March 3rd E-Blast

From: Mary C. Gormley
To: Parents/Guardians and Staff
Re: E-blast Update
Date:  Friday, March 3, 2017

Milton High School Girls Hockey scored four goals in the third period Wednesday night to beat Ursuline Academy 6-4 and have advanced to play undefeated Notre Dame Academy of Hingham on Saturday, at 7pm at the Pilgrim Arena in Hingham.

Members of the Milton High School Girls and Boys Indoor Track teams will be competing on Saturday at New England Indoor Track & Field Championship, being held at the Reggie Lewis Center in Roxbury. Field Events start at 10:30am and Running Events start at 11am.

FROM THE DESK OF THE SUPERINTENDENT

The past few weeks have been unbelievably successful for our administrators at the Pierce Middle School. While we usually celebrate the receipt of any grants, our middle school has been awarded THREE different grants recently, which are outlined below:

The FUSE Grant:  The Pierce Middle School has been chosen to implement FUSE Studio in 2017-2018. FUSE was developed by researchers and educators at the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University. This program is based on extensive research that suggests that rich learning occurs when students are given the opportunity to pursue topics of genuine interest. The program, which will be implemented via selected computer classes, will engage students in science, technology, engineering, arts/design, and mathematics (STEAM) topics and foster the development of important 21st century skills. The FUSE program currently has challenges including: robotics, electronics, biotechnology, graphic design, Android app development, 3D, and jewelry design. As students gain skill, they can “level up” through the challenges. Pierce Middle School applied and was selected to be one of six schools in the Greater Boston Area to receive funding from the Nellie Mae Foundation to implement FUSE. The Pierce Middle School will receive over $26,000 in materials, professional development, and technical support. Read more about FUSE: https://www.fusestudio.net/

Safe & Supportive Schools Grant: The Pierce Middle School was awarded a grant for $19,000 from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. We sought this grant to support our goal of creating programming and targeted support for students’ social emotional well-being. The funds will be used to gather a school based team consisting of Pierce educators, student leaders, and parents to apply the Department’s Behavioral Health and Public Schools Framework and Self-Assessment Tool to identify areas of strength and areas of need related to supporting students’ positive behavior and social emotional health. Funds will also support site visits to other districts that have used the tool and created action plans to further their work. As we know students benefit greatly from a supportive, smooth transition from elementary school to middle school, we included the Glover Elementary School in our proposal. It is our hope that by working with a school based team at the Glover School that our work will be enhanced and result in a more robust, effective plan for supporting students.  It should be noted that Marvin & Andrea Gordon made a generous donation of $12,800 to implement the Behavioral Health and Public Schools Framework and Self-Assessment Tool at Milton High School, Tucker, Collicot and Cunningham Elementary Schools.

Clean Energy Grant: We are extremely excited to share with you that the Pierce Middle School was awarded a grant for $8,000 from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) to support a Clean Energy Activity Day Program. This MassCEC Workforce Capacity Building Program is “designed to develop replicable models that address systemic deficiencies and enhance working models in clean energy training and education programs [in] the Commonwealth”. Grant funds will be used to facilitate Pierce Middle School Clean Energy Activity Day on April 26, 2017. All students will be invited to apply to participate in this event, which will run from 2:30 PM- 6:30 PM. Students will hear from keynote speakers in the Clean Energy field, engage in hands-on clean energy design challenges, and be able to ask a panel of scientists questions about their education and career pathways. Look for more information in the weeks to come about this exciting opportunity

I would like to give special recognition to Dr. Karen Spaulding, who has been a tireless grant writer for the Pierce Middle School. In addition, I would like to thank and recognize former and current MPS parents Tony Cichello and Catherine Williams, both of whom have been diligent about bringing grants to our attention. Many local companies and foundations offer grants, so please take a moment to see if your employer offers any grants which could benefit the Milton Public Schools.  It would be greatly appreciated.

SCHOOL COMMITTEE UPDATE

There has been one School Committee meeting since my last E-blast, held on Wednesday, March 1st.  The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 15th at 7 pm in the Milton TV Access studio, Room 245, Milton High School.

CURRICULUM NEWS

Last night, we held a very successful Grade One Info Night. Although this event was very well attended, for those of you who missed it, here is link to the presentation.

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Also, parents and guardians of next year’s first graders, please note, Grade One Program Choice Forms were distributed today to current K students. They are due back to the K teachers by March 17th.

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The following item was submitted by Dr. Angela Burke, Technology Administrator:

Kindergarten STEM Experience using Dash and Dot

This year the Kindergarten classes at all four elementary schools are using Dash and Dot robots.  Dash and Dot provide a fun and interactive way for scholars to learn about coding and robotics.  Dash and Dot are an innovative learning tool that incorporates Science and STEM, as well as other subjects.  Elementary Science Coordinator, Bernadette Butler, decided to purchase the robots for the Kindergarten classes when awarded the funds from the 2015 MFE Celebration Full STEAM Ahead.

Last year, Maureen McClain, Kindergarten teacher at Cunningham, piloted the Dash and Dot robot experience with her scholars.  Maureen’s insight and ideas have been invaluable in helping to launch the use of Dash and Dot in the Kindergarten classes this year. So far, scholars have explored robotics using the Go App.  To use the Dash and Dot robots scholars connect the robot to an iPad, where they control the robot’s movement similar to using a remote control car.  Using the Go app, scholars first explored the different robot features of Dash and Dot.  They learned how to turn the lights on and off, change the color of the lights, play sounds, and record their own sounds using their voice.

