Belmont Day School athletics teams honored the school’s 90th anniversary year with strong seasons across the board. The fencing team went undefeated, while boys’ varsity basketball logged a record of 9-1. Girls’ field hockey charted a record of 4-2-1; boys’ soccer ended its season with a 6-2 record; the Ultimate frisbee team finished its season with a record of 6-1; and several competitors from the track and field team qualified for the State Championships.
Middle School Head Liz Gray attended Leadership+Design's Wonder Women! conference—a women's leadership program held at Moses Brown School in Providence.
Workshops and activities included:
The Class of 2018 will attend the following schools:
Beaver Country Day School (2)
Belmont High School (3)
Belmont Hill School
Brooks School
Buckingham Browne and Nichols School (3)
Cambridge School of Weston
Concord Academy (5)
Concord Carlisle High School
Cambridge Rindge and Latin School
Commonwealth School
Lexington Christian Academy
Middlesex School
Minuteman Career and Technical High School
Newton North High School
Northfield Mount Hermon School
Rivers School
Faculty and families gathered on Friday, June 8 to celebrate and bid farewell to the Class of 2018.
The annual sports banquet is a celebratory event for our student-athletes, coaches, and families.
Thank You Eighth Grade
During the last week of school, fifth graders will test towers they engineered and built during woodworking class. Their goal was to design and create a tower 24-inches tall and capable of supporting 40 pounds. Anticipation and excitement will abound as towers are pushed to catastrophic failure.
Each year, second graders engage in a year-long service learning project to support Gaining Ground, a nonprofit in Concord that grows and distributes 100 percent of its fresh produce to local hunger relief agencies. Last year Gaining Ground grew and distributed over 80,000 pounds of organic produce. In April, students collected pledges from relatives, friends, and neighbors for the number of pages read during a two-week period.
From June 25 to 29, Concord Avenue will be closed to through traffic while trenching for underground power connection to the new driveway takes place. Police details will be posted at both ends of Concord Avenue to facilitate access for local traffic and school families.
Visit these websites for details, including hours for the road closure:
Town of Belmont website
Belmont Police Department Facebook page
The cast of the seventh and eighth grade musical, Mary Poppins Jr., had their tech rehearsal today. It was the first time they ran through the production with elements of costuming, light, sound, and scene shifts.
Second graders visited the Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center at the Boston Public Library. As part of this program, students created their own maps, analyzed maps that are part of the Leventhal collection, and went on a scavenger hunt of the current exhibition of local green spaces. Second graders did a phenomenal job thinking like cartographers to find map features, determining the audience for a map, and presenting their ideas to a group. One group found a compass rose on their map that was in the shape of a starfish!
Track & Field Finishes Strong
On the evening of May 22, the Town of Belmont Board of Selectman—Adam Dash, Chair, Mark A. Paolillo, Vice-Chair, and Thomas Caputo, Selectman—issued the following proclamation in honor of the accomplishments of seventh grader Kaeleen Chen and fifth grader Kendree Chen.
PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS: Belmont Day School of 55 Day School Lane, Belmont is a private school teaching from before pre-kindergarten all the way up through eighth grade; and
The fourth grade class spent the day at Northeastern University's Marine Science Center in Nahant. The Center is on East Point, the former site of a World War I and World War II coastal defense reservation. Northeastern graduate students led hands-on activities—students measured water salinity and learned about food chains and adaptations. After the classroom activities, we explored tide pools that are home to small crabs, a variety of algae, and even sea anemones; thanks to the Center's touch tanks, students got to hold a sea urchin!
Ultimate Improves to 5-1 on Season
Beyond the Studio: The Lasting Legacy of the Things We Make
The middle school Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) will represent Belmont Day in the 2018 Boston Pride Parade on Saturday, June 9, and you are invited to join in! Boston Pride is a fun, affirming event—hundreds of community groups, faith groups, non-profits, schools, and businesses gather to celebrate LGBTQ communities. Participating is another way to celebrate our diversity, encourage diversity in the wider community, and enjoy each other’s company. Everyone is welcome!
Here are the details:
Girls’ Lacrosse Gaining Experience
Tree Harvesting
Awad & Timmins Dominate Doubles Match
While the cast of Mary Poppins Jr. is busy learning lines and rehearsing in the PAC during arts block, the seventh and eighth graders who have elected to be part of the production crew are busy in the studios designing, building, and painting an array of props and scenery.
Don't miss it! Mary Poppins Jr.: Wednesday, May 30 and Thursday, May 31 at 7 p.m.
Gregor Scores as Time Expires for the Win
We are delighted to announce that Raul Gonzalez III aka Raul the Third will be the 2018 Carol Cirillo Author Series speaker. He will visit with middle school classes on Friday, May 4 and lower school classes on Thursday, May 10.
Grades 7 and 8 Musical: Mary Poppins Jr.
Wednesday, May 30 and Thursday, May 31 at 7 p.m.
Ultimate Bounces Back with 10-3 Win vs BTA
We had a great turnout this past Saturday for our garden work day and sawmill project. The milling project was very successful—many boards were milled from the cleared oak trees, and volunteers helped stack boards and seal the end boards. Stay tuned for upcoming projects in the school curriculum and on campus using this wood. In the garden volunteers cleared leaves, added compost, and planted a variety of seeds including greens, peas, and radishes.
Monday to Friday, July 23 to 27, 2018 | 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Concord Avenue will be closed from Monday, April 16 to Friday, April 20.
FE French, the site subcontractor for the Barn project, has received a permit to connect the school's storm water system to the Town's system. In accordance with the permit from the Belmont Police Department, Concord Avenue will be closed to all but local traffic during these hours:
School and vacation camp families headed to campus are considered local traffic.
This spring Belmont Day will incorporate "Different and the Same," a program that addresses the complexities of human relationships and helps students identify bias, into the health and wellness program. "Different and the Same" features short videos created by Family Communications, Inc., the producers of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and will be taught by a group of Belmont Hill School seniors who have been trained to teach the curriculum.
Sixth graders are in the process of creating portraits of human rights activists. In conjunction with their American Civil Rights unit in social studies, students chose a person that promoted equality or actively championed causes contributing to the betterment of the human condition. Using a 4x6 inch photograph of their subject and 12x18 inch drawing paper, each student superimposed grids on both the photo and the paper. In order to enlarge the image threefold, they created one-inch grids on the photo image and a three-inch grid on the drawing paper.
Track and Field Runs Down Shady Hill
Kindergarten's chick eggs will hit day 21 of their gestation period on Monday, April 9, so we expect there will be hatching activity soon. Follow the live web stream of the egg incubator and watch for signs of life over the coming days! (Note, the service for this live stream is not ad-free.)
Rehearsing for "Hats!"
Each of the theater productions at Belmont Day features an overture—an orchestral piece at the beginning of an opera, play, or other composition—by students in the class. Here, second graders are rehearsing the overture for their upcoming production, "Hats!"
Strong Leadership on Girls’ Lacrosse
Boys’ Lacrosse Filled with Experience
The boys’ lacrosse team includes six athletes beginning their third and final season in the Blue & Gold. Danny Alpers, Jordan Clayton, Anand Hudson, Gabe Klug, Leo McKee, and Alex Tobias all earned spots on the team as sixth graders and will now be counted on to lead this year’s campaign, which will look to improve on a 2-5-1 record. The first game is scheduled for Thursday, April 5 on the road against Shady Hill.
Athletics News
Podcasting: Part 2
It is that time of year when we turn our focus on staffing for the next school year. With enrollment growth in sixth grade, this has been a particularly busy season for us, and there is plenty to update you on.
First, to share the staff changes for this year that are not related to enrollment growth:
Fifth grade students create tableaux during their improvisation unit.
From left to right: the Who Cares! Club, the Poets Club, the Puppetry Club, the Heat Wave, and On Thin Ice.
Athletes Eager to Begin Spring Season
With over a foot of snow delaying the start to the spring athletics season, our interscholastic athletes are ready to kick things off for their respective teams this week. Coaches, too, are excited to get started and begin preparing for games, which are just shy of three weeks away. Best of luck to our five teams—boys' lacrosse, girls' lacrosse, tennis, track and field, and ultimate frisbee—as the athletics program looks to build off of a successful winter campaign.
Over February break, while the nation reconciled the sadness of the tragedy in Parkland, Florida, and watched students organize a national movement in its wake, a group of seventh and eighth grade students added their voices to the chorus of young people around the country. They urged us to consider joining the 17-minute National School Walkout to be held on Wednesday, March 14 at 10 a.m.
School is closed due to the ongoing winter storm.
Belmont Day will be closed due forecasted severe weather conditions that will begin tonight and carry on until Tuesday night. As the storm is expected to end by 10 p.m. on Tuesday, school will be open on Wednesday, March 14.
Sixth Grade Athletes Prepare for Tryouts
HATS!
The first and second grades proudly present a musical that celebrates what's underneath on Friday, March 23. The clever, rhyming script and song-writing in this production explore all kinds of hats, their uses, and the people who wear them. After watching this musical spectacle, audience members will discover that it’s not the hat that makes a person special, but what’s underneath that truly counts! From hilarious to heart-warming, this musical entertains and educates at the same time.
School is closed on today due to the ongoing winter storm.
School will close at 12:30 p.m. in advance of the forecasted winter storm. After school and enrichment classes are canceled as well as all evening meetings.
“What are you doing for February break?”
“I’m going to Kenya!” I answered.
“On a safari?” was the typical response. It would have been mine too, until now.
Unfortunately, our concert with Tim Seston ant the Camp Info Session are canceled. The force of Friday's nor'easter has caused downed trees and power lines on Concord Avenue, which is temporarily closed.
Athletes Celebrate Winter Season
Reduction Printing with Fourth Grade
Fourth grade students have been exploring reduction printing. After sketching an animal from photographs, illustrations, or their imagination, they transferred the animal outline to a Styrofoam printing plate. After printing a series of these, they added details to the printing plate and reprinted them over the original series. To finish these artworks, students will add a third color and print their final details.
Schools are reeling after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida this week. We are left with a terrible feeling of vulnerability when schools—the institutions that celebrate innocence, demand safety, preserve childhood, and generate the leaders of the future—are sites of such tragic violence. Every school is reflecting on its own policies and procedures to ensure that we are doing everything we can to keep our students safe.
Fencing Completes Perfect Season
Woodworking Creations in Grades 1 through 8
The woodworking studio is busy all year with students from grades 1 through 8. Over the past few months, students in these grades have been busy working on a range of projects including:
Over February break, fifth grade teacher Debbie Grossman will join eleven others on a mission trip to Kenya through the Jewish Federation in Boston (Combined Jewish Philanthropies) and the Israeli Consulate. The group, called Project Inspire, will be in Kenya for seven days to visit schools, NGOs, and meet with local politicians and other leaders to learn about Israeli innovation and sustainable development in Kenya. The purpose, "Get Inspired, Inspire Others," begins with Ms. Grossman's fifth grade class.
Fifth grade students are beginning a project for which they must make an object out of wood and combine that with a makey makey to interact with their scratch projects. The photos below are projects from last year and were shown to these fifth graders for inspiration.
Varsity Teams Sweep Friday Night Hoops
School will close an 12 p.m. due to expected winter weather conditions.
On February 26, faculty and staff will spend the day engaged in professional development featuring a variety of peer-led offerings that center around tech innovation, engineering, design, productivity, and assessment.
SESSION 1: Ozobots
Ozobot is a small, smart robot that is programmable. Through drawn lines and color codes users can create autonomous behavior.
SESSION 2: The Maker Toolbox
Boys’ Varsity Improves to 5-1 on Season
“How can you create a two-color series of successful silkscreen prints in which you print the colors with separate screens?” This question, directed to the seventh and eighth grade printmakers last week in the Coolidge Art Studio, only hints at the underlying challenge: printing successive layers of ink, resulting in a coherent image, or final print, on multiple papers. Students responded with a variety of strategies; with each print pulled, the level of success in creating a clear image was immediately apparent.
Sixth grade teacher Dean Spencer attended a four-day Leaf and Pen Writing Retreat for Educators at The Carey Institute for Global Good in Rensselaerville, NY. Leaf and Pen designs its workshops and retreats to provide immersive writing experiences—away from the distractions of everyday life—for writers who are teachers across disciplines. Unstructured writing time, daily workshopping sessions, an idea lab, and camaraderie with other teacher-writers established a nurturing space for him to work on these pieces among others:
Fencing Team Continues to Dominate
After a handful of cancellations to begin the season, the Belmont Day fencing team has come out of the gates on fire with an undefeated 3-0 record. So far, the squad has two wins over the International School of Boston and one win over Beaver Country Day School. This past week, newcomers Eden Lewis and Stella Balter each recorded their first bout victories, while veterans Anand Hudson and Cole Abbott continued to dominate the strip.
Athletics News
Hats!
You can support our community of bold, inspiring, and remarkable learners and leaders by shopping on AmazonSmile. Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Belmont Day.
Lewis and Friedbauer Lead Girls’ JV Hoops to Win
Sixth grade classmates Lynn Lewis and Kiki Friedbauer propelled the girls’ JV basketball team to a hard-fought 3-point victory over Cambridge Friends this week. Lewis took charge on the offensive end of the court with great ball handling and timely scoring, while Friedbauer shined defensively by shutting down the opposition’s best player. All in all it was a breakout performance for the Blue & Gold who will look to keep things rolling in the right direction when they square off against Rashi next week.
Exploring Podcasting
Each year's graduating class raises money to leave a lasting legacy of their time at Belmont Day. The Class of 2018 is selling BDS socks and drawstring bags. Complete your school spirit collection and purchase these fun items outside the PAC on both parent visiting days—Friday, January 19 for the middle school and Friday, February 2 for lower school. Thank you for your generosity!
Awad Paces Boys’ JV Basketball
Eighth grade co-captain Sami Awad scored a team-high 8 points in Belmont Day’s hard-fought 32-26 loss to DCD this week. The Blue & Gold also received a strong performance from sixth grade newcomer Owen Khanna who pulled down 6 rebounds and was active on both ends of the floor. Despite a pair of solid performances to start the year, the team currently sits at 0-2 and will look to pick up their first win next week against Cambridge Friends.
Athletics News
Grades 7 and 8 Arts Elective - Special Effects Makeup
In this elective, students learn how to apply stage makeup and create special effects. Students who choose this class often become the make-up artists for class plays throughout the year. Check out the time-lapse video where students demonstrate two different applications. Enjoy!
