On Friday, October 13, 2023, the long-awaited Belmont Hill 100-Year Centennial Celebration took place in the Jordan Athletic Center. Over one thousand alumni, faculty, parents, and others affiliated with the school came to join in on the celebration, marking the largest gathering in the history of Belmont Hill.
The soon-to-be ice rink in the Jordan Athletic Center was decorated with dimmed lights, projections of the school’s beautiful scenery, balloons, and even a beautiful tree situated on top of a platform in the center of the room.
Before the actual official Centennial Celebration Program began, guests mingled and chatted among the tables filled with laid-out food and drinks, and soon the rink was entirely packed with people.
After about an hour had passed, guests took their designated seats at the far end of the rink, in front of a wide stage with a Belmont Hill podium. Two enormous screens hung above either side of the stage for full visibility to even those at the back of the audience.
The program was officially introduced by Trustee and Centennial Celebration Committee Chair Bill Achtmeyer ’73, P ’26, and after a few words on the gathering and importance of school tradition, he donned a Belmont Hill Centennial hat midway through his speech to celebrate the occasion. Then several trustees spoke about different facets of Belmont Hill and what Belmont Hill means to them. For the introduction of Ronald M. Druker ’62 Head of School Greg Schneider, Danielle Heard, trustee and head of Nashoba Brooks School, and Sarah Pelmas, trustee, head of the Winsor School, and O-Donnell Family Chair, make their speeches on the importance of the night’s celebration and a few remarks on the character of Mr. Schneider.
In his “State of the School” speech, Head of School Greg Schneider discussed important aspects of the school, including the students, faculty, and community as a whole, and spoke about the ideas of character and gratitude.
Mr. Schneider introduced Jaiden Lee ’26 and Brian Lee ’24 soon after to the stage for a short cello duet performance, playing Barrière Cello Sonata for Two Cellos for the audience.
Then, David E. Kelley ’75, a famous television writer and film producer (Big Little Lies, Boston Legal),, spoke about the power of life-long friendships filled with humor and laughter, and described his time at Belmont Hill as a boy and his journey up to this point.
Will Forde ’05, another trustee, then made a few remarks on the importance of who and what made up the school that led to its success, and introduced a video on the traditions of Belmont Hill. After the video was played, Jon Biotti ’87, P ’23, President of the Board of Trustees, spoke about his and his son’s experiences at the school, and why Belmont Hill’s traditions were so special to him.
Dr. Jeanne Tift P ’18, Darling Family Chair in the Humanities Chair Holder, then made her remarks on the school’s generous fostering of diverse areas, since her son had attended the school. A Faculty and Staff video was subsequently played for the audience, highlighting the importance of the faculty for a successful school, and their daily sacrifices to help every student reach their highest potential. Then a Special Reflection was made by Jonathan Kraft ’82, another trustee, who made an energy-filled speech that captivated the audience’s attention, full of life lessons and what made Belmont Hill so special. One of the highlights of the evening was his presentation of a special once-in-a-hundred-years alumni award to Carl Martignetti ’77, for his selfless character, devotion to the school, and commendable achievements even beyond the school.
After the award presentation Captain Colton Bradley ’15, an Aeromedical Evacuation Officer in the U.S. Army, made his remarks as a former student and gave an introduction for General Milley. General Mark. A. Milley ’76, 39th Chief of Staff of the Army, 20th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and 2015 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, made a keynote on the importance of character; General Milley began with an acknowledgment of the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflicts and the brutalities of the conflict committed in the past weeks, then spoke about his time as a young hockey player at Belmont Hill and how the school had shaped him to become the man he is today.
To wrap up the celebration of the night, the B-Flats led by Donnell Patterson performed “Come Celebrate Belmont Hill,” and led the audience soon after in a group sing-a-long of “Happy Birthday” to the school to celebrate the school’s birthday.
As a finale, Amy Madden, Greg Schneider, and Bill Achtmeyer retook the stage to wrap the event up, and confetti and balloons exploded from above onto the audience in a final surprise.
All guests received two books from the school, made specifically for the centennial year, titled A Century of Character, and 100 Years of Athletics: A Visual History of Athletics At Belmont Hill School.
As guests went outside onto the track, brilliant fireworks were sent off into the night from the baseball field, lighting up the sky with colors of red, blue, and white.
A special thank you to Mrs. Beverly Coughlin and Mr. Jay Fritz ’91 for their organizational efforts in the event; thank you to the speakers, keynotes, performers, parents, guests, alumni, and the Centennial Celebration Committee for a wonderful night to remember for years to come.
