February 2, 2024
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The middle school mallet and boom whackers play “Sandstorm.”
Opening Message
The Big Win of Our Friday Night Tradition
John O’Neill, Director of Athletics
Post Date: February 2, 2024
The Barn gym may be empty as I write this, yet I can see and hear the excitement—”Let’s GO, BDS!” is ringing out, flashes of blue and gold are everywhere, players race back and forth between the lines, and familiar faces surround the court, chatting, laughing, and cheering.
Tonight, our varsity basketball teams take the floor to play in the Friday Night Hoops games against The Meadowbrook School. When can you officially declare something a tradition? I’m pretty sure we’re there with our Friday Night athletics events. Tonight’s games will be the eleventh edition of Friday Night Hoops. Friday Night Lights, our varsity soccer event, began in 2009, and the spring season Friday Night Scoops lacrosse games were added in 2022.
Generations of Belmont Day students, families, and faculty have now experienced and participated in these events, either as players on the courts, fans in the stands, musicians performing between games, volunteers helping with food, or advocating for charitable causes. Remarkably, our alumni from those first games are now well into adulthood, beyond their college years, establishing careers and starting families.
Part of the Friday Night tradition extends to welcoming alumni and their families back to cheer on the Blue & Gold again and encourage our current students and athletes. Don’t tell those current players on the court tonight, but the biggest win of any Friday Night game might be seeing our alumni in the crowd. Knowing that they are connecting with BDS through an athletics event and supporting our current students is a great victory for our athletics program and community.
Be sure to take a moment tonight to pause in the Barn lobby and check out the display of photos from past Friday Night Lights, Hoops, and Scoops. You’ll most likely see a familiar face of a classmate, teammate, friend, or maybe even your own!
I can’t wait for the Barn to fill up tonight with so many of those faces and hear us all together. Let’s GO, BDS!!!
Upcoming Events
Coming Up This Week
Monthly Calendar
See You at Friday Night Hoops
TONIGHT! Friday, February 2
5:30 p.m. – Girls’ Game Start
7 p.m. – Boys’ Game Start
Belmont Day School, the Barn
Join us for our winter classic basketball matchup against our friendly rivals, The Meadowbrook School. Wear your BDS gear and come cheer on the home teams as the boys’ and girls’ varsity basketball teams play the ninth edition of Friday Night Hoops. Our athletes invite the entire Belmont Day community to attend. Let’s go, Blue & Gold!
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Book Group
Join us each month for an informal, parent-led DEIB 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.
Our next Zoom meeting will be on Monday, February 12, from 7:15 to 8:30 p.m. We will be discussing Emotional Inheritance: A Therapist, Her Patients, and the Legacy of Trauma by Galit Atlas.
The group meets on the first Thursday of every month via Zoom. The link to attend is available on the Parent Portal.
Please contact Danielle England or Christina Cosman if you would like to be added to the email reminder list.
Lunar New Year Celebration
Tuesday, February 6, at 5:30 p.m.
Coolidge Hall
We are pleased to invite you to join us to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
This will be a celebration of the many Asian countries, cultures, and traditions in our community. Please reach out to Wenting Cai or Connie Yepez with any questions.
We kindly ask that you RSVP for this event for our planning purposes. Thank you.
2nd Annual STEAM Expo!
Tuesday, February 13, 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Join us in the Barn for an exciting evening of hands-on learning and discovery at our STEAM Expo. Bring your family and explore the world of science, technology, engineering, art, and math in a fun and interactive way. Our sixth and seventh grade students will showcase projects and demonstrate how the school approaches teaching and learning science through experimentation, exploration, and an iterative process.
Interactive activities and exhibits will highlight how this style of learning lives beyond the science classrooms and is woven into the BDS experience.
There will be activities geared toward all grade levels, and this event is open to all families and students. Participate in the learning process with our scientists—we hope to see you there!
