Bellesini & Beyond 2023 Gala and Auction

Please Join Us as we celebrate the success of our students and alumni at our Bellesini and Beyond 2023 Spring Gala and Auction on Friday, April 28, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. at the Andover Country Club. Tickets a $175 per person!

Sponsor the Event

Sponsorship Opportunities

To become an event sponsor, please click below:

Diamond Sponsor – $15,000

2 tables of 10, visual & verbal event recognition, full-page program ad, social media & website placement, priority seating, wine at tables, & student notecards for guests.

Platinum Sponsor – $10,000

2 tables of 10, visual & verbal event recognition, program ad, social media & website placement, priority seating, & student notecards for guests.

Gold Sponsor – $5,000

1 table of 10, visual & verbal event recognition, social media & website placement, program ad, & student notecards for guests.

Silver Sponsor – $2,500

1 table of 10, visual event recognition, social media & website placement, & program ad.

Bronze Sponsor – $1,000

4 tickets, visual event recognition, social media & website placement, & program ad.

Friend Sponsor – $500

2 tickets, program ad or greeting.

Place an Ad

Advertisements and Greetings

$200 (non-profits – $100)

To purchase an ad or greeting, please click below:

Please submit your advertisement or greeting as a jpg or png file to [email protected] by Friday, April 21, 2023. For your convenience, we also have the ability to scan individual business cards for inclusion in the program.

Donate an Item

Donate an Item for the Auction

To donate an auction item, please click below:

Buy a Ticket

Tickets :

To purchase tickets, please click below:

Family Stay Home Activities – español

ejercicios y movimiento 

Izizwe Dance Studio:  Clase de baile diariamente

Clases diariamente de baile para varias edades! Gratis y abierto para todos que desean poner sus chiquitines a moverse, aprender, bailar, jugar y lo más importante socializar con otros niños/as de su edad. (Aun si es a través de una pantalla)

Ellos están usando Zoom Cloud Meetings. (zoom.us) y ha funcionado excelentemente.

Usted simplemente baja la aplicación desde su computadora o teléfono (Apple/Android) y le envías un correo electrónico a Izizwe Dance Studio atención a [email protected].  Cuando ellos te envien la invitacion al grupo de Zoom, usted acepta y comienza a bailar.  Por favor compartan y sigan moviéndose.

Clases de salsa y bachata gratis

online salsa

Comenzando el 19 de marzo Utopia Dance Company estará proveyendo vía la red cibernética clases de salsa y bachata gratis para los niños/as.

Por favor inscribirse, envía un correo electrónico a [email protected] o visite la página de facebook para más información.

YMCA lanza 60 clases gratis cibernética

Tenemos clases de: Bootcamp, barre, yoga, boxeo, tai chi, levantamiento de pesas y mas.

Clase disponible en YMCA360.org No tienes que tener membresia.

Planet Fitness ofrece streaming de ejercicios en Vivo

Visite su página de Facebook para las sesiones y horarios.  Membresía no es requerido

Biblioteca

Libby, by Overdrive

Usted sabía que su biblioteca local tiene miles de libros electrónicos y de audio?

Lo único que necesitas es su tarjeta de la biblioteca y bajar la aplicación a su computadora o aparato electrónico.  Para aprender más oprime aquí:

Léeme un cuento en la granja Nevins de MSPCA

La granja Nevins de MSPCA tiene sesiones virtuales de leyendo cuentos a los animales.  Por favor visitar la página de ellos en Facebook para obtener el horario.

Pequeño Sonidos Educacion de Música en Vivo

Puedes mirar las grabaciones anteriores en Facebook con sus chiquitines o entrar a nuestro grupo de música lunes a viernes. Gratis para todos.

Arte diario por Fabiola Martínez

Vamos estimular el tiempo de creación en casita durante esta 2 semanas sin escuela. La artista Fabiola va proveer proyectos para nuestros pequeños.  Por favor siguela en su página al Facebook para entrar a sus sesiones en vivo.

