February 28th E-blast

From: Mary C. Gormley
To: Students, Parents/Guardians and Staff
Re: E-blast Update
Date:  February 28, 2014

FROM THE DESK OF THE SUPERINTENDENT

Good afternoon. There is so much good news going on this weekend and during the next week or so, I wanted to be sure the entire Milton Public Schools community was up-to-date. Please read this quick E-blast – and enjoy your weekend.

MILTON HIGH SCHOOL WILDCATS UPDATE

Friday, February 28, 2014

Boys Varsity Basketball vs Dorchester High School (Tech Boston)

6:30PM at Madison Park High School (Tickets are $5 STUDENTS and $7 ADULTS)

  • 5:45PM FAN BUS for MHS STUDENTS ONLY ($1)
  • NO Public Parking near Madison Park HS – we recommend MHS Students take the FAN BUS.
  • FAN BUS Sign up today in the MHS Café and online at www.miltonboosters.com

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Boys Varsity Hockey vs Barnstable HS

4:45PM at Gallo Arena, Bourne MA (Tickets are $6 STUDENTS and $8 ADULTS)

  • 3:15PM FAN BUS for MHS STUDENTS ONLY ($1)
  • FAN BUS Sign up today in the MHS Café or online at www.miltonboosters.com

Girls Varsity Hockey vs Cohasset/Hanover

8:20PM at The Rockland Ice Rink (NOT Bavis Rink) (Tickets are $6 STUDENTS and $8 ADULTS)

  • 7:30Pm FAN BUS for MHS STUDENTS ONLY ($1)
  • FAN BUS Sign up today in the MHS Café or online at www.miltonboosters.com

FREE Red Nation T-shirts will be given out to students who take the HOCKEY FAN BUS, that are MHS Booster Members (MHS Boosters can help confirm your parent membership at the bus).

***These are all MIAA Tournament Games in which MHS WILDCAT CARDS are not acceptable.

  • Basketball Game Ticket Prices are :  $5 STUDENTS and $7 ADULT
  • Hockey Game Ticket Prices are: $6 STUDENTS and $8 ADULTS

TEENS IN NEED

Milton’s Teens in Need is a grass roots aid organization aimed at providing financial assistance to teenagers throughout our community. In partnering with guidance staff at Milton High School, this group identifies students and families in need and has provided financial help with college application fees, AP exam costs, senior portraits and All-Night Graduation Party tickets.

This group has also helped organize a prom dress exchange and assisted families with holiday gifts. Milton Teens in Need has already funded over $2,500 for holiday gift cards to family this year and has provided over $5,000 in support for students and families over the last three years.

They are hosting a fund-raising event this Saturday, March 1st at the Hoosic Club on Central Avenue in Milton from 7 to 11 pm. Proceeds from the event will be distributed to teens at both the middle and high school for holiday and other upcoming expenses.

The Milton Teens in Need is proud to announce the formation of the Peter J. Muse Scholarship which will be given to four Milton High School seniors in the name of Attorney Peter J. Muse, a Milton resident, father of five Milton High graduates, who worked tirelessly on behalf of Milton’s youth who were in need during his time with us.

Tickets are $25 and the event will feature Red Sox Tickets, appetizers and a cash bar. Monetary donations in advance of the event or after are also accepted; checks should be made out to “Milton Student Activities Fund” and sent to: Milton Teens in Need c/o Karen DeLuca, 84 Indian Spring Rd., Milton, 02186.

 

ARTS/MUSIC

March is both Music and Our Schools Month and Youth Art Month. Please note the listings below for upcoming events:

March 4          Grade 6 Chorus, Grade 8 Girls Chorus, and Gr. 9-12 Chorus Concert, 7:00 p.m. MHS
March 5          Grade 7 Chorus, Grade 8 Boys Chorus, and Gr. 9-12 Chorus Concert, 7:00 p.m. MHS
March 7          Collicot, K, 1, 2, Concert for parents at 9:15 a.m. in cafeteria
March 12        Cunningham, K, 1, 2, Concert for parents, 9:15 a.m. in cafeteria
March 13        Grades 5-12  String Concert, 7:00 p.m.  MHS
March 14        Glover, K, 1, 2, Concert for parents at 9:15 in gymnasium
March 20-22   All State Music Conference and Festival
March 28-29   Jr. Eastern District Music Festival

In April, each of our schools will be hosting an Art Fair, with the theme of “Passport to the Arts.” Those who visit the art fair will be given a booklet designed to look like a passport. The art fairs at each of the schools will stamp these passports for all visitors. Please note the following dates/times for these events.

