Belmont Day Magazine 2022-2023 by Good Design

2022 | 2023

magazine

Excellence and Community

magazine

2022 | 2023 Head of School Brendan Largay Editor, Director of Communications and Marketing Koreen McQuilton Graphic Design Good Design, LLC gooddesignusa.com Writer Cheryl Bardoe Photography Jim Walker BDS Faculty Send alumni news to: Kyle Beatty Belmont Day School 55 Day School Lane | Belmont, MA 02478 or email bdsalumni@belmontday.org Comment? We’d love to hear what you think. Please write to Koreen McQuilton, Editor Belmont Day School 55 Day School Lane | Belmont, MA 02478 or email communications@belmontday.org

ON THE COVER The outdoor adventures athletics team learns how to vault over logs, build cairns and endurance, and bond in nature.

Founded in 1927, Belmont Day School is a bold, remarkable, inspiring community of learners and leaders in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.

mission

Inspire and challenge. At Belmont Day School, we foster intellectual curiosity, honor differences, and empower meaningful contribution with excellence, respect, honesty, responsibility, caring, and joy.

This multi-layered experience is far more than the sum of its parts

A spotlight on two successful Belmont Day alums who are continually learning in their respective fields

What is Capstone at Belmont Day?

Meet Our Lifelong Learners and Leaders

Eighth Graders Explore the Southwest Thirty-seven eighth graders took a trip of a lifetime to the Grand Canyon and other landmarks

contents

Excellence After School Learn about our very popular After School program and enrichment classes

FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Vision and Mission Align: Excellence and Community Keep Belmont Day at the Forefront of Education Brendan Largay What does excellence in education look like? What will it look like in the future? Delivering an education that prepares Belmont Day students to be lifelong learners and leaders requires us to continually question what we do and why it is essential for education. Fortunately, the Belmont Day community is comprised of dedicated educators, parents, alumni, and other caring adults who understand this process. Belmont Day is already forwardthinking in our approach to education. Three models inform our perspective:

The World Economic Forum’s top ten future skills include analytical thinking and innovation; active learning and learning strategies; creativity, originality, and initiative; leadership and social influence; resilience, stress tolerance, and flexibility; technology use, monitoring, and control.

The International Society for Technology in Education

promotes the development of students who are digital citizens, empowered learners, knowledge constructors, innovative designers, computational thinkers, creative communicators, and global collaborators.

The Innovator’s Mindset, in which author and educational leader George Couros outlines that outside-the-box thinkers share the characteristics of being reflective, empathetic, problem finders and solvers, risk takers, networked, observant, creators, and resilient.

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I am proud that the priorities of all these frameworks are covered within the scope of our school’s mission: “At Belmont Day, we foster intellectual curiosity, honor differences, and empower meaningful contribution with excellence, respect, honesty, responsibility, caring, and joy.” We use such models to guide us in thinking boldly about implementing the depth of the ideas expressed so succinctly in that statement. Our strategic plan is another example of Belmont Day being at the forefront of educational trends. Since the pandemic began, headlines nationwide have articulated concerns about learning lag, equity, student mental health, and a growing shortage of teachers. Approved by the board of trustees in January 2020, the plan has turned out to be prescient, even as the ground shifted underfoot. Priorities within each of the three pillars—Excellence, Community, Strength—have given us a roadmap to be out in front of these national concerns to minimize negative impacts on our community.

FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Even during this hectic time, our faculty made steady progress in thoroughly reviewing our curriculum. This fall, we shared a cohesive scope and sequence across subject areas and grade levels with parents. These tools are pivotal to ensuring that every Belmont Day student meets benchmarks. We have also expanded programming and faculty focused on equity, inclusion, and belonging, and we have conducted a school climate survey to inform future initiatives. In addition, we have developed a strong network, including a consulting psychologist and expertise from the nonprofit Whole School Mindfulness, to

support our faculty in helping students cultivate a sense of wellness and belonging. Our expanded tool kit has included presentations to faculty and parents, enhanced avenues of communication about student needs, and a variety of strategies to help students find connections and build resilience. Among other strategies for faculty retention, we have expanded our already robust commitment to professional development. Alongside curriculum development grants and opportunities to attend conferences and workshops, we have launched a “teaching triad” program to give teachers more capacity to collaborate with

and learn from their colleagues on campus. This empowers teachers to individualize their growth and connect it directly to day-to-day needs in their classroom. I am grateful to work with a faculty that brings a breadth of backgrounds, talents, and experiences—alongside a true passion for the calling of teaching. All of us at Belmont Day are grateful for the opportunity to work with our delightful students and the support of the entire Belmont Day community. Thanks to this extraordinary collaboration, we can clearly articulate what excellence in education looks like at Belmont Day— today and in the future. B E L M O N T DAY magazine | 3

What is Capstone

at Belmont Day?

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ILLUSTRATION ©SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/PURESOLUTION

On paper, the eighth grade Capstone program involves writing a research paper, doing a project, and giving a presentation. Yet this multi-layered experience is far more than the sum of its parts. Capstone is deeply entrenched within our school culture as the culmination of a student’s pre-kindergarten through eighth grade journey, and our final gift before graduates spread their wings. It is a quintessential Belmont Day experience that bonds our community and honors each student’s academic excellence and personal growth. It is a process through which our eighth graders develop a strong sense of themselves, build confidence in their abilities,

and feel the support of our entire community. And it is a lifetime memory that alumni fondly recall as a coming-of-age milestone. “Capstone is a perfect synthesis of the Belmont Day mission to challenge and inspire,” says Jennifer Friborg, Capstone coordinator and middle school French teacher. “Our students understand that when they take on a challenge, they will feel proud of their accomplishment.” B E L M O N T DAY magazine | 5

A Culmination Capstone was introduced nearly two decades ago as Belmont Day expanded beyond sixth grade to offer a full middle school experience. “Faculty wanted a culminating activity where eighth graders could have a lot of agency and a sense of accomplishment,” says fourth grade teacher Lana Holman, who was present at the beginning. “We’ve always been a school with a focus on project-based learning, student choice, and public speaking. Capstone brings everything together in a meaningful way as students prepare to graduate.” The scaffolding for Capstone begins as soon as students arrive at Belmont Day. For those who come in pre-kindergarten through second grade, the early childhood years are filled with hands-on learning, speaking up at sharing assemblies, and participating in class plays. The third grade State Fair and fourth grade Greek Festival are like mini-Capstones, combining research, writing, projects, and public speaking in celebrations of learning that students look forward to all year. In every grade, the scope and sequence of curriculum ensures that students engage

in projects with age-appropriate levels of choice and self-reflection, alongside growing skills in critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. By the time Capstone launches, the benefits of this pedagogical approach are clear. “From a young age at Belmont Day, students are empowered to make choices and produce work that is meaningful to them,” says Charlie Baird, a humanities teacher, and Capstone mentor. These prior experiences give students practice identifying topics they care about and understanding the effort required to implement a vision. “The most successful

The most successful “recipe for student achievement is to allow students to dive into something they are passionate about. Capstone is the perfect pairing of that opportunity with the maturing of all the skills students have been building in previous classes.

”

recipe for student achievement is to allow students to dive into something they are passionate about,” Charlie says. “Capstone is the perfect pairing of that opportunity with the maturing of all the skills students have been building in previous classes.”

Contributing to Hip-Hop Culture Anisah Jordan ’22 has loved hip-hop culture ever since she sat on her mother’s lap

listening to her father rap at a recording studio. Through Capstone, Anisah explored how music, dance, and fashion contributed to hip-hop culture’s evolution. Her challenge, however, was that hip-hop culture offered so many enticing possibilities for the project phase. Her solution was to create original work in several formats. First, Anisah designed outfits for her own hip-hop couture brand and learned how to make realistic fashion sketches. When she choreographed a dance, Anisah first shared it with peers in the dance club, where she appreciated valuable feedback and collaboration. Anisah then had the experience of teaching her dance to a class of adults—enthusiastic Belmont Day faculty. “I was surprised because they did really well,” she says. Anisah also wrote and taped a rap in a professional recording studio. “Rapping for me is like a lock and a key; when I start rapping, I start opening up.” Anisah likes developing meaningful messages, listening to the beat, and “going into the studio and freestyling, or just playing with words.” Altogether, this journey expanded Anisah’s skills for researching, illustrating, writing, dancing, and making music—all exciting ways to express herself.

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W H AT I S C A P STO N E AT B E L M O N T DAY ?

A Year-long Process Some students daydream about their Capstone from a young age, often inspired by projects they have seen done by previous eighth graders. The process begins in earnest in the spring of seventh grade with extensive idea generation. Students respond to prompts such as: What issues or ideas make your heart beat faster? and Name five things you would like to know more about. In another activity, students review cards and answer the question: If you had to research a topic from this pile, which would you choose? Students also brainstorm questions for various topics; producing a long list of questions signals that a topic sparks their curiosity. These exercises encourage students to think expansively and open themselves to possibilities before committing to study a topic for the next year. “It’s important for students to identify their own topics,” says Jennifer, who has led the Capstone program for nine years. “This is the student’s journey, and we want each individual to own it from the beginning.” Meanwhile, students are also visiting Belmont Day’s Erskine Library to hone

research strategies and assess what print and digital resources are available on various topics. Librarian Amy Sprung plays a key role in nurturing student interests in topics ranging from the International Space Station to forensics. She is a tireless advocate for student inquiry, and her wideranging interests and knowledge make her invaluable in the Capstone experience. By June, students have winnowed their lists to two possible topics, planning to conduct light research over the summer. “This is a chance to read, watch TED talks and documentaries, and explore in a leisurely way that students wouldn’t have time for otherwise,” Jennifer says. When school opens in September, students hit the ground running, ready to commit to a topic. Throughout the fall, students have regularly scheduled time during social studies class to research and write a substantive paper, most of which are around ten pages long. Social studies teacher Kate Burns provides careful, intentional instruction around evaluating sources, note-taking, outlining, and revision. The rigor of this process

the student’s journey, “andThisweiswant each individual to own it from the beginning. ”

results in successful academic writing and provides the foundation for other Capstone components. Many alumni have commented on the key role of the Capstone paper in their preparation for high school and beyond. In the winter, students shift to Capstone’s project phase, which includes conducting an interview. For most students, this is their first experience reaching out to experts to gather information. “An important takeaway from Capstone is for students to realize that every person and every conversation represents an opportunity to learn,” Jennifer says. “The students are building important life skills of how to present themselves, how to ask for the information they want, how to listen, and how to show gratitude.” Students also design a project—which could be an artistic expression, an element of technology, community service, or another format. Throughout the process, students meet regularly with a faculty mentor and periodically with a team of peers to reflect on their work. For the grand finale in April, students deliver polished presentations about their Capstones with the entire eighth grade, along with faculty, parents, and other guests. Intriguingly, none of the work students complete after their research paper receives a traditional letter grade. “Capstone is designed to cultivate intrinsic motivation that is not connected to grades,” Jennifer says. “We want students to develop their own sense of what excellence looks and feels like. Authentic assessment and feedback are built into the process as students share their work along the way, and again at the end when they present their journey to an audience.” Students are generous with each other in exchanging ideas and compliments throughout the year. Audiences also are invited to write comments after Capstone presentations—and students take this opportunity to write thoughtful comments for other students. “Capstone builds camaraderie and empathy because everyone undertakes this challenge together,” Jennifer says. B E L M O N T DAY magazine | 7

A Mentorship A vital component of the Capstone experience is a weekly meeting with a faculty mentor. In addition to teachers, mentors include staff who play administrative and operational roles, bringing a wide range of experiences to the Capstone initiative. Mentors may or may not have prior experience with a specific Capstone topic. Either way, they recognize that the student is supposed to be the expert. “As a mentor, I step back and let students take the lead,” says Lana, who has been a mentor almost every year since Capstone began. “When students share what they learn each week, I ask a lot of questions out of pure curiosity.” Authentic learning does not always move in a straight line. Sometimes students are bubbly with excitement

from new discoveries. At other times, they encounter obstacles, stall from procrastination, or struggle to narrow a scope of work. Through regularly scheduled conversations, mentors validate student interests and give them a forum to problem-solve. Often the simple act of talking it out works wonders because each time students discuss their Capstone, they grow more refined in their thinking and organization. “It builds a lot of confidence in students, especially at this age, to be able to sit down with an adult and lead a conversation,” Lana says. “We talk about how to fill gaps in information, how to write an email to schedule a meeting, or how to reach out to others and ask for help. Then when our students go to

high school, they know better how to communicate with teachers and advocate for themselves.” In addition to designated mentors, students also receive support from other Belmont Day faculty. Students regularly touch base with Jennifer, as the program coordinator, or Dean Spencer, who also provides Capstone support, as their projects develop. They also may tap into faculty’s specialized expertise, such as working with Kurt Robinson on 3-D printing or Anne Armstrong on visual art. “We always want students to feel seen and known at Belmont Day,” Jennifer says. “Capstone is one more avenue for our faculty to encourage our students and show our faith in them.”

Axalotl Programming Olive Kiraly ’22 is an avid video gamer. For her

Capstone, Olive studied the evolution of this entertainment media, from the first game invented in 1958, through the golden age of the 1980s, to today. “I’m always surprised by how detailed and truly unbelievable the graphics, sound effects, and overall concepts are,” she says. Olive contemplated building her own video game and quickly learned how many decisions would be involved. “I needed to consider what the game scene would be, how a player would advance in the game or win, and most importantly, what platform I would use to code the game.” Olive used the block-based program Scratch to code her own game, called Pixelotl, inspired by the axlotl in Minecraft. She created two versions of the game to represent the different styles of games available in the 1970s compared to the 1980s. The earlier model is in black and white, with more limited movement; the later model is full color, with smoother animation and more design elements. In addition to coding and the broader context of video games, Olive learned a lot about herself through her Capstone. “I often have pretty ambitious ideas,” Olive says. “This was hard because it was difficult to accomplish all the work I planned to do. But it also helped me challenge myself to achieve as much as possible. I’m so glad to have had this memorable experience.”

