December 15, 2023
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This morning’s Winter Concert sent us off for the break with joy in our hearts.
Opening Message
Happy Holidays and Welcome Winter Break!
Brendan Largay, Head of School
Post Date: December 15, 2023
As we look ahead to bidding 2023 a fond farewell, I want to thank this community for how we have grown, shared, and cared for one another through this first half of the school year. This poem, written by Sudeep Sen and read this morning at our Winter Concert, captures for me the essence of the season and, just as meaningfully, the moment our students find themselves experiencing: in the middle of things, calibrating time and language, clearing unresolved fog, waiting for the new heat that the new year will bring.
Until then, from all of us at Belmont Day, we wish you a joyful and restful Winter Break and look forward to your return in 2024.
Winter
by Sudeep Sen
Couched on crimson cushions,
pink bleeds gold
and red spills into one’s heart.
Broad leather keeps time,
calibrating different hours
in different zones
unaware of the grammar
that makes sense.
Only random woofs and snores
of two distant dogs
on a very cold night
clears fog that is unresolved.
New plants wait for new heat —
to grow, to mature.
An old cane recliner contains
poetry for peace — woven
text keeping comfort in place.
But it is the impatience of want
that keeps equations unsolved.
Heavy, translucent, vaporous,
split red by mother tongues —
winter’s breath is pink.
Upcoming Events
Coming Up This Week
Monthly Calendar
Braiding Different Strands
The next meeting of Braiding Different Strands will be held on Thursday, January 11, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Kiva. Please RSVP by clicking the button below.
Please join us for a presentation and Q&A session regarding diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging priorities and initiatives with Brendan Largay, head of school, Connie Yepez, director of DEIB, and Mike Marroquin-Castillo, assistant director of DEIB. We will discuss how the recommendations from the Hinderlie climate assessment have informed our work and how we believe DEIB will evolve over the next few years at Belmont Day. We welcome and encourage all adult community members to join us.
If you have questions, please contact Connie Yepez at cyepez@belmontday.org.
Parent Visits – Curriculum Showcases
We know that parents are always eager to observe their children engaging with their teachers, friends, and the curriculum. Sharing assemblies offer informal opportunities to see the authentic learning experiences at Belmont Day, and conferences are a formal means to activate the home-school partnership. Opportunities for parents to observe and engage alongside their children at school have taken different forms over the years—we iterate to ensure that the format is informative for parents and joyful for students.
This school year, interactive grade-level curriculum showcases will occur at different times so that families with children in more than one grade can attend a dedicated event for each child. As soon as they are confirmed, the dates and details will be added to the school calendar and published in a future edition of The Scoop so you can plan ahead for them. Please be on the lookout for an invitation from grade-level teachers as well.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Lower School Head Betty Chu Pryor or Middle School Head Liz Gray. We look forward to seeing you in the Schoolhouse and the Barn!
Lunch & Snack Menu
January 1 to January 5
Monday
School Closed for New Year’s Day
Tuesday
School Closed to Students for Winter
Professional Development Day for Faculty
Wednesday
Snack: bananas; pretzel twists
Lunch: spaghetti and meatballs; spaghetti and vegan meatballs; gluten-free spaghetti and meatballs; garlic breadsticks; seasoned broccoli; mixed green salad with balsamic
Thursday
Snack: clementines; Fritos
Lunch: BDS butternut squash soup; turkey and cheese paninis; vegan cheese paninis; gluten-free turkey and cheese sandwiches; seasoned green beans; Caesar salad
Friday
Snack: apples; chocolate chip muffins
Faculty Lunch
For a more detailed and updated weekly menu, please click the button below.
BDS News
DEVELOPMENT NEWS
Thank You For A Record-Breaking Giving Day!
BECAUSE OF YOU! We not only met our goal of 225 gifts, but we FAR surpassed it! Our remarkable Belmont Day community stepped forward with full hearts on Tuesday, committing over 293 gifts and $429,178 to our school in just 24 hours. Thank you for believing in BDS and advancing our mission forward with your impressive support.
