Welcome, please come and browse the newsletter.

There is one newsletter this month due to the Thanksgiving break.  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and safe travels.  What better way to start the day than cheering at a football game before the big meal.  Belmont vs. Watertown at Watertown High School Victory Field at 10:15 a.m.  Ticket information is below.

“Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.”
― Confucius

The School Committee only met one time during the month of November (11/10/2015). The School Committee has scheduled an educational presentation for each meeting this year in an attempt to provide the community a view into the different aspects of our school system. At this meeting we were fortunate enough to learn about our Technology Plan and our Student Services programs.  At the meeting we had two informative presentations; one by Director of Technology Steve Mazzola, who outlined the Technology program for the Belmont Public Schools, and one by our Student Services administrative team of Ken Kramer and Mary Jane Weinstein, who outlined some of the special education programs offered within the BPS.  Steve Mazola does an incredible job behind the scenes to support our teachers and students.  Ken Kramer and Mary Jane Weinstein provided an informative outline of services we provide to our families.  Both of these presentations led to great School Committee dialogue. The School Committee has two meetings scheduled for December (12/1/2015 and 12/15/2015). At these two meetings we will have presentations on the PARCC Assessment and our English Language Learner programs.

TEACHING AND LEARNING

The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted for Massachusetts students to take a new standardized test beginning spring 2017.  The test is being called “MCAS 2.0” for now, and will be a hybrid of the MCAS and the PARCC test. Belmont did well on Spring 2015 PARCC test with 89 percent of students in grades 3-8 meeting or exceeding expectations on the English language arts test, and 81 percent in math. Spring 2016 would still be PARCC for those districts who chose it, a little over half in Massachusetts, while other districts will continue with MCAS. The test should be administered electronically by 2019 and implemented with pen/pencil and paper in spring 2017.

• Please take a look at the BPS Department of Fine & Performing Arts new Facebook page.  By "liking" this page, you will be able to see photos of student artwork from all six of our schools and learn more about what is happening in visual art, music and theater.  You will see photos and videos and also be kept up to date on news and events, where admission is free for most of the events and performances.  Take a look!

• BHS music students went to North Andover High School to audition for the Massachusetts Music Educators (MMEA) Northeast District Senior Festival.  There were 1,127 students from surrounding towns auditioning for the opportunity to perform in one of the District Honors Ensembles of Band, Chorus, Orchestra, and Jazz Ensemble. Sixty-six BHS students were accepted to perform in the Senior District Festival, and thirty-six of those students earned All-State Recommendations, which allows them to audition for the MMEA All-State Festival in January.  A tremendous amount of effort goes into this from the students and the performing arts faculty.  Congratulations to all, see the Fine and Performing Arts website for all the student's names and more information. 

It was a busy fall season for the Arlington-Belmont Crew team.  The AB Crew held on defending its title as State Champions at this year's Massachusetts Public Schools Rowing Association's Fall State Championships.  This is the AB Crew's third consecutive season winning the overall team points trophy at states.  The AB Crew boys got the boys team championship title for the fifth consecutive season, and the girls earned the second highest points total among high school girls teams.  At the New Hampshire Championships, the AB Crew won four gold, three silver, and two bronze medals.  Their combined results earned the team the New Hampshire Cup, which is awarded to the team with the best overall results.  They competed against 40 teams from around New England and New York.  At the Head of the Charles Regatta, the premier rowing event of the fall season, the AB Crew raced three boats.  The Boys Varsity Eight came in 17 place out of 85 boats, the Boys Varsity Four got 39 place out of 85 boats, and the Girls Varsity Eight got 41 place out of 85 boats.  The AB Crew competed against youth teams from the United states, Canada, Europe and Africa.  Having finished in the top half in all three races, the AB Crew automatically qualifies for the two eights and a boys four for next year's Head of the Charles. Congratulations to all.

Below is the BHS 2015 Fall Wrap and the 2015 Fall Athletic Awards--Congratulations to all on a great season:

BHS FALL SPORTS WRAP-UP

Saturday 11/21/15

The Belmont High Girls Cross Country team place 14^th in the MIAA All State Championship Meet held in Westfield MA.

Leading the way was Senior Leah Brams who fished 14^th overall in this highly competitive championship meet.  Full race results can be found on the MIAA website.

Sunday 11/22/15

Girls Swimming & Diving placed second with 293 point in the MIAA Division II State Championship held at Harvard University.

The following team members captured Individual State Championship Titles in the following respective events:

Freshmen Nicole Kalavantis  200 Yard Freestyle & 500 Yard Freestyle.

Senior Jessie Blake- West 50 Yard Freestyle & 100 Yard Butterfly  * Set a new meet record  of 54.66 as well as being named All American.

