September 16, 2022
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A great week of tryouts and practices for our middle school athletes!
Opening Message
Cultivating Community and Making Excellence Visible
Brendan Largay, Head of School
Post Date: September 16, 2022
During August faculty meetings, there were two key priorities as we welcomed new faculty and reckoned with fully reopening campus: transmitting school culture and setting the visible standard of excellence for our students. The first part of our time together was dedicated to understanding one another and learning about or relearning the recipe of Belmont Day’s secret sauce—our school community.
Together, the faculty investigated their strengths using Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences. In small group sessions, we discussed how our connectedness as a faculty and community results in a whole far greater than the sum of its many parts. We engaged with the question, what do we stand for as an institution, and found part of the answer in the second half of the week as we articulated the meaning of excellence as one of our six core values.
Informed by feedback from last year’s parent survey, we sought to understand the relationship between the excellence of a student’s experience throughout their journey at Belmont Day and the challenge promised in our mission. Where in that Venn diagram of a student’s experience do we see excellence and challenge overlap, and in the overlay, where do we find the rigor that often explains the intersection?
These conversations yielded two critical results (among many others): first, by articulating our common purpose—the students—through the frame of the mission, we continue to construct community. Second, we honed our definition of rigor for our students.
We have learned through research that more—more homework, more tests, more grind—can be mistaken for rigor. I would offer that such a definition may hearken back to our own elementary and high school experiences when the grind was the metric by which success was measured.
Our Venn diagrams revealed that where excellence and challenge intersect, there are fundamental consistencies: problem-solving, critical thinking, creation (notably different from creativity) of something authentic, and effective communication, verbal or written, about what has been created. Even more compelling: this notion of excellence and challenge cut across every facet of our school—lower school, middle school, arts, athletics, buildings and grounds, kitchen, admissions, development, and on and on.
This year, our goal will be to make our themes clear: cultivating community and making excellence visible. August meetings provided a compelling start to that effort.
Upcoming Events
Coming Up This Week
Monthly Calendar
Curriculum Nights
Thank you all who attended last evening’s Middle School Curriculum Night. It was a great opportunity to engage with families, share a look ahead at the school year, and answer questions. Next up is the Lower School event.
The program will start in the Palandjian Arts Center before moving to classrooms.
Lower School Curriculum Night
Wednesday, September 21, 6–8 p.m. (Refreshments in Coolidge Hall at 5:30 p.m.)
Getting the BDS Word Out!
Every fall, many generous members of the Belmont Day community help us reach the next generation of BDS parents and students by displaying an Admissions Open House lawn sign or car magnet. It’s an easy and effective way to help us to reach neighbors and welcome them to learn about our school at the upcoming open house events.
If you’re interested in posting a sign at your home or displaying a magnet on your vehicle, keep an eye out for our outreach team distributing them during drop-off and pick-up times next week. The exact days are still to be determined, but you won’t miss them! If you’re interested in reserving signs and/or magnets ahead of time, please email Judy Bright, admissions and outreach program manager. Thank you!
School Picture Days
A reminder that School Pictures Days for all students will take place next week, on Monday and Tuesday, September 19 and 20. (Rain dates are the week after on Monday and Tuesday, September 26 and 27. We will notify the community if we need to reschedule due to rain.)
Click the dropdown below to view the daily schedule.
Photos will be taken outdoors by photographer Porter Gifford, who has provided student and class images for Belmont Day for many years.
If you have any questions, please contact Jen James, assistant to the head of school and registrar, at jjames@belmontday.org.
Picture Days Schedule
Monday, September 19
All students in grades 2, 4, 6, 7, and 8
Tuesday, September 20
All students in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and grades 1, 3, and 5
Lunch & Snack Menu
September 19 to September 23
Monday
Snack: applesauce; Cheez-Its
Lunch: macaroni and cheese; baked ham; broccoli; greens with balsamic
Tuesday
Snack: bananas; Popcorners
Lunch: pan-seared seasoned chicken tenders; barbeque sauce; sweet potato fries; ketchup; green beans
Wednesday
Snack: clementines; banana oatmeal rounds
Lunch: beef burgers; veggie burgers; hamburger buns; Lay’s chips; ketchup; pickles; sliced tomatoes; peas; popsicles
Thursday
Snack: pears; pretzel twists
Lunch: roasted butternut squash soup; wheatberry grilled cheese; roasted cauliflower; apple cider
Friday
Snack: apple slices; tortilla scoops and rounds
Faculty Lunch
Dining In Coolidge Hall
Along with the main menu, students have access to a hot bar with the “hot veg of the day,” as well as a salad bar with fresh vegetables, fruit, deli meats and cheese, roasted tofu, hummus, organic yogurt, greens and a salad of the day. They also have access to cereal, bread, bagels, cream cheese, Wowbutter, and jellies. 1% milk and soy milk are available.
