Belmont Public Schools News

BHS Performing Arts Company presents Broadway Night

The PAC is proud to open our new Black Box Theater and a return to live performances with our annual Musical Theater Cabaret. Students perform classic and contemporary works of musical theater, showcasing the acting, singing and dancing talents of the PAC Students. Tickets are $5 for students/children and $12 for adults. Tickets can be purchased online, and advance ticket purchase recommended: shows are expected to sell out!

Equity Audit Update

It is a pleasure to introduce myself and to announce the next phase of the Belmont Public Schools, district-side equity audit. Today, educational excellence means creating learning environments where every student feels safe, included, and empowered to achieve. Bringing this vision to life requires hearing from students, teachers, and staff to better understand the state of equity and inclusion at school.

COVID Cases Reporting Wednesday, October 13, 2021

I write to inform you that a new case of COVID-19 has been confirmed COVID-19 in our school community. Week of 10/13/2021: Six (6) new COVID-19 positive cases at Belmont High School (4) and Chenery Middle School (2).

BHS Community Tours

Are you eager to check out the new Belmont High School? Well, wait no more! We will be offering tours on:

Thank You for Making the FBE Apple Run a Super Fun Success!

To everyone who contributed to this year’s FBE Apple Run, the Foundation for Belmont Education is extremely grateful. This year’s run attracted close to 800 participants, 689 pre-registered and 109 day-of registrations. The event would not have been possible without the support of our 60+ day-of volunteers, our volunteer run committee, our event sponsors, our Investors and Partners in Education, our in-kind donators, and of course, our runners! Thank you!

BPS Employment Opportunities

I write to you inform you about several employment openings that are currently available in the Belmont Public Schools. Despite our hopes for a “normal return” to school, 2021-2022 is not turning out to be a typical school year when it comes to filling open positions. Similar to many school districts across the country Belmont is finding that temporary, part-time, and paraprofessional positions are more often going unfilled. This prevents us from being able to fully support our teachers and learners as we would like. We continue to seek new platforms to advertise our positions on, and we have increased our networking. Today, we are including you in those efforts.

School/Community Announcement about Indigenous Peoples Day

On May 5, 2021, Belmont Town Meeting voted in favor of Warrant Article 10 to establish that the second Monday of October would be commemorated as Indigenous Peoples Day in the Town of Belmont. We are grateful to the Belmont High School students who collaborated with community members to bring Warrant Article 10 to Town Meeting and to the Town Meeting members who approved it.

Testing and Vaccination Update

As we approach Labor Day weekend we wanted to provide you an update on two important health mitigation strategies that support a safe opening of school. The Belmont Public Schools applied for and received approval from the state for Routine COVID Safety Checks (formerly referred to as Routine COVID Pooled Testing) and Test and Stay (close contact testing).  We are partnering with Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC) for these testing programs.

Food Service Update for the 2021-22 School Year

Welcome back from the Belmont Food Services Department! All the information you need for school meals can be found at the helpful link below.  What will meals look like for my student in the 2021-22 school year? NOTE: All menus will be posted on Wednesday, September 8th and the first day of meals for all schools will be on Friday, September 10th. 

Belmont Middle and High School Site Plans

In our work with the Belmont Middle and High School Building Committee (BMHSBC), we wanted to communicate to you site work changes that will impact area traffic this summer during the construction of the grades 7 and 8 wing. Please see the site pictures provided by the BMHSBC that outline summer work into September.

FBE Outstanding Teacher Awards Honorees for 2020 & 2021

In our world turned upside down by pandemic, the FBE and the Belmont Savings Bank Foundation honor the ENTIRE STAFF of the Belmont Public Schools as Outstanding Teachers and Staff for 2020 and 2021.  On May 4 and 5, to celebrate the Outstanding Staff, each school was presented with a large poster of this image composed of words of gratitude solicited from the entire community. The request for words of appreciation yielded over 600 words from nearly 200 responses!

Foundation for Belmont Education Announces Grants to Schools - April 2021

The Foundation for Belmont Education (FBE) is pleased to announce and summarize grants that were recently approved for the 2020-2021 academic year. Attached is a summary of five new grants - two Learning Excellence Grants ($10,747) and three Professional Development Grants ($11,470) totaling $22,217.

Happy National Volunteer Week from the FBE!

April 18-24 is National Volunteer Week, and a timely opportunity to write about one of the biggest volunteer based organizations in town, the Foundation for Belmont Education. Aside from one part-time paid administrator, all the amazing work achieved by the FBE is done entirely by volunteers!

LAST CHANCE TO SPREAD SOME SUNSHINE!

LAST CHANCE! Place your order by 4/21/21. ORDER HERE to send a little sunshine to someone in town!

Update for K-4 Families Regarding Survey Results

Dear K-4 Families, Thank you for your responses to the survey asking whether your child will attend school in-person or remote. I wanted to be in touch with an update on the survey results and our plans going forward.

Support and Solidarity

Dear Belmont Community, The Belmont Public Schools Equity Team and all BPS educators and staff are saddened and disappointed by current events targeting Asians, Asian-Americans, Pacific Islanders. Six Asian-American women were brutally murdered at work in Atlanta. This is one very jarring example that comes during a year of increased scapegoating and racism against the Asian community. We won’t tolerate this in our schools or in our community and will work against it. We stand up against all types of racism and stand in solidarity with our Asian community.

Superintendent Update - Friday, February 19, 2021

Dear Parents, Guardians, and Staff, I hope you had a restful time over the February break with family. I write to provide you an update on several important issues from the School Committee and school department.

FBE Rapid Response Grant Awards and New Grant Applications

The Foundation for Belmont Education (FBE) is pleased to announce two new Rapid Response Grants awarded to Belmont Public Schools on February 5, 2021 totaling $2,608.  To date, the FBE has awarded seven Rapid Response Grants totaling $12,217, and we continue to encourage and accept applications for projects that address needs that arise from Covid-19 pandemic impacts in our schools. 

Return to In-Person Learning Working Group

Understanding the urgency of students needing more time in person, and the challenges we have in Belmont with space and enrollment, we are starting a Return to In-Person Learning working group to identify these challenges and provide guidance to move the work forward. This working group will provide information for review by the Superintendent and the public on a rolling basis, looking at the remainder of this school year and towards September.

Update on Testing, Vaccines, and Return to In-Person Learning Working Group

As the year progresses, and in an effort to look forward, we are providing you an update today as it relates to testing and vaccinations. In addition, we are also providing you with update on the Return to In-Person Learning Working Group, which will provide community feedback and input on the challenges and opportunities that face all districts at this time. We understand our students need more direct instruction and in-person learning. We are optimistic that with health initiatives combined with this working group in place, we will be prepared for acting on any shifts in guidance and health metrics so we may look to enjoy more live instruction and/or in-person learning.