September 19, 2025
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Eighth graders competed by advisory to be called champions last Friday.
Opening Message
A Year for Bridge-Building & Healthy Risk-Taking
Liz Gray, Middle School Head
Post Date: September 19, 2025
Thank you to all who attended last evening’s middle school curriculum night. The remarks below were shared by Liz Gray, middle school head, to welcome families and kick off the event. (These remarks were edited for length.)
Welcome, everyone, to our middle school curriculum night, and thank you so much for joining us. First, I want to say how grateful and proud I am to be able to work with your children. Please also know that each of us here on the stage this evening plays an important role in your child’s day at school. I could not be more honored and fortunate than to work with this outstanding group of faculty to build and deliver our middle school program.
Only two weeks into the school year, and we are already up and running with lots of momentum. Before school opened, as faculty, we spent our opening meetings busily preparing to welcome students and all of you back to school. During that week, as our vision of the school year ahead started taking more definitive shape, Brendan introduced us to a theme for us to consider for our work together this year–the theme of bridge-building. This is a theme with seemingly infinite symbolism for education.
So I wanted to share with you how this theme has resonated for me in these early days of this academic year. As some of you know, I’m from the Midwest. I moved to St. Louis, Missouri, when I was in middle school at the age of 13. At the time, my family and I drove across the country, and I remember us having a small celebration in the car when we crossed over the Eads Bridge, which spans the mighty Mississippi River and connects Illinois to Missouri. We also finally arrived at its companion monument, the St. Louis Arch. While not a bridge per se, the Arch, also known as “the gateway to the West”, connects what many 19th-century Americans considered the “East” to the “West” of the United States, serves a similar purpose.
For those who have never seen the Arch, the National Parks Service describes its structure like this: “The stainless-steel-faced Arch spans 630 feet between the outer faces of its triangular legs at ground level, and its top soars 630 feet into the sky. It takes the shape of an inverted catenary curve; a shape such as would be formed by a heavy chain hanging freely between two supports.”
It was designed by architect Eero Saarinen and was built by constructing the two inwardly bending legs of the arch simultaneously. The final piece. which was shaped like a slice of pie, was lifted by a crane over the gap between the two nearly touching legs, meant to connect the legs at the very top center. The architects’, contractors’, and builders’ margin of error for the two legs to meet successfully was within a fraction of an inch. Being outside that margin would mean failure at the top. The architectural plan had no shortage of skeptics, who were convinced that the two legs would never meet and that the architect’s vision would never come to fruition. The Academy Award-winning documentary that you can watch in the museum at the base of the Arch about this construction is hair-raising. But on October 28, 1965, the team successfully bridged the gap between the legs and put the final touches on the Arch.
Whether it is the East and the West, two pieces of land separated by a geological divide, or two people with different experiences and values meeting, bridges are always involved. And along with constructing bridges comes a good amount of risk-taking.
Last week, when I was able to join our seventh grade students and faculty up at the Kieve Wavus Leadership School in Maine, a sign on the wall of their indoor rock-climbing facility struck me as important. At the top, it said, “Healthy Risk,” and it went on to share its commitment to and prioritization of the safety and well-being of its participants, as well as this: “Risk and uncertainty, both perceived and real, are central to our experiential educational philosophy. We do not seek risk for the sake of risk, but rather it is our belief that we grow as individuals and as a community when we take positive, intentional, and well-managed risks in the face of real-time challenges and appropriate environments.” This is also true for our middle school. At the heart of our strong vision of excellence is healthy risk-taking and successful bridge-building.
Bridge-building is present in all corners of our middle school. Maybe it is a healthy risk to get on a ferry and travel across Boston Harbor for two nights with brand new classmates and teachers, but students come back having built new bridges of trust and friendship. Maybe it is a healthy risk to try out for an athletics team you might not make, but it builds courage and pride. Maybe it’s a healthy risk to speak up in class and share a heartfelt personal insight or opinion, but it builds a sturdy classwide network of empathy and understanding.
