December 20th E-blast

From: Mary C. Gormley
To: Parents/Guardians and Staff
Re: E-blast Update
Date:  Tuesday, December 20th, 2016

FROM THE DESK OF THE SUPERINTENDENT

I am writing to follow up on my earlier blog about medical privacy in our schools. I have received some comments from parents/guardians who are concerned about changes in how the district will disseminate health information to families.  Please know that Milton takes public health concerns seriously and our protocols and practices are aligned with the Department of Public Health regulations and guidelines.

As recommended by the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics, Milton Public Schools has adopted a non-exclusionary protocol for pediculosis (head lice). Head lice can be a nuisance but they have not been shown to spread disease. Students diagnosed with live head lice generally do not need to be sent home early from school; they can go home at the end of the day, be treated, and return to class after appropriate treatment has begun. School nurses will screen any student who exhibits signs/symptoms of head lice. Children who are found to have live lice or nits will not be sent home from school. Parents of affected students will be notified before the end of the school day and advised to contact their healthcare provider for treatment options. An informational fact sheet on head lice will be provided to the parent. Classroom/grade-wide notification letters will generally not be sent home unless deemed appropriate. Children will be allowed to return to school after parents confirm with the school nurse that treatment has begun. For more information on this issue, please see http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/schools.html.

With regard to other illnesses, diseases or conditions, the school nurse, in consultation with the school physician and district administration, will follow DPH guidelines and best practices to determine whether a letter should be sent home to families or if any action steps are required at the specific school site. Communications related to specific contagious disease or conditions will be provided as appropriate and with an emphasis on providing accurate information, and, at the same time, protecting the identity of the involved student and/or employee.  In most instances, specific information relating to age, gender and grade level will not be included in external and internal communications about specific cases.

In cases where there is a student with a documented specific illness or condition that makes the student vulnerable to harm from exposure to certain illnesses, the school nurse will continue to provide those families with all information necessary to protect the health/safety of those students.

Thank you as we work together to safeguard the privacy of students and protect the health of our school community.

SCHOOL COMMITTEE UPDATE

There have been no School Committee meetings since my last E-blast. The next meeting will be held January 4th at 7 pm in the Milton TV Access studio, Room 245, Milton High School.

CURRICULUM NEWS

Please note: The last day of classes before winter break will be Friday, December 23rd and it will be a full day.

The following item is from Elementary Science Coordinator Bernadette Butler:

Come one come all to the elementary science fairs!  We invite our youngest scientist to come out and show what they know at each school’s science fair.  All science fair projects are optional and are done at home.  We welcome students to come present their science fair projects or simply come as spectators.  Please be on the lookout for specific information about your school’s science fair!

Glover:
Wednesday, February 1
Thursday, February 2

Tucker:
Thursday, March 16

Cunningham:
Tuesday, February 28

Collicot:
Thursday, February 2
Thursday, February 9

The following item is from MPS Elementary Librarian Lori Henry:

Libraries across the district launched Atriuum! Atriuum is a new web-based library management system and students town-wide are learning to navigate Atriuum to delve into the library catalog for their information and literary needs. Students can access each of the elementary school’s library collections from the Edline pages using any Internet connected computer or mobile device. Atriuum is proving to be a very user-friendly system for students, families, faculty and staff! Click here for the link.

The following item is from PMS Art Teachers Stephanie Sherman and Robyn Thompson:

Please join the Pierce Middle School Art Department for their Annual Winter Arts Festival!  All families are welcome to stop by the Pierce Art Rooms on Wednesday, December 21st from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. to celebrate the Winter Solstice.  You will be free to browse student artwork, shop for small gifts, play games to win prizes, and even complete your own art project.  This event is sponsored by Pierce Art Teachers , and the Pierce Middle School Art Club.

The following item was sent in by Dawn Sykes, Director of Fine Arts and Family/Consumer Studies:

Earlier this month, elementary schools welcomed visiting artist Wen-hao Tien into third grade classrooms to lead a workshop on the art of Chinese Brush Painting. This enriching cultural and creative experience was made possible by the Milton Partnership for Arts and Cultural Education (MPACE).

