May 13, 2022
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Sixth graders teamed with their kindergarten cross-graded partners to paint Georgia O’Keefe-inspired big flowers on Friday.
Opening Message
Welcome to Belmont Day! An Admissions Season Like No Other
Liz Parfit, Director of Admissions
Post Date: May 13, 2022
As the Belmont Day admissions team ties a bow on its second virtual season, I appreciate this opportunity to reflect on the past year and a half since I first joined Belmont Day. Amid the pandemic, arriving as a new director of admissions in August 2020 was a unique and challenging experience. The campus was very sparsely populated. My new colleagues and I were socially distancing from one another, and without any summer campers filling the hallways, I felt I had walked into an invisible storm.
As I glanced out of my office window at a beautiful, sparkling pool and the sun bouncing off a giant blue play structure, all seemed quiet and calm. What I soon discovered, however, was that beyond the walls of BDS, families were scrambling to make decisions for their children. A flurry of schools announced that they would not be reopening in person that fall. As I started to better familiarize myself with the school, our classrooms, and our community, the phone started ringing immediately. The calls often began with a breathless question: “Do you still have spaces for a (insert any grade level) student for September!?” No introduction or formalities, just the heartfelt hope that we might be able to offer their child the most basic of educational experiences: the chance to walk into a classroom, learn from a teacher in person, and be together with their classmates.
Almost two years later, that panic (both mine and that of the prospective families) has calmed. Still, enthusiasm for being a part of the BDS community (again, both mine and that of prospective families) has only grown. Inquiry and application numbers have soared—up 30% and 55%, respectively, during the past two cycles—and families are accepting our enrollment offers at a rate higher than ever in the school’s recent history. Is this still the product of folks desperately trying to flee the memories of remote learning? Not at all.
This year, more students and families than ever sought out the beautiful balance Belmont Day provides—offering a rigorous academic experience in a supportive, inclusive environment. Families come to us because they have heard from friends, neighbors, relatives, and acquaintances that BDS delivers on its promise to challenge students and nurture them in equal parts. They have observed the genuine happiness that said friend, neighbor, or relative exudes when they speak about their school. They have heard BDS parents, past and present, confirm that this is a continuous experience over the course of their child’s Belmont Day journey.
As we anticipate welcoming new families in the fall, know that our entire community has had a role in their selection and enrollment. In addition to the tireless work of my admissions team colleagues Lauren McDermott, Judy Bright P ’21, and Emina Kadric, many others rallied to offer prospective families a first-rate admissions experience. The support came in countless forms, but I’ll name a significant few here:
- Twelve parent tour guides kicked off the parent tour guide program’s inaugural year by giving 180 tours, customizing the experience to every family.
- Faculty delivered two top-notch open house events in the fall and aced it at our spring accepted students event, with an incredible 74% of admitted families ultimately enrolling at BDS!
- Our 21 seventh and eighth grade student ambassadors presented on five different student panels fielding questions from prospective families. They served as friendly hosts and guides for visiting families during our spring event.
As a result of all of the above and tremendous behind-the-scenes work by faculty, parents, and students, we have 73 fabulous new students and their families joining us in September: families who represent 14 different towns, 50% of whom identify as a family of color and who speak 16 languages, including Spanish, Mandarin, Armenian, Arabic, Turkish, Cantonese, French, Creole, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Amharic, Tigrigna, Korean and Portuguese!
Thank you for encouraging every one of these new families along the way and for all you do to spread the good word about BDS. It truly starts and ends with all of you, and I could not be more grateful for your hard work and support this admissions season!
Upcoming Events
Coming Up This Week
Monthly Calendar
Grade 5 Parent Forum
Tuesday, May 31, at 6 p.m. in Coolidge Hall
Parents of rising sixth graders are invited to meet our new and returning sixth grade faculty who will share information about the sixth grade program and the transition to middle school.
Corporation Meeting Change
Thursday, May 19
The annual meetings of the Belmont Day Corporation and Parents’ Association will still take place on Thursday, May 19, but please note these changes:
- The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. and take place on Zoom only. (Zoom link and password available on the Parent Portal)
- The reception for departing faculty has been postponed to June 9 (see announcement below).