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As a mentor, I step back and let students take the lead. “When students share what they learn each week, I ask a lot of questions out of pure curiosity. ”

An Education in Alternative Energy Peter Kurtz ’22 is a strong believer that renewable energy

sources could positively impact our world. “The more alternative energy sources there are,” he says, “the safer our planet will be because the global temperature would be lower.” Thus, for his Capstone, Peter investigated the potentials and parameters of solar panels, wind turbines, and nuclear energy. “I wanted to understand why renewable energy wasn’t as much of a priority as fossil fuels and why fossil fuels have been in use for so long,” he says. Peter conducted two formal interviews for his Capstone, first speaking with Andrew Tees, who has a dual career as an opera singer and working on wind and solar initiatives and battery storage for a large Canadian energy company. Peter also interviewed our director of operations, Anderson Santos, to learn about Belmont Day’s solar panels and to get a consumer’s perspective on energy use in facilities. A particular Capstone highlight for Peter was synthesizing his research to present a lesson about alternative energy to two third grade classes, which had completed a project relating to oil spills earlier in the year. Peter discovered that planning a lesson was more complicated than he expected. He was nervous before teaching the first class, and then he loved it. “I could tell from their questions that they were intrigued,” he says. “After the first class, I learned a lot about what the students were interested in and how I could change it for the next students. I wish I could have taught more classes, and I’m grateful for that opportunity.”

A Series of Discoveries Wisdom Badgett ’22 used Capstone

to investigate the complex dynamic between advertising and American society. “Society is sculpted by advertising and vice versa,” she says. “As societal norms shift, media ads broadcast these shifts, creating a cycle.” Wisdom reported how advertisements have sometimes promoted social agendas, harmful products, and racial stereotypes. She also examined ads that are making efforts to promote positive messages and more balanced representation alongside commercial products. “Before this project, I just thought of advertisements as an annoyance on social media feeds,” Wisdom says. “Now I look more closely to ask: What are they really trying to sell me?”

Wisdom applied what she learned to design three original advertisements promoting a cousin’s small business specializing in cosmetics. One ad was written and typeset as if it was from the 1800s. For the second ad, Wisdom wrote an original, 1930s-style radio jingle. She worked with music teacher Tyler Cotner to identify software for recording and to edit the jingle, and she recruited Charlie Baird (who studied music in college) to supply the vocals. The final ad reflected a visual, contemporary style and highlighted how the products would serve a diverse customer base. “I liked learning how to do digital art and work on the music,” Wisdom says, “I also enjoyed writing my paper. It felt good to put in all my information and say, yes, I did this!”

Unafraid of the Big, Bad Wolf Nadia Lomeli ’22 was always intrigued by how literature portrays elements of the

natural world. Why, she wondered, are wolves often the villain in fairy tales such as the Three Little Pigs, or Little Red Riding Hood? For her Capstone project, Nadia explored how the relationship between humans and wolves has changed over time. However, “the presence of wolves in storytelling has stayed the same,” Nadia says, “which can spark irrational fear.” Through her research, Nadia debunked common myths overstating the dangers of wolves; she studied how eradicating wolves degraded the ecosystem of Yellowstone National Park; she learned that Native American cultures honored wolves for their teamwork and leadership. Although intimidated at first about researching and writing such a long paper, Nadia found that she enjoyed following her curiosity. “If you are passionate and excited about what you are learning and going to share with the world,” she says, “then the paper will flow right out of you.” For her project, Nadia wanted to make wolves seem more relatable. So, she created three life-size wolf sculptures out of papier-mâché accompanied by biographical information based on a real wolf living in a sanctuary. Nadia’s final takeaway: “We should challenge the messages given through stories. Animals can never be good or evil. They simply survive in the environment, and we shouldn’t project positive or negative qualities onto them because that can spread misinformation and harm animals in the wild.”

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Ben Ashman ’22 explored how the

history of board games illustrates changing cultural priorities. Ben’s update to the classic game of chess reflects political hierarchies from centuries ago and political powers within the modern-day United States. Instead of kings, knights, and pawns, Ben’s game had pieces to represent citizens, billionaires, elected officials, and the media. The game uses a standard chess board with newly shaped tokens and new variations on how the pieces move. Although eighth graders begin working on their projects during the winter, they also have Studio Week—five days in March with an altered class schedule that includes several hours each day to focus on Capstone work. Ben took full advantage of Studio Week to finish their game pieces, using CAD software to design updated game tokens, which were 3-D printed. “I created each piece individually, and each was difficult in its own way because it was made up of smaller components.” Having this dedicated time at school helps ensure that students have access to the time and tools they need and also benefit from the feedback of faculty and peers who are similarly in full Capstone mode.

B E L M O N T DAY magazine | 11

The confidence “that comes from

A Confidence Builder

completing Capstone is invaluable as they head into their next educational step.

Lucy Targum ’22 knew she wanted to

do her Capstone on a topic that allowed her to take action because she has always been interested in social justice. When she settled on abortion rights, however, she had no idea that this topic would take center stage in public discourse shortly after she concluded her project. Lucy traced the history of abortion practices as far back as the ancient civilizations in Greece and Egypt and examined the evolution of abortion rights in the United States. For her project, Lucy created protest art, with sculptures of women’s bodies made out of packing tape, combined with caution tape, toy soldiers, protest signs, and media headlines about restrictions on women’s choices. “The most important takeaway for me was realizing that I feel most fulfilled when taking a stand and working towards change,” Lucy says. “It’s almost never an easy task, but I find it to be that much more rewarding when I’m finished.” Lucy

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”

acknowledged that abortion could be a divisive topic but challenged her audience to consider what topics strongly motivate them. “The only way to find middle ground is by pushing through the discomfort to have challenging conversations,” she says. “If I don’t speak up for my beliefs, then I’m actively throwing away my voice and my power.”

W H AT I S C A P STO N E AT B E L M O N T DAY ?

A Potential Future in Oncology In seventh grade, Evan Griffith-Ebrahimi ’22 looked forward to doing his Capstone on the Roman Empire. Through exploratory research over the summer, however, he chose to take on a topic with more personal resonance: cancer immunotherapy. Evan’s family is at high risk for cancer, and several extended family members have stayed in his home while accessing nearby medical facilities. “I grew up talking about chemotherapy, radiation surgery, and all kinds of cancer treatments over dinner,” Evan says. “I want to be an oncologist, so I thought it would be cool to learn about a type of cancer treatment during my Capstone journey.” Evan focused on cancer immunotherapy—a cancer treatment that helps the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells without harming healthy cells. During the research and paper phase, Evan developed a sophisticated understanding of B cells, T cells, lymph glands, and antigens. By interviewing Dr. Araz Marachelian, who leads clinical trials for cancer immunotherapies at the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, Evan learned how children and adults react differently to various cancer immunotherapies. He then translated his information into a board game in which players simulate the decisions made by doctors and patients, with the game reflecting realistic probabilities in outcomes. Evan appreciated that the Capstone journey gave him new experiences in working with mentors and new knowledge about cancer treatments. Evan says about his interview with Dr. Marachelian, “At first, I was nervous about interviewing someone, but it turned out to be a fun experience. The interview taught me a lot about communicating effectively with others and helped me become more comfortable talking to people I don’t know well.” Evan also appreciated the support of his faculty mentor, middle school math teacher Elinor Klein. “She supported me through every step of this process,” Evan says, “and meeting with her was always a highlight of my week.”

One of the best gifts Capstone gives students is the confidence that comes from becoming an expert on a topic that is important to them. “Eighth graders often struggle with confidence because so many things in their lives are changing,” Charlie says. “They understand that while they may be leaders at Belmont Day, they are about to graduate to a new environment in high school. The confidence that comes from completing Capstone is invaluable as they head into their next educational step.” What instills students with the most pride at the end of Capstone varies based on the student. For some, writing a ten-page paper helps them to feel ready to face the new challenges of high school. Others glow from the experience of public

speaking or from persevering step-bystep through the year-long process. Some draw energy from all the parts. The advice Lucy gives to future eighth graders? “This is definitely a transition year,” she says, “and you are going to come out a much stronger version of yourself when you are through with Capstone. This is a memorable part of your life, and that’s something to celebrate.”

SCAN to watch

the Capstone presentations.

Meet Our

Lifelong Learners and Leaders Alasdair MacKenzie ’11:

A Musician Brings Creativity to Art and Business Having a band “means not only

writing music and playing shows but also booking shows and pitching your songs to playlists and radio stations. I’m still on a learning curve with the entrepreneurial side of the music industry, as well as the actual creation of music. There’s a ton to learn.

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One of the fondest memories Alasdair MacKenzie ’11 has from Belmont Day is gulping lunch so he could hurry to the music room where Frank Toppa often played piano on his own lunch break. “I would hop on the drum set and try to play along quietly enough that it wouldn’t bother him,” Alasdair says. “I never got the vibe that it did; he was very friendly.” This was one of the early seeds of a love of making music that has blossomed into a musical career today. Since graduating from Harvard University in 2019 with a political science and government degree, Alasdair has consistently found work as a music producer, engineer, and accompanist. He oversees recording sessions, mixes and masters recordings, provides artistic input, and performs instrumental and vocal parts on recordings. He owns and operates a recording studio, recordings from which have been streamed on Spotify more than 1 million times. Alasdair is also a singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist in the band Hush Club, which in September 2022 was nominated for two Boston Music Awards. Their recent album, Fingerprints & Stains, was nominated for Album/EP of the Year, and the band received the nomination for Folk

Artist of the Year. Hush Club makes indie rock music in the subgenre of dream pop. “We like expansive, open soundscapes that sound like you’re standing in a big field under a sky full of stars at night,” Alasdair says. “Our lyrics try to be honest—as real as a conversation with a friend. We like to sing in a way that just gets out of the way and delivers a song.”

Nurturing a Passion Alasdair feels fortunate that he’s had support for making music his whole life, including the presence of teachers in many subjects who encouraged his music habit. He recalls Dean Spencer’s sixth grade social studies class centering music during the unit about the Civil Rights movement, in which students learned about the blues as a form of poetry and about musical composition. “We wrote our own blues poems,” Alasdair says. “His classes helped me see music as legitimate—not just a hobby or frivolous thing, but a part of history.” In seventh grade, Alasdair started a rock band at Belmont Day. He got permission from teachers to ring the bell during lunch in Coolidge Hall to announce auditions. “What was really cool was the

institutional support the band got,” Alasdair says. The group was allowed to rehearse sometimes during an X block; if the music room was occupied, they pivoted to the science lab or another available space. What was most meaningful was that the group performed several songs at the Spring Concert alongside the chorus and instrumental ensembles. “That taught me that I could make something happen by being conscious of cultivating relationships with the people who can support me,” Alasdair says. “It was a lesson in how to lead a band and play music, and it was also a lesson in how to present your art in the forums where you want to present it.” Alasdair used his Capstone to explore the music industry’s shift toward digital consumption. At that time, the now megastreaming service Spotify had launched in

about this career path, and for having a role model in an uncle who has made a successful career as a musician. “My parents love music and believe in me,” he says. “They recognize this journey as something that serious people do.” Europe but was still six years away from its U.S. launch. Capstone became Alasdair’s first experience engaging with the business side of being a professional artist. “Having a band means not only writing music and playing shows but also booking shows and pitching your songs to playlists and radio stations,” Alasdair says. A lifelong learner, he adds: “I’m still on a learning curve with the entrepreneurial side of the music industry, as well as the actual creation of music. There’s a ton to learn.” Alasdair is also grateful for the support of his parents, who are open-minded

Art is Always Growing Alasdair and his bandmates Chris Haley and Liz Kantor met in college. They are all instrumentalists, singers, and songwriters, often with each providing lead vocals for the songs they have written themselves. Their process is collaborative: “Usually someone will bring an idea for a song,” Alasdair says, “then the other two will give constructive feedback. By the end of the process, the song belongs to all three of us, even though one person started it.” B E L M O N T DAY magazine | 15

With fewer opportunities to perform due to the pandemic, Hush Club seized that opportunity to invest its time in developing an album. “Recording is hard when you’re playing shows all the time,” Alasdair says. When a band’s energy is focused on the logistics of rehearsing, transportation, and playing venues, “there’s not a lot of time for new creativity.” With a slower performing pace, Hush Club members devoted themselves to developing song sketches that they had jotted down or saved in voice memos. Before recording, the group shared rough versions of songs with a close circle of listeners. The feedback was invaluable for refining musical choices in the twelve songs that made the final cut. As a result, Fingerprints & Stains has received a strong response, with extensive airplay on college radio across the United States and Canada. The album charted as the #4 debut on the

The music that “means the most

to me combines a soundscape with a little escapism—you put on your headphones, close your eyes, and wake up somewhere else.

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NACC 200 (North American College and Community) in its first week and stayed on the chart for three weeks. The album also received positive press from national blogs such as Glide Magazine, Under the Radar, and Vanyaland. “We pitched our music to radio stations on a whim,” Alasdair says, “and it went way better than I expected.” The moment of first hearing the music on the radio was exciting, and band members rushed to the driveway with their guitars to hear the music as many fans would— through the car radio. “Music played on the radio has a different sound than when you listen on Spotify, on CD, or other media,” Alasdair says. The band also has been excited to resume performing as venues have reopened. They recently headlined a sold-out show at Cambridge’s historic Club

Passim and have opened for national acts such as Michael Seyer and Wable. They also played at the Brighton Music Hall in Boston, which was particularly meaningful because band members have seen many of their favorite artists perform there. Like many artists, Alasdair holds himself to high musical standards and is often his own harshest critic. Nonetheless, he is proud of this album. He jokes: “I don’t cringe when I listen to it, and I even smile sometimes. And that may be the most positive thing I could ever say about something I made.” What is most important, of course, is the musician’s ongoing drive to create resonant art. “The music that means the most to me,” Alasdair says, “combines a soundscape with a little escapism—you put on your headphones, close your eyes, and wake up somewhere else.”

