrilling to have this installation on display in front of the school.” ■