Belmont High School (Belmont, MA)

Belmont High School is a four-year public high school in Belmont, Massachusetts, United States. It had 1,462 students enrolled and a student/teacher ratio of 17.8:1 in the 2023–2024 school year. It placed #383 in the 2024 '' U.S. News & World Report'' national rankings and #16 for Massachusetts.

Buildings and facilities

The current school building was completed in September 2021. As of 2022 it was the largest building in Massachusetts utilizing geothermal for heating and cooling. Located next to Clay Pit Pond, it is adjacent to the previous school, built in 1970 but now demolished. Prior to that the high school was located on Orchard Street, which was badly damaged by fire in 1967.

Administration and faculty

The Belmont High School administration consists of the principal, Mr. Isaac Taylor, appointed in 2019, and three assistant principals, Elizabeth Gavin, Sarah Winn, and Daniel O'Brien.

In June 2004, the school's long-time principal, Foster Wright, retired. Jonathan Landman was hired to replace him, but the school department did not renew Landman's contract for the 2006–2007 school year. Michael Harvey, who had been among the candidates for principal in 2004, was selected as an "interim principal" for the 2006–2007 school year, and, on January 10, 2007, was approved by the town as principal. He had been the director of social studies during the previous school year. In addition, one of the school's two assistant principals has left the system in June 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, and 2011. In 2012, when Harvey left to become superintendent of the Hamilton-Wenham schools, former-assistant-principal Daniel Richards took his place. Richards had spent his last year as the Principal of Melrose High and had been replaced by David Smokler. When Richards returned, Smokler kept his position temporarily before being permanently replaced by the Head of Guidance, Jim Brown.

The school has eight academic departments: Mathematics, English, Foreign Language, Social Studies, Science, Fine and Performing Arts, and Athletics. Each department consists of a department head, along with the teachers of the courses the department offers. The Guidance Department is responsible for the mental well-being of students, schedule composition, and college planning. Each student is assigned to a guidance counselor.

School hours and schedule

School is in session each day between 8:00am and 2:25pm except for Wednesdays, which conclude at 1:15pm.

Belmont High School operates on a non-traditional module-based schedule. The schedule is on a 7-day cycle. There are 7 modules ("mods") each day, with regular periods being approximately 50 minutes long. There are also blocks of "pass time" between most mods, which are usually 4 minutes in length, and are meant to give students time to walk from one class to another.

Each mod is named with a letter, going from A-G. The letter corresponds to the class that is assigned during the mod. Every class meets 6 days out of 7, with the day that the class does not meet being called a "drop day". Since the schedule is 7 days long with 1 drop day, it is possible for a student to have a class on all 5 days of the school week.

One special feature of the school's schedule is the changing G Block. Every day, the time G Block meets changes by one period. On day 1, G Block is the first period of the day, while on day 6, G Block is the last period of the day. Whichever class usually meets during the time G Block is happening is dropped for the day, with G Block being dropped on day 7.

Another special feature of the school's schedule is "X Block". This block occurs every day after E block. Each day X block is assigned to the class that succeeds that day's dropped class. During this period, students meet with their assigned class in order to study, ask the teacher questions, and catch up on missing work. Occasionally X block is also used as a time for school assemblies. X Block is shorter than a regular period, being approximately 27 minutes long on regular days and 25 minutes long on Wednesdays.

On Wednesdays, school is dismissed at 1:15pm for most students. Additionally, all regular periods are shortened to 37 minutes to compensate for the early dismissal time. Sometimes, usually due to parent-teacher or staff conferences, Wednesday will have a dismissal time of 11am, with classes shortened to about 30 minutes long and no X block. There is also no lunch on these days.

Lunch happens simultaneously to D block, at the middle of the school day. Each student rotates having 3 different lunch blocks over the 7 day cycle: Lunch 1, from 10:42am to 11:07am, Lunch 2, from 11:11am to 11:36am, and Lunch 3, from 11:41am to 12:06pm. The lunch block a student has depends on their D block class (ex. A math class would have Lunch 1 on days 1 & 5) or their G block class on day 4. During the lunch blocks the student doesn't have that day, they have D Block class. On Wednesdays, there are only two lunch blocks, each about 37 minutes long. If a student has no class during D block, because of a free or teacher absence, they can choose what lunch block they get lunch.