Honoring Departing Faculty
NEW DATE: Thursday, June 9, hors d’oeuvres at 5:30 p.m. and program at 6 p.m., in Coolidge Hall
Please join us for a reception to honor departing faculty members Kaleen Moriarty, Mary Norman, Kate Oznick, Dean Spencer, and Frank Toppa who have each dedicated 10 or more years of service to Belmont Day.
Friday Night Scoops
Friday, May 20
Meadowbrook School, 10 Farm Rd., Weston
Boys’ game at 5 p.m.
Girls’ game at apprx. 6 p.m.
After bringing back the fun and excitement of this year’s Friday Night Lights (soccer) and Friday Night Hoops (basketball), Belmont Day and The Meadowbrook School will now add Friday Night Scoops (lacrosse)! Join us for the inaugural event at Meadowbrook next Friday evening.
Friday Night Scoops will feature a doubleheader between the two schools’ varsity lacrosse teams: boys face off at 5 p.m., followed by girls’ around 6 p.m.
The entire Belmont Day community, including students in every grade, families, faculty, and alumni are invited and encouraged to attend. Bring a picnic dinner or purchase food from the food truck, some folding chairs, or a blanket. See you there!
Order Your 2021-22 Yearbook!
The 2021-2022 Belmont Day School Yearbook will be available on Moving Up Day.
The deadline for all orders is this coming Monday, May 16. Copies are $10 each. Each eighth grade student receives one complimentary copy. Use the form to place your order.
Lunch & Snack Menu
May 16 to May 20
Monday
Snack: applesauce; Cheez-Its
Lunch: creamy sundried tomato pasta; pasta with marinara on the side; steamed cauliflower; Sunbutter and jelly sandwiches; crusty rolls; butter; Romano cheese; diced peaches; milk and water
Tuesday
Snack: bananas; Nutri-Grain bars
Lunch: crispy fish; herb roasted chicken; roasted red potatoes; green beans; Sunbutter and jelly sandwiches; ketchup; fresh fruit; milk and water
Wednesday
Snack: apples; tortilla scoops
Lunch: beef burger; Beyond Meat veggie burger; pickles; tomato; Sunbutter and jelly sandwiches; ketchup; Kettle Chips; apple slices; milk and water
Thursday
Snack: clementines; Popcorners
Lunch: cheese pizza; carrots; ranch dressing; Sunbutter and jelly sandwiches; chocolate milk, and water
Friday
Snack: Craisins; granola bars
Faculty Lunch
BDS News
PARENT SURVEY
Please Provide Your Feedback by May 27
The relationship between parents and the school has, since its founding, been critical in establishing the high standard of excellence to which we aspire. Through this satisfaction-based survey, the school is eager to hear from parents to better understand your family’s experience this year and gauge the health of our community. We see this as an important tool to help us realize opportunities to improve the school experience for our students and families in the future.
We hope that many of you will take the time to participate in the survey by Friday, May 27.
Please know that the school administration will review the results during the summer and then provide an overview of and response to the results at the State of the School next fall. Thank you!
STAFFING NEWS
New Hires
Dr. Rachel Starks Chaves, eighth grade math teacher
We are thrilled to welcome Rachel to the Belmont Day faculty next year as the eighth grade math teacher. Rachel has been a mathematics educator for over ten years. She has been living in greater Boston for the past five years while working on her doctorate in mathematics education at Boston University. Previously, she was a middle and high school mathematics teacher for six years, at two different schools in her home country of Canada. Rachel has experience teaching both adolescents and adult students and is passionate about helping all learners find confidence and success as they explore mathematical ideas. Being in mathematical conversations with her students is one of her absolute favorite things.
Kassie Bettinelli, music and ensemble teacher
We are excited to announce that Kassie will join Tyler Cotner in the Belmont Day music department, and will teach music classes in both the lower and middle school, as well as lead an ensemble. Kassie comes to BDS from Winn Brook Elementary in Belmont, where she currently teaches music in kindergarten to grade 4. Prior to that, Kassie taught music in kindergarten to grade 8 in Everett, as well as in Indiana, and spent four years as a program manager and director for Peer Health Exchange Boston, a non-profit organization focused on building healthier communities with young people. Kassie also spent two years in Togo while in the Peace Corps, where she taught middle school classes that focused on the importance of creativity and the arts. Kassie holds a bachelor’s degree in music from Butler University and a master’s in education degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
BUS TRANSPORTATION
Bus Interest Form for the 2022-23 School Year
We currently offer Boston and Cambridge bus lines to and from campus each day that we’re in session. As we plan for the 2022-23 school year, it is vital that we get an accurate assessment of interest in the use of this service.
