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 Director of Development Pati Fernández at pfernandez@belmontday.org.

1970s

ANGELA DEVECCHI ’75 was an integral member of the BDS fourth grade faculty team during the past school year. She has returned as an interim fourth grade teacher for the 2021–22 school year. When not at Belmont Day, Angela tries to keep her hands in clay whenever she has a spare moment! See photo below of creamers she made in her home studio during COVID.

ANGELA DEVECCHI ’75

1990s

NICKI HUNTER SCHWAB ’99

and Michael Schwab welcomed their first child, Peter Hunter Schwab on December 12, 2020. They’re currently living in Hoboken, New Jersey. Nicki is the artistic producer at Manhattan Theatre Club and is thrilled that their Broadway theater reopened in September.

2000s

QUINN FITZGERALD ’01 is co-founder of Flare, a womenowned company that makes bluetooth-enabled safety jewelry. Flare was named the best invention of 2020 by TIME. Belmont Day middle school students were inspired by Quinn’s entrepreneurship when she returned to campus as our 2017 Alumni in Action Speaker.

AMY MCDERMOTT ’05

married Dennis Lazar on July 31, 2021 in Maui.

BRIGITTE LAUKIEN KOFOS ’06

writes “There is nothing sweeter than this little apple with honey. We couldn’t imagine a better way to enter the New Year than by welcoming our Rosh Hashanah baby Levi.”

KATY VOLLUM ’08 began a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at ChristianaCare, a community and teaching hospital in Delaware. In Katy’s first 20 days in labor and delivery she helped to bring 37 new lives into the world!

BEN CEREL ’09 is one step closer to his dream of becoming a physician. He recently celebrated his White Coat Ceremony surrounded by family at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Maine. Ben was inspired to pursue medicine after his own experiences with an acute illness when he was 18 years old. He was awestruck by the dedication of the doctors, nurses, and residents who helped him recover and regain his strength. He hopes to emulate their lifelong commitment to serving others in need. AMY MCDERMOTT ’05 and Dennis Lazar

BEN CEREL ’09 with his parents Amy and Adam and brother ANDREW ’13

ZOE SARASON ’09 is a nursing student at Simmons College. On January 20, 2021, Zoe shared: “I’ve been working at Gillette [Stadium] administering vaccines this week and the positive energy is out of this world. Everyone is so hopeful and appreciative. The inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris played on the three 20-foot TVs today, and so many people cried thinking of the positive changes that are ahead. I’m feeling proud, fortunate, and so excited for the future!”

ZOE SARASON ’09

2010s

CATHERINE DICARA ’12

received the Lesley University’s Graduate School of Education June T. Fox Scholarship Award in April 2021. A member of the 2020–21 Belmont Day associate teacher cohort, Cat was selected from a competitive pool of graduate colleagues. The June Fox committee recognizes only one student for that individual’s outstanding work with children, academic scholarship, effective collaboration with peers and colleagues, and their potential for leadership in education. This marks the third year in a row that a participant in the Belmont Day Associate Teacher Program has received this award.

Third grade teacher Larissa Rochford ’93 P ’18 who is herself an alumna of the program, served as Cat’s mentor teacher. And even more remarkably, Larissa was one of Cat’s teachers when she was a student at BDS! In her nomination letter to the June Fox committee about what Cat brings to the classroom, Larissa wrote, “Cat encompasses all aspects of a thoughtful, qualified, and energized teacher who leads with empathy, enthusiasm, and respect for her students and colleagues. As my mentee, Cat has taken on all of her work, along with challenges that have come her way, with poise, confidence, and perseverance. It is

CATHERINE DICARA ’12

clear that she has the skill set, flexibility, calm demeanor, and passion for the profession to succeed and continue to grow in the field.”

Cat is now a second grade teacher at Bowen Elementary School in Newton.

HARPER MILLS ’12 is a regional organizing director for the Michelle Wu campaign for mayor of the city of Boston. She was a speaker at a recent Get Out The Vote Rally for Michelle along with elected endorsers and Senator Elizabeth Warren. On November 2, 2021, Michelle became the first woman and the first person of color to be elected mayor of Boston.

EMMA WEISS ’12 is working as a paralegal in the Philadelphia district attorney’s office.

