We wish you a wonderful and restful December break and a happy and healthy new year. Schools are closed beginning December 24 and reopen on Tuesday, January 3.
In this Issue:
School Committee
Registration for School Year 2023-2024
School News
Visual and Performing Arts
Athletics
Helpful Links
SCHOOL COMMITTEE
FY24 Budget: As you know, the district will complete the move into the new Belmont Middle and High School with grades 7 and 8 for the start of school opening in September 2023. With that said, we are looking to address the needs we have in opening the new grade 7 and 8 middle school with the appropriate amount of staff to support the students in our newly created 7-12 schedule. We are also looking to retain the positions we have had over the last two years that are funded through federal grants that we believe are needed to help continue to support our students (nurses, math specialists, social workers). Lastly, we will be focusing on addressing the migration of our high enrollment cohorts from our elementary schools to our secondary level schools where our highest class sizes exist.
We began the budget process early in order to be aligned with our town department partners in our collective fiscal planning for next year. This process involves many meetings and discussions with the School Committee, town departments, and the public. Please see the updates below.
December 13 and December 6 Meetings: On December 13, the School Committee held a joint meeting with the Education Subcommittee of the Warrant Committee to review the special education multi-year Out-of-District Funding plan. At this meeting, the school department stated there was a need for more dollars in the FY23 General Fund Budget to cover the increase of students.
Belmont Town Administrator Patrice Garvin gave a budget update at the December 13 meeting, stating the town is looking at revenues and expenses and will utilize free cash as a one-time fund to balance the FY24 budget for all departments. Ms. Garvin also said the town is looking to put an override on the ballot in spring of FY24 for the FY25 budget, which as we know from the town Budget Summit will be a difficult financial year.
At the end of the December 13 joint meeting, the School Committee held a public forum and continued to discuss the FY24 budget as it relates to staffing and service deliverables to students. We continue to have conversations with our Leadership Council and Leadership Team to prioritize wants and needs in the budget and what staff is needed as we look at scheduling for our grades 7 and 8 for fall of 2024 in the new Belmont Middle and High School and our grades 5 and 6 for fall of 2024 in the Chenery Upper Elementary School.
The December 13 meeting built on the high level overview the school administration presented to the School Committee at the December 6 off-cycle meeting. At the December 6 meeting, the documents presented included a district organizational chart and an Executive Summary that links to Data Memos for the rationale regarding identified positions reallocated or added to the FY24 budget. For example, you will see suggested reallocations of staff at the elementary level to the Belmont Middle and High School due to enrollment. The reallocations are an effort to put the staff where the students are and will help limit the amount of new staff needed to open the new school. The School Committee created an FAQ to provide some answers to the questions and input given by the public after that meeting.
Next budget meetings:
- January 3, 2022 School Committee Meeting:
Present Draft #1 FY24 Budget Summary to the School Committee in preparation for a January 12 Town Budget Summit #4
- January 12, 2023 Town Joint Meeting at Budget Summit #4:
Present Draft #1 FY24 Budget at Town at Budget Summit #4
- January 17 School Committee Meeting:
Discuss and proritize needs for FY24 Budget
District Priorities Update for DEI and District Configuration Transition:
Please see the monthly updates from DEI Director Chont'el Washington and Director of District Configuration Transition Karla Koza.
REGISTRATION FOR SCHOOL YEAR 2023-2024 BEGINS JANUARY 27
Registration for incoming kindergartners and grades 1-12 who are new to Belmont opens online January 27. Please look for more information on our registration pages (K-4 and 5-12) on the BPS website closer to the date. Please note, you do not have to register an existing BPS student.
SCHOOL NEWS
Professional Development for Educators:
Twenty BPS staff members attended the METCO Directors' Association 37th Annual Educators Conference on December 2 in Norwood, MA. Participants from across the state and beyond provided participating educators a full day of engaged discussion and professional development to support our students' social-emotional and academic development. The conference allows educators the opportunity to bring best practices back to their districts..
Chenery:
CMS Community Service Club held their annual food drive November 28 to December 13 benefiting the Belmont Food Pantry. This event, which gathers thousands of food items, is the largest donation of the year for the food pantry.
Community Blocks are underway at Chenery where staff members work with a smaller group of students with a goal of prioritizing social and emotional success. This is an opportunity to build stronger relationships, build a sense of community, and have students work collaboratively with one another.
CMS Students are busy and engaged in learning whether it be science experiments and lab reporting, using different mediums in art, practicing French proficiency and poetic skills or understaining health content. Below see more pictures of student engagement.
