November 7th E-Blast

From: Mary C. Gormley
To: Parents/Guardians and Staff
Re: E-blast Update
Date:  Monday, November 7th, 2016

Congratulations and best wishes to our Varsity Girls Soccer team, who will compete tonight at Brooks Field vs. Canton High School tonight at 7pm in the MIAA Div. 2 South Quarter-Finals. The winner advances to a Thursday Semi-Final game. Fans are encouraged to wear RED! Roll Cats!!!

FROM THE DESK OF THE SUPERINTENDENT

Tomorrow (Tuesday) is Election Day, which means there is no school for students. Our teachers and staff will be involved with professional development during the day and school will resume on Wednesday. Also, please note there will be no school on Friday in observance of Veterans Day.

SCHOOL COMMITTEE UPDATE

There have been no School Committee meetings since my last E-blast. The next meeting will be held this Wednesday, November 9th at 7 pm in the Milton TV Access studio, Room 245, Milton High School.

CURRICULUM NEWS

The following item was sent to us by Catherine DesRoche, the Elementary Curriculum Coordinator for Tucker Elementary School:

Family Literacy Month is underway and there are many things you can do with your family to celebrate! While we all know reading with our children builds a great foundation for future learning, the National Center for Families Learning provides 30 activities for families to engage in literacy activities with their children: http://30days.familieslearning.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/NCFL30Days.pdf .

For the month of November, students, families and community members can enjoy a Story Walk at the Tucker Playground hosted in partnership with the Milton Early Childhood Alliance (MECA). The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires is displayed page by page (in English, Spanish & French) along the fence for visitors to walk through and enjoy.  The story highlights for readers the common experience of making mistakes and the importance of perseverance.

The Milton Public Library always has many family events that can be found on their website: http://www.eventkeeper.com/mars/xpages/M/MILTONPL/ekmonth.cfm.  In particular, Small Wonders (Wednesdays at 10 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.) is a program for babies, toddlers and their grown ups to listen to songs and nursery rhymes together.  For children ages 7-11, there is the SPUB Club (Super Popular, Unbelievable Book Club) hosted by Miss. Sara where she reads a few chapters of a book each week.  Children listen to the story while engaging in various hands-on activities like Lego building, play-dough sculpting, Rubik’s cubes, and more.  November’s book is Odd, Weird and Little by Patrick Jennings and takes place on Tuesdays from 7:15-7:45 p.m.

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The following article on early literacy was sent to us by Amy Gale, Curriculum Coordinator for Cunningham and Collicot Schools:

https://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2016/10/31/how-to-help-students-develop-a-love-of-reading/?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=202705

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Please note, this year’s Parent/Teacher Conferences for Grades 6-12 will be held on Thursday, November 17th. This will be a half-day. Please be sure to schedule an appointment with your child’s teacher(s.)

Parent/Teacher Conferences for Grades 1-5 will be held on December 7th, and that will be a half-day as well.

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Special congratulations to our Grade 3 students who are attending the Tucker Saturday Academy. Please see the photo below:

tucker-kids

UPCOMING MPS EVENTS

We have scheduled several Veterans Day observances in our schools:

Cunningham: Our Veterans Day Remembrance is a special day at Cunningham. Students and staff invite a Veteran or Service Member to our indoor program and then join the entire school community outside for a flag raising ceremony by a military honor guard. We hope you can join us for this meaningful ceremony. Click Veterans Day Invitation for an invitation to send to your guest. Please let us know if you are bringing a guest so your child can be dismissed to greet their guest. An email to cunninghampto@gmail.com with your guest’s name, child’s name and teacher is all we need. Thanks!

Tucker:  Students at the Tucker Elementary school have organized a Veterans Day tribute this week in the cafeteria that follows in line with the children’s book America’s White Table.  Below is a link that outlines the different items you can choose to place on the table and the significance of each. Students review the story in class and during our monthly community circle.

https://www.veteranscaucus.org/index.php/events/memorial-day/america-s-white-table

Collicot:  On Thursday afternoon at 1:45, there will be a Collicot assembly. During this time, there will be a patriotic sing aloud and the students will share some Veterans Day-themed work.  Any Collicot students who have a veteran in their family have been encouraged to RSVP to the PTO for VIP seats. In addition, Curry College students also are hosting a drive for toiletries for veterans. Collicot is a site for donations.

Glover: Teachers at Glover are selecting appropriate articles to read with their students. They are also working on Veterans-Day-themed individual classroom writing and drawing activities, with a few being selected for sharing on the daily announcements. Principal Karen McDavitt’s announcements each morning include an educational piece about Veterans Day as well as student-generated thoughts and ideas. The whole school has been invited to dress patriotically on Thursday in honor of Veterans Day. In addition, Ms. McDavitt will be circulating through classrooms and reading a mentor text called My America and talking about Veterans Day.

