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Honoring Momma G: How One Mom Became Family for a Whole Generation of Brehm Boarders
At Beyond the Bell, we believe education extends beyond classrooms and titles. Sometimes the people who shape us most are not teachers or administrators, but those who simply show up, care, and hold us accountable when we need it most. To begin September, our first article of the month honors one of those people: Gerhonda “Momma…
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From Academic Probation to M.S.Ed
On July 25, I earned my Master of Science in Education! No confetti. No cake. No moment where the world stopped and clapped.Just me, in a dorm room, submitting my final capstone project between planning weekend programming, sending emails, and finishing my summer fellowship with the Royal Thai Scholars at Brewster Academy. It felt like…
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Boarding School 101: Making the Most of Your First Year
It’s been about 10 years to the day since my amazing mother, father, and stepdad first mentioned they were looking at boarding schools for my junior and senior years. I didn’t know much about the idea of living away from home for the first time, let alone a new school, new people, and a completely…
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Beyond the Curriculum: The Lifelong Lessons of Residential Life
Let me start by wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! With the holiday break upon us, it feels like the perfect time to reflect on the people and roles that make boarding schools truly special. Ask anyone in a boarding school community what the hardest role is, and you’ll get all kinds of answers because every…
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From Struggling to Thriving: How Boarding Schools for Students with Learning Disabilities Transform Lives
Growing up with ADHD and slow processing speed disorder, traditional school often felt like an uphill battle. My needs didn’t quite fit the mold, and though I tried, I often felt left behind. That changed when I attended a boarding school specifically for students with learning disabilities (LD). It was a place designed to recognize,…