This year, we will transform our MLK Assembly into a morning of cross-graded service activities to honor Dr. King. On Thursday, January 11, students will work with their cross-graded partners in the classrooms.
Team Captains Announced
Following a long winter break and a snow-shortened week, all seven interscholastic teams are eager to get back into the swing of things on Monday, January 8. Every team is led by a pair of captains who were nominated by teammates and selected by coaches. Captains for this winter are as follows:
This afternoon's Future Leader meeting this afternoon is canceled and will be rescheduled—date and time TBD. Check back soon more information!
In light of weather reports that suggest extremely low temperatures on Saturday, January 6 we have decided to cancel tomorrow's performance with Stacey Peasley. We apologize for any disappointment or inconvenience, but the safety of our little concertgoers is our top priority. We hope to see you next month on Saturday, February 3 as we sing and dance with Ben Rudnick!
School will be closed on Friday, January 5, due to expected high winds tonight, a considerable drop in temperature on Friday morning, and no guarantee of safe travel or clear roads.
School will be closed on Thursday, January 4 due to anticipated severe weather conditions.
Stay warm and safe and see you all on Friday!
During this record-breaking cold streak, we are warmed by dreams of Summer 2018...and delighted to announce that enrollment is now open!
Clayton and Klug Pace Boys’ Varsity in Season Opener
Eighth graders Jordan Clayton (15) and Gabe Klug (10) combined for nearly half of Belmont Day’s points in boys’ varsity’s 51-29 win over Waldorf this week. The duo was a formidable inside-outside threat with Clayton as the playmaker up top and Klug as the finisher down low. The remainder of the scoring was spread out evenly as all nine active players made it into the book. All in all it was a solid team effort for the BDS cagers who will resume their season on the other side of the break.
One way the Belmont Day program supports the burgeoning ability of middle school students to take ownership of their learning and develop independence and responsibility is by offering choice to students. Middle schoolers choose an arts elective each trimester, a sport each season, and a language for the three middle school years. As middle school enrollment grows, it is natural for our program offerings to grow as well.
Sixth graders are using a digital sandbox to recreate "the clapper." Students wrote a program that directs the onboard microphone to turn on a light when it detected a loud sound like a clap and then to turn off when it detected a second clap.
On Saturday morning, Belmont Day hosted the first meeting of the English Teachers’ Collaborative—a gathering of educators from area independent schools—to share best practices, ideas, successes, and opportunities in the English classroom. Faculty from the Meadowbrook, Shady Hill, Fenn, and Brimmer and May schools joined BDS teachers Dean Spencer, Julia Juster, and myself.
Fresh Faces Add Energy to Girls’ Varsity Basketball
After a successful stint on the JV team last winter, Mina Cho, Sophie Dornstein, and Delia Moore have already made an impact on this year’s varsity squad. The trio earned spots on Belmont Day’s top team thanks to their dedicated work ethic and focused approach. With newcomers helping to set the tone, head coach Kathy Gruzynski is confident that a healthy competitive environment will be created among her 9 players. The girls tip off their season next Wednesday at Waldorf.
Athletics News
In the studios, one expects to see artists working with a variety of materials using different techniques to create original artwork. While this element—the work of “turning thoughts into things”—is indeed a critical part of art classes, it is only one part of learning and growing as an artist at BDS. This week, visitors to the Coolidge Art Studio observed middle schoolers working on the pottery wheels, first graders learning how to make paper, as well as:
Director of Technology Dolly Ryan and Assistant Head of School Deborah Brissenden have introduced something special to the Early Birds program. The "Wednesday Challenge" involves activities that introduce new tools and provide students with opportunities to develop and reinforce creative design skills. They can explore design language: How will I approach this task? What materials might I need? How do these materials work or how can they be adapted? What do I do if my idea doesn't work at first?
Fencing Program Expands
Fourth graders work on their wood burning design project.
Six alumni returned to BDS to speak with eighth graders about Capstone and share their experiences and wisdom about their projects. They also talked about how the Capstone experience has been helpful to them in high school. Students asked great questions, and got some needed inspiration as they launch into their own projects. Thank you to Jamie McCreath '17, Ethan Smyke '17, Margo Danahy '17, Gabe McCreath '17, Sarah McCluskey '14, and Samantha Friborg '14.
We thank Quinn Fitzgerald '01 for returning to campus as our Alumni in Action speaker! The Alumni in Action Speaker Series showcases the ways that the BDS experience helps shape the careers of our alumni. As the co-founder of Flare Jewelry, Quinn beautifully articulated the process of becoming an entrepreneur—beginning with an idea, creating a prototype, building empathy, and then creating a finished product. This process is reflected in the work of our eighth grade students, who are now entering the project phase of Capstone.
We had a great crew of students, parents, and faculty helping to put the garden to rest for the winter. Weeding, mulching, harvesting, raking, and clearing were among the many tasks our volunteers participated in. We thank these volunteers and, with this important work, we anticipate our spring season coming soon. Look for opportunities in April to help wake up the school garden to get ready for another stellar season in the BDS garden.
Scenes from the Coolidge Art Studio this week:
Athletes Wrap Up Fall Season
Get ready for Giving Tuesday on November 28, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving break. Giving Tuesday is a national event celebrating the importance of philanthropy. The Belmont Day community will celebrate this special day with a focus on reaching 100% parent and faculty participation in annual giving.
We are thrilled to announce that a group of parents has generously increased their own giving and offered us a Raise the Roof Challenge for the Barn project. Any new or increased gift to the Raise Y[our] Voice Capital Campaign will be matched 1:1 up to $450,000. This is both an incredibly generous offer and a significant challenge.
Share the Warmth at the Winter Concert
Friday, December 15, 10:30 a.m., Gymnasium
The construction of the Barn has given us an opportunity to try a new format for our winter concert and Share the Warmth send-off assembly. We will be bringing these two special events together to share music, light, and poetry with the community.
Today's assembly was a meaningful expression of respect and appreciation for those who have served and are serving in America's armed services. We welcomed Vietnam veteran George Moriarty as a speaker, accompanied by his wife, former BDS third grade teacher Pattie Moriarty. Other presentations included 3-D freedom monuments designed by fifth graders, a sing-along led by sixth graders, a stirring solo by a seventh grade student, and a dynamic dance choreographed and performed to Pharrell William's Freedom.
Enrollment is open for our fun after school enrichment programs for the second trimester. Here are the new offerings:
MONDAYS
TUESDAYS
WEDNESDAYS
THURSDAYS
FRIDAYS
Seventh and Eighth Grade Arts Elective: Movement and Dance
Football Tops Fessenden in Final Game
Join us to learn more about applying to be a Future Leader at Belmont Day! We will host info sessions on Tuesday, December 12, 2017 at 5 p.m. and Friday, January 5, 2018 at 4 p.m. in the Erskine Library. The January 5 event is canceled for weather. We will post information about a new date soon!
Pfeffer Continues Dominant Play for Field Hockey
Grades one through six have been building scales as part of the building blocks of music unit and in anticipation of the building of the Barn.
Thanks to Librarian Amy Sprung, Belmont Day has received a Portable Maker Studio provided to the school by Novel Engineering (NE) at Tufts University’s Center for Engineering Education and Outreach (CEEO). NE began as an innovative approach to integrate engineering and literacy in elementary and middle school classrooms. The goal of the Portable Maker Studio is to connect classrooms with the tools and materials students need to expand and fulfill engineering goals.
Director of Summer Programs Bea Rooney and Director of After School and Enrichment Programs Blair Fross attended the the 2nd annual National SPARC (Summer Programs and Auxiliary Revenue) Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona along with 160 attendees from all over the country, including 20 colleagues from the Boston area. The three-day conference featured workshops, panels, keynotes, and networking with other independent school summer and auxiliary program leaders.
Boys’ Soccer Rolls Over Fenn
Seventh and eighth grade arts electives are wrapping up next week. This is the first of four sessions throughout the school year. Thirteen electives from various disciplines were offered this term, including “Upcycled Fashion.” Using conventional and nonconventional materials—paper, maps, discarded books, paints, fabric, dyes, embroidery thread, used clothing, and sewing machines—students created wearable artworks. For one project, middle school artists were challenged to create garments only using newspaper and discarded book pages.
For the past two weeks, students have been weighing food waste, or "ort," following each lunch. Here are the results:
Week 1
Grades 1 to 3 (78 students)
Grades 4 to 6 (97 students)
Ms. Dempsey's middle school performing arts classes explore character using Delsarte's Three Spheres of the Body and Rudolph Laban's Eight Efforts.
Middle school students joined over 1.5 million students in more than 100 countries to participate in Global Math Week. One activity in particular, Exploding Dots, was designed to actively foster students’ sense of wonder and enjoyment of mathematics. Exploding Dots pushed creative thinking and pattern recognition through solving real-life problems.
Thank you to everyone who came out to support BDS at Friday Night Lights! Congratulations to our amazing student athletes on an inspiring display of spirit and joy. Both the girls' and boys' teams gave it their all on the field under the lights at Harvard. After defending their goal hard in the final minutes of the last game, the boys' soccer team took the win. It was truly a night to remember for our community as the team captured Belmont Day's first ever win against Meadowbrook in this annual match-up. Way to go, BDS!
While third graders have been rehearsing for their upcoming musical in performing arts class, they have also been busy in the art studio creating the scenery for their production. First, students visually brainstormed how to turn the director’s vision into scenery (yes, we first heard what Mr. Parsons envisioned as the “atmosphere” for the PAC stage), and then spent the last two weeks working on painting and printing the large flats. We are all looking forward to the upcoming production on Friday, October 27, when the PAC will be transformed into “The Deep Blue Sea”!
Girls’ Soccer Heads into Friday Night Lights Undefeated
Football Wins 42-38 Thriller over Fessenden
The flag football team improved to 2-0 on the season following a dramatic back-and-forth win at Fessenden this week. Sophie Dornstein, Dylan Skenderian, and Anand Patil-Hudson all broke through with key TD receptions. Patil-Hudson also had the game winning deflection as Fessenden attempted to score from the 5-yard line as time expired. The team will look to continue its winning ways next week in their home-opener against Thayer.
Athletics News
Maybe Something Beautiful
Second grade artists are creating a 12-foot mural inspired by their summer reading book, "Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood," and the book's illustrator, Rafael López. The mural will be coming to the second grade hallway soon!
I'm Not Racist...Am I?
I Don’t Know If You’ve Read This Yet, But…
In the life of a school—once the tear for another summer gone by has been shed—September is about restoring routine both in the classroom and at home. We rediscover old friends and make new ones, and the familiar context of school highlights the growth that has taken place since June. For teachers, administrators, and parents, there is an additional trend to September that seems impossible to ignore—currently trending articles on what students need.
The Deep Blue Sea
Saving our Seas
Field Hockey Opens Season with 4-1 Win over Fay
Learn more about the ways in which you can get involved with Capstone.
Every grade has a shared summer and back-to-school experience thanks to summer reading. Students shared the academic and creative projects that emerged from their book at sharing assembly today. Learn more about third grade's book Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle by Claire A. Nivola.
Support our athletes on September 27 for the first games of the season!
The community is invited for an update on the recently approved Barn project and driveway. Information about the construction schedule and an introduction to the project management team will be provided. Refreshments will be served.
Reply requested to Assistant to the Head, Neelangi Gunasekera at ngunasekera@belmontday.org. If you are unable to attend the reception and you have questions, please reach out to Head of School Brendan Largay directly at blargay@belmontday.org.
Faculty and staff participating in Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity (SEED) will meet monthly. SEED is a nationally recognized peer-led program of community, personal, and professional development focused on issues of identity, equity, and social justice. The group will be facilitated by William Yepes and Leesa Mercedes. Meeting will take place on Mondays from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.
October 2, November 6, December 4, January 8, February 5, March 5, April 9, May 7
Parents participating in Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity (SEED) will meet monthly. SEED is a nationally recognized peer-led program of community, personal, and professional development focused on issues of identity, equity, and social justice. The group will be facilitated by Tina Fox and Dean Spencer. Meetings will take place on Tuesdays from 6 to 9 p.m.
October 10, November 14, December 12, January 23, February 13, March 20, April 10, May 8
The Case for Cultural Competency
Today, Belmont Day is as diverse a community as it has ever been in its proud history. The Annette Raphel Scholarship for Leadership and Diversity, a merit scholarship for Boston-area students from African-American, black, Latino, or Hispanic descent, is in its first year. Our student community is comprised of 35% students of color. We have families hailing from 27 towns including towns as far afield as Andover, Framingham, Maynard, Bedford, Woburn, and Weston.
We are delighted to introduce Belmont Day's new school store!
The BDS Spirit Store offers quality branded gear for Spirit Day and every day, including activewear and outwear. The store is hosted by Amerasport, a vendor that offers a wide range of styles and sizes at reasonable price points. We will be adding items periodically and welcome suggestions from the community. Highlights:
One of my goals for fifth graders involves building their confidence to move from simply consuming digital media to producing digital media. The photos depict students using Scratch to create their own programs.
Team Captains Announced
Wade and Friedbauer Prepare for Third and Final Season
The buzz during this first full week of school in the visual art studios is all about digging in and getting started! This week, students in kindergarten through sixth grade established routines and expectations in the art studios, and made their individual portfolios. Next week, students will create paste papers to use for sketchbook covers. (Don’t know what paste paper is or how it’s made? Wonder what we do with the sketchbooks?
Innovation in the Most Surprising of Places
Trail Riders, Model U.N., and Math Club—these are some of the clubs options available for middle schoolers this semester. Comprised of mixed-grade groups, middle school clubs meet twice a month and are led by faculty and staff who have expertise in or share a passion for a particular topic or activity. Clubs provide students with an opportunity to make choices—each middle schooler chooses two club offerings to participate in each year.
Athletes Gear Up For Fall Tryouts
This week our interscholastic athletes focused on fitness in preparation for the Fall athletics season. Tryouts for Fall athletics teams will begin next week. Coaches would like to remind all athletes to bring their gear to athletics next week. We are excited for what should be a fantastic season of Fall athletics here at Belmont Day.
Click here to view our athletics gallery from last Spring.
