April 29, 2022
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Middle school students have dedicated time to read purely for enjoyment during the Drop Everything And Read (DEAR) program.
Opening Message
Trudy Eyges and 37 Day School Lane
Brendan Largay, Head of School
Post Date: April 29, 2022
When I arrived at Belmont Day, one of the first neighbors I was introduced to was Gertrude ‘Trudy’ Eyges. At 94 years young, Trudy was a BDS regular, using our photocopier for the fliers that advertised the Tai Chi classes she offered in her backyard, connecting with Lino Medeiros or Anderson Santos about the maintenance of her driveway during a big snowstorm, or looking for takers to replant one of her beloved rhododendrons that dotted her front yard.
Trudy introduced herself to me in French as she went on one of her many walks around the front circle of the Schoolhouse, and I remember wondering if she was testing my validity. I softly replied, “je m’appelle Brendan” and she seemed satisfied with my response, though I don’t doubt she may have been delighted to see me squirm a bit. For all of my time at Belmont Day and certainly long before I arrived, Trudy was a true friend to our school. Trudy’s home at 37 Day School Lane, a yellow, one-story post-modern ranch (the second house on the left as you leave campus), has housed several BDS parents who rented space from her only steps from our campus, and she was a supportive voice during the Barn building process in 2018.
This past summer, Trudy Eyges passed away at 100 years of age. Her spirit of joy and perpetual youth lives on. A lifelong learner and friend and neighbor to the school for nearly sixty years, Trudy had a clear passion for education marked, particularly, by her desire to see traditionally underserved populations receive the same access to education that others could enjoy. Thus, in her name, Belmont Day has created the Eyges Award, a financial aid award that will be given annually to a Belmont family who has been granted admission to BDS and qualifies for financial assistance. Belmont Day is a community that cares deeply about its relationship with the town and our neighbors in particular. The Eyges Award will honor Trudy’s memory by annually providing a town resident with support to attend Belmont Day.
We are also fortunate to have purchased 37 Day School Lane. As a property adjacent to campus, the building provides the school with additional administrative offices and an additional conference room. We do not expect to use the building for students; instead, it will be a place for parents’ association gatherings and committee meetings. The back patio is certain to become a welcome place for one-on-one meetings this summer and fall. Once the buildings and grounds crew have completed their work to update and renovate the house we expect to move in sometime this summer.
We miss Trudy, and we hope that our occupancy of her home will keep her spirit of lifelong learning and joyfulness alive.
Upcoming Events
Monthly Calendar
Corporation Meeting Proxy
We hope you will join us on Thursday, May 19, from 6:30 to 8: 30 p.m., for the annual meetings of the Belmont Day School Corporation and Belmont Day School Parents’ Association.
If you cannot participate in the meeting, it is important that we have your proxy to approve the slate of trustee nominees and renew trustees returning to the board.
Each family is entitled to two votes, and the proceedings require a quorum of corporation members. Please use the link to submit your proxy. Thank you!
Upcoming Sharing Assembly
Friday, May 6, 8:50 to 9:35 a.m.
Families, please mark your calendars and join us in the Barn for our next sharing assembly. The following grades or classes will share: kindergarten, grade 4, grade 6 social studies, grade 8, and grade 2. Hope to see you there!
Narrative 4 Story Exchange Sign-Up Closes TODAY!
Don’t miss out on this engaging and powerful community activity. The Narrative 4 exchange will be held next Thursday, May 5, from 6:45 to 9 p.m. in the Barn Gym, and will be led by trained facilitators Elisabeth Klock and Dean Spencer, and other members of the BDS faculty. Please come ready to share a story from your own life about identity, connection, trust, or surprise.
Currently, we have about 10 participants who have RSVP’d and we would love to share this experience with more members of the BDS community. So we can plan for the evening, RSVP will close later today. Click the button below to sign up!
Lunch & Snack Menu
May 2 to May 6
Monday
Snack: apples; crispy cheesy puffs
Lunch: macaroni and cheese; pasta with marinara on the side; steamed broccoli; Sunbutter and jelly sandwiches; crusty rolls; butter; Romano cheese; diced peaches; milk and water
Tuesday
Snack: bananas; granola bars
Lunch: crispy cheesy chicken; vegan nuggets; roasted potatoes; green beans; Sunbutter and jelly sandwiches; ketchup; fresh fruit cups; milk and water
Wednesday
Snack: raisins; animal crackers
Lunch: cheese pizza; Sunbutter and jelly sandwiches; carrots; ranch dressing; apple slices; milk and water
Thursday
Snack: clementines; Lay’s potato chips
Lunch: Cinco De Mayo: beef tacos; veggie tacos; corn fiesta blend; Sunbutter and jelly sandwiches; salsa; guacamole; sour cream; applesauce; chocolate milk, and water
Friday
Snack: apple slices; Goldfish
Faculty Lunch
BDS News
COVID UPDATES
Weekly COVID Testing Results
We had twelve positive COVID cases reported to us this week. These cases were identified by at-home rapid or outside testing by individuals over break and through last evening.