Lunch & Snack Menu
February 5 to February 9
Monday
Snack: craisins; Smartfood
Lunch: bowtie pasta with meatballs and marinara; bowtie pasta with vegan meatballs and marinara; gluten-free penne with meatballs and marinara; roasted Mediterranean vegetables (red pepper, red onion, eggplant, summer squash, zucchini); crusty rolls; mixed greens with balsamic
Tuesday
Snack: bananas; banana chocolate chip oatmeal rounds
Lunch: citrus roasted fish; vegan kelp meatballs with marinara; mashed potatoes; steamed potatoes; steamed broccoli; kale and mixed greens salad with citrus vinaigrette
Wednesday
Snack: clementines; Sunchips
Lunch: nachos: beef chili, vegan chili, corn chips, salsa, guacamole, sour cream; roasted corn; taco salad with tomatoes and chipotle ranch dressing
Thursday
Snack: apple slices; Tostitos
Lunch: BDS tomato soup; grilled cheese sandwiches; vegan grilled cheese; gluten-free grilled cheese; roasted butternut squash; Caesar salad
Friday
Snack: apples; Tiger Bites
Faculty Lunch
For a more detailed and updated weekly menu, please click the button below.
BDS News
AUXILIARY PROGRAMS NEWS
Toy Designer Visits After School
Last Friday, students enjoyed a visit from My Little Pony designer Susanne Riette-Keith, who is the grandmother of After School teacher Ms. Reed. Susanne completed her art education at MassArt and then worked for Hasbro designing My Little Pony toys beginning in 1983. She was inducted into the My Little Pony Hall of Fame in 2015. Susanne talked about her experience as a toy designer and brought in first-generation My Little Ponies, sets, and sketches of ideas for the toys. Ms. Reed and Susanne led students in creating their own designs for toys using model magic. Shout out to our fifth grade leaders, Woody, Max, and Santi, who helped our youngest learners formulate their ideas and photograph their completed designs.
Trimester Three Registration Reminder
Enrollment for trimester three enrichment classes and After School will open on Friday, February 16, at 7 a.m. Enrichment class descriptions and registration are available on the Auxiliary Programs page of the Parent Portal.
Staffing Update: Departure
Tessali Hogan will leave us this month to return to Colby College to pursue a degree in music. Tessali has worked in our Auxiliary Programs department for the last two years and has been an integral member of the team. Her care and joy for our first and second graders have been a key feature of our cross-graded programming. Her knitting circles, singing voice, ornithology skills, spy games, Mad Libs, and fortune tellers are just a few of the things that we will sorely miss. We wish Ms. Hogan the best of luck as she transitions back to school, and we look forward to a visit in the spring!
SPRING EVENTS
Grandparents and Special Friends Visit Days
Please mark your calendars for our annual Grandparents and Special Friends Visit Days!
- Middle School – Thursday, May 9
- Lower School – Friday, May 10
This much-loved occasion provides grandparents and special family friends the opportunity to visit Belmont Day and experience our vibrant school community. While a formal invitation will be sent this spring, we want to share these dates early so loved ones can make arrangements to attend. Please spread the word and keep an eye on your inbox for more information. Please email development@belmontday.org with questions.
Spring Fest 2024 Volunteers Needed
We’re thrilled to announce our biennial Spring Fest: A Celebration of Our Cultures and Traditions, which will take place on Saturday, May 4. We are seeking volunteers for the following roles:
- Lead volunteers – Partner with the development and DEIB teams to help lead the overall Spring Fest volunteer effort.
- Culture ambassadors – Take the lead on organizing your culture’s display for Spring Fest. Recruit and organize additional culture representatives to partner with you.
- Culture representatives – Join a team of volunteers to plan how you’d like to represent your shared culture at Spring Fest. Parents, students, extended family, and faculty are all invited to participate.
- Event set-up or break-down on May 4.
We can’t wait to celebrate the rich and diverse backgrounds we share at Belmont Day through music, dance, food, storytelling, games, and more. Complete this survey if you’d like to help.
Questions? Please email development@belmontday.org.
BUSINESS OFFICE NEWS
Re-enrollment Contracts Due Monday, February 12
You can access your contracts via the Parent Portal. Please follow the steps below to complete your re-enrollment.
- Review and sign the contract for your child(ren).
- Review and approve school policies relating to your child’s enrollment.