Pierce: The Pierce Middle School Student Council invited all local veterans to join them at the first Annual Pierce Middle School Veterans Day Coffee.  This event will be held in the Pierce library on Thursday, November 10th from 8 to 9am. Any local veteran and their families are invited to attend, but are asked to please RSVP to jdemaggio@miltonps.org Parents and guardians are welcome to attend. In addition, the Pierce Student Council asked all Pierce families to fill out paper “stars” with the names of a veteran who is important to their student. These starts have been hung in our cafeteria and along the hallway for all to see.

I would also like to recognize Ella Gavin, a Pierce seventh-grader. During the past week, many Pierce students participated in the Veterans Poster Contest sponsored by the Town of Milton Veterans Services Department. Several Pierce teachers along with Kevin Cook, Director of Veterans Services, chose this year’s poster contest winner. Mr. Cook and Principal Dr. Karen Spaulding surprised Ella with the news this past Friday. Mr. Cook was particularly impressed with how Ella captured what Veterans Day means to her from many different perspectives. Ella will be honored at the annual Milton Veterans Day Ceremony at 11am on November 11th.  Congratulations Ella!

veteran1

Milton High School:

Students from Milton High School will be performing as singers and musicians during the Veteran’s Day ceremony. Also, please read the essay below, written by Milton High School student Alexandra Kelly, a sophomore in Mr. Coady’s English class. Ms. Kelly’s essay was selected as the winning entry in an essay contest from dozens of entries. She will be reading this at the Veterans Day observance on November 11th.

What is a Veteran?

“Greater love has no one than this- that he would lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13

            No word other than “Veteran” comes to mind when reading this quotation. Veterans are a unique part of our society because of their call to duty in such a violent world like today’s. All soldiers are similar in the way that every day they give their lives, time from their loved ones, and the ultimate gift to our country: Freedom. 

            Although Veterans have not been a direct part of my life, I still hold them very close to my heart. They’re out there fighting for me and for my friends and family, protecting us for very little reward. I am honored to live in a place where people have this type of compassion and love for their country and its citizens. 

            We all should feel grateful and blessed to live in such a country where people sacrifice their own lives for ours. In other countries people aren’t as lucky. People aren’t as selfless or as nationalistic. The government must draft young men to join their military, whereas in the United States there are plenty of men and women excited and honored to do so. Veterans are more than just soldiers, they’re the unseen wall to our country. 

           Veterans should be recognized not only because of their sacrifice alone, but also because  of their motive behind it. They are neither obligated to enlist in the military, nor to risk their own life for ours. To me this is the most special part about Veterans. They weren’t required to protect us, they weren’t coaxed or bribed. They do this simply out of the kindness of their hearts. Bravery, selflessness, and pure compassion live on in our soldiers of today and our Veterans of yesterday. 

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Parents of Grades 1-8 boys and girls …. please save the date! On Sunday, November 13th the MHS Girls Cross Country Team is sponsoring a Kids Trail Run for boys and girls Grades 1-8 at Cunningham Park. The first race begins at noon. This event will support and raise awareness for the Girls Cross Country Team. Sign-ups begin at 10:30am at Cunningham Hall. Cost is $10 per person. The events are:

Grades 1 and 2: One mile at 12:00 p.m. Grades 3-5: One and a half miles at 12:15 p.m. Grades 6-8: Two miles at 12:35 p.m. For early registration and more information, email Coach Shaw at tshaw@miltonps.org

FROM THE HEALTH ROOM

Margaret Gibbons, Head Nurse for the Milton Public Schools, wanted to remind all MPS families that there is a flu clinic being held on Wednesday, November 9th at Pierce Middle School from 3:30-5:30pm. This flu clinic is a joint collaboration between the Milton School Nurses and the Milton Board of Health.

GRANT/FUNDRAISING NEWS

Just a reminder that Milton High School’s PTSFO Fundraiser starts today, Monday, November 7th and will run through Sunday, November 13th at the Fruit Center Marketplace. The Milton Fruit Center Market Place is located at 10 Bassett St, Milton, MA 02186

Please shop often and bring your vouchers with you!  See the attached flyer. These flyers will also be available in the main office at Milton High School! Please share with your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers; we want to make this our biggest fundraiser yet!

http://fruitcentermarketplace.com/documents/miltonhigh2016.pdf

Have wonderful week of shopping and make sure you remember to bring your voucher with you.

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The Milton High School Junior Class has two fundraising events in the coming weeks. First, on November 17th  the class is sponsoring an event at Buffalo Wild Wings. Bring this flier with you and a portion of the proceeds from your order will be donated back to the Class of 2018.

Second, the Class of 2018 is once again holding a Savers Drive. Every pound of soft or hard goods donated will result in a donation back to the class. You may drop off gently used clothing and housewares at Milton High School during school hours starting on November 21st through December 2nd. The Savers truck will be here between the hours of 10 AM and 2 PM on Saturday December 3rd for those who would like to drop off at that time. Last year, the Class of 2017 raised over $500 through this fundraiser. Please help the Class of 2018 with this fundraiser. Contact Ms. Damiani- rdamiani@miltonps.org- with any questions.