If you are interested in possibly using either the Boston or Cambridge bus service for your child(ren), please fill out the survey linked below by Friday, May 20.
We are sharing this survey with all BDS families regardless of where you live as one of the bus stops listed in the survey may still be convenient to your family.
Thank you in advance for completing the survey. If you have any questions or suggestions related to our bus service, please contact me at asantos@belmontday.org.
– Anderson Santos, director of operations
COVID UPDATES
Weekly COVID Testing Results
Since our report to the community last Thursday, nineteen members of our community have tested positive for COVID-19. Seventeen of these were found through outside or at-home testing, with two discovered through our weekly in-school testing. Of the affected individuals, sixteen are students and three are faculty/staff.
In this week’s in-school PCR testing, 64 of 66 pools came back with negative results. Two pools showed presumptive positive results. An individual in each pool tested positive on follow-up rapid testing; our individual PCR testing will confirm those results.
Let us know if you have any questions or concerns at covidresponse@belmontday.org.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Please Support These Community Service Day Donation Drives
Third graders will assemble 28 backpacks of toiletries and inspiration to contribute to On the Rise, an organization that assists hundreds of women and gender diverse individuals who are homeless or living in crisis. You can help by donating:
- Full-sized bottles of shampoo and conditioner
- Dental floss
- Lip balm
- Additional items
Fourth graders will put together care packages for Rosie’s Place to distribute to women in need. The care packages will be tucked into backpacks that students will hand-decorate. Please consider a donation of any of the following items:
- Toothpaste, toothbrush, floss
- Deodorant, soap, body wash
- Lip balm, face cream, hand lotion
- Shampoo, conditioner
- Hand sanitizer, wipes
- $25 Gift Cards to Target, Old Navy, Walmart, CVS, and Walgreens
All items should be full-size, new, unopened, and unexpired.
Middle school students are collecting baby and toddler toys and books for Room to Grow Boston. Room to Grow serves families with children from birth to age 3. Middle school students will deliver the items when they have their shift at Room to Grow on service day.
Please consider donating a new or like-new infant, baby, or toddler board book, picture book, or toy.
Drop-off boxes are located at the Barn and Schoolhouse entrances and donations will be accepted until May 20. Thank you!
COMMUNITY EVENT
Please RSVP, Volunteer for BDS Spring Fest
We are very excited to host BDS Spring Fest: A Celebration of our Cultures and Traditions in just over a week, on Saturday, May 21. Come for just an hour or for the whole afternoon. We will celebrate the diversity of our community through storytelling, music, dance, and more. Please help us to plan and prepare for a great day: click here to RSVP!
We hope you will join us for a joyful celebration featuring games, activities, complimentary food from local food trucks, and lots of fun. If you are interested in sharing about your culture and traditions, please email Pati Fernández, director of development, no later than this Sunday, May 15!
And if you would like to help set up, monitor activities, or clean up, please click here and sign up. Thank you!
DIVERSITY NEWS
Middle School Affinity and Ally Groups Resume
After long separations due to COVID safety protocols, we are excited to resume offering middle school students the opportunity to come together as affinity and ally groups during lunch and resource periods. Interested students met together during several Wednesday and Friday lunches before April break to talk about the sense of belonging at BDS, and how the chance to come together with other students who have things in common with them can be helpful, especially for students who might feel different from their classmates.
The purposes of all of these groups are to affirm identity, to help students feel connected with the BDS community in the fullness of their personality, and to cultivate leadership. An affinity group is a group of people who share a common statement about their social identities, from an “I” perspective. An ally group is a group of people who share beliefs, ideas, and actions in support of issues of social justice–but whose members may or may not share social identities.
Students brainstormed different affinity and ally groups they wished were available; faculty also surveyed all middle school students for other ideas and sought volunteer faculty facilitators who could share identities with students in affinity groups. Some groups, such as the Gender and Sexuality Alliance, have been meeting for years before COVID restricted cross-graded gatherings, while others are new suggestions.