Next, scholars learned how to move Dash.  They have learned how to code using Dash. The giggles and excitement were contagious when scholars first started to drive Dash around the floor. By using Dash and Dot, scholars are learning problem solving skills and working collaboratively to complete a task. All while having a fun and hands-on experience incorporating STEM in the classroom. Next up in the Dash and Dot adventures will be using the Path app, where scholars can measure their route or path while incorporating Math skills.

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For those of you who may have missed STEM Information Night for kindergarten students and their parents/guardians, check out this video from Milton Access Television:

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The following item was sent to us by Kacy Dotoli Kalell and Dana DePaul:

I have some exciting updates on the debate team regarding their competitions in February. In early February, our two captains Domenic Jancaterino (11) and Aislinn O’Brien (12) competed at the NCFL qualifier in Shrewsbury for a chance to qualify for the NCFL tournament in Kentucky in May. The top 6 teams at this tournament qualify for the National Tournament. Domenic and Aislinn came in 1st place going undefeated the whole day.  Over winter break, eight students competed at a three-day national tournament at Harvard University. All teams that attended did really well winning at least three rounds and gained some very valuable experience. We again have a very busy month ahead with two local tournaments and the state finals.

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The following item was submitted by Tucker Principal Elaine McNeil Girmai:

On Tuesday, February 28th, over 20 organizations and athletic teams gathered in the Tucker gymnasium to promote student involvement across town. Representatives ranged from High School Crew to STEAM activity groups to Applied Lesson Programs. Over 100 families visited the Activities and Athletics Fair at Tucker School and were able to get more information about teams and groups.  What made the evening even more enjoyable were the performances of the Milton High School Jazz Ensemble and the Milton High School String Quartet.  The elementary students and families were inspired to take lessons after hearing what hard work and practice produce at the high school level.  There were demonstrations of Taekwondo forms from the Modern Taekwondo Center and a hands-on instrument gallery with Milton Public Schools teacher, Gary Good.  If you were unable to attend the fair but would like information on how to contact Milton sports teams as well as local groups and involvement opportunities, please contact Cat DesRoche, Elementary Curriculum Coordinator (cdesroche@miltonps.org) to get more information. Ms. Desroche did an outstanding job organizing the event, which had an amazing turnout!

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The following item was submitted by Bernadette Butler, Elementary Science Coordinator:

Science Fairs — The elementary schools have had successful Science Fairs over the course of the last month at the Cunningham School, the Glover School, and the Collicot School. We are looking forward to the Tucker School’s Science Fair, which will be held on March 16! Between the Science Fairs at each school, approximately 500 total children have participated, and we can’t wait to see that number grow as the Tucker Science Fair Proposals start coming in!  The projects we have seen have been remarkable and student-driven, allowing children to explore topics they are interested in!   We have been most impressed by the students’ ability to explain their thinking and answer questions as they presented their projects.  At each Science Fair, efforts have been made to increase the number of volunteers circulating to ask questions – including MHS volunteers, MPS teachers, and parent volunteers.

We’d like to recognize the parent volunteers and each school’s PTO as they work very hard behind the scenes to make the Science Fairs come to life:

  • Cunningham School: Jane Gannon
  • Collicot School: Linda Stefanick, MaryClaire Cantor and Lisa Bohlin
  • Glover: Maggie Hale, Melissa Feldman, Danielle Fernandez and Colleen Muse
  • Tucker School: Joanna Weiss, Libby Dunphy, Erin Hardy, and Emily Speck

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Both Linda Stefanick (Collicot) and Jane Gannon (Cunningham) just completed their final year of Elementary Science Fair organization, and we would like to extend our sincerest thanks for their years of dedication and enthusiasm!

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 The following item was sent to us by Christie Chiappetta Middle School Science Coordinator:

The Pierce Science Fair last night was a big hit!  We had students from grades 6-8 participating with over 80 projects displaying in the cafeteria and library.  From the Impact of Temperature and Humidity on Bee Activity in a Langtroph Beehive to investigation into the impact of exercise and stress on the human body, students pursued a wide range of scientific questions they were interested in.  There were also many exciting design engineering projects, including a Storm Drain Oil Filter, a Hydraulic Arm, and a series of designs for a toothpaste-dispensing toothbrush.  As our science fair continues to grow, we are seeing students continue their research and further develop projects over multiple years.  Our next step is determining the projects that will advance to the Regional Science Fair at Regis College on April 22nd.I would also like to share how supportive the teachers in the science department were of the science fair.  We literally had 100% participation as every teacher in the department either spent time after school judging projects or spent their evening at the science fair.  It was a really great night for kids, who felt supported and encouraged by their teachers.

While the highlight was the amazing student work, you should also know that Jon Diamond’s Robotics Team was a big hit!  They were kind enough spend their evening demonstrating their robot for students and families.

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The following two items were sent to us by Collicot Principal Holly Concannon:

The atmosphere at the Collicot Elementary School is vibrant, as students wait to go for their CASS class on their scheduled dates and when CASS sessions are over, students are impatiently waiting for the next session to start.

