The Lenesa Leana Endowment for Innovative and Collaborative Education was established to honor the innovative strategies and collaborations that former Head of School Lenesa Leana fostered during her tenure at Belmont Day. The endowment provides grants to teaching and non-teaching faculty to support the many ways our community explores and implements innovation with the spirit of collaboration from the classrooms, art studios, and science lab to the kitchen, administrative offices, playing fields, and beyond.
Grants have been awarded to support faculty teams to pursue the following innovative ideas:
The Courtyard: An Innovative, Sustainable Sensory Oasis for Belmont Day’s Youngest Learners
Faculty: Kim Edwards, Nicole Siverls, Brit Conroy, Geoffrey Fox, Kassie Bettinelli, Tyler Cotner, and Kathy Jo Solomon
At Belmont Day, we are fortunate to have access to various outdoor environments for play and exploration: Big Blue and the Osborne Tennis Courts, Claflin, Archery, and Far Fields, the garden, and the woods surrounding our campus. Perhaps the most unique outdoor space available is the Courtyard, which is an extension of each of the early childhood classrooms.
To further enrich the Courtyard as a natural and sensory space for a variety of ages, learning styles, and play preferences, the grant will expand the materials and experiences available to serve more students and create an even more innovative outdoor sensory oasis for pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and first grade students.
Expanding Sixth Grade Theater Arts
Faculty: Christopher T. Parsons and Susan Dempsey
Collaboration with professional playwright Todd Wallinger will develop a second thirty-minute one-act play specifically for our sixth grade students. Rotating scripts enhance teacher engagement, allow for new thematic connections to the curriculum each year, and ensure that students experience a dynamic and evolving theater program. The play will be inclusive and flexible for varying class sizes and offer meaningful roles for every student. It will also reflect the diverse voices and experiences of our community.
