‘Coach Mac’ Earns 200th Win As She Starts Her 20th Year Coaching Belmont High Field Hockey

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Photo: Belmont High School Field Hockey Coach Jess Smith after winning her 200th win as she starts her 20th season.

Jess Smith never really thought about the number of wins she’s accumilated as she’s entered her 20th campaign helming the Belmont High School Field Hockey team.

“I probably think more about the losses,” said Smith, affectionally known as “Coach Mac” by her players and the hundred of alums who played on Harris Field.

“Coach Mac”

Over those two decades, Smith has only twice missed the MIAA tournament, reaching the Division 2 North championship game also twice. During those years, she has helped send more players off to Division 1 programs and college squads than any other team in Belmont High.

Curiosity around the athletic department on just how many victories Smith had pocketed in her 19 years started last year. After going to the MIAA website and through microfilm in the Belmont Public Library, the number of victories in the regular season and playoffs tallied 199.

Smith’s first chance at hitting 200 wins would be the season opener at Stoneham on Wednesday, Sept. 6. But last week’s heat wave forced a postponement with the Spartans, and the first game of the year would be the home opener on Friday, Sept. 8 vs. Melrose.

On Friday, Belmont got off to a quick start, scoring four times in the first quarter, led by sophomore midfielder MacKenzie Clarke, who bagged the first of her hattrick after three minutes.

Belmont High Sophomore Midfielder MacKenzie Clarke

“It’s a great way to start the season, especially knowing how tough the league always is,” said Clarke, who had a six-point afternoon with three assists. Senior co-captain Carly Gaziano had a brace, while senior Gretchen Hanley and junior Brynn Connolly each tallied.

But it was when the on-field horn marked the end of a 7-0 victory that the team surprised Smith with the news she entered the circle of coaches with a double century of victories.

“I had no idea [it was the 200th]. I really haven’t thought of it,” said Smith after the game. “When the kids told me it was the 200th, I told them I didn’t score one of the goals that got us the 200 wins. But it has been awesome being on the sidelines for the 200 wins, I’ll tell you that.”

Just 15 hours after the first game, Belmont was in Stoneham for the rare Middlesex League game on grass. And for nearly the first half, the ground-up turf was winning as the Marauders were finding the grass and the heat and humidity a bit taxing.

But Belmont finally broke through twice in the final four minutes, first from Connolly with the second coming from senior captain Lola Rocci on a penalty corner with no time left on the clock to go up 2-0 at the break. A goal early in the second half, followed by two in the fourth quarter, ended with Smith’s 201st victory, a 5-0 shutout.

Belmont High Senior Forward Lola Rocci

Rocci joined Clark with a hat trick on Saturday, while senior goaltender Julia Herlihy starts the season with a pair of clean sheets.

Belmont now heads into the cauldron of its season with three away games, starting with powerhouse Watertown on Monday, Sept. 11, followed by Winchester on Wednesday, and finally away to Westford Academy before coming home to meet Reading on Wednesday, Sept. 20.

School Week: A Decade Of Work Ends With A Ribbon Cutting Opening Belmont’s New Middle And High School [Video]

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Photo: (In no particular order: Superintendent Dr. Jill Geiser; Jim McDonald, MSBA; School Committee Chair Meghan Moriarty; retired Superintendent John Phelan; Building Committee Chair Bill Lovallo; and BMHS students Charlie and Ellie Shea, Jane and Allison Caputo, Maybe Thurston, Elizabeth Zuccarello, and Sarah Lovallo cutting the ribbon opening the new Belmont Middle and High School on Sept. 6, 2023)

Under a blazing hot summer sun, a decade of planning, financing, and construction culminated in the ceremony cutting of the ribbon opening Belmont’s newest school, the Middle and High School, held on the opening day of the 2023-24 school year, Wednesday, Sept. 6.

“This is your building now. Congratulations,” Bill Lovallo, the Middle and High School Building Committee chair, told the assembled students and teachers. Lovallo, along with vice chair Pat Brusch, led the team that shepherded the project after 3/4 of town voters approved a $212 million debt exclusion in November 2018. Construction started in June 2019.