BHS:
Marauder of the Week highlights students' accomplishments ranging from scholastic to extracurricular activities to community service. Marauders for the Week of December 16 is Astrid Reker, Evvie Boas, and Jacy Hoffmann; December 9 are Leila Bernbeck, Sachie Capitani, and Shay Donahue; December 2 are Asa Rosenmeier, Gaby Mendoza, and Joel Iglesias. To read more about these Marauders, please go to the BHS website.
Elementary:
Wellington, Butler, and Burbank had a visit from the Acton Discovery Museum. The museum representative held a Physical changes of Matter workshop for Wellington second graders, Butler fourth graders learned how rock formation and erosion are involved in creating new landforms, and Wellington first graders enjoyed a Weather Workshop.
Butler held an Art Night on December 2 with a student art exhibit in the gym, curated by Art Teacher Avery Kallas. There was also a craft-project buffet curated by Alex Makes Art featuring winter-themed projects.
Burbank collected $1,333 in monetary donations and collected more than 50 pairs of new pajamas for Cradles to Crayons on December 16. Students were welcome to wear their pajamas or cozy clothes to school that day. Burbank also held a virtual Library Night on November 9. PJs was again the dress code as teachers read aloud their favorite stories.
Wellington PTO held a Winter Coat Drive December 1 through December 16 benefiting Children's Services of Roxbury.
Winn Brook Art Teacher Amanda Lamoretti gives a look inside the art studio on the Winn Brook art Instagram and elaborates on what students have been working on in Winn Brook Art newsletters.
VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS
From Arto Asadoorian, Director of Visual and Performing Arts: Each year the Massachusetts Music Educators Association (MMEA) hosts regional auditions for honors music ensembles across the state. Belmont is a member of the MMEA Northeast District.
This past Saturday (11/19), seventy-four musicians from Belmont High School traveled to North Andover to audition for the MMEA Northeast Senior District Band, Chorus, Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble. This was the first time auditions have been held in-person since before the pandemic, and so for most students this was their first time participating in a live audition.
Of the 74 students who auditioned, we are pleased to share that 50 BHS students were accepted to participate in the Northeast Senior District Festival. The festival will take place January 4, 6 and 7 at New England Conservatory with a culminating performance that Saturday at Jordan Hall at NEC. Additionally, 23 of these students earned All-State Recommendations and will have the opportunity to audition for All-State ensembles later this school year.
Auditioning for anything takes a great deal of preparation and courage. We are so proud of all of our students who put in long hours of practice, not only for their time and effort but also for “putting themselves out there” to have their performances fairly judged.
Please congratulate the following students for earning acceptance into the 2022-23 MMEA Northeast Senior District Band, Chorus, Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble:
Rohan Bhagwati, trombone
Claire Boyle, chorus
Parker Brookins, jazz trumpet*
Dante Cavalier, French horn
Rocco Cavalier, trumpet
Aidan Chen, clarinet
Ian Choi, trumpet*
Preston Clark, chorus
Helena De Figueiredo Valente, chorus*
Sean Dong, violin
Bethany Eagar, French horn*
Sophia Edrington Martinez, chorus
Mika Fuji, chorus
Nathaniel Gillette, trumpet*
Krikor Hachikian, violin
Lynn Han, violin
Lizandra Hawkinson, chorus*
Jabe Hicks, alto saxophone*
Lily Hicks, French horn*
Daniel Karma, jazz trumpet*
Daniel Kim, cello*
Ethan Kim, trombone*
Meredith Knauff, cello*
Bora Kosar, viola
Brandon Law, cello
Ian Lee, violin*
Kyra Lee, violin
Soohyuk Lee, flute
Sunho Lee, cello*
Daniel Liu, violin*
Aaron Lubetsky, jazz trombone*
Jacob Lubetsky, trumpet*
Laila Lusis, trombone
Sam Macchi, string bass
Olivia Mann, chorus
Ali Masoud, jazz tenor saxophone*
Henry Moriarty, clarinet
Theodore Moustakas, snare drum
Stella Ovcharova, mallet percussion*
Ryan Park, jazz trumpet*
Nathaniel Peck, violin
Su Min Pyo, clarinet*
Ian Qiu, jazz trombone*
Maya Ramanathan, violin
Lili Rigoulot, euphonium
Fiona Rodriguez-Clark, cello*
Evan Zhang, clarinet
Larry Zhang, clarinet
Renee Zhao, violin
Emily Zhou, Flute
*Denotes All-State Recommendation
We congratulate all of the CMS and BHS music and theater students who have given wonderful performances over the past several weeks, and we are looking forward to a full slate of winter and spring performances in the new year.
ATHLETICS
It was a great day of football between Belmont and Watertown high schools at Fenway Park on November 23. Belmont's cheer team and marching band was there to partake in the festivities. Please enjoy the pictures in the gallery taken by Belmont Director of Recreation Brandon Fitts.
HELPFUL LINKS