Bulletin - Winter/Spring 2022

DONNA DAVID RETIRES AFTER 42 YEARS ON THE HILL:

The Tears in My Eyes Say It All

By Bill Mahoney

Donna David has always been so much more than a school nurse since she arrived at Belmont Hill 42 years ago. When she first learned of the opening, she wasn’t certain that being a school nurse was what she wanted. But that would change. “I just grew to love everything about the School,” she says emphatically. And, for the many years she has graced our campus, the Belmont Hill community has returned that love to her.

Mrs. David recalls growing up reading Sue Barton stories about nursing and says her interest in a nursing career began at a very young age, even though no one in her family had any medical background. “I just grew up knowing that’s what I wanted to do,” she recalls. “There wasn’t a light switch that came on—that passion was always there.”

Growing up, her family moved around quite a bit to accommodate her father’s work, but she primarily resided in the Midwest. She attended a three-year nursing school in Indiana, where she met Norman David, a minister-in-training, whom she would marry. She would go on to attend St. Louis University, while her husband was in the seminary there. Eventually, they moved to California, where she attended UCLA for her graduate degree. Years later, when her husband was assigned to a new church in Belmont, they made their move.

Mrs. David was told of a nursing position opening at Belmont Hill, but had little interest. “I thought I would never be a school nurse because my idea of a school nurse was that it’s regimented to lots of paperwork and not much involvement in diagnosing or working with students,” she explains. Nevertheless, she accepted the position. “I was sort of awestruck,” she recalls. “I was put in that office and told, ‘Here’s your notebook and there are the Band-Aids!’” With no health forms and no formal system for calling and getting to know families, she knew she had a task in front of her in modernizing the office.

In time, she saw the opportunity to expand her role. She recalls meeting with Ted Burt, a French teacher and wrestling coach who guided boys doing independent studies that were often off campus at community sites and non-profits. “I suggested to him that we expand this and reach out to more sites in the community,” she notes. “That’s how the community-service program started. One of our first projects was at Sancta Maria Hospital, where the boys would go in the afternoon and wrap silverware. We’ve come quite a way since then!”

Eventually, the program built trust in the community and more organizations approached the School for help. There was work on blood drives and in nursing homes where long-time commitments were formed. She also built the School’s Peer Leader program, which still thrives today. From there, more and more activities and responsibilities were added to her work: Party with a Purpose, Haunted Houses to raise money for cystic fibrosis, flower and cookies sales for breast cancer awareness, PIN grants for students, student work crew, and the Meadow Green Poker group where boys play games with patients. And, who could forget the annual Turkey Drives that rally the community to help feed hundreds of families in need? She also led 21 annual community-service trips across the country. “The service trips became a true passion of mine,” she states. “I was sometimes asked why I did the trips, since we did so much good work in the Greater Boston area. But it’s different when you go to Appalachia or actually stand where Katrina hit. Where you see people who are struggling or in need, hear their stories, and then help them. It is so important to help boys connect with and understand the real world that they learn about in books. But the work we did wasn’t in the books.”

Mrs. David gets emotional when asked what she loves most about Belmont Hill. “The tears in my eyes say it all,” she says. “I love the everyday challenges—always something different—but I really love working with the kids and their families. I do love this school, so much. I remember once we declared a ‘random act of kindness day at school,’ but we soon realized you don’t need to do that at Belmont Hill. Everyone helps each other, opening the door for you if your hands are full, greeting you with a smile and hello, asking how you’re doing—and so many other small but important courtesies. Belmont Hill boys have a heightened awareness and a sensitivity that they can make a difference.”

As Mrs. David prepares to retire, she has no specific agenda. She intends to travel more, and indulge her special love of cruises, while also spending time with her children, Jeremy ’91, Eric ’94, and Jennifer of the Dana Hall class of ’96, as well as her ten grandchildren. Mrs. David’s profound impact on the School will live on in the tremendous legacy she has built in demonstrating to everyone in the community the importance of practicing care, kindness, and compassion in everyday life. She will be dearly missed, and cherished always.

Donna David’s legacy at Belmont Hill is one of true caring, support, and commitment to Belmont Hill boys and the community as a whole. While her expertise on health matters has always been clear, her energy for other areas of school life, such as community service, peer leaders, and diversity initiatives, has been equally impactful. I suspect all would agree that Donna’s impact on this community has been far more wide reaching than the realm of health services. I know that I have called her a few times when my own children have been in crisis, and she has always been ready to help. She has also been such a dedicated member of the Belmont community, serving so well on the town’s Board of Health for many years. Certainly, a school can never replace someone like Donna David, but we wish her well in her new endeavors. I want to thank her for making Belmont Hill a better place in so many remarkable ways.

– GREG SCHNEIDER, Ronald M. Druker '62 Head of School