The 400 yard Freestyle Relay Team made up of Sophomore Julia Bozkurtian, Senior Elizabeth Levy, Freshmen Nicole Kalavantis, and Senior Jessie Blake- West. For full meet results see the MIAA website.

Thursday 11/26/15

BHS Varsity Football will play their final game of the season in the Annual Thanksgiving Day Game vs. Watertown. This year’s contest will be hosted by Watertown High School at Victory Field with a 10:15 kick off.  Tickets day of game are $10, and ticket buyers at Thursday's game should make checks payable to Watertown Public Schools.

BHS Winter Sports get underway on Monday November 30^th.

FALL ATHLETIC AWARDS NIGHT (held November 19, 2015)

2015 Fall Awards

Varsity Boys Cross Country
Sportsmanship Award: Mike Ferrante

Coaches Award: Ian Bowe

Junior Varsity Boys Cross Country
Sportsmanship Award: Brendan Hill

Coaches Award: Hadi Abdelghany        

Varsity Girls Cross Country

Sportsmanship Award: Emma Chambers

Coaches Award: Sara Naumann

Junior Varsity Girls Cross Country

Sportsmanship Award: Micaela Curtin  

Coaches Award: Kate Lester

Varsity Field Hockey

Sportsmanship Award: Sofia Stratford

Coaches Award: Molly Thayer

Junior Varsity Field Hockey

Sportsmanship Award: Lou Lou Baghdady

Coaches Award: Chloe Brown

Freshmen Field Hockey

Sportsmanship Award: Anjali Ramakrishnan

Coaches Award:  Mia Kaldenbaugh    

Varsity Football

Sportsmanship Award: Grant Gilbert

Coaches Award: Lowell Haska

Junior Varsity Football

Sportsmanship Award: Caleb Henman

Coaches Award: Ken Dahal

Freshman Football

Sportsmanship Award: Jake Parsons

Coaches Award: Jared Edwards

Varsity Swim Team

Sportsmanship Award: Emily Quinn                       

Coaches Award: Elizabeth Levy

Varsity Volleyball

Sportsmanship Award: Risa Kim

Coaches Award: Faye Reagan

Junior Varsity Volleyball

Sportsmanship Award: Emily Logan

Coaches Award: Francesca  Mei

Freshman Volleyball

Sportsmanship Award: Lara Jia-yi Zeng

Coaches Award: Gabriella  Viale

Varsity Golf

Sportsmanship Award: Michael Pergamo

Coaches Award: Peter Cahoon

Varsity Cheerleading

Sportsmanship Award: Samrina Lamichhane

Coaches Award: Liza Hote

Junior Varsity Cheerleading

Sportsmanship Award:  Gabrielle Mazzoni

Coaches Award:  Lisbeth Quintin

Varsity Boys Soccer

Sportsmanship Award: Ed Stafford

Coaches Award: Matt Thompson

Junior Varsity Boys Soccer

Sportsmanship Award: Kostas Tingos

Coaches Award: Nate Espelin

Freshman Boys Soccer

Sportsmanship Award: Rafael Burger

Coaches Award: Benjamin Andre Kargere

Varsity Girls Soccer

Sportsmanship Award: Julia Rifkin

Coaches Award: Georgia Parsons

Junior Varsity Girls Soccer

Sportsmanship Award: Emily Duffy

Coaches Award: Margaux d’Arbeloff

Freshman Girls Soccer

Sportsmanship Award: Alexandra Keefe

Coaches Award: Tess Jenkins

MIDDLESEX LEAGUE CERTIFICATES (League All Star Awards) Given out at the Awards Night:

Girls Swim

Nicole Kalavantis

Jessie Blake-West

Sophie Butte

Cynthia Kelsey

Emily Quinn

Dervla Moore-Frederick

Julia Bozkurtain

Sara Noorouzi

Field Hockey

Kerri Lynch

Ann Marie Habelow

Julia Chase

Serena Nally

Two Field Hockey athletes received additional awards in addition to their League All Star:

Ann Marie Habelow – MVP – Field Hockey

Serena Nally – Best of 60 North Field Hockey Team Member, who lead her team to victory scoring two goals and an assist, beating the opposing team 4-1.

Girls Cross Country

Leah Brams

Sara Naumann

Golf

Robert Malcolm

Michael Pergamo

Football

Mekhai Johnson

Joseph Shaughnessy

Grant Gibert

Girls Soccer

Mary Kristin Gay

Katrina Rokosz

Boys Soccer

Edward Stafford

Volleyball

Faye Reagan

• Veterans were honored at Belmont Public Schools on Tuesday, November 10.  Events began at the Chenery followed by the Butler and Wellington Schools. We were humbled by many local veterans coming to the events, and entertained with many musical programs.  See the BPS website for pictures and program information.

