JV Ultimate Improves to 2-1
After opening their interscholastic season with a loss, the JV ultimate team has now rattled off two straight wins. This week, the team traveled to Cambridge Friends and emerged with a solid 9-5 win behind Ashley Luo’s 3 scores and great defensive play. Sixth grader Brooks Largay added his first score of the season, and classmates Ben Rowe and Kendree Chen chipped in on both sides of the field.
Athletics Highlights
Building Sets for Grade 7 & 8 Play
The middle school student set crew is hard at work creating the stage set this year's grades 7 and 8 play, Babka Without Borders. The crew is making 10 wall flats with windows and doors, along with a counter and podium. Through this process, the set crew helps with all aspects of bringing these scenes to life, from the initial designs to building and painting each piece to final installation on the stage.
Fifth Graders Combine Technology and Woodworking
Fifth grade students are putting the final touches on their projects from the combined woodworking and technology class. The students are adding either a MakeyMakey or micro:bit to their wood projects which will allow them to interact with the code they wrote in Scratch. From alarm clocks that display the weather, to game controllers, to musical instruments, the students have created an impressive array of unique projects.
Doubles Pairings Lead Varsity Tennis to 4-4 Tie
Sparks’s Late Surge Leads to Second Place Finish
Running in the friendly confines of Claflin Field, the Blue & Gold track & field team had some strong performances against Fenn and Nashoba Brooks this week. Highlights included Cole Sparks making up 50m in the final lap of the mile to capture a second place finish, Camille DeStefano breaking out for a team best in the 200m, and a dramatic win by the girls’ 4x200m relay team of Piper Morris, Dana Chang, Breah LeGrand, and Kiki Friedbauer.
Athletics Highlights
Fourth Grade Students Create Greek Ceramics
Happy National Physical Fitness and Sports Month!
May is a great month for fitness, sports, and physical education! It's National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. And, as part of the month-long celebration on the importance of physical activity, the week of May 1-7 is National Physical Education and Sports Week. This year’s theme is HEALTH. MOVES. MINDS. The mission is to inspire healthy habits, fuel active minds, and to teach children to thrive physically and emotionally. Let’s do our part and spread the word!
Lewis’ Five Goals Lift Girls’ Lacrosse to Win
The girls’ lacrosse team continued its upward trajectory this spring with a commanding 15-8 win over Lexington Christian Academy this week. Seventh grader Lynn Lewis led the way with five goals while eighth grade co-captain Elena Dainora-Cohen added four. The team also received strong play from goaltenders Vivian Danahy and Kenna Schneider who split time in net and combined for eleven saves. The girls’ will look to build on their momentum on the road next week against Nashoba Brooks.
Tickets for Grades 7 & 8 Play Available May 1
The Belmont Day Theater Department is proud to announce that tickets for Babka Without Borders will become available on Wednesday, May 1. Tickets are free and can be reserved by visiting https://belmontday.brownpapertickets.com/. Please note that seating is limited and tickets will be provided on a first come, first served basis only. Production dates are Friday, May 31 and Saturday, June 1 at 7:00 p.m.
The addition of the Barn was not only a decisive undertaking to provide our students with more learning and athletics spaces, but it was also a decisive step on the path to sustainability for our school.
Camp Kindness a Rousing Success!
Boys’ Lacrosse Evens Record with Win
Congratulations to associate teacher, Emily Davis, who was recently honored as the recipient of Lesley University’s Graduate School of Education June Fox Scholarship Award for 2019. Given once a year to one member of Lesley’s Collaborative Residency Program, the award recognizes outstanding work with children, interest in building equity in the classroom, and the recipient’s potential for educational leadership.
Varsity Tennis Drops First Match
Time to F.A.C.E. the Music
We had a wonderful crew of Belmont Day faculty, students, parents, and friends join to prepare the school garden for the 2019 season. A beautiful day greeted our participants who enjoyed raking, planting, clearing, weeding, and more. Students planted over 80 feet of snap and pod peas, as well as a full bed of greens. Look for an early bounty for sale on community service day—Friday, May 17—where we will be selling these fresh organic greens along with our very own BDS honey. All proceeds will help fund the school garden program. Thank you to all who came to help!
Ultimate Prepares for Showdown with Shady Hill
Learning More Complex Programming
Students in fifth grade have begun programming their final project in technology class. Students are using the Scratch or Microsoft MakeCode programming environments and either a MakeyMakey or micro:bit as a way to interact with their programs beyond just the computer. They are learning how servos work to open and close doors, move wheels for cars, or using a weather:bit to program an alarm clock to wake you up and report the weather outside.
