Milton Public Schools

From: Mary C. Gormley
To: Parents/Guardians and Staff
Re: E-blast Update
Date: March 8, 2016

FROM THE DESK OF THE SUPERINTENDENT

Never mind the saying about the lion and the lamb …. did you know that March is Music in Our Schools month and Youth Art Month? Our calendar is packed with events in both visual and performing arts and I encourage all of you to attend at least one of these events. Our Fine Arts and Family/Consumer Studies Director, Dr. Noreen Diamond Burdett, has put together an amazing variety of concerts and art exhibits. She said this about Music in Our Schools Month:

“Arts are at the core of learning. A dramatic movement in cognitive understanding began n the 1970s, based on research that substantiated that the arts are critical to education and learning. Ernest Boyer of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching said, ‘During the past quarter century, literally thousands of school-based programs have demonstrated beyond question that the arts can not only bring coherence to our fragmented academic world but through the arts, students’ performance in other academic disciplines can be enhanced as well.’ Howard Gardner of Harvard University developed the groundbreaking theory of multiple intelligences which broadened our view of how humans learn and realize their potential.

The arts are rigorous, challenging academic subjects. The arts are more than entertainment and fun – they are intellectual disciplines of substance. To attain competence in the arts, students need to gain literacy with complex, non-verbal symbols. The students have to use the higher-order thinking skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation in their performance and artwork. Creativity is naturally developed through the arts. Arts education requires students to use their creative abilities and to deepen them.

The students of the Milton Music Department and the Visual Arts Department are so proud to share their work with the school community, their families, and the public at various events listed below that will celebrate March as Youth Art Month and Music in Our Schools Month.”

March 8             MIOSM Strings Concerts, grades 5-12, 7pm at Milton High School.

March 10-12   All State Conference and Festival (concert on 3/12) Boston

March 15          MIOSM Band Concert, Grades 5-12, 7pm at Milton High School

March 22          In-School Concert, K, Grades 1 and 2, 9:15am Cunningham

March 24          Music Department Cabaret Talent Show, 7pm at Milton High School

March 24          In-School Concert, K, Grades 1 and 2, 9:15am, Collicot School

March 28          Passport to the Arts, 6-7:30pm, Glover Elementary

March 29          Passport to the Arts, 6-7:30pm, Cunningham Elementary

March 30          Passport to the Arts, 6-7:30pm, Milton High School

March 31          Passport to the Arts, 6-7:30pm, Collicot & Tucker Elementary Schools

March 31          In-School Concert, K, Grades 1 and 2, 9:15am, Glover Elementary

April 1           Passport to the Arts, 5:30-7, Pierce Middle School

I would also like to remind our MPS families that one of our largest supporters of arts and cultural programming is conducting its annual fundraiser right now. If you have received an excise tax bill, please be sure to read the enclosed appeal letter from M-PACE, a well-established program in the Milton Public Schools.

M-PACE (Milton Partnership for Arts & Cultural Enrichment) is a cultural enrichment program which brings art, music and drama opportunities to Milton Public Schools students at a level they might not otherwise experience.

For the past few years, members of the community have donated generously to the schools through this excise tax option, and with continued support, the schools hope to continue providing the same level of enrichment to their students. Over the past few years, your donations have been used to provide the following experiences:

• Fourth-grade students in all of Milton’s elementary schools have been given the opportunity to attend a Boston Symphony Orchestra Youth Concert at Symphony Hall. This experience provides a foundation for music appreciation and enjoyment of the symphony.
• Pierce Middle School seventh-graders are presented with Historia Antiqua, a program which brings the world of ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians into the classroom.
• Milton High School students have attended productions of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet – performed in the Charles C. Winchester Auditorium at Milton High School.
• Milton High School eleventh-graders visit the House of Blues in Cambridge for a presentation of American culture and history through an exploration of blues music, blues-inspired music and related folk art.

Check-off forms are enclosed in the recently-mailed excise tax bills. For those residents who lease their cars, donations can be mailed to: Milton Partnership for Arts & Cultural Enrichment, c/o Treasurer’s Office, 525 Canton Avenue, Milton, MA 02186. Under the terms of the Educational Reform Act, any money you add to your tax payment “is to be used solely to provide supplemental funding for local educational needs.”  The amount is fully deductible on Federal and State income tax.

SCHOOL COMMITTEE UPDATE

Those of you who would like to attend School Committee meetings should note that nearly all of our meetings are now being held in the Milton Access Television’s cable studio, which is located in Room 245 at Milton High School, just down the hall from the auditorium.

There have been two School Committee meetings since my last E-blast, on February 22^nd and March 2^nd. Those meetings will be summarized in my next E-blast. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 16^th at 7 pm in the cable studio (Room 245) at Milton High School.

CURRICULUM NEWS

Please be aware that Parent/Teacher conferences are being held on Thursday, March 10^th. Conferences will be held at each school in the afternoon and evenings. If you have not yet scheduled an appointment, please contact the main office of your child’s school as soon as possible to do so.

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We had a very successful Grade One Information night last night in the Charles C. Winchester Auditorium at Milton High School. For those of you who missed this event, we have posted both the Grade One Info Night and the Kindergarten Info Night presentation on our main website. Please review the timeline below to be aware of upcoming events and deadlines:

• District-Wide STEM Night – Friday, March 11^th
• Grade One Program Selection Forms distributed to families – Monday, March 14^th
• Grade One Program Selection Forms due to school offices – Thursday, March 24^th
• School-based and District-wide lotteries for French Immersion (if necessary) – Week of March 28^th
• Program assignments communicated to families – Week of April 6^th
• If French Seats are still available, lottery for students who entered MPS after March 1^st but before June 30^th – early July 2016
• If French Seats are still available, lottery for students new to MPS after June 30^th – August 2016
• Teacher Assignments Communicated to Families –   August 2016
• School-based waiting lists close – 10^th day of school

Also, please see the following item from our Pierce Principal Dr. Karen Spaulding:

Good afternoon 5th Grade Families! I am excited to invite you to Pierce Middle School’s 5th Grade Information Night on Wednesday, March 23, at 6:30 PM in the Pierce Middle School auditorium. Pierce Middle School is devoted to supporting the unique needs of pre-adolescents/adolescents.  We know well that the middle school years are a unique time in the life of a child, and so design programming that will support and enhance social and intellectual growth during this critical time.  We are extremely proud of our faculty, staff, and students and want to share with you the many enriching opportunities available to your student.

In addition, in an effort to smooth the transition from elementary school to middle school, the Pierce Middle School offers a summer program, Welcome to Middle School. Welcome to Middle School is led by Pierce staff and is your child’s opportunity to meet students from the other elementary schools, become familiar with the Pierce Middle School, meet some of our staff, and, most importantly, have some fun!  Please see the attached flyer for more information.  (Please note- students should sign up for one session as the sessions are identical.)  This flyer is also available on the Pierce Middle School Edline site.  By the way…while you are there, I encourage you to read some of the Pierce Pages newsletters to learn more about the wonderful experience your child will have at the Pierce Middle School!

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A team of students from Milton High School will be travelling to Colorado to compete in the Lifesmarts Championships Tournament in April. Our team, Milton Strong, won first place in the 2016 Massachusetts LifeSmarts State Championship held last month. The team will now move on to represent Massachusetts in the 22nd National LifeSmarts Championship April 9-12 in Denver, Colorado. Sponsored by the National Consumer League, LifeSmarts is an academically rigorous and engaging competition in which all teams compete multiple times and top teams and individual students are recognized for high achievement. Congratulations to Captain Nolan Carvalho and Sindhu Banerjee, Liam Chase, Harry Kong, Brandon Musto and Coach Paul Arenburg. I’d also like to recognize their former coach, Nancy Mikels, who helped prepare them in advance. If you would like to make a donation to help support the team’s trip to Denver, please scroll down to “Grant/Fundraising News” and make a donation on their GoFundMe site.

The following item was sent to us by Lori Henry, one of our Future Problem Solving coaches:

Great news from our Future Problem Solving teams! One of our Tucker teams (Emily Gallagher, Ellis Wallace, Priya Shaw and Logan Do), one of our Cunningham teams (Sophie Kosiba, Sofia Porros-Avalos, Ariana Ruiz and Will Kelley) and two of our Pierce teams (in the Junior Division: Anderson Korman, Barron Clancy, William Matejka and Ian Gravallese; and in the Middle Division: Dominique Thomas, Zoe Malouf, Claire Walko and Abigail Files) have been invited to the FPS State Bowl on April 2^nd at Clark University in Worcester. Additionally, our coaches will also be able to bring one individual to compete for every team that wasn’t invited. Based on the students’ enthusiasm for FPS I think we’ll have many interested individuals! The topic at the State Bowl is “The Global Workplace,” so if any MPS parents/guardians are experts in this field, we could use your help getting our team ready for the competition. Please contact lhenry@miltonps.org or nhoyceanyls@miltonps.org to volunteer.

The following item was sent to us by April Allegrezza, music teacher for Collicot & Cunningham Elementary Schools:

Twenty-eight elementary and middle school students from the Milton Public Schools successfully auditioned and were selected to be participants in the 2016 Massachusetts All-State Chorus. Music teachers April Allegrezza, Colleen Martin and Dawn Sykes auditioned all students who wished to try-out and then selected and recorded ten students from each of their schools-Collicot, Cunningham, Glover, Tucker Elementary fifth graders and Pierce Middle School sixth graders. The students from Milton represent one-third of the 210 piece chorus which is comprised of students from all over the State of Massachusetts! The Massachusetts All-State Treble Chorus will be performing two sold-out concerts at the Massachusetts Music Educators Conference to on Saturday, March 12^th at the Seaport Hotel and Conference Center in Boston.

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Front Row from left: Logan Do (Tucker), Sammi Fitton (Glover), Charlotte Dangel (Collicot), Anya Weinstein (Cunningham),  Lily McLaughlin (Cunningham) Row two: Rohan Meier (Pierce), Isabella Fiske (Glover), Delia Gaff (Pierce), Timothy Fay (Tucker), Onosetale Odion Ukpebor (Tucker) Row three: Ian Gravallese (Pierce), Christopher Barrett (Pierce), Fiona McCarthy (Glover), Anna Dembowski (Glover), Ava Lundbohm (Pierce), Ian Wick (Tucker) Row four:  Kiera Glazer (Cunningham), Isabella Baylon (Tucker), Lily Lane (Cunningham), Priya Shaw (Tucker), Victoria Williams (Pierce) Row five: Anna Radley (Pierce), Kaitlin Schleicher (Tucker), Nicolas Maldonado (Collicot), Brynn Mershon (Collicot), Brendan Reardon (Pierce), Jordan Elliott(Pierce) absent: Sadie Leggett (Glover)

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The cafeteria at the Pierce Middle School was recently transformed into a laboratory during the school’s annual Science Fair. Students explored topics from atoms to earthworms and took time to educate their classmates, teachers and their families on all things science. Photos below, credit and thanks to Pierce and Cunningham parent John Gillooly.

Photo on left: Caroline Gannon displays a worm at the Pierce Middle School Science Fair. Photo on right: Pierce students explore whether plants can survive on other liquids. From left: Elizabeth McGill, Rose Gillooly and Lucia Dwyer.

UPCOMING MPS EVENTS

Please note that STEM night will be held on Friday, March 11^th at 6:30 in the Cunningham/Collicot cafeteria. Bring your kindergarten student to this event, where the whole family can learn about the STEM/Innovation Pathway program in a hands-on atmosphere. This is an opportunity to learn about the program and ask questions.

MILTON SUMMER ENRICHMENT

The following item was sent to us by Cunningham Principal Jonathan Redden and Elementary Science Coordinator Bernadette Butler:

  It is still very cold outside but Milton Summer Enrichment 2016 will be here in 4 shorts months. At this time, I would like to communicate important information about the summer program. This will serve as the first of many communications about Milton Summer Enrichment (MSE).

