February 2026

Belmont Public Schools'
Inaugural Well‑Being Watch Newsletter

Winter Edition:
Reflection, Resilience, and Care

As we enter the heart of winter, this season invites us to pause, reflect, and care for ourselves and one another. In schools, winter can be a time of both perseverance and renewal — an opportunity to notice what is sustaining us, where support is needed, and how we continue to show up with intention and compassion. We hope this issue offers moments of reflection, practical support, and reassurance that well‑being is a shared responsibility we carry together.

Belmont Public Schools Community,

We are pleased to welcome you to the inaugural issue of the Belmont Public Schools Well‑Being Newsletter. This publication marks an important step in our shared commitment to supporting the well‑being of every student, staff member, and family across our district.
>Letter from Assistant Superintendent and Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Well-Being

Care Solace: Calming the Chaos of Mental Health Care

Belmont Public Schools has partnered with Care Solace - a Mental Health Care Coordination Service that will quickly and effectively connect you with the mental health care services that you and your family needs.

Care Solace is provided by the Belmont Public School District and is completely confidential and free to use.

Families Can Connect with:

Individual Therapy
Couple and Family Counseling
Psychiatry Providers
Intensive Outpatient Programs
Partial Hospitalization Programs
Residential and In-patient Programs, and more

Services include:

Multilingual Support 24 hours a day/7 days a week/365 days a year
Easy Access to providers that accept public or private insurance or offer sliding scale options.
Connections to providers in your community

Belmont Wellness Coalition (BWC)

The Belmont Wellness Coalition (BWC) is a committed cross-section of Belmont parents, youth, and school, town, and community representatives that works to promote healthy choices and positive decision-making in Belmont youth. The BWC is a program of Wayside Youth & Family Support Network.

BWC uses evidence-based education, outreach, and programming to support Belmont youth in:

preventing and reducing substance misuse,
understanding and addressing mental health concerns,
encouraging healthy decisions regarding mental and physical health.

Working closely with families, BWC offers parenting groups, educational videos, one-to-one phone calls, and other resources to help minimize youth risks—particularly related to alcohol, cannabis, and other drug use.

Parent Group

BWC’s Parent Group meets monthly during the school year, Facilitated by Lisa Gibalerio, with occasional guest speakers, the group offers discussion and shared learning on topics important to parents of teens and tweens.
Upcoming meetings are Wednesdays:

February 25
March 25
April 29
May 27

Prevention-Centered Video Segments

Lisa Gibalerio is featured in twice-monthly health segments (Belmont Journal, News Now Health Updates) produced with Joanna Tsouvelis of the Belmont Media Center, offering guidance on a wide variety of topics affecting families with pre-teens and teens.

The Belmont Voice

Lisa also writes a monthly “Ask Lisa” column for the Belmont Voice, where she responds to community questions with insights and guidance. Recent topics include:

The Risk of Addiction Following Short Term Opioid Use
Guidance Around Young Adult’s Weight Gain
Supporting A Grieving College Roommate

Read the “Ask Lisa” columns in The Belmont Voice, and if you have a question, email Lisa at lisa_gibalerio@waysideyouth.org

Youth Risk Behavior Survey: The Data that Guides BWC’s Work

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) is a national survey that BWC adapts to Belmont as a unique community and administer to all 7-12 grade students every other year. The survey measures risk and protective factors that help us develop interventions and outreach efforts.

BWC staff presented an overview of their findings from the 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, completed last spring by grades 7–12, at the School Committee meeting on November 3. View presentation here. To see the full report, visit BWC website

Student Mental Health Advocates

BWC oversees Belmont High School’s Student Mental Health Advocates (SMHA) peer group, comprised of mental health support leaders committed to raising awareness, de-stigmatizing, and supporting youth mental health. Together they learn, discuss, and train students on youth mental health, positive coping mechanisms, and fostering a sense of belonging for BHS students. SMHA strives to advocate for supportive policies and to connect students with vital resources — all with the goal of better serving BHS students’ mental health. The program is advised by Brittany King, BHS Guidance Counselor.