Meet Our Lifelong Learners and Leaders ILLUSTRATION ©SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/BLUEHOUSESTUDIO

Ian Magnusson ’06:

A Complex Thinker Emphasizes Humanity in Artificial Intelligence One of the strongest memories Ian (Jack) Magnusson ’06 has from Belmont Day is when he designed a new society based on a science fiction scenario of a spaceship getting stuck on another planet in seventh grade. The students explored culture from many angles, including researching how people live in different climates on Earth and imagining how people might survive within the resources on the imaginary planet. Students wrote stories about their invented cultures and represented them in a dialogue to promote peaceful coexistence. When discussing a prompt modeled on nuclear nonproliferation, one student held out—challenging others to convince him that reducing his nation’s weapons was

truly a good idea. “That was a teachable moment for me because I realized that things are not always simple in the world,” Ian says. “I appreciate that Belmont Day had a curriculum that allowed that kind of complexity to come out. “The essence of a good education,” he continues, “is showing students that whatever they are learning isn’t just a task to fill the hours of a school day but that the knowledge is part of a bigger picture. Belmont Day encouraged us to be creative and figure out how the puzzle pieces of the world fit together.” Now Ian puzzles out complex questions as a researcher at the Seattlebased Allen Institute for Artificial

Intelligence, which hopes to drive fundamental advances in science, medicine, and conservation through AI. Ian is in a two-year position before he applies to doctoral programs in this field. His particular interest is blending social science approaches and computer science to improve the models that train AI in its use of the English language. “If we make models that draw from the way text is already distributed in the world, then we will reproduce the same biases that already exist,” he explains. “But if we can identify texts from underrepresented domains, then we can create AI that better understands different dialects of English and so better supports a broader range of people.” B E L M O N T DAY magazine | 17

ILLUSTRATION ©SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/ STUDIOSTOKS

Entering the AI World

Cultivating Crossdisciplinary Thinking One thing Ian appreciated at Belmont Day was how much teachers from different subjects collaborated to encourage students to think across disciplines and outside the box. That lens has stayed with him ever since. Ian graduated from Belmont High School before attending Bard College, where he double-majored in anthropology and environmental and urban studies. “I’ve always been fascinated with how we approach—in a rigorous, scientific manner—the kinds of questions that don’t fit neatly onto a blackboard in one big diagram,” Ian says. Anthropology appealed to him as a way of examining aspects of

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human culture, interactions, and perspectives. “Especially in complex phenomena, you have to account for where the scientist as a human being sits in the subject they are studying,” he says. While at Bard, Ian won funding from the school’s Center for Civic Engagement, which allowed him to conduct participant observation in nine states to support his undergraduate thesis on how young adults engaged in social movements. Also, during college, Ian had the opportunity to tutor and conduct research through the Bard Prison Initiative, which enrolls over 300 incarcerated students in courses that result in a bachelor’s degree. “It was inspiring to be a small part of that program,” Ian says. “It took the approach that incarcerated people deserve the opportunity to explore the life of the mind as much as any other human.”

After Bard, Ian attended Northeastern University to earn a master’s degree in computer science, with a specialization in AI and coursework in natural language processing. Through his graduate work and internships, Ian has been a named author on multiple publications and a contributing researcher to a variety of AI projects, including an initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to explore using AI to predict the severity of suicidal intent in social media forums relating to anxiety and depression. “This is an interesting research question,” he says. “Could AI help us figure out which forum users may need help urgently?” Such forums often have trained human moderators, but an effective application of AI could potentially expand impact. The models in that project were not yet refined enough to be deployed, but they represent the type of impact that AI proponents hope to see one day. “Whether or not we have AI technology, the world is already full of complex problems and social ills,” Ian says. “Having tools to understand these issues at a nuanced level can help us have a much more nuanced discourse.” Not long ago, for example, Ian found himself amidst Serbians and Ukrainians discussing the Kosovo War, and he quickly wanted to refresh his knowledge of the subject. To do so, he input an inquiry to a new AI model that has

Meet Our Lifelong Learners and Leaders recently made headlines, called ChatGPT. Ian accessed useful information—which he was then able to fact-check—and was better able to participate in the conversation. Although Ian’s conversation was in person, the situation also has implications for online discourse. “It was reassuring to see that the AI could automatically produce the kinds of texts that a helpful moderator in an online forum would provide,” Ian says. “Research shows that those types of interventions could improve the quality of online discourse, and then hopefully have downstream impacts on improving democracy and addressing other issues.”

Increasing Transparency, Reducing Bias An important factor in AI’s success, Ian cautions, is transparency. With a few exceptions, much work in this field is currently occurring in the corporate sector, with models being out of reach from academic researchers. Many are concerned about the potential systemic effects of breakthrough prototypes—like ChatGPT—being

released by industry without the openness that would occur in traditional academic contexts. “Understanding how the models are built and the motivations behind the models is important,” Ian says. “Aside from malicious purposes, humans are very capable of causing problems with our technology when we don’t understand well enough how it works.” A common challenge in language processing is that AI models need vast amounts of text to learn from. Often, those text sets come from the internet, government documents, or other domains in which large amounts of text are publicly available. These domains then contain inherent biases based on whoever is creating and using the texts, so part of the goal for researchers like Ian is creating models that can filter out harmful biases and include many perspectives. “Resolving these issues is important to making AI technologies safer when they do get deployed so they can benefit everyone.” “Beginning at Belmont Day and continuing forward, my education has molded me to ask why things are the way they are,” Ian says. “Once we have a deeper understanding of how and why things are, then we can get together with others and talk about how they might be.”

An AI Ode to Belmont Day An AI model recently made headlines thanks to a new level of proficiency in its ability to mimic human language. ChatGPT, released by the company OpenAI, is a chatbot trained to associate words that commonly occur together from analyzing a significant portion of all the text on the internet. Unlike Google or other search engines, ChatGPT does not crawl the internet in response to individual inquiries. Rather, it responds to inquiries by applying knowledge of common word patterns that it has stored from its prior training—and hopefully, its response sounds like what a real human would say. As a fun exercise to demonstrate the current state of such technologies, AI researcher Ian (Jack) Magnusson ’06 asked ChatGPT to write a poem about Belmont Day. Enjoy these literary musings:

Beginning at “Belmont Day and

continuing forward, my education has molded me to ask why things are the way they are. Once we have a deeper understanding of how and why things are, then we can get together with others and talk about how they might be.

”

Nestled in Belmont, a town so fine, Is a school that’s truly one of a kind. Belmont Day School, where learning takes flight, With a focus on academics and students’ delight. In the classroom and on the stage, Talents are nurtured and dreams are made. In the gym and on the field, Athletic prowess is revealed. With a commitment to diversity and inclusivity, Belmont Day School creates community. Where students from all backgrounds can thrive, And grow into leaders for the future alive. From kindergarten to eighth grade, Belmont Day School is a place where students engage. With teachers who inspire and support, And a community that cares and endorses. Belmont Day School, a shining star, Where young minds are nurtured from near and far. B E L M O N T DAY magazine | 19

a Lifet f o im rip e T

Eighth Graders Explore the Southwest Last spring, thirty-seven eighth graders and five chaperones made lifetime memories on a trip to the Grand Canyon and other nearby landmarks. This journey was all the more special because the pandemic had temporarily canceled overnight class trips and even most field trips. This photo essay documents how class trips offer students opportunities to grow personally and strengthen friendships as they explore new environments and encounter people with diverse experiences and perspectives.

DAY 1 Welcome to the Southwest. After a six-hour flight to Phoenix,

followed by a bus ride, students were thrilled to reach their first destination: Slide Rock State Park greeted them with blue skies and swimsuit weather in April! Just north of Sedona, the park is named for a natural water slide formed by an 80-foot-long chute that the chilly waters of Oak Creek have worn into the sandstone.

In Their Own Words This trip was one of those moments when you look out at something that you’ve never seen before, never heard of before, and all of a sudden, you feel that feeling of being the little speck of dust on the underarm of a flea. It feels like there is an entire universe to discover (which there is), and you have a chance to discover it. You remember that you are one human of 8.5 billion others and that we all coexist with these thousands-of-years-old marvels of nature. The true wonders of the trip were reflecting on the

history that could be seen, the stories that could be told just by taking it all in, the science behind these wonderful views, and the desire to capture this feeling and let others experience it. Looking around at the canyons gave us a view into our planet’s past and the culture of others. Our eighth grade class appreciates everybody who helped make this trip possible. From all of us, thank you so much!

– Bridget Peters ’22 B E L M O N T DAY magazine | 21

DAY 2 Ups and Downs and Oohs and Aahs.

On Tuesday, the Grand Canyon did not disappoint. On first viewing, several students described it with a simple, heartfelt “Wow!” Students gained a deeper appreciation of the canyon’s scale as they hiked nearly a mile and 600 feet below the rim on the South Kaibab Trail to the aptly named Ooh Aah Point. Students then discovered how different hiking back up the canyon is from hiking down.

Trail Encounters. Students showed excellent

hiker etiquette as they shared trail switchbacks with other travelers. They were intrigued to learn that this mule train was carrying mail, which the U.S. Postal Service has done for decades to deliver to Havasupai people who live on the canyon floor. As often happens during travel, our eighth graders were reminded that as big as the world is, building personal connections also keeps it cozy—on the path, we met another hiker who grew up in Belmont and recognized our school logo.

DAY 2 Continued Picture Perfect.

Students helped document their adventure.

DAY 3 View from the Heights. Wednesday began

with a 1.5-mile hike to Horseshoe Bend Overlook, one of the most popular spots in the Glen Canyon National Recreational Area. Students showed appropriate caution and a healthy sense of adventure in peeking over the cliff’s edge to the Colorado River 1,000 feet below.

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DAY 3 Continued Riding the River Below. Changing perspective,

students loaded onto river rafts—this one led by friendly trip guide Ryan—to float through Horseshoe Canyon. Looking up at the people standing where they had been earlier that day, students called out “Helloooo” but couldn’t tell if the onlookers heard. Partway through the trip, the rafts stopped, and students took a short dip in the Colorado River, where temperatures hover around 50 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. Back in the boats, the sun quickly warmed them up.

Appreciating Ancient Art. The rafts

stopped to view the Descending Sheep petroglyphs, which were made by chiseling off a dark layer of oxidized minerals—called “desert varnish”—to expose lighter-colored rock beneath. Archaeologists have found evidence of human occupation of the Grand Canyon dating back 12,000 years and believe this scene was created at least 3,000 years ago. Today, eleven tribes of Native peoples consider the conservation of the park’s archaeological resources a part of their cultural heritage.

Cowboy Cookout.

Near Kanab, Utah, students met some Texas longhorns and learned about ranching before tucking into a chuckwagon feast of stew and cornbread. After dinner, students roasted marshmallows and were regaled with ghost stories by trip guide Ryan, and host, Cowboy John. Students then mounted an impromptu talent show with singing, dancing, and even a juggling act.

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DAY 4 Sand Dune Sledding. On Thursday

morning at Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, students reported that the slide down was well worth the long climb back up.

Cowpokes in Trouble. Every adventure has

unexpected obstacles. When the bus got stuck in the sand, a short stop at a roadside attraction turned into a long wait. Students rose to the occasion, wiling away the hours by playing cards, writing in journals, and putting on an impromptu play. They were especially delighted when the school bus that arrived to rescue them was driven by none other than Cowboy John. B E L M O N T DAY magazine | 25

DAY 4 Continued Unexpected Adventure. Refreshed

with ice cream, students went off-road in Jeeps and other open-air vehicles to reach Peek-a-Boo slot canyon, where they scrambled over rocks and explored one of the sandstone labyrinths that are a celebrated feature of the Western landscape.

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DAY 5 A Brisk Morning. Students viewed

the delicate hoodoos of Bryce Canyon first thing on Friday morning. At 8,100 feet above sea level, the rim of Bryce Canyon was the highest point visited on the trip— for comparison, Boston is 141 feet above sea level. At this elevation, students donned jackets and hoods for the first time on the trip and even saw some remnants of snow still on the ground.

The Big Finale. Later that afternoon, at

Zion National Park (4,625 feet above sea level), temperatures were warm enough to discard clothing layers for the final hike. The path took the group under a waterfall to see the Lower Emerald Pool. The journey concluded with a bus ride to Las Vegas and a red-eye flight back to Boston. Everyone felt so proud of how they navigated this grand adventure.

B E L M O N T DAY magazine | 27

Excellence After School Programs Support Families and Strengthen Learning, Friendships, and Community

Nearly 40 percent of Belmont Day students take advantage of our After School program and enrichment classes every year. And with so much fun to choose from, who wouldn’t? Enrichment classes were so popular this fall that registration filled in just minutes. The programs were successful before the pandemic and are now even more in demand as families seek extra opportunities for students to socialize. “This is a natural environment for social-emotional learning because students are building relationships as they engage in meaningful activities,” says Blair Fross, who has been director of the school year auxiliary programs since 2013. Prospective parents ask about the availability of after school activities when inquiring about Belmont Day. Parents value having everything students need on campus to fill the afternoons while they are still at

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work and that the programming after school is as high-quality and intentional as the curriculum offered during the day. Plus, the children love it: “A graduate once told me, ‘When I think of my childhood, I think of you and after school activities,’” Blair says.

Making Every Afternoon

Extraordinary

When families enroll in the After School program, they know they are signing up for fun. The standard program, where students can be from the end of the school day up until the last 5:30 p.m. pick-up, includes time for a snack and a variety of structured and unstructured activities. Students may hike on woodland trails, enjoy the playground, play indoor games, and produce

ties across “theForging grade levels is vital to Belmont Day’s tight-knit community.

”

craft projects. Teachers are experts in tailoring activities to the interests of each group, such as when a recent group of first and second graders was fascinated by insects. The students were fortunate to spot two praying mantises outside and learned to identify one as a male and the other as a female. The teacher took the pair home and soon brought back baby mantises for students to observe and set free. “Students are always eager to spend time with their friends and do exciting things together,” Blair says. These are the types of activities that make lifelong memories. “Our programs have a strong sense of community and belonging, so while students are here together, they share, listen, reflect, and collaborate. Compared to other parts of the day, where children face many expectations, in After School, they deliver just by being themselves and participating.” Building cross-graded relationships is a pillar of After School and another

example of how the program integrates into the school’s vision of what it means for children to be learners and leaders. Students are organized into similarly aged cross-graded groups Monday through Thursday. On Fridays, when the school day ends earlier, pre-kindergarten through eighth grade students come together for special activities, such as yoga or circus tumbling. In all these situations, younger students learn from older students, and older students grow from being mentors. Forging ties across the grade levels is vital to Belmont Day’s tight-knit community. “Navigating developmental differences is a social-emotional skill and an important way for students to build confidence and resilience,” Blair says. “When we see an eighth grader interact with a four-year-old, we expect the younger child to find joy in that interaction. To see the older child also come away from that moment with an equal sense of joy and meaning is something special.”

Deep Dives Through

Enrichment

Belmont Day also offers a changing slate of enrichment classes that meet once per week throughout each trimester, encouraging students to explore their interests further. Students choose from such dynamic themes as robotics, yoga, movement and tumbling, fashion design, and BDS Shark Tank. Specialists from outside the Belmont Day faculty teach some classes. This fall, students learned how to draw and write cartoons, taught by Jonathan Todd, who illustrated children’s literature for Scholastic and had cartoons published in

Fun Ways to Fill Vacation Days

Some students just can’t stay away from Belmont Day, even when the academic calendar takes a break. Our full-day vacation camps enroll about seventy students during the February vacation and about forty students during the April vacation. The winter camps often include an off-site option that takes advantage of the season for skiing or snowboarding. On-site camps offer lively activities around a theme. In 2022, for example, younglings and padawans unleashed their inner Jedi during Star Wars week. They enjoyed arts and crafts, games, and an Ewok walk on the forest moon of Endor (the trails behind Claflin field). They even enjoyed a visit by a Master Jedi who taught lightsaber skills and battled Darth Vader.

