A treasured tradition for many years, mini-term at Bement provides students, faculty, and staff an opportunity to focus their time at school on one shared topic. Past mini-terms have featured schoolwide circus performances, elective classes for upper school students, and deep dives into specific subject areas like mathematics. This year’s mini-term featured a different approach to the short period of time (only thirteen school days!), thanks to the combined efforts of many adults who envisioned an innovative program centered around Bement’s home in the beautiful and historic Connecticut River Valley.
At the conclusion of mini-term, Bement’s two division heads, Anna Casey and Lesley Doll, shared a thorough recap with families. Their words capture this year’s novel design of mini-term and the importance of providing students with an appreciation for the place where they live and learn:
"Mini-term this year kept our learning and imagination right here in the Connecticut River Valley, but considerably broadened our understanding of this special place in which we live and go to school. Each spring, the Bement faculty meets to brainstorm and vote on the mini-term theme for the next academic year which puts the wheels in motion for all the work that goes into planning and preparing for this unique month of learning. In the case of this year’s mini-term, the faculty began talking about the topic of “place” a few years ago. Our conversation was born out of a desire to celebrate our special sense of place here on Old Main Street in anticipation of Bement’s 100th anniversary in 2025. We also recognized that very valuable learning related to this place happens every day at Bement. We wanted to celebrate that and expand on it so the children had a real understanding of the people, culture, and natural life of where they live and learn.”
Combining a mixture of field trips–each Bement student went on at least two field trips to areas of local interest in December–collaborative activities like fossil making and recreating a fish ladder, and special lectures and performances by local experts and luminaries, the 2023 mini-term was an interdisciplinary journey through the history and rich texture of the Connecticut River Valley that students will remember for years to come. For a more complete look at the amazing breadth of experiences students enjoyed during mini-term, take a look at this video slideshow.
Mini-term typically ends with a showcase, an all-school meeting full of performances and displays of student work. In lieu of a traditional showcase, this year’s mini-term committee has envisioned a new way to extend the learning we all enjoyed and share it with the broader community, as Ms. Casey and Ms. Doll describe in their message:
"But the learning and sharing isn’t over yet. Students and teachers will continue to represent their experiences and discoveries in this region in a collaborative website about the Connecticut River Valley. We will work on it throughout the rest of the year and look forward to sharing it with you and the larger community in the spring. We hope it will serve as a wonderful compilation of student learning as well as a rich resource for the greater community about our special place in the Connecticut River Valley.”
Bement’s families and friends should be on the lookout for this website in the springtime; in addition to featuring much of the activity and excitement from mini-term, it will also provide a deep look into all that this beautiful region has to offer.