Carino con Sesame Street

Esta página provee contenido y recursos que pueden usar con sus familias para ofrecer actividades divertidas de aprendizaje.  Los niños/as aprenden mejor a través de jugos, aun en momentos como al comer y las rutinas matutinas y de noche. Esperemos que este contenido y recursos le ayuda a usted y su familiar respirar, reir y jugar juntos! Aprende mas en sesamestreet.org/caring

Servicios de Iglesia y Podcast

Parroquia Santa Maria

La parroquia Santa Maria de Asunción está streaming en vivo en Lawrence. Misas diarias y los domingos.

Visite la página Youtube para sus servicios.

Saint Patrick’s Podcast

El padre de la Parroquia San Patricio, Padre Pablo postea sus sermones semanalmente en la página de la Parroquia San Patricio.

Family Stay Home Activities

Fitness & Movement

Izizwe Dance Studio: Daily Dance classes

Daily Dance classes for varying ages! FREE and open to anyone who wants to get their little one moving, learning, dancing, playing, and most importantly socializing with other kids their age (even if it’s through a screen).

They have been using Zoom Cloud Meetings (zoom.us) and it has been working great

You simply download the app from your computer or phone (Apple | Android) and send Izizwe Dance Studio your email address at [email protected]. Once they email you an invite to the Zoom group, you accept and the dancing shall begin! Please share and keep moving!

Visit their Facebook page for more information.

Free Online Salsa + Bachata for Kids

Starting 03/19, Utopia Dance Company will be providing FREE ONLINE Salsa and Bachata classes for children!


To sign up send an Email to: [email protected]

Or visit their Facebook page for more information.

YMCA launches 60 free online classes

Among the classes: boot camp, barre, yoga, weightlifting, boxing, Tai Chi and more.

The classes are available at  ymca360.org. No membership is needed to access the classes.

Planet Fitness has Live streaming workouts

Visit their Facebook page for upcoming times and sessions. No membership required.

Online Library and Learning Resources

Libby, by Overdrive

Did you know your local library has thousands of ebooks and audiobooks?

You can borrow them, instantly, for free, using just the device in your hand.

All you need is your library card and to download the app to your computer or device! Learn more here

Storytime at MSPCA Nevins Farm

MSPCA Nevins Farm is having virtual sessions of their Little Bookworms Storytime. Go to their Facebook page for times schedule.

Tiny Tunes! Live Music Education

Watch previous recordings on Facebook with your little ones or join the group for music Monday-Friday! Free to all.

Art Daily by Fabiola Martinez

To encourage our creation time at home during two weeks without school artist Fabiola Martinez will be providing art projects for little children.

Please follow her Facebook page to join her lives!

Suggested materials for the two weeks:

  • Pencils HB, H, 4H
  • Paper or flat canvas
  • acrylic paint (red, blue, yellow, white, brown….) any colours you already have!.
  • We can use crayons and pencil crayons as well!.
  • our fingers and q-tips!

Sesame Street Caring

This site provides content and resources you can use with your family to offer comfort and spark playful learning activities. Children thrive with structure in their lives and they learn best through play, even in everyday moments like mealtimes and morning and evening routines. We hope the content and resources help you and your family breathe, laugh, and play together! Learn more at Sesamestreet.org/caring

Church services & Podcast

Saint Mary’s Parish

St. Mary of the Assumption Parish in Lawrence is live-streaming! 
Daily + Sunday Masses (English and Spanish)
Visit their YouTube page for services.

Saint Patrick’s podcast online

St. Patrick’s Pastor, Fr. Paul posts his weekly sermons on the website

Bellesini Utilizing Hybrid Learning Model

Click here for a downloadable PDF on how Bellesini transitioned to online learning in Spring 2020.

After finishing the 2019-20 school year in remote learning, Bellesini students returned to our campus in July for our annual four-week summer program, which operated in a hybrid model with students alternating between days in school and days learning and engaging in activities remotely at home. After the success of the hybrid summer program, Bellesini opened for its nineteenth school year on Tuesday, September 8th, with our 120 students beginning this year in a hybrid learning model. Grades 5-6 and grades 7-8 alternate between two days each week in school and two days learning remotely at home. The fifth day is a “switch day” with an additional day of in-school learning rotating between the two grade groups.