SUSANNA MONROE ’13 was the music director of The Vassar Devils, a coed a cappella group at Vassar College during the 2020–21 school year, known for its tight harmonies, polished sound, and complex arrangements. The Devils released “Words Unsaid,” their first studio album in 2021. Be sure to check it out!

HARPER MILLS ’12

SOPHIE SMYKE ’13, ANGELA DEVECCHI ’75, AND ETHAN SMYKE ’17

SOPHIE ROTHMAN ’13 graduated from Skidmore College in May 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in education studies. As an undergraduate student, Sophie’s main involvements included being the president of Skidmore’s Big Brothers Big Sisters Club and a head guide in the admissions office. Belmont Day was delighted to have Sophie back on campus for another summer working at our summer program. In fall 2021, she joined the Belmont Day after school teaching team.

ALICIA SIEKMAN ’13 graduated from Connecticut College with a double major in government and psychology in May 2021. She recently joined Crayon Marketing Intelligence Company as a competitive insights analyst. We are pleased to welcome Alicia back to BDS this fall to support alumni relations.

SOPHIE SMYKE ’13 graduated from Barnard College in 2021 and has headed back to NYC to work in early-childhood development research at Barnard. SARAH MCCLUSKEY ’14 is a student at NYU studying acting and production. She is the vocalist on “Resilience” by Renewed Restored Reclaimed (RRR), a music and video production entity led by Scott J. Gagnon, Creative Force. RRR’s mission is to bring inspirational, hopeful, and positive works to everyone.

After graduating from Buckingham Browne & Nichols School in May 2020 SARA BAUMAN ’16 took a gap year filled with adventure and hard work—she worked at Morning Glory Farm in Edgartown, Massachusetts, as a field hand; at a permaculture tropical fruit farm in the jungle in Puerto Rico; and at a dog sled mushing ranch in Glacier National Park, Montana. During that time she also participated in a Marine ecology program at Forfar International Field Station on Andros Island where she received an advanced PADI open-water certification and worked at a sustainable vegan hotel in the USVI and earned a rescue and first aid diver certification.

RAY BAUMAN ’16 is a 2020 graduate of Cambridge School of Weston and is in his second year at the University of Vermont as an education major. He loves being in Burlington and is working at a restaurant on UVM’s campus. He made some great connections despite the COVID-19 restrictions of freshman year.

NICK DE VALPINE ’16

graduated from Lawrence Academy in May 2020 and was one of two senior class speakers at the graduation ceremony. He was awarded The David Thomas Kinsley Prize for Public Speaking. Currently, he is a sophomore at George Washington University, studying at the Elliott School of International Affairs. He is also studying Japanese and took a two-week online course at Kyoto University.

GRACE KOLIS ’16 is in a dual program at Endicott College where she will earn a master’s degree in athletic training and a bachelor of science degree in exercise science. She was named to the dean’s list in the fall of 2020 and spring of 2021. Grace is the photographer for the athletics department at Endicott, and she is a women’s wellness bodybuilder currently preparing for her first competition in the summer of 2022.

MARGO DANAHY ’17 is a member of the Belmont High School Class of 2021. During her senior year, she was a member of the four-person BHS team that won the Season 12 State Championship on WGBH’s High School Quiz Show. Margo is currently a freshman at Bates College.

GABE MCCREATH ’17 was selected by the Massachusetts Poetry Festival as the under-18 poet to open their final Headline Reading in May 2021 that featured professional poets Jos Charles and Martin Espada. Gabe was also the valedictorian at Chapel Hill-Chauncey Hall School in June 2021, receiving a certificate of distinction in poetry. Gabe is currently a freshman at College of Wooster.

JAMIE MCCREATH ’17 is a freshman at Kenyon College.

ETHAN SMYKE ’17 graduated from Beaver Country Day School in 2021 and is now a freshman at Iowa State University. (See photo on page 59.)