As you travel around the school tonight, be on the lookout for bold visions of what learning looks and feels like, bridge-building, and the inherent healthy risk-taking that comes along with it. I am excited that you get to hear from our phenomenal faculty–they are the architects with the vision of some of the most remarkable bridges that your children will build this year. Enjoy!
Upcoming Events
Coming Up This Week
Monthly Calendar
Save The Date! Trunk or Treat
Saturday, October 18
4:30 to 6 p.m.
Belmont Day School
This annual event brings together our after-school and summer camp communities for an autumnal celebration. Everyone in the school community is cordially invited to join us. There will be trunk-or-treating, scavenger hunts, snacks, drinks, live music with our very own Mr. Staples and his band, and other fun activities. Wear your favorite costume or outfit and gather with the auxiliary programs community to share in some fall joy.
We need volunteers to decorate trunks—please sign up here. For additional questions regarding trunk sign-up up please reach out to Denali Kikuchi at dkikuchi@belmontday.org. We hope to see you there!
FALL FEST
Join Us Tomorrow!
Saturday, September 20
1 to 4 p.m.
Claflin Field
Grab your flannel and your friends— tomorrow is Fall Fest, and it’s going to be better than ever.
This year, we’re adding a twist … Get ready to square dance! Whether you’re a seasoned dancer or a first-timer, it’s sure to be a hoedown to remember.
But that’s just the beginning. Come and enjoy creative craft stations, delicious seasonal snacks, relay races, live music and entertainment, bouncy houses for the kids, and a whole lot of fall-themed fun for the entire family.
Please RSVP and we hope to see you there.
Fall Fest Volunteers Still Needed
It takes a village to make Fall Fest great. Want to be part of the magic? We’re looking for volunteers to help with:
- Event setup and cleanup
- Arts & crafts activities
- Bouncy house supervision
- General event support
Even an hour of your time makes a big difference. Click here to volunteer. Thank you
Lunch & Snack Menu
September 22 to September 26
Monday
Snack: applesauce; Fritos
Lunch: Caprese chicken and linguine; linguine and marinara; Caprese chicken and gluten-free pasta; breadsticks; seasoned broccoli; Mediterranean artichoke salad with olives and citrus vinaigrette
Tuesday
Snack: apples; Goldfish
Lunch: Korean beef rice bowl; Korean tofu rice bowl; garlicky bok choy and carrot coins; spinach with soy vinaigrette, red peppers, and spicy cuke salad
Wednesday
Snack: bananas; Sunchips
Lunch: chicken tenders; vegan meatballs; gluten-free chicken tenders; BDS roasted potatoes; corn on the cob; Romaine, plum tomato, and honey mustard dressing
Thursday
Snack: apple slices; Popcorners
Lunch: grilled cheese sandwiches; vegan grilled cheese sandwiches; gluten-free grilled cheese sandwiches; summer squash, zucchini, and peppers; Caesar salad
Friday
Snack: clementines; blueberry muffins
Faculty Lunch
Please click the button below for a more detailed and updated weekly menu.
BDS News
HEALTH NEWS
Guidelines on When to Keep a Child Home from School
Welcome to fall! As the weather turns cooler, we often see an increase in seasonal illnesses. To help keep all of our students healthy and learning, we’d like to share a reminder from our Family Partnership Guide about when a child should remain at home for their own well-being and to protect others.
A student should remain at home if they have:
- A cold with significant, uncontained symptoms (especially in the first three days)
- Sore throat and swollen neck glands accompanied by fever
- Undiagnosed rash or skin eruptions
- Drainage from the eyes
- Any communicable disease
- A fever over 100°F in the past 24 hours (students may return once fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medications)
- Vomiting or diarrhea in the past 24 hours
- Active, untreated head lice
Continue Reading
If your child develops a communicable illness such as chickenpox, strep throat, scarlet fever, fifth’s disease, influenza, COVID-19, or a condition such as head lice, please notify the school nurse. This helps us monitor your child’s recovery as well as protect others from exposure.