Students take all their academic classes each day, Monday through Friday, until 3:00 p.m., followed by a mix of in-person and remote after-school enrichment programs. Bellesini also expanded its Evening Study Program from three to four nights a week, offering additional online tutoring and technical support through Zoom classrooms. By using what it learned during quarantine this spring, Bellesini has improved its use of technology and virtual classrooms, and is continuing to work with its faculty and staff to ensure that it is meeting the needs of its students, whether they are at home or on campus. Bellesini has been going strong in its hybrid model since September, with no days out of school.  

In order to continue to provide excellent programs to our students during this challenging time, Bellesini has purchased additional supplies and resources to protect the health of our students and comply with COVID-19 safety regulations. These resources include individual kits for after-school activities, a Chromebook for each student, and new classroom libraries where they can access books for independent reading.               

New after-school programs have been developed in response to our hybrid learning model this year, and current programs have been modified to operate in adherence with COVID-19 protocols. Students still attend after-school programs every weekday. Some activities include Dance, Volleyball, Pickleball, Academic Bowl, Debate Club, Chess Club, Documentary Club, Regional/State Science Fairs, Computer Animation & Programming, Coding, Anime, Basketball Film Program, Drama, Multimedia & Video Making, Engineering Club, Fitness Program, Yoga, Zumba, and Community Service project for Mary Immaculate Nursing Center and Cor Unum Meal Center in Lawrence.  Now more than ever, it is imperative that we continue to provide quality after-school programming five days a week as well as evening study tutoring. The pandemic has exacerbated the already numerous risks our students face in an inner-city environment and intensified the need to provide a supportive environment in the afternoons.    

100% of the 8th grade students in our Class of 2021 have been accepted to private high schools on scholarship thanks to the diligent efforts of our students, faculty, and high school placement staff. In addition, our Alumni Support team is continuing to provide services, encouragement, and resources to our alumni in high school and college to ensure that they stay on track to reach their educational and personal goals while navigating these challenging times. Our team has been working with our seniors in high school to assist them with college applications, essay writing, interview prep, SAT/ACT prep classes and testing, and financial aid and scholarships.  

As COVID shutdowns prevent Lawrence students from accessing many of their normal support systems, Bellesini continues to build bridges out of poverty and to success for our students. Currently, our administrative team is working with our faculty on a plan to have all of our students return to school full-time, five days a week, with the hope that we will be able to implement it later this spring.

Information and Resources Regarding Coronavirus

Meal Pick Ups

Bag Lunch Pick ups for Students

Monday – Friday 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m

Arlington School
150 Arlington Street
Parthum School
255 East Haverhill Street
Guilmette School
80 Bodwell Street
Lawrence High School
70-71 North Parish Road
Wetherbee School
75 Newton Street

Counseling and Nursing services will be available at all sites during these times.

Lawrence YMCA: Grab & Go Dinners

The Merrimack Valley YMCA is distributing “Grab and Go” suppers from the Lawrence location to continue to feed our youth and teens who came to the Lawrence Y for evening meals.

These will be available Monday through Friday from 3:00 to 5:00 pm and with an additional meal available on Friday for the weekend.

For more information:
mvymca.org/pantry/

“To-Go” Dinners for kids of all ages

Monday – Friday
4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

136 Water Street
Right Side entrance for pick up

for questions call:

978-683-2747

Cor Unum Meal Center

Cor Unum Meal Center is distributing meals in to-go bags.

breakfast daily: 6:00 to 8:00 a.m.
dinner daily: 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Visit their Facebook page for updates

Food Insecurity

Visit We Are Lawrence for more information

Senior Shopping Hours

Market Basket: Shopping Hours for Seniors / Horario de compras para personas mayores

Learn More

Food Pantries

Use The Greater Boston Food Bank’s food assistance locator to find food help/pantries in your community by entering your zip code

Health and Screenings

Lawrence General Opens Exterior Coronavirus Test Tent

The hospital asks that people use their pre-screening tools before seeking a test.

Learn More

Internet Access for Low-Income

Comcast Increases Access Speeds of Internet Essentials’ Low-Income Internet Service during COVID-19.

Existing Internet Essential customers get increased speed automatically, no action needed. New Internet Essential customers will receive two months of free service.

Click links for more information.