As a result of this mod schedule, each student's schedule is unique to the classes they are taking. Students who do not have a class assigned during a mod have a "free". Juniors and Seniors are permitted, by school policy, to leave campus during this time if they have met the required criteria. A student who takes five classes out of the maximum seven will have 7 free mods per week, while those who take Wellness I or Positive Decision Making will not have free mods for a semester.

A student's schedule is based on a master schedule, which states when certain mods have drops, X Blocks, etc. As a result, it is fairly easy to describe one's schedule using a list of variations from the master schedule.

Courses and graduation requirements

The school requires that all students complete:
* 4 years of English
* 4 years of Mathematics
* 4 years of Science
* 3 years of Social Studies
* 2 years of Foreign Language
* 1 year of Fine and Performing Arts
* 4 years of Physical Education and Health

A number of Advanced Placement (AP), or college-level classes are offered to prepare the students for the annual AP exams.

English

Starting in 2007–2008, all students are required to take an English course each year. Based on grade, the student may take English 9, English 10, English 11, and either English 12 or AP English Literature. English 9-12 are offered at college preparatory (CP) or honors (H) levels.

In the past Belmont High School has, instead of English 12H, offered two humanities classes in place of English 12 and other English electives, although these are no longer offered.

Social studies

All students are required to take World History, Modern World History, and American Studies, all of which are offered at either a college preparatory (CP) or honors (H) level. Students can replace Modern World History with AP World History: Modern, and can also replace American Studies with AP United States History. Electives such as AP Economics, You and the Law, and Global Leadership are also offered to interested students. In addition, the Social Studies department also offers AP Psychology, which can be supplemented by an Honors-level Neurobiology elective.

Mathematics

All students are required to take 4 math courses. Most students take, in order, Geometry, Algebra II, Pre-calculus, and Calculus, though some students select other options, including:

* Taking Algebra I freshman year.
* Taking "Challenger Geometry" as an after-school class in 8th grade to skip straight to Algebra II in freshman year and taking Calculus in junior year.
* Taking Calculus junior year, and participating in an independent study (typically a course at the Harvard Extension School) during senior year.
* Substituting either Calculus or Pre-calculus with Advanced Mathematical Decision Making.

In addition, the Mathematics Department also offers several electives, such as AP Stats, which can be taken instead of an independent study for a student who took Calculus their junior year.

Geometry, Algebra II, and Pre-calculus are offered at either a college preparatory (CP) or honors (H) level. Calculus is offered at three levels: one H class and two classes to prepare students for either the AP Calculus AB exam or the AP Calculus BC exam.

Science

All students are required to take, in order, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, all of which are offered as CP and honors courses, and, in the case of Biology, AP in the first year. In addition, students must take at least one elective. Potential electives include AP Chemistry, AP Biology, AP Physics 2, AP Environmental Science, Disease and Forensics, Zoology, Science Ethics, and AP Psychology / Neurobiology.

Foreign languages

Two years of foreign language are required, though many students opt to take more. Students may take courses in Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, French, or Latin. AP language classes are available, typically in students' senior year, and include AP Chinese, AP Spanish, AP French, and AP Latin. Independent studies may also be offered in German. Exchange programs exist to Argentina, France, and Italy.

Fine and performing arts

Belmont High School offers many fine and performing arts courses. This includes many choirs, the wind ensemble, the symphonic band, string orchestra, the chamber orchestra, the jazz band, and the marching band. Many of the members of these ensembles are nationally recognized musicians, and the ensembles themselves have won extensive state and country-wide competitions. It is known as one of the top 100 public school music programs in the country. It offers classes in theater including multiple Acting courses and has a strong theatre program in the form of an after school extra-curricular organization known as th
Performing Arts Company (PAC)
In addition, a vigorous AP Art program gives student artists an opportunity to develop their talents and study new techniques. Fine art courses include Drawing and Painting, 3D Art, Sculpture, Ceramics, Photography, Digital Art, Media Arts II, AP Studio Art, and Animation. In order to be considered for the AP Studio Art class, students must submit a portfolio.

Physical education

All students are required to take the half-year, one-semester Wellness I during their freshman year, which is both a traditional PE class and a health/ sex-ed class (parents can exclude their children from the sex-ed classes if they so choose). Additionally, students must take Positive Decision Making during their sophomore year, which is also a one semester class. During their remaining years at school, students are required to fulfill two semesters of PE, which they can obtain either by playing a school-offered sport, joining certain clubs, taking 1 or more PE electives, or doing PE outside of school. All non-school-offered PE activities require a "contract" with the Athletics Department.