Wen-hao Tien is a visual artist, and Chinese culture consultant and educator who works at New Art Center in Newton, MA. Wen-hao grew-up in Taiwan and is an alumnae of Taipei First Girls High School and Tunghai University. She later moved to the United States to pursue graduate studies at Columbia University in New York, and has been leading workshops related to Chinese arts and calligraphy since 2002.

In the workshop, third grade students learned about the history and technique of Chinese Brush Painting, and participated in creating a collective artistic work. In doing so, students accessed Massachusetts Visual Arts Standard Seven, which allows students to investigate how artists create their work, and requires them to describe the roles of artist patrons, cultural organizations, and arts institutions of the past and present.

artpic1 artpic2 artpic3

Photos provided by Jessica Gillooly, Tucker Art Teacher.

The following item was submitted by Amy Tom, MHS Science Department Director:

MHS students recently participated in a lab project as part of the Anatomy & Physiology courses at the high school. The activity was used as an introduction to the skeletal system unit.

Please find the objective from the teachers below:

  • Students will be able to reconstruct a human skeleton from disarticulated bones.
  • Students will be able to identify and label 30 major bones in the body.
  • The A&P teachers at the high school are Mrs. Burns, Mrs. Plunkett, and Mrs. Yifru

science2 science1

 

I am pleased to report that Milton High girls excelled at the Women in Science Competition last weekend at Bedford High School.  Seniors Liezel Werner, Aislinn O’Brien, and Maxim Alvarez competed against 38 other teams, covering 21 different districts.  This was Milton’s first appearance at the competition, and Linda Stefanick and Amy Tom spent Saturday brainstorming ways to get more girls involved for next year, along with ways to best prepare for the competition.

Below is a link with pictures from all events of the competition – the Milton girls are in there!

https://sites.google.com/a/bedford.k12.ma.us/women-of-science/2016-photos

 

womeninscience1

 

The following items were submitted by Noel R. Vigue, Director of Health and Physical Education:

Milton Public Schools has been working diligently to provide a variety of ways to incorporate social-emotional learning opportunities for all students.  Please enjoy the following example provided by Cunningham Elementary Adjustment Counselor Jaclyn Germano:

This is an introductory lesson regarding the practice of mindfulness.  The goal is for students to understand what it means to be mindful and then begin practicing the skill.  The book that has been used in many classrooms is titled “Mindful Monkey, Happy Panda” written by Lauren Alderfer.  This book has lovely, bright pictures and is written with simplified language for both children and adults to begin understanding the powerful practice of mindfulness.

After reading the story the students take time discussing what it means to be mindful and share their thoughts on the subject.  Then the mindfulness practice begins.

The students are instructed to position their bodies in a mindful manner.  This involves trying to be still, while seated on the floor with their legs crossed or positioned underneath themselves with knees bent.  If students are seated in chairs, they are told to have their feet on the floor,  while their torso should be straight up and their hands are resting gently on their thighs. The reason for this procedure is for students to become aware of where their bodies are in space and to keep them feeling grounded.  This is known as having a “mindful body”.

Practicing the skill of mindfulness not only involves body awareness, it also involves focused listening, using a chime bell.  You could also use a singing bowl, a bell, a set of chimes, or a chime phone app to recreate the exercise.  The students are asked to focus their attention on the sound of the bell.  The sound of the bell travels and lingers, when students do not hear the sound anymore they are asked to raise a silent hand.  We explain that the more focused a student is on the sound of the bell, the longer they are able to hear the sound.  This exercise is practiced several times, allowing students to adjust their bodies and minds to becoming more mindful, focused and quiet.  We’ve seen great success while using this lesson with our students.

A phrase which has been making its way through classrooms at the Cunningham School is “My MIND is FULL of right now.”  We hope that you find this example practical and useful.  For more strategies or if you have any questions regarding mindfulness, please don’t hesitate to contact Ms. Germano at jgermano@miltonps.org.