For more information or to share general questions and comments with BWC, please contact Lisa Gibalerio.

Climate Survey Initiative: Listening, Learning, and Growing Together

Belmont Public Schools has launched a Climate Survey Task Force to guide the development of new school climate surveys for students, staff, and families. This initiative reflects the district’s commitment to creating learning environments where every member of our community feels safe, supported, and valued.

The Task Force—composed of educators, administrators, parents, community partners, and external advisors—is currently in the design phase of the work. Members are reviewing research and existing data sources, including the Equity Audit and Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), and examining best practices from other districts. Using this foundation, the group is refining core climate domains and developing survey questions that are developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive, and aligned with social‑emotional learning (SEL) competencies, such as self‑awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision‑making.

Once developed and fully implemented, the climate surveys will provide meaningful insights into experiences related to belonging, equity, well‑being, identity and safety, and systemic barriers. This feedback will help inform Tier 1 SEL practices, guide targeted supports, and strengthen day‑to‑day learning environments across the district.

As this work moves forward, the Climate Survey Task Force will evolve into the district’s SEL Workgroup, supporting ongoing implementation and alignment with Belmont’s Strategic Plan goals. This ensures that what we learn from the surveys leads to sustained action, reflection, and continuous improvement.

By centering the voices of students, staff, and families, this initiative reinforces a shared belief that well‑being is built through listening, connection, and collective responsibility.

Belmont School Wellness Advisory Committee

Belmont Public Schools is currently in the second year of the two-year Massachusetts School Wellness Coaching Program (MSWCP). As part of this partnership during year one, the School Wellness Advisory Committee conducted a Healthier Generations Assessment of the school district's Local Wellness Policy (LWP). The assessment provided the committee with actionable items to ensure that the written policy and its supporting documents comply with both state and federal regulations. The findings from this assessment were presented to the School Committee in March 2025.

The goal for year two includes an assessment to evaluate the program's implementation. The team will prioritize goals, assign tasks, and report progress to the school committee in March 2026.

The School Wellness Advisory Committee (SWAC) is a dedicated group focused on promoting wellness initiatives across the district.

Honoring Black History Month

February invites us into a deeper truth and a deeper responsibility.

In February 1976, during the United States Bicentennial, President Gerald Ford formally recognized Black History Month and urged the nation to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” Nearly fifty years later, that call still challenges us to be bolder, more honest, and more intentional in how we teach, learn, and remember.

Each year, Black History Month invites us to grapple with an important tension: how one of the most essential forces shaping our democracy is often treated as a time-limited celebration rather than a year-long commitment. This framing contradicts the fact that African Americans have always been central to the nation’s struggles for
freedom, creativity, resistance, and justice.
Educator Kathryn Walbert, in Beyond Black History Month, urges us to “refocus the lens” by asking whose stories we center, whose voices we amplify, and how reframing deepens learning for all. This February—and
throughout the year—I invite our community to do just that.

Read on for Black History Month highlights and resources from our DEIW Director, Darnell Thigpen Williams.

A Community Invitation: Black History Month Concert & Conversation

In celebration of Black History Month, Belmont Against Racism (BAR)—in partnership with Opening Doors and the Club Passim Folk Collective—invites the community to an inspiring evening of poetry, music, and conversation featuring Massachusetts Poet Laureate Regie Gibson and acclaimed musician, educator, and
cultural historian Reggie Harris.

Friday, February 27, 2026
7:00 PM (Doors open at 6:15 PM)
Black Box Theater at Belmont High School

This free community event is made possible by Belmont Against Racism, Belmont Public Schools’
Department of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Well-Being, Someone Else’s Child Foundation, Nine Athens Music, and the Club Passim Folk Collective.

Admission is free and open to the public; advance registration is required.

This newsletter supports Belmont Public Schools’ strategic commitment to Social‑Emotional Learning (SEL) and whole‑child development, promoting equity, inclusion, resilience, and belonging for all members of our school community.