Fifth Grade Tower Project
“It is always quietly thrilling to look at a world you know well but have never seen from such an angle before.” - Bill Bryson
The Belmont Day Garden has had a great growing season this year. We are still harvesting greens of all kinds including kale, chard, lettuces, collards, spinach, and arugula. We have several varieties of tomatoes and, while the chipmunks seem to enjoy taking bites, we still have some ripening on the vines to be harvested in the coming weeks. Sunflowers and edible flowers are ready for the picking including borage and calendula flowers. We are still waiting for carrots, beets, and a second planting of radishes to be harvested.
Learn about the educators and administrators who joined our community this year.
Our community of bold, inspired, and remarkable learners and leaders has kicked-off the 90th year!
Free concerts for toddlers and preschoolers featuring some of the Boston area's favorite performers!
Welcome to Heather Woodcock, new director of the associate teacher program! Heather has jumped right in to the business of getting to know Belmont Day and spreading the word about our remarkable community of learners and leaders. She recently met with 15 EXPLO program staff members at Wellesley College who are thinking of becoming early childhood or elementary educators. Heather reports that there was high interest in the BDS program “because it's hands-on and offers close mentorship and collaboration with veteran teachers.
Follow along with the fun and excitement on campus this summer!
Congratulations to the members of the Class of 2013 on the completion of their secondary school educations!
Carpooling helps families save time and resources and reduces traffic in our communities.
Teachers experiment with electronics to advance teaching and learning.
Intensive four-day workshop offers deep dive into the practice and methods of design thinking.
Belmont Day marched as proud allies of the LGBTQ+ community in the Boston Pride parade today! The BDS values of respect and caring were on full display as our small and joyful contingent made its way through the city, cheered on by thousands. Thank you to our GSA members for inspiring us to march for the first time as a school community and to the faculty, students, families, and friends who participated. And a special shout-out to the students who handed out goodies to the crowd and Señor Yepes for most spirited attire!
Faculty and families gathered on Friday, June 9 to celebrate and bid farewell to the Class of 2017.
The Belmont Day School Coaches’ Award recognizes two middle school student-athletes who best embody the school’s values through athletics. Recipients of this award value honesty on the playing fields by following the rules of the game. They demonstrate caring by participating unselfishly with a focus on teamwork. They embody joy through their positive attitude and cheerful nature in both practices and games. They value responsibility by always being prepared and committed to their teams.
Yesterday the Class of 2017 had the amazing opportunity to meet Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. It was the highlight of the day and the experience will likely become one the most important memories of the trip to Washington, D.C. for many of us. Justice Ginsburg very graciously decided to answer students' questions rather than delivering formal remarks. The eighth grade class posed well thought-out questions and Justice Ginsburg shared some of her important life experiences.
Student Summer Reading Selections
On Monday, June 5, homeroom teachers distributed summer reading books to students as they visit the next grade. Our students will be enjoying the following books:
Student Summer Reading Selections
This summer our students will be enjoying the following books:
Thank You Eighth Grade
I can barely believe that this is the last official Scoop article of the year. Fresh off the fields from Field Day, I feel as though I have simultaneously only just begun and been here for decades. This has been an extraordinary year full of growth, learning, excellence, and joy, and I am so grateful to have been along for this incredible ride.
Annie!
The seventh and eighth grade musical, Annie, was a true culminating experience for the middle school Arts program. Each seventh and eighth grade student made a distinct contribution to the production through their role as a cast or crew member. Thank you to the students, faculty, and community members who made Annie such a wonderful success!
Karaoke Fun!
As is the tradition every year in performing arts class, the students get an opportunity to showcase their voice and bravado through the fun-filled medium of karaoke! In these pictures, you will see the unbridled joy of third grade as they step forth to dance, sing, and frolic to a wide variety of musical genres. This is an event that every grade looks forward to and is a great ensemble-building opportunity to help conclude the year's many theatrical performances!
Ultimate Completes Successful Rebuild
It’s a big job, I was told, being a Head of School. “Lot of responsibility,” they said. “Are you ready?” “No doubt,” I replied. “Ready as I’ll ever be.” “24/7/365,” they said. That’s when I corrected them. “More like 364,” I advised.
Today, I got to hang up the tie, kick back, and watch Emmett Plante, Head for the day, take the reins. Now, there are those of you out there reading this thinking, ‘well, isn’t that a bit cavalier?’ I mean, what kind of credentials does Emmett bring to the job?
Last Friday, second graders spent the morning at Gaining Ground in Concord. Gaining Ground is a nonprofit that grows and distributes 100 percent of its fresh produce to local hunger relief agencies—last year growing and distributing over 60,000 pounds of organic produce! Students planted seeds, spread compost, and mulched beds as they helped the farmers in their work to fight food insecurity.
Today's interscholastic games and meets are canceled due to weather.
The middle school Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) is starting a new tradition—for the first time, Belmont Day will march in Boston’s Pride Parade as a school! Come take a look at the colorful participation poster created by GSA members in the lobby and add your name if you can join us in celebrating together on Saturday, June 10.
On a beautiful May day, a team of six students from the Roots & Shoots club turned out Community Service Day to pitch in with Furnishing Hope of Massachusetts, Inc. Furnishing Hope is a nonprofit organization that provides furniture and home goods to families transitioning from homeless shelters.
Track Team Beats the Heat, Runs Down Pike
First Graders Sew Pillow Covers
My first corporation meeting.
Like the horses that will run the Preakness Stakes this weekend, Belmont Day is also rounding the turn and headed down the home stretch. Every year, May is full of closure activities for each class, each student, and of course, the community as a whole.
Clayton and Marquis Lift Boys’ Lax to First Win
The boys’ lacrosse team held on for a dramatic 9-8 win yesterday at DCD. After holding a 9-5 lead, the Blue & Gold surrendered 3 goals in the final two minutes, narrowly escaping Dedham with a 1-goal victory. Jordan Clayton and Sam Marquis scored 3 goals a piece for the victors who also received strong midfield play from Gabe Klug and Ethan Smyke. Boys’ lacrosse will look to carry their momentum into next week for a pair of games against Carroll and Park.
Athletics News
Fly Like an Eagle
In this Space Jam-inspired music class, students use hand bells and rubber balls to play melodies and rhythms.
Summer Reading
It is as sure a sign of summer’s imminent arrival as flowers blossoming and later sunsets: the assignment of summer reading.
Since I started teaching, I have come to love summer reading. It offers a delightful reminder to escape into another world, an opportunity to learn something new, or simply a chance to hear a story you’ve heard before told with a new twist. Summer reading also serves as an early reminder of what comes next—a new grade, a new opportunity, a new understanding.
Thank you for your help, you fantastic volunteers
From the start you welcomed families with warmth and good cheers
In Fall functions you helped the new folks allay all their fears
Then you REALLY got to know them over Novemberfest beers
The success of this year is truly due to you
From an enrichment kangaroo
to a hospitable halloween ‘boo’
(don’t forget the back-to-school goodies too!)
Girls’ Lacrosse Battles Hard, Falls Short to CRS
The girls’ lacrosse team had their best game of the season this week behind strong goalie play from Marielle Randall and Anyara Zapata. The duo combined for 15 saves and kept the Blue & Gold within striking distance until the end. On the field, newcomer Ellie Kadnar played great defense through the middle and created multiple scoring chances for her teammates. When the final horn sounded, Charles River walked away with a 13-10 victory, but Belmont Day will be carrying positive momentum into next week.
Rehearsing for the Seventh and Eighth Grade Musical, Annie.
Students learn choreography for "Hard Knock Life" with Susan Dempsey, and "Easy Street" with Valery Marcantonio. Actors rehearse the Hooverville scene.
Stargazing at BDS
Sometimes in life strange confluences happen, and we find ourselves—after not thinking about a particular subject for months, perhaps even years—suddenly hearing about it three times in a week. Such has been my experience of late with the night sky and the stars that reside there.
Tennis Sweeps Nashoba to Even Record
While there has certainly been plenty going on of late with our proposed plans for The Barn project, I wanted to take some time in this space to come back to The Main Thing.
As many know, there are beehives alongside the school garden. Our plants in the garden rely on pollination to produce fruits and vegetables. Honey bees, along with native bees, butterflies, insects, birds, bats, and the wind all contribute to pollination—or the fertilization of plants—resulting in the formation of seeds and then the fruits. Pollinators move the pollen from the male parts of the plant to the female parts to ensure fertilization. Studies have shown that at least of 30% of our food crops rely on honey bees and other pollinators.
In February I shared a community update on the exciting program and campus growth that is underway. I take this opportunity now to provide another update on our progress.
Head of School Brendan Largay and Board President Brit Dewey wrote the following guest commentary to the Belmont Citizen Herald.
April 24, 2017
Dear Editor:
One bus route will run to and from camp each day from June 26 to September 1 according to the following schedule:
TO CAMP:
FROM CAMP:
Scenes from kindergarteners carding wool!
Skenderian and Huntington Shine for Belmont Day
Innovation
Steve Jobs once said that innovation distinguishes the difference between a leader and a follower. One of the reasons I so gladly accepted the opportunity to be the head of school was the opportunity to work with the talented group of leaders already assembled here—teachers and administrators, alike—and continue the powerful thread of innovation that runs so deep here at Belmont Day.
Belmont Day parents Bradley and Kristen Lewis wrote the following letter to The Belmontonian in support of the school's building project plans.
April 9, 2017: Letter to the Editor, The Belmontonian
Dear Editor:
“The sun will come out tomorrow…”
Track & Field Schedule Expands
Historically, the track & field team has competed in 5-6 interscholastic meets per season. This spring, the team is scheduled for 8 meets, including new additions Pike and Lesley Ellis. Led by a handful of committed eighth graders, this year’s group of 18 athletes is anxiously anticipating their first meet, which takes place next week at Park. Dalia Dainora-Cohen, Margo Danahy, and Sam Dornstein are all returning for their second year on the team and are hoping to contend in their respective events.
“Any interest?” My question, asked to our nurse, Liz LaRocque, felt innocent enough. It was attached to a forwarded email regarding the “AISNE Health and Wellness Symposium” in May. Given Belmont Day’s leading work in Health and Wellness–a program that has been showcased for other schools with consistency from year to year–this felt like the right question to ask, knowing that they want to stay abreast of the latest and greatest of professional development opportunities.
21 days and counting! Kindergarten's chick eggs hit day 21 of their gestation period today so we expect there will be hatching activity soon. Follow the live web stream of the egg incubator and brace yourself for signs of life over the coming days!
Lacrosse Programs Benefit from Sixth Grade Additions
“If not us, then who? If not now, then when?”
The call of the Freedom Riders rings through history, and will certainly ring true this Thursday night as our sixth grade welcomes the BDS community to Freedom Night. Their study of civil rights—the sacrifices made in an effort to achieve them, the progress we have made as a nation, and the distance we have yet to travel—has been deep and meaningful. Freedom Night showcases one grade’s comprehensive exploration of issues of racial, socio-economic, and gender diversity, to be certain, but also diversity of thought and opinion.
Middle school students are using both their engineering and workworking skills in the ID8 Lab to create an interactive table. They used drills and saws to cut out the middle of an IKEA side table. They will add LEDS into the middle and cover them with a piece of acrylic. Then they will use a Makey Makey to trigger the LEDs to light up when touched. The final picture shows the model that inspired the project.
Middle School Math Specialist Kathy Gruzynski recently presented at the Association of Mathematics Teachers in Massachusetts’ Spring Conference. The theme of the conference was Taking Risks in the New Frontier: Rigor, Reasoning and Relevance. Kathy’s presentation focused on rich math tasks-activities that can be used in the classroom that pair teaching specific math skills with critical thinking skills.
Ten middle school students spent Wednesday evening, March 29, listening to nationally acclaimed poet Marie Howe read her work as the 2017 recipient of the Robert Creeley Award in Acton. Two Massachusetts high school students, winners of the statewide Helen Creeley Poetry Contest, also read.
“It was wonderful to be in a room of hundreds of people listening to live poetry. There’s nothing like seeing and hearing great living poets to help students understand the possibilities for their own expression,” said Mr. Spencer.
Today at BDS, kindergarteners welcomed a very special visitor to their classroom. Dr. Dawn Binder, veterinarian and owner of the Cushing Square Veterinary Clinic in Belmont, spoke to students about her job as part of the class's unit on community helpers. The students learned about different types of vets, had a chance to ask thoughtful questions, and met some very special animals; a duck and a sugar glider. After the presentation, students proudly gave Dr. Binder a tour of the animal hospital that they had created during drama.
Tennis Team Heads Outside
Following indoor tryouts at Harvard, and a few practices in the gym, the tennis team braved the cold temps on Thursday and finally got outdoors, traveling off campus to their “home away from home.” This spring, the tennis team will host their home meets at the Pequossette Courts on Trapelo Road in Belmont. The town courts were recently refinished and provide the opportunity for more matches with four side-by-side courts. Coaches are excited about the addition of eighth grade newcomers Will Levy and Madison Liesching.
Auditioning for Annie, the Seventh and Eighth Grade Musical
Last week, I looked at the ways that our eighth grade students have already set off to change the world through their Capstone work this year. As promised, the three hearty students who presented their work on Monday are honored here in this week’s Scoop. As you’ll recall, Capstone is a journey into the remarkable curiosity, leadership, insight, and talents of our eighth grade student leaders as change agents for the future. Here is what I learned from our final three presenters:
Warp and Weft
Fourth grade art students worked in the wood shop to create triangular looms, and then in the art studio to dye and hand weave fabric. Check out their exhibit outside of Coolidge Hall.
Spring Season Underway Despite Weather
Nearly a foot of snow on Tuesday canceled the first day of interscholastic tryouts and forced teams inside the remainder of the week. Excited for the new season, coaches and athletes made the best of the situation and had productive starts to their seasons. The lacrosse and ultimate teams utilized gym space both on- and off-campus, while tennis traveled to Harvard’s indoor courts, and track ran on nearby roads.
Athletics News
Last week, I wrote about our efforts to nurture curiosity here at BDS and promised a look at our commitment to community with this week’s installment. In the interim, something extraordinary has happened that inspired me to reconsider my plan—Capstone. It has moved a different NAIS mission into place for this week…changing the world.
It is with great pleasure that I write to share some exciting staffing news with you. Carl Geneus will be returning to camp this summer as our seasonal camp director!
