June 17th E-blast

From: Mary C. Gormley
To: Parents/Guardians and Staff
Re: E-blast Update Date
Wednesday, June 17th, 2015

FROM THE DESK OF THE SUPERINTENDENT

For the past few years, the acronyms STEM and STEAM have been part of our vocabulary and have been totally integrated into the Milton Public Schools.  STEM refers to “Science Technology, Engineering & Math,” and STEAM refers to “Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math.”

This area of education has captured attention because STEM education has been identified as a national priority and here in the Milton Public Schools, STEM is one of our Advancement Initiatives. The most recent MFE event also chose STEAM funding as the theme of the night and successfully raised more than $120,000 for our STEAM programming.

The integration of STEM and STEAM are part of the curriculum in the elementary schools as part of the English Innovative Pathway, in the middle school as iSTEM course offerings and at Milton High School as part of many of our computer science, robotics, physics and other science and computer technology courses.

Our Elementary Science Coordinator Bernadette Moonan is a strong proponent of STEM education for our youngest students and has taken the lead and launched several innovative programs, including the Science for Scientists program. Please read below to learn about this creative new program in all the Milton Public Schools’ fifth-grade classrooms.

Help Support Science from Scientists!

Science from Scientists (http://www.sciencefromscientists.org/) is a yearlong in-class instructional program. SfS designs and teaches hands-on, dynamic lessons to students in grade 5. All materials are aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Massachusetts curriculum frameworks.

SfS sends two charismatic scientists into the classroom on a bi-weekly basis for the entire academic year. These scientists lead all of the science classes for the day and provide all necessary equipment and materials while the classroom teachers help as active participants. Feedback from principals, the science coordinator, teachers, parents, and students have all been positive.  Not only do students benefit from having actual scientists in their classroom bi-weekly, the teachers grow as professionals from being afforded the opportunity to work with these real-life scientists for the duration of the school year.

The Milton Public Schools has recently identified science and STEM as priority areas.  Over the past two years, many positive changes have been made in the district to address this priority area, including hiring an Elementary Science Coordinator, purchasing and implementing a new elementary and middle school science curriculum (Full Option Science System also known as FOSS), and increased professional development and support for teachers.

In addition, the Milton Public Schools and the Milton Foundation for Education have partnered to bring the Science from Scientists program into our fifth grade classes for the past two years, which has sparked excitement and inspiration in both the teachers and the students involved!  The Milton Public Schools and Milton Foundation for Education have secured $22,500 in funds (thanks to MFE’S Sam’s Fund, Raytheon, Staples, Blue Hills Bank, and the elementary PTOs) but are in need of $17,500 more to continue the program in each of our elementary schools next year. We are looking for donations from companies, grants, and/or individuals to help aide with the cost of the program.

If you are interested in donating, or know of a company who may be willing to help, please contact Elementary Science Coordinator Bernadette Moonan at bmoonan@miltonps.org.

SCHOOL COMMITTEE UPDATE

There has been one School Committee meeting since my last E-blast, held on Wednesday night. That meeting is summarized below.

June 10th:  This meeting was preceded by a volunteer reception, during which the School Committee recognized those volunteers who have helped the Milton Public Schools throughout the year. Attendees were given a potted vegetable (grown by students in the Glover outdoor classroom) to grow in their garden and a certificate.

