December 20, 2024
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Cooking up some fun in the Kitchen Chemistry enrichment with Chefs Parsons and Fox.
Opening Message
Welcoming Winter and A Well-Deserved Break
Brendan Largay, Head of School
Post Date: December 20, 2024
The timing could not be better for us to start our long winter break. We gathered this morning to say goodbye to 2024, each other for a couple of weeks, and to autumn. Tomorrow is the solstice and the official start of winter. Some colder and snowier days may be ahead, but our old friend, the sun, will shine on us a bit longer with each day. And as the sun builds up its strength, so do we, readying for new adventures and challenges in 2025.
I hope you take a cue from nature to rest, recharge, and rejuvenate under the winter sun these next two weeks. And should it snow some night soon, I hope you venture out to share in the joy and splendor of the new season.
Have a great break, everyone!
– Brendan
Snow Song
by Nicola Davies
Outside, the flakes swirl down out of the darkness,
turning blackest night to palest gray.
Listen, and you can hear the quiet,
as if every sound had been wrapped up and put away.
In the morning, you’ll find the snow has kept a diary
of things that happened when you were asleep.
The animals and birds who ran about the garden
have left a snowy record of their feet.
Snow has covered up the dirt and clutter;
it’s made the world look new and neat and clean.
You forget the other seasons and their colors;
For now, white seems more
beautiful than green.
Upcoming Events
Coming Up This Week
Monthly Calendar
Winter Morning in Erskine Library
Saturday, January 11
10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
The parents’ association is hosting a special weekend morning event with Amy Sprung, school librarian, in the Erskine Library. Families are invited to browse, read, and warm up with hot cocoa and good company.
Save the Date: BDS Connections Walk
Thursday, January 23 at 8:30 a.m.
Grab your walking shoes and a friend, and join us for the next BDS Connections Walk led by Ingrid Goldberg and Brian Kinzler. After morning drop-off, we’ll gather outside Coolidge Hall and take a casual stroll through the woods, sharing laughs and good company with fellow parents and school administrators. It’s the perfect chance to connect with friends new and old and enjoy some fresh air. Don’t miss out—we’d love to see you there!
Lower School Reports Now Available
Visit the Parent Portal to access trimester 1 lower school student reports.
ICYMI: Winter Concert Recording & Photos
Last week, we gathered as a community to enjoy songs and musical performances at our annual Winter Concert. Use the links below for the event video and photo gallery.
Lunch & Snack Menu
January 6 to January 10
Monday
Snack: fruit cups; granola bars
Lunch: cheese ravioli with marinara; penne with marinara; gluten-free cheese tortellini with marinara; garlic breadsticks; seasoned broccoli; mixed greens with cukes, tomatoes, and balsamic
Tuesday
Snack: bananas; Cheez-Its
Lunch: chicken tenders; vegan nuggets; gluten-free chicken tenders; herb roasted potatoes; seasoned green beans; Romaine lettuce with Roma tomatoes and honey mustard dressing
Wednesday
Snack: apples; Popcorners
Lunch: BDS beef stew; vegan vegetable stew; biscuits; warm rolls; gluten-free rolls; roasted winter squash blend; chef’s choice salad
Thursday
Snack: apple slices; Cheez-Its
Lunch: BDS butternut squash soup; chicken quesadilla; vegan quesadilla; gluten-free chicken quesadilla; guacamole; sour cream; salsa; fiesta corn blend; taco salad with chipotle ranch, tomatoes, cheese, and avocado
Friday
Snack: clementines; chocolate chips muffins
Faculty Lunch
Please click the button below for a more detailed and updated weekly menu.
BDS News
COMMUNITY NEWS
Updates to Note in the Family Partnership Guide
Belmont Day’s Family Partnership Guide is a useful resource published on the Parent Portal. Recent updates have been made to these topics:
- Student Accident Insurance Policy Statement
- Student Support Services
- Student Personal Device Policy
- Behavior Expectations
- Values-based Lower School Student Behavior Expectations
- Values-based Middle School Student Behavior Expectations
We hope that each family will review and familiarize themselves with these updates. If you have questions about these topics or any others covered in the Family Partnership Guide, please get in touch with your division head.
ADMISSIONS NEWS
Ending 2024 On A Very High Note
The admissions team is delighted to share a recording of Wednesday’s final admissions event of the year, An Evening with the Head of School and Students Past and Present. The presentation’s highlights were the inspiring voices of six current seventh and eighth grade students: Adam Ahmed, Claire Huang, Colby Schneider, Kiernan Patel, Maraki Shiferaw, Josie Stevenson, and alum Yaseen Saeed ’24. The students’ thoughtful reflections and passion for our school highlighted the exceptional leadership skills developed at Belmont Day, serving as a powerful testament to the dedication and talent of our faculty.