Each table is set with the entrée of the day. There are plenty of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options for those who follow a specialized diet. We also ask that any children with allergies introduce themselves to the kitchen team so that we can make sure that everyone enjoys a safe meal.
BDS News
COMMUNITY NEWS
BDS Fest: Fall Harvest, Saturday, October 1
Join us for the second annual BDS Fest: Fall Harvest event on Saturday, October 1 from 12 to 4 p.m. With over 300 attendees last year, this is a BDS event you don’t want to miss! It will be a great opportunity to connect with BDS friends, meet new friends, and celebrate the beginning of another great school year.
What you can expect!
- Complimentary food! Lawless Food truck – Mr. Gourmet Sausage Specialist food truck – Donuts, popcorn, and drinks for all!
- Endless activities! Archery and basketball hoop blow-ups – Bouncy house – Craft tables – Board game table – Balloon artist – Corn hole and ring toss – Photo station – Music and more!
Be sure to RSVP to help us prepare. All activities will be outdoors. Also, bring your blankets and camping chairs to get comfortable on campus!
Have any questions or want to volunteer to help out, please contact Kyle Beatty, assistant director of development.
FACULTY NEWS
New Hires
Dean Spencer
A very familiar face here at Belmont Day! Welcome back, Dean! A longtime sixth grade social studies teacher at Belmont Day, Dean retired last year from his classroom duties after a phenomenal career that helped to shape our middle school program. He also played a pivotal role in our efforts to advance the work of equity, inclusion, and belonging at Belmont Day. With his vast experience and expertise, we are thrilled to have Dean back. He will return this year in a few different capacities: first, he will be working with Jen Friborg, coordinator of Capstone, to assist our eighth grade students on their Capstone journeys; second, he will support Connie Yepez and Mike Marroquin-Castillo in the equity, inclusion, and belonging office this year. He will also be jumping in for subbing coverage on occasion!
Tania Chamlian, events and community relations coordinator
We are excited to announce that Tania has joined Belmont Day in a new position at the school focused squarely on bringing our community together! As a member of the development team, Tania will take the lead in managing their many events and on-campus activities. She will also assist the admissions team as needed with its schedule of events. Tania joins BDS with deep experience in development and event coordination, specifically for non-profit organizations. Most recently, she was the events and marketing manager for End Allergies Together and development coordinator for the Waldorf School of Lexington. Previously, she worked as a development officer for special events at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. A Belmont resident and parent, Tania is an active member of her children’s schools’ PTO and PTA boards. She attended Northeastern University where she earned a bachelor of science degree in psychology.
COMMUNITY NEWS
Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Book Group
Join us each month for an informal, parent-led EIB book group, focusing on books written from the perspectives of marginalized communities. All parents/caregivers and faculty are welcome, and we choose our books democratically!
Currently, we are reading Born a Crime by Trevor Noah. The choice was inspired by the seventh grade class, who read the young-reader adaptation of this book over the summer. We also recommend listening to the audiobook of this one since it’s narrated by the author and he is a master of accents.
We will meet on the first Thursday of every month via Zoom. Link will be available on the Parent Portal. Our next meeting will be Thursday, October 6 at 7:00 p.m.
Please contact Danielle England or Christina Cosman if you have any questions.
ADMISSIONS NEWS
Join the Digital Outreach Team and Tell the World About BDS!
We’re looking for additional parents to add to our small but mighty band of digital outreach ambassadors. Powered by a shared mission, we’ll spread the word about our upcoming admission events. Share what you love about BDS and invite future BDS parents to learn about our inspiring community of learners and leaders!
As a parent of school-age children, you know best where and how to connect with your peers via local listservs, parent groups, NextDoor neighborhoods, community newsletters, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
If you want to get involved, please contact Judy Bright. Thank you!