Students should also remain at home for at least one full day following the resolution of an acute illness. If your child is restricted from participating in school activities (athletics, PE, or recess), please provide a physician’s note with details about the restrictions.
We appreciate your partnership in keeping our school community safe and healthy this fall. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.
– Maren Coniglione, school nurse
ADMISSIONS NEWS
Parent Volunteers Needed for Open House
Would you enjoy helping prospective families get to know our school? Our annual on-campus Open House is scheduled for Sunday, October 19, and we need your help. We are also seeking assistance in setting up and preparing the school on the day before the event, Saturday, October 18. If you are interested, please fill out this quick survey to tell us your availability.
Tasks during the Open House include being a greeter, helping at a registration table, replenishing snacks, mingling with prospective families, etc. It should be an energizing and fun community-building experience! For those who can help, our admissions team will follow up with role assignments and additional information.
Thanks in advance for any help you can provide! Please reach out to jbright@belmontday.org with any questions.
School Tour Guides Needed
Do you enjoy meeting new people and sharing what makes Belmont Day so special? The admissions office is seeking parent volunteers to assist in welcoming prospective families by leading weekly campus tours.
We request a commitment of at least one 45–60 minute tour per week from October through the December break (excluding Fridays, holidays, and school breaks). New to BDS? We’d love to have you join the team—no experience needed.
Tour guides receive comprehensive training, and the admissions team will work with your schedule to arrange for substitutes in the event of conflicts. It’s a fun, rewarding way to connect with families and represent our community.
Please complete this survey if you are interested in learning more. Thank you.
– Judy Bright, admissions and outreach program manager
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:
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.
AUXILIARY PROGRAM NEWS
New Hires
Z Miller, After School Teacher
Z hails from beautiful Telluride, Colorado, but spent many summers here in New England. Z is completing her undergraduate degree in psychology at Lasell University, with a focus on childhood development—a passion that’s guided much of her work and life. Previously, Z has held positions in various roles, many of which involved working with and teaching children. She has worked as a ski instructor, classroom teacher, camp counselor, and art teacher. Most recently, Z was a part of the Belmont Day Summer Camp team. We are thrilled to have Z continue her work at BDS in the After School Program, working with our youngest learners.
Margo Danahy ’17, After School Teacher
As a Belmont Day alum, we are thrilled to welcome Margo back to an educational environment that she experienced firsthand. Margo joined the auxiliary programs team this fall and is working with first and second graders in the After School Program. Margo graduated from Bates College this spring, where she earned a B.A. in English and earth and climate sciences. She recently returned from working on a farm in Normandy. In addition to her work in the After School Program, Margo is pursuing a career in climate policy. She is excited about incorporating environmental education and outdoor activities into her work with students.
Julia Fields, After School Teacher
Julia joins Belmont Day School as an after school teacher with students in grades 3 to 5. Julia earned both an M.A. and a B.A. in political science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Previously, Julia worked with the Association for Environmental Health & Science Foundation, coordinating scholarships, as a coach and camp counselor for Downtown United Soccer Club, and as a mechanic and co-manager at the bike co-op at UMASS Amherst. She believes that education is a crucial foundation for a bright future, both individually and for the community, and is eager to get to know our students and their families. Welcome, Julia!
COMMUNITY NEWS
2026-27 Financial Assistance: Deadline for First-Time Applicant Notification
Current Belmont Day families who intend to apply for financial assistance for the first time for the 2026-27 school year must notify the school by emailing me by Monday, November 3, 2025. This deadline applies only to families who have students currently enrolled at BDS who have not previously applied for or received financial assistance from Belmont Day. Families will only be eligible for consideration if there has been a significant change in their financial circumstances.