If you know any families considering admission to Belmont Day for the 2025-26 school year, please remind them that the preliminary application deadline is Friday, January 10. Sharing this video is the perfect way to help them discover what makes BDS extraordinary!
Thank you to everyone—faculty, students, alumni, current parents, parents of alumni, and volunteers—who helped to make all of our admissions events in 2024 a great success.
– The Admissions Team
SUMMER & VACATION CAMPS
Registration Now Open for BDS Families
Camp registration for Summer 2025 is now open for all Belmont Day families. Registration for returning non-BDS families will open on January 7 at 9 a.m.
BDS families can access priority spots in our summer camp programs and swim & tennis membership. The registration period is extremely competitive due to the high volume of interested families and the limited space we have on campus. Spots are always available (through February vacation week) in our general day camp, while our specialty, sports, and Journeys camps have limited spaces and are subject to first-come, first-served availability, even for BDS families.
If you have any questions, please reach out to us at summer@belmontday.org.
Summer Camp Registration Process
Directions for summer camp registration differ depending on whether you are a new or returning family.
Families who have attended camp before can either email us to register or register themselves starting on January 7 at 9 a.m., using the account on CampMinder they’ve used in previous years. To register before January 7, send us what sessions your child is interested in. We will then confirm the payment information we have on file. If you are going to register yourself on or after January 7, we recommend you log back in to make sure you remember your password and will have no issues on the morning of.
Families new to camp may register through the camp office until January 20, 2025, when registration opens to the public, and you can create your account. If you’d like to register during the BDS priority registration period, email us at summer@belmontday.org, and we will help you register. We will need the following information to register your camper, and then we will send you a link to log in and add a payment method:
- Name of student
- Date of birth
- Current grade
- Home address
- Daytime phone number
Summer camp spots are available for Belmont Day families through February 14, 2025. After that, space is subject to availability.
February & April Vacation Camps
You can also register for our school year vacation week programs during this time. These are four-day programs (Tuesday-Friday) during the vacation weeks. As of now, we have extended day care available for February. We may have extended day for April, pending staffing. The After School team runs these programs. Each week has a theme. Camp themes and more information are in the dropdowns below.
February Camp
Space: The Final Frontier
Dates: Tuesday, February 18 to Friday, February 21
Cost: $625
This space odyssey-themed program will explore planets, spaceships, aliens, and NASA with fun, engaging, and educational adventures. Limited space for extended day is available at the rate of $35 per day.
April Camp
Zootopia: The Wild World of Animals
Dates: Tuesday, April 22 to Friday, April 25
Cost: $625
In Zootopia, children will learn about creatures large and small, discover extinct ecosystems, make an animal foot cast, build like an army ant, and more. They will also enjoy a visit from some real-life animal friends. At this time, extended day is not available, but we hope to offer it if we are able.
Vacation Camp Registration
For children who have previously attended camp:
- Email summer@belmontday.org with the child’s name, which vacation week camp you would like to enroll in, and whether you need extended day.
- We will process the enrollment in CampMinder and confirm your payment information.
For children who have not attended camp:
- Email summer@belmontday.org with the following information:
– Child’s name, current grade, and date of birth
– Home address
– Phone number to reach you during camp hours
– The vacation week camp you would like to enroll in - We will create an account for you, register your child, and send you a login link.
- Use the login link to set a password.
- Add payment information under “Financial Management.” We will then process your payment.
Please email summer@belmontday.org with registration questions. If you have questions about the programs offered, please contact Blair Fross, director of school-year auxiliary and specialty programs, at bfross@belmontday.org.
Learning Updates
Athletics Update: JV Basketball Teams Open Season with Strong Showings
The junior varsity basketball teams tapped off their seasons against Meadowbrook this week. The girls’ team traveled to Weston to take on their friendly rivals and emerged with a commanding 32-14 win. The Blue & Gold were led by eighth grader Genevieve von Rekowsky, who paced the team in points and assists. Classmate Maraki Shiferaw controlled the paint, and newcomer Bella Tan provided a spark on both ends of the court.
Here at Belmont Day, the boys’ team played host to Meadowbrook. The home team fell behind early and faced a 12-point deficit in the second half before storming back to tie the game. Down by 2 with 20 seconds left, the team turned to eighth grader Leeul Miteku, who drew in the defense and kicked to sixth grader Nem Zevonovic. Nem pump faked the three, attacked the elbow, and pulled up to bury the game tying score with 9 seconds left. Meadowbrook was quick up the court, however, and got the ball in the hands of their best player who buried a game winning three as time expired, giving Meadowbrook a 30-27 win. The Blue & Gold were led by Leeul Miteku and Ronan Patel. Both were instrumental in the team’s comeback, burying big shots down the stretch. Graham Chisolm led the team in rebounds.
