As I have noted in this space before, there is something special about the Belmont Day culture. It is grounded in our history as a school started by a collaborative effort of parents and in the six core values that are at the center of our students’ learning. It is evidenced in our present with a community that engages deeply in our students’ daily experiencemost recently witnessed at first grade’s celebration of the 100th day of school: students joyously discovered the mathematical wonder of the world and shared their knowledge with faculty and families. As we look to our future, a question is clear: how can we preserve what we value most as we witness, quite literally, the changes to our school with the Barn and the enrollment growth initiative coming nearer and nearer to fruition?
The answer lives in many of the places you might expect: a dedicated faculty and administration, the school’s mission, a thoughtful board of trustees, and in the 274 smiling faces that fill our halls every day.
The faculty and administration are dedicated to upholding the things that make us distinctly BDS. When hiring new faculty, or designing new curriculum, or considering new opportunities for students, they do so with trademark responsible earnestness and due diligencealways framed by our commitment to individualized learning and dedication to excellence. This faculty is working tirelessly to preserve the core of who we are as we bring on new and exciting opportunities.
We continue to find true north in our school mission. We return to it as a guide for all of our design considerations. In our board, we find excellence in stewardship. This group of volunteers dutifully keep their eyes steadily fixed on our horizon and expertly anticipate what our school needs today and into the future. They, too, know what makes the heart of BDS beat, and are stalwart in their protection of it, as they consider the prospect of what our exciting future may hold.
Ultimately, our students themselves will be the ones to preserve the most beloved aspects of our school. Since February break, we have witnessed their joy in returning to schoolseeing classmates, reconnecting with teachers, preparing for classes, and celebrating friendships that have deepened throughout the school year. They embody the core values and are the truest keepers of our culture that we could hope for. It is wonderful to see them return from break with such a skip in their step. Whether counting one hundred beads with their parents in first grade or rehearsing their Capstone presentation with their mentor, the students are the evidence that even in the face of change, the BDS culture is as strong and lasting as ever.
Have a great week everyone.