Administration for MSE:  We have a new administrative team working hard in preparation for MSE 2016.  Mrs. Butler (mse@cunninghamschool.org) can answer questions about Red Shirts and volunteer opportunities.  She will also be available when it is time to register, change courses or make payments.  Mr. Donovan (bdonovan@miltonps.org) can take questions about Middle and High School academic credit courses.  All other questions about MSE can be directed to me at mse@cunninghamschool.org.  You can also call Cunningham at 617-696-4285 daily between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Courses:  We are currently recruiting staff for MSE.  This process involves finding skilled staff to teach and balancing course offerings for all age levels.  We hope to bring back all of our popular offerings as well as new courses that will be fun and engaging for students. This year, we hope to offer more courses around STEM, keyboarding, and the Arts.  Once course offerings are finalized, we will send an At a Glance Document to help prepare you for registration.   This document will be sent in April.

Registration:  Online registration will take place in April.  We will also have drop in times at Cunningham School and Milton High School.  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 register.  We will not leave the online registration open until the start of MSE.  If you miss the online registration window, you will have to register in person during a drop in time (TBD).

Tentative Dates:

April 15, 2016 – At a Glance Document
April 15, 2016 – Brochure for MSE
April 26, 2016 – Family ID Live Registration
May 27, 2016 – End of online registration
TBD – Onsite Registrations

Tuition:  The tuition for MSE is subject to change pending a decision by the Milton School Committee.

1 Course = $150                      2 Courses = $300                    3 Courses + $450
4 Courses = $560                    Pre – k = $600             Family Max = $1,050

Pricing for academic credit courses will be shared in a later communication.

Dates:  MSE will be held at Milton High School and run from Monday – Thursday.  The program will begin on June 27, 2016 and end on July 28, 2016.    These dates can change due to snow days that are made up in June.

Again, this is the first of many communications.  If you have questions about MSE please contact me at jredden@cunninghamschool.org.  If you would like to speak with me, you may call Cunningham School at (617) 696 – 4285 after 3 p.m. Mondays – Fridays. I am looking forward to another great year of MSE!

Hoping for a heat wave soon to get everyone in the summer spirit!

FAMILY LIAISON NEWS

This article was submitted by Marti O’Keefe McKenna, MPS Family Outreach Liaison. Contact information: email; mmckenna@miltonps.org, telephone # 617 980 7343

The definition of kindness is “the quality of being friendly, generous and considerate.”

Many of our elementary schools dedicate time during the school year to celebrate kindness. For example, the Cunningham Elementary School is celebrating kindness during the month of March.  Each week of the month the students are filling a bucket with acts of kindness when they are “caught” practicing in their school, classroom, homes, community and world.  The Collicot Elementary School had The Great Kindness Challenge during the week of January 25-29, 2016 where students kept track of good deeds done, encouraged kind behavior through posters hung around the school and participated in a Kind Coins for Kenya initiative which raised $885.28 to help build a new school in Kenya.

Kindness is shown in many different places and ways. The Milton Public Schools are very fortunate to have many members of the community who frequently demonstrate the attributes of kindness through volunteering their talents, donating their time and giving generously to the children of Milton.

One such act of kindness was demonstrated this December when over 250 Milton children in need received gifts through the Milton Residents Funds’ Holiday Gift Program at the First Parish Church. A special thank you to Diane Ferrari and Maura Doherty of the Milton Residents Fund for their kindness in coordinating the gift drive and volunteers.   Through a collaborative effort of kindness the holidays were made a little brighter for many Milton families experiencing hardship.  The Milton Public Schools would like to send out a special thank you to the many individuals who sent in financial contributions, Nancy Lanata , Liaison at the Milton Community Food Pantry, the many volunteers, family and friends, who carefully sorted and bagged all the gifts for the  December 19^th distribution day and the following groups for the kindness they demonstrated in contributing to the gift drive during the holiday season.

Milton Helping Hands
Girl Scout Troop #74094
Collicot Elementary School
Cunningham Elementary School
Glover Elementary School
First Parish Unitarian Church
Fontbonne Academy
Milton Town Clerk’s Office
Milton Junior Woman’s Club
Milton Women’s Club
Project Linus
Fuller Village
Kiwanis Club
The Corcoran Family & Friends
Peggy Rusnock
Juliann Bridgeman & Friends
Dr. Ivana Adamov DDS & Staff
Erin Donahoe & Family
Friends of The Council On Aging
Knitters for the Needy
St. Elizabeth’s Church
St. Michael’s Church
St. Mary of The Hills Church
St. Agatha’s Church
Nancy Lanata, Milton Food Pantry

GRANT/FUNDRAISING NEWS

Congratulations to our MHS Lifesmarts Team (see item above, under Curriculum News). This team will be travelling to Denver, Colorado to compete at the National level. They are fundraising to offset the cost of the trip. Anyone wishing to donate to the team can click here: https://www.gofundme.com/lifesmarts?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=email&utm_content=body_photo&utm_campaign=upd_n

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The following item was sent to us by the Milton Playground Planners, a new group in Milton who are raising funds and awareness to improve the town’s existing playgrounds.

This March, we invite you to support our local businesses who support Milton Playground Planners! Shop with these business on the dates listed below and they will contribute a portion of proceeds to MPP:

• The Milton Times – 20% of all new subscriptions (print OR online) purchased in March
• Boston Sensory Solutions – 15% of March and April Sensory Strong Kids movement classes with code “MPP”
• Grono & Christie – 15% of sales of children’s jewelry in March
• Milton Hill Sport & Spa – 15% of new memberships paid in full March 18-20
• The Ice Creamsmith – 15% of sales every Monday in March
• The Nutshell – 15% of sales every Monday in March
• Body Benefits Day Spa – 15% of sales on Sunday, March 13
• The Toy Box – 20% of sales during the month of March when mentioning the code “MPP” (phone sales included, delivery to Milton available)
• Refresh by Julie – 20% of sales from new clients when mentioning the code “MPP”
• Plus make a donation through our website and be entered in a raffle to win a gift certificate to Christine’s Day Spa!
• We’d like to thank Republic of Wellness for their contribution as well!

Don’t forget to follow our Facebook page and check out our website at www.miltonplaygroundplanners.com to find out more. Thank you for your continued support as we work toward our goal of raising $750,000 to renovate our town’s playgrounds for our kids and our community!

FOOD SERVICE NEWS

The following item was sent to us by MPS Food Service Director Jackie Morgan:

Sipping on Sugar – Rethink your Drink — More Water, Please! Choosing water instead of sugar-sweetened beverages is a healthier option, it contains no calories, sugar, or fat. Water is a refreshing drink that your body needs. Adults and children need to drink water throughout the day to stay healthy and hydrated. So, offering your child 6-8 oz of water with meals and snacks can be a great way to ensure they stay hydrated. If your child is not a big fan of water, then it’s time to flavor their water by adding sliced lemons, lime, strawberries, orange, grapefruit, cucumber, apple, berries, melon, or pineapple. The Milton Schools offers milk and water at all of its schools.

If someone gave you a cup full of sugar and asked you to drink it, would you? Or would you allow your child to add 56 grams or more of sugar to his or her beverage? Well, if your child or teen drinks a typical 20-ounce soda, then they might as well fill a cup with sugar and sip on it because it contains on average 56-77 grams of sugar!! Not only what food we eat matters and can affect our health, but also what we drink – every sip counts! Sipping on sugary-sweetened beverages can add unnecessary calories to your child’s diet with very little or no nutrients needed for healthy growth. A fun exercise with your children is actually measuring out the amount of sugar into a container or bag and having this visual guide to show how much sugar is actually in certain beverages.

As found in many studies, sugar-sweetened beverages like soda, energy drinks, sport drinks, fruit punch, flavored water, flavored milk, and fruit juice are considered the largest contributor of added sugar in an American diet. On average, kids between the ages of 6-11 drink about 15 ounces of soda a day, and adolescents get 11% of their calories or 15 teaspoons of sugar from soft drinks1.  There are many contributors to childhood obesity; however, the high consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks amongst kids is considered the largest contributor.

It might be hard to say “no” to your child or teen when it comes to drinking sugar-sweetened beverages, especially with the constant non-stop advertisement geared towards them to drink these beverages. But before you feel guilty about saying “no”, let’s take a closer look at how many teaspoons of sugar are in these popular drinks:

Drink                                 Size of Container         Teaspoons of sugar per container

Soda                         20 fl. oz. bottle              17 tsp.
Sports Drink                 20 fl. oz. bottle              9 tsp.
Energy Drink                 16 fl. oz. can                 15 tsp.
Juice Drink                  20 fl. oz. bottle              17 tsp.
Sweetened Tea                20 fl. oz. bottle              14 tsp.
Vitamin-added Water          20 fl. oz. bottle              8 tsp.
Fruit-flavored Soda          12.5 fl. oz. bottle           11 tsp.

Chart adapted from the California Department of Public Health’s Network for a Healthy California

Always Read Before You Buy:

The good news is that you can choose healthier beverage options for yourself and family, and greatly influence your kid’s preferences at an early age! You can avoid excess calories from sugary drinks by reading “Nutrition Facts” label located in the back of the beverage container. There are few things you need to look for when reading “Nutrition Facts” label:

Serving size: It’s important to pay attention to serving size because sometimes there are more than one serving in a beverage container.

Calories: Beverage containers may give the calories for only part of the contents, so don’t forget to do the math and multiply calories by the number of servings, for example, if one serving of fruit punch is 180 calories , but there is 2 ½ servings in the same container, then multiply 180 x  2 ½ = 450 calories

Sugar, sugar, SUGAR: You definitely want to look at how much sugar is in your drink to limit added sugar consumption. Divide the total grams of sugar by 4 to figure out how many teaspoons are inside your drink (4 grams of sugar = 1 teaspoon). If the beverage container has more than one serving then multiply the number of teaspoons by the number of servings to get the total number of teaspoons of sugar.

Your kid will most likely drink a sugary beverage if they find it in the kitchen. It can be a lot easier to help them avoid drinking sugar-sweetened drinks that cause excessive weight gain and cavities, if they don’t exist at home. Instead purchase low fat milk, 100% fruit juice (4 oz = 1 fruit serving), and unsweetened beverages. You could also make fun smoothies with low fat milk and fruits!

Remember sugary drinks = extra calories = extra weight. So remind yourself to rethink your drink for a better and healthier you!

PAC/SPECIAL ED NEWS

On March 16^th, the SEPAC will be hosting the PCG (Public Consulting Group), who will make a presentation similar to their recent School Committee presentation. The PCG will present an overview of their recent study of the Milton Public Schools’ Special Education program and will discuss their recommendations. All are invited to attend this event, scheduled for 7pm at Glover Library.  If you wish to see the PCG presentation to School Committee, please click here.

MFE NEWS

The following item was sent to us by the MFE’s Celebration for Education co-chairs: Darryl Elliott, Eileen Heller, William Resnick and Angela Van Allen

Get ready to celebrate! The Milton Foundation for Education (MFE) will commemorate its 20^th Anniversary at Celebration 2016, “Empowering Teachers, Enriching Students” on Saturday, April 9, at Lombardo’s in Randolph. Registration and cocktails are at 6:30pm, with dinner and program to follow. The Jeep Raffle winner will be announced.

(It’s back! Contact Liddie Sutter at liddievs@gmail.com or any MPS office!)

Festive cocktail attire is encouraged and anyone interested can buy tickets here: (https://miltonfoundation.ejoinme.org/MyEvents/Celebration2016/BuyTicketsNow/tabid/744578/Default.aspx)

$95 ticket price  $65 ticket price for teachers (thanks to a generous donor)

Includes After Party at Vincent’s!

BID-MILTON

Safe Sitter

Safe-Sitter is a one-day course for young persons, ages 11-13, before they begin actively baby-sitting.  Safe-Sitter uses discussion, practice and role-playing to teach participants more about: how to handle emergencies, safety precautions, caring for an infant or child, and calling for emergency help.

DATE: Saturday, April 30 TIME: 9 AM – 3 PM
PLACE: Nangeroni Education Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Milton
COST: $50, pre-registration required. Call 617-696-8810 to register. Space is limited!