THANK YOU! We are deeply grateful to our community for rallying for BDS on Giving Day and every day. Our full community–current families, alumni, past parents, grandparents, faculty, trustees, and friends–was inspired to shape our students’ future academic, athletic, artistic, and social lives. Thank you for continuing to prioritize the future of Belmont Day–we very much feel your support and love.
CONGRATULATIONS! Our pre-k, kindergarten, and fifth grade classes all surpassed 85% participation on Giving Day. A special piece of BDS swag will await the students in these grades when they return from Winter Break.
We wish everyone a healthy, joyous, and peaceful holiday season with family and friends. Thank you for all that you do.
– The Development Team
TECHNOLOGY NEWS
Important Updates & Advisories for Winter Break
Please be aware of these technology updates and best practices for safety and security during Winter Break.
- The tech office will be pushing out a software update to middle school student devices tonight at 10 p.m. The update will run the next time the device is opened, so please plan accordingly. If you would like the update to run overnight on Friday, please leave the device turned on, open, and plugged in tonight.
- For families traveling over the break, remember that devices cannot leave the country, and families should email techgroup@belmontday.org to let us know if student devices will be leaving the state.
- We ask that families keep in mind that our school-issued devices are intended for school work and should not be used as personal devices throughout the break.
- Please remind your child to fully charge their device before returning to school on Wednesday, January 3.
- Please be mindful of what networks your child connects to over the break, especially when traveling. We recommend avoiding connecting your school device to public WiFi whenever possible to limit potential vulnerabilities to our school network.
Thank you for your partnership in keeping our community and devices safe and secure. Have a wonderful break!
– The Technology Team
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Winter Collection Drive for Pine Street Inn Begins in January
On January 3, we will kick off our annual community collection of items to donate to those facing the winter without secure shelter. Look for the donation bins in front of the Schoolhouse and the Barn. As identified by our partners at the Pine Street Inn, the most needed items include:
- men’s winter coats, sizes large and up (preferably new, but used if in good shape)
- warm socks, winter gloves, and hats
- hand and foot warmers
- thermal layers – shirts and leggings
- individually packed snacks (sweet and salty, chewy)
- $5 gift cards for McDonald’s or Dunkin’
Keeping our Martin Luther King Jr. Assembly themes of collaboration, strength in numbers, empowerment, social change, advocacy, and amplifying marginalized voices in mind, we are encouraging the spirit of giving back to our communities through these donations. We hope that while you enjoy time with your families during Winter Break, you will find time to collect and contribute what you can to help unhoused individuals. We are thankful for what you can contribute during this winter season.
Donations will be accepted through the end of January, with deliveries to Pine Street about each week. Matt Ferrer from Pine Street Inn will join us at our MLK Assembly on Friday, January 12. We will keep everyone informed if particular items are more urgently needed.
Thank you!
COMMUNITY EVENT
Lunar New Year Celebration: Save the Date & Call for Volunteers
Please save the date and join us on Tuesday, February 6 at 5:30 p.m. for a celebration of Lunar New Year. A formal invitation will follow in January. We would like to celebrate the many Asian countries, cultures, and traditions in our community at this event. If you would like to share your Lunar New Year/Spring Festival traditions at this event, please reach out to Wenting Cai at tingting4805@gmail.com or Connie Yepez at cyepez@belmontday.org.
SUMMER CAMP
Registration Is Now Open for BDS Families
Camp registration is now open for returning campers and all Belmont Day families.
School-year families enjoy access to priority spots in our summer camp programs and our Swim & Tennis Association membership. Our camp registration period is extremely competitive. Spots will be available for Belmont Day families through February vacation week in our general day camp, while specialty, sports, and Journeys camps have limited spaces and are subject to first-come, first-served availability even for BDS families.
Families of returning Belmont Day students can register now using the account on CampMinder they’ve used in previous years.