Carl is our physical education teacher at Belmont Day during the school year and began his journey with Belmont Day Camp last summer to cover while Betsy Kelder, our former director of summer and external programs, was out on maternity leave.
Collection pod on campus through April 9. Donate now!
Athletes Gear Up for Spring Season
With a successful winter season of athletics in the books, athletes are gearing up for the wpring season. Next week, sixth grade athletes will be trying out for all five spring sports offerings: boys’ lacrosse, girls’ lacrosse, track and field, tennis, and ultimate frisbee.
Athletes Gear Up for Spring Season
With a successful winter season of athletics in the books, athletes are gearing up for the spring season. Next week, sixth grade athletes will try out for all five spring sports offerings: boys’ lacrosse, girls’ lacrosse, track and field, tennis, and ultimate frisbee.
As promised, here begins the first installment of a six-part series inspired by the NAIS annual conference theme of Mission, Vision, and Values. As a reminder, six themes of mission were showcased throughout the conference - curiosity, diversity, community, wellness, innovation, and changing the world. Each week, I will be commenting on one of the six themes and how they manifest here at Belmont Day.
Music and the Rubik's Cube
Seventh and Eighth Grade Carving
Greetings from the National Association of Independent Schools Annual Conference!
Sign up for Spring Conference Day Programs!
Conference Day is Wednesday, March 22. We have a great trip planned to LEGOLAND. Program hours are 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with extended day coverage until 5:30 p.m. OUR LEGOLAND trip Includes unlimited rides, workshops, free building time, LEGO films, and a pizza lunch. Minimum enrollment of 25 children is needed to run the program. Download a registration form.
The Belmont Day community looks forward to an exciting and informative week of Capstone presentations.
Dance Performance a Huge Success
The dance program is only in its third year of existence yet is already expanding opportunities for students. This week, lead instructor Valery Marcantonio took her nine dancers to Sunrise Senior Living Center in Weston to perform for residents. The team performed two routines, each one a unique creation inspired by different music and styles. Following the performance, students had the opportunity to connect with the audience making for a great experience for all involved.
Athletics News
This week, seventh and eighth graders from Mr. Parsons' theatrical makeup class spearheaded preparing fifth graders for their play, One Midsummer Night. It was an excellent opportunity for them to put their training to use, and cast members reveled at seeing them in action!
If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumber'd here
While these visions did appear.
On a morning when the entire community came together to celebrate fifth grade and their Shakespeare mash-up, One Midsummer Night, the closing monologue of Robin Goodfellow Puck has given me pause as we move towards break.
It is with great excitement and enthusiasm that I provide this update to you. It is the upshot of a tremendous amount of work by faculty and countless other members of our community. As many of you already know, the board of trustees voted to approve an enrollment growth initiative last year that would add up to forty-five students in total to our sixth, seventh, and eighth grades over the course of the next four to five years, with approximately fifteen more students in each grade than are currently enrolled today. We would also add faculty to support this enrollment growth.
The studios have been busy over the past few weeks with artists creating work for themselves and for others! Fifth graders have paused working their ceramic projects to help design and create the scenery for their upcoming production of “One Midsummer Night.” Third and first graders have been making their contributions for the Homegrown Auction class art project—be on the lookout more information about these stunning works!
Varsity Teams Ready for Friday Night Hoops
School closed on Thursday, February 9 due to weather.
Kalin and Kim Win Marathon Match
Keep up-to-date on the progress of our capital campaign!
Athletes Share Season Highlights at Assembly
For those of you who are not inclined towards professional sports fandom, forgive me. I don’t know how many more times I will have the opportunity to write an article like this one, and every now and then, you just have to scratch that itch.
Our eighth grade students were born in 2002-2003. That means—if they are rooting for their Boston-based home teams—that they have witnessed eight local professional sports championships in their fourteen years of life.
Students in the Trust Your Crazy Ideas club use Leap Motion to read sign language and have the computer show and say the letter.
Fifth Grade Woodworking Water Towers
Fencing Victorious in First Match
Good evening everyone,
Like many of our students and families, I have spent the week fighting off one of those wintertime colds that often plagues a small school like ours in January—and this winter’s model is a particularly fierce one. It is my hope that anyone who has been snagged by this bug takes advantage of this weekend to rest up and get well. Finally, for those of you who have navigated along so far without getting hit, I offer you my envious congratulations. May your luck continue!
Have a great weekend everyone. Be well.
Balanced Attack Leads Boys’ JV Past CFS
Dotted Notes Spotted in Music Class
Windows and mirrors. I first learned of them through the National SEED Project (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) and the work of Dr. Peggy McIntosh years ago. But this morning, as we welcomed parents for lower school visiting day, I found myself thinking about the difference between, and the value of, windows and mirrors. Through a window, we are granted access to a world that may be very different from our own—filled with experiences and ideas that perhaps we haven’t seen before.
Proceeds to benefit Native American Heritage Association and American Association of University Women.
Three faculty members will present a workshop at the 2017 AISNE Middle School Students of Color Conference on Saturday, February 4. The conference theme is "Using My Difference to Make a Difference." Fifth grade teacher Debbie Grossman, middle school performing arts teacher Susan Dempsey, and fourth grade teacher Mary Norman will present "Privilege and Allyship," a workshop for white conference participants. Through discussion, activities, and role play, students will learn about their privileges, what it means to be an ally, and gain new understandings and tools for action.
Special Effects and Stage Make-Up Class
Girls’ Basketball Program Trending in the Right Direction
The studios have been buzzing with activity during these first few days back from winter break! A few snapshots from Thursday include kindergartners using watercolors to complete their printed cityscapes, first graders discovering how to make multicolored sheets of paper, and fifth graders applying their printmaking blocks and skills to create a design cube with clay.
A New Year's Resolution
A freshly sharpened pencil. A song I haven’t heard before. The stillness of daybreak. A baby’s first cry. I am a sucker for anything new. The unspoiled potential of it all.
Joshua Burek, Director of Communications and Outreach at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School, was a guest at Belmont Day School today. Mr. Burek met with the middle school Model UN club to discuss leadership, international affairs, and careers in public policy.
Badminton Gears Up for First Match
After three weeks of practice, the badminton team will finally kick off its interscholastic season next week at Shady Hill. With only four returning players from a year ago, this year’s team will be relying heavily on a handful of experienced eighth graders, including team captain Ethan Smyke and standout performer Max Reitshamer.
Athletics News
We are pleased to announce that registration is now open for summer camp and vacation week programs!
If you are new to Belmont Day, please visit our registration website to enroll.
Returning families can follow this link to register for 2017 or to make additions or changes to their registration.
Join us to learn more about the exciting and enriching summer camp options at Belmont Day. We offer general and specialty camp programs for children entering pre-k to grade nine from June 19 to September 1, 2017. Our programs are led by dedicated and experienced counselors who support campers in making new friends, pursuing interests, and gaining independence. Be part of the Belmont Day community, where kids explore, play and grow.
Thursday, January 26, 2017 from 5 to 6 p.m.
Thursday, February 16, 2017 from 5 to 6 p.m.
Saturday, March 4, 2017 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Applications for pre-k through grade 7 candidates must be submitted online by Wednesday, January 11.
The Send-off Assembly goes mysteriously quiet...
Beginning the Journey into Artificial Intelligence
Varsity Hoops Teams Upend Waldorf
“Our story, post PoCC, involves a recommitment to encouraging authentic and mutually respectful dialogue and a call to action to support all members of the Belmont Day School community.”
The BDS Tech Team, iRobot, and Apple Education deliver an afternoon of robots, coding, and fun!
Fencing Moves On Campus
Acting with Masks
In this seventh and eighth grade elective students work with Basel and Expressive Masks.
Join us to learn more about applying to be a Future Leader at Belmont Day! We will host info sessions on Friday, January 13 from 4 to 5 p.m. in the Erskine Library and Tuesday, January 17 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in Coolidge Hall.
Collaboration and Multidisciplinary Approaches in the Arts
A Love of Reading
Thanksgiving break always seems to arrive just in time—Labor Day to Thanksgiving provides the longest stretch of uninterrupted school days we will have all year long and everyone is ready for some down time, family time, turkey time or, as is the case in my house: curl-up-with-a-good-book time. Annually, the quiet that comes with that tryptophan-induced sleepy Thursday afternoon offers an ideal time for our family to reacquaint ourselves with the magic of literature.
Dance Program Expands
With the addition of five sixth grade athletes, the Belmont Day dance program continues to grow. In its third year of existence, this year’s team has a total of nine dancers including veterans Lucia Cartmell Toffoli, Katey Finnerty, and Rayne McNerney. The team hopes to expand its performance schedule this winter, so stay tuned for dance-related news!
Athletics News
Casey McQuillen is a Boston-based singer/songwriter and former American Idol Contestant. She’s performed her anti‐bullying program, The “You Matter”Tour, at over 75 middle and high schools in New England over the past two years. On November 18, Casey performed for middle school students at Belmont Day School.
“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” - Cicero
As we approach Thanksgiving, I figured now would be as good a time as any to articulate that for which I would like to give thanks. Forgive me for writing in a list this week, but then, good writing often changes syntax (at least, that’s my intellectualized excuse)…
On this Thanksgiving, I am giving thanks for...
Students Explore Printmaking
Students Wrap-Up Fall Season with Win over Coaches
Cross Country Shines at State Invitational
Middle School Projects: Wooden Lamps and Structures
First, a heartfelt thank you to all of our service men and women who have served and continue to serve our country. I get to write the article that follows here because of the work you have done and continue to do to defend our freedoms as a nation. Thank you.
Second, I have been giving those freedoms a great deal of consideration this week.
On the heels of their work with educator and diversity leader Rosetta Lee last Friday, three Belmont Day students attended the AISNE (Association of Independent Schools New England) Middle School Diversity Conference at Thayer Academy on Saturday, November 5. The keynote speakers were Oliver Arias and Eric Axelman, a teaching and performing team from Pushed Learning and Media.
Field Hockey Wins Back-to-Back Games
In music classes, students explore of a variety of specific skills through monthly topics. In September classes focused on musical letter names for the notes in the spaces of the treble clef staff; October was rhythm month with an emphasis on the practice of quarter notes and eighth notes. In November are exploring musical preludes. Older students are challenged to consider whether a prelude is a piece of music that precedes a work or is actually a movement that marks the beginning of the work. Non-musical forms like prefaces, prologues, and preambles are included in these discussions.
Belmont Day had the great fortune, through the generosity of the Ko Family and Wellesley Toyota Speaker Series, to welcome Rosetta Lee to campus today. Ms. Lee, a nationally recognized leader in diversity, inclusion, and anti-bias work, spoke to families this morning about strategies for difficult conversations about current events—a particularly salient topic with the election nearly upon us—then met with and led workshops for our middle school students, concluding her day doing professional development work with our teaching and non-teaching faculty.
Boys’ Soccer Stays Hot, Blanks Fenn
Third Grade Presents "Imagine"
Screenagers
"I have been on the road with this documentary for eight months all over the country, and I have never heard a collection of thoughtful questions like the ones coming from your students tonight." - Delaney Ruston, speaking about BDS students after viewing her film, Screenagers.
Printmaking
Flag Football Starts Strong
As the halls fill this afternoon for the first of our three parent conferencing opportunities this term, I am struck by the critical role that parents play in an educational community and the premium we place on that involvement here at BDS. Belmont Day has long prided itself on the strength of our parent-student-teacher investment in one another that ensures the strength of our community as a whole.
Online/Blended Education Symposium for Independent Schools, or OESIS, is a think tank igniting transformation in independent schools.
Unconditional Love
Today marked my first Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day at Belmont Day.
The Ko Family and Wellesley Toyota Speaker Series Presents Rosetta Lee
Film Screening—Thursday, October 27, 6 to 8 p.m.
Repetitive Shape and Form
Girls' Soccer Battles Carroll to 2-2 Tie
Sawing, Drilling, and Hammering
Cross Country Runs Down Pike
Sign up for Fall Conference Day Programming!
Conference Day is Wednesday, October 26. We have a great trip planned to Roll On America. Programming is available for children from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with extended day coverage until 5:30 p.m. Roll On America Includes unlimited access to roller skating and laser tag, arcade tokens, and a pizza lunch. Minimum enrollment of 25 children is needed to run the program. Download a registration form.
Model UN Club members take part in the Global Leadership Conference.
Raise Y[our] Voice Co-Chairs Margaret Wade (P ’14, ’14, ’17, ’18) and Bradley Lewis (P ’17, ’20) cordially invite Belmont Day families to join Head of School Brendan Largay and Belmont Day School Faculty for dinner and conversation about the school’s strategic initiatives, including construction of The Barn and school growth. We are excited to share the latest plans and timeline, as well as answer any questions you may have. Please join us for one of six gatherings—in Lincoln, Winchester, Cambridge, Lexington, Belmont, or on campus.
Boys' Soccer Evens Record with Win
The BDS Story, Chapter 2
Tuesday is a five-game day for our middle school interscholastic teams. Go BDS!
What Does the 'Main Thing' Have to Do with the Election?
Seventh and Eighth Grade Arts Elective: Devising Theater
Pfeffer and Dainora-Cohen Shine in Opener
Join us today for our middle school interscholastic teams' season openers! Go BDS!
It's All About Hands!
Flag Football Looks to Turn it Around
Leaving a Mark
Space matters. Consider the lengths to which teachers will go regarding their classroom set-up: do we have enough room on the rug to sit in a circle? How can we use the Kiva in a meaningful way to equally inspire learning and provide a comfortable space for our eldest students? How flexible can the furniture in my classroom be so that I can teach lecture style one day and Harkness-style the next? Can the children reach the top shelf of that bookcase? No matter the age of the child, what your space looks like can be as critical as how you ultimately use it.
The Belmont Day arts faculty is delighted to be back on campus and looks forward to engaging students in a wide array of creative projects.
Crafting the BDS Story
As I grow more and more comfortable each day at Belmont Day School as its new Head of School, I find myself reflecting often on one of my primary goals for the year: Get to know BDS. It sounds so simple when you read it like that. Get to know BDS. How hard can that be?
Girl’s Soccer Prepares to Rebuild
Welcome to the 2016-17 school year! This, our 90th school year, promises to be filled with friendship, fun, and learning!
Anne Armstrong, Meg Lloyd, and Kathy Jo Solomon complete their cross-country bike trek.