– John O’Neill, director of athletics
Athletics News
- The girls’ varsity basketball team evened their record at 1-1 following a 27-point win over Pike. Makenzie Ekechukwu impressed with strong post play, while captains Julia Casey, Lila Green, and Sara Colangelo dominated both ends of the court.
- Boys’ varsity basketball’s Vicente Aguerreverre and Sam Rodriguez fueled a frantic second-half comeback that came up just short against Pike (49-42). The eighth grade duo combined for fifteen steals and created easy transition buckets.
- Desmond Van Wesep switched blades and won two of his three foil bouts to secure a narrow 14-13 win for the fencing team over Beaver Country Day. Sixth graders Michael Geng and Ben Bradshaw were both undefeated and combined for six wins.
- Ashley Fleming won both of her matches during wrestling’s quad meet against Fay, Milton, and St. Sebastian’s. Altay Jomazer, Aidan Su, and Colin Parry also recorded wins for the Blue & Gold. It was the second successful meet for BDS.
Sixth Grade Math Budgets for a Party
This week, our sixth grade students practiced their decimal operations by planning a dinner party for eight people, all while staying within a $50 budget. They had to choose a main dish, two side dishes, and a dessert, aiming to spend as much of their budget as possible. Just like many adults, the students were surprised by how quickly costs added up at the grocery store!
– Brittany Ryan, sixth grade math teacher
Parents’ Association News
Thank You and Happy Holidays!
The PA ambassador team wishes to express our heartfelt gratitude to all parents for their support and engagement this fall. We feel truly inspired and blessed to be part of such a vibrant community, and we look forward to sharing more opportunities to connect in the coming months. May everyone enjoy a restful winter break!
PA Meeting
The next parents’ association meeting will be on Friday, January 10, at 8:30 a.m. in Coolidge Hall. Our guest speaker will be Annie Fuerst, director of innovation. All parents are invited, and coffee and light refreshments will be served.
Contact the PA
Please feel free to reach out directly to any of the PA ambassador team or to email us at bdspa@belmontday.org:
President – Shanying Zhang
Vice President – Megan Akkina
Treasurer – Andy Stevenson
Clerk – Jeff Wang
Beyond BDS
MUSICAL MILESTONE
BDS Musician Shines In Local Competition
Congratulations to sixth grader Clara Min who won the 2024 Rivers School Conservatory Concerto Competition, Junior Division (12 and under) last week. Clara played the first movement (Allegro) of Dmitri Kabalevsky’s Cello Concerto No. 1 in G minor (Op.49) with a piano accompanist. As a competition winner, she will be performing the concerto movement as the soloist with the adult Rivers Symphony Orchestra on the evening of March 8 at Regis College.
FILM FESTIVAL
Family Films from Around the World Set to Premiere
Belmont Day is proud to sponsor Belmont World Film’s 22nd Family Festival, which features some of the world’s most imaginative live-action and animated films for and about children ages 3-12. Screenings will take place on January 18 at the West Newton Cinema, January 19 and 26 at the Regent Theatre in Arlington, and January 20 at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge.
The line-up features films from Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Norway, Slovenia, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Most films are making their North American premieres. Ten films are in other languages with subtitles, with one completely wordless short film program and five films in English. For younger viewers and those with difficulty reading, a professional voice-over will read subtitles aloud through headphones. Films include multicultural casts representing five different continents.
Artist-in-residence David Feiss, co-director with previous artist-in-residence Cinzia Angelini of the recently released animated film HITPIG!, starring Jason Sudeikis, will take part in a Q&A following the film’s screening on Sunday, January 19 in Arlington. Feiss will also lead a workshop where children can learn to draw characters from the Minions and Hotel Transylvania movies on January 19 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Regent Theatre Underground.
For the complete line-up, tickets, and passes, visit www.belmontworldfilm.org/family-festival
COMMUNITY EDUCATION
Belmont High School to Host Screening of Screenagers
Parents and middle school students are invited to a Screenagers: Growing Up in the Digital Age screening on Tuesday, January 7, at 7 p.m. in the Belmont High School auditorium.
Screenagers (updated in 2024) is an award-winning documentary that looks at the impact of screen technology on children. Through interviews with parenting authors and brain scientists, the film offers ideas on how adults can help kids navigate the digital world in a healthy way.
The film runs for 60 minutes and will be followed by a discussion with the audience. Doors will open at 6:45 p.m. Click here for more information.
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