October 18, 2018

From: Mary C. Gormley
To: Parents/Guardians and Staff
Re: Superintendent’s Weekly Update
Date: October 18, 2018

FROM THE DESK OF THE SUPERINTENDENT

Students rehearse for Les Miserable.

Les Miserables, Claude-Michele Schonberg and Alain Boublil’s powerful musical, has thrilled audiences around the world since its 1985 London premiere, proving to be one of the most enduring theatrical productions in history. This November, the Milton High School drama department will present Les Miserables, School Edition, in the Charles Winchester Auditorium in four performances over three nights.  Middle school students will be previewing the show at Pierce on October 31st. Les Miserables is directed by Kevin Black and tickets are available at the high school during school hours or online at anytime. Choose your show! Thursday, November 1 at 7pm; Saturday, November 3 at 2pm and 7pm; and Sunday, November 4 at 2pm. Tickets are $10.00 and are now available online at and at Milton High School.

Anna Hoey and the cast rehearse.

The musical, based on Victor Hugo’s classic 1862 novel, is the epic story of one man’s quest for justice and another man’s unyielding commitment to the law.  Building upon the foundation of Les Miserables’ beautiful music and evocative lyrics, the Milton High School production will bring life to Victor Hugo’s colorful characters who never fail to captivate audiences:  The heroic Jean Valjean (junior Rowan Leggett); Inspector Javert (senior Caridad Smith); the tragic Fantine (senior Jada Farrar and Junior Maeve Bentley sharing the role); the waif and later beautiful woman Cosette (7th grader Greta Cardoza and Senior Penelope Holland respectively); the lovestruck Marius (sophomore Luke Palmer); the revolutionary firebrand Enjolras (freshman Gabe Winkler); the street urchin Eponine (sophomore Anna Hoey and senior Paula Hogan sharing the role); and the treacherous Madam and Monsieur Thenardier (seniors Audrey Pugh and Annabel Botsford sharing the role); along with a dynamic ensemble of student actors supported by an orchestra of student and professional musicians and a talented crew.

Les Miserables, School Edition, is the exclusively licensed production of Les Miserables for high school students by Music Theater International.  While slightly abridged and edited for school productions, the play retains the powerful story of the original production and includes material that may not be appropriate for younger audience members. I hope you will join me at MHS in November as we celebrate our young performers and enjoy a classic musical production. 

SCHOOL COMMITTEE

The School Committee will be holding upcoming meetings in each of our schools, with the goal of involving more parents, touring each school and hearing the school’s Site Council Presentation. Please consider attending your own school’s date or another school that may interest you. The first school visit for the School Committee was last night when they visited Milton High School and heard from staff, students  and parents. It was a successful evening for all involved. The next site visit will be at Glover on November 7th. All are welcome to attend. School Committee meetings can be watched On Demand on Milton Access Television at any time.

MILTON FOUNDATION FOR EDUCATION

Mrs. Cardiasmenos’ Glover 2nd graders are getting ready for the Monster Dash! Look for them in their bright orange t-shirts, which will be decorated in class tomorrow. Kids will decorate as they choose – spooky, fall, science or with whatever strikes them. Thank you to our parent volunteers for purchasing the shirts and helping to decorate tomorrow. We can’t wait to see the finished product!

The 20th Annual Monster Dash is only 10 days away! The Milton Monster Dash is organized by the MFE, a non-profit group that funds innovative programs and opportunities that are beyond the reach of the Milton Public School’s budget.  All proceeds of the Monster Dash benefit the Sam Cichello Memorial Fund which was created in 1999 in loving memory of Sam Cichello, a Tucker Elementary School student who died following a playground accident. To honor Sam’s love of science, proceeds of the Monster Dash-Sam’s Fund support science enrichment in all six of Milton’s public schools. Join the fun on Sunday, October 28th at 10am at Cunningham Hall. Each of the elementary schools has a Monster Dash team – Join Team Cunningham, The Tucker Running Club, the Glover or Collicot Teams and run with your school friends.  Join your school’s team when you sign up! 

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The MFE is thrilled to announce that we have allocated $60,000 from Celebration 2018 to the Fine Arts Departments of all six schools. The schools will be able to purchase new instruments for the elementary schools, ipads for the middle school arts curriculum, and a host of items for the high school including digital sewing machines, photography equipment, and an entire new kitchen for the culinary arts department. With these items, students in all grades across multiple disciplines will have increased opportunities to develop artistic literacy, and build 21st century skills. The Department Fine and Applied Arts is extremely grateful!

