Dear BHS Students and Families,

Have a wonderful, homework free February break!

This afternoon in the lobby, in honor of Black History Month, the Symphonic Band performed the classic Stevie Wonder Motown song, "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)". In the lyrics, the singer has left their partner but realizes it was a mistake. "I've done a lot of foolish things that I really didn't mean." Now they have returned, making the commitment that they're back, similar to a special delivery package from the post office, "signed, sealed, delivered, I'm yours." Stevie Wonder is a Ghanaian-American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.

If you were not able to attend Wednesday's Parent Information for grades 9-11 course selection the link can be found here. (In order to click on any links in this email you must click the BHS logo at the top of the email to activate them.)

Isaac Taylor, Principal

We are excited to share the achievements of the Belmont Science Team so far this year! We have secured first place in the regional WSSL League and earned second place in the Harvard Undergraduate Science Olympiad (HUSO) Invitational—competing against more than 60 teams and winning 15 event medals.

Belmont High School AP Art Student Joy Son has been recognized in the Umass Dartmouth emerging young artist competition once again. In 2023 as a sophomore Joy won 1st place the top honors, in 2024 as a Junior Joy once again won 1st place the top honors, and in 2025 as a Senior in the committees opinion 1st place wasn’t a high enough honor to bestow upon Joy so they made a new award for her “The Award for Artistic Excellence”

Guidance News:

SAT/PSAT/ACT News

1. College Admissions Testing: Your Roadmap to the ACT and digital SAT

Tuesday, February 25, 2025

7:00 - 8:15 pm EST

Registration link for the webinar: https://summit.onecanoe.com/registration/create?event_code=EVT004E

Summit Educational Group is pleased to partner with Belmont High School to provide this informational webinar about the college testing landscape. In this webinar, Summit's Drew Heilpern will share the latest information about these standardized tests, talk about what's on the tests and how and when to prepare for them.

Session topics include:

• SAT vs. ACT, how they differ and how to choose

• Components of a good Test Prep Plan

• The new digital adaptive PSAT and SAT

• Preparing for these tests

• The role of standardized tests in the college admission process

The goals of this session are simple: to reduce anxiety, increase clarity, and impart confidence to families about the college admissions testing process. To learn more about Summit, visit mytutor.com

Please note: If you cannot make it on this date, register anyway and we'll send a link to the webinar recording.

2. Sophomores Only:

Dear Belmont HS families,

 Our friends at Revolution Prep are supporting our families by offering a PSAT experience that accurately reflects the official College Board test in format, user experience, adaptivity, and content. They have carefully modeled their testing experience after the official test, so that students feel confident in navigating the intricacies of the digital format—the closest experience to the real thing that you can get!

 PSAT Practice Exam:

When: Saturday, April 12, 2025

Time: 9:00 AM -12:00 PM

Where: Proctored online via Zoom

*Please note that these live exams are proctored in standard time only. If you have been approved for an extended time accommodation, go ahead and register for the exam, then use this self-proctoring guide to walk you through the process of using our on-demand video proctor with extended time.

Step 1: Register here: https://www.revolutionprep.com/partners/626    

Step 2: Schedule a free 30-minute score report review with a Revolution Prep testing expert to help you interpret the results and develop a customized plan to prepare. Please schedule this appointment for the few days after the exam. You can pre-schedule this Score Report Review here: https://www.revolutionprep.com/vasilios-kostakis

Step 3: Attend the mock exam and instantly receive our best-in-class score report, illustrating three high-impact areas to focus on for each section of the test.

Questions? If you have questions or want to learn more about Revolution Prep, you can reach out to Vasilios Kostakis at (781) 916-8668 or by email at vasilios.kostakis@revolutionprep.com.

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T-Shirt Design Competition

Students are invited to showcase their creativity and win a $50 gift card—plus, have their design featured on exclusive Belmont Against Racism (BAR) T-shirts!

Who Can Enter?

This competition is EXCLUSIVELY for Belmont Middle and High School students. Additional restrictions may apply.

Design Guidelines:

Embody Black Culture: What does Black culture mean to you? We want to see designs that reflect its richness, diversity, and vibrancy.
Color Palette:You can use up to four colors. We encourage you to incorporate colors that represent Black culture, such as black, red, green, and gold.
High-Resolution File: Please upload your design in .png, .pdf, or .jpg format. Designs that are pixelated or low-quality won’t be considered.

Have Fun!: Get creative, express yourself, and enjoy the process! We’re excited to see your unique vision.

More details can be found at: belmontagainstracism.org/bhm2025tshirt.

Community Potluck

A welcoming community potluck where students, families, and the rest of the community come together to wrap up Black History Month with an unforgettable celebration! Come for the free food, stay for the fun! Enjoy a vibrant mix of African and Caribbean dishes that showcase the rich flavors of Black culture. Groove to music from around the world, and be inspired by the T-Shirt Design Competition Winner—a creative tribute that embodies Black culture, its richness, diversity, and vibrancy. Plus, we’ll honor the Henry Tapia Scholarship Winners.

This event is more than just a celebration—it’s a community gathering filled with love, culture, and unity. There’s so much more to explore, so don’t miss out!

Bring your friends, your appetite, and your energy—we can't wait to see you there!

This event is a potluck as defined under the Massachusetts Potluck Law, Section 328A.

More details at: belmontagainstracism.org/potluck

Belmont Wellness Coalition’s Parent Group

Date:   Wed., February 26 7:00 – 8:00 PM, over zoom

Topic:   Mitigating the Impacts of Overwhelming Stress on our Youth

Link:    Email Dani Topaz  Dani_Topaz@WaysideYouth.org for the zoom link

All are welcome to attend!

 https://www.belmont.k12.ma.us/o/bps/page/athletics 

BELMONT ATHLETIC SCHEDULES

FAN BEHAVIOR and SPORTSMANSHIP POLICY

The PTSO Student Clubs Grant Committee approved $4,600 in grants to 17 BHS student clubs. Applicants presented their proposals to the grants committee, explaining how the grant will be used and who will benefit from the funding. Congratulations to all the applicants! The clubs that have been awarded grants are:

• Badminton Club

• Belmont Highpoint

• Belmont Model UN

• Belmont Quizbowl

• Belmont Science Team

• BHS Armenian Club

• Chess Club

• Community Cooks Club

• Engineering for Good

• Food Science Club

• Hispanic Club

• HOSA

• Make A Statement Day

• Mock Trial Team

• Morgan's Message

• Scrapbooking Club

• UNICEF

Marauders of the Week: The Marauders of the Week are outstanding BHS seniors nominated by their teachers for a wide variety of contributions in and out of the classroom. This week, we are recognizing Ethan Djajadi, Charles Hoyda, and Jasmine Valery.  To read their profiles, please visit https://www.belmont.k12.ma.us/o/bhs/page/marauders-of-the-week-2024