“Your vote made an impactful statement to Belmont and the surrounding communities, approving at the time one of the largest public school projects in the state,” said Lovallo. “Why? Because this community is committed to investing in our future, particularly the future involving our children.”

Costing $295 million to construct, the 450,000-square-foot building will house more than 2,300 students in grades 7-12. Including the hundreds of geothermal wells that will heat and cool the building, more than 2,000 solar panels will be a major electrical power source when its installation is completed at the beginning of 2024.

While the project – designed by Perkins+Will and constructed by Skanska USA – came in “on time and on budget,” according to the building committee, there currently is projected a $1.9 million deficit as a result of a reduction in the $83 million initially promised by the Massachusetts School Building Authority. The shortfall – due to a dispute on what areas of construction are deemed reimbursable – will be resolved in the next 18 months.

Yet that is a future concern as Wednesday saw town and school department officials, employees, and dozens of middle and high school students celebrate the opening of the school year and the completed school held outside of the high school’s dining area overlooking Clay Pit Pond.

“It’s easy for us to see, looking at this building, that the physical spaces of teaching and learning have changed education,” said Meghan Moriarty, chair of the School Committee. “In the coming year, on behalf of the School Committee, we want to help the Belmont community to see how teaching and learning has changed to meet the needs of all of our Belmont students. And how this innovative space and our educators are catalysts in that change.”

In the end, seven Middle and High School students, along with officials, took scissors to ribbon and welcomed the newest school to the Belmont district.

On a side note, 12 years nearly to the day as a kindergartener helping cut the ribbon to open the new Wellington Elementary School in 2011, Sarah Lovallo joined six of her fellow schoolmates in the ribbon cutting for another new school.

The current members of the Belmont Middle and High School Building Committee are:

Amy ZuccarelloSchool Committee Member
Patricia BruschCommittee Vice Chair, Permanent Building Committee Chair, Capital Budget Committee
Thomas CaputoSelect Board Member, CMS parent
Joseph DeStefanoPlanning Board, construction experience, CMS and BHS parent
David BlazonDirector of Facilities
Patrice GarvinTown Administrator, MCPPO Certified
Bill LovalloCommittee Chair, Permanent Building Committee, engineering experience, CMS parent
Michael McAllisterPrincipal, Chenery Middle School
Robert McLaughlinPermanent Building Committee, Warrant Committee
Christopher MesserCommittee Secretary, operations and real estate experience, BHS parent
Diane MillerArchitecture experience, CMS and BHS parent
Joel MooneyPermanent Building Committee, engineering experience
Jill GeiserSuperintendent of Schools
Ellen SchreiberWarrant Committee Member, CMS Parent
Jamie SheaFoundation for Belmont Education, BHS teacher, Burbank, CMS, and BHS parent
Emma ThurstonCommittee Treasurer, business experience, BHS Parent

Breaking: With High Usage Predicted, Belmont Light Asking Consumers To Power Down Thursday Afternoon

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Photo: High electrical usage expected Thursday

With high temperatures forecast on Thursday to reach the mid-90s, Belmont Light is asking customers to power down their electrical appliances tomorrow afternoon.

“With hot temperatures returning to the area and more residents home from summer vacations, we are predicting that Thursday, September 7 will be a day of peak energy usage in Belmont,” said the utility’s press release sent on Sept. 6.

With that in mind, Belmont Light requests residents to reduce their electricity usage from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 7 as much as possible to keep costs lower and our energy supply cleaner.

There are simple, concrete things that you can do at home to help keep Belmont Light’s demand peak low, including:

  • Turn the target temperature on thermostats and window unit air conditioners slightly higher. Even a two-degree change in room temperature can make a massive change for you and Belmont Light while not being noticeable to you and your family.
  • Do not do laundry during the peak demand time period. Shift your use of your clothes washer and dryer to before 5 p.m. or after 7 p.m.
  • Cook dinner on the grill instead of using your oven and other appliances. Using your kitchen’s oven also has the negative effect of raising your home’s overall temperature.
  • Turn off and unplug non-essential electronic devices, especially ones not in use. Examples like televisions, computers, and video game consoles, even when not in use, may still draw electricity.