B E L M O N T DAY magazine | 29

The Boston Globe and more than twenty other newspapers and magazines nationwide. Similarly, Rachel Nolan, who writes for and edits literary journals, taught a young storytellers class and a creative writing and poetry class. “It’s a unique experience for students to interact with professionals who bring a passion and knowledge of real-world applications into the classroom,” Blair says. Other enrichment classes are taught by Belmont Day classroom teachers, creating more options for students to interact with faculty in various settings. Support teacher Angela DeVecchi ’75 taught ceramics, and first grade teacher Geoffrey Fox offered exciting math games and puzzles. Classroom teachers sometimes use enrichment classes as a test kitchen to develop new projects.

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Enrichment classes “allow students who want more to pursue their interests right here within our community.

”

“Teachers can take this time to try out new ideas in a cross-graded setting, see how the material lands with different ages, and then later roll a project out in their academic day classes,” Blair says. For eight years, Belmont Day theater teacher Christopher Parsons has taught a rotation of popular enrichment classes focused on the performing arts. In clowning school, students came up with names and a makeup profile for their clown persona and practiced juggling and pie throwing. A fractured fairy tales class combined literature, art, and theater as pre-kindergartners examined classic stories told in different ways. In an enrichment drama club, students have produced short plays. “Theater is my passion, so I love being able to continue that learning experience for children after school,” Chris says. He particularly appreciates the chance to work with students in small, cross-graded

groups. “Teaching enrichment classes is another way for me to get to know students and then plan to make lessons even more valuable for them.” Enrichment classes add to the overall experience of theater at Belmont Day because they expand opportunities for students to strengthen their foundation in performing arts. “A priority of our program overall is for students to love putting on productions,” Chris says. “The goals in our theater arts curriculum are carefully scaffolded so that students take their skills deeper. Enrichment classes allow students who want more to pursue their interests right here within our community.” This is just one more example of how our After School program delivers on its mission to be a thoughtful and reflective community of role models who think holistically about students and help them grow.

Excellence After School

Summer Programs Appeal to All

About one-third of Belmont Day students return to our campus each summer to enjoy Belmont Day Summer Programs, which attract about 900 children from around the Boston area. Campers range in age from three- to fifteen-years-old, with rising eighth and ninth graders participating in Future Leaders, a mentorship and counselor-in-training program. In addition to participating as campers, many Belmont Day alumni return to campus as camp counselors. Our summer programs provide a healthy social environment and active agenda, with daily schedules full of arts, nature, swimming, and nonstop fun. Some offerings focus on themes of particular interest, such as specific sports, outings around the Boston area, engineering, art, and academic enrichment. There is truly something for everyone to fill the long, sunny summer days.

Hundreds of happy campers enjoy our campus and tons of great summer activities. A big part of making that joy possible each summer is the work of our BDS alumni counselors—their knowledge of our values is vital to the experience of our summer community. Here are some of the alumni who joined us for Summer Camp 2022. Pictured from left to right: Calder Wilmot ‘22, Piper Morris ‘20, Kiki Friedbauer ‘20, Davin Roy ‘20, Kate Finnerty ‘17, Xander Lightbody ‘20, Asher Kopperl ‘20, Miranda Harlow ‘20, Cole Lemack-Bremen ‘19, Natalie Murphy ‘16, and Sami Awad ‘18. Not pictured: Philippe Pitts ‘19 and Dylan Lasry ‘18.

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LOW E R S C H O O L

Community and Excellence Fostering a Growth Mindset Betty Pryor

Lower School Head Belmont Day is a community like no other, with a faculty of many talented adults, all skilled at their craft and embodying the attributes of a continual learner. These colleagues remind me of the caring teachers from my childhood who helped me discover a love of learning, who gave me a gentle nudge to have the confidence to speak up in class, who helped me navigate making friends, and who celebrated the joys of small moments. From year to year, Belmont Day faculty cultivate a school culture that is embraced and reinforced by our students and families. As a result, this year’s school themes—community and excellence—are so tightly intertwined that they are inseparable in Belmont Day’s lower school classrooms. Although excellence is one of Belmont Day’s six core values, it can also be challenging to define. The lower school curriculum illustrates this quality both in the “what” and the “how” of student learning. Excellence looks like pre-kindergarten students exploring nature and community by harvesting potatoes from the school garden and devising ways to sort them. They collaborate with school chefs to cook them and then plant more for next year’s pre-k class to repeat the cycle. Excellence is the fourth grade team partnering with our librarian and the author of their summer reading book to plan an interactive author visit in which students applied techniques from the author’s process in their writing.

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Excellence also means teachers offering flexible seating to accommodate student needs and fostering a growth mindset by reinforcing the power of “yet.” Throughout my interactions with faculty, students, and parents, I hear many examples of community, excellence, and the relationship between them. It is rewarding to provide this foundation for student growth and to hear from parents about how much a Belmont Day education means to their families. And, with each year, students and families look forward to more examples of excellence and community.

“

From year to year, Belmont Day faculty cultivate a school culture that is embraced and reinforced by our students and families.

”

LOW E R S C H O O L

First Graders are

“All About” Writing At Belmont Day, students are never too young to see themselves as writers. That is why Geoffrey Fox and Cicely Gibson introduce the concept of a Writer’s Workshop in their first grade classrooms. Students build concrete writing skills as they brainstorm, draft, elaborate, and revise their writing to create a series of four-page mini-books that feature words and illustrations. “Students feel strong agency,” Geoffrey says, “because they are writing about topics that they are passionate about.” Students begin by making “All About” books that highlight areas of personal expertise. Identifying specific facts for each page, students write on a wide variety of topics, such as dolphins, caring for pet

snails, Minecraft, and building with LEGO bricks. Students also have written biographies of family members and historical figures, such as Harriet Tubman. As their writing develops, students expand into “Small Moment” stories based on their experiences, perhaps of going to the zoo, ice skating, or a baseball game. They plan four key moments for each story, including action, emotion, and dialogue. “This helps students understand that writers draw inspiration from everyday moments in their lives,” Cicely says. Students often create five or more “All About” stories throughout the year, plus several “Small Moment” stories—some prolific writers made ten! For each type of

story, students choose one to polish and publish in a final draft. Students enjoy looking back at their earlier stories and seeing how much their writing has grown. “The students become proud of the layers they add to their stories,” Cicely says.

A Practical and

Magical Menagerie Have you ever heard of the Arctic Cow, which survives frigid temperatures thanks to self-heating hooves? Or have you seen a Pom-Pom—an apex predator with sharp teeth and eyes—gliding through tropical desert sands? Or perhaps you have encountered a Unigle, which has a horn on its head, boasts a ten-foot wingspan, and is covered with feathers that change color based on the animal’s mood. This is just a sampling of the fauna “discovered” by third grade zoologists each year. Students begin their scientific explorations by studying the physical and behavioral adaptations that help real animals thrive in various habitats. Using what they have learned, students then

design creatures and explain the adaptations that help the animals move, eat, escape predators, and be successful in the climates where they live. “It’s magnificent to see the uniqueness of the animals created,” says teacher Leigh Twarog. “The final products reflect each student’s imagination and creativity.” Students can give their animals only one magical

element and must otherwise focus on identifying realistic possibilities for animal traits. The students’ ideas go through many iterations as they assemble the details and eventually build a life-size model of their creature. Finally, students present their creations to each other and family members who join in virtually. “The project is very collaborative,” Leigh says. “The students go through the learning process together and are thinking about how to design an animal that meets nature’s constraints. The presentations always go well, and the students are rewarded with genuine appreciation and applause from their classmates.” B E L M O N T DAY magazine | 33

Conversations Explore

Community and Culture Fifth grade students broaden their worldviews by interviewing members of their own community and researching their cultures of origin. Before each guest visits the class, students research the geography, food, music, and traditions of their native cultures and generate a list of questions for the discussion. Later, students assemble what they learned from the interviews into a booklet and into fun games that explore the culture. “This unit gives students a window to appreciate the diversity of experiences within our community,” says world languages teacher Jennifer Friborg. “Students also learn that while they can conduct research to gather many facts about a culture, it’s important to also hear actual lived experiences from that culture.” Students also work independently to interview someone in their circle of friends and family. After learning about others’ cultures, they reflect on their personal sense of culture and create a

unique page for a group booklet to share with classmates. In this way, students learn about the larger Belmont Day community, plus their class community and cultures. Recent conversations have included Belmont Day chef Vladimir Hucko, who grew up in the Czech Republic; parents who grew up in China and Venezuela; and a grandparent who grew up in Italy. To illustrate the relationships between some world languages, teacher Ana Maria Restrepo interviewed assistant building manager Lino Medeiros by asking questions in Spanish, and he replied in Portuguese. Ana Maria then translated the responses to English for students. “That was fun,” Ana Maria says, “It is a fantastic experience for students to hear the rhythms of people conversing in two languages.”

Head for

a Day

Kingland Johnson ‘26 took the role of Head for a Day seriously and in stride. He was the lucky winner of the Head for a Day raffle that was part of the 2021 BDS Quest and Fest.

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Belmont Day students begin their exposure to world languages in pre-kindergarten. French teacher Nathalie Pellenq connects with the younger grades weekly and with third and fourth graders twice per week to study French through songs, poems, and games. The fifth grade class—Language, Culture, and Community—prepares students for middle school by taking a meta-view of the connections between language and culture. The class also includes introductory units to expose students to Spanish, Latin, and French before they choose which language they will study in middle school.

LOW E R S C H O O L

Honeybees Are All the Buzz

Pre-kindergarten students watched from a safe distance as middle schoolers in the “Nature Is Where It’s At” club, led by art teacher and sustainability coordinator Kathy Jo Solomon, helped a new colony of bees settle into their hive in Belmont Day’s garden. Pre-k students regularly visit the school garden and previously had the opportunity to try on the beekeeper suits themselves. “We talk a lot about the importance of insects in the environment,” Kathy Jo says. “Children need a connection to nature to care about it and see themselves as stewards.”

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MIDDLE SCHOOL

Community and Excellence

Go Hand-in-Hand Liz Gray

Middle School Head When we talk about excellence and community at Belmont Day, how do we measure it? Precisely what are rigor, challenge, excellence, and community? I recently attended an event of the National Association of Independent Schools that provides a framework to answer these questions, underscoring how a Belmont Day education is steeped in these qualities. NAIS president Donna Orem spoke about what individuals and organizations need to adapt and thrive amidst urgent global forces changing the world today. As identified by the consulting firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers, the top concerns are “polarization—the increasing fracturing of communities” and “trust,” specifically, declining confidence in major societal institutions, a growing debate over truth, and rising distrust of those outside our identity group. Orem also talked

There is a false “binary between

excellence and community. In fact, excellence is community.

”

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about four learning skills that the World Economic Forum has identified as being at the top of current demand: critical thinking, problem-solving, self-management, and working with people. Where do we see these skills at Belmont Day? Everywhere. These processes live in the core spaces we imagine when picturing a day at BDS. They also live in the interstices—those small interpersonal or metacognitive moments that fill students’ days. These are the habits students build while participating in a family-style lunch in Coolidge Hall, when getting helpful feedback from teammates on the field, and when contributing to a group conversation about food insecurity in social studies class. They occur again when collecting and analyzing statistical data in math class and asking, “How does the type of question we ask change the type

of answer we get?” or coming up with the class norm of “challenge ideas, not people.” Belmont Day students exercise their critical thinking and problem-solving muscles each day, learn how to manage themselves, and navigate the sometimes gnarly but always winning experience of working with others. Orem’s presentation ended with a big question for our young people and arguably also for us as adults today: How to reconcile self-interest and the common good in a time of increasing polarization. There is a false binary between excellence and community. In fact, excellence is community. I always have and still believe that the middle school years center on identity exploration and formation and are the perfect time for students to face the challenge of building trust and empathy outside of their identity group and living well in a community.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Sparking Scientific Inquiry In Sandra Trentowsky’s eighth grade science classroom, most lessons start with a question or a puzzle to solve. In one lab, for example, students are given a set of equipment and must design a procedure to document the temperature of water as it changes from an ice cube to a gas. Students must decide: How will they apply heat to the ice cube? How will they collect data? How will they prevent errors? How will they present their data? These hands-on, inquiry-driven experiences are key to

building confidence. “Students learn a lot about how to apply their existing knowledge, combined with scientific processes and tools to solve problems,” Sandra says. Students build more knowledge as they chart their findings and discover that the slope of temperature change often differs from what they predicted. Rather than changing at a steady rate, the temperature has periods where it stays constant as all the energy from the heat source is used up by the water as it changes states. By comparing this investigation with other experiments throughout the course, students understand the difference between changing physical bonds—changing a solid to a gas—versus changing chemical bonds— neutralizing an acid. “My favorite moments are when the light bulb goes on,” Sandra says. “At first, students may feel challenged by new ideas, but they

keep investigating. Then, with enough exposure, they suddenly get it.” Alumni report that this inquiry-based approach prepares them well for high school science classes. They carry forward a solid foundation in content, the scientific process, and how to write a lab report. “Former students have told me that their high school teachers ask where they learned to write a lab report, and they reply that it was their eighth grade science teacher,” Sandra says. “That’s nice to hear.”

Digesting the Food System A popular project among seventh grade students has been studying the origins of our food in social studies. As a mentor text, students read from Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma to understand some of the common practices and complexities of food production in the United States. Students then choose a topic of their own to explore more in-depth, generate a project to reflect what they have learned, and inspire themselves and others to take action on issues that are important to them. “This unit promotes student engagement because it surrounds students with content they are passionate about and want to study,” says teacher Charlie Baird. True to form, students choose a wide range of topics and dive in deeply. Last year, one

student dressed up like an ear of corn for an informative and hilarious skit about the prevalence of that grain in the American diet. Another student created a series of moving paintings called “1 in 5” to illustrate the ratio of students in schools who experience food insecurity. “The students develop profound and creative ideas, and my goal is to support their momentum,” Charlie says. This unit also emphasizes the power of each individual to make choices that can affect a broader system. “Based on what they learn, we ask students to consider what they would like to change in society and how they would go about that,” Charlie says. “At Belmont Day, we recognize that we have a wonderful opportunity to teach the next wave of changemakers in our world.” B E L M O N T DAY magazine | 37

MIDDLE SCHOOL

The students “are collaborating

to practice their reasoning, deciding which tools to use, and making justifications.