What are CASS classes? This winter’s sessions included:

CASS classes are an opportunity for Collicot staff to identify an interest, a talent or a hobby and create a six week after school experience for students. Students stay after school for 45 minutes enjoying a hobby or activity they have registered for.

The atmosphere at the Collicot Elementary School is vibrant, as students wait to go for their CASS class on their scheduled dates and when CASS sessions are over, students are impatiently waiting for the next session to start.

Scientific Tuesdays, Cardinal Connection, Zumba, Lego Club, Pokemon Club, French Club

Math Olympics, Yoga, Fast and Furious Floor Hockey, Girls Group, Boom Writer, Google Slides, and Computer Coding Club.

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Another Highlight at the Collicot School is The Cardinal Connection. This teacher-run , student-driven 5th Grade newspaper includes a Teacher Feature, sports highlights, book reviews,activities happening in town and in other schools and more… Ms. Lohan, fifth grade teacher, and Ms. Tierney edit their students’ articles and then with student help and support, publish it to the whole school. The Cardinal Connection team members are hard at work on their next issue coming soon…

MUSIC IN OUR SCHOOLS MONTH

Happy MIOSM!  As you might know, March is a special month for music education, and in recognition of Music In Our Schools Month we have some very musical events on the calendar.

On March 9-11th, the Massachusetts Music Educators Association will host the All-State Conference & Festival in Boston.  We are very proud to have six MHS students selected to attend this three-day festival rehearsal and performance at Symphony Hall on Thursday, March 9th & Friday, March 10th: Jamie Eder, Dominik Hyppolite, Nethania Marc, Benjamin Scott, Katherine Steele and Stephen Tan.

On Thursday, March 9th, The MHS Saxophone Choir under the direction of Rebecca Damiani will be featured in a Casual Concert at All-State.  The following students are attending: Dylan MacLeod, Henry McKay, Coleman Rose, Isaac Savona, Caleb Smith.

On Friday, March 10th, the MHS String Chamber Ensemble will attend All-State to perform for Concert Hour.  This is a HUGE recognition for these students and their Director, Debra Thoresen.  This ensemble is one of only four in the state selected to perform for this event! Ryan Au, Eva Chow, Nicola Cross, Julia DiFilippo, Grace Dwyer, Adri Estevez, Abby Fay, Lucy Hainline, Amalia Halpin, Veronica Harris, Abigail Jean Baptiste, James Le, Jenny Ly, Nethania Marc, Elena Millwood, Julia Nerenberg, Isabelle Neville, Hue-Ninh Nguyen, Than Nguyen, Kate Possi, Milan Smith, Hannah Solomon, Christina Tougias, Alice Truong, Hanganh Vo, Liezel Werner and Billy Liddell.

Looking ahead, on March 24th, 30 MHS students will participate in the SEMSBA Senior Festival in Fall River. Ryan Au, Shoilee Banerjee, Annabel Botsford, Eva Chow, Gray Davis, Isabella DeFilippo, Julia DeFilippo, Kyle Dempsey,James DiSandro, Ava Duggan, Paul Goodman,Paula Hogan, Penelope Holland, Dominik Hyppolite, Miwa Joiner, Esme Link, Marc Lemuel , Henry McKay, Sarah Mitchell, Julia Nerenberg, Isabelle Neville, Hue-Ninh Nguyen, Laura O’Hanlon, Isaac Piliavin, Emily Possi, Coleman Rose, Gwyneth Sauter, Caleb Smith, Liezel Werner and Annie Wong,

Finally, the Tri-M Music Honor Society will play musical selections at Milton High School over the PA system each morning, prior to morning announcements during the month of March.

YOUTH ART MONTH

The following item was sent to us by Dawn Sykes, Director of Fine and Applied Arts:

The Value of Arts Education

Arts education offers a far-reaching and multifaceted effect on a child’s learning and development.  In fact, according to Arts Education Partnership*, “as the country becomes increasingly diverse, the world more interconnected, and the workplace more oriented on technology and creativity, arts education is key to such a system and to ensuring students’ success in school, work and life.”  Here a few ways the arts prepare students for success:

In School

  • The arts boost literacy skills by providing enriching opportunities for students to become better readers and writers.
  • Instruction in music facilitates advances in math achievement, and mastery of computation and estimation skills.
  • Students who study the arts develop critical thinking skills– skills for comparing, hypothesizing, and critiquing alternative viewpoints.
  • The arts provide a means for students to connect new knowledge to personal experiences, and express what they have learned.
  • Arts education can foster a positive school climate and culture, and facilitate meeting the needs of diverse learners.

In Work

  • Arts education develops creativity, and flexibility and adaptability in thinking.
  • The arts develop reasoning skills, and strengthens a child’s ability to analyze information and solve complex problems.
  • Collaboration and communication are central to the artistic process; students learn to articulate intentions, offer and receive constructive criticism, and improve listening skills.
  • The arts allow students to participate in a community as members who work collectively towards a common goal.
  • Arts education increases a capacity for leadership through developing decision-making skills, strategy-building, and reflection.
  • In artistic experiences, students develop a sense of identity and confidence.