In the release, Belmont Light shows how reducing consumption at this time is a net benefit to customers’ wallets and the environment:

Peak energy usage costs more for Belmont Light and you. When demand for electricity on the New England grid rises above levels that are not typically available, ISO-NE must call on “peaker plants” to go online to provide backup generation. These plants charge a higher rate than typical generators, with a premium placed on their availability during these peak times. Additionally, utilities like Belmont Light are charged by ISO-NE for the highest amount of demand that they have during these peak times, known as the coincident peak. Belmont Light and other utilities must pay year-round for the potential of reaching this coincident peak.

Peak energy generation tends to be from fossil fuel sources, like gas and oil. In situations of peak demand, the peaker plants that ISO-NE calls on for emergency generation must be ready to fire up on short notice. 

School Week: Belmont High School Ranked In Top Two Percent of US Public High Schools

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Photo: Belmont High School

The cliché about Belmont is that you don’t come for the roads, you come for the schools.

That saying was reinforced last week when US News & World Reports announced the 2023-2024 Best High Schools rankings and Belmont High School was rated the 290th public high school in the US out of nearly 18,000 schools in the country on its performance on state-required tests, graduation and how well they prepare students for college.

In the four ranking categories compiled by USN&WR, Belmont High School is:

When all the numbers were crunched, Belmont High’s overall percentage “scorecard” is 98.36 out of 100, with the school in the top two percent of high schools in the country.

“Having access to a strong high school program is paramount for students as they face an ever-changing world,” says Liana Loewus, managing editor of education at U.S. News. “Making data on our high schools available helps parents ensure their child is in the educational environment that best sets them up to thrive.”

The highest ranked public schools in the 2023-2024 Best High Schools national rankings are those whose students achieved exceptional scores on state assessments for math, reading and science. These schools also had strong underserved student performance, college readiness and curriculum breadth, as well as graduation rates.

“It’s a great honor to be on that list. I think that it is a reflection of the strength of Belmont,” said the recently appointed Belmont Schools Superintendent Dr. Jill Geiser.

While Geiser looks at the rarified ranking as an accolade, it’s not the district’s only metric to measure “how our students are doing.” But it is still “a reflection of the strength of Belmont public schools.”

The statistics of students at Belmont High include:

  • 70 percent took at least one AP® Exam
  • 65 percent passed at least one AP® Exam
  • 88 percent were Mathematics Proficiency
  • 89 percent were Reading Proficiency
  • 86 percent were Science Proficiency
  • a 100 percent graduation rate

US News used six ranking indicators and their weights to produce the overall score.

  • College Readiness: 30 percent. The proportions of 12th graders who took and earned a qualifying score on at least one AP or IB exam. Earning a qualifying score is worth three times more than just taking.
  • State Assessment Proficiency: 20 percent. Aggregated scores on state assessments that students may be required to pass for graduation.
  • State Assessment Performance: 20 percent. How aggregated scores on state assessments compare with U.S. News’ expectations given the proportions of students who are Black, Hispanic and from low-income households.
  • Underserved Student Performance: 10percent. Scores on state assessments aggregated just among students who are Black, Hispanic and from low-income households. These scores are compared with what is typical in the state for non-undeserved students, with parity or higher being the goal.
  • College Curriculum Breadth: 10 percent. The proportions of 12th graders who took and earned a qualifying score on AP and IB exams in multiple areas. More exams are valued more than fewer exams up to a maximum of four. Earning a qualifying score on an exam is worth three times more than taking.
  • Graduation Rate: 10 percent. The proportion of entering ninth graders who graduated four academic years later.

The final score involves summing each school’s weighted scores across the six indicators of school quality, then computed a single zero to 100 overall score reflective of a school’s performance across these metrics. The overall scores depict how well each school did on a national percentile basis. For example, a school with a score of 60 performed in the 60th percentile among all schools in the rankings.

While the US News annual High School rankings is a popular and anticipated – at least for those schools which find themselves rated highly each year – the rankings have come under increasing criticism, including that top performances are boosted by a student body that is richer and more homogeneous than their districts or in general.