This deadline is only for a family’s intention to apply and will help our office plan the process and assist interested families. If you have any questions about the financial assistance process, please reach out at any time.
– Elena Jay, director of financial assistance and associate director of admissions
SUSTAINABILITY NEWS
Garden’s Abundance Making Its Way to Our Plates
From the BDS garden, we have harvested over 200 pounds of butternut, acorn, and delicata squash. Now, those beautiful, delicious, and healthy squash are making their way into our lunches.
It all started last school year with the pre-kindergarten class, which started forty-eight squash plants from seed in their classroom. The plants were transplanted to the BDS garden in the spring. Those plants have practically taken over the garden, producing an amazing amount of delicious squashes. In the last two weeks alone, our second graders have harvested nearly thirty squashes.
On Tuesday, the kitchen team peeled, deseeded, and cubed about fifteen of the harvested squash. The squash was then roasted with olive oil, parsley, salt, and pepper, and served as the hot vegetable of the day. We couldn’t believe how many students shared in tasting the bounty of the harvest. On Thursday, when we served pizza, we continued to highlight the butternut squash by offering a special garlicy butternut squash, goat cheese, thyme, and lemon pizza. It was a delicious hit with students and faculty.
– Kathy Jo Solomon, visual arts teacher and sustainability coordinator and Tara Lightbody, food program director
Learning Updates
Athletics Update: Fall Squads Jump Into Competition
After a pre-season that highlighted the hard work, determination, and plenty of BDS school spirit, the fall schedule officially got underway this week with both the boys’ and girls’ varsity soccer teams and varsity volleyball all facing BB&N on Tuesday.
The girls’ varsity soccer team traveled to Cambridge and delivered a dominant 5-0 victory. In her middle school debut, Lucy Rodriguez netted a hat trick (three goals), while fellow sixth grader Serena Rosenfald added a goal and an assist. Seventh grader Piper Connors rounded out the scoring in an impressive team performance.
The varsity volleyball squad battled hard in a tough match. Annika Cash, stepping into a leadership role of setter this season, impressed with her strong communication and energy, keeping the team’s spirit high throughout.
Boys’ varsity soccer also faced a skilled BB&N side and dropped the contest here on Far Field. Silas O’Brien tallied the lone BDS goal and was a dynamic presence on the wing, while David Bazile turned in an outstanding game in goal, making several key saves to keep the team within reach.
Congratulations to all middle school athletes on a fantastic start to the season. We look forward to sharing more athletic highlights in the weeks ahead. GO BDS!
– Stephen Marks, director of athletics
First Grade Visits the Belmont Farmer’s Market
On Thursday, first graders, their teachers, and a few awesome extra chaperones made a fun and educational visit to the Belmont Farmers’ Market. The field trip was planned to enhance what the students learned in their summer reading book, Fresh-Picked Poetry: A Day at the Farmers’ Market by Michelle Schaub. We first enjoyed a tour of the market and its many vendors. After becoming familiar with the market’s layout, we explored various stalls and saw a wide range of wonderful produce for sale. The exploration and learning continued with a scavenger hunt that took students to different stalls to ask interview questions of the farmers and friends working at them. Be sure to ask a first grader about what they learned at the farmer’s market.
– Geoffrey Fox, first grade teacher
Kindergartners Study the Science of the Squash
Kindergarten students and faculty embarked on a scientific journey inspired by our summer reading book, Sophie’s Squash by Pat Zietlow Miller. After sharing the story aloud as a group, students engaged in a hands-on investigation of several varieties of squash. Students deepened their understanding by identifying the squash’s shapes, colors, and textures, drawing on both direct observation as well as prior knowledge. The class explored the life cycle of a squash—from seed to sprouting plant to mature vegetable—discussing the essential elements that support healthy growth. Using magnifying glasses, students carefully observed and documented changes, including the natural process of decomposition, through detailed drawings in their science journals. Chef Lightbody also brought in some cooked squash that last year’s kindergarten class grew, giving students a chance to connect the growing process to food they can taste. This integrated approach fosters essential skills in inquiry and scientific documentation.
