September 8, 2023
Click Here
Click Here
Click Here
Click Here
Click Here
Click Here
We were ready for the first day of school!
Opening Message
Welcome Back, Everyone!
Brendan Largay, Head of School
Post Date: September 8, 2023
I am writing this first Scoop column of the school year at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, on the heels of welcoming students and their parents for the first day of school. The sentiment outside at the front circle was overwhelming and consistent: after a summer that was for some too quick, for some disjointed, and for some perfect, we are all so glad to be back.
That same feeling is strong inside the Schoolhouse as well. The faculty have been hard at work readying themselves for this first day for some time now. We marvel at how one group of students—first graders are suddenly second graders!—seems to transform in an instant and are ready to take on a new set of challenges. Our expert faculty stand ready, waiting for their newest charges to arrive at their doors.
This special moment, spent at the doorstep of challenge and change, has me thinking about the journey ahead. How do we approach another year of learning and leadership at Belmont Day? I shared a poem with the faculty by one of my favorite poets, Mary Oliver, to honor the journey each of our students will take this year. Then, this morning, I discovered a quote left for me by a colleague (thanks, Mrs. Armstrong!) from Rainer Maria Rilke that provokes the same inspiration.
These words provide an excellent frame to view the school year. I hope they inspire you as they have inspired me.
Welcome back, Belmont Day. It’s good to be home.
Mysteries, Yes
by Mary Oliver
Truly, we live with mysteries too marvelous
to be understood.
How grass can be nourishing in the
mouths of the lambs.
How rivers and stones are forever
in allegiance with gravity
while we ourselves dream of rising.
How two hands touch and the bonds will
never be broken.
How people come, from delight or the
scars of damage,
to the comfort of a poem.
Let me keep my distance, always, from those
who think they have the answers.
Let me keep company always with those who say
“Look!” and laugh in astonishment,
and bow their heads.
—
From: Letters to a Young Poet
by Rainer Maria Rilke
Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart
and to try to love the questions themselves
like locked rooms and like books that are written
in a very foreign tongue.
Do not now seek the answers,
which cannot be given you
because you would not be able to live them.
And the point is, to live everything.
Live the questions now.
Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it,
live along some distant day
into the answer.
Upcoming Events
Coming Up This Week
Monthly Calendar
Fall Fest!
Saturday, September 23
1 to 4 p.m.
Belmont Day School
Join us on the first day of fall for this community-wide event. Fun and games, arts and crafts, lattes, seasonal treats, and more!
Reminder: Enrichment Classes Start on Monday
The auxiliary programs team is excited to kick off a new year of enrichment classes that will begin after school on Monday, September 11. If you have any questions, please contact Blair Fross, director of school year auxiliary and specialty programs.
Curriculum Nights
Please join us for our annual back-to-school Lower and Middle School Curriculum Nights.
Both events will start in the Palandjian Arts Center before moving to classrooms.
Middle School Curriculum Night
Thursday, September 14, 6 to 8 p.m. (Refreshments in Coolidge Hall at 5:30 p.m.)
Lower School Curriculum Night
Wednesday, September 20, 6 to 7:30 p.m. (Refreshments in Coolidge Hall at 5:30 p.m.)
Display Name Placards at Dismissal
As we start the school year, please remember to display your student name placard in a visible spot on your vehicle’s dashboard at dismissal. Additionally, please leave the placard displayed until you have exited the campus. This helps us ensure that the pick-up process is safe and efficient. Thank you!
Lunch & Snack Menu
September 11 to September 15
Monday
Snack: applesauce; Smartfood
Lunch: spaghetti and meat sauce; pasta and marinara; gluten-free pasta and meat sauce; steamed broccoli; mixed greens with balsamic
Tuesday
Snack: bananas; granola bars
Lunch: crispy chicken tenders; gluten-free chicken tenders; vegan tenders; seasoned green beans; sweet potato fries; Asian greens with red peppers and scallions
Wednesday
Snack: clementines; pretzel twists
Lunch: grilled chicken; smoky grilled tofu; roasted cauliflower; Caesar salad; green salad
Thursday
Snack: apple slices; graham crackers
Lunch: pepperoni and cheese pizzas; gluten-free pepperoni and cheese pizzas; vegan cheese pizza; primavera vegetable blend; garden salad
Friday
Snack: craisins; cinnamon oatmeal rounds
Faculty Lunch
For a more detailed and updated weekly menu, please click the button below.
Dining In Coolidge Hall
Along with the main menu, students have access to a hot bar with the “hot veg of the day,” as well as a salad bar with fresh vegetables, fruit, deli meats and cheese, roasted tofu, hummus, organic yogurt, greens and a salad of the day. They also have access to cereal, bread, bagels, cream cheese, Wowbutter, and jellies. 1% milk and soy milk are available.
Each table is set with the entrée of the day. There are plenty of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options for those who follow a specialized diet. We also ask that any children with allergies introduce themselves to the kitchen team so that we can make sure that everyone enjoys a safe meal.
