Welcome to Belmont Day School!
Belmont Day School is a place where challenge and nurture co-exist comfortably. Our secrets? We have two. One is the relationship our community members have with each other. Parents, students, faculty, administration and staff are a well-knit community where each person is appreciated and important. The other is our vigorous commitment to learning, our own as well as our children’s. We are committed to being current in our curriculum content as well as in educational best practices.
This is my fortieth year as an educator and working at a school is both very different yet no less exciting than it was when I began as a fifth grade teacher. Administration at three other exceptional independent schools has made me appreciate Belmont Day’s thoughtful attention to providing the skills for creative and critical thinking.
The six tenets of the school are not just words on a wall. Ask any child or faculty member, and they can not only recite them, but give numerous examples of how we live them.
Honesty - Integrity seems to be in short supply these days. We teach children to take ownership of their inevitable mistakes so that we can create proactive plans for more positive outcomes in the future. We also encourage children to develop their own opinions based on evidence rather than popularity.
Caring - In addition to nurturing each other, we create opportunities for community service, acknowledging that we each have much to contribute to the greater world as well as to each other.
Joy - Even before the positive psychology movement, Belmont Day School knew that learning should be filled with pleasure. Walking through our hallways, you will see ample evidence of curiosity, delight and celebration of accomplishments.
Responsibility - Teachers here know that they have an impact on all of our children's lives, not just those they happen to be teaching at the moment. Learning how to make a commitment and fulfill it is an important life skill.
Respect - Respect for one's self, the community and environment inside and outside of the school, and for each other is a lens through which all decisions are evaluated. Breaking down stereotypes and learning each other's personal stories establishes a firm foundation for rewarding interpersonal understanding.
Excellence - Working toward personal best work, accepting and utilizing helpful feedback, and learning how to self-assess are aspects of each project and presentation. We want our children to be ambitious about their growth as learners.
Come visit us. A walk through our classrooms will show you why all of us who work here have such appreciation and affection for this school, and will inspire you with the outcomes achieved by such a wonderful formula for education.
Annette Raphel
Head of School
Click here for Mrs. Raphel's opening remarks from Back to School Night, 2012.
Read Mrs. Raphel's "What I Wish I Knew When I Had My Kids" - a compilation of expert tips of value to parents