• The Belmont Council on Aging is presenting Butler Principal Michael McAllister and faculty an award for Excellence and Dedication in Inter-generational Programming for 2015.  The Council states this is the first year the award has been presented to any member of the Belmont school community.  The award is for a program School Psychologist Jessica Eisner coordinated with fourth grade teachers and the Council On Aging staff this past spring called, "Life When You Were a Kid and Today".  They are also recognizing recently retired Music Teacher Roseanne Mili's musical performances with students, ages six to 14, who have performed for seniors at the Beech Street Center this past year.  The Council on Aging Board and the Chair of the Board of Selectmen will present the award to them next month. Terrific community outreach, congratulations to all at the Butler School.

• Winnie B, the school mascot giraffe which has been at the Winn Brook since 2004, still encourages students to "stick their necks out and help others".  See the BPS website for Principal Janet Carey's  reflections on the beloved Winnie B.

• Winn Brook School Nurse Jeanine Shaughnessy recently coordinated a PACK (Pack Assorted Colors for Kids) Week.  The program encouraged children (and staff) to eat more fruits and vegetables every day for better health.  Each day a different color was assigned, and students and staff were asked to eat a fruit or vegetable based on the color of the day.  The food services staff jointed in the effort, and those who were in the building got to see Nurse Shaughnessy dressed as a giant carrot!

• Burbank Elementary Students collected more than $1,400 during the annual Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF drive.  The PTA says that's enough money to provide clean heater pumps to several villages or measles protection to nearly 5,000 children.

• BHS seniors Princy Sindurakar, Renuka Nannapaneni, Hannah Read, and Helena Kim were just published in the Journal of Emerging Investigators for their study, "The Effect of the Stomatal Index on the Net Rate of Photosynthesis in the Leaves of Spinacia oleracea, Vinca minor, Rhododendron spp, Epipremnum aureum, and Hedera spp".  The experiment, performed last year in AP Biology with BHS Teacher Suzanne Lijek, has implications for how climate change may affect the rate of photosynthesis in plants.  Director of Science, Health and Technology, Elizabeth Baker, explains the journal's aim is to publish original student research in a peer-reviewed scientific journal so that students experience the rigorous vetting process. Congratulations to all, and well done.

• The BHS Science team placed first at the West Suburban Science League competition on November 12.  They are currently first in the League, which is based in the Metro-West area of Boston and is composed of 17 teams competing in four events over a five month period.  The meets are held on the second Thursday of each month, Ocboer through February. The team then competes in the Massachusetts Science Olympiad held in March.  Great stuff!

• More than 700 Belmont students participated in the 15^th Annual Spelling Bee held on November 14, sponsored by the Foundation for Belmont Education (FBE).  Greg Stone, for his 12^th year, returned as the Bee Host. Grades K-4, “Non-Competitive Swarms”, and Grades 5-6, "Competitive Swarms”.  The inventive names within the swarms were already winning; such as, Kinder Bees, The Word Nerds, O bee wan keno bee, Goodspellas, and Bee-wiched. The winning word this year is "Shrapnel", and the winning team are the Chenery Cheetahs comprised of Chenery Middle School fifth graders Grace Deane, Madison Knight, Solenn Marion and Gilliam Palmer.  The Runner-Up team is the Chenery fifth grade team--the Fab Four--Theo Gallagher, Alex Karagozyan, Brian Shu, and Brennan Thomson.  Congratulations to all who participated, and our thanks to the FBE.  See more on the BPS website.
  
  CALENDAR
  
  Below are some of the numerous events for the rest of November into the beginning of December.  Please check the schools websites and communications for more events and any changes in dates, time, and/or venues:

11/25 - 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. - Field House - BHS Pep Rally

11/25 - Early Release All Schools

11/26 - 10:15 a.m. - Watertown Victory Field - Annual Belmont/Watertown Thanksgiving Day Football Game

11/26 & 27 - Thanksgiving Recess - All Schools Closed

11/30 to 12/4 - Winn Brook PTA Book Fair

12/1 - 7:00 p.m. - CMS Large Community Room - School Committee Meeting

12/2 - 6:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. - Winn Brook Cafeteria - PTA Game Night

12/2 - BHS - National Honors Society Induction

12/4 - 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. - Viglirolo Rink - Winn Brook PTA Skating Night

12/4 - 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. - Butler Art Show

12/4 - 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. - Burbank Book Fair

12/8 - 7:00 p.m. - BHS Field House - Band-A-Rama

12/9 - 6:00 p.m. - BHS Auditorium - Junior Future Planning Night

12/9 - Chenery Middle School Early Release Day