EZEKIEL YARBOI ’17 graduated from Milton Academy in June 2021. At the school’s Prize Assembly, he was recognized with several awards: the Head of School Award celebrates graduating seniors who have demonstrated a spirit of selfsacrifice, community concern, leadership, integrity, fairness, kindliness, and respect for others; the Louis Andrews Memorial Scholarship Award honors a student who has best fulfilled their potential in the areas of intelligence, self-discipline, physical ability, concern for others and integrity; the Science Prize is awarded to students who have demonstrated genuine curiosity, enthusiasm, as well as remarkable scientific growth in physics, chemistry and/or biology; and the Donald Cameron Duncan Prize for Mathematics, awarded to seniors who have achieved excellence in the study of mathematics. Zeke is currently a freshman at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California.

NAOMI STEPHENSON ’18

was a facilitator at the Global Leadership Conference sponsored by the United Nations Association of Greater Boston in October 2020.

BREE LEGRAND ’21, ELLORA ROY ’21, NEBIYOU ELIAS ’23,

and SAHANA MIDUTURU ’23 attended the conference.

2020s

ELIZABETH AMARATUNGA ’20,

a sophomore at Belmont High School, writes, “I’m playing field hockey right now, and I’ll be doing basketball and lacrosse in the winter and spring, respectively. Fortunately, I’ve been able to play each sport with minimal modifications, so I’ve had a relatively normal experience in terms of sports. I’m taking four honors classes (English 10, Algebra II, Chemistry, and Spanish 4) and two AP classes (Physics and US History) this year, and I’m still playing the cello, though not through school. I can take only one elective as a sophomore due to graduation requirements, so I can’t play in the school orchestra because I’m taking AP Physics. Last year, I took Photography I as an elective and enjoyed it.” Carrying on his commitment to service in high school, DAVIN ROY ’20 was a co-leader of Belmont Hill School’s drive for art and school supplies for Cradles to Crayons this past January. Davin was a recipient of the Edward M. Burt ’74 Community Service Award, which is given to students who exemplify a commitment to service. Davin also has a passion for Spanish and he earned a Level 2 Gold Medal in the 2021 National Spanish Exam.

MILES SANDOSKI ’20 competed at the NSAF Outdoor Track National meet, held in Eugene, Oregon with his Belmont Hill School team members. After qualifying for the freshman mile race, he joined a group of the top Class of 2024 milers in the country in a tightly packed race. With a finishing time of 4:39, he was thrilled to compete with his peers at the national level at the prestigious Hayward Field, site of the Olympic Trials a week prior. Miles has ambitious goals for the 2021–22 cross country and track seasons at Belmont Hill.

Anne Armstrong, visual arts teacher, arts coordinator, and cross-country coach is dedicated to supporting her runners, even after they graduate. Anne was on hand to cheer on DAVIN ROY ’20 (Belmont Hill School), MILES SANDOSKI ’20 (Belmont Hill School), HENRY BUCKLEYJONES ’21 (Rivers School), and ALEX TOBIAS ’18 (Brooks School) at a recent meet at The Governor’s Academy. It is great to see these former BDS athletes blazing a trail as leaders on their high school teams.

ASSOCIATE TEACHER ALUMNI

In January 2021 the Associate Teacher Program held its first online alumni job panel and welcomed back these members of the associate classes of 2019 and 2020 as panelists: • ERIN PAK ATP ’20 teaches fourth grade at the Maria

Hastings School in Lexington. • EMILY DAVIS ATP ’19 teaches second grade at

Milton Academy. • SOPHIE JOHNSON ATP ’19 teaches fifth and sixth grades at Alexandria

Country Day School. • TATIANA COCHIS ATP ’20 teaches kindergarten at the

Willard School in Concord.

They offered up their wisdom and advice about resumes, interviews, and demo lessons for members of Belmont Day’s 2021 cohort of associate teachers who were about to embark on their own job searches. Thank you to Sophie, Emily, Tatiana, and Erin for supporting the Associate Teacher Program.

FORMER FACULTY & STAFF

SUZANNE CARUSO | Former Belmont Day middle school social studies teacher Suzanne Caruso and her fiancé welcomed baby Jeremiah, in June 2021. Suzanne continues her work with

MILES SANDOSKI ’20

Coach Anne Armstrong at with DAVIN ROY ’20,

MILES SANDOSKI ’20, HENRY BUCKLEY-JONES ’21

and ALEX TOBIAS ’18 representing their high schools at a track meet at The Governor’s Academy.

the school as a DEI facilitator of the anti-racist allyship group for White-identified parents.