Joyce White,  Culinary , Arts/Fashion Design Teacher, shares the following:  The Culinary Arts program has certainly gotten good use out of the existing, well loved equipment that the MFE grant is replacing.  The new induction ovens will provide direct heat and allow students to create better and more consistent products. The new refrigeration units are energy efficient and will support safe storage, and the demonstration table will enhance student learning and optimal performance.  I am a longtime fan and supporter of MFE and am very happy to be have the Culinary Arts Department as one of the grant recipients. Students, for many years to come, will benefit from the professional and updated kitchen equipment. Additionally, the grant covered the cost of digital sewing machines, which will help beginners master the art of sewing, and advanced students get as crafty as they can imagine. Thank you to all who  are involved in organizing the MFE Celebration, year after year. Save the date for this year’s celebration on Saturday, April 6th. 

HIGH SCHOOL HAPPENINGS

MHS enjoys a thriving partnership with  Schools to Careers. Schools to Careers offers real world/job field trip opportunities for students, with the hope to spark their interest and get them thinking, “Looks interesting, I might like to do that”.

During October, MHS will be sending 30 students to Boston Children’s Hospital and 40 students to MIT.  In November, Canton HS will host a Business, Marketing and Finance Program that some of our students will attend.  In early December MHS will host the Health and Medical Seminar for the second year; and finally later in December we will end 2018 with a visit to AccuRounds. In February we will visit  Norwood Hospital, March brings a visit to Meditech and in May students will go to Siemens.

Enthusiastic participation by our students reflects well on Milton High School and our teacher chaperones insure that students behave responsibly.  The STC events are great opportunities for our students and it is much appreciated that teachers volunteer as chaperones. We look forward to a successful year of Schools to Careers for the MHS student body.

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It was a successful night last night at MHS for College Funding 101. Special thanks for Todd Weaver, Strategies for College, Inc for presenting what can be stress inducing but valuable information. Todd will be presenting a condensed version of this information during our College Planning night on Thursday, December 6th. More details to come on this upcoming event. Thank you to Todd for sharing his presentation here. 

PIERCE UPDATES

The Pierce Cross Country Team competed in their final home meet this week with an impressive showing. These young runners work hard most days after school with Coach O’Leary and their commitment to the sport is paying off! Over 70 girls competed in the meet against Scituate. Some of our team highlights: Congratulations to Emily Rowley Grade 6 – First place overall and Marilyn Roche Grade 8 – Sixth place overall. Other runners who did well: Sarah Grace Chave 10th, Elana Pukel 11th, Bella Fiske 12th and Samantha McGilvray placed 13th.
There were also over 50 boys competing in the race against Scituate. Congratulations to Alec Carew Grade 7 – Third place overall, Ari Lloyd-Faber Grade 8- Fourth place overall and Colin Troung Grade 7 – Eighth place overall. Other runners who did well: Marc Leimkuehler placed 12th, William Hartford 14th, Harlan Lundrigan 15th and Cal Chisam 16th. Overall a terrific day for our Pierce runners! 

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Our STEM students recently  visited the Cape Cod Canal. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Park Rangers engaged Pierce STEM students in a number of activities to help them understand the importance and impact of this engineered waterway.   

 

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The spring clinic filled up fast!

Maybe Squash is your next sport? You’ll never know unless you try! Milton Academy is offering another introduction-to-squash clinic exclusively for MPS high school and middle school students. No experience necessary. Morgan Poor, Boy’s Coach at Milton Academy, will provide instruction. Throughout the sessions, the kids will learn the rules of the game, do various drills that teach different elements of the game and eventually play games and matches. Racquets, eyeguards and balls will be provided. All participants need their own non-marking court shoes.

INSIDE OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

New Spanish and Hispanic American Literature hit the shelves in our elementary schools! Just in time for National Hispanic Heritage Month, elementary students are diving into new Spanish language and Hispanic heritage books, thanks to a grant from the Milton Foundation for Education. Spanish teachers Christina Brown, Cristina Jauregui, Laura Serna, and Jen Taber researched and selected high-interest Spanish language books, as well as Hispanic heritage books in English. These diverse books represent the many Hispanic cultures of the world and include titles that will be used in both Spanish and library lessons to teach about the great contributions of famous Hispanics.  Students are able to select the new Spanish books during library classes, and Spanish teachers can enhance their lessons with vibrant new read-alouds, engaging more students, and making connections to other disciplines. The books allow students to engage in meaningful reading in the target language and to access cultural learning through literature. These exciting new collections are housed in the elementary libraries, where they are available for the enjoyment and enrichment of all staff and students.