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Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Milton along with the physicians of Milton Primary Care and Milton Physician Organization, are pleased to announce the 7th Annual Diabetes Fair to be held Saturday, April 23rd at the Lantana in Randolph.

Each year, the fair strives to meet the needs of the community by providing free information regarding treatment and prevention of diabetes. This year’s fair will include a series of informative presentations from our leading diabetes experts who will discuss nutrition, heart health, proper care and treatment of your eyes, and the latest on medications. In addtion, guests will enjoy watching an exciting cooking demonstration, and have the option of participating in free foot screenings provided by podiatrist Joel Chariton, DPM. Chaired by William Cobb, MD, speakers include Mercy Devadoss, RD, CDE; Cardiologist Scott Lutch, MD; Opthalmologist Veena Mathew, MD; and Endocrinologist Manfred Ernesti, MD.

Our presenters, along with a gallery of exhibitors offering helpful information and literature on the latest in diabetes care, will help provide answers about the best ways to manage diabetes. A complimentary diabetic-friendly lunch will be served. Anyone interested in attending may register by calling 617-696-8810 by April 18th.

NEWS AROUND TOWN

The Milton Art Center is offering the following courses:

 MPS Early Release Day Crafting Workshop, Wed., Mar. 2, 2-4 p.m. Christine Jorge, an instructor for Milton Community Schools, will help students create and customize their very own rooms in a castle, spaceship, secret lair or even their own house using paper engineering techniques and some imagination.  Cost is $15 per child (grades K-5).

Lucky Rainbow Wind Catcher Workshop, Sat., Mar. 12, 10-11:30 a.m. No need to chase leprechauns – in this workshop Christine Jorge will help children create their own vertical rainbow with a four-leaf clover for a bit of luck! Cost is $15 per child (grades K-5).

Mel O’Drama St. Patrick’s Day Workshop, Sun., Mar.13, 12-3 p.m. This workshop will incorporate theatre games, improvisation and rehearsal of an original production where the leprechauns steal the magic from the fairies which they must recover! Parents/family/friends of the participants will be invited into our workshop for the last 15 minutes to watch the final product.  Cost of the workshop is $125 per child (ages 6-10); $99 if registered by March 1.

Please visit www.miltonartcenter.org for more information or to register for any of these workshops.

MILTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

The following items were sent to us by MPL Children’s Librarian Sara Truog:

Spring is coming – and so are fun things for kids to do at the Milton Public Library! Programs, coloring, games, puppet shows and of course BOOKS are available every day for you to check out.

News flash: The Children’s Room is proud to once again be hosting a PJ Drive with Cradles to Crayons and the Boston Bruins. Anytime between now and March 15, families may bring in donations of brand new pajamas in sizes 4/5T through 18/20. Checks made payable to Cradles to Crayons can also be accepted. Help make a difference in the lives of thousands of local children in need!

In addition to our regular story times on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, we have these exciting programs for the young people in your life happening during the week of March 13 – 19:

Friday, March 18, 2016 from 10:00 am – 12:00 noon
Free Play Friday, Ages 0-5

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

Saturday, March 19, 2016 from 10:00 – 11:00 am
Family Craft, Ages 2-6

Come to the Story Hour Room for a crafty good time! Each month the Children’s Room will provide instructions and materials for a preschool age-appropriate, seasonal craft. Drop in anytime during the hour and make something lovely to take home! No registration required.

Saturday, March 19, 2016 from 2:30 – 3:30 pm
Mel O’Drama, Ages 5-9

Kids aged 5-9 are invited to join local drama teacher Melanie Grace Gillespie for a theatrical and creative hour of Mel O’Drama!  Students will enjoy such fun activities as warmups, improv games, voice projection, scene work, and movement.  Registration is required. Sponsored by the Friends of the Milton Public Library.

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

ATHLETICS

The following update was submitted by Athletic Director Alex Campea:

The Winter Athletic Season has concluded for most of our athletic teams. Congratulations all our many Athletes, Coaches and Thank You, to the many members of our Community that supported the teams this past season.

We still have members of our Girls Indoor Track Team & Boys Indoor Track competing this weekend in the Nationals in New York.

Best of Luck to …… Bridget Mitchell, Colette O’Leary, Elise O’Leary, Sophie Cousineau, Alexis Belash and Alex Daly on the Girls Team

And to ….. David Perkins, Derek Perkins, Smith Charles and Koby Osazee on the Boys Team.

The Boys Basketball Team, Girls Hockey Team and individual members of Wrestling and Indoor Track qualified for post season MIAA competition.

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Spring Sports Registration is open and available to all athletes. Please visit our website at www.miltonps.org for all the details. Please note FamilyID Registration is not on Edline. Please find all the information on the MHS Homepage under the MHS Athletic link.

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The Booster Club has kicked off its Calendar Raffle Drive. Please support this effort that will benefit all MHS Athletic Teams. All are welcome and invited to join us tonight, Tuesday, 3/8 for the monthly Booster Club Meeting in the Field House in Rm. 133. The meeting begins at 7pm … bring your ideas and energy.

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The Challenger Division of Little League enables boys and girls with physical and mental challenges, ages 5-18,or up to age 22 (if still enrolled in high school) to enjoy the game of baseball along with the millions of other children who participate in this sport worldwide.

DEADLINE TO REGISTER- APRIL 30, 2016

Open to all Milton Residents!
To register a child, go to:
http://miltonnationalll.com/Registration/ and scroll down for the Challenger Division registration.
For questions or volunteer opportunities, please contact:

challengerinfo@miltonnationalll.com

Other direct contact information:
Jerry Vitti:
gvitti@hfihealthcare.com
617.281.4566

JP Plunkett:
plunkettjp4@gmail.com
617.999.4993

The following item was submitted by Candy Brown of our Milton Boosters:

Milton High School Boosters Fundraising and Scholarship News

The Milton High Boosters has had a busy year raising money in support of our High School athletes through various fundraising programs, including the annual Swing for Sports golf tournament, the monthly Cans for Cats program, and the Annual Membership Drive. A new “Calendar” fundraiser is now underway in which a raffle prize will be given away every day in April. Calendars can be purchased for $10 until March 29 from student athletes, at the inside concession stand, or by contacting Jeanne Kibble at j.kibble@comcast.net. Local restaurant gift cards, sporting event tickets, and cash are some of the generous prizes. Funds raised will help purchase sports equipment and uniforms, and will support Booster scholarships and the annual athletic awards dinner.

Applications for the 2016 Booster scholarships are now available at our website www.miltonboosters.com, or in the Guidance Department. Applications for scholarships are due by April 15. To be eligible, the athlete’s parent or guardian must be a current Boosters member (registration is available online). For questions on scholarships or becoming a member, please contact Kerri McCarthy at kbee312@msn.com.

The next Cans for Cats can & bottle recycling drive will be held Saturday, March 5, at the front entrance of the High School from 9 AM to noontime. Please support the golf team by dropping off your redeemable cans and bottles. The Boosters invites everyone to their next meeting on March 8, which will be held at the High School in room 133 at 7:00 PM. Go Wildcats!

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Pierce Basketball Recap: The Pierce girls basketball team finished on a strong note defeating Pembroke in an exciting overtime finish to complete the team’s last home game of the year. Defense was the key to victory as the girls fortified the interior with excellent play from Ella O’Hanlon, Sarah Palmer, Jami Milliken, Sophia Manning and June Padera. Leadership from Danielle Needham motivated all and ignited Natalia Vega for two momentum shifting shots from long range. Tenacious guard play from Jillian Vaughn and Maeve Ritchie lead to steals and breakaway layups that iced the game. Great job girls!

The Pierce boys’ basketball team won two games at the end of the season, defeating Calvary Chapel Academy and Stoughton. Luke Botsford, Larry Darcy, Andrew Lynch and Sam Phelan led Pierce to a 48-18 victory over Calvary Chapel on Monday. Pierce hosted Stoughton looking to make up for an earlier buzzer beater loss at Stoughton. Pierce started strong and rolled to a 46-23 victory. A very balanced scoring attack was led by John Barros, Earl Tucker, Ryan Mazzotta and Matt Laine. We have had a very successful year going 9-2 with an 8 game winning streak.

AMBASSADOR PAGE

Students: I would like to recognize Emily Dobrindt, an 8^th grader at Pierce Middle School, who recently served as an ambassador during Project 351. This statewide service project brings 8^th graders from across the Commonwealth together to inspire them to serve their communities. Ms. Dobrindt took the message to heart, and is launching a Cradles to Crayons clothing and shoe drive. As part of this project, she will be placing bins in each of our school to collect new or gently worn clothing and shoes. The bins will be in the schools from March 28^th to April 1^st.

Staff:   Please join me in congratulating Dawn Sykes, music teacher at Pierce Middle School, who was recently published in Massachusetts Music News. Ms. Sykes authored an article on “Understanding the Middle School Mind is Key to Success,” in the Winter edition of the periodical. The article touches on the adolescent mind, the challenges of launching a middle school choral program and using humor as a tool to connect with students. We are very proud of Ms. Sykes, whose role as choral director at Pierce Middle School is invaluable.

Volunteers:  I’d like to thank three volunteers who helped to make this year’s Tucker Unity Night a rousing success. Thank you to Miriam Lundgren, who spearheaded the effort and organized the evening. Also, thanks to Tucker parents Jeannie Knight and Adrian Williams who helped with choreography and getting our Tucker students up on stage, dancing. It was a memorable event.

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

 

 

From: Mary C. Gormley
To: Parents/Guardians and Staff
Re: E-blast Update
Date:  February 11^th, 2016

FROM THE DESK OF THE SUPERINTENDENT

One of my favorite programs in the Milton Public Schools is the Future Problem Solving Program. This is a program which started in our elementary schools more than two decades ago and expanded to include our Pierce Middle School four years ago.

The Future Problem Solving program (FPS) is a great way to encourage students’ creativity and also to improve oral and written communication, research, and teamwork skills. FPS helps students to apply information they have learned to some of the most complex issues facing society. FPS is a yearlong program, in which teams of four students learn a six-step problem solving process which they can then use to solve social and scientific problems set in the future.

The six-step problem solving program is so effective, in my opinion, that I have applied it to my own management strategy. During meetings with my leadership team, I will often troubleshoot an issue by encouraging the use of the FPS method.

1. Finding Challenges/Problems: Find possible problems within the given parameters.
2. Select an Underlying Problem: Determine the most important or consequential problem.
3. Solutions: Brainstorm solutions to solve the Underlying Problem.
4. Generate/Select Criteria: Write five criteria by which to judge the solutions.
5. Apply Criteria to Solutions: Judge the solutions with the criteria, and determine which solution is the best overall.
6. Action Plan: The highest-scoring (best) solution, as determined by Step 5, is elaborated into a detailed plan for the implementation of that solution.

The Milton Public Schools FPS teams have done very well at Qualifying Bowls, State Bowls and have even competed at the International Bowl. Each of our elementary schools has an FPS team, which is coached by MPS Librarian Lori Henry. In addition, we have two teams at Pierce Middle School, which is coached by Nicole Hoyceanyls.  All six teams (see names below, under Curriculum News) competed last weekend at the Qualifying Bowl at Canton High School. We are eagerly awaiting the results, which should arrive in two weeks. If our teams advance, they will compete at the State Bowl in April, at Clark University in Worcester, where teams compete for the opportunity to represent Massachusetts at the International FPS Conference.

To give you an idea of what types of “problems” these students attempt to solve, the most recent competition posed a question on the topic of “Recovering From Natural Disaster “ and the State Bowl’s topic will be “The Global Workforce.”

Please join me in thanking both of our FPS coaches and all of our FPS students for representing the Milton Public Schools in such a positive and prestigious competition.

SCHOOL COMMITTEE UPDATE

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

February 10^th:  The meeting began with a summary of a recent audit of the Food Service Department conducted by the Department of Education. This summary was given by Milton Food Service Director Jackie Morgan. Next, members approved the Annual Report, discussed changes to the upcoming meeting schedule. They also approved the FY17 contingent budget and the Second Quarter Report. They voted to approve a vendor warrant and also approved two policies (AC and ACA.)  Four sets of minutes were approved before the meeting was adjourned.