* * *

Pisa Results: Bad News In MathAmerican 15-year-olds are getting worse at applying their math skills in the real world, when compared to their international peers. The 2015 Program for International Student Assessment results are out and they show a drop in “mathematics literacy” scores for U.S. students since 2012 and 2009. “Of particular concern is that we also have a higher percentage of students who score in the lowest performance levels … and a lower percentage of top math performers” compared to the international average, said Peggy Carr, acting commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics, which released the results. The disappointing numbers come after results on another international study – the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study – recently showed gains made by U.S. fourth and eighth graders in math since 1995.

– U.S. science and reading literacy scores weren’t much different from previous years. Boys outperformed girls in science and math, while girls outperformed boys in reading. Scores for Massachusetts, North Carolina and Puerto Rico were broken out for international benchmarking purposes, and revealed that Massachusetts students, on average, are outperforming students in the U.S. and worldwide in all three subjects. North Carolina students were comparable with U.S. average scores and Puerto Rican students fared worse. PISA measures the performance of 15-year-olds every three years in three subjects across dozens of education systems worldwide. Check out the results here .

– Education Secretary John B. King Jr. was in Massachusetts  to hail the state’s success with PISA – while noting that the nation as a whole is “losing ground.” According to prepared remarks, King will say that it’s “a troubling prospect when, in today’s knowledge-based economy, the best jobs can go anywhere in the world. Students in Massachusetts, Maryland, and Minnesota aren’t just vying for great jobs along with their neighbors or across state lines, they must be competitive with peers in Finland, Germany, and Japan.” King will say that Massachusetts embodies the importance of perseverance. “The PISA results announced today for Massachusetts didn’t happen instantly or by accident,” he’ll say. “It has taken years of people showing courage – principals, teachers, parents, students, and state and district leaders. It has taken years of overcoming challenges. It has taken years to make real and meaningful change happen. And it will take time to see the work we are continuing to do today truly pay off for students.” More on King’s visit.

GUIDANCE NEWS

The following items were sent to us by Karen Cahill, Guidance Director:

For parents and guardians of the Classes of 2018 & 2019, please note: Your child’s PSAT scores are now available online at collegeboard.org. The following link provides you a short 8 minute tutorial on how to access and understand your PSAT scores.

In order to access your scores, you MUST have a CollegeBoard account. It takes only a few minutes to create an account if you do not have one. Parents/guardians please do not create a second CollegeBoard account for your student. There can only be one account per student.  Once you access your PSAT scores follow the prompts on College Board to link your scores to Kahn Academy; a great FREE resource for students to help improve SAT scores. Paper reports will be arriving from College Board in January, we will mail those to you at that time. As always, if any student has any questions on how to access his/her CollegeBoard account, please stop by guidance.

* * *

 Please join us on  Thursday, January 26th at 6:30pm at the Milton High School Auditorium when Drew Heilpern, from Summit Educational Group, will discuss college entrance exams both the SAT and ACT.   Mr. Heilpern will be discussing everything you need to know about the changes to the SAT, how it compares to the ACT and answer any questions you may have.  Parents/Guardians and students of any grade are welcome to attend.

FAMILY LIAISON NEWS

The following article was submitted by Marti O’Keefe McKenna, Milton Public Schools Family Outreach Liaison:

Important “Save the Dates” for parents and guardians of students entering Preschool, Kindergarten and Grade 1 for the 2017-2018 School Year!

Important Preschool Dates:

January 12th – Preschool Information Night at 6:30pm/ MHS Auditorium

Join Milton Public School administrators and staff to learn about the similarities and differences of the five preschool programs offered by the district including curriculum, classroom design, lottery criteria, cost, payment scheduling, tuition assistance and registration process.

January 12th through January 26 – Preschool Pre-registration

The pre-registration link will be posted during the information session. If a lottery is required only those pre-registrations completed by January 26, 2017 will be entered.   Chrome books will be available for any parent/guardian who wishes to complete the pre-registration at the conclusion of the program.  Families pre-registering after January 26, 2017 will be awarded a seat based on availability.

January 27th – Preschool lottery

A random, electronic lottery will be held should demand for any program exceed seats available. Should a lottery be required it will be overseen by the Assistant Superintendent, the Family Outreach Liaison and a representative from the Preschool PTO.

February 6th – Preschool notification letters sent to families

Any family who has completed a pre-registration will be notified no later than February 6, 2017 of their child’s placement status.