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Collicot 1st grade  students from Madame Bourass-Elzein’s class with new folktales and fairy tales from the Magic of Reading in French grant: Eleanor Baker, Francesca Decourcey, Fiona Fahy, Maeve Hegarty, Belle Kelley, Claire McDonnell, Emily Morrow, Colin Mulcahy, Sloane Spaulding, Benjamin Wollacott, and Gillian Young

Through a grant written by elementary librarian Josh Coben, The Consulate General of France in Boston has awarded grants to the four elementary schools in the Milton Public Schools. The library for each school received up to $1,000 worth of French books to support a pedagogical project as part of the Consulate’s “Magic of Reading in French” initiative across New England. Collicot Library has brand-new volumes of folktales, fairy tales, and fables, powerful traditional stories that serve as cultural touchstones and appeal to students of all ages. Glover’s project focuses on poetry, the genre where the joy of words takes center stage. Through poetry, students delight in the interplay of sound and meaning as they increase reading fluency and expression. Cunningham and Tucker have acquired new collections of high-interest graphic novels, books that draw in readers at all levels through their vibrant images and manageable blocks of text. The visual storytelling supports comprehension, encouraging young readers to tackle more challenging material and sustain their reading for longer periods. With all four grants, we look forward to expanding French literacy skills and building enthusiasm for French language and culture. Vive la lecture et merci Monsieur Coben!

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October 9th was National Fire Prevention Day and we are so fortunate to have the MFD visit each school for fire safety education for our youngest students. Below Glover and Tucker students are joined by some of MFD’s finest! Thank you firefighters!

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It was another round of Walk to School Wednesdays at Cunningham, Glover and Tucker. Students Walked and Wheeled on a beautiful day!

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Glover kindergarten teachers visited every student’s home during the early release day  as part of our 1647 Home Visit Family/Community engagement initiative. Teachers stopped by houses to drop off Glover bracelets, pencils, and a personal invitation to the Lantern Walk next Friday. It meant the world to both teachers and families to make this powerful connection.  

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The Tucker School has a fun raffle calendar happening his fall. Enter for a chance to WIN over $2,300 worth of local prizes plus a Bonus Raffle of tickets to see HAMILTON! Raffle tickets can be purchased online.

UPCOMING MPS DATES

Oct 18  SEPAC Board Meeting
Oct 22  Special Fall Town Meeting
Oct 24  5th Grade Information Night
Oct 25  District Wide Diversity Event
Oct 28  MFE Monster Dash
Nov 1, 3, 4   MHS Les Miserables

STEM WEEK

Governor Baker has announced the first STEM Week in Massachusetts will take place the week of October 22-26th. The MFE Monster Dash,  which supports science in our schools, will be a great finale to STEM Week on Sunday October 28th. As a district, we have STEM activities planned all week to highlight the rich ongoing K-12 STEM curriculum.

There is an opportunity for families to visit the labs at Bridgewater State University On Wednesday, October 24th,  during STEM Week. The Center for the Advancement of STEM Education (CASE) invites you to Open Lab Night 2018, an event for the entire community, especially K-12 students.

Open Lab Night features hands on activities and demonstrations in biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, geography and astronomy. The new BSU maker space will also be open for tours and demonstrations. This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Parking is available in the Bridgewater State University Parking Garage.

PBIS

As I shared last week , we are implementing a systematic approach to student behavior in our elementary and middle schools called Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support (PBIS).  PBIS requires the buy in of the entire school community. Each school has a hardworking group of educators who form the PBIS Lead Team. This team organizes assemblies, prepares classroom lessons and supports teachers in the day to day coordination of PBIS in our schools. Please join me in recognizing these teams of PBIS leaders who attended a 3 day PBIS Professional Development this summer and are ensuring the success of PBIS in our schools.  