The next meeting will be held Wednesday, February 24^th at 7 pm in the Milton Access cable studio in Room 245 at Milton High School.

CURRICULUM NEWS

Please note: Due to the two snow days, the last day of school is now June 22^nd, which will be a half day.

* * *

Please note, First Grade Information Night will be held on Monday, March 7th in the Charles C. Winchester Auditorium at Milton High School. This event begins at 6:30pm and is for parents/guardians of students who will be entering first grade in the fall of 2016.

* * *

Also, STEM Night will be held on Friday, March 11th in the Collicot/Cunningham Cafe. This event begins at 6:30pm. This night is designed to inform parents/guardians about the English Innovation Pathways program, which integrates a STEM experience at each grade level.

* * *

We are very pleased to announce that our MHS Art Department had a banner year! Our students did extremely well in the Boston Globe Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. We went from just 9 winning entries last year to 74 in total this year, which includes 8 Gold Keys and 13 Silver Keys! Congratulations to the following students, as well as their talented teachers, Karen Hughes and Kassandra Aloe.

Alexis Belash: One Gold Key(Painting); and three Honorable Mentions (Drawing & Illustration, Art Portfolio) Isabel Belash: One Silver Key (Photography), two Honorable Mentions (Photography, Ceramics & Glass) Joseph Binda: Honorable Mention (Photography), Claire Casey: three Honorable Mentions (Drawing & Illustration), Emme Cronin: Honorable Mention (Drawing & Illustration), Mairead Dambruch: Four Gold Keys (three for Painting, one for Art Portfolio) and two Honorable Mentions (Painting), Xiaoqing Deng: three Honorable Mentions (two Photography, one Art Portfolio), Maeve Doyle: One Silver Key (Photography), two Honorable Mentions (Photography), Kerry Driscoll: Honorable Mention (Photography), Jamie Eder: Honorable Mention (Drawing and Illustration), Allegra Giddings: two Honorable Mentions (Photography), Anne Marie Grudem: three Honorable Mentions (two for Drawing & Illustration and one for Photography); Emma Heller: three Honorable Mentions (Photography); Alexis Higgins: two Honorable Mentions (Drawing & Illustration and Photography); Laura Hill: Honorable Mention (Drawing & Illustration); Hope Huban: Gold Key, Silver Key and Honorable Mention (Photography); Delphine Jrolf: Honorable Mention (Drawing & Illustration); Joshua Kery: four Silver Keys (three for Drawing & Illustration and one for Art Portfolio) and five Honorable Mentions (Drawing & Illustration); Sarah Lam: Gold Key(Photography); Nathan Liberty: Silver Key (Personal Essay/Memoir); Savannah Madden: Honorable Mention (Drawing & Illustration); Kristen Mills: Honorable Mention (Art Portfolio and Drawing & Illustration); Kate Murray:  Honorable Mention (Drawing & Illustration); Sabrina Najarian: Honorable Mention (Drawing & Illustration); Rosalind Smith: Silver Key (Photography); Stephen Tan: Honorable Mention (Drawing & Illustration); Kalyani Twyman: Silver Key (Photography); John Viveiros: Silver Key (Photography); Imani Walker: three Honorable Mention (Art Portfolio, Drawing & Illustration and Poetry); Antonina Welz: Gold Key (Poetry) and Honorable Mention (Photography); Maximilian Welz: Honorable Mention (Photography); Michael Wyatt: Two Silver Keys and five Honorable Mentions (Photography)

The following information was sent to us by Elementary Language, Arts & Math Coordinator Amy Gale:

 MIT offers a series called “Science on Saturday.” There are three events left in the program from this coming Saturday through April. Parents and guardians who are interested in this program for their children should click on the link below, which provides information about the overall program.

http://web.mit.edu/museum/programs/calendar/sci_on_saturday.html

* * *

I recently received the newsletter (see below) from Internet Expert Katie Greer. Ms. Greer has spoken at both Milton High School and Pierce Middle School during the past several years and has also spoken at a parent/guardian evening hosted by the Milton Public Schools.

We’re hitting the ground running in 2016, with exciting conversations around the latest apps and trends making their rounds in schools such as: After School and Vault. Vault recently reared its ugly head when over 100 students were involved in a major sexting incident in Colorado. According to reports, students were “trading” sexually explicit images of one another and storing them behind this app, which at first glance appears to be a calculator, but is password protected to conceal files.

These incidents serve as important reminders that proactive conversations with kids and parents about digital responsibility are imperative. One of the biggest messages I share with students is, “OWN IT.” Own what you post, text, search, take pictures of, and create online, because being proud of what you’ve created in this space can take you a long way; and a misstep could stick around forever.

Katie L. Greer | Former Dir. of Internet Safety, MA Attorney General’s Office | Former Intelligence Analyst, MA State Police | Modern Mom Contributor | iKeepSafe Advisory Board

* * *

The following item was sent to us by Dr. Noreen Diamond Burdett, Director of Fine Arts & Family/Consumer Studies:

The Milton Public Schools had an outstanding showing at the recent SEMSBA auditions. Thank you to Gary Good and Debra Thoresen for chaperoning our 80 students to auditions. Thank you to Dawn Sykes and Colleen Martin for being adjudicators at SEMSBA.  I had the pleasure of being an adjudicator today as well. Most importantly…..KUDOS to our 58 students (see below) who were selected by audition for places in the SEMSBA festivals.

For Junior SEMSBA from Pierce – Congrats to 16 students:  Esme Link, Lemuel Marc, Ella O’Hanlon, Caleb Smith, Katherine Baker, Shea Flanagan, Adriana Halpin-Quiroga Saoirse Killion, Sarah Mitchell, Catherine Le, Zoe Malouf, Giselle Neville, June Padera, Kate Possi, Dominique Thomas and Claire Walko.

For Junior SEMSBA from MHS – Congrats to 10 students:  Kianna Barrett, Annabel Botsford, Colleen Conley, Lilja Cormack, Grace Dwyer, Paula Hogan, Penelope Holland, Laura O’Hanlon, Emily Schewe and Milan Smith.

For Senior SEMSBA from MHS – Congrats to 32 students:  Shareen Alsebai, Samantha Antoniewicz, Ryan Au, Shoilee Banerjee, Julia Butler, Emily Chow, Eva Chow, Gray Davis, Isabella DeFilippo, Julia DeFilippo, Allegra DeNooyer, James Disandro, Lucia Hainline, Liam Hines, Dominik Hyppolite, Miwa Joiner, James Le, Nethania Marc, Nicholas Marinilli, Julia Nerenberg,  Hue-Ninh Nguyen, Colette Nourie, Isaac Piliavin, Emily Possi, Ben Scott, Madeline Scott, Hannah Solomon, Katherine Steele, Grace Varela, Liezel Werner, and Michael Wyatt.

* * *

As I mentioned in my introduction, our Future Problem Solving teams competed last weekend in Canton. Thank you to Pierce Coach Nicole Hoyceanyls and Elementary Coach Lori Henry, who told me they were so impressed with the determination, good sportsmanship and hard work that our students displayed. We are hoping for great results!!

Pierce: Middle Division: Claire Walko, Dominique Thomas, Zoe Malouf, and Abby Files, June Padera, Kaylee Moy, Ella O’Hanlon, and Alix Bennoit. Junior Division: Barron Clancy, Anderson Korman, Jackson Matjaika, and Ian Gravellese, William Kelly, Henry Synnott, Ian Lundeen, Matt Carbone, Delia Gaff, and Jackson Elfer.

Tucker: Priya Shaw, Nicholas Reason, Emily Gallagher, Joanna McPherson, Ian Wick, Kaitlin Schleicher, Ellis Wallace and Logan Do. Collicot: Lok Ye Young, Kate Karimbakas, Daniel Cherry, Emmet  McElhinney, Conor Mannion, Mary Mullen, Bridget Miskell, Connor Naughton. Cunningham: Lauren McGill, Raina Sohur, Christian Phillips, Sophie Kosiba, Adrianna Ruiz, Will Kelley, Abbie Steuterman, Sophia Porros-Avalos. Glover: Abigail Coggins, James Carroll, Fiona McCarthy, Jonah Renz,  Newly Henry, Thomas Sullivan, Michael Duffy, Mia Gilmore.

* * *

Please note, that our High School Guidance Department hosted a College Planning night for all parents/guardians and students back in December. This evening provided 20 minute info sessions on some college planning hot topics; SAT/ACT exams, Financial Aid, Naviance and NCAA eligibility.

Then on January 28th, Drew Heilpern, a representative from Summit Educational Group, discussed with parents/guardians and students the New SAT exam, what to expect and how it compares to the ACT. If you missed either of these nights, you can watch them on Comcast 22/RCN 15  or online by clicking on the links below:

College Information Night

SAT Information Night 

Handouts for both of these nights can be found on the Guidance Edline page @ http://www.edline.net/pages/Milton_High_School/Department_Pages/guidance

We hope you find these videos helpful.

* * *

The following item was sent to us by Eileen Mullen, Child Study teacher at Milton High School:

The children in the MHS Pre-K Program (Gile Campus)and Child Study students were visited by the members of the MHS Asian Culture Club in honor of Chinese New Year. The children were fascinated to learn about a different culture, traditions, clothing, food and music. Pre-K children were treated to make their way to three stations…coloring, stories about the celebration of Chinese New Year and a chance to try on and dance with the Lion head and costume used in the parades. A fun and educational time was had by all! How fortunate that the MHS Pre-K Program has such tremendous resources available to learn about and respect different cultures. Thank you Asian Culture Club!

UPCOMING MPS EVENTS

Please join us for the upcoming PTO Joint Budget Presentations. We strongly encourage parents/guardians attend this meeting to learn about the impact of the school budget on the upcoming school year (2016/2017).

• Collicot/Cunningham              February 22^nd – Collicot/Cunningham Library @ 7pm
• Tucker/Glover                            February 23^rd – Glover Library @ 7pm
• MHS/PMS                                      February 29^th – MHS Auditorium @ 7pm

* * *

Pierce PTO is once again sponsoring a CPR/Healthy Heart Fundraiser.  This event is open to anyone who would like to get certified in CPR, take a Babysitting class, First Aid, or the Medical Providers’ CPR.  This is great for athletes, students who might want to be camp counselors or life guards, or teens that would like a babysitting certificate.  The more people we certify, the healthier and safer our community!  Thanks to PRO-EMS for volunteering their time and staff.  All proceeds benefit Pierce Middle School. Please share with your school communities.  Sign ups are by the following links, or email piercemiddlepto@gmail.com.  Thanks!

• Medical Basics of Babysitting 09:00-10:15:
• https://proems.enrollware.com/enroll?id=1056285
• Medical Basics of Babysitting 10:30-10:45:
• https://proems.enrollware.com/enroll?id=1056286
• Heartsaver CPR/AED 09:15-10:15
• https://proems.enrollware.com/enroll?id=1056288
• Heartsaver CPR/AED 10:45-11:45
• https://proems.enrollware.com/enroll?id=1056289
• Heartsaver First Aid  10:30-11:30
• https://proems.enrollware.com/enroll?id=1056290
• CPR for Professionals, BLS for Healthcare Providers 09:15-10:15
• https://proems.enrollware.com/enroll?id=1056291

MHS ALUMNI INFO

Congratulations to MHS Alumni Gabe Stillman, pictured above. Gabe is the son of Robert Rosofsky and Laurie Stillman of Milton.  Photo Caption: Sgt. Maj. Robert Staff presents the Col. Finley R. Hamilton Outstanding Military Musician Award to Spc. Gabe Stillman. The award acknowledges US Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard enlisted musicians who exhibit outstanding musical leadership excellence.  (US Army Photo by Spc Christian Mealey. The Army Ground Forces Band.)

ADULT ED

Registration is open for our spring session of Milton Public School’s Adult Education Program. We have many new offerings running this session, so check out the spring brochure by clicking here.)  Registration closes Friday, February 19h, and classes begin the week of March 7^th.