GARDEN NEWS
Volunteers Needed On Tuesday
If any parents have the time available this coming Tuesday, September 20 from 1 to 3:00 p.m. we will be adding new plants to our pollinator garden located directly in front of the Belmont Day vegetable garden. This summer, due to the drought, we lost quite a few of our younger perennial plants in our pollinator garden. We will be adding compost, mulch, and planting native plants. No gardening experience is necessary! We could definitely use the help and it should be a fun afternoon. If you are able to help out, please email Kathy Jo Solomon ahead of time so we can plan out the work.
– Kathy Jo Solomon, visual arts teacher and sustainability coordinator
Learning Updates
PE Update: So Many Things In the Way, In a Good Way
Obstacles are hard. It can be tempting, when working with young children, to remove them, so that things flow and ease is attained. However, in physical education, we prefer to add them. All the better to build resilience, strength, endurance, and grit.
That is why our pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and first grade students jump into the year with obstacle courses early on. Running, leaping, balancing, crawling, and climbing are all gross motor skills that they’ll continue to hone in other units, but seeing how our students respond to these challenges can be instructive and inspirational.
There is often awe when first beholding an epic set-up of obstacles, and then excitement as they begin to explore. There can be frustration when the going gets hard, and fatigue when the course has been completed several times. Watching students help one another, reset an area of the course that was knocked over, and end class sweaty and smiling is what it’s all about. Bring on the obstacles!
– Alex Tzelnic, physical education teacher, coach, and mindfulness director
Fifth Grade Builds Community
This week in humanities, fifth graders have been focused on community. We’ve been discussing what community means to us and how we can be positive community members. Fifth grade has also been working on building community, we have been learning about our classmates’ interests, fun facts, and hobbies. In one fun activity this week, students worked in teams learning about our responsibility in a community, specifically how what we put out into the world is often very difficult to take back. To demonstrate that difficulty, the teams tried putting toothpaste back in a tube!
– Vaniecia Skinner, grade 5 teacher
Digging Up a Delicious Tradition in Pre-K
Last week, the pre-kindergartners took a trip to the Belmont Day garden. We met Ms. Solomon, visual art teacher and sustainability coordinator, and manager of the garden, for a tour. The students then had the great pleasure to harvest rows of potatoes. It is a BDS tradition for our youngest learners to harvest the potatoes that were planted in the spring by last year’s pre-k class. The children collected red, purple, and Idaho potatoes. They made predictions about the color of the potatoes inside prior to their teaching cutting the potatoes open. The children also washed, sorted, counted, and weighed all of the potatoes. We read stories about potatoes such as The Enormous Potato written by Aubrey Davis and Two Old Potatoes and Me written by John Coy. Next week, Chef Lightbody and the kitchen crew will roast the potatoes and serve them as a treat to the children.
– Nicole Siverls and Maria Choi, pre-kindergarten teachers
Arts Update: Students Create Character Portraits
To begin the year, students in Ms. Dempsey’s theater class dusted off their acting chops in the activity “character portraits.” After a physical warm-up to get their creative juices flowing, the students became groups of ballerinas, spiders, wilting flowers, cats, and wizards. An added challenge was to use different levels to bring interest to their portrait. Afterward, the students shared what they most enjoyed about the activity. “I really liked seeing the ballerinas!” “I loved being a spider!” As students recalled their favorite moments the sound of laughter filled the Palandjian Arts Center.
– Susan Dempsey, theater arts teacher
Athletics Update: Girls’ Varsity Soccer Full of Veteran Leaders
With nine returning players from last year’s squad, the girls’ varsity soccer team is chocked full of veteran leadership this fall and looking forward to a strong season. Eighth graders Maddie Cutie, McKenna Daley, Perin Fine, Alex Kadnar, Alden Largay, and Quincy Treisman are all back for their second varsity season and will be instrumental to the team’s success this year. Equally as instrumental will be eighth grade newcomer Kamila Ruiz who was recently named the team’s starting goaltender. The girls’ will kick off their season at home next Tuesday against Charles River.
– John O’Neill, director of athletics
Athletics News
- Anna Bibler and Leilani Dorilas have been crushing the daily challenges on the outdoor adventures team, including the dreaded hill sprints on the sledding hill to start practice.