Our weekly Wednesday PCR testing on April 27 returned negative results for all but three pools. Two of the pools returned a presumptive positive.
The presumptive positive pools were rapid tested at school while we await their individual PCR results. One student was found to be positive and is isolating at home. The other positive pool confirms a rapid test from last evening; that student has also been isolating at home. Rapid tests on all other members of that pool returned negative results.
All individuals in the pool whose test was not performed were also rapid tested, and all returned negative results. These results were then confirmed by the individual PCR tests at the lab.
Policy Update for Masking
With the recent rise in cases at BDS, we are updating our masking protocol as follows:
When there are three or more active cases within ten days in a grade AND a known exposure in that grade, that group will wear masks at school as a precaution through at least two testing cycles. The same criteria will apply to faculty/staff groupings. If there is no significant community spread once we have received two weeks’ test results, we will be able to return to our masks-optional policy for that group.
This week, a small cluster of cases has occurred in pre-kindergarten and third grade, so they will be masked at school until we PCR test results for two weeks. If there is no spread within those grades, they will return to our mask-optional policy.
With much of our population vaccinated and our weekly testing, we no longer trace contacts or inform families of cases within their grade. Test results are reported in total for the school. You will be notified if there is a cluster within your child’s grade that prompts us to take precautions. Feel free to reach out with questions to nurse@belmontday.org; both Liz LaRocque and Dario Azzone will receive your email.
STAFFING NEWS
New Hires
Charlie Baird, seventh grade English teacher
We are thrilled that Charlie will return to Belmont Day next year as a middle school English teacher. After spending the 2020-21 school year in Belmont Day’s associate teacher program while getting his masters of education from Lesley University, Charlie is teaching seventh grade social studies this year. He will be moving into the middle school English department to teach seventh grade next year. During his time at Belmont Day, Charlie has also coached middle school athletics and served as a Capstone mentor, and he looks forward to continuing to fulfill those roles and more within our school community! Prior to earning his masters degree, Charlie worked for three years as an educational artist at Kidstock! Creative Theater in Winchester, Massachusetts. A passionate musician, Charlie has also served since 2017 as the assistant music director for the Southeastern Massachusetts Festival Chorus, a 90-member community chorus located in Taunton, Massachusetts. Charlie has an undergraduate degree from St. Olaf College.
Galen Muskat, sixth grade English teacher
We’re excited to welcome Galen to Belmont Day next year as the sixth grade English teacher. Galen comes to BDS after a year at Buckingham Browne & Nichols, where he worked as a teaching intern in second and sixth grade classrooms before becoming a long-term substitute for sixth grade English. While at BB&N, Galen completed his masters of education at Lesley University. He is passionate about giving students opportunities to take risks exploring and engaging with language: as readers of texts representing diverse perspectives, as budding writers, and as confident orators. Prior to teaching, Galen worked at the Harvard Graduate School of Education designing and delivering online professional development programs for teachers; his work on the Project Zero and Right Question Institute portfolios inspired him to pursue his longstanding interest in becoming a classroom teacher. Though Galen graduated from Amherst College with a bachelor of arts in history, he loved his coursework in English, French, and Russian literature. He was a hutmaster in the White Mountains high huts for the Appalachian Mountain Club, a high school cross-country skiing state champion, and has over 10 years of experience coaching youth baseball, basketball, cross-country running, and cross-country skiing.
Brittany Ryan, sixth grade math teacher
We’re very happy to announce that Brittany will join Belmont Day in the fall as our new math teacher in sixth grade. She is still new to the Boston area having moved last summer from Dallas with her husband and two dogs, Leo and Lizzy. Currently, Brittany teaches eighth grade algebra at Brooke Charter School. Previously, she taught eighth grade math at Richardson North Junior High, in suburban Dallas. At her previous schools, she has coached volleyball and the high jump during track season. Brittany earned her bachelor of science in interdisciplinary studies from Texas A&M University. Brittany is excited to join the Belmont Day team and get to know and get involved in our vibrant community!
ASSOCIATE TEACHER PROGRAM
Elizabeth Ho Honored by Lesley University
Congratulations to associate teacher Elizabeth Ho who is the recipient of the 2022 June Fox Award from Lesley University’s Graduate School of Education. Each year, the June Fox Committee recognizes one student in the collaborative residency programs for that individual’s work with children, academic scholarship, and effective collaboration with peers. This is the fourth year in a row that a Belmont Day School associate has won the June Fox award. Congratulations to Elizabeth for this great honor, and congratulations to all of the associates and associate mentors this year who have shown such dedication to their students and their teaching craft. Elizabeth worked with Ms. Pryor in kindergarten for the first half of the year and is now placed with Ms. Gibson in first grade.