Participation in affinity and ally groups is voluntary, as just as we all have many strands of identity, some students may choose to participate in more than one group. As meetings are scheduled this month, the full schedule of times and places will be shared again with middle school students. Students suggested each of these possible affinity groups: AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander), black-identified students, Caribbean students, European-American, female-identified, Jewish, Latinx, LGBTQ+, non-binary, and students of color; as well as ally groups such as the Gender and Sexuality Alliance, a feminism group, and an anti-racism ally group.
For more information about affinity and ally groups, contact Dr. Leesa Mercedes, school psychologist.
PARENT EDUCATION
Upcoming McLean Parent Workshop: Building a Resilient Child
Dr. Julia Martin Burch, staff psychologist with McLean Hospital, will present a 90-minute, interactive workshop on Thursday, May 19, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. for Belmont Day parents.
The workshop will cover the many reasons it can feel so hard for parents to step back and grant their child more independence and a concrete, step-by-step approach for doing so. The workshop will be held via Zoom. Links will be available on the Parent Portal.
And if you missed the workshop, Building and Maintaining a Strong Relationship with Your Child, held Thursday morning, it was recorded and is now available on the Parent Portal on the Event Recordings page.
Learning Updates
PE Update: Fourth Graders Experience the Glory of the Games!
Fourth grade students competed this week in the (epic and glorious) second annual Greek Olympics as a way to prepare their bodies and minds for their upcoming Greek Festival. Students were assigned to city-states and spent time during recent physical education classes practicing a variety of events from the ancient Olympics. Javelins, shot puts, and discus were thrown for distance while the fan-favorite chariot race had students pulling each other up the driveway on a small scooter. All athletes embraced the spirit of the games and displayed excellent acts of sportsmanship! Hurrah!
– Abbey Nyland, physical education teacher
Third Graders Study Park Accessibility
The third grade dove into a week-long unit looking at accessibility in the United States’ national parks. Students began by learning about different accessibility services The National Parks Service often provides to make the parks accessible. From there the students assumed the role of a National Park Ranger and were assigned the task of surveying a section of trail in “Lone Tree Hill National Park” (the woodlands behind BDS). They made observations about any existing accessibility services and will be making recommendations about how the trail could be made accessible.
– Carlyn Simons, associate teacher in grade 3
Athletics Update: Lacrosse Teams Take Two from Park
Belmont Day’s lacrosse teams took home a pair of big wins on Thursday afternoon. The girls’ team traveled to Park and jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead, but the home team answered with two goals of their own and it was clear that it would be a battle. When the dust settled, Belmont Day emerged with a 13-9 win, holding the lead for the entire game. The closest Park came was 8-7 early in the second frame before Belmont Day’s goal scorers sealed the win. Niamh O’Brien finished with a game high 5 tallies and was joined in the scoring by Emma Kass (3), Quincy Treisman (3), and Colby Morris (2). Coach Nyland also noted the strong play of Ilana Brauner who made great off-ball cuts and of midfielders Bella Lightbody, Eliza Kuechle, and Annika Vittal who helped control the pace of the game.
The boys’ team also jumped out to a fast start, leading 5-0 at the end of the first quarter. Andrew Green got the scoring started with a beautiful dodge before burying a goal with his off-hand and Belmont Day never looked back, finishing with a dominant 9-0 win. Other highlights included Bernie Mattox’s dime to Peter Kurtz, Petros Samuel’s first goal of the season, Ellis Anderson’s snipe with the pole, and William Li’s effective offensive presence. The lacrosse teams will host Austin Prep next Wednesday before traveling to Meadowbrook for Friday Night Scoops next Friday.
– John O’Neill, director of athletics
Athletics News
- Varsity ultimate soared to a 13-2 win over Beaver this week. Aleta Sandoski was all over the field defensively. Quinn McCaffrey was dominant downfield, and Eike Kiecza and Owen Huang have solidified their handler chemistry.
- Track & field traveled to Park this week. McKenna Daley won the 400m. Matthieu Small finished 2nd in the shot put. Yaseen Saeed got a PR in the 400m.