In Life  

  • Arts education strengthens a student’s capacity to persist in challenging situations.
  • The arts offer opportunities to foster social tolerance and cross-cultural understandings in an increasingly diverse world.
  • Programming in the arts creates a sense of community that support personal, artistic, and civic development.
  • Arts education fosters a creative community in which students will continue to participate as educated consumers later in life.

In the Milton Public Schools, arts education is recognized for these contributing factors in educating the whole child, and students are offered a variety of rich, artistic experiences through fine arts programming.  This week, Cunningham Elementary School kicked-off a three-month calendar of fine arts presentations with a K-2 General Music Showcase.  Bravo!  Please join us in celebrating K-12 Arts Education in the Milton Public Schools at these future events:

March 7           Sing-Along Chorus Performance (MHS), Grades 6 & 9-12, 7:00 p.m.
March 8           Collicot K-2 Music Showcase, 9:15 a.m.
March 8           Sing-Along Chorus Performance (MHS), Grades 7-12, 7:00 p.m.
March 16         String Orchestra Performance, Grades 5-12 (MHS), 7:00 p.m.
March 21         Jazz & Concert Band Performance, Grades 5-12 (MHS), 7:00 p.m.
March 23         Glover K-2 Music Showcase, 2:00 p.m.
March 28         Tucker Gr 4 & 5 Music Showcase, inc Band & Strings, 9:15 a.m.
March 30              Tucker Passport to the Arts, 6:00-7:30 p.m.
April 3                      MHS Passport to the Arts (Art, MHS Pre-K, & Fashion Design) 6-7:30
April 4              Collicot Grades 4 & 5 Music Showcase, incl Band & Strings, 9:15 a.m.
April 4                     Cunningham Passport to the Arts, 6:00-6:45 p.m.
April 4               Collicot Passport to the Arts, 6:45-7:30 p.m.
April 5              Cunningham Grades 4 & 5 Showcase, including Band & Strings, 9:15 a.m.
April 6              Glover Passport to the Arts, 6:00-7:30 p.m.
April 6              Pierce Passport to the Arts, 5:30-7:00 p.m.
May 4              Glover Grades 4 & 5 Music Showcase, including Band & Strings, 9:15 a.m.
May 16             Tucker K-3 Music Showcase, 2:00 p.m.
May 24             Cunningham Grade 3 Music Showcase, 9:15 a.m.
May 25             Collicot Grade 3 Music Showcase, 9:15 a.m.
May 25             Glover Grade 3 Music Showcase, 9:15 a.m.

Milton Artists at Work!

Please enjoy this performance of Dixie Cat by Mr. Hoff’s 4th Grade Class (Glover Elementary School).   Video provided by Music Teacher, Colleen Martin.

Winner of the Door Decorating Contest, a Grades 3-5 collaboration for Collicot for Kindness Month.

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Photos provided by Art Teacher, Angela Trumbower.

*For more information, including citations, please visit the online publication by Arts Education Partnership,  Preparing Students for the Next America.

UPCOMING MPS EVENTS

Grade Five Info Night will be held at Pierce Middle School on  March 14th at 6:30pm.

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The Milton High School Drama Club will present its production of Alchemy of Desire/Dead-Man’s Blues, written by Caridad Svich and directed by Julia Butler, TONIGHT, Friday March 3rd  at 7 P.M. in the Milton High School Auditorium. Admission is free but donations are welcome and appreciated!

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Glover and Tucker Parents and Guardians, mark your calendars! Since January students at Tucker and Glover school have been working hard to master the words identified by the Scripps National Spelling Bee for in school bees that occurred on February 17th. The students involved first participated and won their classroom bees before attending a four week Spelling Bee club and studying intently at home! On the day of the bee, the competition was very high going more than thirty rounds at both schools!

At the end, the Glover school had six way tie and Tucker school identified fourth grader Loatchwel Joseph at the school winner! The top six spellers will be going head to head this coming week at the second annual Tucker/Glover Spelling Bee which will be held at Pierce Middle school on March 8th, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Please join us in congratulating the students from each school!

Tucker: Loatchwel Joseph, Nina Truog, Catherine Best, Lucy Hollingsworth Hays, Hoa Tsong & Julia Magnum

Glover: Imaad Tahir, Sundy Zimmerman, Sebastien TranPham, Roman Padera, Max Kelly, and Lily Brockmyre.

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The following item was sent to us by MSE Directors Bernadette Butler and Cat DesRoche:

Believe it or not, it is time to start thinking about Milton Summer Enrichment (MSE) 2017! We are looking forward to a fun-filled summer with the children. This letter will serve as the first of many communications in the upcoming months about MSE, and contains important information about our program.

Administration for MSE: Those of you who have had children participating in the MSE program in past years know that Jonathan Redden did a tremendous job of hiring high-quality teachers and high school staff, ensuring the children in attendance were safe and had fun, and keeping families aware of MSE updates and happenings. Mr. Redden will now be moving on from the position, and Bernadette Butler (MPS Elementary Science Coordinator) and Cat DesRoche (Tucker Curriculum Coordinator) will now be working together to ensure 2017 is the best summer yet! We can be contacted via email at mse@miltonps.org. We are fortunate to have Billy Donovan (bdonovan@miltonps.org) on our team as well, who will be continuing his role of coordinating middle and high school courses.