February 13th & February 17th – Pre- School Registration, MHS Library, 25 Gile Road

Registrars will be on hand to assist families through the registration process. Parents/guardians should bring completed registration packets and all original supporting documentation and proof of residency to appointment.  Tuition assistance staff will be available to review financial aid packets and answer questions. This is a parent/guardian only event.

Important Kindergarten Dates

December 5th  – Pre-Registration for Kindergarten begins

Families with Kindergarten age eligible students (children must be 5 on or before August 31, 2017) should pre-register at https://goo.gl/forms/nkZWAxwdwediKri42

January 25th – Kindergarten Information Night at 6:30pm, Milton High School Auditorium, 25 Gile Road

Join Milton Public School administrators and staff to learn about the day in the life of a kindergartener, how each classroom is set up, the kindergarten curriculum used across the district and the registration process. All families who have pre-registered by January 15, 2017 will receive a registration packet and appointment time at the conclusion of the program.

February 14th, 15th, 16th – Kindergarten Registration, Milton High School Library, 25 Gile Road

Registrars will be on hand to assist families through the registration process. Parents/guardians should bring completed registration packets and all original supporting documentation and proof of residency to appointment.  This is a parent/guardian only event.  Children will be screened in May.

Important 1st Grade Information:

February 15th – STEM Information Night, 6:30-7:30pm., Cunningham/Collicot Cafeteria, 44/80 Edgehill Rd

This event provides parents/guardians and their kindergarteners the opportunity to learn more about the STEM component to the English Innovative Pathway, which begins in grade one. Participants will also have the chance to work together to solve a fun and interactive STEM problem!  Current kindergarteners and their parents/guardians from across the district are invited to attend.

March 2nd – First Grade Information Night – MHS Auditorium

Join Milton Public School administrators and staff to learn about Grade One Programs; The English Innovation Pathway and French Immersion programs, common curriculum and assessments, assignment plan, time frames and lottery.

MFE NEWS

The following item was sent in by Amy Carleton with the MFE:

In late October, the MFE’s Grants Committee and teacher readers from each of the district’s six schools met to discuss grant applications and voted to award more than $18,000 by funding 18 grant proposals. The committee’s funding recommendations were approved by the complete board at our November meeting, and award letters have now gone out to teachers!

For those curious about how the committee arrives at its recommendations, the most important factor in determining a proposal’s eligibility for funding is the quality of the idea and its benefit to student learning. This is at the core of the MFE’s mission, and we love to see student-centered proposals. In addition, applications must demonstrate creativity and/or innovation in education, clearly state the objectives of the proposal, and discuss the method of assessing the impact of the grant.

Here is a sampling of this fall’s awards:

  • Materials to teach computer coding to kindergartners at Cunningham
  • A French ‘Rolling Bookmobile’ for Grade 1 teachers to share leveled readers between their classes
  • Flexible seating ‘wobble stools’ and tables to promote interaction and collaboration at Cunningham
  • Innovative design software (Boardmaker Studio) to aid strong visual learners in communication at Collicot
  • Classroom tools to assist with vocal articulation in Collicot/Cunningham
  • Non-fiction books to teach students about ecology and life science at Glover
  • Hands-on foam cutter tool to teach mechanical design at Pierce Middle School
  • Digital web-cams for in class science instruction at Pierce Middle School
  • A library of multicultural young adult literature in French and Spanish that reflects the cultures explored in Gr. 6-8 foreign language classrooms
  • ”Sam the Super Skeleton,” an anatomically-correct model for MHS’s athletic trainer to utilize while working high school students
  • DNA Model Kits to teach structure of DNA in a hands-on fashion to Biology and Biotech students at MHS

Thank you for your continued support of the MFE and Teacher Grant

* * *

Also, please  Save the Date!  This spring’s Celebration for Education will be held on April 8th, 2017 at Lombardo’s in Randolph.

VISUAL ARTS

The Milton Art Center is offering a  drop-off event for parents/guardians of students in Grades 1-5.  To celebrate the New Year, the MAC will be hosting a “Birthday Bash,” because we all have a birthday in 2017!

