Life at Bement

Students, parents, and alumni have offered their perspectives on their Bement experience to help inform families considering Bement for themselves.  We hope their words will inspire you to take a closer look at our wonderful community.

We are happy for our daughter that she is growing and moving on to Hotchkiss, but oh so sad that our time at Bement is coming to an end. When applying to secondary schools, she was asked to describe how Bement has changed her life. She found this difficult to answer as Bement, the faculty, students and all the fantastic experiences have been her life since second grade. Bement has guided her along the way and helped her become the young woman that we are so proud of today. We can't say thank you enough to everyone at Bement who has touched her life along the way. It's been a great eight years!

Barry & Linda Stacy, Parents ’08, ’11

My name is Marina Vranos, and I was a student at Bement for ten years. Let me tell you about my Bement experience. I think the most important thing Bement taught me, besides the art of learning to be an organized student, artist, and athlete, is how to be a good friend. Every day at Bement, I learned that trying new things is not a way to humiliate yourself, but a way to discover new places where you can thrive. Thanks to encouragement from my friends, teachers, and coaches, I have shone in so many ways. But the spotlight at Bement is on everyone. Every day I would see people attempt new things, like pick up a clarinet or lacrosse stick for the first time in their lives, and push through the first ear-shattering squeak and the first dropped ball. Every year I watched aspiring divers attempt their first dive, only to perform the inevitable belly-flop (I have done this myself countless times). But every time people failed in a first venture, instead of feeling discouraged, they smiled as everyone cheered them on to try again. Supporting people is a form of friendship, and it is the first and strongest form I have ever known. Thanks to Bement, I will carry friendships with me my whole life. I encourage you to walk on our campus. Share a laugh with a student, or come watch a soccer game. You will see, hear, and feel the strong relationships between every individual in the school. I truly believe this is what makes Bement strong, and this is the piece of Bement I will carry with me forever.

Enjoy everything you’ll see on this part of the website. I hope it will bring to life the Bement experience I have tried to describe and give you at least a small insight as to what an amazing community Bement truly is. Bement is an incredible place to learn, laugh, and thrive.

Marina Vranos ‘09

Deerfield Academy ‘12

Today, someone commented on how well I've adjusted to Proctor. This passing statement really started my mind churning. Have I really adjusted well? There are a million instances that I noticed how being a Bement student helped me become comfortable. Thank you for teaching me about confidence, and cleanliness, and routines in the morning. I know I hated boarder study hall when I was at Bement, but now I'm so grateful to have had it because it made me comfortable sitting down and actually working for two hours. Thank you for giving me a voice that I'm not afraid to use, and for creating a proactive personality that I use to get things done. Thank you for molding me into someone I am proud to be, and showing me the beauties of all people no matter their race, nationality, or personality. Thanks for giving me loving adults, and for teaching me what a true role model is. And most of all, thank you for giving me trust. Because with this trust, I've become myself, opened up to others, and let people in. But back to the original statement: have I adjusted well to Proctor? The answer I would say is: yes I have. Why have I adjusted? Because of you and because of the Bement community. Thank you for making Bement my home and the people there my family, because I honestly couldn't have made it without you.

Grace Williamson ‘10

Proctor Academy  ‘13