Or to visit their website and apply

Utilities and Fuel

National Grid suspends collections-related activities

The suspension of activities, including service disconnections, was implemented to lessen any financial hardship experienced by customers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For More Information go to
ngrid.com/covid-19

Columbia Gas to Suspend Shutoffs for Non-Payment

Columbia Gas today announced that it will voluntarily suspend shutoffs for nonpayment in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, effectively immediately.

For more Information

Fuel Assistance Check Pick-up

Fuel assistance checks can be picked up Tuesday, March 17 and Thursday, March 19.

Please visit www.glcac.org for a full list of updates and contact information.

Rent/Mortgage

Mayor’s Eviction Moratorium Unanimously Passes – Rent/Mortgage Moratorium Resolution

Mayor Daniel Rivera announces today, the unanimous enactment of an emergency resolution calling for a sixty (60) day moratorium on rent and mortgage payments for Lawrence residents who experience an interruption of pay due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) and resulting school or business closures. Learn More

Our Goal is to Finish the Bridge!

Building Bridges to a Brighter Future Capital Expansion Campaign

Bellesini is now a co-institutional school since we admitted our first class of girls in 2015. We have grown to serve 60 girls in grades 5-8, doubling our enrollment as well as our impact on the City of Lawrence.

We have made much progress expanding the building and adding learning spaces, and continue to press forward to meet our goals. With the help of those who have donated to our Building Bridges to a Brighter Future Capital Campaign, those funds go directly to support the financial needs necessary to accommodate this growth.

We encourage you to partner with us as we enter the home stretch with the last phase of this campaign!

To make a Gift or to register a Pledge:

Summer Program Builds Academic Success & Provides New Adventures!

Bellesini’s Summer Program plays a critical role in preparing our students for success in preparatory high school. Studies show that a large part of the achievement gap that exists between low-income and middle-class students is the result of a lack of intellectual engagement during the summer months. Low-income students actually lose academic skills between June and September.

Bellesini’s Summer Program prevents summer learning loss while allowing our students to continue to make academic gains, enjoy safe summer camp activities, experience educational and fun field trips, and visit colleges and private high schools.

Students attend the following academic classes:

  • Reading and Writing
  • Math 
  • Social Studies
  • Health and Life Skills (grade 5-8)
  • Citizenship and Computer Class (5th grade)
  • Spanish (6th & 7th grade)
  • High School Placement and SSAT Prep (8th grade)

Afternoon Enrichment Program includes:

  • Coding
  • Digital Art 
  • Anime
  • Sign Language
  • Video Making, Editing and Photography
  • Theater (online)
  • Chess Club (online)
  • Fitness Club (remote and in-person)
  • Dance (remote)
  • Yoga (remote)

We need your help to provide our students and alumni with a safe place to learn and grow this summer!   Would you like to Sponsor a Student for the Summer Program?

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is image.png

$50  = 1 day of camp
$250 = 1 week of camp
$500  = 2 weeks of camp
$1000 = All 4 weeks of camp

Alumni Summer Experience


A hallmark of our program is the Alumni Support Program which tracks, supports, and engages with alumni through college and beyond. We are redesigning the way we will run our Summer Alumni Experience to provide the same impact in new circumstances. Bellesini will be offering support services, college preparation, and fun activities for our alumni this summer, keeping them safe and on track to achieve a college degree.  The cost to provide these programs is $200 for each alumnus.

Please support our alumni summer experience for our 100 high school-aged alumni. Activities include:

  • College Prep Program 
  • SAT Prep 
  • Essay Writing 
  • College Visits (virtual)
  • Scholarship Applications and Essays
  • Community Service Opportunities 
  • Base Mentoring Program 
  • Grade level class meetings 
  • Girls High School Health, Fitness and Leadership Program 
  • Boys Fitness Program and Basketball Tournament (if appropriate)


Opening Doors Through Education in Lawrence since 2002

For 20 years Bellesini Academy has had incredible success with our students. We are a tuition-free middle school serving families who live in Lawrence, MA.

Watch our video to learn more.