The first day of the 2016-17 school year is fast approaching and we can't wait to see you.
Campologists say "We welcome you to Belmont Day, Mr. Largay!"
Belmont Day athletes qualified for the Massachusetts Middle School Track and Field Championship Meet.
The community gathered to celebrate the leadership of retiring Head of School Annette Raphel.
Congratulations to the members of the Class of 2012 on the completion of their secondary school educations!
Announcing this summer's theme: Wheels, Wings, and Other Things!
This summer three Belmont Day faculty members will spend 10 weeks on a cross-country biking trek.
We are experiencing ongoing telephone service interruptions; until service is restored, please email us.
Belmont Day's June 13 graduation exercises featured speeches by three members of the Class of 2016.
To the Class of 2016: I could not be prouder than to be “graduating" with you although as you head off to high school I will, for the first time in my life since I was five-years-old, not be looking at Labor Day as a proxy for New Year’s Day. Like you, I am heading off into a kind of unknown, and like you I am dependent on my friends in the communities in which I participate to support me through the transition.
Good morning, my name is Theo Dadagian, and I’ve been a Belmont Day School student for ten years now. When I recently turned fifteenI had a realization. Two thirds of my life have been spent at Belmont Day. The other third I barely understood what life was, and heck, I don’t know any better now. As you can imagine I’ve gotten to know this school very well. I’ve walked through the halls so many times I could do it with my eyes closed. I’ve watched the school change, and grow to what it is today.
Hi, my name is Meredith and when given the task of writing a graduation speech, I tried to think of everything I’ve done here at BDS, and what tied it all together. I quickly realized that through the years, songs and chants have made us all closer together. Here’s an example, and I would have to ask my classmates to join me in a chant.
Hi, I’m Susannah, and from my ten years of experience here at BDS I’d like to offer ten suggestions on how to be—that is, how to be a Belmont Day School graduate.
The annual sports banquet is a celebratory event for our student-athletes, coaches, and families.
Thank You Eighth Grade
Student Summer Reading Selections
On Monday, June 6, homeroom teachers will distribute summer reading books to students as they visit the next grade. Our students will be enjoying the following books:
In sixth grade, students designed, built, tested, and raced solar cars.
The fourth graders have been growing plants since the beginning of April for the fourth annual plant sale!
Students who have participated in enrichment classes this trimester are excited to share their work with the community. We hope you will join us for these showcase/sharing events.
Please note—children who would like to attend any of these events must be accompanied by a parent, unless they are enrolled in the after school program.
At the Corporation Meeting, three faculty members were acknowledged for reaching milestones.
Teaching 2.0
A while ago (in 2014!) I wrote about the challenge of creating the perfect lesson plan—one designed to be engaging with clear aspirational objectives and rigorous content; one that considers the developmental needs of learners and allows both the teacher and the student to experience the joys of learning.
Ultimate Completes Perfect Season
Thank You
Thank you to Westcott Mercantile for loaning the BDS Barn Raising decorating team so many amazing items for Coolidge Hall! If you would like to visit Westcott Mercantile, they have two Belmont locations: Cushing Square and Belmont Center (in the space formerly known as Marmalade).
What Great Teachers Have in Common
Siekman and Everett Help Girls’ Lax Secure Winning Season
Technology
Visit our Arts gallery for photos of our students immersed in various artistic disciplines, including this week’s featured photo of the seventh and eighth grade tech crew preparing for the upcoming musical.
Fifth grader Kaeleen Chen was recently named first place winner of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority’s (MWRA) Annual Writing Contest. Kaeleen will be presented with her award at a ceremony scheduled for later this month at the Deer Island Treatment Plant. The MWRA received close to 500 writing entries this year and only selected 7 winners in each category (grades 3 to 5 and grades 6 to 8). Kaeleen received a second place prize in the grades 3 to 5 category last year.
This week students and faculty enjoyed an all-school honey tasting of our first Belmont Day wildflower honey. The middle school beekeeping club extracted the honey from combs from last year's hive. While we were only able to get a small amount this year, as much of the honey had to be left in the hive for the bees, we wanted everyone to have an opportunity to taste our delicious local honey.
Performances: Wednesday, June 1 , 7 p.m; Thursday, June 2, 7 p.m
PAC
Our seventh and eighth grade students are very excited about their work on Oliver! The anticipation of the upcoming performances has energy soaring. We invite you and your family and friends to enjoy the fruits of their exceptional efforts. Performances will be held on Wednesday, June 1 at 7 p.m. and Thursday, June 2 at 7 p.m.
Next Wednesday, May 25 and Thursday, May 26 are the final two days of interscholastic play for our spring 2015-16 athletics teams. Don't miss your chance to see our middle school athletes in action as they finish out their seasons. Go BDS!
As mentioned in the fall, we will be offering a bus route to and from Belmont Day this summer. The route will run in Cambridge. We have finalized the stops and are excited to share the information for those interested in taking advantage of this great new service.
We were thrilled to kick off the RAISE Y[OUR] VOICE Capital Campaign for Belmont Day School at the BDS Barn Raising event on Saturday, May 7.
Friday, June 3, 5:30 p.m.
We hope you will join us in honoring outgoing Head of School Annette Raphel on Friday, June 3 at 5:30 p.m. at a family event (open to the entire BDS community). We will celebrate Annette's incredible contributions to BDS, enjoy delicious cookout food, and participate in fun, kid-friendly activities!
Schedule of Events:
The Belmont Day Roots & Shoots club had an exciting weekend of volunteerism! Last Friday, 23 students stayed after school to participate in furniture painting for Furnishing Hope, an organization which provides furniture to families who move from temporary to permanent housing. Furnishing Hope will pass along the freshly painted and designed furniture to children for their new bedrooms. BDS parent Suzy Palitz and Roots & Shoots member Emma Bauman introduced the organization to our club.
Friday, May 20
Belmont Day community members are invited to come support local business by visiting Belmont shops, restaurants, and other local businesses on Friday, May 20. Our business neighbors help us as regular vendors who deliver to the school or provide a place for us to consume excellent local fare. In appreciation please consider wearing a “B” sticker and shopping near the school.
Service Reigns the Week of May 16th
This coming week there is an opportunity for everyone in the school community to be of service, including parents, faculty, and students—and most of that service will both do and feel good!
Track & Field Outruns Meadowbrook
Visual Arts
Belmont Day was delighted to welcome author Bill Harley to campus on Monday, May 9. Mr. Harley also happens to be an accomplished storyteller and Grammy winning singer-songwriter. In addition to presenting to larger groups, he conducted a writers' workshop with third graders who recently finished reading his book Night of the Spadefoot Toads. View photos from Mr. Harley's day at BDS in our gallery.
Earlier this week Belmont Day first graders had a visit from WBZ meteorologist Danielle Niles. Danielle spent an hour with the students telling them about her job, explaining various aspects of weather, such as the water cycle and cloud types, showing some behind-the-scenes videos, and much more.
A Throwdown Challenge to Experience Joy
Boys’ Lax Receiving Strong Play from Newcomers
This Week in the Woodshop
The woodshop has been busy this week with exciting projects, including first grade snakes, second grade rocking people, third grade hole ’n’ a boxes, fourth grade wooden boxes, and middle school wooden puzzles and clocks. Take a peek at our busy students at work! Visit our Arts gallery.
This year our eighth grade students looked at 24 different schools—public, independent day, and independent boarding. Our local public schools continue to be wonderful options for the high school experience and along with Arlington, Belmont, Cambridge Rindge and Latin, Minuteman Career and Technical, Waltham, and Winchester high schools our students were accepted at 13 independent schools.
Students were accepted to:
Roots & Shoots is looking forward to the coaches vs. eighth grade ultimate frisbee game that is happening on Wednesday, June 8 on Far Field from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.! Members of the BDS community can cheer on the players and participate in a Roots & Shoots friendraiser for Shelterbox, an incredible organization that provides life-saving aid to those affected by natural disasters. Roots & Shoots will teach volunteers about Shelterbox through interesting, engaging, and hands-on activities.
At a special ceremony last Friday afternoon, two of our enrichment students became black belts—a first at Belmont Day! Congratulations to fifth graders Isabella Kim and Nico Rimer for this outstanding achievement.
With the help of beekeeper Mel Gadd and our beekeeper-in-training, Ms. Solomon, who completed a beekeeping class this past winter, we were able to install two colonies of bees on Tuesday—one in the hive from last year and the other in the new hive. Both hives are located next to our school garden. There was a break in the rain on Tuesday and, though cloudy, the bees were eager to get into their new hives! We had a great crew of pre-k students, second graders, and the middle school beekeeping club to witness the event.
Isn’t it amazing to think that in a few short weeks our students will be completing the 2015-16 school year at Belmont Day? Before you begin preparation for summer vacation, we hope you will take a look back and remember all of the moments that have led you and your family to this point. In the spirit of reflection and reminiscing, we invite you to view a short video.
Epic Rap Battles
When you enter the letters “ERB” into a Google search, “Epic Rap Battles” is what pops up first on the results list—that acronym would likely be far more popular and more highly anticipated than what ERB actually stands for here at Belmont Day. A wry explanation of the acronym might be “Extrinsic Rating Bureaucracy,” but that is not what it stands for either.
Ultimate Wins Again
Musical Code Breakers
This year, third graders have learned a lot about ecosystems and how living and nonliving things depend on each other to keep an ecosystem balanced. They studied biomes and ecosystems, and food chains and webs in particular ecosystems. Together, students created a huge food web that represents some of their research. They also studied animals within each ecosystem and created trading cards that explain facts and information about each animal.
Garden Workday was a Big Success!
Girls’ Lax Doubles Up Shore in Season Opener
This Week in the Coolidge Art Studio
The Coolidge Art Studio has been abuzz this week with projects ranging from fingerprint painting to tie-dye. Take a peek at the busy artists at work! Visit our Arts gallery.
Smarter, Faster, Better
We have all been there. A deadline for a project or piece of work looms. Suddenly, cleaning out a drawer or rearranging shoes seems pretty important, and you engage in a frenzy of activity, which may accomplish some goal, but not the most proximal, important, or impactful one. Or, you become temporarily paralyzed with the enormity or difficulty of what you need to accomplish and find solace in a television show or a long conversation with a good friend.
Second Graders Participate in Read-a-thon for Read for Seeds
In Character
At the strategic planning community forums we outlined our plans for the future and shared results from the recent parent survey. Many of you who attended received confirmation about what you probably already suspected. Our parents are highly satisfied with our academic program, the school community and values, character education and social competency, teacher quality, and the pre-k to eighth grade structure.
Tennis Topples Shady Hill 6-2
With rain washing out every other sport, the tennis team headed inside to take on Shady Hill this week and emerged with a 6-2 win. Eighth grade newcomer Max McKee shined in his Blue & Gold debut, only dropping one game en route to a convincing 6-1 win at #2 singles. Likewise, first-year players Elisabeth Pitts and Ezekiel Yarboi shook off some pre-match nerves and teamed up for 6-0 win at #4 doubles.
Fifth Grade Thespians are Quoting Shakespeare!
Good dawning to thee, friend. How dost thou?
The Roots and Shoots middle school service learning club is excited to be accepting donations for Room to Grow. Room to Grow is a nonprofit organization that provides social worker support, parental education, and needed items for families living in poverty. Families receive this support throughout pregnancy, infancy, and until children are three years old.
We are collecting and organizing donations for Room to Grow here at Belmont Day now through Thursday, April 28. The Roots and Shoots club will also be volunteering at Room to Grow.
Belmont Day Director of Summer and External Programs Betsy Kelder has been elected vice president of the American Camping Association (ACA) New England Board of Directors for the coming year. Betsy has served on the ACA New England board since 2013. As a board member she has served as chair of the board stewardship committee and on the membership committee.
On Wednesday, seventh grade French students hosted three visitors from Haïti. Ezner Angervil, Vana Edmond, and Roseline Obel are master teachers from Matènwa, a progressive school in rural Haïti. They are visiting the United States to expand their knowledge of various teaching styles and methods. Prior to the visit, Belmont Day students learned background information about Haïti and Matènwa.
For this morning’s middle school meeting, students attended an assembly about community involvement. Belmont Day welcomed five individuals who are engaged in their respective towns to sit on an informal panel and speak with our fifth through eighth graders.
Participants included:
They're here! Our kindergarten class is thrilled to welcome 10 new additions in the form of recently hatched baby chicks. The eggs arrived to their classroom several weeks ago and students assumed the responsibility of carefully tending to them until they were ready to hatch. In preparation for the chicks' arrival, students made happy birthday and welcome cards and banners. The kindergarteners' efforts and observations anchor their study of the life cycle of a chicken from egg to adult. Meet the chicks here.
Freedom Night Songwriters
Visit our Arts gallery for photos of our students immersed in various artistic disciplines, including this week’s featured photo of sixth grade students Lucia and Delia composing a song for their upcoming Freedom Night.
We hope you will attend the BDS Barn Raising and Campaign Kick Off on Saturday, May 7. Join us for this community event (adults only) where we will share exciting news, partake of fabulous food and beverage, and—most importantly—celebrate Belmont Day!
Questions we have heard around the corral:
While we were disappointed to have to postpone Monday’s planned author visit with Bill Harley, we are delighted to have found a new date for Mr. Harley to come to Belmont Day this year. He will be on campus on Monday, May 9. In addition to presenting to larger groups, he will be conducting a writers' workshop with third graders who have recently finished reading his book Night of the Spadefoot Toads.
Parents are welcome to attend any of the presentations listed below.
Originals
Each of us knows that our child is an original. And we often value thinking that takes us by surprise—thinking that is unpredictable, but enchanting in its unexpectedness. I remember my son, seeing roller skates for the first time and calling them “show trucks,” or calling my attention to the special properties of “a magnifinding glass”.
Tennis Team Full of Talent
On Tuesday evening, eight members of the middle school literary magazine club attended the Robert Creeley Award Night at Acton-Boxborough High School. The late Robert Creeley was a nationally known poet who grew up in Acton. Late in his life, he and a devoted group of fans established the Robert Creeley Foundation to promote poetry and related projects; the foundation hosts poetry and art contests open to high school students across the state, open mic poetry nights, and each year recognizes an acclaimed poet who gives a public reading.
Math Lessons
Making the choice about the best lesson to introduce skills is the hard part.