Belmont Day families new to our summer camp programs will need to register by directly contacting the camp leadership team before January 16, 2024, when registration opens to the public. Please email summer@belmontday.org; we will get the information needed to register your child. If you’re unfamiliar with our camp programs, please visit the Summer Programs page of the BDS website for more information.
Feel free to email us with any questions about registration or our programs. Thank you!
– Zach d’Arbeloff, director of summer programs
Learning Updates
Second Grade Pops With New Knowledge
As part of the second grade science curriculum, students have been focusing on cycles, such as plant growing cycles. This week, the second graders got to see something exciting come full circle!
When they were in first grade, the students planted a “Four Sisters” garden, an Indigenous practice of planting corn, beans, squash, and sunflowers together. While the corn plants very sadly did not survive the summer in the garden (for the first time ever), it was an important lesson on what plants need to survive. Ms. Solomon came up with a great backup plan: she went to Siena Farms in Sudbury and got some of their popping corn so that second graders could still harvest the kernels. After drying the corn still on the cob in the classrooms, our second grade scientists each “de-kernelized” one ear of corn. We will use this corn to observe what happens when you add heat and oil to the kernels–and get to eat the tasty results!
– The Second Grade Team and Ms. Solomon, visual arts teacher and sustainability coordinator
Pre-kindergarten Learns About Holiday Traditions
Pre-kindergarten has been engaged in a study of light and how this concept is celebrated in many fall and winter holidays. We have been turning the overhead lights off in our classroom and made use of our light table, overhead projectors, and other light tools to marvel at the beauty of a light shining in a dark place. We hosted a Hanukkah celebration, led by several of our pre-k parents, and learned about menorahs, made candles, and even helped prepare some delicious latkes and applesauce. We had a very special special visit from kitchen team members, Chef Tara Lightbody and Ellen Brandt. Ms. Brandt shared a story about Hanukkah, the tradition of lighting the Menorah, and the miracle that a small amount of oil burned for eight days. We played dreidel and ate latkes–significant as they are cooked in oil and it reminds us of the miracle of the oil lasting for eight days. This week, we also discussed giving and worked hard to make and wrap gifts for our families.
– Kim Edwards and Nicole Siverls, pre-kindergarten teachers
Brandt Family Latke Recipe
Brandt Family Potato Latkes
- 4 large russet potatoes
- 2 large white onions
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup flour (or 1/2cup flour & 1/2cup Matzah Meal)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Grate potatoes with a coarse blade on food processor or hand grate. Use dish towel to squeeze out excess moisture.
Add:
Onions (best to purée the onions with a food processor or hand grate)
Eggs (beaten)
Salt and pepper
Baking powder
Flour the grated potatoes
Mix thoroughly with your hands. Let stand for 15 minutes so flour and adsorb any excess moisture.
Using cooking oil of choice bring oil to temp. Put about 1/3 inch of oil in the pan. Enough to float but not enough to cover the pancake. Use a few strands of the mixture to see if the oil is hot enough. Careful not to make it too hot or latkes will cook on the outside too fast and the inside will be raw.
Use a golf ball-sized mixture and flatten it before putting it in the pan. Cook for 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown
Athletics Update: Squash Program Competes at Harvard
The badminton/squash team wrapped up their two-week residency at Havard yesterday. Making a total of four trips, the team participated in clinic-based instruction and competitive play in the Murr Center under the tutelage of Harvard’s assistant coach, Luke Hammond. Belmont Day launched squash as a pilot program this winter, pairing it with badminton to provide a balance of on-campus and off-campus practice time. Led by Abbey Nyland, the season is off to a great start and the team has really enjoyed their trips to Harvard. Newcomers Henry Mallet and Henry Ward were eager to learn the sport and made marked improvement throughout the first four sessions while veteran tennis players Olivia Garrity, Madoka Hubbard, and Lucy Yin were all quick studies and demonstrated the potential to be strong players.