Apply

Thank You to our Sponsors of the 2019 Feaster Five Road Race

Now in its 32nd year, the Feaster Five has become a Thanksgiving Day tradition for thousands of runners in Massachusetts and beyond. As a charitable partner, Bellesini recruits race sponsors to raise funds to support its mission to provide low-income young men and women in Lawrence with outstanding, tuition-free preparatory education. We are grateful for this year’s sponsors!

Please contact our development office at 978-989-0004 or via email at [email protected] for more information.

Bellesini awarded $300,000 Cummings Foundation Sustaining Grant!

Bellesini Academy awarded $300,000

Cummings Foundation Trustees, Bellesini students and alumni, and Julie DiFilippo.

Lawrence nonprofit receives Cummings Foundation grant

LAWRENCE, MA (5/10/2019) – Blessed Stephen Bellesini, O.S.A. Academy is one of the local nonprofits sharing in Cummings Foundation’s $25 million grant program in 2019. The Lawrence-based organization has been awarded a $300,000 Sustaining Grant, to be disbursed over 10 years. Julie DiFilippo, Bellesini’s Head of School, represented the nonprofit at a May 2 awards night at TradeCenter 128 in Woburn.

Founded in 2002, Bellesini Academy is an independent, Catholic middle school dedicated to providing quality scholarship education to young men and women from limited financial means living in Lawrence. The mission of the school is to provide an academically challenging and highly structured environment that develops the potential for each student to succeed in competitive secondary schools and colleges.

The Academy is named in honor of Stephen Bellesini, a 19th century Augustinian friar who dedicated many years to the education of young boys from disadvantaged families in Italy.  His school was known as la scola por gnent, or “The School for Nothing,” because it was tuition free.

“We are tremendously grateful to the Cummings Foundation for its ten-year sustaining grant to support Bellesini’s Alumni Support Program,” said Julie DiFilippo.  “Since 2007, our Alumni Support Program has provided a wide range of support services to our alumni as they progress through high school and on to college. The program is a critical component of our students’ long-term success.  100% of our alumni have graduated from high school, and 97% have gone on to college, trade school, or to serve in the military. With the opening of our Girls’ School in 2015, doubling our student body, we have expanded the program and our staff to serve the needs of all of our alumni,” said DiFilippo.  “This sustaining grant will provide critical support the program as we serve a growing number of alumni in the coming years.”

The Sustaining Grants initiative builds on Cummings Foundation’s $100K for 100 program. First offered in 2012, $100K for 100 annually awards $10 million through multi-year grants of $100,000 each to 100 nonprofits that are based in and primarily serve Essex, Middlesex, and Suffolk counties. Grant recipients that received their final grant disbursements in 2018 were automatically considered for $15 million in Sustaining Grants.

“We introduced Sustaining Grants to help alleviate the constant burden of fundraising so nonprofit professionals can spend more of their limited time and resources on actually providing services,” said Christina Berthelsen, grants manager at Cummings Foundation.

Cummings Foundation has awarded nearly $250 million to date in Greater Boston alone. Funds are generated through commercial properties that are owned by, and operated for the sole benefit of, Cummings Foundation. All of its buildings are managed pro bono by Woburn commercial real estate firm Cummings Properties.

Sustaining Grants winners were selected primarily by a 33-member volunteer committee, which included former state legislators, CEOs of local companies, and a retired justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, among many others. Committee members met with each nonprofit twice to learn how the $100K for 100 funds helped to advance its mission, and how it might put a 10-year grant to use.

View the complete list of the 50 Sustaining Grants winners at www.CummingsFoundation.org. An additional 100 winners will be announced in June through the $100K for 100 program.

Bellesini Academy serves 60 boys in grades 5 through 8 and 45 girls in grades 6 through 8. In addition, the Academy provides graduate support services to 150+ alumni who attend area private high schools and colleges.  Bellesini admits students of all faiths who reside in Lawrence and qualify for the Federal Free & Reduced Lunch Program. 

About Cummings Foundation

Woburn-based Cummings Foundation, Inc. was established in 1986 by Joyce and Bill Cummings and has grown to be one of the three largest private foundations in New England. The Foundation directly operates its own charitable subsidiaries, including New Horizons retirement communities in Marlborough and Woburn. Its largest single commitment to date has been to Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. Additional information is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org.