Learning about Haïti is part of the French curriculum at Belmont Day. Eighth grade students of French are celebrating the recent publication of books they wrote and illustrated for the Mother Tongue Book Project, an initiative to contribute to literacy among speakers of Haïtian Créole.
Creative Movement
Fifth grade students explored creative movement in Ms. Dempsey’s theater class this past week. They began by experiencing locomotor (from place to place) and non-locomotor (in place) movement. Next, the students experimented with ways their bodies could soar, flitter, scamper, slither, and float, and also discovered how to pop, bubble, shatter, crumble, ooze, and melt! The students then worked in groups of five to choreograph a short dance incorporating two to three of these movements.
High Expectations for Track & Field
Gregor and Lemack-Bremen Headline Boys' Lacrosse
Transitions
Seventh and eighth graders in the pottery wheel arts elective class finished their work this week by glazing their thrown ceramic works. The transition from a raw, amorphous lump of clay into a functional piece of pottery is a journey including many different steps. In the beginning days of the course, students experimented with strategies to succeed at the first, crucial step: centering clay on the wheel. Ask a student from the class about all four steps they focused on while creating their pottery, and be on the lookout for their final creations!
Spring Tryouts Next Week
Exploring Polyrhythms through Ghanaian Drumming
The Barn is a Game Changer
The addition of the Barn has been a game changer for the athletics program. With more athletes (103) and more teams (8) than ever before, athletic venues are at a premium here at Belmont Day, especially during the winter season. In years past, basketball players would bus off-campus for practice on a daily basis, while Coolidge Hall and the PAC were the permanent homes for fencing and badminton.
Beautiful Bandsaw Boxes
Seventh and eighth graders in woodworking are making great progress in designing and creating bandsaw boxes. Each student starts their boxes from one solid block of wood that they cut a dozen times to make the components for the box. The students' designs differ greatly, from linear pieces to those featuring asymmetrical abstract curves.
Sign Up for the Conference Day Program!
On March 2 and 3, teaching interns/apprentices from both BB&N and Shady Hill School will be joining our own cohort of associate teachers for a two-day course entitled "Designing a New Context For Learning." The lead instructor will be Dan Riles, technology integration specialist at the Brookwood School.
Volleyball Caps Inaugural Season on a High Note
Students Create Array of Makeup Effects for Stage
Wear your favorite cardigan and join us for popcorn, snacks, and a screening of Won’t You Be My Neighbor? on Tuesday, March 19 at 6:30 p.m.
The documentary by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville looks back on the legacy of Fred Rogers, focusing on his radically kind ideas and his beliefs about the importance of protecting childhood.
Please bring a non-perishable food item for our food drive to benefit the Belmont Food Pantry.
Fencing Sits at 5-1 with Two to Go
During February, we honor Black History Month, Heart-Health Month, and National Girls and Women in Sports Day. The physical education department is taking time to inform our students about how sports have served as an arena for equal rights.
Black History Month is a great way for all to celebrate, reflect on, and understand the stories of those athletes who broke barriers and changed society through their actions in sport.
BDS has been fortunate to partner with the McLean School Nurse Liaison Project, offering us a myriad of resources and consultation this winter. This thoughtful article on validation is from the project’s coordinator, Julie Love:
Validation
Fourth Grade Artists Create Beaded Bracelets
Fourth graders are learning about indigenous designs and artworks from the Americas. After looking at various examples, they were inspired to develop repeating geometric patterns, and are now using beading looms to create bracelets based on their own unique designs.
Eight students attended the AISNE Middle School Students of Color Conference at Buckingham Browne and Nichols School in Cambridge. This cohort of middle school students met and connected with peer students of color from neighboring independent schools throughout New England. They attended workshops and race-based affinity spaces where they engaged in healthy discussions involving allyship, inclusion, personal growth, and mentorship. Special thanks to second grade teacher Tina Fox and summer, after school, and enrichment programs administrator Joseph Jean-Mary for chaperoning the trip.
Badminton Program Strong As Ever
After spearheading an interscholastic middle school badminton league six years ago, Belmont Day found itself as the only school left standing this winter. Despite the lack of opponents, the program is as strong as ever and welcomed a record 18 athletes to the team this year. Thanks in large part to its core group of eighth graders, including team captains Colton Largay and Sophie Myers, the team’s spirit never wavered and athletes embraced the unique intramural structure employed by head coach Abbey Nyland.
Sixth Grade Coders Get Things Moving!