An article published in the Oct. 2021 in the online publication Degreechoices, Bob Schaeffer, executive director of The National Center for Fair and Open Testing, said:

“By relying almost exclusively on school rating factors that strongly correlate with family wealth, U.S. News guarantees that schools serving relatively affluent student bodies will rank at the top of its lists. In addition, the magazine’s formula assumes that standardized test scores are a fair and accurate measure of academic performance, rather than a narrow snapshot of one set of skills.  It is similar to trying to rank basketball teams based on their players’ free throw shooting percentages. Like most U.S News’ rankings schemes, this is another example of ‘Garbage in, garbage out’.”

A Second Bite: Select Board Seeks Residents View On Ending Civil Service For Police On Thursday

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Photo: Belmont Police Chief James MacIsaac

It’s a second bite at the apple as the Belmont Select Board will be holding a hybrid public meeting on Thursday, Sept. 7, to discuss whether or not the Belmont Police Department should end its relationship with the state’s Civil Service system.

The meeting will occur in the Select Board Conference Room in Town Hall at 7 p.m. Residents can attend via Zoom at this link.

The meeting marks a second attempt to end the police department’s relationship with the government agency designed to provide fairness in the public sector, in entry-level hiring, and promotions, including bypass in rank, demotions, layoffs, and discipline which includes suspensions and terminations.

Supporters of ending civil service, which included town officials, the Select Board, and the leaders of both fire and police departments, believe the town would see significant cost savings by ending a 108-year-old arcane system for hiring and promotions, replacing it with an efficiently run locally-focused practice. 

Opponents made up of the rank and file of Belmont Fire and Police and resident supporters said changes to civil service – such as altering age limits and increasing diversity in the number of candidates – can be made by changes to the existing language of the agreement.

The last time the issue came before a Town Meeting, an article removing civil service for Belmont’s Police and Fire departments was withdrawn by the Select Board minutes before it was to be presented before a contentious Special Town Meeting in September 2020.

Since then, issues with Civil Service requirements continue to plague hiring at the Police Department. In 2021, Police Chief James MacIsaac pointed to an inability to fill important entry posts for two years due to the limited number of candidates he could choose from. He also said he could bring a more diverse group of candidates to the hiring process outside of Civil Service.

While more than 130 cities and towns have accepted Civil Service, many communities have recently ended their relationship, including Lexington in 2019.

An Already Exciting 2023 Continues For Becca Pizzi After Ninth Edition Of Her Fundraising Race [VIDEO]

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Photo: Becca Pizzi at the road race she has held for the past nine years

It would already be an eventful year for Belmont’s best known runner, Becca Pizzi. It’s only going to get more existing in the next two months.

The two time champion of the World Marathon Challenge began the year coaching one of Boston’s greatest pro-athletes, former Boston Bruin captain Zdeno Chára, to race his first BAA Marathon in April.

Under her tutalage and running with her in the race, the 6-foot, nine-inch retired Bruin and the 5-foot, two inch Belmontian crossed the finish line hand-in-hand in 3 hours, 38 minutes and 23 seconds.

Being on the front of the sports pages worldwide would be enough for most runners to brag about; a month later – seemingly on a dare – Pizzi entered her first ultra-marathon, a 50-kilometer race in western Massachusetts. Up against veterans in the event, the first-timer won the race outright with a winning time of 3:59:11, smashing the women’s course record by 35 minutes and was the 24th-fastest 50K performance by a woman in the United States.

“It’s still great to win at 43 years old,” she said.

It was these accomplishments that Pizzi brought to Belmont on Aug. 27 as she hosted the 9th edition of the Becca Pizzi 5K road race, a fundraiser to support student scholarships and athletic material. Under wonderful conditions, nearly 360 runners took part in the 3.1 miles race from Harris Field to the Winn Brook School and back.

Nate Jackson cruised to a convincing victory in 15 minutes and 49 seconds. Finishing runner-up was All-American championship runner from his time at Belmont High. Victor Gras still holds every distance record at Belmont High School and won numerous state titles from the early 2000s traveled from New York City where he’s a senior vice president for a really cool company, YouGov, and finished in 17:17. Shannon Bueker took home the female title with a time of 18:32, edging out Haily Desmarais who came in at 18:56.

“It was an awesome day. The community shows up so hard. It’s just a great way to give back [to the community],” said Pizzi.

And there’s more to come for Pizzi in 2023. Later this month, Pizzi will travel to Wyoming to participate in the Jackson Hole Marathon on Sept. 23, completing her goal of running 50 marathons in 50 states.

