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Spring Season Underway Despite Weather
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Warp and weft
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March 17, 2017
Last week, I wrote about our efforts to nurture curiosity here at BDS and promised a look at our commitment to community with this week’s installment. In the interim, something extraordinary has happened that inspired me to reconsider my plan—Capstone. It has moved a different NAIS mission into place for this week…changing the world.
First off, wow. Everyone told me this would happen. “Just wait for Capstone,” I heard over and over. Everyone—teachers, alums, parents, students, former faculty, past parents—all speaking with the pride of someone who has planned a surprise birthday party, knowing how much I would love it, even if I, myself didn’t know.
They were right, of course. This week (snow day notwithstanding) has been a journey into the remarkable curiosity, leadership, insight, and talents of our eighth grade student leaders as change agents for the future. And while there remain three presentations that will get the space they deserve in this column next week, I wanted to comment on a few things I have learned this week:
From Alex K: I learned that the weight of a wind turbine, in its effort to provide critical alternative energy, matters. I also learned that there’s nothing quite like going first in Capstone.
From Madison L: I learned that I probably have an actual phobia of heights, despite her reassurance that it may only be a fear. I also learned that she would make one heck of a doctor some day.
From Ethan Sm: I learned that one of our nation’s great innovations—the rail system—still carries the hopes and dreams of its citizens on its tracks. I also learned that I would happily travel on a train with Ethan as its conductor.
READ MORE
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NEED TO READ
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Upcoming Events
Sunday, March 19 to Friday, March 24
B Week
Monday, March 20: After School, Extended Day, & Enrichment Session 3 Begins; Spring Athletics Season Begins; Barn Design/Utile, 8:15 to 10:45 a.m., Head's Office; PA Executive Committee, 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., Coolidge Hall; Capstone Presentations 8, 3:45 to 5:15 p.m., Kiva
Tuesday, March 21: Buildings & Grounds, 8:15 to 10:15 a.m., Bungalow
Wednesday, March 22: School Closed: Parent Conferences
Thursday, March 23: Grade 7 SSAT, 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Development Committee, 7 to 9 p.m., Coolidge Hall
Friday, March 24: Parent Conferences: School in Session; Grades 1 & 2 Play, 8:50 to 9:35 a.m., PAC
Monday
Snack: mini pretzels; apple sauce
Lunch: bowtie pasta with marinara sauce; breadsticks; hot veg special; greens with balsamic
Tuesday
Snack: saltines; bananas
Lunch: BBQ chicken; pickles; sweet potato fries; hot veg special; coleslaw
Wednesday
School Closed: Parent Conferences
Thursday
Snack: RF Cape Cod chips; grapes
Lunch: cheese pizza; pepperoni pizza; crudite with ranch; hot veg special; Caesar salad
Friday
Snack: cheese |
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CAPSTONE NEWS
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Final Presentations on Monday
Come to the wrap-up of an amazing set of Capstone presentations on Monday afternoon at 3:45 p.m. Presenters are Alex Lee, Jamie McCreath, and Ezekiel Yarboi. Don't miss this chance to learn about blacksmithing, universal design, and computer animation! |
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GREENING NEWS
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Community Service and Waking Up the Garden
Our Family Environmental Community Service event will take place on Saturday, April 1, from 10:15 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Mass Audubon’s Habitat Education and Wildlife Center. Children from kindergarten through eighth grade are welcome with a parent. We will meet at school and walk over to the center at 10:15 a.m. Questions? Contact Kathy Jo Solomon or add your name to the sign up sheet.
Wake up the BDS Garden on Saturday, April 8 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Help get our garden ready for spring planting. Open to students and their parents; students in grades six and up can come unaccompanied. For more information or if you are interested in participating contact Kathy Jo Solomon. |
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ENRICHMENT NEWS
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Enrichment Class Updates
The second trimester of enrichment ends on Friday, March 17. The third trimester begins on Monday, March 20. For a complete list of spring enrichment classes, locations, and teachers, click here. Questions? Contact Blair Fross at bfross@belmontday.org. |
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DIVERSITY NEWS
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Braiding Different Strands Meeting
Thursday, April 27, 6:15 p.m. in Erskine Library
Come one, come all to our next Braiding Different Strands meeting. Braiding Different Strands is a group that engages in lively conversation around equity and diversity, sharing resources, ideas, and challenges in a collaborative and safe environment. All adult members of the Belmont Day community are welcome to attend and contribute ideas or questions, whether you can make one meeting or all of the meetings. We will be discussing gender identity and will hear from a panel of adults from our community on this topic. A light dinner will be provided at 6:15 p.m. and the meeting will start promptly at 6:30 p.m.
