latest

Our music classes enjoyed a visit from Dr. Brett Abigaña, an accomplished composer, music educator, and conductor at Boston University Academy. Students learned about a variety of topics ranging from composing music for movies and shows, the role of physics in the overtone series, the history of musical notation, healthy vocal technique and breathing, and the history of dissonant music! Students in the middle school music class also had the chance to ask questions about high school requirements for music, and the course and ensemble offerings at the high school level.

Wrestling Takes Down Park

From Consumers to Producers

When school resumes after winter break the following new procedures will be in place:

Middle School Students Learn Makeup for the Stage

Seventh and eighth grade students have been learning the craft of special effects makeup for the stage. Through many classes, they have learned various techniques to create effects for beauty, old age, character, face painting and bruises and abrasions. 

Fiber Arts Students Create Colorful and Unique Projects 

Middle school students in quilting and knitting arts electives have been making great progress on their individual projects over the past few weeks. In quilting, students have been working through the process of first deciding on a figurative or geometric quilt style, then planning and designing the layout. Next, they have been carefully measuring and cutting fabric pieces to ensure that they will fit accurately in the finished quilt.

Winter Concert: Logistics and Directions
Thursday, December 20, 2018
6:30 p.m. in the Barn

Concert Dress        

• Ensemble/chorus members: black on bottom, white on top    
• All other students: dressy, festive attire

Parking at Belmont Day

Please coordinate your plans so that the fewest possible cars arrive on campus. Parking is limited, especially if there is snow. The processional of students into the concert space will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m.

On Saturday, November 17, eleven middle school students participated in a Model UN conference at Northeastern University. The conference started with a short message from Summer Marion, a doctoral candidate specializing in global governance. Marion highlighted two key qualities of Model UN delegates: curiosity and dedication to improving the world. She encouraged attendees to remember that they can't make policy before asking the right questions.

Athletics Program Wraps Up Fall Season with Week of Celebratory Events 

It was a season to remember for Belmont Day Athletics. Among the many firsts were the introduction of the new middle school structure, the addition of junior varsity teams for girls’ soccer and flag football, and the surpassing of the century mark for total number of athletes in the program.

Six middle school students — and their chaperones Mary Ellen Coyne-Gordon, grades 6, 7 & 8 focus teacher and middle school learning support specialist, and Anderson Santos, associate director of operations — represented Belmont Day at the annual AISNE (Association of Independent Schools in New England) Middle School Diversity Conference, held this past Saturday, November 10 at Dedham Country Day School.

Eighth Graders Leave Their Mark on Football Program

Field Hockey Continues to Battle

Middle school Spanish teacher William Yepes-Amaya was a presenter at the Massachusetts Foreign Language Association's annual conference held October 24 to 27 in Springfield, MA. William joined colleagues Marialuisa Di Stefano, lecturer at UMASS Amherst and Abelardo Almanzán-Vázquez, Spanish teacher at The Putney School to present Teaching a Second Language Through an Equity and Social Justice Lens.

This week seventh and eighth grade students made their first drafts of costume designs for the musical "Cinderella" as part of the arts elective, Costume Design for the Stage. They started the process by researching their ideas and creating inspiration boards to inform their original designs.

Music students in pre-k, kindergarten, and first grade have started the year gaining a basic understanding of the C scale. To do so, we have been singing the letters, as well as made-up songs on each note of the scale, and visually tracking staff notes as the scale is being played. Pre-k is using a chart with just the letters, while the kindergartners have begun visualizing the staff, and first graders are experiencing the scale by playing the Orff instruments.

jfriborg@belmontday.orgLearn more about the ways in which you can get involved with Capstone.

Sign Up for the Conference Day Program!

The physical education (PE) department has rolled out a new schedule of additional classes this fall. Students in kindergarten to grade four now have PE class three times per week. Fifth grade students have PE class four times per week. PE classes for first through fifth grades use a co-teaching model. PE teachers Carl Geneus and Abbey Nyland are teaching first to fourth grade, and John O’Neill and Eric Ridore are teaching fifth grade. We already see the benefits of this commitment to increased PE time.

This week our pre-k students helped to complete the cycle of a wonderful garden-to-table lesson started this past spring. Last year's pre-kindergartners planted a potato patch in the school garden during community service day. Over the summer, the potato plants grew very well, and as they got taller we “hilled” the plants by adding soil at their bases so that the developing tubers would stay underground.

Field Hockey Trending in the Right Direction

Largay Strikes First … Again

The Erskine Library welcomed a new interactive catalog station. Students and visitors will find the flat-panel Chromebase station just inside the doors to the library. A sleek, white metal kiosk housing the touchscreen stands at eye-level, with a step stool nearby for our youngest library patrons.

On the touch panel, students can access Follett Destiny, which is Belmont Day's online library catalog. In addition to traditional typed searches based on a keyword, author, title, or series, this new system offers search by voice recognition.

The Belmont Day Garden is featured in the Fall 2018 issue of Edible Boston! The article "Educating Gardens" takes a close look work being done at here and Boston's Epiphany School to actively incorporate garden education into the curriculum.

Fall Teams Prepare for Action

Next Thursday all seven of Belmont Day’s interscholastic teams will open their seasons. With the initial week of tryouts and practices now in the rearview, teams can set sights on their first opponents and begin putting some strategy into place. Cross country will be the only contest on campus next week, so be sure to come out to Claflin Field to cheer on our talented group of runners, led by veteran’s Ronan Mullan, Cole Sparks, Elena Ferrari, and Scott Abbott along with a handful of fresh faces.