MSE Courses: Recruitment for teachers interested in implementing engaging and fun courses is underway! We look forward to offering wide range of courses that are appropriate for various grade levels and interests. In early April, families will be sent the “At a Glance” document, which contains a listing of courses available for each grade level during each hour. Families have found this helpful when planning potential course selections for children. Before official registration begins, you will receive the official MSE Brochure, which contains course descriptions and very important information pertaining to the program. In late April, online registration for MSE 2017 will begin. Please see below for important tentative dates (keep in mind these dates are subject to change slightly, but you will be updated if dates change).

Registration: Online registration will begin in late April and remain open for one month. We will also have personnel available to help you register in person if you cannot use the web-based registration tool (times/dates will for face-to-face registration sessions will be released in April). Please note that 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 you, regardless of if you register online or in person. We have strict caps on our classes to ensure that each course is manageable and safe for our teachers and our children, and appreciate the community’s support to ensure the program is the best it can possibly be for all involved. If you miss the online registration window, you must make arrangements to register in person.

This year, during the month of June, we will be adding mandatory “Schedule Pick-Up” times during which parents/guardians must come to collect their child’s MSE schedule lanyard and trouble-shoot any questions/concerns regarding schedules. There will be “Schedule Pick-Up times” at each school and at a variety of times (before school, after school, evening) to ensure all families have the opportunity to collect their schedule(s) prior to the first day of MSE. It is our hope that this will ensure a smooth start to the program on June 26 when the children arrive! Dates/times/locations will be communicated after online registration closes.

Tentative Dates to note:

April 3: “At a Glance” document is sent out for course planning purposes

April 12: MSE Brochure document is sent out April 26 – May 26: Online Registration May 1 and May 2: In-person registration (time and location TBD) Month of June: Schedule Pick-Up Sessions June 26 – July 27: MSE 2017!

MSE 2017 Logistics: MSE will be held at Milton High School and will run Monday-Thursday, 8:00-12:00 from June 26 – July 27, 2017. Please note there will be no MSE on Monday, July 3 or Tuesday, July 4. We will keep our fingers crossed for no snow days, but if needed, we will adjust the dates of MSE and will keep you informed of any changes.

2017 Tuition:

1 Course = $175 2 Courses = $350

Family Max = $1,200

3 Courses = $525 4 Courses = $600

Pre–K = $650

Non-Resident MSE Tuition: $300 per course hour per student Make-Up Courses for High School Credit $300 per 2-hour course Non-Resident for High School Credit: $525

We are looking forward to a fantastic summer at MSE 2017! Please be on the lookout for more communications in the upcoming months, but if you have questions in the meantime, contact Bernadette and Cat via email (mse@miltonps.org).

GUIDANCE NEWS

The following item was sent by MHS Guidance Director Karen Cahill:

Nearly 70% of parents in a recent survey were unhappy with the way they funded college. Make sure you’re part of the happy 30%! Learn how to fix where you are unnecessarily and unknowingly losing money on college. Todd Weaver, Senior Vice President at Strategies For College, Inc. will be here to speak to parents and students on how to make  college affordable to you!

Please join us on Thursday, March 23rd at 6:30pm in the Milton High auditorium to learn more! Students and parents/guardians are all welcome from any grade! This is important information to hear! The sooner the better!

FOOD SERVICE NEWS

The following item was sent in by Food Service Director Jackie Morgan:

National School Breakfast Week (NSBW) is a weeklong celebration aimed at increasing awareness of the School Breakfast Program among students and parents. NSBW is an opportunity to celebrate the good work being done here in Milton and to draw attention to the fact that breakfast is available in our six of our Milton Schools. Breakfast is open twenty minutes before the start of school for all students and is only $1.25.  There is supervision for breakfast at all of our schools.

Children who eat breakfast at school start the day ready to learn—reflected in higher test scores and better classroom behavior. However, only half of the children who eat lunch at school also eat school breakfast, according to the Food Research and Action Council. To garner increased participation in the School Breakfast Program, the Milton Public Schools will recognize National School Breakfast Week. Slated for March 2-6, 2015, National School Breakfast Week is a weeklong celebration aimed at increasing awareness of the School Breakfast Program among students and parents.

The 2016 National School Breakfast Week theme, “Take the School Breakfast Challenge” reminds everyone in the school community – parents, students, administrators – that a healthy school breakfast sets students up for a day of learning and academic success.

The theme will appear in school cafeterias during National School Breakfast Week, March 6-10.

“Too many children are showing up at school hungry, and we know hungry children can’t learn,” said Jacqueline Morgan “A healthy breakfast helps students focus in the classroom and perform better. That’s why we offer a healthy breakfast every morning in our schools.”

Our High School and our Middle School now offer a hot breakfast in the cafeteria and also on their GRAB and GO carts. Every school day, Milton’s school breakfast program offers students a healthy breakfast that they need to get set for a busy school day. We offer a great variety of whole grain items, juice, fruit and milk.  Every school breakfast served meets federal nutrition standards limiting fat, calories, sodium.