NEWS AROUND TOWN

The following item was sent to us from Barbara Martin at Milton Town Hall:

This year’s Veterans Day Observance will be observed on Friday, November 11th at 11 a.m. at the Town Green.  A procession from the High School to the Town Green will begin at 10:30 a.m. weather permitting.

Kevin Cook, Director of Veterans Services, has initiated several new aspects to this year’s observance.  The first initiative is to honor Korean War veterans with the awarding of the ‘Challenge Coin’ which was commissioned earlier this year by the Board of Selectmen.  Keeping with this theme, a member of the Republic of Korean’s consulate will be the featured speaker this year.

Secondly, two contests were held – one at the middle school and one at the high school.  The theme of each contests was, ‘What Is A Veteran?’ Both contest winners will be recognized and awarded a plague at the observance. The winning poster will be displayed at the gazebo and the essay winner will recite her essay. Other components of the program will be in keeping with programs of years past.

In the case of inclement weather, the procession will be cancelled and the ceremony will be moved indoors to the Council on Aging.  The decision as to weather and the revised program will be made on Wednesday, November 9th.

Veterans Day is a reminder to all of us to honor the men and women who have served our country.  I hope all will make a special effort to attend this year’s observance.

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You are invited! Milton Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition is sponsoring a strategic planning retreat to prevent and reduce youth substance misuse and addiction in Milton. Mark your calendars Tuesday, December 13th from 5:00pm-8:30pm. info@milton-coalition.org a light dinner will be served. We will create a Milton roadmap to identify our priorities and strategies for the coming 3 to 5 years. Youth, parents, community leaders, people in recovery, and concerned residents are encouraged to attend.

MILTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

Fall wouldn’t be complete without fun family activities at the Milton Public Library! Books, programs, coloring, games, puppets and more are available every day for you to check out. In addition to our regular storytimes on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, we have these exciting programs for the young people in your life happening during the week of Noveber 13 – 19:

Tuesday, November 15, 2016 from 7:15 – 7:45 pm
SPUB Club, Ages 7-11

Join the newest craze: the SPUB Club! Our Super Popular, Unbelievable Book Club is a brand-new, read-aloud book club for kids aged 7-11. Miss Sara will read a few chapters of a book each week; your job is to listen, while engaging in various hands-on activities like Lego building, play-dough sculpting, Rubik’s cubes, and more. We’re soon starting our November title in conjunction with Milton Reflecting: Odd, Weird and Little by Patrick Jennings. No registration required.

Thursday, November 17, 2016
Half Day Family Movie, All Ages

It’s an Early Release Day for the Milton Public Schools… so come to the library and watch a movie in the Keys Room! In honor of tomorrow’s Fantastic Beasts premiere, we’ll be showing the 2001 fan favorite Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young boy with a great destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Rated PG; run time 2 hours 32 minutes. Bring a sleeping bag or a pillow and get cozy! Popcorn will be served. No registration required.

Friday, November 18, 2016
Free Play Friday, Ages 0-5

Drop by and enjoy puzzles, games and activities in the Story Hour room. The room will be open for two hours in the morning for you to enjoy with your little ones (ages 0-5). In partnership with the Milton Early Childhood Alliance.

Saturday, November 19, 2016 from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
International Games Day, Ages 4-Adult

International Games Day is an initiative run by volunteers from around the world, to reconnect communities through their libraries around the educational, recreational, and social value of all types of games. This year it falls on Saturday, November 19. We’re celebrating this exciting day at Milton Public Library in HUGE style: we’ll be playing life-size board games in different locations around the library! Drop in anytime between 10am and 3pm to check out the fun, play with friends, and make new ones. Games will include Jenga, Connect 4, Twister and more. Ages 4-adult are welcome to play; players under the age of 8 should be accompanied by an adult. No registration required.

Don’t forget to check the library web calendar for a listing of the many programs we offer year-round. Information about and registration for all of our programs can always be found on our online calendar at www.miltonlibrary.org, or by calling the Children’s Room at 617-898-4957 during business hours. Also, like the Milton Public Library on Facebook and get updates right in your news feed! Please contact the Children’s Room if you have questions about any of our programs or services.

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

ATHLETICS

We still have a few teams competing at the tail end of the fall season.

Girls Soccer: Our varsity girls will compete tonight at Brooks Field vs. Canton High School tonight in the MIAA Div. 2 South Quarter-Finals. The winner advances to a Thursday Semi-Final game, with the location and time TBD.

Girls Cross Country: The top-ranked Milton Girls will be headed to Wrentham on Saturday, November 12th to compete in the MIAA Eastern State Championships. Our girls are expected to perform very well individually and are hoping to come home with a  team trophy as well!

Boys Cross Country: The Boys team will also be headed to Wrentham this Saturday, November 12th for the MIAA Eastern State Championships. Best of luck to all competing!

Football: The Wildcats will be hosting Silver Lake this Thursday night at 7pm at Brooks in the final home game of the season.

Cheerleading: The Cheer Team will be competing in the Regionals on Sunday at Marshfield – time is TBA

Reminder: Winter Sports Registration is Ongoing!

Now is the time to sign up for Winter Sports. Please click this link for instructions.

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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