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 9, November 13, December 11, January 8, February 5, April 2, May 7

The Arts at Belmont Day

As the school year begins, the arts studios are abuzz with activity. With the relocation of the music room and the Coolidge Art Studio over the summer, and with the Barn set to open mid-year, the anticipation about even more opportunities in the new studios is palpable!

Belmont Day math teachers are engaged in a two-day training on Singapore Math, a powerful teaching method and curriculum created in Singapore and used extensively in the U.S. that emphasizes mastery of concepts through dynamic problem-solving and communication. 

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.  

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

The annual sports banquet is a celebratory event for our student-athletes, coaches, and families.

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.

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

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!

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

Ultimate Improves to 5-1 on Season

Girls’ Lacrosse Gaining Experience

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:

Heart and Soul: Musically a Big Deal

Gregor Scores as Time Expires for the Win

Grades 7 and 8 Musical: Mary Poppins Jr.
Wednesday, May 30 and Thursday, May 31 at 7 p.m.

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.

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:

• Monday: 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Tuesday through Friday: 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

School and vacation camp families headed to campus are considered local traffic. 

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.

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.)

Strong Leadership on Girls’ Lacrosse

Podcasting: Part 2

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

Athletes Celebrate Winter Season

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.

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:

• Grade 1: Hole ‘n’ a Box
• Grade 2: Challenge Project
• Grades 7 & 8: Wood Carvings

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. 

School will close an 12 p.m. due to expected winter weather conditions.

“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:

Hats!

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.

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!

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!

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!

School will be closed on Thursday, January 4 due to anticipated severe weather conditions. 

Stay warm and safe and see you all on Friday!

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.

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.

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:

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

Fencing Program Expands

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 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.

Athletes Wrap Up Fall Season

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.

Enrollment is open for our fun after school enrichment programs for the second trimester. Here are the new offerings:

MONDAYS

• Experimentivity
• Master Chef
• LEGO Designer

TUESDAYS

• Jewelry Workshop
• Bedtime Math
• LEGO Builders

WEDNESDAYS

• Dollar Scholars
• Soap Making

THURSDAYS

• Become a Yogi
• Herb Gardens
• 21st Century Skills: Engineering and Design

FRIDAYS

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 Thursday, December 13 from 5 to 6 p.m. and Thursday, January 3 from 4 to 5 p.m. in the Erskine Library. 

Pfeffer Continues Dominant Play for Field Hockey

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.

Boys’ Soccer Rolls Over Fenn

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)

• Compost waste for the week: 100 ounces
• Landfill waste for the week: 201 ounces
• That's 3.86 ounces of total waste per student

Grades 4 to 6 (97 students)

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.

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”!

Wednesday, October 11, 3:30 p.m.

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 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.

Field Hockey Opens Season with 4-1 Win over Fay

Sign Up for the Conference Day Program!

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.

Team Captains Announced

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:

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?

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.

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.

“It is always quietly thrilling to look at a world you know well but have never seen from such an angle before.” - Bill Bryson

Our community of bold, inspired, and remarkable learners and leaders has kicked-off the 90th year!

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.

Congratulations to the members of the Class of 2013 on the completion of their secondary school educations! 

Teachers experiment with electronics to advance teaching and learning.

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!

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.

Student Summer Reading Selections
This summer our students will be enjoying the following books:

Thank You Eighth Grade

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! 

Ultimate Completes Successful Rebuild

Today's interscholastic games and meets are canceled due to weather.

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. 

Track Team Beats the Heat, Runs Down Pike

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

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!)

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.
 

Tennis Sweeps Nashoba to Even Record

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.

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:

Scenes from kindergarteners carding wool!

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:

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.  

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!

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.

Lacrosse Programs Benefit from Sixth Grade Additions

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. 

Auditioning for Annie, the Seventh and Eighth Grade Musical

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.

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.

Wednesday, March 15

Tuesday, March 14

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. 

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.

Seventh and Eighth Grade Carving

The Belmont Day community looks forward to an exciting and informative week of Capstone presentations.

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!

Monday, February 13

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!

School closed on Thursday, February 9 due to weather.

Athletes Share Season Highlights at Assembly

Kalin and Kim Win Marathon 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.

Fencing Victorious in First Match

Dotted Notes Spotted in Music Class

Proceeds to benefit Native American Heritage Association and American Association of University Women.

Raising [My] Voice

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.

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.

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.

The Send-off Assembly goes mysteriously quiet...

Varsity Hoops Teams Upend Waldorf

The BDS Tech Team, iRobot, and Apple Education deliver an afternoon of robots, coding, and fun!

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.

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.

Students Explore Printmaking

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.

Cross Country Shines at State Invitational

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.

Field Hockey Wins Back-to-Back Games

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.

Third Grade Presents "Imagine"

Printmaking

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.

Unconditional Love

Today marked my first Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day at Belmont Day.  

Film Screening—Thursday, October 27, 6 to 8 p.m. 

Girls' Soccer Battles Carroll to 2-2 Tie

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.

Put On a Happy F.A.C.E.

Tuesday is a five-game day for our middle school interscholastic teams. Go BDS!

Pfeffer and Dainora-Cohen Shine in Opener

Join us today for our middle school interscholastic teams' season openers! Go BDS!

Flag Football Looks to Turn it Around

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.

Girl’s Soccer Prepares to Rebuild

Anne Armstrong, Meg Lloyd, and Kathy Jo Solomon complete their cross-country bike trek.

Campologists say "We welcome you to Belmont Day, Mr. Largay!"

The community gathered to celebrate the leadership of retiring Head of School Annette Raphel. 

Announcing this summer's theme: Wheels, Wings, and Other Things!

We are experiencing ongoing telephone service interruptions; until service is restored, please email us.

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, 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.