- Sebastian Colberg and Joshua Flanagan switched into cross country for their final fall season in a Belmont Day uniform. Both athletes are off to a great start so far.
- Veronica Wang and Lucy Yin highlight a large group of newcomers to the field hockey program. The seventh grade duo has been working hard at practice to learn the game.
- Jack Ward and Charlie Rossi had a great week of practice for the JV football team and are proving to be quick studies as the new playbook gets rolled out to the players.
- Anurag Mujumdar and Kesariya Nallari-Jhala rounded out the roster on a talented varsity football team and will be asked to step right into the action next week in the season opener.
- Copeland Maier and Ethan Zipken headline a large group of sixth grade athletes on the JV soccer team this fall. The classmates have been bringing great effort to practice so far.
- Hugue Marsan and Sam Rodriguez were the only sixth graders to earn spots on the boys’ varsity soccer team and will be counted on to provide depth to the lineup this fall.
Parents’ Association News
PA Dues
Please consider paying PA dues! The PA helps bring guest speakers and performers to school, supports the parent community, helps support the teachers, and so much more. PA dues are entirely optional but are a great way to help our community. We ask you to consider paying $50 per family, but we are happy to accept any amount that works for your family. You can make payment conveniently online with a credit card, debit card, or eCheck (ACH) via the secure BDS PA Payment Portal. Any questions, contact PA treasurer, Jeana Colangelo. Thank you!
Flower Bulb Fundraiser
Like to garden? Don’t know a thing about gardening, but like flowers? Planting bulbs is fun and easy to do with the kids. Click here to buy your bulbs and get started. You get great bulbs to plant now for surprise flowers in the spring—isn’t it almost like magic when they first come up?—or buy bulbs to bloom inside during the winter. The PA gets 50% of what you spend to help teachers and grade parents, fund enrichment assemblies, and more. Order online, and the bulbs will be sent to your door. And please share the link with family and friends. The last day to order is October 15. If you have any questions, contact Lia Meisinger or Mamie Cantor.
Friendraiser Walks
The parents’ association friendraiser committee is hosting a walk every Thursday morning after drop-off, starting at 8:15 a.m. The first walk will be held next Thursday, September 22. Come discover the trails around BDS, reconnect with friends, and meet new friends. Gather by the benches at the front of the Schoolhouse and then journey through the woodland trails. The duration is about 40 minutes. Dogs are welcome but must be on a leash at all times.
Parent Book Club
The first parent book club meeting of the new school year will be held on Monday, September 19 at 7:30 p.m. on Zoom (link will be available on the Parents’ Association page of the Parent Portal) to discuss Barbara Kingsolver’s Flight Behavior. If you haven’t read the book, don’t let it stop you from joining us. Our October book will be Jennifer Egan’s The Candy House. The book club loves to see new faces. If you have any questions or would like to attend, please contact Karla Bays.
Mabel’s Labels
Back-to-school means missing items. Check out Mabel’s Labels to help keep track of all your child’s belongings at school. It’s an easy solution, one that benefits the PA and helps keep the school’s Lost & Found smaller. Mabel’s Labels provides customized clothing stampers and labels that you can put onto clothing, water bottles, lunch bags, ski gear, gloves, hats, etc. For each order you place, the PA earns 20% of the sale total. Click here to visit Mabel’s Labels’ website, go to “Support a Fundraiser” and enter “Belmont Day School” before ordering. If you have any questions, contact Lia Meisinger.
Friday Night Lights
The annual Friday Night Lights is a lively community event as the BDS varsity soccer teams play their friendly rivals from Meadowbrook School, under the lights at Harvard! This year it will be held on Friday, November 4. This is an all-community, family event (not a drop-off) that is always a fall highlight. Come show your Belmont Day spirit and cheer on our soccer teams! Volunteers are needed to help serve pizza—contact Jeana Colangelo or Lia Meisinger to sign up. More info to come, mark your calendars!
Beyond BDS
DANCE CLASS
Creative Movement for Pre-kindergartners
The Deborah Abel School of Modern Dance in Lexington is offering a new class this fall for pre-kindergarten students, ages 4-plus, taught by Noli Rosen and held on Wednesday afternoons for 11 weeks at the Follen Church in Lexington. Classes begin on Wednesday, September 21. Click here for more information and registration.
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