BDS News
COMMUNITY NEWS
Student Picture Days: Get Those Smiles Ready!
Pictures days for all students will take place on Monday and Tuesday, September 18 and 19. Click the dropdown below to view the daily schedule.
Photos will be taken outdoors by photographer Porter Gifford, who has worked with Belmont Day for many years.
If you have any questions, please contact Jen James, assistant to the head of school and registrar, at jjames@belmontday.org.
Picture Days Schedule
Monday, September 18
Students in grades 2, 4, 6, 7, and 8
Tuesday, September 19
Students in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and grades 1, 3, and 5
ADMISSIONS NEWS
Parent Tour Guides Needed
Do you like to meet new people and tell them about our wonderful ‘school upon the hill’? The admissions team hopes to leverage our amazing parent community to help give weekly school tours to prospective families. We are looking for folks who can commit to giving at least one tour a week. Tour guides will be fully trained, and the admissions team can be flexible regarding your availability and help find subs when needed.
If you want to help or to learn more, please contact Judy Bright, admissions and outreach manager. Thank you!
FACULTY NEWS
Welcome New Associate Teachers
Join us in welcoming our 2023-2024 Associate Teacher Program (ATP) cohort! Our five new associates have been on campus since last week, participating in orientation, faculty meetings, and classroom set-up and planning with their mentor teachers. This fall, associates will be working and learning in our early childhood, elementary, and middle school classrooms while earning a master’s in education degree and teaching license through our school’s partnership with Lesley University. We’re thrilled they’re here, and they look forward to their work with our students.
The associate teachers and their placements for the fall are (clockwise from top left in the photo):
- Andrew Bolte (Vaniecia Skinner’s grade 5 classroom)
- Madison Dick (Leigh Twarog’s grade 3 classroom)
- Paige Maguire (Cicely Gibson’s grade 1 classroom)
- Ian Hacker (Lana Holman’s grade 4 classroom)
- Olivia Light (Nancy Fell’s grade 2 classroom)
GARDEN NEWS
A Challenging Yet Bountiful Summer Growing Season
The Belmont Day Garden continues to thrive through this summer’s challenging weather and an increased interest from the local animal population. We were able to grow and harvest many vegetables, including beets, carrots, greens of all varieties, beans, tomatoes, radishes, peppers, summer squash, eggplant, garlic, celery, basil, and a variety of other herbs. We are looking forward to harvesting our winter squashes, pumpkins, potatoes, and ongoing harvests of tomatoes, herbs, carrots, and a variety of other root vegetables. We have donated over 200 pounds of chemical-free vegetables to Arlington FoodLink this summer, and we are now featuring our fresh produce in our school lunches.
– Kathy Jo Solomon, arts teacher and sustainability coordinator
ARTS NEWS
Ensembles Registration Still Open
It’s not too late to enroll in one of the ensembles program offerings. There are many great options for students to follow their musical interests and build new performance skills: lower and middle school choruses, orchestra, chamber ensemble, guitar ensemble, wind ensemble, modern band, jazz band, and world drumming.
Visit the Music and Ensembles page on the Parent Portal for descriptions, schedules, and the registration form.
MINDFULNESS NEWS
The Toolkit: Season Two Starts Next Week
The biweekly mindfulness newsletter, The Toolkit, returns for a second school year next week. Sent to all families, The Toolkit highlights simple exercises that can be used in the classroom or at home. The Toolkit is a collaboration between Josh Sussman, school counselor, Alex Tzelnic, physical education teacher and mindfulness director, and Dr. Julia Martin Burch, consulting psychologist. We’ll continue sharing tried and true practices that will help expand your own toolkits as well as help us develop common strategies for nurturing wellness and wisdom amongst our students. Stay tuned for the first issue of the 2023-24 school year, arriving in your inbox next Tuesday morning.
To check out the archive of past issues of The Toolkit, visit Belmont Day’s mindfulness website.
– Alex Tzelnic, physical education teacher and mindfulness director
COMMUNITY NEWS
Follow BDS on Social Media
From the first day of school in late summer to eighth grade graduation in late spring and all the wonderful days in between—see the learning experiences, joys, and challenges in the classrooms and across the BDS campus by following the Belmont Day social media accounts. Updated with photos, videos, and timely information throughout the school year, our Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter accounts share the moments, both big and small, that make Belmont Day special. Follow and we’ll see you on social!
Learning Updates
PE Update: Don’t Call it a Comeback! Team Teaching Returns
We are thrilled to announce an adjustment to our physical education teaching model for this year that is actually a return to our roots. Back before the COVID-19 pandemic, PE in grades 1 to 5 was co-taught, allowing our department the chance to work with an entire grade at once or split off into smaller groups. Cohorts brought a shift in our structure, and for the last couple of years, grades 1 to 4 were taught by either Abbey Nyland or Alex Tzelnic. This year, we are bringing back the squad! Fifth graders will have the dynamic duo of John O’Neill and Jade Morris, and grades 1 to 4 will have both Abbey and Alex. We will still utilize cohorts as an organizing principle but will also get to come together for epic games and adventures. Kindergarten PE will be taught by Abbey and pre-kindergarten will be taught by Alex.
