Professional Development
Be a lifelong learner at Belmont Day.
The professional development program for Belmont Day employees fosters excellence by committing to the continuous growth of individual faculty members and the advancement of the school’s mission. Teaching faculty study content, pedagogy, and values. Non-teaching faculty, such as those in the business office, attend conferences on new regulations and practices. In addition to collaborating with consultants on our technology infrastructure, the technology team stays up to date with the latest trends in educational technology through professional development experiences.
Belmont Day faculty have attended content workshops hosted by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), the Leadership+Design Leadership Lab, the AISNE Health and Wellness Conference, the National AfterSchool Association, Responsive Classroom, and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), among others. They have also attended seminars and workshops related to ethical values, gender equity, sustainability, service learning, diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as character education. Our faculty has been significantly involved in independent school-related workshops run by NAIS and AISNE.
The school also funds opportunities for collaborative exploration and program development among BDS colleagues:
- The Inspire Summer Curriculum Development Stipend subsidizes work dedicated to new and forward-thinking programmatic design with colleagues.
- The Lenesa Leana Endowment for Innovative and Collaborative Education supports a new project, program, or learning opportunity that directly impacts our students and extends their understanding of the world.
Faculty receive a complimentary subscription to the weekly Marshall Memo and have regular access to professional publications such as Independent School magazine.
2026-27 Inspire Stipend and Lenesa Leana Endowment Recipients
Enhancing Audience Engagement and Communication Through Digital Display
Theater arts teacher Christopher Parsons will install a digital display system outside the Palandjian Arts Center to enhance performances, assemblies, announcements, audience communication, and student work sharing.
Growing with Monarchs: An Early Childhood and Sustainability Initiative
Pre-kindergarten teachers Kim Edwards and Nicole Siverls will partner with sustainability coordinator Kathy Jo Solomon to launch a monarch butterfly study that connects science, sustainability, literature, habitat creation, and hands-on observation in pre-k.
Tools for Students with Dysgraphia
Learning specialists Devan Reddington and Valerie Kerin will research dysgraphia and develop faculty resources and strategies to support students through effective accommodations, instructional tools, and technology supports.
Word Work in the Labyrinth
Fourth grade teacher Lana Holman and classroom support teacher Angela DeVecchi ’75 will collaborate to design a customized spelling program for the Labyrinth grades (grades 3, 4, and 5), informed by Structured Word Inquiry practices.
Development of Comprehensive Early Elementary Math Assessment
Lower school teachers Lisa Wilson, Jenifer McGuinn, Kaleen Moriarty, Geoffrey Fox, and Amy McCann will develop comprehensive kindergarten and first grade math assessments to help teachers understand student readiness, monitor growth, and plan responsive instruction.
A Place at the Table in Coolidge: Building Belonging, Confidence, and Food Literacy
Kindergarten teachers Kim Edwards and Nicole Siverls will partner with the school’s food director to explore developmentally appropriate pre-kindergarten and kindergarten experiences in Coolidge Hall that build belonging, independence, confidence, and food literacy through shared food experiences.
Assessing and Revamping Fourth Grade Reading
Fourth grade teachers Lana Holman and Emily Crawford will partner with classroom support teacher Angela DeVecchi ’75 to review and refine the fourth grade reading curriculum, creating a more aligned and consistent experience across reading groups.
Furthering a Culture of Writing at BDS
Lana Holman, Jim Walker, Barbara Carey, Brittany Conroy, and Dean Spencer will expand opportunities for adult writing, reflection, feedback, and sharing to strengthen a joyful, community-wide culture of writing at BDS.
Lower School Bridges
Teachers Emily Crawford, Leigh Twarog, and Geoffrey Fox will explore new ways to build community across the lower school while identifying meaningful leadership opportunities for lower school learners.
New England AI Collaborative
Liz Gray, Amy Sprung, Brit Conroy, Emma Alexander, Emily Phan, and Jen Friborg will synthesize their work from the year-long NEAI Collaborative program and identify opportunities for faculty learning.
Professional Development By the Numbers
90%
participated in at least one professional development experience
58
unique experiences selected by faculty to advance their learning
55%
of these experiences were attended by faculty groups
Professional development opportunities for Belmont Day faculty include:
– Participating in an AISNE accreditation team
– Analyzing assessments and standardized test scores
– Coaching by specialists in reading or mathematics
– Collaborative analysis of student work
– Conferences or workshops with consultants
– Sharing highlights of workshops and content with colleagues
– Graduate work
– Visits to colleagues’ classrooms and collegial connections across disciplines
– Leadership in professional organizations
– Mentoring associate teachers
– Portfolios
– Presentations at workshops, conferences
– Subscriptions to professional journals
– Summer curriculum development stipends
– Visiting other schools
– Professional writing
in their own words