Contact Jacqueline Morgan, Director of Food Services, with any questions at 617-898-1051 or you can email her at jmorgan@miltonps.org

FAMILY LIAISON NEWS

The following information regarding Preschool, Kindergarten and Grade One Program Selection Information was sent to us by Family Liaison Marti O’Keefe McKenna:

Preschool: Preschool information night was held on Thursday, January 12th. For those whose names were selected in the lottery held on January 27, 2017, registration took place on February 17, 2017 with a deadline to submit all required documents and deposits by January 24, 2017.  Due to inclement weather predicted on January 13, 2017 previously scheduled appointments have been rescheduled for Monday, March 6, 2017.  Families on the waitlist will be notified if and when spots become available. For those families that did not have an opportunity to pre-register their child and wish to have their names added to the waitlists please click here.  The Preschool Information Night presentation can be found here.

Kindergarten: Kindergarten information night was held on Wednesday, January 25, 2017. Registration took place on February 14, 15, 16, 2017 in the MHS library.  If you have not had an opportunity to register your child for Kindergarten for the school year 2017-2018 please contact Jane Barrett at 617-696-5040 ext. 5510.  Students who are fully registered by April 28, 2017 will receive notice in early May indicating their child’s school assignment along with their screening appointment time which will be held in late May. The Kindergarten Information Night presentation can be found here.

Grade One: Grade One Information Night was held Thursday, March 2, 2017. Program selection forms will be distributed to parents/guardians on Friday, March 3, 2017.  Forms are due back to the child’s kindergarten teacher no later than Friday, March 17, 2017.  School-based and District-wide lotteries for French Immersion (if necessary) will take place the week of March 27, 2017.  Program assignments will be communicated to families the week of April 3, 2017. The Grade One Information Night presentation can be found here. Please help us spread the word to your friends and neighbors about the important dates mentioned again.

SPECIAL EDUCATION

The Milton Public Schools along with SEPAC invite you to join us for the “Special Education Roundtable Night” on Tuesday March 28, 2017 from 6:30pm-8:30pm at Milton High School Library.  This is an exciting opportunity for parents and community members to learn more information regarding the district’s programs and services. There will also be the chance to ask questions from staff at all school levels. We look forward to seeing you! For additional information, please contact Tracy Grandeau, Administrator of Pupil Personnel Services at tgrandeau@miltonps.org.

GRANT/FUNDRAISING NEWS

On May 1, the Chip in Fore Science Golf Tournament will be held at Granite Links Golf Course in Quincy, MA to help support and sustain the Science from Scientists (SfS) Program in the Milton Public Schools. We all know that fostering a love of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) in young students will help them prepare to be successful adults in the ever-changing world we live in.   The Milton Public Schools has partnered with Science from Scientists for four years now to help inspire our fifth graders in the areas of STEM, and the feedback from students, parents, teachers, and administrators about the program has been overwhelmingly positive.

The SfS program costs $60,000 annually, and funding to sustain the program has come primarily through contributions from the Milton Foundation for Education and Milton Public Schools, as well as fundraisers, donations and grants. We are hopeful that through the generous contributions of sponsors/donors and a high number of golfers and attendees to the reception, this upcoming golf tournament will be a key factor that helps continue the SfS program for years to come.

If you’d like to:

  • Register to play in the Chip in Fore Science Golf Tournament ($175/person – space is limited so register early! This price includes golfing, a boxed lunch, and the reception in the Granite Links Pavilion)
  • Purchase a ticket to the reception in the Granite Links Pavilion after the tournament ($40.00/reception ticket only)
  • Be a sponsor for the tournament, or to donate

Visit http://www.chipinforescience.org or contact Elementary Science Coordinator Bernadette Butler (Bbutler@miltonps.org) or Parent Representative Suzanne Murphy (chipinforescience.org).   We hope to see you on May 1 for a fun-filled day of golf to help support and sustain the Science from Scientists program in our elementary schools!

MFE NEWS

SAVE THE DATE: This year’s Celebration for Education will take place at Lombardo’s on Saturday, April 8th.

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To buy tickets, click here.  To become a sponsor or donate an item, please visit our event website

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Milton Foundation for Education 20th Anniversary Grant Winner, “For the Love of Libraries”:  Last year, the Milton Foundation for Education celebrated 20 years of funding initiatives that have altered the educational landscape of our school system. Many such initiatives were the product of the MFE’s Competitive Grant Program!  To celebrate its 20th Anniversary, the Milton Foundation for Education created a one-time larger monetary commemorative grant of $20,000 to complement our fall and spring grant cycles where the average grant size is $1,500.

The Milton Foundation for Education is thrilled to announce the winner of our 20th Anniversary Competitive Grant, “For the Love of Libraries”. This grant will provide much needed updates to the book collections at the four elementary school libraries with an emphasis on nonfiction materials. Presently the average publication date for material in Glover is 1990, Tucker collection is 1990 and the Collicot- Cunningham collection is 1992. For the Love of Libraries grant will provide 1,124 newly published quality titles for circulation to all elementary school students in all four schools which will allow 2,105 students access to wider reading, motivate learners, and support students as they develop independent information literacy skills.

Congratulations to School Librarian, Lori Henry, for writing and applying for the grant and she is looking forward to these new books stocked in the library very soon!

The Milton Foundation for Education would also like to thank all of our community sponsors and donors who help to make these grants possible and enhance all 6 Milton Public Schools.

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FROM OUR READERS

We were very pleased to read this week’s editorial in the Milton Times, written by Editor David Johnson:

MHS Girls Track Team Makes Magic

Congratulations to the Milton High School girls track team and their coach, Tom Shaw. The girls have just won their second state championship in a row. This is a pretty big deal.