- The varsity tennis team split a pair of matches this week. Lucy Yin played her best match of the season from the #1 singles position against Meadowbrook, while Bodhi Demers had a convincing 6-0 win against his Fenn opponent.
Parents’ Association News
Lost & Found
Come find your student’s lost items next week on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday during drop-off. You can also enter the building and check in with Barbara Carey at the front desk to go through items at other times.
Book Club
Please join us on Monday, June 6 at 7:30 p.m. via Zoom for our final Parent Book Club meeting of the school year. We will be reading All the Secrets of the World by Steve Almond, which is hot off the presses. This “shape-shifting social novel” is by an Arlington-based author and promises to be fast-paced and gripping. Plus there’s an audiobook! Please contact Karla Bays for more details or to join our mailing list. We hope you can make it!
Friendraiser Walks
The weather is getting more and more beautiful each day and the trails around BDS are drying out nicely. Perfect for a morning walk with friends! The Friendraiser committee will host walks every Tuesday morning through the end of the school year. Meet at the front circle of the Schoolhouse at 8:15 a.m. and then journey through the woodland trails. Duration: about 40 minutes. We look forward to seeing you!
PA Dues
Thank you to all families who have paid their PA dues. The friendly competition continues, and the top three grades with the highest participation will receive a delicious treat. The current leaders are kindergarten, third and sixth grades, but every class is well within striking distance of those top three spots! You have until next Friday, May 20 to contribute and be counted in the competition, though dues are accepted and appreciated through the end of the school year.
You can make payment conveniently online with a credit card, debit card, or eCheck (ACH) via the secure BDS PA Payment Portal. Although not preferred with the ongoing pandemic, you can also pay by paper check by contacting the PA Treasurer, Jeana Colangelo. Thank you!
Beyond BDS
ART PROGRAM
ORIGAMI – Not Just for Children!
TOMORROW! Saturday, May 14, 2022, at 8:00 p.m.
Lexington Public Library, Cary Hall, 1605 Massachusetts Ave.
Origami artists Michael LaFosse and Richard Alexander co-founded Origamido Studio in 1996. They have worked together creatively for over thirty years, and origami is their full-time job. Unique in the origami world, they make custom, handmade papers for each new creation and for other origami masters. LaFosse (a former Belmont Day artist-in-residence) and Alexander’s works have been exhibited at the Carrousel du Louvre, the Peabody Essex Museum, and at museums in Hawai’i, Taiwan, Japan, and Austria. They were featured in the Peabody-Award-winning, PBS documentary, “Between the Folds,” by Vanessa Gould. Their works are on a traveling exhibition, “Origami in the Garden,” with sculptor Kevin Box.
Join these artists for a fun, hands-on evening of learning about this fascinating art. Fun for the whole family, paper will be supplied. This event is free and open to all. No tickets or RSVP are required. For more information, click here.
LUNAR ECLIPSE
Blood Moon to Appear this Sunday
This is some fun that’s wayyyy Beyond BDS! The Space Science Camp at Lasell University wants to remind students of space of all ages to make sure to check the night sky this Sunday, May 15 for a lunar eclipse! The earth casts a shadow in space and when the moon passes through that shadow it is called an eclipse, an eclipse of the moon.
If you can stay up late on Sunday night: For best viewing, they suggest you pick out a spot to view the moon in the days leading up to the eclipse and then plan on getting outside by 10:00 p.m. The partial eclipse begins at 10:27 p.m. and at 11:29 p.m. the moon will be totally eclipsed. At mid-eclipse (12:11 am), the moon is as deep into the shadow, as it will get, and you will see why it is called the Blood Moon.
COMMUNITY EVENT
LGBTQ+ Pride Prom
Friday, May 20, from 7 to 10 p.m.
Arlington Community Center, 27 Maple St., Arlington
It’s prom season and LGBTQ+ students and allies in grades 6 to 12 are invited to the annual Pride Prom. Queer teens and their friends are invited to a wonderful night of dancing and performances. This event is sponsored and coordinated by the Robbins Library, the Belmont LGBTQ Alliance, LexPride, and the Arlington Rainbow Commission. For more information and questions, please email Katy at kkania@minlib.net or call (781) 316-3204.
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