SUMMER PROGRAMS

The following item was sent in by Cunningham Principal Jonathan Redden:

Good Afternoon Milton Families! It is still very cold outside but Milton Summer Enrichment 2016 will be here in 4 shorts months. At this time, I would like to communicate important information about the summer program. This will serve as the first of many communications about Milton Summer Enrichment (MSE).

Administration for MSE:  We have a new administrative team working hard in preparation for MSE 2016.  Mrs. Butler (mse@cunninghamschool.org) can answer questions about Red Shirts and volunteer opportunities.  She will also be available when it is time to register, change courses or make payments.  Mr. Donovan (bdonovan@miltonps.org) can take questions about Middle and High School academic credit courses.  All other questions about MSE can be directed to me at mse@cunninghamschool.org.  You can also call Cunningham at 617-696-4285 daily between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Courses:  We are currently recruiting staff for MSE.  This process involves finding skilled staff to teach and balancing course offerings for all age levels.  We hope to bring back all of our popular offerings as well as new courses that will be fun and engaging for students. This year, we hope to offer more courses around STEM, keyboarding, and the Arts.  Once course offerings are finalized, we will send an At a Glance Document to help prepare you for registration.   This document will be sent in April.

Registration:  Online registration will take place in April.  We will also have drop in times at Cunningham School and Milton High School.  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 register.  We will not leave the online registration open until the start of MSE.  If you miss the online registration window, you will have to register in person during a drop in time (TBD).

Tentative Dates

April 15, 2016 – At a Glance Document
April 15, 2016 – Brochure for MSE
April 26, 2016 – Family ID Live Registration
May 27, 2016 – End of online registration
TBD – Onsite Registrations

Tuition: The tuition for MSE is subject to change pending a decision by the Milton School Committee.

1 Course = $150                          2 Courses = $300                        3 Courses + $450

4 Courses = $560                        Pre – k = $600                              Family Max = $1,050

Pricing for academic credit courses will be shared in a later communication.

Dates: MSE will be held at Milton High School and run from Monday – Thursday.  The program will begin on June 27, 2016 and end on July 28, 2016.    These dates can change due to snow days that are made up in June.

Again, this is the first of many communications. If you have questions about MSE please contact me at jredden@cunninghamschool.org.  If you would like to speak with me, you may call Cunningham School at (617) 696 – 4285 after 3 p.m. Mondays – Fridays. I am looking forward to another great year of MSE!

PAC/SPECIAL ED NEWS

The Milton Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) has announced its program of parent meetings for the remainder of the school year. The schedule is as follows:

Wednesday March 2, 2016. 7-9pm.
Topic: PCG review and updates from Tracy Grandeau
Location: Glover library

At this meeting, Ms. Grandeau and representatives from Public Consulting Group will present the findings from the district’s recent special education program evaluation. Discussion and Q&A will follow.

Wednesday March 30, 2016. 7-9pm.
Topic: Executive functions
Location: Pierce Middle School auditorium

Jackie Stachel, senior coach and director of communications for Beyond Book Smart, will present “Executive functions: Fit the Strategy to the Learning Profile” to the Milton community on March 30. Ms. Stachel will explain how intelligence and executive functions differ and trace the timeline of executive functions development in students. Parents and educators are welcome.

Tuesday April 12, 2016. 7-9pm.
Topic: Grade-level round tables with representatives from MPS
Location: Glover library

At this event, parents can learn what to expect as their children progress through the various levels of the Milton Public Schools. The district’s preschool, elementary, middle, and high school programs will each be represented. Parents can meet and ask questions of MPS staff – including administrators, educators, TEAM chairs, and other service providers.

Tuesday May 17, 2016. 7-9pm.
Topic: Inclusion
Location: Glover library

Tuesday June 7, 2016. 7-9pm.
Topic: Year in review and SEPAC elections for 2016-2017
Location: Glover library

We hope you can join us. For more information, please visit www.miltonsepac.org.

MFE NEWS

The following item was sent to us by Celebration for Education Event Co-Chairs Darryl Elliott, Eileen Heller, William Resnick and Angela Van Allen:

Get ready to celebrate! The Milton Foundation for Education (MFE) will commemorate its 20^th Anniversary at Celebration 2016, “Empowering Teachers, Enriching Students” on Saturday, April 9, 2016 at Lombardo’s in Randolph.  Registration and Cocktails begin at 6:30pm, with Dinner and Program to Follow. The Jeep Raffle winner will be announced,

(It’s back! Contact Liddie Sutter at liddievs@gmail.com or any MPS office!) Festive cocktail attire is encouraged. Tickets are $95 each or $65 each for MPS teachers and can be purchased online by clicking here.    The ticket price includes an after-party at Vincent’s!

NEWS AROUND TOWN

The following item was sent to us by the Milton Playground Planners:

Join us for an Indoor Yard Sale to help support the Milton Playground Planners! It’s time to start cleaning out your attics/basements and donate your gently used items. We will have two days dedicated for dropping off donations (Feb 18th & 19th) then host the yard sale on Saturday Feb 20th! We need a few more volunteers – please sign up here: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0c49a5a722abfe3-indoor *If you have items to donate but can’t make it during the drop off days/hours – let us know and we’ll see if we can help with a pick up.

 

* * *

The Milton Public Schools have been working closely with the staff of Milton Access TV. If you missed any of the recent MPS events, please click below the links for the online videos:

Kindergarten Information Night 

College Information Night

SAT Information Night 

* * *

The following item was sent to us by Laurie Stillman with the Milton Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition:

The Milton Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition brings together community residents and students, professionals, leaders, and town organizations (including the schools) to work collaboratively on preventing and addressing substance abuse and related mental health challenges in our Town of Milton.  Anyone from the community is welcomed to join us by giving of your time, your perspectives, your support, and/or your skills.  Please come to the coalition’s next meeting on February 24^th at 7pm at BID Milton Hospital, and visit our website for more information and resources at www.milton-coalition.org. On the website’s homepage, you can enter your email address to receive important announcements and newsletters.  We promise not to inundate you!

MILTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

Winter is here – and so are fun things for kids to do at the Milton Public Library! 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 February 21 – 27:

Friday, February 26, 2016 from 10:00 -11:00 am
Yoga Woga, Ages 3-5

Yoga Woga is back. Children ages 3-5 are invited to come to this fun time learning yoga with Jill Pokaski Azar, certified yoga instructor. Registration is required (separate sign up for each session). Sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

Saturday, February 27, 2016 from 10:00 – 10:30 am
Tech Tots, Ages 0-6

Join Miss Sara for a storytime that incorporates iPad apps along with books and songs to show families how to appreciate stories in new ways! For ages 0-6 with caregiver; no registration required.

Saturday, February 27, 2016 from 2:30 – 3:30 pm
MCBA Book Club, Grades 4-6

The Massachusetts Children’s Book Award was established as a program to encourage children to read great books. This year the MCBA Book Club has been reading one book from the 2015 shortlist each month, and at this meeting we will vote for the book we think deserves to be named the book of the year! For February, readers in grades 4-6 may choose one of the following two books to read: Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo or Mr. & Mrs. Bunny: Detectives Extraordinaire! by Polly Horvath. Copies will be available one month in advance of the program at the Children’s Room desk, or by placing a hold in our online catalog. Please read the book in advance of our meeting – you’ll have more fun that way! Registration is required.

To see a complete listing of library events, please click here:

http://www.eventkeeper.com/code/events.cfm?curOrg=MILTONPL

VISUAL ARTS

ArtSpace Milton is offering a new class — Needle Felting in the Spring! This 8-week course will be offered on Wednesdays from 4-5:30 pm and will run from March 2^nd to May 4^th (No class March 16th or April 20th) The classes will be held at the Milton Public Library and will be open to ages 10 and older. Each week, students will work on a new felting project, making “lots of cool little felted creatures and decorations.” No experience necessary. Class fee: $175. Instructor, Annie LaVigne Register by email: annie@harrietandmickey.com

* * *

The Milton Art Center is proud to announce its FIRST ANNUAL JURIED EXHIBITION 2016

Gallery 334 at the Milton Art Center invites Boston-area, national and international artists to enter its first annual Juried Exhibition. Within exhibition guidelines, any artwork in any medium is eligible for consideration. Click here for an exhibit entry form and please note that February 25^th is the entry for all entries.  For more detailed information: download the Prospectus or visit: http://www.miltonartcenter.org/

ATHLETICS

Girls Indoor Track

The girls track team finished the regular season with a 5-1 record and won the Herget Division of the Bay State Conference. They enter the post season this Friday at the Div IV State Championships. The team is expected to be in contention for the title. The team is also very excited that two of their relay teams – the 4X800 and the Distance Medley Relay, as well as junior Colette O’Leary, have all qualified to compete in the Nationals to be held in New York on March 11^th, 12^th & 13^th

Boys Indoor Track

The boys track team finished the regular season with a 5-1 record and won the Herget Division of the Bay State Conference.  The 4X200 relay team qualified for the National Meet in NY in March and is looking forward to competing. The team is currently preparing for the Division 4 Championship this Friday.  Cheer & Dance

Both the JV and Varsity Teams are winding down their seasons but are looking forward to February 23^rd when they will be in Framingham taking part in the Bay State Conference Cheer & Dance Competition. The team is moving forward with competition practices, positive attitude and team spirit in high gear.

Girls Hockey

The Girls Hockey Team has an overall record of 9 wins-4 losses – 3 ties and is in second place in the league. They have two players that are ready to reach milestone records in scoring. Elena Kapolis has 46 Goals 50 Assists 96 career points may hit 100 soon. Julia Scannell 37 Goals 54 Assists 91 career points may hit 100 on Saturday night. Tonight, Wednesday and Saturday night are home games and Saturday night will be Senior Night. The team will be competing in the Notre Dame Academy Cougar Classic over February Vacation on Tuesday, the 16^th.

Boys Hockey

The Boys Team continues to work hard as the season winds down. Their record stands at 5 wins, 8 losses and 3 ties. They will be taking part in the Woburn Tournament over February vacation on Wednesday, 17^th.

Boys Basketball

The Boys Basketball program had a great win over Brookline on Tuesday night winning 72-64. Aiden Johnson led the team with 21 points followed by Jamaurie Coakley with 17 points. Sam Ferrara made some clutch three point shots down the stretch to clinch the win. The Wildcats face Dedham at Dedham on Thursday night. The Wildcats record is 6-9 overall. The team will play in the Moscardelli Tournament in Quincy on Monday the 15^th.

Girls Basketball

The Girls Basketball Team is currently 4-11. The girls continue to play hard every night and hope to get on a winning streak as the season winds down. Thursday night will be Senior Night as we honor all our senior players.

Ski Team

The most recent Giant Slalom Races went very well for the Milton High School Boys & Girls Ski Team. Georgia Bell and Kate Rulon are the top girls and have an outside chance of making states, while Owen & Aidan Walsh continue to pace the boy’s team.  Tonight are the final Slalom races at Blue Hills are Georgia & Kate’s best discipline and if they do well, could move them up in the standings.

Wrestling

Milton Wrestling lost to Weymouth last Wednesday 48-24.  Last night, they faced Braintree at home at 7:00pm.  This Saturday, Milton hosts the MIAA Division 2 Metro Sectional Wrestling Tournament.  It will be an exciting day for the entire Milton Wrestling Community. Thank you to the many members of the Milton Boosters who will be volunteering and assisting throughout the day.

For sports schedules for all MHS teams, please click here:

AMBASSADOR PAGE

Students: I would like to congratulate MHS junior Elena Kapolis, who not only helped the girls’ hockey team qualify for tournament last night, but who also achieved a milestone by scoring her 100^th point. Congratulations to Elena and her team, and be sure to check out this team on Saturday (2/13) at Ulin Rink as they celebrate Senior Night and take on Dedham High School at 6pm.