Tucker: Nora Sweeney, Kelly Griffin, Bonnie Johnson, Maura Middleton, Kirsten Driscoll, Elaine McNeil- Girmai and Nathania Onyeagoro. Glover: Nicole Grant-Heal, Sarah Whitten, Bridget Renehan, Heather Morris, Amanda LeFort, Kristin Collins, Lea Franklin, Melissa Craven, Moira Donohue, Deb Muse, Elizabeth Bowen, Sara MacNeil, Karen McDavitt. Cunningham: Kerry O’Leary, Emma Segall, Jon Redden, Maureen Butler, Robyn Greene, Simona Gizdarska. Collicot: Elizabeth Caruso & Laura McDermott,  Simona Gzardska, Caroline Mannion, Alison McGrath, Amy Gale, Holly Concannon, Zeina Hamada. Pierce: Dr. Karen Spaulding, Michelle Boissonneault, Kelly Dearing, Janis Gordon, Erica Benjamin, John Zitz, Melissa Augustyn, Jon Perez, Dr. Nick Fitzgerald, Kara Sheridan, Meaghan Ohrenberger, Kyle Alves, Christine Blagrove, Sarah Murphy, Danielle Huebner,Lisa Veldran, Myriam Franciser, Kristen Fraine, Zakia Jarrett, Allison Meleedy and Erin MacCurtain.

PARENT SPEAKER SERIES

Save the date for the next speaker in the PARENT Speaker Series.

On November 6th, Casey Corcoran will present Healthy Relationships: Talking to Your Kids about the Birds, the Bees, AND the Butterflies with Casey Corcoran.  This presentation will focus on concrete strategies, conversation starters, and resources that parents and caregivers can use with their kids to promote healthy relationships. As the Center for Disease Control points out, “unhealthy relationships can start early and last a lifetime.” Casey previously worked at the Boston Public Health Commission as the director of the Start Strong: Building Healthy Teen Relationships Initiative. He received his M.A.T. from Trinity College and is a certified batterer/dating violence intervention counselor.   

TECHNOLOGY

Referring to children in our tech-driven culture, Catherine Steiner-Adair, EdD, shares in her book The Big Disconnect that they are, “Still on the learning curve in their interface with the adult world and in so many ways in relationships, their capacity to connect through tech often outstrips their capacity to manage the emotional voltage it can deliver.  Or to recognize the potential danger of exposing themselves to others who would use social networking to do them harm.” 

What can we do as a district to support families around technology and social media? The Wait Until 8th campaign hopes to answer that question. Over the next few weeks, we will hold informational coffees with Educational Technology Director AJ Melanson at each of the elementary schools. You are welcome to attend any of the coffees and we look forward to seeing many parents/guardians for these casual, roundtable discussions.  

Collicot/Cunningham Coffee  – Friday, October 26th, 8:30am  in the cafe
Glover Coffee – Monday, October 29th, 9am
Tucker Coffee – Friday, November 2nd, 9am

SEPAC/SPECIAL EDUCATION

The SEPAC’s (Special Education Parent Advisory Committee)  next meeting will be on October 18th from 7- 9 pm in the Pierce Middle School library.  This meeting is open to all.

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Ghosts & Goblins who benefit from smaller crowds to reduce sensory input are invited to join the SEPAC in partnership with the MFE for a sensory friendly hour at the Milton Monster Dash. Families are strongly encouraged to register in advance either online, with the form that came home from school, or on Saturday 10/28 from 1-4 at Cunningham Hall. 

ART AND MUSIC

The Glover art room was abuzz with excitement this week as Glover Special Educator Bridget Renehan hosted a “Paint Night” as a special treat for Gym Buddies participants. There were plenty of happy artists who went home with their creations! 

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The MHS Marching Band is raising money to support the band. Through Sunday, November 4th, you will have the opportunity to purchase a variety of fair trade holiday gifts and other fair trade products and the Marching Band will receive 25% of product sales!  Please go to FairTradeCaravans.com; Log in to our fundraising event with “Participant Code” MarchingWildcats to participate in the fundraiser; Fill your shopping cart ; Check out and include your Fundraising Representative – the name of your student or staff member that will help us get your order to you (use Rebecca Damiani if you don’t know a member of the band or email Ms Damiani if you  have questions). All orders will be delivered to MHS the week of November 26th. Thank you for your support!

NEWS AROUND TOWN

This weekend:
Run or walk Mike’s 5K to Crush Substance Abuse On October 20th! This is our second annual 5K to raise money for substance abuse prevention and treatment programs. We are running in memory of Mike Mulcahy, a proud Miltonian and lover of the outdoors, who passed away in December 2016 after a heroic battle against addiction. Mike wants us to CRUSH substance abuse! Free t-shirts to the first 200 registrants, please register in advance here.  Race day registration starts at 9am at the Cunningham School Cafeteria and the 5k begins at 10am. We will follow the route of the Milton Road Race through the beautiful town of Milton.