"There comes a time when silence is betrayal" - MLK |
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AUCTION NEWS
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Homegrown News
YOU'VE GOT MAIL! Homegrown Auction Invitations EMAILED TOMORROW!
Your Homegrown Auction invitation will be emailed to you on Saturday, March 18. There will be no paper invitations. Please check your SPAM folder if you do not find the invitation in your inbox. When you click on the RSVP link, you can:
- Complete your RSVP for the April 29 event
- Purchase event tickets at $125 each
- Pre-register your payment information for the auction, thereby expediting check-in on event night
- Underwrite faculty tickets or a table
- Make a donation to help underwrite event costs
You can also purchase tickets for your child to be entered into two raffles:
- Head-for-a-Day: Win a chance for your child to spend the day as Mr. Largay does! The experience will be customized for the winner, but they may tour the campus on the Gator, make announcements, designate special attire for the following day, or select a special snack or dessert with Chef Lightbody. Tickets are $25 each or 5 for $100.
- Video Star: Would your child jump at the chance to be in the front seat with Mr. Largay for the next episode of car karaoke? Or maybe they would like to rap with Mr. Largay in the next school event video? Tickets are $25 each or 5 for $100.
- Raffle notes: Tickets may be distributed between the two raffle options. Head-for-a-Day and Video Star are donated by Brendan Largay. Winners' names will be drawn on auction night. Winners do not need to be present.
RSVP's are kindly requested by April 7. We look forward to welcoming you home! |
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COMMUNITY NEWS
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Cradles to Crayons Clothing Drive Is Underway
March 14 to April 9
Cradles to Crayons collects and distributes clothing, school supplies, toys, and other essentials to children in need throughout the state. From now until April 9, BDS will have a collection pod on campus in the back parking lot. As you do your spring cleaning, please set aside items that you can no longer use and bring them to the pod. This year's most needed items include:
- Clothing (up to an adult Medium)
- Shoes (up to an adult 10)
- Children's Books
- Socks & Underwear (new)
- Hygiene items (new)
The clothing drive culminates in a two-hour sorting event on Sunday, April 9 from 2 to 4 p.m. in the PAC. Save-the-date for this fun event. This is a wonderful opportunity to serve the greater community while working with your children, their teachers, and their friends. |
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PA NEWS
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Be Involved in the PA
We are looking for grade parents and activity chairs for the 2017-2018 school year and we hope you will join us. Seize the opportunity to connect with new and returning parents, facilitate communication and social events for parents, and support classroom teachers. The goal is to have two parents per grade from pre-k to grade seven and four parents for eighth grade. You can nominate yourself or suggest people you think may be interested. Contact Augusta Sparks or Elliot Targum at bdspa@belmontday.org. |
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PIN NEWS
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The Parents' Independent School Network (PIN), a non-profit organization of independent schools in the Greater Boston area that provides parent education opportunities for its member schools, will hold its next meeting at the Brookwood School in Manchester-by-the-Sea on Wednesday, March 29, beginning at 9:15 a.m. The topic of discussion will be "Helping Children (and Families) Find Balance," and will feature a panel of discussants from area independent schools.
Interested in learning more about PIN? Feel free to contact Sibylle Kim (sibyllekim@gmail.com). |
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BEYOND BELMONT DAY
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Bystander Intervention Workshop: What You Can Do When Witnessing Harassment
Saturday, March 18 from 2 to 4:30 p.m.
Beech Street Center, 266 Beech Street, Belmont
What do you do when you witness someone being mistreated (at work, school, on a bus)? In this non-political, non-partisan workshop:
- Explore or share incidents, feelings, actions, and thoughts on being an ally
- Work with an experienced theater group to role-play intervention scenarios
- Gain a broader perspective on the pivotal role of a bystander to shift a situation
- Explore ideas as a group about effective ways to intervene
This event is sponsored by The Stand Up Campaign, The Belmont Council on Aging, and True Story Theater, and is suitable for participants of high school age and older. Registration is strongly recommended.
Ayla Pfeffer's Special Olympics Fundraising Event
Sunday, May 7 at 1:30 p.m.
Gann Academy, Waltham, MA
Seventh grader Ayla Pfeffer will host a basketball fundraising event to benefit Special Olympics on Sunday, May 7 from 1:30 to 4 p.m. The all-ages tournament will take place at Gann Academy. Special Olympics athletes will participate and Ayla invites members of the BDS community to attend what promises to be a fun event! Sign up to participate or make a donation online.
Coding & Robotics Camp
Alpha Bench is hosting coding and robotics camps during school vacations and during the summer. Looking for an engaging, fun-filled introduction to problem-solving and programming for your child? Learn more about these programs here. |
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PRINT EDITION
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Download this week’s Scoop to save or print. |
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