KATHY GRUZYNSKI | After two years teaching STEAM and mathematics at St. Johnsbury Academy in Jeju, South Korea, Kathy Gruzynski, former Belmont Day math specialist stepped into the role of dean of students. St. Johnsbury Academy was founded just four years ago and has been growing its enrollment each year. The position is newly created and Kathy writes that she “is excited about the opportunity to oversee all aspects of student life—academic, advisory, attendance, and discipline—and run some programming for students as well.” Kathy looks forward to the 2022–23 school year when she will take on the responsibilities of high school assistant principal. MEG LLOYD | Former faculty member Meg Lloyd has been named dean of students at Cardigan Mountain School. Meg also teaches English/Humanities at Cardigan. This summer, she pursued studies at Teachers College at Columbia University on practical ways to enhance learning and cultivate equity and inclusion in her teaching.

Former middle school Spanish teacher WILLIAM YEPES AMAYA, now world language department chair and middle school Spanish teacher at Shady Hill School, earned a master’s degree in educational administration from the University of Massachusetts Boston. William was selected by program faculty to receive the Melissa Quan Higher Education Social Justice Book Award. Immediately upon completion of the master’s program, William embarked on a doctoral degree program in urban education, leadership, and policy studies, also at UMass Boston. “It is very intense, but stimulating, eye-opening and challenging at the same time,” he reports about the program.

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IN MEMORIAM

Alumni

ANDREW (DREW) KEEGAN ’06 passed away in August 2020. Drew was appreciated for his strength and accomplishments as a student and contributions to a class that thrived when working together to reach community and team goals. We knew Drew for his kind spirit and gentle manner with younger students as he was an excellent partner to his pre-k buddy.

Drew and his family joined the Belmont Day community in 2004 when he had the distinction of being the first of his three siblings—Chris ’10, Colin ’14, and Aliza ’16—to be part of the Belmont Day middle school. Although he was with us for only two years, Drew made his mark as an athlete, participating in lacrosse, the running club, and soccer. Drew returned to BDS as a camp counselor in the summer of 2008.

A graduate of Concord Academy and College of the Holy Cross, at the time of his death, Drew was working as an information systems manager at Red Beard Restaurants in Atlanta.

His loving family established a fund to give all those who knew Drew a meaningful way to honor his life in the weeks, months, and years ahead. His parents Kevin and Deborah, will support evidence-based, nonprofit programs that help emerging adults build emotional resilience and mental health and well-being skills through this fund. Financial contributions of any amount are welcome. (charitysmith.org/memorial-funds/ drew-keegan-compassion-fund)

We hope that the joyful memories of Drew in life provide a measure of comfort to his BDS classmates and their families.

Grandparents

Three members of the extended Belmont Day community—AMORY HOUGHTON JR., JOSEPH LEO BOLSTER JR., and RUTH WEST HOUGHTON—passed away in 2020. The school has fond memories of hosting these grandparents of Kate Bolster-Houghton ’07 and Michael Mac Bolster-Houghton ’10 at grandparents’ and special friends’ visiting day events during the years.

Parent of Alumni TAMMY THIBAULT P ’17 ’19

passed away on February 3, 2021. Tammy’s devotion to her family— sons, Ethan Skenderian ’17 and Dylan Skenderian ’19, and her husband, Robert Skenderian—and to the importance of education were remarkable and had a profound and lasting impact on our school, its students, faculty, staff, parents, and alumni.

Tammy joyfully took on responsibilities to contribute to her sons’ learning environment at Belmont Day. She was a passionate advocate for reading and access to books. She volunteered countless hours in the Erskine Library, rolling up her sleeves to dust, clean, shelve books, and train other parent volunteers. For more than a decade, Tammy served as co-chair of the Erskine Library Committee. In that role, she forged relationships between BDS and the Dever and McCormack schools in Boston to donate furniture and technology to those schools’ libraries.

Tammy was also focused on the environment and served on our school’s greening committee—advocating for and promoting our no-idling campaign and composting programs and volunteering in the BDS garden. She was a constant keeper of recyclables and many classes benefited during the years from her bags of donated items that were turned into student projects.

Beyond her hard work for our school, we remember Tammy for her kind-hearted nature, her calming presence, her wonderful wit and humor, and her thoughtful advocacy for her children’s learning.