– Lisa Wilson, kindergarten teacher
Parents’ Association News
Fall Socials
Mark your calendars and book your babysitters for the BDS Fall Socials. A cherished tradition in our community, the socials are a wonderful opportunity to connect with parents and guardians of children in your grade. All Fall Socials will be held on campus. Stay tuned for more details from your grade parents. Meanwhile, the schedule is as follows:
- Tuesday, September 30 – 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. – Pre-k & Grade 7
- Wednesday, October 1 – 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. – Grade 6
- Tuesday, October 7 – 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. – Grade 2 & Grade 3
- Thursday, October 9 – 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. – Kindergarten & Grade 5
- Wednesday, October 29 – 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. – Grade 1 & Grade 4
Casual Coffee
We invite the parent community to join us for some casual mingling over coffee in Coolidge Hall before the lower school Sharing Assembly on Friday, October 3, 2025, from 7:45 to 8:30 a.m.
Seeking Coolidge Flower Volunteers
One of the highlights of the day for our children is having lunch in Coolidge Hall. Beyond the amazing food prepared by the talented and dedicated dining staff, the dining experience is enhanced by small plants placed as centerpieces on the lunchroom tables.
We are seeking volunteers to donate 12 small potted plants at the beginning of a month of their choosing (these plants will be displayed for that entire month). The plants should be no taller than 11” with a maximum pot diameter of 4.5”. Please sign up here to donate plants, and feel free to reach out to Karla Bays with any questions. Thank you!
Pumpkin Patch Volunteers Needed
Getting excited for the crisp, colorful days of fall? Looking for some pumpkins and mums to decorate with? The parents’ association is pleased to announce that the annual Pumpkin Patch Sale will take place from Monday, October 6, to Wednesday, October 8. Field pumpkins, sugar pumpkins, mini pumpkins, mini gourds, and potted mums will be available for purchase. Families may also choose to donate mini pumpkins for faculty and potted mums for classrooms to show their appreciation. All students are encouraged to enter our fun, fall-themed contests!
We are seeking volunteers to help during the morning (7:30 to 8:30 a.m.) and afternoon (3:30 to 5 p.m.) shifts each day of the Pumpkin Patch. Feel free to involve your children as well. If interested, click here to sign up. Thank you.
Connecting With PA Leadership
As parents and guardians of BDS students, you are all members of the parents’ association (PA). The PA is a vibrant, parent-led volunteer group that helps foster community within our school and support our outstanding faculty. We are excited to work together with you to nurture our community.
Guiding the PA this year is a team of four parents’ association ambassadors. We are here to support you, offer a platform for your ideas, address any questions you may have, and enhance the overall parent experience at BDS. We will communicate information about upcoming events through the Scoop, and we also encourage you to join your grade-level WhatsApp chat group. At any time, feel free to reach out directly to any member of the PA Ambassador team or to email us at bdspa@belmontday.org
- President – Shanying Zhang
- Vice President – Megan Akkina
- Treasurer – Manish Patel
- Clerk – Jeff Wang
Beyond BDS
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Sun Day Celebrates, Advocates for Clean Energy
Sun Day, a global day of action celebrating the rise of clean energy use, will be held this Sunday, September 21. Across America and around the world, community events will showcase the power of the sun and wind, the energy sources that can power our world without pollution. Local events include: a family-friendly festival in Lexington, a solar canopy demonstration (also in Lexington), a tour of an all-electric home in Winchester, a rally in Wellesley, Music and Magic in Jamaica Plain, and an interfaith parade in downtown Boston.
Here’s your chance to see how we, as citizens and communities, can have a real impact in promoting and using clean, renewable energy. Click here for more resources and information on these Sun Day events.
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