3 LIVELY PURSUITS
Brearleyisms
An illustrated, un-definitive glossary of terms and customs Like many schools we have our Spring Fling, Winter Carnival and Homecoming, but we also have plenty of little traditions complete with a lexicon all our own. RIVER LINGO Brearley’s location on the East River has led to the school’s many boating references. The Lower School play area is the “Pier,” some of the building’s floors are referred to as “decks” and extra help sessions with teachers are called “floats.” Is that because they keep students afloat or because they sometimes take place outside of class, as teachers and students “float” together in hallways or the library? No one can say for sure. THE CAF
CLASS MASCOTS Each class in the Middle and Upper School has its own mascot. At the annual Mascot Assembly in May, a tradition that dates back to at least 1923, the Senior Class passes its mascot to the students in Class IV, and both classes sing about their mascot. Balthazaar the Camel Fridgie the Penguin Tigger the Tiger Socrates the Owl Amelia the Duck Olaffub the Buffalo Jimbo the Elephant Theodore the Bear DRESS CODE
Lower School girls wear the enduring Brearley tunic, with four red buttons, two pockets and side pleats. Middle School girls have options: the A-line skirt or pants. Upper School: No uniform required
Conversations are as tasty as the food. The Caf incorporates organic and locally produced foods in a menu designed to appeal to diverse tastes and diets. While serving daily deliciousness, the Caf also educates young palates and minds, advancing food awareness and developing a respect for food and its role in the environment.
“When I finally graduated to Upper School, I folded away my uniform for good in a box, as you might do with a wedding dress; somehow I knew even then, with its rips and paint stains and filthy White Team belt, it would become both a palimpsest of my youth and a touchstone for a way of living life (rigorously, idealistically, athletically) that I hope I’ll never lose.” ALUMNA ’86
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DOUGHNUT ASSEMBLY Friendship, camaraderie and mentoring between grades and school divisions makes Brearley a close community. Opportunities such as the Doughnut Assembly give Lower School students a chance to get together with the Upper School, creating a circle from youngest to oldest minus the middle. And, yes, doughnuts are served. FLOATS Floats are very much a part of the Brearley academic culture. Students and teachers welcome these one-on-one sessions, which can be requested by students or initiated by teachers. FRIDAY FLOWER During the Upper School’s weekly meeting, random acts of kindness by students are recognized with a flower. Students, teachers and staff nominate recipients throughout the week. HOUSE SISTERHOOD In a newer school tradition, Lower School students are divided into houses (Harry Potter style) named after former Heads of School. Upper School student leaders liked the concept so much that they recently voted to adopt a similar model to join Middle and Upper School students in a house system that connects younger and older students. GILBERT AND SULLIVAN It’s tradition for Class VII to perform a Gilbert and Sullivan musical each year from among a rotating cycle including Ruddigore and The Mikado. Alumnae often bond by asking, “Which Gilbert and Sullivan did you do?”