- Choose a payment plan for the year:
- Single payment option
- Two-payment option
- 10-payment plan
- Pay this year’s deposit.
- Update your family’s contact and demographic information.
READ MORE
If your family will receive financial aid in 2024-2025, your financial aid award letter was included with your contract.
VC Pay can be used to schedule online payments for tuition, incidentals, and more. You may register for VC Pay at any time. Please note that the system requires that parents re-register for VC Pay each year.
Your signed contract and deposit must be received by Monday, February 12. Please note that all parents/guardians must sign the contract.
If you have any questions, please contact Jen James, assistant to the head of school and registrar.
New Invoices Issued for After School & Enrichments
The business office has issued invoices to parents of students who participated in the after school and enrichment programs during the second trimester and for those who used emergency after school care in trimester 1. Payments for these programs are due by Friday, March 1, 2024. For those who pay via AutoPay, the AutoPay payments will be processed on Friday, March 1. Please plan accordingly.
Invoices can be accessed and payments can be initiated through the parent portal. Please login to the parent portal and click on the blue “Invoices & Payments” button on the right side of the screen to review your account and initiate payment. Payments may also be submitted by mailing a check to the attention business office.
Note: If you are not enrolled in autopay for incidental invoices and would like to, go to the Manage AutoPay tab in the parent portal to do so. You will need to assign your bank account to incidental invoice types.
For questions about any of the charges for After School and Enrichment programs, please contact Blair Fross, director of school year auxiliary & specialty programs.
Please contact the business office with any questions about the tuition invoices and about payment processing.
Learning Updates
Pre-k Welcomes Guests for Lunar New Year Celebration
On Wednesday, our pre-kindergarten classes were joined by the parents of Averie, Oliver, William, and Zachary for a celebration of the Lunar New Year! We learned all about foods with special meaning such as noodles, dumplings, fish, and chicken, and Lunar New Year traditions such as new clothing, fireworks, and the reunion dinner with family. We made dumplings and bao out of clay, cut our paper flowers and fish, and made paper dragons. We even assembled our veggie dumplings with the help of Chef Lightbody! Children scooped the filling, wet the sides of the dumpling skins, and folded them up tight. Then, after Chef Lightbody steamed the dumplings, we got to taste them! We are so grateful to Iris, Zhuyun, Catherine, and Trish for joining us and sharing this special holiday with our class!
– Kim Edwards and Nicole Siverls, prekindergarten teachers
Wellness: Drawing The Breath in Middle School
Every week middle school advisories have the option of participating in a Wellness Wednesday mindfulness activity as an opportunity to play, rest, connect, and recover. The activities vary from games that stoke body and mind awareness to brief meditations or mindful movements.
Last week the activity was called Draw Your Breath. Students used markers and paper to literally draw a line or other visual representing their breathing. Then they were asked to try breathing in a calming pattern and to see how that visual might differ.
The MacKillop advisory took on the challenge, and their illustrations show how unique our breathing patterns can be. Need a calming activity? Try it yourself and see what you create.
– Alex Tzelnic, physical education teacher and mindfulness director
Fifth Graders Creates Guidebooks Based on The Arrival
This week in humanities students have been working on their guidebooks project. In chapter three of The Arrival, the main character consults a translation guide as he is trying to find a loaf of bread. Students created a similar guidebook for this project. They chose one theme to focus their guidebook on, animals, places, transportation, or food. Students used their creative writing skills to describe and explain these different themes to help people understand the wonderous, but confusing world of The Arrival.
– Vaniecia Skinner, fifth grade teacher
Athletics Update: Girls’ Basketball Program Stays Hot
Belmont Day’s girls’ basketball program recorded a pair of wins against Nashoba Brooks this week, improving their combined record to an impressive 11-0. The junior varsity team continued its torrid pace by doubling up Nashoba Brooks. Relying on strong defense from Rowan McCoy and Kalkidan Shiferaw, and timely offense from Genevieve von Rekowsky and Christian Samuel, the Blue & Gold took an early lead and never looked back. Samantha Cuming and Sophie Cutie led the team in scoring and added to the team’s impressive point differential, which currently stands at +101 this season! The varsity team has been just as impressive and will take an unbeaten record into tonight’s showdown with Meadowbrook. The team received balanced scoring in their win over Nashoba including big buckets from Clem Cradick, Penny Gottesman, and Claire Huang. The varsity team has been defined by their speed, defensive pressure, and aggressive style of play so far and will be counting on seventh graders Julia Casey, Lila Green, and Sara Colangelo to bring the energy and keep the momentum going.