“It’s been a ten-year journey; five marathons a year. I got serious about it two years ago,” said Pizzi. “It’s an incredible way to see the US.”

Just three weeks later, on Saturday, Oct. 14, Pizzi will participate in the ultimate triathlon in the world, the 2023 Ironman World Championship Women’s Race in Kailua Kona, Hawaii. Pizzi was honored by receiving one of a handful of non-qualifying slots in the famous swim-cycling-running race that covers a total of 140.6 miles.

While a great runner and a good cyclist, getting ready for a 2.4 mile ocean swim has been daunting for Pizzi.

“Not really,” Pizzi said about her swimming attributes. “I’m going to Walden Pond because you can’t train for this in a pool.”

What’s Open, Closed On Labor Day In Belmont/ Trash,Recycling Pickup Delayed A Day

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Photo:

Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 4, ends the last big getaway weekend of the summer.

It’s one of ten holidays recognized by the federal government, although the feds don’t require employers to pay workers for this holiday. Businesses traditionally provide their employees with a paid holiday as part of a benefits package because most other employers do the same.

Trash and recycling collection is delayed ONE DAY due to the holiday: If your pickup day is Monday, this week it will be collected on Tuesday, etc.

Closed:

Belmont Town offices, Belmont Public Library, and Belmont Light are closed.

• US Postal Service offices and regular deliveries.

• Banks; although some branches will be open in some supermarkets.

• MBTA: Operating on a Sunday schedule. See www.mbta.com for details.

What’s Opened:

• Retail stores

• Coffee shops; Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts are open.

• Supermarkets

• Convenience stores and,

• Establishments that sell beer and wine are also allowed to be open.

Cultural Council Grant Applications Open Sept. 1

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Photo: The utility box adjacent Belmont Town Hall at Concord and Pleasant streets by Liz LaManche sponsored by a grant from the Belmont Cultural Council

Resident artist and artistic groups with an idea in mind will be happy to hear the Belmont Cultural Council Grant Application Process opened on Friday, Sept. 1.

The Belmont Cultural Council 2024 grant application process, which will run through Oct. 17, focuses largely on supporting Belmont programs that have enriched the Belmont community with music, fine arts, interpretive science, humanitarian initiatives, and applicants sponsored by a Belmont organization.

Applications and information about the Local Cultural Council Program are available online here.

Information about the Belmont Cultural Council, its priorities and guidelines, past grantees, and more can be found here.

The Belmont Cultural Council is part of the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s network of 329 Local Cultural Councils (LCCs) serving all 351 cities and towns in the Commonwealth. The LCC Program is the largest grassroots cultural funding network in the nation, supporting thousands of community-based projects in the arts, sciences, and humanities every year. The state legislature provides an annual appropriation to the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency, which then allocates funds to each community. 

Still Time To Register For Becca Pizzi 5K On Sunday, Aug. 27 At 9:30 AM

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Photo: Belmont’s Becca Pizzi with former Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chára with their medals after finishing the 127th B.A.A. Marathon (credit: Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)

Runners, don’t miss joining Belmont’s own World Champion for a last of the “summer” road race this Sunday, Aug. 27, as Becca Pizzi holds her annual Becca Pizzi 5K road race at Harris Field on the grounds of Belmont High School.

The race celebrates Becca, a two-time World Marathon Challenge Champion in which athletes ran seven marathons on seven continents all in seven days. Repeating her 2016 victory in 2018, Becca impressively crossed the finish line, setting another World Record, putting her in the Guinness Book of World Records. Pizzi is also an inspirational runner, finishing a marathon in each of the 50 states in the calendar year. At this year’s Boston Marathon, she helped train and ran with former Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chára to help him finish his first marathon.

Becca is a lifelong Belmontian who attributes her success to the love and support of her community. She proudly remembers her early running days at Belmont High. As a result, Becca is dedicated to giving back to the community that supported and influenced her throughout her running career.