The meeting began with Citizen Speak, during which several Milton Public School parents spoke about the potential changes to the school calendar. As part of the Superintendent’s Report, Milton High School English Teacher Mike Young brought the staff of the school newspaper, who recently won the New England Scholastic Press Association Meritorious Achievement Award.  Mr. Young and his students were congratulated on this achievement. Next, a group of students and staff from the Tucker Elementary School came to talk about the school’s Mentoring Program. Tucker Principal Dr. Elaine McNeil Girmai, Elementary Curriculum Coordinator Stephanie Nephew and Reading Specialist Margaret Berges spoke about the success of this program, which recently concluded its pilot year. The school committee received an update on residency issues before beginning discussion of the FY16 School Year Calendar. Chairman Zullas read a letter signed by a number of citizens on this issue, after which members discussed the large number of snow days, the date of Labor Day and other issues. After calling for a vote, members voted unanimously to restore the two religious holidays to the FY16 school calendar. As part of the Chairman’s Report, members received an update on funding for Full Day Kindergarten Update and discussed the formation of a Strategic Issue Committee. They also approved a summer schedule and two vendor warrants. There was a vote on a Technology Line Item Transfer and an update from the Transportation and Traffic Safety Subcommittee before the committee adjourned. The next meeting will be held Wednesday, June 24th at 7 pm in the Milton High School library.

CURRICULUM NEWS

As noted above, the School Committee voted to restore two religious holidays to the school calendar.  Please note, for the 2015-16 school year, the Milton Public Schools will be closed on both Yom Kippur (September 23rd, 2015) and Good Friday (March 25th, 2016). To view or print out the latest version of the academic calendar, please click here: http://www.miltonps.org/documents/2015-2016schoolyearcalendarRevisedandapproved061015_000.pdf

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The following item was submitted by Pierce Middle School Guidance Counselor Lisa Veldran:

We were fortunate to have hosted an excellent, informative speaker at Milton High School last week.  On Monday June 8th, Internet Safety Specialist Katie Greer arrived in Milton. During the school day, Ms. Greer delivered dynamic presentations to all 4th, 5th and 6th grade classes.  Ms. Greer taught our children how to use media devices and platforms in a safe and healthy way.  At this stage, our students are becoming more interested in communicating with their friends online through a variety of social networking sites (most of which students in this age group are not allowed to be on) and cell phones and other devices.  Ms. Greer’s primary message is to alert students of the potential dangers related to communicating with others through various technologies and setting rules regarding privacy.

The topics highlighted in each presentation included:

  • defining personal information/teaching students to keep information private
  • privacy settings
  • examples of cyber bullying and real life implications
  • geotagging
  • understanding which social networking sites that students are currently using
  • interactive gaming rules
  • technology tattoos

Ms. Greer’s vibrant and enthusiastic attitude is contagious as she easily engages every audience in creative and powerful ways. She is a true expert and passionate about this important topic. During the evening, Ms. Greer delivered a powerful two hour message to educators and community members that included specific information and tips so that parents can be proactive in order to keep their children safe in the digital world. She gave updates on the latest technology trends and dangers.  If you missed this important event and would like to learn about extensive resources and tips to protect our children in today’s technology-driven world, please visit Ms. Greer’s website, KL Greer Consulting at www.klgreer.com

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I am pleased to report that the first annual Tucker Career Day was a huge success. Tucker teacher Shannon Brooks, along with her Tucker fifth-grade colleagues and PTO president Piel Hollingsworth, organized this event on Wednesday, June 10th for all students in fifth grade. A dozen professionals from different walks of life spent the morning teaching Tucker students about their careers. Students were engaged and interested in each of these presentations, and were encouraged to ask questions. Each student’s schedule allowed for three different choices of speakers. I would like to thank the following professionals who joined me in spending time at the Tucker for this fantastic event:

  • Dr. Faisal Khan, cardiologist
  • Officers James Bowden and Thomas Brooks, Boston Police Department.
  • Theresa Quijano, attorney
  • Cheryl Tougias, architect
  • Dr. Anna Greka, medical researcher
  • Tricia Villegas, sales & marketing
  • Bob Hurley, video games
  • Fredson Gomes, martial arts instructor
  • Christine Walker, farmer
  • Matty O’Hara, finance
  • Tami Lewis-Blue, marketing manager