Over the past two years, MHS girls cross country and track teams have won eight State and All-State championships. With a largely overlapping membership, the teams have the same coach. As Shaw pointed out, success often feeds on itself. Shaw credited the girls with “a lot of confidence going into these meets now. They don’t need so much from us now. In terms of coaching them up, because they have that mental toughness.”

Shaw has pointed out the team has matured and runs well as a group, with one girl picking up the slack if someone else has a weak performance during a meet.

There is an old saying, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”

Shaw told the School Committee that during one of the cross country meets some of the stars of the team didn’t do as well as expected. To compensate, a number of the other girls stepped up their performances. They wound up winning. Afterwards, another coach told Shaw the Milton team was “a perfect example of what we’re trying to get at.”

The group of individuals, functioning as one team dedicated to a common goal is indeed the ultimate in sportsmanship. While these skills are obviously great for sports, they are also valuable for life. How many people work on the job totally alone? Not many. Cooperation and teamwork is part of just about every aspect of life, whether on the job or not. The Wildcats can be assured that what they are learning now, will be useful to count upon later in life. Probably frequently.

“It was pretty magical, pretty special,” Shaw said of the team’s performance recently.

And that’s the truth.

But then there’s the coach himself. Shaw has modestly said, “The students make me look good. I couldn’t be more pleased and proud coaching them.” He is being a little modest, which seems to be a common trait among good leaders. He was passing all the glory off onto the students. But, the girls couldn’t have done what they have without some direction. That came from Shaw, who clearly brought the team together and brought out the best in the individual members.

The U.S.Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association named Shaw Girls High School Track & Field Coach of the Year for 2016, and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association has also named him Coach of the Year.

So, with everyone complaining about their water runoff bills, the traffic and so on, Miltonians can all take a little bit of pride in the girls track and field and cross country teams and the coach who leads them so well. Even those people who are not parents can take pride in the achievements of the students, after all we are all part of the same community.

And speaking of communities, and of schools, Cunningham Elementary School Principal Jonathan Redden, the staff at the school and their students also deserve congratulations.

The students also collected donations for the Milton Food Pantry, which is always a popular cause. It will do the students good to learn that others may not have all the things they enjoy and realize that the food, they make take for granted, makes all the difference to someone less fortunate.

The Milton Schools should be commended for encouraging students to build character and think in new directions.

– David Johnson Editor

NEWS AROUND TOWN

The MBTA will hold a public meeting on Thursday, April 13th 6:30 – 8:30 pm at Milton High School Auditorium, 25 Gile Rd., Milton to discuss investments to the Mattapan-Ashmont Trolley Line. Click here for the MBTA’s flyer.

Over the next two years the MBTA will invest approximately $8m to replace propulsion and breaking systems of the historic Presidential Conference Car (PCC) fleet. This significant investment will extend the service life of the PCC fleet in the near term and into the next decade. Three public meetings will be held to seek public comment, highlight the investments and discuss a study currently underway which will assess existing conditions of the corridor’s infrastructure and future needs beyond the useful service life of existing assets.

MILTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

The following item was sent by Sara Truog, MPL Children’s Librarian:

Winter is wonderful at the Milton Public Library! Fun family activities including 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 March 12 – 18:

Tuesday, March 14, 2017 from 7:15 – 7:45 pm
SPUB Club, Ages 7-11

Join the SPUB Club! Our Super Popular, Unbelievable Book Club is a 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 hands-on activities like Lego building, play-dough sculpting, Rubik’s cubes, and more. No registration is required.

Friday, March 17, 2017 from 10:00 – 11:00 am
Signing with Maribeth, Ages 8-18 mos. with caregiver

Learn how to communicate with your baby before he/she can speak!  Join Maribeth MacDonald, sign language interpreter, for an introductory course in baby sign language.  At this class, Maribeth will teach participants how to sign the classic children’s book The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. For babies 8-18 mos, with parent. Registration is required. Sponsored by the Friends of the Milton Public Library.

Friday, March 17, 2017 from 4:15 – 4:45 pm
Irish Step Demonstration, All Ages

Come celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the Kenny Academy Irish Dancers! Dancers ages 6-17 will put on a fun show of traditional Irish dancing, and will get the audience up dancing with them at the end of the performance. All ages welcome. No registration required.

Saturday, March 18, 2017 from 11:00 am – 12:00 noon
Reading Dogs, Grades K-5

The Reading Dogs are back!  Kids currently in grades K-5 who need to practice reading aloud are invited to come meet and read to some lovable therapy dogs who are great listeners.  Each child will have the opportunity to read at least one book to one of our canine volunteers.  Bring a favorite book with you, or choose from our shelf.  Registration is 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 Children’s Room 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:

ATHLETICS

Boys & Girls Indoor Track

The Milton High School Girls Indoor Track Team has won two additional championships in the past two weeks – first by claiming the D4 State Championship, and one week later, earning Milton’s first-ever Indoor All-State Championship at the Reggie Lewis Center in Roxbury on Feb. 26. Between Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track, all of which are coached by Tom Shaw, the teams have earned nine state and all-state championships in cross country and track and field over the last two school years. Also, on the boy’s side, Milton High School Boys Indoor Track earned third place at the All-State Meet, with all 25 points earned by sophomore Smith Charles, who won the 55-meter dash and the long jump to grab 10 points in each event, then scored 5 points with a fourth place finish in the high jump.