”

Adventures in Math When Sarah Pikcilingis joined our faculty, little did she know that the roll-out of our new math program would be a comprehensive curriculum on which Sarah herself is listed as a contributing author. “It’s exciting to see it in action because I was part of the team crafting the philosophy behind it and thinking about the sequencing,” Sarah says. “Already it’s working great, and it’s so rich and deep that we’ll get even more out of it each year we use it.” Illustrative Math is a student-centered curriculum that encourages students to construct their own knowledge from experiences. Students recently played a game

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called “Info Gap,” which can be applied to different contexts. One student has a card outlining a math problem, and another has a card with critical information needed to solve the problem. The problem solver can access the extra information by articulating how they will apply it. “The students are collaborating to practice their reasoning, deciding which tools to use, and making justifications,” Sarah says. In addition to this curriculum, seventh graders built a mathematics community around a set of challenge problems. They built a slide deck outlining their strategies and questions about the math problems.

They then extended their community of mathematics by inviting parents, grandparents, friends, and anyone who might enjoy a mathematical puzzle to join the discussion. The students also presented their work at a Sharing Assembly, highlighting the value of perseverance and collaboration in problem-solving. “The students were proud of their metamorphosis,” Sarah says. “Through this process, they realized that they could approach any problem. Even if their first attempt didn’t work, they could at least grapple with a problem and talk with others to gather strategies and learn along the way.”

MIDDLE SCHOOL

E Q U I T Y, I N C LU S I O N , A N D B E LO N G I N G

Meet the

Faculty: Connie Yepez Q: What inspired you to become an educator? What brought me into this work was my opportunity in high school to benefit from an independent school education. I attended Groton School, and those years were very impactful. After college, I began my career in admissions. I came to see my calling as increasing access to independent schools for students and families who don’t have the same opportunities as others. All students should be able to develop their talents and reach their potential, and independent schools offer exceptional education. It’s important to consider how privilege impacts education. My work is to support students, families, and faculty in understanding how our varied identities come into our classrooms, our teaching practice, and our interactions.

Q: How would you describe the value of independent school education? Knowing our students is our mission. Students at independent schools are known

at a level that is difficult to achieve in other educational settings. At Belmont Day, students are greeted by fellow students, faculty, and administration when they walk down the hallway. Every adult here sees themselves as every child’s teacher. The benefit of this is that students feel a strong sense of safety to ask questions and take risks. Students elevate their engagement because they know this is a community that holds them and supports them. Belmont Day also exemplifies how independent schools nurture the skills that contribute to academic excellence and expose students to experiences that expand their worldview.

Q: What makes Belmont Day unique as an independent school? Belmont Day lives its mission in a way I haven’t experienced at other schools. The joy that is part of our core values is visible everywhere, and the school’s energy is warm and welcoming. Belmont Day also has a culture of lifelong learning, where children and adults are eager to know more

and explore. I’m also impressed by our students. In addition to getting the benefit of an excellent education, they are thinking actively about the students who come after them and how we can expand conversations about equity, inclusion, and belonging.

Q: What’s next at Belmont Day relating to equity, inclusion, and belonging? Our goal is to continue the momentum that Belmont Day has already begun. That means getting to know this community and developing a set of strategic initiatives. We’ll explore how equity, inclusion, and belonging are directly linked to academic excellence and preparing students to engage with their world. The ability to engage in civil discourse and inform our work with many perspectives is vital to students’ future success. The world would be boring if everyone thought the same way, so we want to cultivate a school climate that celebrates differences and promotes engagement with each other. B E L M O N T DAY magazine | 39

Michael Marroquin-Castillo Q: What inspired you to become an educator? I worked as a summer camp counselor and a Sunday school teacher during high school. As a first-generation Guatemalan American born in the United States, it felt really special to be a role model for younger children from diverse backgrounds. I majored in business at college and then spent about a year working in risk management. I quickly discovered that I was much happier working with children, so I went to graduate school to become a teacher. My driving passion is to empower children and amplify their voices in classroom spaces and beyond.

Q: How does your experience as a classroom teacher enhance your perspective on this work? Being in the classroom every day, I model how to center the lens of social justice in pedagogy and curriculum. That helps me shape classroom experiences that encourage students to be critical thinkers,

self-reflective, and compassionate toward themselves and others. In my role at Belmont Day, I help other faculty do the same. People sometimes hesitate to engage in this work because they worry about saying something wrong. It’s important to model for children and adults what to do when we wish we had said something differently, plus how to broaden our understanding and do better next time. I like to acknowledge that this work is hard and that change is constant. Sometimes we feel uncomfortable, but it is in that discomfort where we do the most growing.

Q: How do students respond to equity, inclusion, and belonging topics in the classroom? I’m inspired by students’ ease in talking about hard things. They have so much curiosity, which leads to questions, which leads to enlightenment, and eventually to change. The students want to understand what’s going on in the world, and many are already exposed to so much information from media in their surroundings. They

GENDER-SEXUALIT Y ALLIANCE

gsyay! BELMONT DAY SCHOOL

40 | 2022–23

want to connect with each other on important topics and realize they can agree and disagree respectfully.

Q: What are you most excited about in coming to Belmont Day? This community has been so lovely and welcoming. From the beginning, I felt seen, heard, and valued as someone who brings expertise to support and uplift the school’s mission and core values. I’m excited to support the students in affinity groups this year. Affinity groups here are created by students and led by faculty members who identify with the affinity. These are critical supports for students to explore their shared affinity in a safe, comfortable, and brave space. I also look forward to broadening our ally spaces in the coming years. I’m also continuing to get to know this community—meeting teachers and students in their classrooms, hallways, and elsewhere. I want students to see me as someone they can confer with relating to equity, inclusion, belonging, or any topic that is important to them.

E Q U I T Y, I N C LU S I O N , A N D B E LO N G I N G

I want students to see me as “someone they can confer with relating to equity, inclusion, belonging, or any topic that is important to them.

”

—Michael Marroquin-Castillo B E L M O N T DAY magazine | 41

t Ar s

S P OT L I G H T

In the

Studio Anne Armstrong Arts Coordinator and Visual Arts Teacher

A wonderful aspect of teaching at Belmont Day is our student-centered school culture. Because faculty know our curriculum thoroughly and are close collaborators, we can adjust as needed to serve each unique group of students. As you’ll read on these pages, examples of this work appear in every arts discipline—from commissioning a middle school play with a lively plot and many roles to helping young musicians analyze and make versions of their favorite songs. These examples also show how the themes of community and excellence are developed through the arts program at Belmont Day. Social-emotional learning has come to the forefront over the past few years as we help children process intense feelings

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sparked by the pandemic. A case study from my classroom occurred recently when third grade students made “Power Plushies.” I thought adapting our traditional embroidery project into making a plushie would enable students to create something to hug and love. In discussions with third grade teachers Leigh Twarog and Larissa Rochford ’93 P ’18, we discovered a natural synergy between this concept and the students’ brainstorming about values and the goals they wanted to strive toward, such as kindness, bravery, and happiness. So, I tied the projects together and asked the third graders: What value did you identify as a goal? What would your plushie look like if its superpower was that value?

Students simply could not get enough of this project. The studio hummed with excitement as we brainstormed, sketched, revised plans, and made patterns. Then students cut the forms for their plushies out of colorful felt, embroidered the faces and details, and finished each plushie by stuffing and sewing the front and back panels together. Some students made several, with the plan to give away the extras. Other students went home and repeated the process with their families. The students were proud to present their in-progress work at a Sharing Assembly. The Power Plushies were the right project for this moment in time. And this is just one example of how the Belmont Day arts curriculum calls students’ hearts and minds to action. We provide a structure through processes and materials, and students take pride in bringing their ideas to life.

A R TS S P OT L I G H T

Project Binds Together

Creativity and Literacy With just one art project, second graders showed off their skills as authors, illustrators, and even bookbinders. Led by teacher Kathy Jo Solomon, the students worked step-by-step through a six-week process of brainstorming, planning, and creating eight-page accordion books. To make the books themselves, students carefully folded paper and used bookbinding tools to spread glue smoothly when attaching the end covers. “This project encompasses a lot of details,” Kathy Jo says. “Students must take time and care to achieve the desired effect.” To add words and text, students outlined their ideas and designed each page outside the book—sometimes several times—before gluing it in. “The opportunity to plan is important because it allows ideas to develop and change,” Kathy Jo says. Students felt ownership over the project because they chose their topics, and excitement was built as their ideas came to life. Sample stories told about a day at the beach, a veterinarian for talking animals, the inner workings of medieval castles, and how to make paper airplanes. “I love how this project combines art and literacy,” Kathy Jo says. “The story can be a few or a lot of words, and the drawings can be simple or complex. So, emerging writers and artists can be successful at every level.”

B E L M O N T DAY magazine | 43

World Premiere:

Students Debut New Play Live theater performances returned to Belmont Day last spring with the world premiere of It’s a Madhouse!—a mystery that had audiences roaring with laughter. Seventh and eighth graders had reached the dress rehearsal phase in 2020 when the pandemic suddenly canceled the production. Although theatrical performances have since continued through video formats, performers and audiences were delighted to be back together again in the Palandjian Arts Center. “When a cast working together for months is finally performing in front of a live audience,

magic happens,” says teacher Christopher Parsons. “Suddenly, everything comes together, and the audience’s presence energizes the students.” The show debuted with two performances. The professional videotaping of the production was shared online and at a movie launch party in the Barn. The forty-member cast and crew felt a special connection to the play because it had been written especially for Belmont Day. Chris and fellow theater teacher Susan Dempsey commissioned Colorado-based playwright Todd Wallinger to write an

original play based on input from Belmont Day students. After brainstorming about the theme, setting, and genre, students honed in on combining mystery with madcap comedy in a plot where dysfunctional family members compete to secure an inheritance. The resulting play had 40 parts, including eight lead roles. Some roles—such as the tourists and the cheerleaders—operated in groups, with students developing the chemistry of smaller ensembles within the larger production. The play also was written to be inclusive in that students could decide the gender of any role they played. “The character archetypes aren’t based on gender or race, and the play intentionally avoids language that evokes stereotypes,” Susan says. “This gave the students a lot of creativity in developing their unique characters.” The play has since been published by Pioneer Drama, an international script clearinghouse. Plus, the original Belmont Day cast and crew have been immortalized within the script as the world premiere presentation—a testament that the entire production was a triumph!

SCAN to watch the performance.

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A R TS S P OT L I G H T

IMPACT Lab

Back in Action Digital arts teacher Kurt Robinson and Belmont Day students are thrilled to be back in the IMPACT Lab after working in other locations with portable tools since the pandemic began. This year’s offerings included a new middle school elective that featured LEGO robotics.

Simple Instruments

Make Sophisticated Music Boomwhackers are colorful plastic tubes often slapped against the thigh to sound off notes. Inspired by the success of collegiate boomwhacker ensembles like the Harvard Thuds, Belmont Day recently offered “Boomwhacker Ensemble” as an elective for seventh and eighth graders. Through this class, fourteen students explored the building blocks of music, wrote arrangements of pop songs, and played one another’s compositions. “We’re giving students advanced tools to understand and unpack the music that matters to them,” explains music teacher Tyler Cotner. Students studied the fourchord loop—a musical pattern that is the backbone of many pop songs—and then worked with songs that combine this chord PHOTO ©SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/EWA LEON

progression with strong rhythms. Their choices highlighted hits from various genres and spanned the past fifty years, including songs by The Bee Gees, John Williams, Bruno Mars, and One Direction.

Playing such compositions with boomwhackers challenged students’ performance skills. As in handbell choirs, each boomwhacker musician can only hold one note in each hand at a time. Consequently, playing a series of chords with multiple notes in quick succession required students to refine their ensemble skills. Musicians juggled changing instruments, reading music, and communicating with each other, all while keeping the music flowing. “These are the skills of professional musicians,” Tyler says. “The class challenged students to take huge artistic risks, and the students were all supportive because they all went through the process together.”

B E L M O N T DAY magazine | 45

B E L M O N T DAY On the Field John O’Neill

Athletics Director Everyone is an athlete at Belmont Day. Our mission is for every student to participate in a sport they enjoy and feel like a valued member of a team during their time here. Regardless of where students are when they enter our program, we take pride in helping them see themselves as an athlete by the time they graduate. We are fortunate to offer so many choices that every student can find a home here as an athlete. Belmont Day offers five unique sports choices and eight teams each season, an impressive range of options for any middle school. We cultivate a team approach in all of our offerings, which means that every sport

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offers strong coaching to take on new challenges, plus opportunities for student leadership. Within this scope, students further develop in sports for which they already have a passion and experiment to discover new interests. We are thrilled that interscholastic competition returned full force to support these goals. Healthy competition inspires a spark that is hard to replicate. Practices and scrimmages are invaluable for building individual and team capacity—but game time is when adrenaline really starts flowing, and the action moves faster. The plays are sharper. The saves are more dramatic. Individuals stretch themselves, and teams

bond tightly as everyone feels motivated to test their mettle. Looking forward to competition gives athletes the impetus to strive during practice. The actual competition helps athletes synthesize and activate the lessons they have learned. In athletics, this year’s school themes—community and excellence—are not measured simply by the number of points scored but also by how Belmont Day students carry themselves as athletes. Our student-athletes are learning self-discipline and collaboration, how to follow and lead, sportsmanship, and how to leave it all on the field. We look forward to another exciting year for the Blue & Gold.

B E L M O N T DAY AT H L E T I C S

Popular Friday Night

Series Expands Our Friday Night Lights series came back with a roar, expanding to include the addition of Friday Night Scoops lacrosse games in the spring. This beloved tradition began twelve years ago with a soccer game against The Meadowbrook School, played under the lights at Harvard. A few years later, we added winter Friday Night Hoops games,

played alternately at Belmont Day and Meadowbrook. Most recently, our fall soccer game occurred at Harvard University, where teams squared off on Jordan Field. This collaboration began as two schools with a similar approach to middle school athletics came together to highlight the excellence of our programs and the strength

of our communities. Turnout is strong among middle school and lower school families alike. Plus, alumni often use these events to get together and stay in touch with each other and Belmont Day. With the addition of Friday Night Scoops, our community can look forward to one of these events every season.

B E L M O N T DAY magazine | 47

Command of the Field

Hard-Earned

With a combined season record of 9-5, our flag football program had another year of highlight-reel plays as they alternately advanced the ball to the end zone and shut down the opposition. Our junior varsity and varsity teams provide a full range of challenges for new and experienced players in this sport.

Victories

After attracting new interest among Belmont Day athletes, our wrestling team closed the season at 4-1. The relatively inexperienced squad illustrated what is possible when students bring a dedicated work ethic and eagerness to learn a new sport. We are always proud to see Blue & Gold athletes stretch in new directions.