April 8th at 6 pm      Glover Elementary School
April 9th  at 6 pm    Cunningham Elementary School
April 9th at 5 pm        Pierce Middle School
April 10th at 6 pm       Tucker Elementary School & Collicot Elementary School
April 10th at 5:30 pm  Milton High School.

NATIONAL MERIT

Congratulations to Milton High School senior Jack Caljouw, who has been named a Finalist in the National Merit Scholarship Program.  This honor is based on scores from the 2012 PSAT. Less than one percent of those who took the PSATs qualified as Finalists. Jack will now be considered for one of 8,000 National Merit Scholarships, collectively worth nearly $35 million, for academically talented students.

Jack is an outstanding student who takes AP courses and is an integral part of the Milton High Debate Team. He was presented his Certificate of Merit by Milton High School Principal James Jette during school earlier this week. We are very proud of Jack’s accomplishment.

INTERNET SAFETY

Save the Date!  On Monday, March 24th at 7pm, the Milton Public Schools will be hosting an Internet Safety Night presentation in the Charles C. Winchester Auditorium at Milton High School.

 The speaker will be Katie LeClerc Greer, an expert who has provided Internet/technology safety training to schools, law enforcement agencies, national conferences, and community organizations throughout the country.

This evening event is for parents and guardians only and we encourage every parent in our district to attend. We have heard that this could be one of the most informative 90 minute presentations you may attend this year.

Ms. Greer will be speaking to both middle and high school students during assemblies earlier in the day on March 24th, so her evening presentation will be tailored towards parents and guardians. Please do not bring anyone under 18 to this event.

Ms. Greer’s unique educational and professional background has resulted in dynamic programs that appeal to all age groups:

  • Former Intelligence Analyst, Massachusetts State Police
  • Former Director of Internet Safety, Massachusetts Attorney Generals’ Office
  • Advisory Board Member, Internet Keep Safe Coalition
  • Recognized, national expert in Internet/digital safety and technology, advising various governmental and private agencies
  • Featured on CNN, Huffington Post, Vanity Fair, and USA Today
  • Presented to thousands of students, parents, educators and administrators across the country

Ms. Greer recently spoke to a group at Wellesley Middle School and their assistant principal, Kathy Gordon, said, “This speaker commanded the audience’s full attention. The kids could relate to her, since her background is relative, and very compelling.” Ms. Gordon said this was one of the presentations that she has seen.

This program has been strongly recommended to me by MPS parent and Wellesley Public School teacher JJ Kelleher, who called it one of the most compelling events of the year. Please make every effort to attend this important presentation on March 24th.

FUTURE PROBLEM SOLVERS

I have great news to share regarding the Future Problem Solving Program. Three Milton teams have been invited to the FPS State Bowl at Babson College on Saturday, April 5th.

Pierce is sending two teams, both coached by Nicole Hoyceanyls: Isabelle Neville, Sachin Meier and Hue-Ninh Ngyuen. Antother team is comprised of Timothy Karoff, Sawyer Flanagan and David Casaz. The Tucker Junior Division team, coached by Thuy Nguyen, is made up Olivia Ketler, Claire Walko, Blake Strong and Oskar Peloquin.

 Congratulations to these coaches and team members, along with Lori Henry, on their extraordinary work. Also, congratulations to all who participated in the FPS Qualifying Bowl and their amazing coaches. Good luck to our State Bowl participants as they prepare for a problem on the topic of Land Transportation!

SYMPHONY/M-PACE

Thanks to a very generous donation from M-PACE, we are very pleased to report that fourth-graders (pictured below, holding their tickets!) from each of our elementary schools attended a performance today at the Boston Symphony. M-PACE is the group that collects donations via the excise-tax forms and uses those donations to fund art and cultural enrichment opportunities. Our town treasurer, Jim McAuliffe, tells us that excise tax bills went out this week, so I would like to thank all who have donated in the past and encourage our Milton Public School families to contribute to this worthwhile cause.

symphony1

DEADLINES

We held our Grade One Information Nights earlier this month in each of our elementary schools. This event provided more information about the French Immersion and English/Innovation Pathway programs for our incoming first-graders. Parents/guardians of current Kindergarten students who could not attend should contact their child’s principal to receive information and selections sheets about program choice.  These sheets are due to the school principal by March 6th.