As we launch into another year of balance and joy, here are a couple of reminders for all PE students:
- Proper footwear: It is recommended that students leave a pair of dedicated PE sneakers at Belmont Day. Crocs, sandals, Uggs, or dress shoes are not appropriate for class.
- Comfortable clothes: Apparel that one can comfortably engage in a variety of activities is also crucial, so students will need to wear clothing that allows for safe and unrestricted movement.
- Weather wisdom: We pride ourselves on being an indoor/outdoor program and will take advantage of the spaciousness and natural resources our campus offers. Therefore seasonal, weather-appropriate clothing is also recommended so we can utilize the fields, courts, and trails fully.
If you have any questions about the upcoming school year, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
– Alex Tzelnic and Abbey Nyland, physical education teachers
Athletics Update: Veteran Coaching Staff Ready for Fall Season
Belmont Day’s 140 middle school athletes will be spread out this fall across nine teams led by eighteen dedicated faculty coaches. Belmont Day prides itself in the faculty/coach model but usually experiences some turnover from year to year. Not this fall. Belmont Day returns an all-star lineup of coaches from across the school community, including our director of operations, director of summer programs, arts coordinator, assistant to the head of school, assistant chef, business office associate, lower and middle school faculty, physical education/athletics staff, and an associate teacher. This impressive group comprises experienced educators who are also accomplished athletes and seasoned coaches able to strike the balance between sport-specific instruction and character development, inspiring and challenging our athletes to be the best version of themselves on our fields, courts, and trails. Get ready for a great fall season!
– John O’Neill, director of athletics
Arts Update: The New & Good
The new: We are thrilled to welcome Teacher Brit Conroy, innovation coach, to the arts team at Belmont Day. The first few days have been a whirlwind of meeting students and getting the IMPACT Lab rolling with lessons and projects.
… and the good: The arts are kicking into gear! Classes have started in the woodshop, the IMPACT Lab, the Palandjian Arts Center, and the art and music studios. Lower school artists started by creating and decorating their portfolios. The portfolios are a simple and safe place for students to store and collect various 2D works created throughout the year. We can’t wait to start filling them up.
In middle school, arts electives have started for grades 7 and 8. There’s a huge selection of electives to challenge our students, from audio tech, life-size sculpture, and sign carving to noteworthy sounds, special effects makeup, and interactive installations—so much creative work is on the way, so stay tuned for updates.
– Anne Armstrong, visual arts teacher and arts coordinator
Parents’ Association News
Welcome Back!
It was wonderful to connect and reconnect with so many of you at the Welcome Coffee on Wednesday and we hope the school year is off to a happy start for all.
A reminder that as parents and guardians of BDS students, you are all members of the parents’ association. The PA is a vibrant, parent-led volunteer group that helps foster community within our school and support our outstanding faculty. We look forward to working alongside you and being in community together this year!
Please feel free to reach out to any of the PA executive team directly or to email us at bdspa@belmontday.org:
- President – Karla Bays
- Vice President – Courtney Queen
- Treasurer – Andy Stevenson
- Clerk – Gigi Saltonstall
PA Meeting
Our first PA meeting will be held at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, September 15, in Coolidge Hall. We hope you will join us to learn about upcoming PA events and initiatives. All parents are invited, and coffee and light refreshments will be served.
Seeking Volunteers
The PA could use your help in the following projects and upcoming events :
- Friendraiser Committee (social events)
- Library Shelving
- Erskine Library Events (e.g., book publishing party)
- Trunk or Treat (October 21)
- Book Fair (November)
- Lost and Found
- Friday Night Lights/Hoops/Scoops
- Middle School Dance (parent gatherings)
- Family Fun Night (January 27)
- Earth Day Event (April 22)
If you are interested in volunteering or would like to learn more, please contact us anytime at bdspa@belmontday.org.
Parent Book Group
Our first parent book group gathering will be at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 3, location TBD. We will discuss Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. Disclaimer: The book is long (556 pages), but it is an outstanding read and is the winner of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. We hope you will join us. If you have any questions or would like to be added to our mailing list, please contact Karla Bays.
Beyond BDS
COMMUNITY EVENT
Ukrainian Families Welcome Concert
Sunday, September 10, 3 to 5 p.m.
Belmont Town Hall Auditorium, 455 Concord Avenue
The HOPE Welcome Circle will host a concert to raise funds to aid local Ukrainian families who have fled the conflict in their home country. A variety of groups will perform music from different cultures and genres. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children 12 years-old and younger. To learn more about the concert, click here.
Return to the Parent Portal
