The Class of 2026 occupies a special place in my heart. These are the students and families who arrived at Belmont Day when I did or who joined this class along the way and became no less foundational to my own BDS experience. While our BDS lifers arrived with the wide eyes of four-year-olds, filled with wonder and hope, I often felt much the same at the start of my journey: eager to learn, eager to grow, and eager to become the leader these now eighth grade students deserved.
As we reach the end of our tenth year together, here are a few reflections on what this class has taught me (and all of us) and why the legacy of the Class of 2026 will hold an important place in the proud history of our school.
Lesson #1: Go for it.
I don’t know if I’ve witnessed a class more willing to take risks than this one. From welcoming new friends to trying new electives, picking up new instruments, volunteering a novel idea in class, or stepping onto a field or court for the first time, this group has embraced opportunity again and again. They have taught me the value of saying “yes” first and figuring it out from there.
Lesson #2: Joy and care matter.
There is something especially moving about watching this group serve as elder cross-graded partners. Paired with four-year-olds at the beginning of their own ten-year journeys, it is easy to see the same sparkle in our eighth graders as in our pre-kindergarten students. Their joy, rooted in genuine care for others, offers an important reminder each day: childhood passes quickly. They have taught me to seize joy whenever I can.
Lesson #3: The easy path isn’t always the most meaningful one.
The impact of the pandemic—remarkably, now five years in our rearview mirror—was especially significant for students who were in third grade during the 2020–21 school year. A notably formative year in a child’s development, third grade brings more complex logic and math skills, accelerated literacy growth, and critical steps toward conflict resolution and independence. This class experienced all of that behind masks.
With quiet resilience and humility, they engaged in the work of growing, learning, and becoming the remarkable young people they are today. They’ve taught me that the harder road can sometimes shape us more meaningfully than the smooth one.
Lesson #4: There may be more to them than meets the eye.
This class embodies fully engaging in school life. Last week, twenty-four of them were recognized for their participation in our ensembles program, many participating in multiple groups. Thirty-two students participated in the production of Thirty Minutes Til Boarding. Ask the faculty who coordinate the Middle School Meeting, and they’ll tell you that the sign-up sheet for eighth graders to lead is always full of volunteers.
The same spirit extends to athletics. These students have explored new sports, switched teams, and embraced unfamiliar challenges: from soccer to flag football, lacrosse to ultimate frisbee, field hockey to soccer. Along the way, they have become leaders and accomplished athletes: state qualifiers in track for three consecutive years, winners of the Park XC Invitational, an undefeated boys’ lacrosse team, a winning record on Friday Night over three years, and even the fastest eighth grader in the state.
Put simply, this class continues to teach me that one rarely knows what a child is capable of until they have the license to try.
Lesson #5: Respect the people who helped you get there.
This class makes its presence known. The hum of laughter moving through the halls of BDS (or next week, through the Grand Canyon) often means you hear them before you see them. But once you do, you are greeted with kindness.
The students recognize, respect, and appreciate the faculty and families who helped guide them and, in doing so, uphold one of the most important and often unspoken values of our community. Over ten years, this class has strengthened the fabric of Belmont Day. That may be their most enduring legacy.
They have certainly made Belmont Day a more special place, and I cannot imagine a better group with whom to have begun my own journey here. Here’s to the Class of 2026. Safe travels!