LIBRARY NEWS
Author Visit Updates
We had the pleasure of welcoming Mac Barnett to talk to students in pre-kindergarten through second grade prior to the break about his new book John’s Turn. Students and their teachers were in stitches during his hilarious presentation and loved hearing him read the new book set to orchestral accompaniment as well as a surprise reading of his book Triangle. Click here to purchase copies of John’s Turn from Belmont Books or here for any other of Mac Barnett’s wonderful books, including his two books that received Caldecott honors and his chapter books.
On Tuesday, May 3 students in grades 3 and 4 will meet virtually with Cameron Chittock and Amanda Castillo, author and illustrator of the new middle grade fantasy graphic novel Mapmakers and the Lost Magic. Students will have an opportunity to discuss the writing process and participate in a drawing demo. Cameron Chittock will be signing books purchased through Belmont Books. If you’re interested in getting a signed copy of the book, please order by Sunday, May 1 and indicate your interest in a signed book and any personalization in the order notes, or reach out to the store with questions.
We’re also excited to welcome Loree Griffin Burns to close out the year with an in-person author visit. She is the author of the Scientists in the Field series of non-fiction books. Her newest book that she’ll be speaking about is called Honeybee Rescue: A Backyard Drama. Stay tuned for the date and the grades involved, and in the meantime, if you’d like to pre-order the book, please consider doing so here. Also know that copies of all of the titles listed above are currently in our library or will be soon!
– Amy Sprung, school librarian
AUXILIARY PROGRAMS
Young Jedis Welcome Back April Vacation Camp
Last week, we were joined by younglings and padawans from all over the galaxy for April vacation week camp at BDS! After having not been able to run vacation week programming for the past two years, our halls were filled with joy, fandom, and lore surrounding all things Star Wars. Campers enjoyed arts and crafts, games, an Ewok walk on the forest moon of Endor (the trails behind Claflin field), and force-focusing mindfulness practice. We were even visited by a Master Jedi who taught lightsaber skills and battled Darth Vader.
Thank you to all who helped make the week a success. And may the force be with you!
– Denali Kikuchi, auxiliary programs coordinator
COMMUNITY NEWS
Gender and Sexuality Resources on Parent Portal
At Belmont Day, we recognize the dignity and worth of all human beings. Guided by our core values of honesty, caring, joy, responsibility, respect, and excellence, we commit to establishing a safe environment for thoughtful discussion and developing positive attitudes about gender and sexuality.
We offer this collection of resources for learning more about the diversity of gender and sexual identities in support of your child’s learning and development. We hope you will find them helpful.
Questions? Please reach out to any of the GSA advisors: Tyler Cotner, Blair Fross, Jen James, Liz LaRocque, and Koreen McQuilton.
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 9:00 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
Athletics Update: Tennis Program Takes Two from Beaver
Both of Belmont Day’s interscholastic tennis teams squared off against Beaver Country Day yesterday, and both came away with wins. The varsity team rolled to a 7-1 victory behind strong play from Alex Kadnar and Marco Frazzoli-Cassi. Kadnar won at both singles and doubles as a result of strong serves and skilled play at that net, two aspects of her game she’s been working hard on during practice. Frazzoli-Cassi started his singles match in an 0-2 hole before roaring back for a 6-3 win thanks to sound decision making and a few smart chances. Things were a little tighter in the junior varsity match, with the Blue & Gold ultimately securing a 4-3 victory. Highlights included a dominant performance at singles by Nina Cohen-Perlmutter and a gritty comeback by Duncan Beirne. Beirne was down 1-4 before flipping the script on his opponent and ripping off five consecutive games for a 6-4 win. All in all, it was a great day for Belmont Day tennis.
– John O’Neill, director of athletics
Athletics News
- The JV ultimate team finally took the field for an interscholastic game this week but came up on the wrong side of the score against Shady Hill. Theo Kelman and Eleanor Stine provided some bright moments in the defeat.
- Beaver toppled boys’ and girls’ lacrosse on Thursday afternoon. Quincy Treisman and Ezra Wolfson provided the offense for their respective teams, while Avery Schneider and Ellis Anderson anchored the defensive units.
- The track & field team doubled up Charles River for a big win at home. Caleb Frehywot had three first place finishes (long jump, 50m, and 200m). Sam Leviton and Jovana Zivanovic swept the 1600m, and Gabriel Burd and McKenna Daley won the 400m.