For the girls, valuable points were earned by Jessy Iwuala in the high jump, Abigail Jean-Baptiste in the 55-meter, and Alexis Daly in the long jump. In the 600-meter run, Elise O’Leary, who won the event last week at the Div. IV state meet, placed third. During the 1,000-meter, the Wildcats picked up the bulk of their points, with a 1-2 finish from Bridget Mitchell and Colette O’Leary. The final event is what pushed the Wildcats to their All-State victory, with a fourth-place finish and critical points earned by the 4×400 relay team of Josie Cousineau, Bridget Mitchell, Colette O’Leary and Elise O’Leary.

Smith Charles from the Boy’s team, along with Jessy Iwala, Colette O’Leary, Elise O’Leary, Josie Cousineau and Bridget Mitchell are now focused on the New England Championship meet at Reggie Lewis Center this Saturday — and then Nationals in New York City.

For full results, click here.  For video recaps, and interviews, click here.

Boys Basketball

Boys Basketball lost in the first round of the tournament against a very good Oliver Ames Team.  The Tigers played very aggressively and made Milton work for every basket.  Eddie Hassell worked extremely hard all night, finishing with 27 points.  Aidan Johnson ended with 13 point, and senior Christian Reddick had 12 points on the night.  Oliver Ames will move on to play Whitman Hanson in the next round, and the Wildcats will enter their offseason with high hopes for next year.  Congratulations to Coach Lopresti and the boys on a great season!

Girls Ice Hockey

Girls Hockey will play Notre Dame of Hingham on Saturday night at 7pm at the Pilgrim Arena in Hingham after beating Ursuline 6-4 on Wednesday.  Elena Kapolis had a hat-trick, while Scannell scored twice and Abbott had the other.  Notre Dame is currently undefeated and should be a great game.  Tickets will be $5 for students and $7 for adults at the gate.  Good luck ‘Cats!

Cheer

The Cheer Team will be competing in South Regional Championships on Sunday, March 5th at Whitman Hanson High School. Start times vary depending on the day’s schedule, but the events kick off at 12:15 pm. Good luck to the girls!

ALSO: Messages from the Cheer Team

Hello Milton parents!  Need a night out?  The Milton High Cheer squad is hosting a Wildcat fun night fundraiser on Saturday March 11, 2017 from 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM at the Collicot gym.  The event will be for girls and boys in grades k-5.  The cost is $10.00 per child if you register by March 9th or $15.00 per child at the door.  This is a fun event for all children!!  The Milton High cheerleaders along with some of their football and basketball friends will play with and entertain your child/children while you get a well deserved night out!! *** No food will be served at this event, we will have water for the children.  You can download and print a registration form with more information here.

Spring Athletics Information Registration is OPEN for Spring Athletics.  The deadline is March 9th.  Tryouts begin March 20th . Please visit http://miltonwildcats.com/inside-athletics/registration/ for all information regarding the sign-up process.  You MUST complete the Family ID Registration (instructions found at link) in order to participate in Athletics.  Any questions can be emailed to rmadden@miltonps.org.  Clearance Forms can be found in the Athletic Office.

MHS Athletics

www.miltonwildcats.com

Twitter:   @MHS_Wildcats_

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

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: I would like to recognize Pierce Middle Schooler Dominique Thomas, who is our Milton Ambassador for Project 351. Dominique is getting ready for the upcoming Spring Service Fundraiser, which will be to benefit Cradles to Crayons. She will be collecting gently used clothing and shoes to benefit all those who are served through Cradles to Crayons by placing bins in all the schools from March 26-April 3. We are very grateful to Dominique for serving as an ambassador.

Volunteers:  I’d like to recognize a Glover parent, Emily Duffy, for bringing math to life with our K-2 students. In addition to spearheading our Glow Run efforts and chairing the Glover Outdoor Space Committee, she has brought an amazing enrichment program to Glover. In response to the fact that we have before-school Continental Math leagues for Grades 3, 4, and 5 but similar opportunities don’t exist for K-2, Emily single-handedly researched and found an amazing program called Crazy 8s.

Crazy 8s is a recreational before school math club that helps kids enjoy the math behind their favorite activities!   From the creators of Bedtime Math, Crazy 8s is fun for kids of all math abilities.   Every Tuesday for 8 weeks, our Glover K-2 kids meet build things, run and jump, make music, and have fun while learning math.   From Glow in the Dark Geometry to Toilet Paper Olympics, the kids are using their math skills in new ways by creating, defining and understanding math in a tactile and physical way.   During one session, the students mummified their principal and measured the length of toilet paper used! Another involved using glow sticks to create shapes!

Emily meets with 16 K-2 students each Tuesday morning from 7:45-8:35 in the Glover library and they are having a ball! Her second session is already full and she has a waiting list! This is an amazing way to motivate and encourage our youngest MPS mathematicians!

Staff:   For the last item in this Eblast, I’d like to share with you a video taken during the staff vs. student basketball game at Cunningham Elementary School. Do yourself a favor and watch this video. Not only does it show what an unbelievable staff we have at Cunningham, it will also put a giant smile on your face. Have a great weekend! Click here to view or press play below.

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.

 

 

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