All race proceeds benefit Belmont High student/athlete scholarships and the Belmont High School athletic programs. This event is organized by Becca and Fitness Together of Belmont. The foundation has awarded Belmont High School athletes over $50,000 in scholarships and sports equipment. Last years scholarships were awarded to Molly Plunkett, Gabriella Athanasiou, and Andy Bello

Race day starts with a Kids Run, with youngsters running a mile (four laps) of the Harris Field track at 9 a.m. The 3.1-mile road race course begins on the track, proceeds to the Winn Brook neighborhood, and then turns back to the high school track. Come early to insure a race bib and a lot of fun.

‘Milestone’: Building Committee Hands Ownership Of Belmont Middle And High School To School Committee, Town

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Photo: The Belmont Middle and High School is now the property of the Belmont School Committee.

“It’s a fairly simple meeting,” Bill Lovallo said of Wednesday’s virtual joint get-together of the Belmont School and Belmont Middle and High School Building committees.

And while it was straightforward, the gathering marked the culmination of seven-and-a-half years of planning, construction, and 163 meetings as the Building Committee turned over the 450,000 sq. ft. 7th to 12th-grade building to the School Committee and the Town of Belmont.

“It’s a meeting about a building, but it’s really so much more than a building,” Meghan Moriarty, chair of the Belmont School Committee. “It’s a really exciting opportunity for us. I’m so excited for our educators and our students.”

“I’m very pleased to say that we’ve come to a milestone here,” said Lovallo.

In a series of three votes, the Building Committee accepted the building from Skanska USA, the project’s chief contractor, before officially transferring ownership of the largest building in Belmont to the School Committee and town.

“This is incredible,” said Lovallo as the $295 million school building opens for the six grades it was designed. “Seven and a half years since we started this project with the building committee, working collaboratively with the school committee … and school department on visioning, working on budgets, working on scope, working on messaging. We’re working on engaging our community time and time again, to do the best thing we can for Belmont with the resources that we have.”

Lovallo issued thanks to Skanska, the architectural design team from Perkins+Will, Owner’s Project Manager CHA Companies, the Belmont School District, and residents who supported the project.

“I’m very proud of what the community has done. I’m very proud of people stepping up, community members providing their input, and comments, the building committee, and others, listening, and then delivering on our commitment. So thank you,” said Lovallo.

One member of the building committee will be a beneficiary every day from the nearly decade long process. Belmont High teacher Jamie Shea called the building “an amazing space.”

Flexible spacing allows innovative teaching

“I’m so thankful that we have that space for teaching and learning for our students. I love my classroom with a moveable wall that allows me to teach an integrated class with a math teacher, which is great. The flexible spacing in the building is allowing teachers to innovate and try new things in ways that were really hard to do in the old building.”

Shea also heralded the work of Lovallo, veteran building committee member Pat Brusch, and recently retired superintendent John Phelan. “This only happened with the three of you. I can’t even imagine the number of hours you spent beyond all the meetings we were at to ensure this happened.”

The town’s Office of Community Development is granting the school committee a temporary occupancy permit (TCO), representing the school building is ready for educators/staff and students to enter the building, said Moriarty. The paperwork to allow the building to open will completed in the next days.

The building committee will identify any remaining work on the “punch” list to be completed, like training for bells, the Public Address system, HVAC, and the solar arrays.

“[Punch list] doesn’t affect life safety account for those types of things, but it does affect 100 percent completeness. So … as we turn the building over, our team will be continuing to work on that,” said Lovallo, “We expect that to take probably about two months from now to get all those items complete.”

One item that will take more time to complete will be the installation of more than 2,200 solar photovoltaic arrays on the building’s roof. Delays due to cost and engineering delays will hold up the final full production mode until February 2024, according to Lovallo.

“I’ll say right here that we have not changed our commitment to flooding the entire roof with – probably is not the best word to use for a roof, but covering the entire roof with PV and that has not changed,” said Lovallo.

Moriarty said the Building Committee would track that work, hold the construction team responsible, and finish up payment and financial issues with the Massachusetts School Building Authority with support from the Town Administrator’s Office. While the project is nearly completed, the Building Committee will continue until the financial closeout is complete, which will take up to 18 months.

A short ribbon-cutting celebration will occur on opening day for Belmont schools, Wednesday, Sept. 6, at 8:30 a.m. outside of the high school lunch area. The district is planning guided tours for families of middle schoolers, just as was done for Phase 1 – high school – of the building completion.

A larger, town-wide celebration will take place in October.