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For those of you who do not know about our Milton High School Pre-K, this wonderful program operates from September to June each year on the Milton High School campus. High school students who are interested in careers in education enroll for Child Study courses, taught by two certified high school teachers, Ms. Eileen Mullen and Ms. Julie Freking.  Preschool children come to the classroom three days a week and engage in a typical Pre-K curriculum, with assistance from the high school students. This is a win-win for everyone, with our youngest students benefiting from one-on-one instruction and our high school students learning valuable real-life teaching skills. As has been the tradition, the Pre-K classes celebrated “graduation” this week in our high school auditorium, accompanied by their older classmates. Please check out the photos below:

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I would like to announce the Milton High School representatives for Boys State & Girls State. These two programs are sponsored by the American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary, respectively. They are open to high school juniors who demonstrate academic talent and leadership ability.  Both Girls State and Boys State will take place this coming week at Stonehill College in Easton. Congratulations to the following Milton High School students.  Boys State: Matthew McAuliffe, Sindhu Banerjee and Kendall Van Allen. Girls State: Sophie Cousineau, Lydia Horan, and Tyler Volpe-Knock.

MFE NEWS

There are only 10 days left to buy a Jeep Raffle ticket.  The drawing is on June 27th.  Your chances of winning are better than ever. Get your ticket today. Available in every school’s office or by emailing JeepRaffle2015@gmail.com

NEWS AROUND TOWN

We Are Milton presents the 3rd Annual Music Fest & Fireworks. This two-day event will be held on Saturday, June 27th and Sunday, June 28th.  The Music Fest will run on Saturday from 3pm to 10:30pm. Musical guests include Will Macmillan, The Neville Sisters, John Lucas, The Jenna Lotti Band, The Joel Hiller Band, Ward Eights, New York Police Pipes, the Eight Tracks, and Drums, Zip Zap and the Zops, & MAC Open Mic Review. Celtic Sunday will be from 1pm to 8pm and will feature Pauline Wells with DEVRI, Erin’s Melody, Gaelic Storm, Patsy Whelan & Paul Kenny and the Fenian Society of Boston.  This weekend of music and fireworks will be held at Governor Hutchinson Field, Adams St. in Milton. There will be Kids Karaoke, Jackson Blue from Hot 96.9, Touch A Truck. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.wearemilton.org

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The Milton Historical Society and Forbes House Museum will offer Historic House Tours on the following dates: Sunday – July 12th and Sunday – August 9th.

Suffolk Resolves House is located at 1370 Canton Avenue, Milton. Tour Hours are 1 To 3pm (No Reservations Required.) For more information, call 617.333.9700 or email askus@miltonhistoricalsociety.org

Forbes House Museum is located at 215 Adams Street, Milton. Tour begins at 3:15pm (Reservations Required.) Please call 24 hours in advance to make a reservation. For more information call 617-696-1815 or email info@forbeshousemuseum.org

MILTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

Teen Book Club
Monday July 13th , 3—4pm

Our July pick is The Shadow Hero, a graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang and Sonny Liew. Based on the adventures of the Green Turtle, who solved crimes and fought injustice like any other comics hero of the 1940s. But this mysterious masked crusader was hiding something more than your run-of-the-mill secret identity . . . The Green Turtle was the first Asian American superhero.  We will be meeting in the Teen Room, snacks will be provided.

Crafternoons for Tweens
Every Wednesday  2:30 —3:30pm

Kids aged 10-13 are invited to join Miss Sara and Lilly  for crafting fun. Each week we’ll be making something different, from lava lamps to mini terrariums, and more! Registration is required.

Free Kaplan Practice Tests (In the Keys Community Room)

Saturday July 11th – 9:30am—1:30pm:  SAT/ACT Combo Practice Test

August 22nd – 9:30am—1:30pm: SAT Practice Test

Registration

June 25th—August 24th — Registration is open! Register for the Teen Summer Reading Program online at: www.miltonlibrary.org/teensummerreading.asp or in person at the library.  Use the library’s summer reading software to track your reading time, write reviews, and more!  Earn raffle tickets for every hour that you spend reading, attending summer programs, and writing book reviews. There will be a prize drawing at the end of the summer party.
End of Summer Pizza Party

Monday August 25th, 6pm—7pm

Celebrate the end of the summer with pizza, music, a special prize drawing, super hero trivia, and more in the Keys Community Room!