Staff:   I would like to recognize MHS chemistry teacher Jon Diamond for his incredible work with the our MHS Robotics Club, which hosted the First Tech Challenge League Championships at the Copeland Field House this past weekend. More than 20 teams from around the region came to compete at this event, which Milton has now hosted for the second year in a row. This was a great deal of work, both for Mr. Diamond and for the students on his team, all of whom went “above and beyond.” Thank you.

Volunteers: I would like to thank the Copeland Foundation for their recent donation of a 15-passenger van to the Milton Public Schools.  This long-awaited van will be used for our high school debate team, elementary Future Problem Solvers and middle school Model UN teams, to name a few.  This is not only a huge convenience for our clubs, athletic teams and academic competition teams, but it will also be a money-saver for our district. We are very grateful to the Copeland family.

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

 

From: Mary C. Gormley
To:  Parents/Guardians and Staff
Re: E-blast Update
Date:  Friday, January 22^st, 2016

FROM THE DESK OF THE SUPERINTENDENT

I often say that the Milton Public Schools’ arts, drama and music programs are second to none. For those who have never experienced one of these events first-hand, now is your chance. One of the highlights of the year for Pierce Middle School is currently underway. Last night’s Pierce Player’s performance of Once Upon A Mattress was a smashing success and we look forward to the rest of the scheduled performances. This musical comedy will be performed tonight, Friday, January 22^nd at 7pm & Saturday, January 23^rd at 2pm in the Pierce Middle School Auditorium.  Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for children. Please check www.pierceplayers.org for more information.

SCHOOL COMMITTEE UPDATE

There has been one School Committee meetings since my last E-blast. That meeting is summarized below:

January 20, 2016: This meeting began with two students from the Pierce Players, who encouraged the community to attend the upcoming production of Once Upon a Mattress. Next, members voted on the 2016-17 school year calendar and conditionally approved the Annual Report. The Finance Subcommittee submitted the FY17 Cut/Reduction List and voted to approve the FY17 fees. The Policy Subcommittee approved the Student Activities Policy and the Field Trip Policy. School Committee members voted to cancel the upcoming February 3^rd meeting and instead meet on February 10, 2016, after which they adjourned to executive session.

The next meeting will be held Wednesday, February 10^th at 7 pm in the Milton Access TV Studio at Milton High School.

CURRICULUM NEWS

Pre-School News: Any families wishing to enroll their child in a Milton Public School Preschool Program must pre-register by January 28th, 2016. Please note:

• Children must be age 3 or 4 on or before August 31, 2016 in order to be eligible to attend the Edgehill or Blue Hill Half Day Programs.
• Children must be age 4 on or before August 31, 2016 in order to be eligible to attend the Gile or Blue Hills Full Day Programs.
• Pre-registration is required in order to determine enrollment and plan programs.
• If there is high enrollment indicated by pre-registration, programs will hold lotteries on January 29, 2016.
• The pre-registration form can be found at the following link:
• http://tinyurl.com/preschoolpreregMPS
• Waitlists will be maintained for each program.
• Multiples (twins, triplets, etc.) will be treated as one entry into the lottery but each student will incur an individual tuition cost.
• If you were unable to attend the Preschool Information Night the entire power point can be found at http://www.miltonps.org/documents/PreschoolInformationNight2016.pdf

 Kindergarten News: Kindergarten Info Night was held last night at Milton High School’s Charles C. Winchester Auditorium last night, with more than 400 people in attendance. If you were unable to attend and would like to view the presentation, click here: http://www.miltonps.org/documents/KInformationNight2016FFINAL_000.pdf   If you would like more information about Kindergarten registration, click here: http://www.miltonps.org/about-student-reg.php

First Grade Info Nights will be held Monday, March 7^th  2016 at 6:30pm at the Charles C. Winchester Auditorium at Milton High School. Information on French Immersion, English Innovation Pathway/STEM and general curriculum information will be presented.

First Grade STEM Info Night will be held on March 11^th at 6:30pm at the Cunningham/Collicot cafeteria.

MPEG NEWS

I am pleased to announce a new partnership between the Milton Public Schools and Milton Access Television. We will be collaborating to host a twice-monthly television program to discuss topics of interest to Milton Public School families and the community at large. We recently aired our first event, which was organized by our Guidance Department and was geared towards parents/guardians of college-bound students. The event, College Information Night, was a huge success, thanks to Guidance Department Head Karen Cahill and Milton Access Television executive director Mike Lynch. The show  is now available on Milton Access Television’s website. Here is the link. The program will also be rebroadcast on the education channels, which are Comcast 22 and RCN 15.  It will play all week long at 8:30pm.

* * *

The following item was sent to us by Elementary Science Coordinator Bernadette Moonan:

Did you know that you own millions of acres of national parks, historic structures, cultural artifacts, ancient forests, snow-capped mountains, and clear blue lakes? Our federal public lands and waters belong to all Americans and are waiting for you to explore them! You can get your Every Kid in a Park pass at www.everykidinapark.gov, the official website where parents, educators, and kids can learn more.

To help engage and create our next generation of park visitors, supporters and advocates, the White House, in partnership with the Federal Land Management agencies, launched the Every Kid in a Park initiative. The immediate goal is to provide an opportunity for each and every 4th grade student across the country to experience their federal public lands and waters in person throughout the 2015-2016 school year.

Beginning September 1, 2016, all kids in the fourth grade have access to their own Every Kid in a Park pass at www.everykidinapark.gov. This pass provides free access to national parks, national forests, national wildlife refuges, and more!

The Every Kid in a Park pass is good for the 2015-2016 school year, until August 31, 2016. Information on obtaining the pass is available by visiting www.everykidinapark.gov.

In support of Every Kid in a Park, the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks, is raising funds to help connect fourth graders to America’s public lands and waters through transportation grants. As part of the Foundation’s Open OutDoors for Kids program, the Every Kid in a Park transportation grants seek to remove barriers to accessing our nation’s public lands and waters, with a special focus on underserved and urban communities. With cutbacks in school funding for field trips, this strategic funding will help provide comprehensive access to all federal sites, including national parks, forests, wildlife refuges and public lands and waters. Transportation grants were recently awarded to the federal agencies participating in the program which include the National Park Service, Forest Service, Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

* * *

               Collicot students and staff have taken on the “The Great Kindness Challenge,” part of a national campaign to recognize the importance of being kind.  Along with tracking a “kindness checklist,” which offers suggestions of good deeds, students have also created dozens of beautiful posters encouraging positive behavior and are also participating in the “Kind Coins for Kenya” initiative, which is a global service project to build a new school in a Kenyan village.

Under the direction of Collicot Principal Holly Concannon, the students have immersed themselves in the culture of kindness. During an assembly, students watched a video called the “Kindness Boomerang,” which explained how a kind act can spread and “boomerang” back to the person who started it.

One of the most visible outcomes of this challenge has been the coin drive. Principal Concannon has been keeping all the coins brought in by students in her office and she said she is impressed by her students’ generosity.

* * *

The Milton High School Debate Team is having a very successful tournament season. On Saturday, January 9^th, the team travelled to Newton South High School with 20 members of the team, as well as two recent MHS graduates and debate team “alumni” who participated in the tournament as judges.

At the Newton South tournament, the following Milton High School teams achieved a 3-1 record: Tanvir Islam & Matthew Murphy;  Aislinn O’Brien & and Sindhu Banerjee; Ornella Ebongue & Jack Cullen. In addition, Lydia Horan and Domenic Jancaterino went 4-0 and made it to quarter-finals.

Kacy Dotoli, the MHS Debate Team coach, said she was very proud of the team’s performance. She also thanked the Milton High Debate Team alumni (Cormac Connors, Colman Lydon, and Olivia Erickson) who accompanied the team to Newton South and also acted as mentors to some of the novice team members during the day.

A smaller group of students were selected to compete at the Lexington Winter Invitational on January 16th and 17th at Lexington High School as part of a two-day National Tournament. The Milton High School teams of Lydia Horan & Domenic Jancaterino; Shoilee Banerjee & Ornella Ebongue; Tanvie Islam & Matthew Murphy; and Sindhu Banerjee & Aislinn O’Brien all went 3-3 at this tournament; and the remaining team of GiGi Jiang & Nuasheen Chowdhurry went 2-4 at this debate.

UPCOMING MPS EVENTS

The following item was submitted by our Guidance Director, Karen Cahill:

Please join us on Thursday, January 28^th at 6:30pm when Drew Hailpern, from Summit Learning Center, will discuss the new SAT.  Students in the class of 2017 will be the first to experience the changes planned for the SAT so to help students and parents stay informed and prepared for the changes. Mr. Hailpern will be discussing everything you need to know about the changes and answer any questions you may have.  Parents/Guardians and students of any grade are welcome to attend.

* * *

A series of PTO presentations have been scheduled in the month of February to discuss the upcoming FY17 Budget Cuts/Reductions. These presentations will be given by the Milton School Committee and the MPS administration. Please make an effort to attend one of the following sessions:

• For MHS/PMS families: February 11 @ 7pm in the Milton High School library.
• For Collicot/Cunningham families: February 22 @ 7pm in the Cunnigham/Collicot library.
• For Tucker/Glover families: February 23 @ 7pm in the Glover library.

* * *

The following Science Fairs will be held in February:

• The Tucker Science fair will be held on February 4^th from 4:30-6:30 at Tucker Elementary School.
• The Collicot Science Fair will be held February 23^rd and 25^th at 7pm at the Cu/Co cafeteria.
• The Cunningham Science Fair will be held on February 24^th at 7pm in the Cu/Co cafeteria.

GRANTS/FUNDRAISERS

We are very grateful to the Milton Women’s Club, who recently funded a grant for the Milton Public Schools to build an Outdoor Book Swap/Library on campus at four of our MPS buildings. Once built, students and members of the community will be able to trade books outside of school hours by using a “take one/leave one” approach. The books would be housed in a weather-proof “cabinet” mounted on a pole to make the books at eye level. Other students or members of the community will be free to borrow or donate books at any hour. The beauty of this idea is that we can make literature accessible beyond the school walls and beyond the school day. We would like to build one “Outdoor Book Swap/Library” at all four elementary schools and the Pierce Middle School. We hope that this will instill a love of books and reading in our students and in the community. Again, thank you to the Milton Women’s Club.

MFE NEWS

Save the Date! The Milton Foundation for Education will be holding the 20^th Annual Celebration for Education event on Saturday, April 9^th at Lombardo’s in Randolph.

* * *

The MFE is delighted to award a total of $15,000 in grants to teachers for the fall grant cycle. One of the many exciting and transformative grants went to Kerri Devin, a teacher at Pierce Middle School.  Ms. Devin proposed archeological dig equipment kits for 6th grade students to use in the outdoor classroom.  Students will be able to uncover and analyze artifacts to learn, through hands-on experience, how and why we study history.

Other grants include a digitizer for the High School which will create 3D models ready to 3D print or project onto smart boards.   Fiction and nonfiction texts will enhance classroom lending libraries at Cunningham and Collicot.  Materials to support social calm down areas and opportunities at Tucker have been approved, as has a recycling center at Glover.

None of this would be possible without the support of this generous community.

NEWS AROUND TOWN

A new group in town, Milton Playground Planners, a volunteer-based non-profit organization, is seeking to revitalize the town’s community spaces. The group is holding a kickoff fundraiser at Steel & Rye on Tuesday, January 26^th from 7 to 10pm. The event will feature several raffles including prizes such as a lottery basket, food baskets, and gift cards to popular retail stores. Proceeds from the event will go to renovating the town-owned playgrounds. Tickets are available for purchase online at www.eventbrite.com and cost $40 in advance or $50 at the door. For information about future events, to get involved or donate, please visit their website, www.miltonplaygroundplanners.com.

* * *

The following item was sent to us by the Neponset Rowing Club:

We Love Crew! Tickets are on sale now for our very special Valentine’s Day event.  We’re throwing a special event to introduce neighbors, community organizations and local businesses to the Neponset Rowing Club and our vision for the positive role rowing can play in our community.

The party takes place Sunday, January 31st at 88 Wharf Restaurant from 3:30 – 6:00pm. We’ll celebrate rowing, the Neponset River and love of community – just in time for Valentine’s Day!