Straight to

Pass it

Belmont Day’s fencing team achieved a season record of 5-1 after a series of matches in which our fencers demonstrated strong technique and tremendous poise. Impressive performances showcased dramatic lunges, perfect parries, and well-timed reposts. En garde!

With a substantial roster of twenty-two players and a season record of 7-2, girls’ lacrosse had a phenomenal season. The team’s strength is a testament to student leadership, as our seventh and eighth graders are excellent ambassadors among younger students. These athletes value working hard, having fun, and being the best team they can be. Who wouldn’t want to get on board with that?

the Point

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B E L M O N T DAY AT H L E T I C S

Whole School Shares

Field Day Fun

June marked another successful school year with a full-on display of Belmont Day spirit. Past Field Day events occurred over two days, with different grades participating each day. This year, every pre-kindergarten through eighth grade student joined in one energetic day of festivities, and every faculty member was on deck to facilitate the day. “It’s awesome to see the whole school come together and cheer each other on,” says physical education teacher Abbey Nyland, who organizes the event. “Field Day is an extension of the tight-knit community we build throughout the year.” The day’s structure is that teams work together to complete challenges, hoping to earn a team medal at each station. At the end of the day, the school celebrates the total number of medals earned by all the teams. Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students took on a bucket brigade near Big Blue and mastered a water balloon toss. Older lower school students worked in cross-graded teams to tackle their own versions of those events, plus skee ball, big-ball bowling, frisbee fling, and a perennial favorite called “Fair or Fowl.” In this relay race, team members cover distances through three modes: running while holding a ball, swinging a rubber chicken overhead, and bouncing on a hopparoo ball. Middle school students completed similar events and engaged in a tug-of-war tournament. The day culminated with popsicles and rooting for faculty in a tug-of-war contest. “It’s beautiful to see students going all out, trying their best for their team, and enjoying the moment,” Abbey says. “We want every student to know that they matter to their team, and their team matters to the big picture. Everyone is working together to achieve our best performance as a school.” GRASS PHOTO ©SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/ PRANEE JIRAKITDACHAKUN

PA R E N T P E R S P E C T I V E Parent Ambassadors Spread the Word

About Belmont Day Parents have a unique insight into how Belmont Day impacts their children—and prospective families appreciate hearing that perspective. Thus, a cadre of parent volunteers recently received training to become guides for admissions tours. This is an extension of the many ways Belmont Day parents already help spread the word about our school. “People like to share what they love, whether it’s a recipe, a book, or a school,” says Judy Bright, who oversees the tour guide program. “When parents are happy with a school, they enjoy telling others why they love it so much.” Judy remembers meeting parent volunteers at admissions events when her child Ripley ’21, now at Concord Academy, applied to enroll at Belmont Day for third grade. “As a prospective family, we were taken with the warmth and friendliness we encountered,” she recalls. “Meeting current parents gave us a strong sense that we would fit in with this community.” As a new Belmont Day parent, Judy dove right in by serving as a grade parent during Ripley’s first year. Over time she also helped with the annual pumpkin patch sale, volunteered on the enrichment committee, was a buddy for new families, and eventually spoke to prospective families herself at admission events.

While serving as vice president of the BDS Parents’ Association, Judy spent hours interviewing other parents and consolidating critical information about parent engagement opportunities into a parent volunteer guide. This document provides an overview of everything from organizing book groups to helping with the auction, from re-shelving library books to the friendraiser committee that organizes social events. Creating the guide in 2019 was perfect timing because it provided a roadmap that could be easily updated as activities were adapted and then reinstated through different phases of the pandemic. In addition to serving current parents, the guide is shown at admissions events, where prospective parents are impressed with the vibrancy of Belmont Day’s community. Parents especially appreciate being able to choose from myriad options to fit their availability and interest— which is one of the reasons that parent volunteerism is so high at Belmont Day. “There is never an expectation. I know from personal experience that parents can be busy,” Judy says. “I also know that people often want to find ways to participate that will work and be meaningful for them. Parents

genuinely enjoy being involved because it helps them get to know other parents and teachers and provides another perspective on the school.” In 2020 Judy made the leap from parent volunteer to joining Belmont Day’s staff as admissions and outreach coordinator. In that role, she launched the tour guide program, where about a dozen parents give an average of one hour each week during the school year. “It can be very satisfying to help families on their education journey,” Judy says, “particularly when the volunteers find out that the prospective families have joined our community.” Families also serve as ambassadors by hosting events about Belmont Day in their communities. Judy once organized such an event to answer questions from Cambridge families who were applying to the school. These events help convey the welcoming atmosphere that is a hallmark of Belmont Day. “Bringing people together is the culture here,” Judy says. “It’s in our DNA.” That is what makes being a parent volunteer at Belmont Day so rewarding, and the school is always grateful for parent support in any form. “We try hard to acknowledge our families,” Judy says. “We always want our families to feel seen and appreciated.”

“Bringing people together is the culture here. It’s in our DNA.”

—Judy Bright

Admissions and Outreach Coordinator

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PA R E N T P E R S P E C T I V E

B E L M O N T DAY magazine | 51

FAC U LT Y FO C U S

2022 Bellwethers Faculty Milestones

Traditionally, a bellwether was a sheep with a bell around its neck that led the rest of the flock. In a more modern context, bellwethers are celebrated as people of influence and insight who are at the forefront of trends. At Belmont Day, we mark tenure milestones by celebrating the dedication and expertise of our colleagues, each of whom is a bellwether when it comes to making a difference in the lives of our students.

Kurt Robinson 10 years

From the days of the iD8 lab in the Schoolhouse to the IMPACT Lab, the maker space in the Barn that he named, Kurt Robinson has been a technology and innovation leader at Belmont Day for ten years. Kurt has been everywhere throughout his time here—in each gradelevel classroom, teaching technology and middle school arts, and as a middle school advisor. The lab is aptly named, as it aligns seamlessly with the hallmarks of Kurt’s teaching: his Imagination; his willingness to Make a difference; his love of Play as a coach in the classroom and on the tennis courts; his ability to Adapt; his spirit of inquiry and willingness to Create novel opportunities for his students; and his belief that something can always be better as a Tinkerer and teacher. That is the IMPACT of the space for our students, but more than that, it is equally indicative of Kurt’s impact over ten years of service to Belmont Day.

Amy Sprung 10 years

The Erskine Library is the heart of the school, at the center of a vibrant campus full of lifelong learners, curious readers, and inquisitive students. So, if the Erskine Library is at our heart, then Amy Sprung has, for her ten years of service to Belmont Day, been our school’s lifeblood. Amy was a visionary force in creating and designing the middle school research room, which included collaborating with the visual arts team to design murals for the space. She helped usher in the Brosens and Francis ’75 Endowment for Library and Technology and has stewarded a love of reading and learning for our entire community. Strategic in her vision for what our library might be and fully dedicated to the learning of every one of our students, Amy Sprung celebrates ten years at Belmont Day, and we are ever grateful for her leadership.

FAC U LT Y FO C U S

Barbara Carey 15 years

For fifteen years, Barbara Carey has welcomed the Belmont Day community every day. Even through the pandemic, Barbara remarkably established distinct and personal relationships with every community member—colleagues, parents, past parents, alumni, and, of course, the students. There is not a face she doesn’t recognize, a history she doesn’t know. Whether greeting a bewildered kindergartner with a comforting, “How can I help, beauty?” or knowingly encouraging a drifting middle schooler to make their way back to the Kiva, everyone has come to appreciate her careful guidance and steady hand. Each of us, at some point, has likely heard Barbara remind us, “You’re a star,” but we have always known who the true star is. Thank you for fifteen years of service to the school, Barbara. Brava!

Nancy Fell 15 years

Deeply committed to her second grade students and their families, Nancy Fell has, for fifteen years, taught with clear and simple goals in mind: Meet every student where they are. Ensure that they feel seen, known, and understood. Always seek to put the child first and at the center of your work. Nancy has done it all with a profound understanding of how best to help students find their independence and individual voices and navigate their differences constructively and positively. Her voice is one of patience, calm, and reason. Her commitment to Belmont Day’s core values lives in her work, and as such, it lives in each of her students. Those values live in her partnerships with colleagues, her mentorship of younger teachers and associate teachers, and her relationships with her students’ parents, who have come to find Nancy a guide to them as well. Congratulations, Nancy, on fifteen wonderful years.

Jen Friborg 15 years

There is a great deal to be learned from and about Jen Friborg simply by watching her during an eighth grade Capstone presentation. Focused, detail-oriented, energized, visionary, and always with her eyes and heart trained upon each student, Jen simultaneously sees the forest and the trees. Not only does she have a keen eye on each student’s journey, but she sees the whole, how each Capstone feeds into the others, how each class fits into the Capstone program and how the program feeds the school. She is also an innovator, eagerly reflecting and asking how we might improve, iterate, and consider how this crown jewel program might continue to adapt and respond to the demands of the future. Of course, Jen also teaches French and runs our Model UN club. In all that she does, her perspective is global, bringing the world to every student with whom she works. Congratulations on fifteen years of excellent leadership, Jen.

Kaleen Moriarty 15 years

With an eye towards the stars, both those in her sixth grade classroom and those in the sky, Kaleen has expanded her students’ horizons—at Farm School with a troupe of eager young farmers in the making, in the early hours of the morning at astronomy breakfasts, and on the tennis courts for Junior Solar Sprint races. Even as she encourages her students to see the world through a telescope, expanding their perspective, she is using the microscope, seeking to fully understand the students before her as advisees, scholars, athletes, artists, and community members. Kaleen’s understanding and willingness to see each student fully and honor them at such a crucial year in their development has set her apart for fifteen years. Congratulations on this milestone, Kaleen.

ILLUSTRATION ©SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/BABICH ALEXANDER

2022 Bellwethers continued

John O’Neill 15 years

In the early days of Brendan Largay’s headship, an alumni visit was scheduled to coincide with middle school athletics. When Brendan asked John if that time would work, his answer revealed all one might need to know about his approach to athletics. That timing works, John said, assuming the same would be asked of a core academic class teacher. Because, make no mistake, athletics time is not merely extracurricular. The athletics program is an important classroom for so many of our students. That idea—that the fields, courts, and trails are also classrooms—is born of the mindset of a leader. For fifteen years, John has directed a program that features more than 90% faculty coaches, has elevated the visibility and strength of our teams, has integrated a growing middle school population, and has added new offerings like wrestling, PEAK, and mountain biking to meet the needs of students at every step. As a coach, John cares deeply for his athletes and ensures that they represent BDS with our core values at the fore, and he brings a true dedication to excellence in all that he does. Congratulations on fifteen great years, coach.

Larissa Rochford ’93 15 years

Is fifteen years the appropriate marker for Larissa, who has been part of the Belmont Day community for far longer? Larissa is a teacher, an alumna, a parent of an alumnus, and has herself been a BDS associate teacher. She has also served as a board member. A woman of many talents, Larissa has taught multiple grades, fourth and now third, and multiple disciplines— math, science, and language arts—and always with an eye toward helping her students find the strength and power of their voice. Larissa is a Capstone mentor and a beloved coach for middle school students because, as she explains, seeing students complete the BDS journey is as important as the year they spend with her in the classroom. Larissa has BDS thoroughly imprinted on her DNA, and our school is better for the many years she has been a member of this community. Congratulations, Larissa!

Dean Spencer 15 years

“Hold on, hold on. Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on.” Dean Spencer has kept his eyes keenly fixed on the prize for fifteen years. Relentless in his advocacy for justice and belonging, Dean has been a stalwart presence for our community with his work in equity, inclusion, and belonging and a key contributor to the board diversity committee. His ability to weave that passion into his work in sixth grade has been the stuff of legend. Freedom Night, or Freedom Week as it was during COVID, is a long-cherished tradition among the students and families who have experienced it and is highly anticipated among those who have not. Throughout his fifteen years, Dean has been a teacher, a coach, a Capstone mentor, an associate mentor, and a board member. He has been the co-leader of the middle school literary magazine where he has amplified the voices of countless students who, he will proudly tell you, are the truest agents of positive change our world might hope for. Dean has kept his eyes on the prize, and we are grateful.

Leigh Twarog 15 years

Leigh Twarog has guided the way for her third graders for fifteen years. Her students have imagined themselves as marine biologists eagerly washing away oil from marine animals and developed a clearer understanding of themselves as learners through the State Fair project. A teacher dedicated to fostering strong student and family relationships, Leigh’s work with students echoes the Capstone experience, as she asks each to learn, do, and share their experience along the way. Whether she is weaving social justice into her reading curriculum or providing a timely and calming circle where her students can take a moment to reflect, Leigh seeks opportunities for her students to thrive at their own pace. Leigh challenges her students to think not only as learners but as educators in their own right, asking them to engage as BDS teachers do: with a commitment to lifelong learning. Thank you, Leigh, for all that you have given to Belmont Day for fifteen years.

FAC U LT Y FO C U S

Lana Homan 20 years

For twenty years, Lana has delivered on the promise of excellence. Always willing to innovate, explore and better understand herself, her work, and her students, Lana truly defines what it means to be a master teacher. When a student made a point to find her to give her a joyful and loving hug, it was no surprise that Lana matched her excellence in the classroom with her care as a community member. Too often, we singularize the work of great teaching into one moment, one finished product. Lana certainly has ample evidence to provide if it is ever needed. Instead, it is the consistency and diversity of those examples coming from her classroom year after year that have marked her twenty years of mastery at BDS. Congratulations, Lana.

Kathy Jo Solomon 20 years

For twenty years, Kathy Jo Solomon has kept Belmont Day buzzing. Kathy Jo has powerfully broadened the scope of student learning at BDS with her commitment to sustainability, her beloved bees and their hives, a love of art, and her deep commitment to collegial work with grade-level teachers to bring the outside world into their spaces. Belmont Day was introduced to Kathy Jo as a professional textile artist through an artist-in-residence opportunity. All these years later, perhaps the only change has been in the mediums she has worked with. Today, the school garden or the outdoor classroom pergola is as much her canvas as her studio in the Barn. Sustainability leader, art teacher, thoughtful collaborator, and caring colleague Kathy Jo has inspired us to see the greatness in our environment for twenty years and keeps us all accountable for our impact on the world beyond our school. They say that the mind of a BDS student never idles, and thanks to Kathy Jo, neither do the cars in our carline. Congratulations on twenty great years, KJo!