Questions?

Contact Lilly Sundell-Thomas

lsundell-thomas@ocln.org

(617) 698-5757

To see a complete listing of library events, please click here: http://www.eventkeeper.com/code/events.cfm?curOrg=MILTONPL

ATHLETICS

For those of you who have been involved with the Milton High School Athletic Hall of Fame, you already know what a fantastic organization we have here in town.  Founded and headed by Milton High School teacher Michael Goodless, this group has recognized generations of Milton High School student athletes for their achievements. You may not know that this group gives out an annual scholarship to a graduating senior. This year’s recipients of the Milton High School Athletic Hall of Fame are Denis McAuliffe and Olivia Taber. Denis McAuliffe is a three sport starter, in golf, basketball and baseball. He was president of the National Honor Society and will attend the University of Massachusetts/Amherst, majoring in economics. Olivia Taber is a Bay State League All Star, Patriot Ledger All-Scholastic, and State Coaches Association Divison II All-State selection in volleyball. Olivia will attend the University of Maryland, majoring in business and finance.

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Please note, signups for Milton High School Athletics for the fall of 2015 will begin in mid-July. Please see below for important dates:

  • July 21 – August 26th – FamilyID Fall Sports Registration
  • Fall sports sign-ups at: https://www.familyid.com
  • If you are a returning MHS student-athlete from 2014-2015, you can sign into FamilyID with your username and password.
  • If you are new to Milton High or did not play a sport at Milton High in 2014-15, you must create a new FamilyID account.

 

  • You must complete the online NFHS concussion course and print the certificate (both student-athlete and parent/guardian) Take the course by clicking here: www.nfhslearn.com
  • You must have an updated physical exam (dated within the last 13 months)
  • You must complete the online registration before you can come into MHS Athletic Department for your fall sports clearance card
  • Call FamilyID directly at (888) 800-5583 with any FamilyID registration questions
  • August 19-21st. Obtain your MHS clearance card. Time: To be determined.
  • Bring in your updated physical exam and copy of the NFHS concussion course certificate (of both student-athlete and parent/guardian)
  • August 24th Milton High football practice tryouts. Time: To be determined
  • August 27th

 

  • Be sure to choose the correct sport under athletic fee – fall 2015

AMBASSADOR PAGE

Students:  We are looking forward to welcoming our incoming kindergarten students in the fall of 2015. There are a few end-of-the-year events and summer “popsicle parties” scheduled at each of our elementary schools to help our newest students ease into Milton Public Schools.  Please check your child’s home school website for more information, and again, welcome to the future class of 2028!!

Staff:   Although he is not officially a member of our staff, I would be remiss if I did not extend best wishes to Frank Schroth. Mr. Schroth has been publishing MyTownMatters for the past several years and has been a valuable member of the community. He recently announced his decision to suspend publication. His insight on town politics, local news and events will be missed, as will his presence at nearly every Milton Public School event.

Volunteers:  I would like to thank a group of volunteers from the Cunningham Elementary School who have taken the time to collaborate on the Cunningham Fifth Grade Banner Project.  I am grateful to Laura Cannata, Stephanie O’Keefe, Joanna Weiss, Tracy Finch, and parents/artists Dana Clanc, Jess Gillooly and photographer John Gillolly.  I would also like to thank Principal Jonathan Redden, Cunningham art teacher Angela Lathwell and the 5th grade teachers, as well as the students and their families for helping to make this vision come true. It is truly a beautiful sight.

The Milton Public School system is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to the provision of quality educational programs for all students.  The Milton Public School system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, genetic information, age or sexual orientation.

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