Your $35 ticket includes delicious hors d’ouvres, one drink ticket, great door prizes and a swag bag stuffed with Valentine’s Day gift savings, coupons and more! Cash bar will continue throughout the afternoon. Click to buy tickets today, as quantities are limited!

http://www.eventbrite.com/e/we-love-crew-tickets-20280938834?aff=EFF

BID-MILTON

BID-Milton was recently named to the 2015 Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Hospital Honor Roll.  The Hospital Honor Roll names those hospitals whose performance was among the top 25 percent of those measured nationally on a set of composite quality metrics.  The metrics evaluate clinical process of care, patient experience and patient safety and are based on CMS Hospital Compare and Leapfrog data.  Further info on this program can be found under Provider Recognition Programs at www.HarvardPilgrim.org/MedDir.

MILTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

Winter is here – and so are fun things for kids to do at the Milton Public Library! 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 January 31 – February 6:

Friday, February 5, 2016 from 10:00 am – 12:00 noon
Free Play Friday, Ages 0-5

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

Saturday, February 6, 2016 from 10:00 – 10:30 am
Little Linguists Storytime, Ages 2-6

Bonjour and Hola! Come enjoy stories, songs and activities with Mary Doherty, local language instructor. Elements of the French and Spanish languages will be introduced each week. For ages 2-6 with parent. No registration required.

Saturday, February 6, 2016 from 2:30 – 3:30 pm
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 on Facebook and get updates right in your news feed! Please contact the Children’s Room if you have questions about any of our programs or services.

To see a complete listing of library events, please click here:

http://www.eventkeeper.com/code/events.cfm?curOrg=MILTONPL

ATHLETICS

Milton Girls Softball is now accepting registrations for the 2016 Spring Season. Milton Girls Softball is a recreational softball league open to girls in Kindergarten through Grade 8 who reside in or attend school in Milton. The season runs from mid-April to mid-June. New softball players of all ages are welcome as this is an instructional  program, yet competitive enough for everyone. The league offers five divisions:

• Kindergarten Instructional Program ($80 per player)
• Grades 1 and 2 ($95 per player)
• Grades 3 and 4 ($135 per player)
• Grades 5 and 6 ($135 per player)
• Grades 7 and 8 ($135 per player)

Maximum cost of $210 per family

Free Pre-Season Clinics –We are offering FREE softball skills clinics to all registered girls in Grade 1 through Grade 8. Clinics will be held indoors at Dirt Dawgs in Stoughton on Sundays starting on January 24th until mid-­‐ April. Clinics are free, but space is limited and we need your 2016 Spring registration paid in full prior to the first clinic.Register online or visit www.miltonsoftball.com for info

* * *

The following update was submitted by Athletic Director Alex Campea:

Boys Indoor Track: Congratulations to the team, with their victory last night vs. Wellesley they captured the BSC Championship and finishing the season undefeated. The team will be competing this Saturday in the Coaches Invitational Meet at the Reggie Lewis Center.

Girls Indoor Track is also having an outstanding season and has also captured the BSC Championship and is undefeated. The Team broke six school records in their dual meet vs. Natick.

CONGRATULATION … BOYS & GIRLS BSC INDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONS !

The Girls Championship Cross Country Team has been invited to the State House by Representative Walter Timilty and will visit next Wednesday, January 27^th. They are very excited to have this opportunity and look forward to this experience.

Girls Basketball record is now 3 wins & 6 losses. The girl’s team is improving after a slow start and plays its next game away at Needham this Friday night.

Boys Basketball record is 3 wins & 7 losses. They have won 3 of their last 5 games and are getting better each game.

Girls Hockey is doing well with 5 wins – 2 losses and 2 ties. They will be competing in the Notre Dame Academy Cougar Classic Ice Hockey Tournament over the February break on the 16^th and 18^th.

Boys Hockey is competing hard and continuing to improve as their record stands at 3 wins and – 5 losses & 1 tie. They are playing this Saturday vs. Needham.

Swim Team is excited to be hosting its first-ever home varsity swim event at Blue Hills Regional this Sunday vs. Newton North.

Wrestling is working hard as always and they will be traveling to Walpole this Saturday to compete in the Bay State Conference Championship Quad Meet. Milton has been selected to host the MIAA Sectional Wrestling Tournament on Saturday, February 13^th. This will be an all-day event and with the support of all the parents in the wrestling community and the Booster Club this will be a great day to showcase our terrific facility.

Ski Team has been forced to be indoors working out prior to this week. They have had all previous meets cancelled due to lack of snow. They welcome the snow and are on the slopes this week and looking forward to begin competing.

Cheer Team has taken the opportunity to visit the weight room and has received instruction and direction from Ted Kackley, the weight room supervisor and Mr. Collyer. They will continue to learn the proper techniques needed to improve their strength and conditioning.

For sports team schedules, click here: http://schedules.schedulestar.com/Milton-High-School-Milton-MA/season/08-28-2015/

AMBASSADOR PAGE

Students: I would like to congratulate Pierce Middle School student Emily Dobrindt, who recently represented her school as part of Project 351. Ms. Dobrindt was one of more than 250 students chosen as an “ambassador” for this project, which seeks to bring together a diverse group of 8^th gradrers from each of the state’s 351 cities and towns to perform community service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Staff:   I would like to thank all the administrators and teachers who have worked diligently to ensure that our recent Preschool and Kindergarten information nights were such a huge success. The amount of work that goes into these presentations is staggering and this year’s events were no exception. Both the Preschool and Kindergarten Info nights were well-attended and we have received very positive feedback from families who attended. Thanks to all those who helped to make these events a success.

Volunteers: Cunningham parent Jenn Manak recently created two beautiful new websites for her school’s Reading About Diversity committee. This was a “labor of love,” to benefit not only the Cunningham students, but the community at large. Many thanks to Ms. Manak and the Cunningham PTO, who maintains and funds the domains.  Please visit the websites at

http://www.readingaboutdiversity.org

http://www.meettheartists.org

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

 

From: Mary C. Gormley
To: Parents/Guardians and Staff
Re: E-blast Update
Date:  Friday, January 15, 2016

FROM THE DESK OF THE SUPERINTENDENT

“Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.”  — Martin Luther King, Jr.

I would like to be sure that all Milton Public School families know about a wonderful event taking place in our community on Monday evening to honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The event, which is sponsored by the Milton Interfaith Clergy Association, will be held at the Concord Baptist Church in Milton. This year’s Keynote Speaker – LaTrelle Easterling will discuss the evening’s theme: Just Us or Justice? The Choice is Ours. The evening event will begin at 6:30pm and will feature the Milton High School Gospel Chorus, St. Mary of the Hills Liturgical Dancers, Tucker and Glover Elementary School Singers, a presentation by Milton High Students, a display of student poems & artwork, presentation of MICA Scholarship Winners and a reaffirmation of the Milton “No Place for Hate” Resolution of Respect. Coffee, tea and dessert will be served. This is a perfect event for families, as all ages are welcome. Please make an effort to attend.

SCHOOL COMMITTEE UPDATE

There has been one School Committee meetings since my last E-blast, held on January 6^th. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 20^th at 7 pm in the Milton Access TV Studio at Milton High School. This meeting is summarized below:

January 6^th: As part of the Superintendent’s Report, this meeting began with a presentation from the Tucker Site Council.  Tucker Principal Dr. Elaine McNeil-Girmai, along with members of the school’s Site Council, presented the School Improvement Plan. Tucker students helped with the presentation, as well. As part of the Finance Subcommittee Report, members voted on School Committee Priorities for Additions to the FY17 Contingent Budget, per Warrant Committee Request.  The Policy Subcommittee Report included a Second Reading, on the Weapons in School Policy; and a first reading on Student Activities Policy, Field Trip Policy and Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Policy before the meeting adjourned to executive session.

CURRICULUM NEWS

It’s Kindergarten Registration Time! The following are three easy steps in the pre-registration & registration process for the 2016-2017 school year:

1) Go to the link below to pre-register your child for Kindergarten before January 15, 2016.

http://goo.gl/forms/MD0HlaFHtK

2) Attend the Kindergarten Information Night.

Thursday, January 21, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. in the Milton High School Charles C. Winchester Auditorium, 25 Gile Rd.

3) Registration will take place by appointment only on February 23rd, 24th & 25th.

Those who pre-register by January 15th will receive their registration appointment and packet at the Kindergarten Information Night.

If you have additional questions about Kindergarten Registration, please contact Laurie Dunn at ldunn@miltonps.org

 

Parents of pre-school aged children, please note, we are currently undergoing Preschool Registration for fall of 2016. Last night, more than 100 parents and guardians attended our Preschool Information Night at the Milton High School auditorium. To view the presentation, click here: http://www.miltonps.org/documents/PreschoolInformationNight2016.pdf

To get more information about our Preschool programs, click here:

http://www.miltonps.org/FactSheetforPreschoolInformationNight

* * *

Each year the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education recognizes and honors outstanding educators through various recognition programs. One way to recognize these educators is to nominate them to the Massachusetts Teacher of the Year program.  Anyone (students, colleagues, parents, supervisors, community members) may nominate teachers to the program. If you are interested in nominating a Milton Public School teacher, please click on the link below. Please note, nominations are due Friday, January 22^nd, 2016.

http://www.doe.mass.edu/educators/recognition/toy/#Nominate

* * *

Please see the following item from MPS Fine Arts & Family/Consumer Studies Director Dr. Noreen Diamond Burdett:

I am very thrilled to announce that we have 28 students accepted to perform in the All State Treble Chorus this year! That equals 14% of the entire chorus!!!! Congratulations to the following students and to their chorus directors, Dawyn Sykes, April Allegrezza and Colleen Martin, for preparing them for the audition!

Collicot School: Brynne Mershon, Charlotte Dangel and Nic Maldonato.
Cunningham School: Lily McLaughlin, Anya Weinstein, Kiera Glazer and Lily Lane.
Tucker School: Isabella Baylon, Priya Shaw, Ian Wick, Logan Do, Timothy Fay, Onosetale Odion-Ukpebor and Kaitlin Schleicher.
Glover School: Anna Dembowski, Sampreeti Fitton, Sadie Leggett, Fiona McCarthy and Isabella Fiske.
Pierce Middle School: Christopher Barrett, Jordan Elliott, Delia Gaff, Ian Gravallese, Ava Lundbohm, Rohan Meier, Anna Radley, Brendan Reardon and Victoria Williams

* * *

Please see the following item submitted by our Elementary Science Coordinator Bernadette Moonan:

As the cold weather approaches, many of us are searching for fun and enriching indoor activities for our children. There are so many educational and fun museums and exhibits in and around Boston that can be taken advantage of, and the Milton Public Library offers a fantastic free/discounted museum pass program that many residents are unaware of!  Giving young children rich experiences that build their background knowledge about science and other content areas can improve their interest and achievement in school!  To take advantage of the free/discounted passes, you must be a Milton resident and have a Milton Public Library card.  Some museums in the library program include:  Boston Children’s Museum, Museum of Science, local zoos, and more. Passes can be reserved up to a month in advance and can be reserved online or in person at the library. To learn more about the Museum Pass Program, follow this link: http://www.eventkeeper.com/code/events.cfm?curOrg=MILTONPL&curApp=passes

UPCOMING MPS EVENTS

We are pleased to announce the Pierce Players’ upcoming production of ONCE UPON A MATTRESS. This musical comedy will be performed on Thursday, January 21^st and Friday, January 22^nd at 7pm & January 23^rd at 2pm in the Pierce Middle School Auditorium.  Tickets are available at the door for $10 for adults and $8 for children. To purchase tickets in advance, download the order form at www.pierceplayers.org

* * *

Please save the date! Milton will be holding its first Winter Walk to School Day on Wednesday, February 3^rd.  More information will be posted in subsequent E-blasts!