Koreen McQuilton 25 years

To note Koreen’s twenty-five years only in the role of exquisite communicator would be to miss the essence of all she has meant to our community over that quarter-century. No matter her role—she started here as the assistant to the head of school all those years ago—Koreen has used her voice to empower meaningful contribution with our six core values as

her guide. Whether co-leading the literary magazine, GSYay!, the school’s Gender Sexuality Alliance for students, or as the singular force behind our community service coordination, Koreen’s deep commitment to the character development of our students is evident. All of this comes in conjunction with her excellence and expertise as a communications director. Whether in the form of a spectacularly beautiful Belmont Day Magazine or the management of Belmont Day’s brand, Koreen’s imprint as a strategic and careful communicator who understands not only what needs to be communicated but how and most importantly, why is as indelible as the ink on her page. We are so grateful to Koreen for her twenty-five years of dedication, commitment, and care to Belmont Day. Congratulations, Koreen!

Dolly Ryan 35 years

More than half of the heads of school in Belmont Day’s proud history have had the opportunity to work with Dolly Ryan over her storied thirty-five-year career. For each, she has served a critical purpose as the carrier of our school’s culture and purpose and has dedicated herself fully throughout her years here. When Dolly took on the role of director of technology—a role she created and grew into over her time here—she would bring the very first computer to Belmont Day, the first laptop, the first iPad, the first network, the first server. She could likely tell you where each fiber and cable connecting the school’s infrastructure is located, figuratively and literally. Dolly is every bit the homegrown technologist, and in every way, Dolly knows BDS inside and out. But to limit Dolly’s understanding of Belmont Day to wires and machines alone would be to miss the more critical impact she has made here. Dolly has been deeply committed to her peers’ professional growth and development. In the summer of 2000, Dolly introduced the Pioneer Program, an early iteration of Belmont Day’s commitment to innovation that has survived the test of time and seen countless faculty members take advantage of the opportunities founded by Dolly’s vision. From head’s assistant in 1987 to director of technology today, Dolly has filled every role the school has asked of her. For all that she has given and continues to give, we are deeply grateful for her service to the school and congratulate her on thirty-five extraordinary years.

class

notes

As we continue to expand the class notes section of this magazine, we are looking for class representatives to help oversee the collection of news and updates from former classmates and friends. If you are interested in serving as a class representative, please contact Assistant Director of Development Kyle Beatty at kbeatty@belmontday.org.

1970s

1990s

CHARLES PINCK ’76 The OSS Society held a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery on October 22, 2022, to dedicate a memorial to Office of Strategic Services (OSS) personnel killed and missing in action in World War II.

RADHY PEÑA ’94 writes, “I have been in real estate for the last 15 years and currently work as an investor and realtor full-time in Boston. I graduated from Boston College in 2004 and have a 10-year-old son, Radhy Jr. My mother, Carmen Torres, was my role model, and we miss her very much.” (See page 61 for a remembrance of Ms. Torres.)

1980s ELIZA PRITCHARD NELSON ’83 “I live in Portland, Oregon, with my husband and two teenage sons. I recently shifted from 20 years of teaching in a fourth/ fifth grade classroom at Arbor School of Arts and Sciences to launching an educational nonprofit called the Oregon Maple Project. We engage students and community members in the local production of Bigleaf Maple syrup. If any BDS grads are out West, please look me up!”

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2000s BRIAN BARTH ’00 is a creator and musician living and working in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Brian is a member of the music and bands team at MassiveMusic, a leading agency that creates strategies, sonic brand identities, and compositions for some of the most famous brands in the world. Brian continues to deepen their personal musical journey as a composer and producer.

L to R: Dr. Mike Vickers, Deputy Director of the CIA, David Cohen, Adm. Eric Olson, OSS Society President CHARLES PINCK ’76, Maj. Gen. Ben Maitre, USAF, A/S INR Brett Holmgren, former CIA Director George Tenet, and Heather Hopkins.

Their new label, fveld promotes the music of other ambient artists. You can follow Brian on Instagram at @andarctica and @fveldmusic. ANDREW DONNELLY ’00 married Bridget Jenkins on November 19, 2021. Their son Peter James Donnelly was born in March 2022.

Andrew ran the Chicago Marathon, and in 2021, he ran the Boston Marathon to raise money for Best Buddies, an organization that does important work for people with disabilities. Alongside his commitment to young people in the classroom, Andrew is a longtime summer staff member at Camp Fatima in Gilmanton Iron Works, NH.

ANDREW JOHNSON ’01 is a history teacher at The Gifford School in Weston. In October,

YARITZA PEÑA ’01 has been a dedicated volunteer with Rescuing Leftover Cuisine since

C L ASS N OT E S

ANNIE CONWAY ’05

MANON PALANDJIAN ’05

BLAIR WEST ’06

MIRIAM ELHAJLI ’09

January 2021. Her work has resulted in over 1,100 pounds of food provided to those experiencing food insecurity through 60 programs in Greater Boston. She recently joined RLC Massachusetts Associate Board. In addition, Yaritza is a clean energy intern at the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC.) In that role, she assists with Boston Delivers, an electric cargo bike pilot program in Allston, and other projects. Before MAPC, Yaritza worked as a higher education admission professional. Yaritza received her B.A. from Bowdoin College and is currently pursuing an M.S. in Sustainability at Tufts University.

“Rabbit Holes,” is out now.” She’s getting married in June in Rhode Island.

Ph.D. at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in October 2022. Since then, he joined Cabot Corporation in Billerica as a scientist working on lithium-ion battery materials. He became engaged to Jacob Goffnett in June 2022. Congratulations, Nathan!

to bringing hope and care to vulnerable, under-served people.

JESSICA CRAIG ’07 graduated from Teachers College, Columbia University, in May 2022. JOE MOCERA ’07 ran the CNO Financial Group Indianapolis Monumental Marathon in November 2022 alongside a childhood friend, and together with their team, they raised over $6,000 to support the DanaFarber Cancer Institute through the Jimmy Fund. NATHAN FRITZ ’08 defended his materials science and engineering

ELIZABETH TURPIN ‘08 ran the 2022 Boston Marathon on behalf of the Victoria McGrath Foundation, a non-profit that honors the memory of Victoria McGrath, who was passionate about helping children with special needs, veterans, and refugees displaced by conflict. The Foundation is committed

MIRIAM ELHAJLI ’09 is a folk singer, composer-improviser, and musicologist whose work is influenced by the rich musical traditions of her Venezuelan, Moroccan, and North American heritage. Miriam currently lives in New York City, where she performs and works as a researcher at The Association for Cultural Equity, founded by Alan Lomax. Her sophomore album, “The Uncertainty of Signs,” was released in February 2022. Check it out: miriamelhajli.bandcamp.com/album/ the-uncertainty-of-signs

RUSSELL COHEN ’05 and his wife Leah Alpert joyfully welcomed baby Eli in September 2022. They moved back from California to Melrose, MA. ANNIE CONWAY ’05 completed her training at MGH Institute of Health Professions to become a physician assistant, certified (PA-C). MANON PALANDJIAN ’05 married Nate Freese on June 18, 2022 at Bartlett’s Farm, Nantucket. BLAIR WEST ’06 is living in Manhattan. She has been a travel journalist for almost a decade, and earlier this year, she joined the founding team at a traveltech startup, Fora. She writes, “my passion/side hustle is going strong—my first single, “All This to Say,” was live on streaming platforms in January 2022, and my most recent single,

NYC ALUMNI EVENT

In December, head of school Brendan Largay had the pleasure of catching up with some of our New York City-based alumni at a gathering at Torch & Crown Brewing Company. Thank you to Lori McCarthy-Sommerville ‘83, Elizabeth Smith ‘84, Jody Gowen ‘05, Estelle Palandjian ‘06, Robert Sayegh ‘10, Sophie Smyke ‘13, Martin De Greiff ‘13, Arnav Prasad ‘14, and Monica Roy ‘14 for joining us! Pictured left to right: Jody Gown ‘05, Brendan Largay, head of school, Martin De Greiff ‘14, Arnav Prasad ‘14, Robert Sayegh ‘10, Monica Roy ‘14, and Sophie Smyke ‘14.

B E L M O N T DAY magazine | 57

JULIET MCCANN ’11 pictured with her mother, Elspeth McCann P ’10 ’11 ’13

2010s ISABEL MOORE ’16 has not been a stranger to

Belmont Day. Since graduation, Izzy has returned regularly to campus as a caring and energetic counselor in our summer programs, guiding our youngest campers to make new friends and develop a love for camp. We were delighted when Izzy reached out about returning to BDS again this winter. Rather than supervising free swimming, she joined fourth grade teacher Lana Holman for a monthlong practicum as part of her studies at Colby College. This pre-teaching experience is the first step in observing teaching and learning in action, from designing inclusive lesson plans and organizing curriculum to classroom management. Her experiences at BDS informed Izzy’s decision to choose BDS for her practicum. She especially recalls the special sense of community and her teachers who created an individualized project-based learning experience that built foundational skills important to her success in high school and college. “I vividly remember the projects and the opportunities to present or showcase our work to faculty or parents. We were practicing skills and learning all along, and only later realizing—we weren’t just making ancient Egyptian trading cards for fun—we were learning important research and organizational skills.” We wish Izzy all the best as she wraps up her junior year at Colby and hope that she continues on the path to becoming an educator.

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ANYA PFORZHEIMER ’10 writes, “I recently moved back to the states and am back in Belmont, which always makes me miss BDS. I worked at The Island School, a semester school in the Bahamas, for three years, teaching the sustainability curriculum. It was my connection to Mrs. Leana [former head of school] and her mentorship and recommendation that first helped me apply to be a student there in high school. It was a life-changing experience, and I absolutely owe Mrs. Leana for being my champion and helping me get there. I even met my fiancée and soon-to-be wife working at The Island School, so it has been an important part of my life. Sustainability was always a priority for BDS, and I have taken that care of the environment that was instilled in middle school with me ever since graduating. I hope to present at BDS about zero waste and composting in the future. And I am excited to announce my new job as the first-ever recycling and sustainability coordinator for the City of Watertown!” JULIET MCCANN ’11 received a Masters of Science in Global Health and Population degree in May 2022 from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

EMILY TAN ’11

EMILY TAN ’11 began a Ph.D. program in clinical community psychology at Georgia State University in the fall of 2022. HARPER MILLS ’12 is a member of the Boston Transportation Department’s New Mobility Team. As part of the New Mobility Team, Harper manages Boston Delivers. This new pilot program will launch a delivery service that uses electric cargo bikes to make deliveries to and from local businesses in the Allston area. The pilot is set to launch this spring! You can read more about it at Boston.gov/ Boston-delivers GEORGINA STEEL ’13 graduated from the University of St Andrews in 2021 with a BSc degree in geography and sustainable development. Georgina is a graduate transport planner at Stantec in Edinburgh, working in the active travel sector, analyzing ways to enhance walking, wheeling, and cycling for all within councils and universities in Scotland. She is excited to be working on a wide variety of projects, from conducting a travel survey for the University of Glasgow to assess their staff and student carbon emissions to designing a mobility hub at a new train station in Leven, to mapping and appraising a proposed walking route in Shetland. Georgina looks forward to continuing her work in this sector in the future to reduce transport emissions and support Scotland’s transition to net zero.

C L ASS N OT E S

JO STOCKDALE ’13 launched a website and online shop Jo Studio. A lifelong creative, Jo studied industrial design at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Since then, she has expanded her tool kit, adding Photoshop, Lightroom, and Illustrator to CAD 3D rendering and most power tools. Before launching Jo Studio, Jo worked for three years as a graphic designer building a digital and physical brand for Illini Hillel. She also created The Greenhouse, an online community for creatives and creatively-minded people. She hopes you will visit Jo Studio and find something that makes you smile. Follow Jo Studio on Instagram @jo.stockdale. jostudio.art/about ZOË DOYLE ’17 is a sophomore at Hunter College. She is very involved with music and singing and is particularly interested in pursuing a career in global health. ALEX TOBIAS ’18, completed the 2022 Boston Marathon with a time of 2:53:40 during his final year of high school at the Brooks School, a tremendous accomplishment for a first-time marathon runner. Alex received The Jolene and Stephen C. Eyre Prize for Scholarly Achievement upon graduation from Brooks.

VIVIAN DANAHY ’19 was named one of four finalists for the Smith College High School Girls Poetry Prize. Out of the nearly 200 entries, her poem, “Reasons for staying (inspired by Ocean Vuong’s Reasons For Staying),” rose to the top with the judges. Vivian attends the Winsor School.

2020s MIRANDA HARLOW ’20 and JULIA CLAYTON ’20 have been dancing at Dance Place in Arlington for 12 years, yet it wasn’t until meeting at BDS that they discovered they were dancers at the same studio. In spring 2022, they were on the dance team known as the “On Broadway Dancers” and participated in a dance competition at Melrose High School. MILES SANDOSKI ’20 continues his notable running career at Belmont Hill School. At the ISL Championships, Belmont Hill School came in first, with Miles and COLE SPARKS ’20 running with their 4x400m team, which finished third overall in a time of 3:35.07. Miles and Cole trained together last spring. The team’s win at the ISL Championships was their overall goal, and they were glad to be part of it. Miles is looking forward to the spring, especially since he will return as one of the three team captains. In addition to academics, he has also been focusing on building a sports photography portfolio. He notes, “It’s something I got into at the end of last spring and have developed a passion for.” Check out Miles’s work at www.sandoskiphoto.com At the recent NEPSTA Division III Cross Country Championships at The Canterbury School, HENRY BUCKLEY-JONES ’21 took third place for Rivers School, and coming in right after Henry was ALEXANDER COLANGELO ’21 in fourth place for Lawrence Academy. Both Henry and Alexander were the top finishers for their schools, competing against a field of 139 varsity runners from 18 schools. Both were invited to compete in the NEPSTA All-Stars Race.

JO STOCKDALE ’13

ALEX TOBIAS ’18

MIRANDA HARLOW ’20 and JULIA CLAYTON ’20

JACOB GREGOR ‘19, photographed by MILES SANDOSKI ’20

HENRY BUCKLEY-JONES ’21 and ALEXANDER COLANGELO ’21

@bdsalumni

B E L M O N T DAY magazine | 59

PLEASE EMAIL US . . . . . . so we can return the favor and keep you up-todate on all things BDS. Share your news—your classmates will be glad you did!

Anna Carye, daughter of MEGHAN CARYE ’91

FACULTY NEWS Strings and orchestra teacher MEGHAN CARYE ’91 welcomed her daughter Anna in April 2022.

ASSOCIATE TEACHER ALUMNI Since completing the teacher training program at Belmont Day, ALEX FLORES ATP ’18 and their spouse Benji Flores have welcomed a daughter, Amelie, who was born in June 2020. Alex is currently a fifth/ sixth grade head teacher at the Odyssey Day School in Wakefield. In June 2022, Alex shared his love of reading with children during a drag readaloud at the Boston Pop-Up Pride Festival. This was their first performance as Ben Dee Gender.