Boys’ JV Basketball Continues to Battle
Belmont Day School and Dr. Karen Lindem will present Executive Functioning and Our Children: Building Strategies for Success on two Wednesday evenings in February and March. Dr. Lindem is a clinical neuropsychologist and licensed psychologist with expertise in learning issues and developmental processes across the life span with Cambridge Center for Neuropsychology and Learning.
On Thursday, February 14, Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer will present to students in grades four and up.
Holly Goldberg Sloan is a film director, producer, screenwriter, and author of the middle grade books Counting By 7s and Short, both New York Times bestsellers, as well as I'll Be There, Keeper (Dream Series), Just Call My Name, and Appleblossom the Possum.
Model U.N., Pop Knitting, and Magic: The Gathering—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.
Balanced Attack Leads Girls’ JV Hoops to Win over Meadowbrook
Our talented group of associate teachers will move to their second placement of the school year on Tuesday, January 22.
Kate Buchholtz will be going to first grade; Emily Davis will join Mary Norman in fourth grade; Sophie Johnson will be moving to fourth grade with Lana Holman; Melissa Grip will join second grade and Abby Cox will be moving to third grade. Both Jamie Laviano and David Bobruff have decided to take a leave of absence this term and will be continuing their studies as on-campus Lesley University students starting this coming summer.
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.
Now Showing! Student Artwork Everywhere
Be sure to take a stroll through the Schoolhouse and the Barn to check out the newly installed displays of student artwork.
Now showing in the Schoolhouse: large abstract paintings by first graders, a variety of pieces from the sixth grade two-dimensional ARTS Launch class, and micrography portraits from the seventh and eighth grade Words as Art class.
Now showing in the Barn on the second level, outside of the new art studios: direct prints, including gyotaku (fish prints), also by the first graders.
Middle School Students Tackle Intricate Woodworking Projects
Middle School arts students in woodworking are taking their skills to new levels and creating more detailed and intricate pieces. Seventh and eighth grade students in the wood carving class are now working with carving chisels to create wooden shells. And the sixth grade students are learning about and fashioning nesting joints in order to join two pieces of wood.
Fifth Graders Prepare to Take the Stage
Fifth grade students are beginning rehearsals for this year's play, Princess Who? Physical and vocal warm-ups were followed by an ensemble-building hoola-hoop game. The fifth grade acting troupe then did a read-through of the script. It's a show not to be missed! See it live on Friday, February 15 at 8:50 a.m. in the Palandjian Arts Center.
Wrestling Takes Down Park
From Consumers to Producers
Fencing Comes Up Just Short Against Beaver
When school resumes after winter break the following new procedures will be in place:
Varsity Basketball Teams Open the Barn with a Pair of Wins
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.
Volleyball Takes Flight
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.
Pre-k to Fifth Grade Students Learn and Develop New Skills
It was a wonderful November in our physical education classes. We are so thankful to our students for giving their best effort as they learn foundational skills and the benefits of physical activity.
Concert Dress
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.
Winter Season Shaping Up to be Best-Ever for Athletics
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.
Sixth Graders Learn Bucket Drum Basics
In music class, sixth grade students have started jamming on bucket drums this week to learn about basic techniques, rhythmic foundations, and composition. Students have been composing their own short, four-beat rhythms as well as larger group compositions.
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.
What’s Happening in Middle School Theater Arts?
The first term of theater arts classes for middle school students wrapped up recently and we are now into our second term of offerings. These include Special Effects Make Up, Acting in Mask, and Footlight Productions (how to sing, act, and dance onstage).
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.
This week, we peek into the Coolidge Art Studio as it hums with activity. Many students are at the stage of finishing projects, while others are just beginning to create new artworks. Third graders worked on mastering various embroidery stitches on their samplers; first graders began new abstract pieces by sketching lines and shapes inspired by music (Vivaldi's Four Seasons); and sixth graders worked to complete their ceramic sculptures.
Eighth Graders Leave Their Mark on Football Program
It was an awesome October in our physical education classes. Students have been developing their knowledge, skills, and confidence through physical activity.
Field Hockey Continues to Battle
The middle school arts elective in woodworking is exploring shadows. The class is casting a whole new light on how students approached creating lamps. The focus of their designs was not the aesthetic of the lamp structure itself, but rather the light profile and shadow created by the it. By overcoming a number of challenges, including light source location, delicate details, and limitations of wood as a building material, students' lamps shine brightly while casting distinctive shadows.
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.
Boys’ Soccer’s Big Win Over Fenn Sets Stage for Friday Night Lights
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.
Cross Country Runs Past Shady Hill
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.
Talented Girls’ Varsity Soccer Team Sits at 2-2
jfriborg@belmontday.orgLearn more about the ways in which you can get involved with Capstone.
