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Volu m e 6 7 , Issu e 3
A Student Publication of the Belmont Hill School
O c tob er 4 t h , 2 0 1 8
Mr. Schneider Settles In New Headmaster Adjusts to Life on Campus
Above: Incoming headmaster Mr. Schneider poses for photo in front of the MacPherson room.
By Thomas McEvoy ‘19, Nicholas Daley ‘19, and Matt Goguen ‘19 Panel Staff For each of the past 25 years, the Belmont Hill community watched Dr. Melvoin climb the steps of the chapel podium and deliver a back-to school address. This year, however, students and faculty saw a new face surveying the crowd, and heard a new voice projected by the microphone. Whether you’ve
seen him peeking into a classroom, perusing the Morse corridors, or taking in an athletic contest, new Head of School Mr. Schneider has certainly made an effort to get to know you. If not via a personal conversation, then perhaps he’s seen your face amidst his stack of flash cards, a pile containing the name and ID photo of each and every student, Forms I-VI. For longtime attendees of Belmont Hill, the absence of Dr. Melvoin from his lunch table or his spot at the chapel lectern still feels unfamiliar, but students are quickly getting used to his successor. “First impressions of Mr. Schneider have been overwhelmingly positive,” says School President Shane Rockett, “He has a personality that fits Belmont Hill. In school he was heavily invested in athletics as well as
music, and he embodies the traits of not letting people put you into a box. For all of us who haven’t seen the school under anyone other than Dr. Melvoin, it will be very exciting to see which way Mr. Schneider takes the school.” Mr. Schneider’s position in Belmont Hill is certainly a unique one. While at ease with the power and authority of a headmaster, the former Head of Berwick Academy in Maine recognizes that he is also a “new guy” of sorts. When asked about balancing his prominent role at Belmont Hill with the relative youth of his tenure, Mr. Schneider reflected “I think it is an advantage. On the one hand it is overwhelming, but on the other hand you have the gift of fresh eyes.” A Nobles alumnus, Mr. Schneider also noted that he is coming
in to an institution that holds a strong sense of tradition. Hoping to bring in experience and expertise he acquired at Berwick while making sure to keep Belmont Hill’s current culture intact, Mr. Schneider also notes that a “bigger group of new employees” has helped ease his transition into the community. In reflecting upon his plans for the remainder of the school year, Mr. Schneider revealed that he believes relationships hold tremendous value, saying “I am a believer that relationships have to come before tasks.” Hoping to establish such relationships with due haste, Mr. Schneider aims to hold a half-hour, one-onone conversation with each member of Belmont Hill’s faculty and staff by Thanksgiving. Continued on Page 2
By Nicholas Daley ‘19 Panel Staff
basketball, and lacrosse. She focused especially on tennis, playing all year round outside of school and earning a full schol-
The first director of Belmont Hill’s brand new Health and Wellness Program, Ms. Rupley found her current career path practically by accident. While working at Milton Academy a decade ago, Ms. Rupley, whose welcoming and easygoing nature is readily apparent in any conversation, saw her role advising students on athletics and extracurriculars in the Student Activities Office evolve into what she describes as “informal counseling,” in which students would come to her and ask to “just sit and talk.” Inspired, Ms. Rupley pursued a masters in counseling while continuing to work at Milton and started down a road that has led her to Belmont Hill. Ms. Rupley grew up in Providence, Rhode Island, and attended the Lincoln School, a private, all-girls school with a graduating class of 31 in Ms. Rupley’s year. Much like many boys at Belmont Hill, her high school years were consumed by sports, as she participated in tennis,
Ms. Rupley has taken a winding road to the Hill
arship to play at Boston College. Looking back now, Ms. Rupley sees her time playing college tennis as a crucially formative experience in her life. “I can’t recommend college sports enough,” she declares. Through college tennis, says Ms. Rupley, she learned discipline and organization and traveled to colleges all across the country. But what she loved most was the lasting bonds she built. Whether with teammates, coaches, or even opponents, she always found ways to connect with people. After BC, with “still lots of questions” about her future, she drove crosscountry to find her way, settling in Los Angeles as a tennis pro. While she cherished her time on the West Coast, she soon returned east and briefly took a job in medical sales, where she put her ability to talk and build relationships to good use, but felt the job was “not all that fulfilling; it still felt that something was missing.” Thinking back to her time in high school and teaching tennis in California, Ms. Rupley made the decision that would draContinued on Page 3
Ms. Rupley Eager to Lead New Health & Wellness Program