FORMER FACULTY & STAFF Former second grade teacher TINA FOX was named lower division head at The Park School in January 2022.

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Herbie Norman, son of MARY and JED NORMAN

FRANK TOPPA with ETHAN ’29 and COLIN ’26 PARRY

CARL GENEUS joined the faculty of The Park School in July 2022 as director of athletics.

CAROL LASKY P ’05 ’12 ’12, founder and creative director of Cahoots Design, is bringing her boundless imagination to cartoon caption contests. In 2022, she won four—the CartoonStock and Bartender magazine’s contests, The Washington Post’s Clowning Achievement Award, and the most coveted of all—The New Yorker’s contest. The New Yorker win came with a caption she submitted for a Bob Eckstein cartoon depicting a group of pumpkin-headed suits at a conference table. Editors chose her entry, “Thanks for carving

Former fourth grade teacher MARY NORMAN and her husband Jed welcomed Herbie this summer. Herbie, big sister Paige, and Mary and Jed send their happy regards to BDS. Brothers COLIN ’26 and ETHAN ’29 PARRY and their parents BRENDON ’94 and Heejean Parry ran into their former music teacher MR. FRANK TOPPA performing in Chatham this summer.

Reach out to the alumni relations team at development@belmontday.org

out a little face time,” as one of three finalists among 8,175 captions submitted for the weekly contest. Readers then voted it the winner. This achievement is the culmination of years devoted to captioning, and she notes, “I don’t think I’ve missed more than a week or two of entries since the competition began almost 840 contests ago.” Carol also consults with a captioning collaborator, her son COLIN MILLS ’05, who has won the contest once and been a finalist twice. (Credit: This note is excerpted in part from an article by Leslie Pond for The Fenway News, January 6, 2023.)

PARENTS OF ALUMNI PHYLLIS GRANT P ’14 was elected to the board of JDRF, the leading research and advocacy organization that works to improve the lives of those living with type 1 diabetes (T1D). She has been involved with JDRF for many years since her son JAYLEN SMITH ’14 was diagnosed with T1D when he was six years old and in kindergarten. Phyllis committed then to doing all she could to support the research that JDRF funds. She and Jaylen, now a senior at Davidson College, have been ambassadors to families with newly diagnosed children and have raised thousands of dollars as the Jay-walkers Team in the Walk to Cure Diabetes.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

Alumni returned to experience the excitement of Friday Night Lights. Pictured left to right: middle school teachers Kate Burns and Nicole Buck, Isaac Frehywot ’21, Wisdom Badgett ’22, and Sue Kelman ’21.

C L ASS N OT E S

IN MEMORIAM Parent of Alumni MARK PHILLIP PITTS P ’16 ’19 passed away peacefully on December 29, 2021. Mark was a beloved father, grandfather, and friend. He is survived by his wife Katya, children Adrienne, Rebecca, Elisabeth ’16, and Phillipe ’19, three grandchildren Ian, Cole, and Eva, and two sisters Louann and Maria. Mark was born on September 5, 1957, in New Haven, CT, and was the oldest of five children. He was raised in Clinton, CT, and graduated from Morgan High School. He spent much of his time in his youth with his Nana, who he adored, Louisa Anastasia, in the restaurants that she owned in the New Haven area. His love of diverse cuisine carried into adulthood, and one of his favorite pastimes was cooking, especially dishes that honored his Italian American heritage. Mark joined the Army in 1980. After completing Officer Candidate School, he was commissioned as an infantry officer and served at Fort Benning, Georgia, and the Republic of Panama. A graduate of the Army’s Parachute school, Jumpmaster school, and Ranger school, Mark was accepted into the Army flight school in 1984. Upon graduating from flight school, Mark served in the 17th Cavalry Squadron (AirCav) in the Republic of Korea, where he was stationed at Camp Garry Owen along the demilitarized zone (DMZ). After his tour in Korea, Mark was trained in CH-47 Chinook helicopters and was stationed in Fairbanks, Alaska, for four years, where he was involved in search and rescue missions in some of the coldest and highest wilderness areas in the United States. In 1991, Mark was admitted to the Defense Language Institute, where he graduated in Russian. After completing his studies in Russian, Mark was admitted to Columbia University, where he obtained a master’s degree in foreign affairs. Mark made the difficult decision to leave the Army while at Columbia, accepting a job at Dunn and Bradstreet in Russia, where he lived and worked for three years. Mark was a brilliant student and had a love of learning. He also earned a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University by attending the Army’s Degree Completion Program, a master’s degree in personnel management from the University of LaVerne, and an MBA at the University of Chicago. He had a larger-than-life personality and smile, a great love of travel, and was always up for an adventure. One of his favorite activities was skiing, and he spent many years volunteering for Mt. Snow Ski Patrol in Vermont. Mark was also an avid reader, and he could almost always be found with his nose in a book. He loved to sing, with one of his favorite songs being “The Impossible Dream (The Quest)” by Andy Williams. These lyrics exemplify Mark’s philosophy of life. Life was precious to Mark, and he made the most of each moment. Those who knew him can still hear him saying, “Carpe Diem.” Lower school head Betty Chu Pryor recalls Mark as “an involved parent who regularly attended events for both of his children. He would light up any room with his cheerful demeanor and always had a smile on his face. No matter how busy he was, he made sure to stop to say hello and have a meaningful conversation with you. Mark will be dearly missed, and we extend our deep condolences to his family and loved ones.”

CARMEN M. TORRES P ’94 ’01 passed away on April 25, 2022. Carmen was a pioneer in Boston’s school system, mentoring administrators, teachers, and other education professionals and serving as a tireless advocate of support services for English Language Learners. Among her many accomplishments, she was the founder of the Health Careers Pathway at Brighton High School and the pre-pharmacy program at Fenway High School. She was the founding assistant headmaster and then co-headmaster of Boston Arts Academy. After retiring, she became a clinical faculty member at Boston University. Later, she co-founded and co-directed the Perrone-Sizer Institute for Creative Leadership and served on its faculty at the Center for Artistry and Scholarship at Hale Education. The Carmen M. Torres scholarship was established at Hale Education in her memory to support emerging Latinx leaders. Carmen was a friend, mentor, second mother, education ambassador, and helping hand to endless lives in and around the city of Boston and beyond. The Belmont Day community extends its condolences to her children, Yaritza Carmen Peña ’01 and Radhy Alejandro Peña ’94. Donations may be made to the Carmen Torres Scholarship Fund at www.hale1918.org/remembering-carmen Faculty

PAMELA P. ORCHARD, a Belmont Day School faculty member from 1990 to 2010, died suddenly on July 26, 2022. Pam was a fourth grade teacher for much of her career at BDS before moving into the role of woodworking teacher with the addition of the middle school program in 2002. Pam reimagined and expanded the woodworking program, developing the curriculum to create a rigorous learning experience that engaged the imagination and made practical use of math and science for students to plan and execute challenging projects. Pam was a talented educator who devoted extraordinary time and attention to each student, whether in her fourth grade classroom or in the woodshop. She was an innovator and collaborator, applying for and receiving a summer stipend in the inaugural year of the BDS Pioneer Program—an initiative that matches faculty with technology specialists to develop and model innovative technology use. Former students and their families will remember the Greek Luncheon and Play—now the Greek Festival—as a beloved BDS tradition that marks the culmination of fourth grade’s intensive study of the ancient Mediterranean. Begun before Pam’s tenure, the vision of each educator at the helm has enriched the tradition. Through Pam’s collaboration with former reading teacher Anne Smith, content from literature and social studies became part of the unit; its evolution over the years demonstrates the power of a strong foundational curriculum that is adaptable and responsive to the interests and skills of the teachers and students. Pam was committed to her own professional growth. At a summer course at the WoodenBoat School in Brooklin, Maine, Pam learned about the history of pond boats and the techniques for designing and building these 50-inch-long sailboats. At the end of the two-week course, she had built a pond boat of her own. Pam brought her new knowledge of techniques and materials back to BDS, adapting them for use in her middle school woodworking classes. Pam will be remembered as a dedicated educator and a warm, kind, and generous colleague and friend. Our deep condolences go out to Pam’s family and friends.

B E L M O N T DAY magazine | 61

CONGRATS Lila Abruzzi

Sam Amaratunga

Ben Ashman

Nikos Axiotis

Wisdom Badgett

Ella Blecher

Alexander Dainora Cohen

Alex Foley

Alice Gou

Evan Griffith-Ebrahimi

Anisah Jordan

Emma Kass

Marlon Kasse

Olive Kiraly

Ruby Kokinos

Eliza Kuechle

Peter Kurtz

Juliana Li

Bella Lightbody

Nadia Lomeli

Bernie Mattox

Nicky Mattox

Ana McEleney

Sunday Mitzenmacher

Colby Morris

62 | 2022–23

2022 GRADS Class of 2022 Secondary Schools Beaver Country Day School Vanessa Musch

Niamh O’Brien

Nora O’Brien

Belmont High School (2) Boston Arts Academy Boston College High School Boston University Academy Brimmer and May School (2) Brooks School (2) Buckingham Browne and Nichols School Cambridge Rindge and Latin (4)

Bridget Peters

Matthieu Small

Asher Sutton

Cambridge School of Weston (2) Catholic Memorial High School Chapel Hill Chauncy Hall School Commonwealth School (3) Concord Academy (6) Dana Hall School Gann Academy

Kaitlyn Tan

Lucy Targum

Ella Thompson

Groton School Kimball Union Academy Middlesex School Noble and Greenough School Northfield Mount Hermon School Phillips Andover Academy Pike School

Sophie Tong

Finnoula Wheeler

Calder Wilmot

Somerville High School Ursuline Academy Winchester High School

Tómas Wright-Katz

Betel Zewude

Olivia Zhou

B E L M O N T DAY magazine | 63

Class of 2022 Graduation Speech Excerpts Tomás Wright-Katz “I would compare BDS to the walls of a house. While new things may change about the home—you might paint it a different color, put up posters, or place a potted plant nearby—the walls will always be there, supporting the rest of the house. My teachers, family, and friends make up pillars, holding the walls in place. Without you, there would be no

school and no form of structure in my life, so thank you. I have learned a lot from my BDS experience. However, after nine years at this school, I know I am ready to move on to high school. As Albert Einstein once said, ‘Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.’”

Kaitlyn Tan Colors

Fourth grade Was the color green, Bright, the feeling of cool crisp wind, A fresh start, A new school New friends New classmates New teachers A different way of doing things. Fourth grade Was packed with Greek and Egyptian myths, Fantasy worlds from a long long time ago. It was packed With presentations, projects. With playgrounds I hadn’t yet mapped out, With rules I didn’t yet understand. Fifth grade Was blue A light breeze, A feeling near comfort, However, not quite there. No longer new But still unfamiliar It felt as if I was at An extended summer camp, About to end at any time, I just had to wait A little longer. Fifth grade Was full of deep breaths Alien stories 3-D printing Swing sets, Who liked who and Who hurt who. Sixth grade Was purple.

64 | 2022–23

Sunsets, calmness, And complete comfort. Until you realize the night is approaching And everything changes. The environment sunk in This was no longer an unfamiliar place Then my friends changed People grew up COVID hit. And suddenly there was Too much time spent on computers, Too much time spent in bed. Sixth grade Included More swing sets Farm School Freedom Night Human rights And my final project Presented over Zoom With the applause so close Yet so far. Seventh grade Was gray. Clouds, the humid air Trapping you Making you dizzy A match, burning out. We came back in person But it still felt like We were distanced, No one really knew each other. Seventh grade had New friends, forced upon each other Belmont Center Chromebook games Natural selection Video editing

Presentations One too many presentations. And finally, eighth grade started Eighth grade Was another kind of green. Another kind of a fresh start, The feeling of the crisp wind, But this time, It’s brighter, and we’re past the storm and the sunsets. We finally saw each other We weren’t forced into friend groups, We found ourselves. Eighth grade Was normal, and Normal was now the pandemic. Capstone started And because of quarantine I chose to do mental health as my topic. High school applications Knocked the wind out of me But eventually Everything was over. And now I’m onto ninth grade With the experience of BDS Tucked under my belt. There’s still a lot I don’t know And there’s a lot I wish I would’ve done differently, But those five years Were packed with the most laughter, Hardships, Learning, And growing I’ve ever done in my life So to Belmont Day School, I say thank you.

2 02 2 G R A D UAT I O N

Finnoula Wheeler “The universal theme in the book of our school comes from its values; the consistency of the six core ideals that have had my back ever since a tear rolled down my cheek 10 years ago because I couldn’t quite figure out how to spell “apple”. This school has taken care in cradling us developmentally yet challenging us with content every step of the way. That’s not to say that everything has been perfect, but it is a place that I will always remember. BDS pushes a regime of empathy, critical thinking, and responsibility onto its students, and

whether you choose to abide by those qualities or not, the impact of the repetition does stick. One of the most significant lessons I’ve learned here is the importance of considering perspectives other than your own. Nobody looks at the world in the same way you do, and if you don’t consider others’ perspectives you won’t have empathy for them. It’s a skill used in analyzing the intentions of fictional book characters, finding the motivations behind the Civil War, and for maintaining relationships with those you love.”

One of the most significant lessons I’ve learned here is the “importance of considering perspectives other than your own.”

Back row, left to right: Tomás Wright-Katz, Ben Ashman, Sam Amaratunga, Emma Kass, Asher Sutton, Lila Abruzzi, Alexander Dainora Cohen, Calder Wilmot, Ruby Kokinos, Nora O’Brien, Eliza Kuechle, Betel Zewude, Lucy Targum, Sunday Mitzenmacher, Kaitlyn Tan, Nadia Lomeli, Bella Lightbody, Alex Foley, Matthieu Small, Bernie Mattox, Marlon Kasse, Nicky Mattox, Peter Kurtz, Olive Kiraly, Nikos Axiotis, Wisdom Badgett, Colby Morris, Niamh O’Brien, Finnoula Wheeler, Bridget Peters, Juliana Li, Vanessa Musch, Evan Griffith-Ebrahimi, Ana McEleney, Ella Thompson, Anisah Jordan, Olivia Zhou, Sophie Tong, Ella Blecher.

B E L M O N T DAY magazine | 65

2021–22

Annual Report See this year’s Annual Report on the Publications page of our website.

66 | 2021–22

inspired

learners & leaders M A R K YO U R C A L E N DA R S !

Alumni Reunion June 9, 2023 Reunion Class of 2022 June 10, 2023 Reunion Class of 2018 Catch up with your classmates this June! For more information, visit www.belmontday.org/alumni /alumni-events/.

An elementary & middle school | pre-k to grade 8 617-484-3078 | www.belmontday.org

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