Next weekend:                           
There is a terrific opportunity for students to be introduced to tournament chess run by International Master David Vigorito , as well as for experienced players to participate in a competitive event for established players at the Milton Scholastic Chess Tournament on Saturday, October 27th 9am- 2pm at the Milton Public Library.

Forbes House Museum will host  a Halloween Pirate Party on Sunday, October 28th from 3-5pm. When the Forbes brothers set sail to China in the 1800’s, they kept a wary eye on the sea to avoid pirates. But now the pirates have taken over and they’re throwing a Halloween Party at the Forbes House!Join us for pirate-themed games, activities and treats! Costumes are encouraged. Tickets are $5 per person ( child; adults, members) and pirates are free! 

November:
Milton Historical Society’s  is offering “Till We Meet Again – Songs of World War I” on Thursday,  November 1st.

Waking Up White: And Finding Myself In The Story of Race , written by educator Debby Irving, is a book widely considered to be an essential text on how to unpack racial privilege in the American context. Hosted by Courageous Conversations Towards Racial Justice, join us for a conversation with Debby Irving, Monday, November 19th 6-9pm at Milton High School.

Ongoing:
The Town of Milton is offering a new online form for Block Parties.  These forms are designed to allow residents to apply for applications online saving time and effort. If a resident is planning an event they may simply go on to the Town Website, find the form they wish to use, open it, and fill in the information about their event. Town Hall will receive your application instantly and the resident will receive an email notification that their application was received and is being processed. Once approved, the resident will be notified via email. Residents will no longer need to print out an application, write in their information, and bring it to Town Hall. Everything needed to review and approve an application will now be done electronically. Our first online form that we have launched this month is the Block Party Request Application form. 

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The Milton Public Library has great programs for children all month long.  

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Care Dimensions is a local non-profit Hospice organization which supports children, adolescents, and families with anticipatory grief and bereavement. They offer bereavement support groups, family nights, school and organization support, 1:1 counseling, special events and child, teen, and family programming. 

ATHLETICS

The MHS Volleyball Coaches and the 8 Senior players from senior night on Tuesday

We already have 4 teams qualified for the MIAA State Tournament. Football will await seeding on Sunday after their final regular season game. Volleyball and

MHS Varsity Golf at The Country Club

Girls Soccer have clinched while Golf punched their ticket last night with a win over Walpole. Boys Soccer has their work cut out for them entering the final stretch of the season, needing a few more victories. Swim has already had many students make the cut for sectionals. Boys and Girls Cross Country will look to their final few races for chances to qualify for the regional and national competitions.

When Milton met Needham Friday night in a football game with huge conference and playoff implications, everyone expected a shootout between two of the best offenses in the state. But it was the defenses that shined as the Wildcats beat the previously undefeated Rockets 22-14 to take over sole possession of first place in the Bay State Herget and the #1 seed in Division 4 South with just one game to play before the playoffs. It was a great night, with the Seniors honored from the Football Team, Cheer Squad, and Band. Thank you to Roy Chambers for many our football game pictures.

We thank Fox 25 Boston for their phenomenal coverage and make sure to check out the highlights on MPS Facebook or the @Milton_Athletics_ Twitter account!

We are excited to announce that we already have 2 students committing to                       Division 1 schools in the fall, with at least two more students with options. Wait until November 9th for signing day to see what schools they will be attending!

Registration for Winter Sports will open on November 1st with tryouts beginning the Monday after Thanksgiving.

Please see the Milton Wildcats website for schedules, rosters, and updates!

AMBASSADOR PAGE

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

Congratulations, Jack!

Students:  Congratulations to MHS junior Jack Boylan on his “hole in one”  during last week’s match at The Country Club in Brookline. Jack and 5 other members of the team have since gone on to qualify for post season play. Good luck to Jared Carney, Jack Boylan, Ben Ryan, Jack Curley, Luke Calcagno, and Michael O’Toole. Exciting time for the MHS Golf Team! 

Thank you to my blog contributors this week:  Jon Redden, Holly Concannon, Karen Spaulding, Elaine McNeil- Girmai, Karen McDavitt, James Jette, AJ Melanson, Noel Vigue, Ryan Madden, Rebecca Damiani, Joyce White, Dawn Sykes,  Martine Fisher, Amy Tom and Kevin Black.

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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