– John O’Neill, director of athletics
Athletics News
- Lila Green’s aggressive offense and strong shooting from the line helped secure a 13-point win for the girls’ varsity basketball team over Pike. Penny Gottesman chipped in with some timely plays on both ends of the floor.
- The boys’ varsity basketball team got run over by Pike (60-39) this week. Rhys Kaplan and Vicente Aguerrevere provided the lone bright spots for the Blue & Gold with great hustle and energy off the bench.
- Both of the JV basketball teams toppled Meadowbrook this week. Clark Rutherford and Owen Bantham Livermore led the way for the boys while Christian Samuel and Genevieve von Rekowksy broke out for the girls.
- Zoe Kass and Aman Singleton were the only sixth graders to earn a spot on the varsity fencing team. The pair brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the team and will be relied on to win bouts this season.
- Classmates Fatoumata Bah, Sylvie Fry, and Mame Gensler have been working hard on their fundamental skills during intramural basketball. The team has been scrimmaging every Thursday afternoon this winter.
- Returning fencers Jordan Levine, Emmett Mack, Julia Popa, and Josie Stevenson will be counted on to provide some leadership on the JV squad this winter as they continue to hone their skills on the strip.
- Ashley Fleming and Soleil Flanagan are off to a great start on the mat and have already shown tremendous improvement as rookie wrestlers. As a whole, the team is rounding into shape behind captains Alexander Meredith and Quinn Clark.
Arts Update: Fourth Graders Get “Thwacked!”
This past Friday morning, fourth graders took the school on a fantasy adventure with Thwacked!, a musical with many fabulous songs and solos to go around. Our fourth grade stars of the stage spent many weeks preparing to put on this production, and they brought us laughter, tears, and the magic of musical theater. This production challenged our fourth graders with more difficult music than they had worked on before, and they knocked it out of the park! Congratulations, fourth grade!
Did you miss the show or want to see it again? Check out the video recording and the photo gallery of the performance.
– Tyler Cotner, music teacher
Parents’ Association News
January 5 PA Meeting Canceled
We have canceled the January 5 parents’ association meeting to give everyone a little extra time to settle in after Winter Break. Your grade parents (and The Scoop!) will keep you apprised of forthcoming PA matters and events. Thank you.
Family Fun Night – Save the Date
It’s back! Please mark your calendars for Family Fun Night on Saturday, January 27. More details to come.
Parent Book Group
Our next gathering will be on Tuesday, January 23. We will read Holding Pattern by Jenny Xie, a “hopeful novel about immigration and belonging, mother-daughter relationships, and the many ways we learn to hold each other” (288 pages). The time and location of the next meeting will be determined in early January. We hope you will join us.
PA Contacts
At any time and for any reason, please feel free to email the parents’ association executive team at bdspa@belmontday.org.
Beyond BDS
DANCE PERFORMANCE
Sixth Grader Joins Production of The Nutcracker
Check out this beautiful holiday classic and you may just see Belmont Day sixth grader Annika Cash dancing across the stage. Annika will perform in the Jose Mateo production of The Nutcracker at the Strand Theater in Dorchester. You can see Annika in the roles of cherub and party child in the shows this weekend on Saturday, December 16 at 2:00 p.m., and Sunday, December 17 at 5:00 p.m.
Click here for more information on the show, tickets, and location.
CLASSICAL MUSIC
BDS Musicians to Perform With NEC’s Youth Orchestra
Join the New England Conservatory’s Youth Repertory Orchestra (YRO) for their winter concert on Monday, December 18, at 7:30 p.m. at Jordan Hall in Boston. Violinist Jovana Zivanovic (eighth grade), trumpeter Nem Zivanovic (fifth grade), and cellist Clara Min (fifth grade) are members of the NEC YRO and will be performing. Musical pieces will include excerpts from Strauss’s Overture to Die Fledermaus and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8.
Tickets are required but free and available here.
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