- After a pair of tough losses to start the season, the varsity ultimate team bounced back with a dominant win over Beaver this week. Despite having a limited roster, the team was focused and executed the best they have all spring.
PE Update: Track Stars
As everyone who deals with kids knows, they don’t really walk from place to place, they tend to run, hop, skip, jump, crawl, or find the most creative and inefficient means of getting from A to B. So when we start our track and field unit each spring and mention that we’ll work on running and jumping it can be somewhat of a head-scratcher: isn’t that what we always do, they wonder?
When we break down each event and each movement, it can lead to many a-ha moments for our students. Learning how to crouch low at the start and then fire, how to pace and monitor how much gas you have in the tank during a race, how to leap off of one foot and land on two, how to communicate the passing of the baton, are all moments where the ordinary becomes extraordinary. And the joy of landing in the long jump pit and rolling around in the sand, or running your absolute fastest during the 50-yard dash, is hard to top.
Our students might run and hop from place to place, but during track and field they do so with purpose, and that can make all the difference.
– Alex Tzelnic, physical education teacher
Parents’ Association News
Faculty & Staff Appreciation Luncheon
We need your help! The Faculty Appreciation Luncheon is quickly approaching next Friday, May 6. There are still many slots open especially for main dishes and side dishes. Please note that if you don’t have time to cook, you are welcome to purchase a main dish, side dish, or salad that serves 12 people.
And please keep in mind that BDS is a nut-free campus when planning your contributions. Please bring your donations to morning drop-off on Friday, May 6. There will be a table in front of the PAC.
Click here to sign up today!
For questions, please reach out to the Faculty Appreciation Luncheon co-chairs, Jamie Meredith (jamie@meredithinc.com), Danielle England (danielleraeengland@gmail.com), and Priya Vaidya (priyav4u@gmail.com).
Grade Parent Nominations
The PA appreciates the volunteers who have already reached out to serve as grade parents for the next school year. We are still looking to fill slots at every grade level. New parents and those with past experience are welcome!
If you are interested in volunteering, please complete the nomination form. And if you have questions about the role of a grade parent and wish to learn more, please contact any member of the PA executive team or send an email to bdspa@belmontday.org.
Executive Team Nominations
The Belmont Day School Parents’ Association nominating committee is pleased to present its final slate of nominees for the positions of vice president and clerk for 2022-23 and looks forward to your vote.
Elections will be held at the annual meeting of the corporation on Thursday, May 19.
Karla Bays, PA Vice-President 2022-2023
Karla is the parent of Simon ’27, Malcolm ’29, and Cecilia ’32. She and her husband, Jonathan, joined BDS five years ago when Simon enrolled in pre-kindergarten, and they treasure the community they have found here. Before having children and moving to the Boston area, Karla taught high school English in the New York City public school system, and she hopes to return to teaching in some capacity now that her children will all be in school together. At BDS, Karla has chaired the library committee, the book fair committee, and the parent book group; she has supported admissions and has been a grade parent twice. She is also involved in Children’s Ministries at Trinity Church, Boston. In her free time, Karla enjoys reading, theatergoing, traveling, quilting, and shuttling her children to their various extracurricular activities.
Gigi Saltonstall, PA Clerk 2022-2023
Gigi lives in Belmont with her husband JF Goldstyn and daughters Cordie ’25 and Josie ’27, one dog, two bunnies, and three fish. When not caring for said pets or spending time with family and friends, Gigi is a practicing landscape architect at G2 Collaborative, where she is co-founder and principal. The design firm focuses on institutional, master planning, and urban work while maintaining a small portfolio of residential projects. Gigi has been a part of the BDS community since 2015 when Cordie started in pre-kindergarten, and has been a grade parent three times. She has consulted on various design explorations within the school, including the Raise Your Voice campaign donor recognition wall in The Barn, and has volunteered at admissions events. Gigi loves to cook and bake with her family and keeps moving—most of the time by walking with the dog, running, hiking, skiing, and practicing yoga. When not moving, she can be found knitting, sewing, or needlepointing. She will happily lose herself in a book, puzzle, or sudoku when the opportunity arises.
Beyond BDS
LITERARY PROGRAM
Dancing in the Mosque: An Afghan Mother’s Letter to Her Son (A Bilingual Event)
Thursday, May 12, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway, Lecture Hall
Join the Cambridge Public Library for a bilingual reading and Q&A with Dr. Homeira Qaderi and Aria Aber! This event will include live translation from Persian to English, and questions can be asked in both languages.
Qaderi’s Dancing in the Mosque is a mother’s searing letter to a son she was forced to leave behind. Qaderi describes the unimaginable choices she’s made as a mother in the face of oppression. This event is recommended for adults. Click here for more information and registration.
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