During a math discussion about a subtraction problem a teacher collects a variety of answers and listens for the strategies that produced those answers. The problem the students are working on is not a random one—it has been carefully selected to tease out a major idea and to elicit some common mistakes. The problem, 507 – 169, is set in a context.
Sixth Graders Create Balance for Track & Field
Belmont Day Art Teachers on the Road: Ms. Solomon and Mrs. Armstrong Attend National Conference
Classes begin at 10 a.m. for all students due to weather conditions.
Thirty-two Things I Didn’t Know Before This Week and One Thing I Definitely Did
Last Man Standing
Poetry Performers
This week seventh and eighth grade students performed a series of original haikus in their arts elective, Poetry Performers.
Visit our Arts gallery for additional photos of our students immersed in various artistic disciplines.
What an extraordinary week of Capstone presentations. Capstone is truly one of the defining aspects of Belmont Day School and the eighth grade experience. We couldn't be more proud of this extraordinary bunch of students!
Clean out your drawers and closets and donate gently used children's items to Cradles to Crayons! Between March 15 and April 9, Belmont Day School will be home to a collection "pod" for Cradles to Crayons. Drop off your donations in the pod at pick-up, drop-off, or anytime.
The Summer Discoveries team is excited to share two exciting additions to our Journeys program this summer.
Take Flight at the Community Reading Event!*
Tuesday, March 22, 4:30 to 6 p.m.
Erskine Library
On Saturday, March 5, nine Belmont Day fifth to eighth grade students participated in a Model United Nations (UN) Conference at Bentley University along with 350 other local middle school students. Our students dazzled with their positive, informed participation. Of special note is that our students prepared almost entirely independently for this conference, doing research about current events and various international communities on their own time as there was little preparation time available during the school day.
Please join us at one of our upcoming forums to ask any questions you may have about the exciting and ambitious strategic planning work that is underway.
Community forums have been scheduled for:
Next week you will receive a letter from Belmont Day parent and development committee chair Kim Morris asking you to consider participating in the 2015–16 annual giving program. This video is an exciting showcase of a Belmont Day initiative that epitomizes the type of collaboration and innovation that thrives at Belmont Day. Your gift to annual giving make projects like this possible. Thank you!
Memoir
This past weekend I was in Florida, along with my sister, to assist mother in trying to organize all the papers in her house—tax forms, medical documents, wedding announcements that she had saved, information about her condominium, legal papers, menus from memorable trips, grandchildren’s report cards, photos…
Twenty Sixth Grade Athletes Prepare for Tryouts
The snow has melted, the temperature is rising, the fields are painted, and the nets are up—the spring athletics season is right around the corner. Next week, 20 sixth grade athletes will try out for interscholastic teams, representing the largest cohort ever trying out for the spring season. The athletes will be trying out for all five spring sports offerings: boys’ lacrosse, girls’ lacrosse, track and field, tennis, and ultimate frisbee.
Fifth Grade Robotics
On Saturday, March 5, six Belmont Day middle school students, chaperoned by faculty members Tina Fox, William Yepes, and Anderson Santos, attended the Association of Independent Schools New England’s Middle School Students of Color Conference at the Gordon School in Providence. The theme of this year’s conference was Ignite the Spark: Seize the Moment. The day began with passionate opening remarks by Gordon’s Head of School Ralph Wales.
Lead! Share Your Vision for Art Education
Visual Arts Teacher and Arts Coordinator Anne Armstrong has been selected as a presenter at the 2016 National Art Education Association (NAEA) National Convention. She will present a best practices lecture on Partnerships for Success: Professional Development Across Disciplines and Divisions in Chicago in March.
Fencing Finishes On Top
Seventh and Eighth Graders Working in Fabric Design
This week seventh and eighth grade students in Fabric Design, an eight-week arts elective, are creating repeated block prints on fabric using hand-designed raised relief blocks, ink, brayers, and their imaginations!
First grade students were joined by their families on Monday morning as they celebrated the 100th day of school. Each first grader brought a collection of 100 items from home for the class’s 100th Day of School Museum. Some of the collections included square paper clips, bow tie pasta, Lego bricks, beads, and coins. Students used scales, balances, and tape measures as they compared the weights and lengths of their collections. You might be surprised at how heavy 100 cotton balls are, or how long a collection of 100 bay leaves is when the leaves are laid out end to end!
The 2016 Capstone Presentations will be held during morning, afternoon, and evening sessions March 14 to 17 in the kiva. Now in its thirteenth year, the Capstone experience is a highlight for eighth graders. As you look over the presentation schedule and titles you'll see the wide array of topics and interests of this year's eighth grade class. The presentations are the culminating event in the 'triathlon' of the Capstone experience, which encompasses a year of research and independent project work.
Please note that the order of presentations is subject to change.
Students who have participated in enrichment classes this trimester are excited to share their work with the community. We hope you will join us for these showcase/sharing events.
Please note—children who would like to attend any of these events must be accompanied by a parent, unless they are enrolled in the after school program.
Author Bill Harley Visits Belmont Day
Monday, March 28
Snaps of engaged appreciation carried through the PAC during the eighth grade poetry slam on February 26. Some students performed original works, while others chose to recite a variety of both classic and modern poems or excerpts from their favorite songs or raps. Organized by seventh and eighth grade English teacher Elisabeth Klock, the slam featured a range of voices, styles, and approaches to performance. Mrs.
First and Second Grades Prepare for "The Rainbow Holder”
This week, first and second graders are busy rehearsing for their upcoming play, "The Rainbow Holder." This musical extravaganza sends students on a joyous search for rainbows and acceptance. The students will perform for the Belmont Day community at 8:50 a.m. in the PAC on the morning of Friday, March 25.
Enrollment is open for our fun after school enrichment programs for the final trimester. Here are the new offerings:
Art Around the World {3:30-4:30 p.m., pre-k to grade 1 | Ms. Cormier}
This fun and exciting course uses a variety of mediums to explore both contemporary and traditional artworks from all over the world. Each week students will view artworks from different cultures, adapting techniques and materials to create a body of art that is personally connected to the their own lives and experiences.
Broadcast Radio Drama
Head of School Annette Raphel was recently away from campus…over 3,000 miles away to be exact. Annette was in San Francisco participating in the 2016 National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Annual Conference. The theme this year was What’s Your Story? The Power of Trailblazers, Catalysts, and Calamities, which aligned quite nicely with our school’s theme for the year of Making Change.
Friendships
Varsity Teams Finish Seasons with Dramatic Wins
Wednesday, February 24: Come out in support of our middle school athletes! All games and matches begin at 3:30 p.m.
Why Your Responses to the Belmont Day School Survey Really Matter
Girls’ JV Basketball Continues Its Winning Ways
Robotics Class
Visit our Arts gallery for photos of our students immersed in various artistic disciplines, including this week’s featured photo of fifth graders learning about robotics.
Roots and Shoots club advisors Leigh Twarog and Mary Ellen Coyne-Gordon chaperoned a group of eight middle school students on an outing to Perkins School for the Blind on Tuesday evening. Our students helped out with the Perkins School's Valentine's Day dance. The mature and articulate group demonstrated the Belmont Day values in action by participating with respect and empathy, kindness and patience. Ms.
Upcoming Greening Meeting
Wednesday, February 24, 7:30 a.m.
Lower School Art Room
Please join us for our next Green Team meeting. The topic will be the “Future of the Belmont Day School Garden.” We will review last season's garden news, look ahead to upcoming garden events (including a garden workday in April), and talk about the Belmont Day honeybee hives and plans for this coming summer, including student involvement, food pantry donations, and future initiatives. Bring your ideas!
As a first grader can attest—dogs really do sometimes eat homework!
School will be closed on Monday, February 8 due to the winter storm warning that is in effect.
Life Before and After Belmont Day
I am reading admissions files and imagining our future students. I am reading their parents’ and schools’ descriptions of who these children are, what makes them happy, how they choose to spend free time, what growing edges they have, and how much they are appreciated. I am fully connected to those parents who want an extraordinary educational experience for their children.
The Blue & Gold Topples DCD on the Hardwood
Woodworking Projects in Fourth Grade and Middle School Arts
A traditional woodworking project is a wooden box. At Belmont Day all fourth graders create a wooden box using traditional hand tools and joinery techniques. The students determine the size and style of their individual box. Creating a wooden box encompasses all the woodworking skills the students have learned from first through fourth grade. Emphasis is placed on the importance of accuracy during their box construction to create a tight box.
School is closed due to weather conditions. All school events are canceled.
Capstone Project Connects Eight Grader with President Teddy Roosevelt
Eighth grader Erik Bjork spent time with President Teddy Roosevelt last week, thanks to actor and author Ted Zalewski. Erik interviewed Mr. Zalewski whose one-man show “Teddy Roosevelt: Mind, Body and Spirt” gives voice to many of Roosevelt’s own words, writings, and beliefs.
Jacobs and Fletcher Leading Badminton to Undefeated Season
A New and Organized Costume Closet!
Gum Chewing
In my job I receive many requests, some from students. A recent example is a petition signed by many seventh and eighth graders to be allowed to chew gum at school.
A Community of Heroes
It wasn’t like this hasn’t crossed our minds. Every time the weather is inclement we are acutely aware that we have only one road to the school; our emergency planning always includes consideration for what would happen if that road was blocked. But honestly, who would have believed that we would have an opportunity to practice?
Girls’ Varsity Doubles Up SSDS with Commanding Win
Grades Seven and Eight Arts Sharing
This week during arts block, seventh and eighth graders gathered together in the kiva to share their in-process work and finished projects as they celebrated the end of the second nine-week arts term.
There are four arts terms during the year for seventh and eighth graders. Each student takes two arts classes per term, choosing among the various arts courses for three of the four terms. The fourth arts term is focused on the performing arts and culminates in the spring musical.
Our recent Making Change mailing included a letter from Belmont Day School Board of Trustees President Karen Liesching. The letter provided important information on board initiatives, including the head of school search and transition, facility expansion, planning task force work, and capital campaign plans.
Middle School Parents’ Visiting Day
Middle school parents—think back to when you were in middle school. It shouldn’t be that hard. According to Laurence Steinberg’s book, The Age of Opportunity, the adolescent years are among the most powerfully memorable. It is a time when a person’s identity emerges— how do they see themselves, feel about themselves, advocate for themselves, develop relationships?
Boys’ Varsity Basketball Completes Dramatic 15-Point Comeback Over Charles River
A Day in the Wood Shop
Visit our Arts gallery for photos of our students immersed in various artistic disciplines, including this week’s featured photos of recent wood shop projects—seventh and eighth grade woodcarvings, second grade paddle boats, and fourth grade xylophones.
Next week, the third annual Friday Night Hoops event will take place at Meadowbrook School of Weston. On Friday, January 22 the boys’ varsity basketball game tips off at 6:30 p.m., followed by the girls’ varsity basketball game at 8 p.m.
Our athletes would like to invite the entire Belmont Day community, including alumni, faculty, students, and families to attend this special event. The singing of the national anthem, the play-by-play commentary, the warm-up music, and the available concessions are sure to make this an event to remember.
This year we have found many ways to celebrate kindness, both formally and informally. We have displayed a Hands of Kindness and Kindness Garden bulletin board, a friendship book made by second graders; and Secret Someones in the middle school—just to name a few. We have had many classroom lessons based specifically on kindness. Most importantly, there are many acts of kindness playing out every day throughout our school. As you can imagine, we are not the only ones focusing on kindness. Did you know that there are whole weeks devoted to kindness around the world?
Words to the Wise
With Building a Child’s Brain as the subtitle, Dana Suskind’s Thirty Million Words had an irresistible pull. The book deals with the enormous importance of the ‘chit-chat of life’ and chronicles a University of Chicago study about the vast differences that talk, especially parent-talk, can make for children.
Morton, Randall, and McKee Lead the Charge for Fencing
The fencing team opened up its interscholastic season with a home meet on Thursday afternoon against the International School of Boston. Eighth grader Oliver Morton, seventh grader Marielle Randall, and sixth grader Leo McKee provided a spark for the Blue & Gold by each winning two bouts. ISB, however, won the match by taking two out of three weapons (6-3 in epee / 6-3 in sabre). Belmont Day took foil by a score a 5-4 leaving the total bout count 16-11 in favor of ISB.
Musical Changes
Toy Drive Thank You
We recently received this thank you message from the Bridget Brigade Foundation:
“With much gratitude, the Bridget Brigade Foundation thanks you for spreading cheer and smiles to children hospitalized during the holidays. Belmont Day School donated 80 toys, which were delivered to local hospitals. The student-made cards were a special addition and greatly appreciated. Thank you for being an important part of the Bridget Brigade this holiday season. Wishing you a very happy and healthy 2016!”
Melissa Garside (pictured right) from Guiding Eyes for the Blind presented to the Belmont Day community this morning. She and her puppy-raising colleague, Lisa, discussed how dogs become guides for people with vision impairments, from puppy rearing and fostering to breed and dog selection. Students were delighted by guide dog Lexi and puppy-in-training Mario. Thank you to the PA enrichment committee for organizing the assembly.
Admission Applications Due January 8
The admissions office is now accepting applications for Pre-kindergarten through Grade 7 candidates for Fall 2016 entry. Applications should be submitted online and must be received by Friday, January 8, 2016.
Building Blocks
“What children learn does not follow as an automatic result from what is taught, rather, it is in large part due to the children’s own doing, as a consequence of their activities and our resources.” -Loris Malaguzzi, The Hundred Languages of Children
Trio of Team Veterans Will Lead Girls’ JV Hoops
Visual Arts
It’s not every morning that you can get all thirty-one sixth graders out of bed in time to get to school at 5:30 a.m. However, that is exactly what happened last Friday, December 4 for our first-ever Astronomy Breakfast. Still in their PJs, students were treated to completely clear conditions as they used iPads, binoculars, and telescopes to survey the sky. Highlights included seeing Venus, Mars, and the brownish stripes of Jupiter’s surface, all in line with a beautiful waning crescent moon.
On Wednesday afternoon over 100 students, parents, teachers, and grandparents attended the Hour of Code event. Coolidge Hall was packed with families sitting together working, smiling, laughing, thinking, and joyfully learning in a carefully prepared environment—it was Belmont Day at its best.