School demographics

Extracurricular activities and sports

Sports

Belmont High School is part of the Middlesex League and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association.

The school colors are maroon and blue. The school mascot is the Marauder, which is a pirate.

The high school's athletic department offers 29 sports with 61 levels of competition:

*Fall sports
** Cheerleading (V, JV)
** Cross country - boys, girls (V, JV)
** Field hockey (V, JV, F)
** Football (V, JV, F)
** Golf (V)
** Soccer—boys, girls (V, JV, F)
** Swimming—girls (V, JV)
** Volleyball—girls (V, JV, F)
*Winter sports
** Basketball - boys, girls (V, JV, F)
** Ice hockey - boys, girls (V, JV)
** Skiing - boys, girls (V, JV)
** Swimming - boys (V, JV)
** Indoor track - boys, girls (V, JV)
** Wrestling (V, JV)
** Cheerleading (V)
*Spring sports
** Baseball (V, JV, F)
** Lacrosse - boys, girls (V, JV)
** Rugby - boys, girls (V, JV, DEV)
** Softball (V, JV, F)
** Spring track - boys, girls (V, JV)
** Tennis - boys, girls (V, JV)

Clubs

The clubs range from various science clubs to theatrical organizations and civil rights groups, as well as various hobby enthusiasts. The majority of students participate in at least one or more clubs throughout the school year, as there are many types of clubs that appeal to different preferences. For example, some athletic clubs include soccer club, strength training club, and rock climbing club while other clubs are more academically oriented, such as the Model UN club, math team, science team, Latin club, computer science club, and debate club. There are also several community-based organizational clubs, such as climate action club, PALS, the Belmontian Club, UNICEF, and Relay for Life.

Clubs are usually started (or at least led) by students, with a staff member serving as an adviser.

In the spring of 2011, the Belmont Rugby Football Club (BRFC) won the Division 2 Massachusetts High School Rugby State championship, and won the Div. 1 championship in 2013. The team participated in the championship game for three consecutive years (2013–2015). Belmont High Girls Rugby won the first-ever state championship in the sport defeating Algonquin Regional High School, 17–14, on June 10, 2017. It is also the first time in the US a state interscholastic body sponsored a rugby title. On June 15, 2024, the Belmont Girls Varsity team won its sixth State MIAA Rugby Championships, defeating Weymouth High School Girls 80–0.

Some other sport clubs include the ultimate frisbee team and crew club. The ultimate frisbee team competes in the Boston Ultimate Disc Alliance (BUDA) Youth Club U-17 division. They placed 3rd Place at MA State Championships (2019) and 2nd Place at MA State Championships (2018). The crew club is based in Arlington, MA and combines students from Belmont High School, Arlington High School, and Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical High School. Initially, th
Arlington-Belmont Crew Club
started as Belmont Crew in 2005. The club now practices and races in both the spring and fall rowing seasons, with a training season in the winter. The team has won 6 trophies for three consecutive years (2012–2014) and 12 trophies in 2015, and currently holds the Girls Novice 8+ trophy in the 2019 State Championships Regatta. The club has competed in the Head of the Charles River regatta since 2010, except for 2020 due to the virtual format.

Notable alumni

* John F. Bok, lawyer
* Emily Cook, US Olympian - 2002, 2006, and 2010.
* Robert F. Foley, retired United States Army lieutenant general, Medal of Honor recipient
* Robbie Guertin, guitarist, tambourinist, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
*Michael Bivins, singer, Bell Biv Devoe, New Edition.
* Susan K. Martin (1959), librarian
* Masako Owada (1981), Empress of Japan
* Mike Palm, MLB pitcher
* Becca Pizzi, marathon runner
*Jean Rogers, actress who starred in the original ''Flash Gordon'' serials
* Patty Shea (1980), champion field hockey player and coach, member of the US Olympic team in 1988 and 1996
* Wilbur Wood, MLB pitcher
* Christopher Loria, retired NASA astronaut

References

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Public high schools in Massachusetts
Belmont, Massachusetts
Educational institutions established in 1865
High schools in Middlesex County, Massachusetts
School buildings completed in 1970
1865 establishments in Massachusetts