Middle school students in the quilting arts elective are well on their way to learning the skills of the craft and creating their first finished pieces. These photos capture the basic steps in the process of creating a quilt. First, students design a pattern and cut out shapes from fabric for their quilts. The fabric squares are then arranged by color and pattern. And after the three parts of the quilt—top, center batting, and back—are put together, the final step is to add quilting stitches through all layers adding stability and a decorative element.
JV Football Working Hard
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.
Last evening, over 40 middle school and lower school parents joined us for a tour of the nearly completed Barn and an overview of how these new teaching spaces will impact student engagement and learning across disciplines. After the tour, they returned to the schoolhouse for a faculty/parent panel question and answer session on the topic of middle school excellence. In case you missed it, here is a recording of the forum, with opening remarks by Middle School Head Liz Gray.
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.
Third grade students are busy rehearsing for their upcoming musical entitled "Pirates - The Musical." Students are set to "sail the rollicking sea, pirates all are we!" But "arrrr! "and "shiver me timbers!" there are stowaways on board! Perhaps the Queen of the High C's will know what to do. Join the salty crew of colorful scallywags when Bluebeard, Yellowbeard, Whitebeard, Purplebeard (and all the rest of the pirates) – along with the No Beards, hoist the Jolly Roger and set sail for a mighty adventure!
Field Hockey Trending in the Right Direction
Students in photography are getting more comfortable with their Canon T3 cameras and began uploading some of their first images for an assignment simply called "Lines." The goal of this lesson is to look for and photograph compositional elements that help give their photos interesting content and feeling.
Largay Strikes First … Again
We've heard so many wonderful sounds during these first two weeks of school. Colorful boomwhackers playing chords, string orchestras rehearsing for a concert, one-on-one guitar lessons focusing on improvisation, and ukuleles strumming with a backing track, just to name a few. The music department at Belmont Day is a vibrant soundscape filled with many instruments, genres, and voices.
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.
We've made some important changes to our school-wide composting program and as a result, the program is this year's recipient of the Zofnass Sustainability Award, funded by the Zofnass Family Environmental Sustainability Endowment at Belmont Day.
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.
During the first full week of school, sixth graders started work on a new project—creating a snake of blocks. This project builds on fundamental woodworking skills and emphasizes accurate measurement markings to make repeatable sawing cuts. The goal is to produce consistent blocks of the same size and with similar slot cuts.
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.
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.
September 24, November 5, December 3, January 14, February 4, March 4, April 1, May 6
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
Ready. Set. Go!
With more athletes (103) and more teams (7) than ever before, the middle school athletics program is poised to make history this fall. The season officially begins on Monday, September 10 for the soccer, football, field hockey, and cross country programs; all of which will be fielding talented squads this fall. Be sure to check out the interscholastic schedule, and find a time to watch our athletes in action.
Athletics News
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!
Congratulations to the members of the Class of 2014 on the completion of their secondary school educations!
Teachers at Belmont Day are dedicated to best practices and innovation. During opening meetings, faculty shared their professional development experiences with colleagues. Over 70% of our faculty engaged in PD work this summer including:
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.
We welcome you to Belmont Day! These excellent educators and administrators will join our community of learners and leaders for the 2018-19 school year.
Nicole Buck – Latin Teacher
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 Thursday, December 13 from 5 to 6 p.m. and Thursday, January 3 from 4 to 5 p.m. in the Erskine Library.
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.
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
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.
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
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
Tennis Sweeps Nashoba to Even Record
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!
“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.
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.
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 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
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.
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.
Keep up-to-date on the progress of our capital campaign!
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.
Athletes Share Season Highlights at Assembly
Students in the Trust Your Crazy Ideas club use Leap Motion to read sign language and have the computer show and say the letter.
Kalin and Kim Win Marathon Match
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
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
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.
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
Students Explore Printmaking
Students Wrap-Up Fall Season with Win over Coaches
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...
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.
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.
Printmaking
Flag Football Starts Strong
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.
The BDS Story, Chapter 2
Tuesday is a five-game day for our middle school interscholastic teams. Go BDS!
Boys' Soccer Evens Record with Win
Seventh and Eighth Grade Arts Elective: Devising Theater
Pfeffer and Dainora-Cohen Shine in Opener
What Does the 'Main Thing' Have to Do with the Election?
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Garden Workday was a Big Success!
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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:
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.
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
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
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.
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.
Jacobs and Fletcher Leading Badminton to Undefeated Season
A New and Organized Costume Closet!
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?
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.
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
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
Fifth Grade Devised Theater Project