Art, Science, Soul, and the Equity Imperative
Holiday Gifts
Fencing Program Expands
Fifth Grade Devised Theater Project
On Saturday, November 21, eleven middle school students took part in a Model UN Conference at Northeastern University. They joined nearly 400 middle school students from around Massachusetts to discuss important world issues and make resolutions to solve global problems.
Our students participated as delegates of New Zealand. During middle school clubs period they worked hard to research their country and the issues they were preparing to debate.
Over 100 million students worldwide have participated in an Hour of Code. The goal for this year is 200 million participants by the end of 2015.
What is the Hour of Code?
The Hour of Code is a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify programming and show that anyone can learn the basics. Students of all ages, from kindergarten up, can choose from a variety of self-guided tutorials.
On Monday, November 23, we were thrilled to welcome our Class of 2015 graduates along with alumni from the classes of 2012, 2013, and 2014 back to campus for a delightful annual tradition—the Fall Alumni High School Panel and Yearbook Signing. These young alumni spoke with current eighth grade students about their high school experiences. And, new this year, the format shifted from a large panel to smaller groups that allowed for closer interactions and more in-depth discussions.
If you have not yet had the opportunity to see the second grade interactive mural “Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt” for yourself, you should pay a visit to engage with their incredible work. The mural is located in the hallway outside the second grade classroom.
Tuesday, November 24 to Thursday, December 17
Fifth grade is hosting our annual Share the Warmth clothing drive for Cradles to Crayons, a non-profit organization that provides basic needs for children from birth to 12 years of age.
Paris Crisis
Last Friday night, a mere week ago, the world was alerted to an unfolding crisis in Paris by news media, on social networks, and even by text alerts. As details emerged on Saturday morning and throughout the week I have been compelled to conduct research to try to make sense of this most recent act of global terrorism. There are many complex questions and few simple answers.
Cross Country Puts Finishing Touches on Memorable Season
Making Music in the Art Room
Soon second graders will be making music with ceramic bells they created in the art studio! To prepare, students learned about and practiced the key to making successful bells—rolling the coils of clay to a consistent thickness. Students used clay to hand-build two bells this term, learning the techniques of making coils, welding clay, adding shapes, and carving.
Lice Facts and Recommendations
As the holidays and vacations approach, it is prime time for sleepovers and kids sharing vacation beds with siblings and cousins—which means it is prime time for the spread of lice. I know it is not something we want to think about, but it is important that you check your child's head regularly for lice and nits.
Hour of Code
Wednesday, December 9, 4 to 6 p.m.
Coolidge Hall
What's a Kibo? What are the two most important statements you need to write code?
On the evening of November 12, parents, faculty, and members of the community gathered in Coolidge Hall for an informative and lively presentation by teacher and neuroscience expert Andrew Watson. Andrew led a discussion on working memory and its connection to long term memory and learning, and answered questions during his interactive presentation. The Ko Family and Wellesley Toyota Speaker Series was founded in 2008 by Belmont Day School alumnus Nai Nan Ko ’94.
This fall first and fifth graders studied the digestive system. As a culminating activity, both grades came together to share information and interesting facts. First graders also shared their life-size models of the digestive system. See more photos of the students working together.
Saturday, November 7 was a day complete with two special community events. First, we celebrated and honored the contributions of two interim heads of school—Lewis Kimball (1988 to 1989) and Anna Jones (1998 to 1999)—and dedicated benches in their memory. The ceremony included thoughtful remarks about these two important leaders from Belmont Day's past made by former drama and music teacher Kathy Randall P '99, '04 and associate teacher program coordinator David Downing.
Our sixth annual Friday Night Lights on November 6 was a fun and memorable night full of Belmont Day School spirit and pride! The support from alumni and friends was particularly wonderful this year—with over 25 alumni in attendance—and we were excited to see so many familiar faces. Thanks to all who attended and helped make this such a great evening for our middle school athletes and the BDS community.
Talking Out Loud About Kids, Money, and Values
Thursday, December 10, 8:15 a.m.
Coolidge Hall
The fifth grade has begun their owl pellet dissection. Students are working with a partner (or two) as a detective team. Using tools, they'll find bones of different animals that an owl ate and regurgitated. They'll use different bone identifying charts to figure out what type of animal(s) were in the owl pellet they dissected. At the end of the dissections, partners will create a poster to display the bones they found in their pellet. We invite you to stop by fifth grade in a few weeks to see their discoveries!
The boys' and girls' soccer teams competed fiercely against Meadowbrook last Friday night and made the sixth annual Friday Night Lights a memorable event full of Belmont Day School spirit and pride! The support from the Belmont Day community, including students, parents, faculty, alumni, and friends, was wonderful. Thanks to all who attended and helped make this such a great evening for our athletes! Enjoy photos from the event in our Friday Night Lights gallery.
Wednesday, December 2 to Friday, December 4
It's almost time…for the BOOK FAIR! The Book Fair will be held in the Erskine Library from Wednesday, December 2 to Friday, December 4.
NEW! This year we are teaming up with the PA Gamewright fundraiser on Thursday, December 3 when we will extend our hours to 8:30 p.m. with wine, cheese, and games starting at 6:30 p.m. in the Erskine Library.
Thursday, December 3
Slamwich, Rat-a-Tat Cat, There’s is a Moose in the House, Rory's Story Cubes, The Scrambled States of America, Frog Juice, Chomp… if you haven't played these games you should! Playing board games is fun, and fun is good (forgive us Dr. Seuss!), and here is your chance to play them, and own them.
History, Change, and Faculty
Bauman and Turissini hold Meadowbrook to One Goal Under the Lights at Harvard
Toy collection to benefit children hospitalized during the holidays!
Monday, November 23 to Friday, December 18
Alumni parents Rosi and Brian Amador P '10 and their Latin sextet Sol y Canto were joined by Cuarteto Latinoamericano, a string quartet from Mexico, for a dress rehearsal of Sabor y Memoria at Belmont Day this morning.
Affinity Groups
On Thursday we hosted our first parent affinity group, inviting parents of children of color and faculty of color to gather to share stories, frustrations, strategies, triumphs, and dreams.We are passionate advocates for the affinity group experience for parents and recognize it as way to strengthen our inclusive community.
Football Team Rebuilds Around Strong Leadership From Yarboi and McKee
The Journey
Thanks to a suggestion from a current parent, a Facebook group has been created for current Belmont Day School parents to discuss topics or share information beyond official Belmont Day-sponsored events and activities. Items for sale, fundraisers, community service opportunities, and group outings are just a few examples of things that may be of interest to fellow parents in the community. The group functions just like any other Facebook profile or fan page, but is only accessible by Belmont Day parents.
Real World Problem-Solving
Robert J. Sternberg, currently Professor of Human Development in the College of Human Ecology at Cornell University, holds thirteen honorary degrees and his work has profoundly affected the way we think about intelligence.
Girls’ Soccer Earns Back-to-Back Wins Behind Dynamic Play from Green and Moore
Performing Arts
Visit our Arts gallery for photos of our students immersed in various artistic disciplines, including this week’s featured photos of the earnest beginning of animal studies (a characterization technique) in sixth grade performing arts class.
Also, be sure to visit the photo gallery from last week’s third grade performance of “Everybody’s Garden”.
Health and wellness classes are in full swing. This is not news to seventh graders and their parents as health and wellness classes have been happening every week since September, led by our incomparable team of Dr. Leesa Mercedes and John O'Neill. Last week, Leesa and John attended a three-day sexuality education certification professional development program to add to their already formidable skills in leading our seventh and eighth grade health and wellness units.
Wednesday, November 4, 8 a.m.
Erskine Library
What?
A conversation and Q&A with the tech team about the technology we are using in middle school.
Who?
Parents of middle school students.
When?
Wednesday, November 4 at 8 a.m. in the Erskine Library.
Learn - Do - Share
Last Friday, we welcomed over 225 people for Grandparents' and Special Friends' Visiting Day. The wonderful morning included a special sharing assembly, classroom visits, and a well-attended forum with Deborah Brissenden, Liz Gray, Diane Foster, and David Downing discussing the importance of our six values here at Belmont Day School. This annual visiting morning is always an extra special one at Belmont Day, and we are so grateful for the hard work of our hosts, led by event co-chairs Nareeluck Stephenson and Jeana Colangelo.
Thank you to the student and alumni volunteers, faculty, staff, and parents who were instrumental in the success of the inaugural Harvest on the Hill Farmers’ Market and Fall Festival. From Mr. Smith's kid-powered apple press, which produced the most delicious cider, to Ms. Solomon's garden tours and pick-your-own-kale, the event was replete with autumnal activities that showcased the ingenuity and values of our community. Thanks to terrific fall weather and a palpable happy vibe amongst vendors, patrons, and BDS volunteers, the first Harvest on the Hill produced a bounty of joy!
I recently came across an article in EduTopia in which a high school talks about the concept of an "instructional coach,” someone who is a subject-area expert, co-teacher, and professional development coordinator for faculty. I smiled as I started watching the video of teachers talking about how much this instructional coach has helped them. I smiled because we at Belmont Day already know, and have known, the importance of this role for over seven years.
Wade and von Gottberg Step Up for Boys’ Soccer
Third Grade Presents “Everybody’s Garden”
Third graders performed for a packed house on Thursday morning when they presented their musical theater extravaganza, “Everybody’s Garden.” The story centered on a garden of bugs and their interactions with the children who live in the house nearby. The elaborate messages of understanding and accepting each other’s differences and celebrating each other’s similarities left audience members humming the clever tunes as they exited the PAC.
Making Caring Common
Answer this question—if you had to choose between having your child be happy or good, what would you say? And, more importantly, what would you do to actualize your choice?
Friday, November 6, 6:15 p.m.
Harvard Soccer Stadium, Cambridge
Parent Conferences
During a half-hour time on an upcoming Wednesday or Friday, you will sit down to talk with teachers about your child’s growth, challenges, and accomplishments. We will share our—and welcome your—observations, hopes, challenges, and satisfactions. This conversation is vital for your child’s optimal progress. We know that when parents and teachers talk, there is greater achievement in schools.
Cross Country Continues to Roll
On Saturday, October 3 twenty-one Belmont Day students, parents, and faculty volunteered at Gaining Ground in Concord, an organic farm that donates all of its produce for hunger relief. Participants finished harvesting sweet potatoes, cleared the potato bed, and sorted sweet potatoes in the green house for curing at the farm. A wonderful day of fun for a good cause!
Continuing a decades-long tradition, sixth graders returned from their annual three day trip to The Farm School in Athol, MA last week full of songs and stories about their time on the farm.
What did they do?
On Tuesday, October 13 Belmont Day welcomed author Kate Messner to campus as part of the fourth annual Carol Cirillo Speaker Series. Her visit included conversations with and presentations to students. Many of our students were already very familiar with Ms.
Dear Members of the Belmont Day School Community,
Insight Outside
Teaching design thinking is not a luxury but a necessity. We know that our students will face a future ripe with opportunities for entrepreneurship and invention. Consider that in my lifetime microwaves and triple-washed bags of mixed lettuce, computers and cell phones, itemized store receipts and ATMs, the Internet and online shopping, GPS and Siri, YouTube, TED talks, and Uber were all invented and have become part of the fabric of everyday life.
Siegel-Bernstein and Biotti Power Field Hockey to Impressive Win in Season Opener
Sawing: One of My Favorite Classes
In September, first graders arrive to the woodworking studio for the first time poised and eager to build. Many have sneaked peeks into the studio, heard curious loud noises coming from within, and smelled the fresh cut pine in the air. Now it is their turn to enter the room.
Last week, there was some extra noise on the Belmont Day campus from the preparation of a geothermal testing well that was being dug to explore the feasibility of using this sustainable energy source at Belmont Day. In order to determine how geothermal will perform on campus we completed the drilling of a 500 foot closed loop geothermal test well on the sideline of Claflin field.
The Ko Family and Wellesley Toyota Speaker Series will welcome Andrew Watson to speak with the Belmont Day community on November 12 from 6 pm to 7:30 pm in the Palandjian Arts Center.
I read many books this summer—isn’t that what summer is for?—and several stood out for different reasons.
Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning, by Brown, Roediger, and McDaniel, is summarized most excellently (and succinctly) in an article in Educational Leadership that explains four ways to most effectively study.
Girls’ Soccer Team is Full of Experience
Music, Stories, and Fun!
Join us on the second Saturday of each month for free and interactive performances for young children and their families. Our first concert is Saturday, October 10 at 10 a.m. in the Erskine Library and will feature Marsha Goodman-Wood.
Parents of Children of Color Breakfast
Thursday, November 5, 7:45 to 8:45 a.m.
Coolidge Hall
Dear Members of the Belmont Day Community,
We are pleased to announce that Brendan Largay, Head of the Middle School at The Meadowbrook School of Weston, has accepted the invitation of the Board of Trustees to succeed Annette Raphel as the Head of Belmont Day School effective July 1, 2016.
Dear Members of the Belmont Day School Community,
We are pleased to announce that Brendan Largay, Head of the Middle School at The Meadowbrook School of Weston, has accepted the invitation of the Board of Trustees to succeed Annette Raphel as the Head of Belmont Day School effective July 1, 2016.
Truth—No Consequences
The world, as we know, is changing, even in the teaching of reading—from debates about sight words and phonics to the demise of the print encyclopedia and whether Wikipedia is a legitimate source to how to develop skills to support reading on a Kindle or iPad. We know more about the way brains work and we have research about how to enhance comprehension.
Football Program Expands
Last fall, Coach Geneus led the first ever flag football team to a 4–2 record. With momentum from their inaugural campaign, this year’s team has increased its roster size (from 10 to 14) and scheduled games (from 6 to 9). The larger team coupled with the additional interscholastic contests is a clear sign that flag football at Belmont Day is here to stay.
Team Captains Announced
Visual Arts
“I can’t wait to see what these colors make!”
“What tools did you use?”
“Look at this!”
“This worked differently than I thought it would—what about yours?”
Friday, October 2, 8:50 a.m.
Palandjian Arts Center
Belmont Day Middle Schoolers Travel to Boston, New Hampshire, and Lowell
If you were looking for a seventh or eighth grader on September 15, you would have had to look up—way up—to find our eighth grade class, and 134 miles away to find our seventh graders.
Schedule and Logistics
Thursday, October 1, 6 to 8:30 p.m.