Dessert Making Challenge
Friday January 27, 2017
6:30-8:30 PM
Girls and boys in grades 1 – 5 are invited to attend and design their own 2017 Birthday Cake!
All supplies are are included in the $22 admission fee.
Raffle Baskets and refreshments available for $1.00 each  Prizes awarded!

http://www.miltonartcenter.org/

ATHLETICS

Congratulations to Milton High School junior Bridget Mitchell, who was named Runner of the Year by the Boston Globe. Bridget was one of only two girls  to receive this honor.  She was recognized for her outstanding cross country season, which included a first-place finish at the All-State Division 2 race (19:15), which led Milton to a state title. She finished first at the Twilight Meet (18:06) and first at the Bay State Invitational Kevin Maloney race (18:54).

Senior Colette O’Leary was recognized as a Globe All-Scholastic for the fall cross country season. O’Leary finished eighth at the EMass Division 4 meet (19:09) and helped her team to the title. She finished 19th at the All-State Division 2 meet (20:08) as Milton won the state championship. Colette will attend UMass-Amherst in the fall.

The following athletes were also recognized by the Boston Globe:

Football: Eastern Mass All Stars: Owen Keaney, Koby Osazee. Bay State League All-Stars. David Brundage, William Crowley, Dan Flores, Omar Fraser, Owen Keaney, Koby Osazee.

Girls Soccer:  Bay State All Stars: Chae Diani and Alyssa Lum

Boys Soccer: Bay State All Stars: Liam Donelan and Josh Madden

Field Hockey: Bay State All Star: Devin Coulter

Golf:  Bay State All Stars: Jared Carney and Jared Carr

Girls Cross Country: Bay State All Stars: Ella Affanato, Bridget Mitchell, Naomi Negassi and Colette O’Leary

Volleyball:  Bay State All Stars: Joanna Needham and Haley O’Brien

For sports schedules for all MHS teams, please click here: http://schedules.schedulestar.com/Milton-High-School-Milton-MA/season/08-28-2015/

Or check out the new Athletic Department webpage at: http://miltonwildcats.com/

AMBASSADOR PAGE

As part of our E-blast, we highlight students, teachers and members of the community whose hard work deserves recognition.  Please read about some of their outstanding accomplishments below:

Students: Congratulations to MHS seniors Liezel Werner, Aislinn O’Brien, and Maxim Alvarez, who participated in the 14th Annual Women’s in Science Competition at Bedford High School in Bedford, MA.  Twenty-one schools participated in the event, each bringing a team of three female students to compete.  Students were asked to complete four events, covering all content areas of science and engineering.  Students were also asked to build a prototype for a final competition prior to the event involving physics and engineering concepts.  Congratulations to our students for their excellent performance.

Staff:   Kara Yifru has been nominated for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST).  Ms. Yifru is a high school science teacher, currently teaching AP Biology, Anatomy and Physiology, and Introduction to Biotechnology.  Ms. Yifru works diligently to develop effective curriculum practices for all of her classes, along with incorporating effective engagement strategies to help all her students reach their full potential in the coursework.  Outside of the classroom Ms. Yifru continues to increase her own content knowledge by attending various professional development opportunities throughout the school year, and collaborates with colleagues throughout the science department on best science practices.  We are excited for Ms. Yifru nomination and wish her luck throughout the application process!

Volunteer: I would like to thank the members of the Milton High School Key Club, who recently helped to organize a holiday toy drive. Under the supervision of the advisors, Leonice Bernard and Jane Barrett, the group created flyers, which they hung throughout the high school and decorated gift boxes which were placed in the main office and throughout the high school building. Students collected new, unwrapped toys for Milton Residents Fund Holiday Gift Program. Many thanks to all who donated. Your generosity is appreciated.

keyclub

The Milton Public School system does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, gender identity, transgender status, gender transitioning, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its programs, activities or operations. These include, but are not limited to, admissions, equal access to programs and activities, employment, provision of and access to programs and services, as well as selection of volunteers, vendors and employers recruiting at the Milton Public Schools.  We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, students, volunteers, subcontractors, and vendors.  The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Human Resources, 617-696-4812.

 

This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.