Student Life

Community Service

A Caring Community

Community service is a central focus for Brimmer students. As our students develop, it is important for them to have opportunities to serve in meaningful ways and to develop a commitment to service. This helps our students become informed, engaged, ethical, and responsible citizens.

For the past several years, Brimmer has received awards from the Parents' Independent School Network (PIN). Recently, PIN gave special recognition to: 1st Grade 100th Day Store Project, 2nd Grade Thank You Letters to the MSPCA, 4th Grade Hurricane Relief, and 8th Grade Individual Community Service Project.

Lower School

In the Lower School, community service projects play a vital role in the life of students and are a reflection of the School’s Mission Statement, which promotes reaching beyond the School community. Having a heart for civic engagement and an awareness of the importance of public responsibility happens over time for children. For example, the Lower School celebrates an annual Community Service Day in December. The students gather in the gymnasium to celebrate giving and to learn about each grade’s unique community service project.

Middle School

In an effort to nurture a sense of social responsibility and promote empathy and a commitment to others through service, Brimmer’s Middle School has Community Service Days throughout the academic year. The goal is to have students experience the joy and satisfaction of moving beyond their own personal, immediate needs to meeting the needs of others in their community and the world. Providing our students with structured opportunities to be global citizens is essential in creating and maintaining a community service program in the School—one with depth and meaning is of utmost importance.

Our Middle School regularly partners with the Great Boston Food Bank. Every Middle School student spends a day volunteering at the Food Bank and we also participate in a food drive in December. The eighth grade embarks on a yearlong, eight-hour independent community service initiative, which culminates in a Service Fair in May. Their objective is to serve the community, reflect on their experiences in writing, and then share their projects with the community.

Upper School

In the Upper School, community service initiatives are designed to help students develop a fuller understanding of their ability to make a difference in the world. To this end, students must complete 40 hours of community service as part of their graduation requirement. These placements should ideally contain elements of social service that represent the maximum use of a student’s social capital. 
 
Each grade is expected to design and initiate one community service project each year. These projects may include fundraising and/or service and may be on-going or singular events. Grades 9 and 10 participate in a Community Service Day, where students are split into different groups, and spend the day learning about an organization and doing volunteer work. Upper school students also have the opportunity to participate in community service on our Winterim Program.
 
Throughout the school year, students, parents, and/or faculty initiate and engage in school-wide community service and fundraising to benefit local and global organizations in response to on-going and immediate service needs. Students also have frequent opportunities to engage in in-school service helping out at school events, working as aides in a Lower School classroom, providing support at athletic events, etc. Students may also choose to join the Community Service Club to work on student-led service initiatives.

Brimmer and May School

69 Middlesex Road
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
617-566-7462
As an inclusive private school community, Brimmer welcomes students who will increase the diversity of our school. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, or any other characteristic protected from discrimination under state or federal law, in the administration of our educational policies, admissions practices, financial aid decisions, and athletic and other school-administered programs.