Once a year we offer an opportunity for parents to be introduced to the academic landscape for the year—what are the highlights, structures, and expectations? Please come meet all of the people who make the school run smoothly and who may teach, eat with, dismiss, observe, assess, coach, and cheerlead for your child.
Farmers’ Market and Fall Festival
Saturday, October 17, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Join us for Harvest on the Hill—a family-friendly open air market featuring local farms and artisans on the pastoral grounds of Belmont Day—co-sponsored by Belmont Day and edibleBOSTON.
Upcoming Author Visit: Kate Messner
Tuesday, October 13
We look forward to welcoming author Kate Messner for presentations with students next Tuesday, October 13. You may order a book by filling out an order form (ORDER FORM) and submitting it either to your child's homeroom teacher or directly to the library, or by emailing Ms. Sprung to reserve a book by Friday, October 2.
Wednesday, October 21, 8:15 to 9:30 a.m.
Erskine Library
Thursday, September 24, 8:50 a.m.
Palandjian Arts Center
The enrichment committee is excited to welcome a Senegalese drumming troupe on September 24 for our first enrichment assembly of the year. Parents are welcome to attend the exciting performance and instructional talk, which begins at 8:50 a.m. in the PAC.
If you are interested in joining the enrichment committee, please contact Lia Meisinger for more information.
The Courtyard Transformed
"The future will belong to the nature-smart—those individuals, families, businesses, and political leaders who develop a deeper understanding of the transformative power of the natural world and who balance the virtual with the real. The more high-tech we become, the more nature we need.” - Richard Louv, author of Last Child in The Woods
Sparks and Kim Will Pace XC Team
Expectations are high for two second-year runners: seventh grader Jameson Sparks and eighth grader Will Kim. Last year in their rookie campaigns, the duo helped the cross country team to one of its most successful seasons in program history. In a sport where individual accomplishments can often trump team success, Sparks and Kim have bought into Coach Armstrong’s team-first approach and will be instrumental in bringing the newcomers up to speed (both figuratively and literally) this fall.
Athletics News
“Everybody’s Garden” is a Show for Everyone!
Open Forum dates, times and locations are now finalized for all of our Head of School finalist candidates, and we’d like to share this information with you. The Open Forums are for all interested BDS community members. These are larger sessions in which the candidate will give brief introductory remarks and then spend the remainder of the time addressing questions.
Open Forums for the first candidate, David Liebmann:
Thursday, September 17 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. in Coolidge Hall
Welcome to our New Adult Community Members!
Faculty and staff:
Leave replacement faculty:
Lost: A Closet; Found: A Menu of Possible Solutions
Field Hockey Boasts Largest Team in Program’s History
“All About the Hokey Pokey” - Music Theme September 2015
We have many new spaces, four of which have new identifying names. Sending children to the former conference room or development office didn’t seem very exciting. Sending adults to trailer 1 or trailer 2 did not set our hearts aflutter. Thank you to Cat Francis, Mary Merrill, and Beth Sousa Zois who submitted irresistible monikers.
The health and wellness team is incorporating the theme of “Celebrate Kindness” into our lessons this year. To kickoff the initiative in a wonderful way, we introduced the theme to BDS faculty during opening meetings in August. Faculty members answered the prompt “Kindness is:” and wrote their response on a cut-out of their hand. The answers speak to the amazing community we have here at Belmont Day. See for yourselves on the bulletin board on display at the beginning of the lower school hallway for the next several weeks.
The month of September will be an especially exciting one at Belmont Day. We welcomed 51 new students and 46 families, 6 faculty and staff, and 6 associates to our community—and we are delighted to welcome four head of school candidates in the coming weeks.
September 10, 2015
Dear Members of the Belmont Day School Community:
We would like to share details with you about the first of four Head of School finalist candidate visits to be held next week on Thursday, September 17 and Friday, September 18.
The campus visit schedule has just been set, and it includes opportunities for the Head of School finalist candidate to tour the campus, attend classes, and meet with faculty, staff, administrators, students, current and former parents, trustees, as well as alumni over the course of the two days.
September 8, 2015
Dear Members of the Belmont Day School Community,
We hope that you have had a terrific summer and are eagerly anticipating the start of the new school year tomorrow.
We are excited to provide you with an update on the Belmont Day School Head of School search process and have excellent news to report on both where we are in the search process and upcoming search-related activities.
Welcome back everyone! We are looking forward to a wonderful 2015-16 school year.
Wednesday, September 9
Belmont Day looks for opportunities to implement environmental best practices to help create a more sustainable school environment. As we begin the 2015–16 school year, we have implemented an exciting water-related change that will help us further our sustainability goals and reduce our carbon footprint. Starting this fall, the school will no longer receive deliveries of five-gallon water jugs.
The Belmont Day campus has been anything but quiet this summer with 11 incredible weeks of exciting and diverse camp programs taking place. Fifteen specialty and sports sessions, including two exciting new offerings—field hockey and sewn circuits—were anchored by our eight-week camp program. The days were filled with new discoveries, exciting adventures, and, of course, lots of fun. The campers, families, and staff made Summer Discoveries a joyful community and together created lasting memories. The staff was engaged, contentious, kind, caring, and enthusiastic.
Each trimester Belmont Day offers a range of exciting classes led by enthusiastic teachers for Belmont Day students and for students enrolled at other schools. We have an exciting line up of after school classes. Our community enrichment classes are open to children in grade 1 and above.
These classes are currently open for community enrollment for the fall session, Monday, September 14 to Friday, December 4.
On Community Service Day in May, students and teachers worked hard to get our school garden ready for a fruitful season—and what a productive season it has been so far! Our organic garden has yielded several types of greens including kale and arugula; we've harvested sugar snap peas and the summer squash is now coming in. The fragrance of herbs—and the nearby honeybee hive—fills the air.
Well, this week certainly felt like the heart of the summer—humidity, heat, and sun…we had a blast! We played in the water a lot this week. We broke out the hose in games, played some drip, drip, drop in tennis, swam, and made sure we drank water all day long. Everyone weathered the heat well and enjoyed a less humid day today.
Session D camp families are invited to join us for two upcoming events.
Parents' Visiting Day - Wednesday, August 12, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Parents and special friends are welcome to join their camper’s group to experience some of our daily activities and watch the children in action.
Family Fun Night - Wednesday, August 12, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Enjoy the pool, games on the field, and other great activities. Registration forms will be emailed out and are due back by 9 a.m. on Tuesday, August 11 with payment of $5 per person for pizza.
What a wonderful Friday it is today! After a hot start to the week, we are having a lovely, warm, breezy day at camp. I can’t believe another week has gone by. Wednesday marked the opening ceremonies of our Olympics competition. Each group was assigned to a country—Wales, Kenya, or Greece—and will compete until next Friday’s closing ceremony when we find out the Olympic winner!
It’s hard to believe, but today marks the half-way point of our eight week summer camp program! How quickly these first four weeks have gone—I hope the next four go slower so we don’t have to think about the fall and the start of school for a little longer.
What a great first week of B session we have had! The color games got off to an amazing start on Wednesday. Each team met their captains and competed in the first activities: creating team cheers, logos, and war cries. Today we had a camp-wide color event. Every group had 5 trivia challenges to complete and then each team lined up in full alphabetical order! It was an amazing event full of spirit, community, and fun!
What an amazing Session A we had from our Independence Day celebration, to the Invention Convention, and many other fun and exciting camp activities! Our campers came up with some amazing inventions to help aid in the speedy running of camp and many of them centered on machines to apply sunscreen. It is great that our campers take sun-safety and wearing sunscreen so seriously—we think there would be a huge market for a way to apply sunscreen that didn’t make our hands oily. A big thanks to the judges Lila “The Innovator”, Peter “The Pro”, and Mr. Vegas!
Happy first Friday of summer! We had an excellent and interesting first week of camp. We welcomed new campers every day as area school districts closed for the summer. Our staff did an amazing job to help each new camper feel part of the group and to jump into all the fun and wacky things that are underway at Belmont Day Camp!
Belmont Day Summer Discoveries programs kick off on Monday, June 15 with specialty and sports camps. Our four two-week day camp sessions begin June 22 and run until August 14. We will wrap up the summer with more specialty and sports camps from August 17 to 28.
Plasterers completed closing up the walls and finish plastering. Carpenters installed new exterior double doors, siding & trim, and re-framed access to crawlspace for new access door hatch. HVAC subcontractor removed older ductwork in crawlspace and added new return and supply ductwork in the floor. Painters cleaned ceiling and began priming walls and electrical conduit.
I’m Rachel Alexander and I have been at Belmont Day School since pre-kindergarten. To give you perspective, that's 230,688,000 seconds we have been together. Or 2,670 days, or 381 weeks and 3 days. That may not seem like a long time, but trust me, a lot can happen in 3,844,800 minutes. For each day we were here, we collected an experience. So when your teacher tells you to gather all your experiences from the past ten years and shove it into five minutes, your mind goes all over the place.
My very first memory at BDS is of my eighth grade partner, Kathryn, calling me to say happy birthday when I turned five. I remember how much that meant to me, and how much I looked up to her. I recently reached out to her for the first time in nine years over the phone. Talking about the times when I was a spunky little pre-ker makes me realize how far I’ve come these past ten years. Now I’m the older eighth grade partner, and I have my own pre-k buddy, Kate. She’s fun, silly, and kind and I love spending time with her. I hope I mean as much to her as my eighth grade partner did to me.
BDS has enhanced our knowledge of the world. We study many subjects and each of the subjects gives us skills and information. In English this year with Mrs. Klock, we learned from House on Mango Street and To Kill a Mockingbird about how people do and do not fit in. We learned about discrimination in the past and present. Of course, in English we also learned about sentence structure and grammar.
The audience at Belmont Day's June 5 graduation exercises had the opportunity to hear incredible speeches from three members of the Class of 2015. These speeches were selected with care by a committee of eighth graders, faculty, and administrators. The reflections are filled with wisdom, humor, and fond memories of each student's unique experience at Belmont Day.
Belmont Day School Sports Achievers
James Brissenden '07 is graduating from Bates College. Congratulations to the Brissenden family!
Contemplating Closure
This is the last issue of The Scoop this year and as we are delighting in the thrill of moving up, the bittersweet moment of graduation, and the many other traditions that surround this time of year (field days, pre-k and eighth grade trip to Drumlin Farm, seventh and eighth grade play, athletics banquet, last middle school dance, receiving summer reading books, classroom closing rituals, the new graduates inaugurating the pool season…) it is a privilege to take a moment and consolidate the swirl of emotions.
Belmont Day, in partnership with edibleBOSTON, will host Harvest on the Hill—a public farmer’s market and celebration of sustainability—on Saturday, October 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Week 6 Construction Update
Electrician finished up conduit install for lights and fans. Plastering subcontractor installed durarock for areas to receive wall tile. Blueboard was installed at all other areas to receive plaster. Plaster began to be applied at storage room wall and at areas around the new windows. Plastering will continue throughout the week and into next week in preparation for paint.
To the Belmont Day Community:
Thank you to everyone who attended the Annual Meeting of the Belmont Day Corporation on May 21 and to those of you who submitted proxy votes to help insure a quorum for the election of trustees. We also want to express gratitude to those of you who suggested individuals for the board; as a result, we had an impressive pool of candidates.
The seventh and eighth grades proudly present their spring musical, "Bye Bye Birdie." The Belmont Day School community is cordially invited to join us for the following performances. The show will run for approximately 90 minutes.
Thursday, May 28
Dress Rehearsal, 8:50 a.m., Palandjian Arts Center
Wednesday, May 27, 11:17 a.m.
Thank you again for your patience. The school's phones are now operating as usual.
Week 4: Demolition continued with interior doors removed and tested, along with the removal of the existing tile mosaic, existing pendant light, lean-to at east wall, and exterior siding at east wall. Rough electrical and conduit installation continued with the coordination and confirmation of switch and device locations. Scaffolding for cupola is ready to be setup upon approval and completion of the new sub-floor installation.
In 2009, Belmont Day held the first annual all-school community service day. The idea for this day of service emerged from a committee of faculty and parents who believed that it would a natural expression of the school's values and an extension of our long-standing commitment to community service.
Remarks from May 21 Corporation Meeting
BeeDS 2015
Imagine a queen encased in a sweet prison, where the other inhabitants are eager to kill her off. As they furiously eat through the sugar, their desire to assassinate their monarch disappears. By the time they break through, they are ready to declare their undying allegiance until death do them part some six weeks later.
Track Finishes Season with Commanding Win
In their final meet of the season, the track and field team doubled-up Shore Country Day with a commanding 95-47 victory. There were countless individual highlights on the afternoon, but the team relays stole the show. Both the boys’ (Amani Gottlieb, Hamza Shemsu, Nathaniel Dolny, and Oliver Morton) and girls’ (Izzy Moore, Emma Bauman, Val Farley, and Natalie Murphy) relays won exciting races. All in all an exciting finish for the track and field team!
With the support and efforts of Roots and Shoots and the Belmont Day community, the goals of having a Belmont Day team riding, increasing awareness, and raising funds for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute were all accomplished.
For the past eight years, second graders have worked with Gaining Ground, an organic farm in Concord that raises and distributes all of its produce to local hunger relief agencies. On Wednesday, students traveled to Gaining Ground and planted sunflowers and celeriac, weeded asparagus beds, and mulched flower beds. On Friday, as part of Community Service Day, students decorated reusable bags that will be used as part of the farm's Families First program.
Monday, May 18
Tuesday, May 19, 4 to 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday, May 20, 3:45 to 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, May 26, 3:45 to 4:30 p.m.
Everett Continues to Shine in Net for Girls’ Lax
The Whole Game
Harvard Graduate School of Education Professor David Perkins muses about teaching and baseball. His book, Making Learning Whole, uses the game of baseball as a metaphor. As a fan who is careful to acknowledge his limitations as a serious player, he has learned to see how things fit together; he had to understand the whole game in order to see the implication of individual plays on the outcome. He reasons the same should be true of teaching.
The Belmont Day Beehive is officially up and running—or should we say buzzing? The honeybees arrived on Tuesday, May 5—a large group of worker bees with one large queen bee. The bees were installed, with the help of beekeeper Mel Gadd, in their new home and welcomed by an eager group of students and faculty.
Children Helping Children
Belmont and Nepal have more than three letters that connect them.
Tennis All Even with Two Weeks to Play