– John O’Neill, director of athletics
Athletics News
- The boys’ varsity basketball team received 10 points from Copeland Maier, seven rebounds from Foster Larabee, and spirited play from Yaseen Saeen in their 60-56 win over Fenn.
- Jaden Park, Alexander Meredith, and Quinn Clark all had big wins on the mat en route to wrestling’s hard-fought 9-9 tie against Milton this week. The team is 4-2-1 on the season.
- Varsity fencing remains unbeaten (5-0) following a big win over Shady Hill. Josie Stevenson shined in a 5-4 win, while Hugue Marsan, Ariel Duan, and Zach Cash won two bouts each.
- The boys’ JV basketball team was upended by Fenn this week and will look to get back on track next week against SSDS. Henry Kiraly and Charlie Rossi have been playing well as of late.
- Melisa Adhikari, Griffin Targum, and Ethan Zipkin displayed strong skills on the badminton court this week and have been key contributors to the team this season.
Parents’ Association News
THANK YOU! Inaugural Glow Up Winter Bash
A huge thank you to Family Fun Night committee chair Anita Lieberman and members Megan Akkina and Prue Clifford for putting on such a fun event last Saturday! The Inaugural Glow Up Winter Bash was a huge undertaking and the community response was overwhelmingly positive. Thank you, Anita, Megan, and Prue for the energy, enthusiasm, and heart you put into this lively community experience!
Glow Up Bash Photos Available
If you stopped by the photo booth during the Glow Up Winter Bash, you can now grab your photo(s)! Thank you to Libby Gowen for running the booth, taking so many wonderful photos, and now making them available for us to enjoy and relive the fun. Click here to visit the gallery of photos. Instructions and a PIN for downloading images are available on the parent portal homepage.
Parent Book Group
Our next Parent Book Club meeting will be on Tuesday, February 27 at 7:30 p.m. at the Menotomy Grill & Tavern in Arlington. February’s book is the novel The Queen of Dirt Island by Irish novelist and short story writer Donal Ryan. We hope you will join us.
Friday Night Hoops
The PA hopes to see you at Friday Night Hoops tonight! We encourage you to wear your BDS gear and come cheer for BDS as the varsity basketball teams take on Meadowbrook. Games are in the Barn and start at 5:30 p.m.
School Spirit Wear
A reminder that a wide variety of fun and fashionalbe Belmont Day School items are available for purchase at our Amerasport store at any time. Click here to check out the selection!
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
ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENT
Eighth Grade Swimmer’s Team Takes Championship
Congratulations to eighth grader, Eleanor Stine, and her teammates on the 14 & Under girls swim team from the Arlington Boys & Girls Club. The squad was named Division One Champions at the NENEAPC Sectionals Championship Meet this past Sunday! Thirteen local teams competed including six D1 teams (50+ swimmers) and seven D2 teams (less than 50 swimmers). Eleanor swam anchor on the 200 free relay team, which swam their race in 2:01:87 (5 seconds faster than the next closest team). Eleanor also took fourth place in the 200 freestyle and fifth place in the 50 freestyle.
COMMUNITY CONCERT
Mystic Gospel 2024
Friday, February 23 at 7:30 p.m.
Cary Hall, 1605 Mass Ave., Lexington
Experience the power of hearing a 175-voice chorale, which includes BDS French teacher Natalie Pellenq, singing gospel music, led by director and composer, Jonathan Singleton. Mystic Gospel: Moving Forward, Looking Back charts the progression of gospel from its origin in spirituals and the blues to today’s modern contemporary sound. You’ll be clapping and dancing in the aisles! For more details on the show and to order tickets, visit www.mysticchorale.org.
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