MSE

The Milton Public Schools’ popular summer program, Milton Summer Enrichment, will be led once again by Cunningham Elementary School Principal Jonathan Redden. MSE will be located on the Milton High School campus from June 30th to July 31st and will run 8am to noon from Monday to Thursday.

Mr. Redden is currently recruiting staff for MSE and hopes to bring back all the staple offerings as well as new courses. He said he plans to have more courses around STEM and academics geared to make learning more fun and engaging. The course offerings, compiled in an “At a Glance” document, will be sent out to families in March.

All courses are filled on a first come, first serve basis. As courses fill, they will be removed from the drop down menus and will no longer be available to register. Unlike last year, the online registration will not remain available through the end of June. Once online registration closes, families will have to register in person during drop-in times, to be announced at a later date.

Tuition: The tuition for MSE is subject to change, pending a decision by the Milton School Committee. Currently, the fees are as follows: 1 Course = $150; 2 Courses = $300; 3 Courses = $450; 4 Courses = $560; Pre-K = $600; Family Max = $1,050. Pricing for academic credit courses will be determined at a later date.

SCHOOL BREAKFAST

Next week, school cafeterias across the country, including Milton Public Schools, will celebrate National School Breakfast Week (March 3-7) by hosting “Take Time for School Breakfast” celebrations designed to highlight how eating a balanced school breakfast contributes to academic achievement.

The majority of Americans feel breakfast is important, and research shows students who eat breakfast score better on standardized test, yet hectic mornings make it difficult to fit the meal in every day.

In the Milton Public Schools, a hot breakfast is served at all six schools each day at 20 minutes before the start of school. In addition, Milton High School recently began serving breakfast items off a “Grab and Go” cart in the new “Wildcat Café” adjacent to the Copeland Field House. Students can use their school lunch accounts to purchase breakfast and those students on the Free/Reduced Lunch program will receive a free breakfast.

“We’ve all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” said Jackie Morgan, Milton’s Food Service Director. “Participating in National School Breakfast Week is just another way to help our students make the connection between healthy eating and learning.”

The 2014 National School Breakfast Week theme, “Take Time for School Breakfast,” encourages parents to consider the school breakfast program as a time-saving option for busy mornings. School breakfast choices include protein, grains, fruit or 100% fruit juice and low-fat milk and new nutrition standards for school meals mean more whole grains and more fruit at breakfast, while fat, sodium and calories are limited.

PRINCIPAL MEETINGS (STAFF)

A special note to Milton Public School teachers:  As mentioned in a prior memo, March’s Principal Meetings with staff (K-12) will be held on the Early Release Day immediately after dismissal.

CONFERENCES

Please note that Parent/Teacher conferences will be held after school and in the evening of March 6th. Notices should have gone home via e-mail and electronic backpack for signups for these conferences. Please contact your child’s school if you have any questions about Spring Conferences.

EARLY RELEASE DAY

I wanted to be sure that everyone is aware that there will be an EARLY RELEASE DAY coming up soon. On March 12th, all students in grades K-12 will have an Early Release Day. Students from Cunningham and Collicot will be released at noontime; students from Tucker and Glover will be released at 12:30pm. Pierce Middle School will get out at 11:25pm; and Milton High School students will be released at 11:16am. Bus service will be as usual following dismissal.

For those parents/guardians who would like to enroll their children in optional programming, Milton Community Schools will be running Early Release Day Programs in all four elementary schools, which will run as follows:

• Collicot/Cunningham: 12:00 to 2:47pm
• Glover/Tucker 12:30 to 3:14pm

Parents/guardians who would like to enroll in Early Release Day Programs should register with Community Schools by contacting jmarr@miltonps.org or by clicking on the link below and returning the form to your child’s school office. The cost is $20 per student. For more info, please visit this link:

http://www.miltonps.org/documents/EARLYRELEASEDAYPrograms.pdf

This Early Release Day was part of the recently-negotiated teacher contract and will be used by our faculty for Professional Development and Collaborative Planning Time. The next Early Release Day is scheduled for April 3rd for Grades K-12.

BEST OF LUCK TO MILTON HIGH SCHOOL’S DRAMATICS SOCIETY ON THEIR PERFORMANCE OF “RABBIT HOLE” AT THE MASSACHUSETTS EDUCATIONAL THEATER GUILD’S ANNUAL HIGH SCHOOL FESTIVAL ON SATURDAY.

 

 

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