FOOD SERVICE

The following item was submitted by our Food Service Intern, Kristin Sementelli:

Milton Public Schools Gets a Smarter Lunchroom Makeover: The Department of Food Services is happy to announce that Milton Public Schools is participating in the Smarter Lunchrooms Movement in an effort to encourage children to make healthy choices. Smarter Lunchrooms was developed by the Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs (the BEN Center) with the goal of equipping school lunchrooms with evidence-based tools that improve child eating behaviors and thus improve the health of children. The BEN Center has driven the Smarter Lunchrooms Movement through lab research focused on child health and behavioral sciences in the school environment. By using environmental cues such as better product placement and using creative names for healthier foods, these practical, research-based techniques increase student selection of healthier items. Milton Public Schools have already begun to utilize many of the techniques encouraged by Smarter Lunchrooms such as having fruit options available near all registers and encouraging students to select healthy choices, but hope to further implement these techniques in the coming year.

We have developed new signage for our daily menus and our food service managers are using fun names to describe our fruits and vegetable daily selections. Calling carrot sticks, “X-ray vision carrot sticks”, has been proven to help the child to not only select the carrot sticks but increase their consumption by up to 27%.  The Milton School Food Service Program is so fortunate to have been selected by USDA to be part of this cutting edge study.  Our four elementary school food service staff participated in on site visits at the end of last school year and will be visited again this spring to continue with the training tools that have been provided to us.  Our dietetic intern will be doing more on-site training at each elementary school in the next few weeks and bringing this new program to our middle and high schools in February 2015.  The staff is so excited with the new changes and has really noticed that the students are selecting more fruits and vegetables with their meals.

NEWS AROUND TOWN

Please join us in celebrating The Milton Community’s Annual Memorial Celebration to honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  This event, sponsored by Milton Interfaith Clergy Association, will be held Monday Evening, January 18^th from 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm at the Concord Baptist Church, 180 Blue Hill Ave in Milton. Please click here for more information.

The following item was sent to us by the Milton Early Childhood Alliance:

Learning Through Play Toddler and Preschool Play Group: Our free Learning Through Play Toddler and Preschool Play Group returns! A facilitator led, language and literacy play group for moms, dads, and grandparents with their children will be held on Thursday mornings from 9-10am, February 4 to March 10, 2016, at Discovery School-house, 101 Blue Hills Parkway in Milton. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Milton residents will be prioritized. For more information, click here or visit the MECA website.

* * *

The following item was sent to us by a new group in town, the Milton Playground Planners:

Please join the Milton Playground Planners on Tuesday, January 26^th at Steel & Rye restaurant for a Kick Off Event. Be among the first to see initial design proposals for the new playgrounds. We’ll have food, raffles and a sneak peek at equipment renderings.  The event is from 7-10pm and Steel & Rye is located at 95 Eliot Street in Milton. Tickets to this fundraising event are $50 at the door or $40 in advance by visiting

http://www.miltonplaygroundplanners.com/events.html

MILTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

Milton Reads 2016 is Revealed! The votes are tallied and the results are in. By popular choice, the 2016 selection for Milton Reads is Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson. Dead Wake is the true story of the attack on the luxury ocean liner Lusitania by a German submarine during World War I. It is a suspenseful story that switches between hunter and hunted while painting a larger portrait of America during the period.

“We are delighted that so many Milton readers were involved in the Milton Reads selection process for their next book,” says Library Director Will Adamczyk. “The library has ordered lots of extra copies, so everybody can read Dead Wake now and be ready to celebrate it in March!”

The public is encouraged to check out the book from the library (it is also available as an audio book), and then enjoy the cultural events for adults and families throughout the month of March.

Last spring, the Milton Reads Committee, which includes library staff, trustees, and Friends of the Library, solicited book ideas from the public. “Over the summer, we read, read, read, explains library trustee Frank Schroth, who founded the program.  “We narrowed the list down to five books, on which the public voted, and we had a clear winner,” says Schroth.

Look for upcoming events in March related to Milton Reads 2016. Milton Reads and its programming are sponsored by the Friends of the Milton Public Library.

Monday, January 18, 2016
LIBRARY CLOSED

Friday, January 22, 2016 from 10:00 am – 12:00 noon
Free Play Friday, Ages 0-5

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

Saturday, January 23, 2016 from 10:00 – 10:30 am
Sensory Storytime, All Ages

If other storytimes have not been the right fit for your child, this may be just what you are looking for! Join presenter Miss Kerri for fine/gross motor activities, songs and wonderful stories.  A predictable, visual schedule will guide our sessions. This program is created for children with Sensory Integration Issues, Autism Spectrum Disorders or other Developmental Delays ALONG WITH their typically developing peers and siblings. All ages welcome, with parent or caregiver; no registration required.

Saturday, January 23, 2016 from 2:30 – 3:30 pm
Art with Ginny, Grades K-3

Children in grades K-3 can join Ginny Brearley and create an artistic masterpiece to take home. Registration is required. Sponsored by the Friends of the Milton Library.

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

To see a complete listing of library events, please click here:

http://www.eventkeeper.com/code/events.cfm?curOrg=MILTONPL

ATHLETICS

The following item was submitted by Athletic Director Alex Campea:

Girls Indoor Track

The girls’ track team beat Natick 62-38 last Thursday. They were led by the school-record-breaking performance of the 4x400m relay team Colette O’Leary, Elise O’Leary, Bridget Mitchell and Alexis Belash. The team also finished second at the Div IV Relay Championships last Friday. At this meet, the team broke SIX school records during the meet! The highlight was the Distance Medley Relay team (Colette O’Leary, Elise O’Leary, Bridget Mitchell and Sophie Cousineau), who broke the D4 meet record and qualified for Nationals.

Boys Indoor Track

The boys’ track team remains undefeated with two regular season meets left.  Last Friday, the team won second place overall in the D4 State Relay track meet, setting two records in the process. The 4×50 team broke the D4 meet record with a time of 22:38; and the 4×200 relay team also broke the meet record, but finished second to Norton. The boys look forward to capturing the Bay State League title within the next two weeks.

Wrestling

It was an excellent showing for Milton last weekend as we competed in the Cohasset Tournament.  Zack Fischer took 1^st place, Pat MacDonnell 2^nd place, Miles Easterling 2^nd place, Matt Labelle 3^rd place and Mark Labelle 3^rd place.  Several other wrestlers won matches overall as a team we finished in 4^th place.  At the Framingham meet, Milton faced one of the top teams in the state, Framingham and lost 51-21.  Still it was a positive showing as we competed very hard against them.  This Saturday, Milton travels to Canton High for a quad meet to face, Canton, Malden and Malden Catholic.

Ski

The weather is finally starting to cooperate and the MHS Boys & Girls Ski Teams are training very hard at Blue Hills. Georgia Bell looks like she is ready to ski to her first appearance in the Mass. State Ski Championships while Owen Walsh, Aiden Walsh, & Kyle Loria all show championship promise. The varsity racers will have a light week of racing and practice due to the league’s rule of not scheduling races during the mid-year exam period.

Cheer

The Varsity & JV Squads are preparing to cheer for our MHS basketball team’s games against Dedham tonight. We were also visited by Mr. Collyer, who will be preparing a strength and conditioning program for our all our athletes … this will be very exciting. Please remember our Sweet Frog Fundraiser on January 26^th. Hope to see you there!

Girls Basketball

The girls basketball team improved to 2-5 record with a 50-34 win at Framingham on Tuesday night. Joanna Needham and Jeanmarie Fallon led the team with 10 points each. The team will travel to Dedham tonight looking for their third win.

Boys Basketball

The Wildcats are currently 2-6 overall and 2-5 in the Bay State Conference. Last week saw victories on the road at Walpole and Wellesley. Milton lost at Framingham on Tuesday 53-59. Tonight, the Wildcats host the Dedham Marauders at 630pm.

Swim

The Varsity Swim Team has competed in two very tough meets against Needham and Natick during the past week. Our coed team competed against all-male teams, yet placed and scored very well. Against Needham, Emma Heller placed second and Noel McCampbell placed third in the 100 free, Alex Rene placed third in the 50 free, Grace Curran placed third in the 100 back; and Emme Schewe placed third in the 100 breaststroke. In the 200 Yard Medley Relay, Maia Adley, Grace Curran, Emma Heller, and Emme Schewe took third place. In the 200 Yard Freestyle Relay, Grace Curran, Leah Corcoran, Della Jrolf, and Noel McCampbell took third place. In the meet against Natick, Emme Schewe took third in the 100 butterfly, Grace Dwyer took third in the 500 free, Maia Adley placed second and Grace Curran placed third in the 100 backstroke, Grace Curran also placed third in the 200 free, and in our 400 Free Relay, Grace Dwyer, Maia Adley, Noel McCampelle and Alex Rene took second place. The team has been working very hard and the competition has been strong.

Girls Ice Hockey

Last Tuesday night’s final score was Milton 6 & Framingham 6. It was a big comeback after being down 4-0 early in the game. Our League Record is 3-1-2 & Overall Record 4-2-2. Top scores are Elena Kapolis with 11 Goals, 12 Assists;  Julia Scannell with 8 Goals, 10 Assists; Laura Hill with 7 Goals, 11 Assists. This line is one of the top lines in the league and the state. Defense is playing well, with Meghan McDougall, Kate Driscoll, Caroline Johnson, Bella Calcagno and Bella Simeone. Goalie Mary O’Connell is getting better every day. The next game will be Saturday 1-16-16 vs. Dedham at Nobles at 11:45am. Hope to see some fans out to support the Girls Varsity Hockey Team.

Boys Hockey

Boys’ Hockey Team is competing but coming up short on the scoreboard. We lost to Framingham, 2-0, despite an excellent 35 save performance by Junior Bobby Lesenechal. Our record is now; 2 wins, 5 losses and 1 tie.

Pierce Middle School Basketball

The Pierce Boys basketball team lost a close game to Stoughton on Tuesday 51-49. Pierce trailed for most of the game but fought back to take the lead in the fourth quarter. Stoughton hit a difficult long range three pointer as time ran out for the win. Kevin Swanton, Zach Vaughan, and Earl Tucker led the way for Pierce. The three of them controlled the rebounding on both ends of the floor and played tenacious defense the entire game. Pierce looks to bounce back tonight when it travels to Pembroke. The first home game will be Tuesday 1/19 vs. Calvary Chapel Academy.

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

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

 

From: Mary C. Gormley
To: Parents/Guardians and Staff
Re: E-blast Update
Date:  Monday, December 21, 2015

FROM THE DESK OF THE SUPERINTENDENT

With the holiday season upon us, I cannot help thinking that the greatest gift we could give our children is the gift of education. This is one present that will not break, will not become outdated, does not require batteries and will last a lifetime. Whether your child is in Pre-K or is graduating this May, our greatest gift to them will always be the solid foundation they get each and every day in our classrooms. Please enjoy the holiday season and I wish a healthy and happy new year to every one of our Milton Public School families.

Per the request of parents/guardians, please see the item below under “Curriculum” for further clarification on what state assessments our students have taken so far this year.

SCHOOL COMMITTEE UPDATE

There has been one School Committee meeting since my last E-blast, held on December 16^th. That meeting is summarized below. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 6^th at 7 pm in the Milton Access cable studio at Milton High School.

December 16^th:

This meeting began with the introduction of the MHS Football Team, along with Athletic Director Alex Campea and Coach Steve Dembowski. The team was congratulated for their successful season and shared some memories of game highlights. Next, Collicot Principal Holly Concannon, along with her site council, presented the Collicot School Improvement Plan. School Committee members voted to withdraw from the CHARMS collaborative and use the South Shore Collaborative.  The committee also received a PARCC Results Update, an update on the formation of a long-range planning committee and voted to put out an RFP for a facilities management plan. As part of a finance subcommittee report, the committee voted on two FY17 budget figures and also voted to approve two vendor warrants before adjourning to executive session.

CURRICULUM NEWS

Reminder to Milton families

If your child was in grades 3-8 in school year 2014-15, these are the state test score reports you should have received via mail from the Milton Public Schools:

• PARCC ELA – sent home as of 12/11/15
• PARCC Math – sent home as of 12/11/15
• Students in grades 5 and 8 last year should have already received their MCAS Science score report in October.

If your child was a high school student last year, these are test score reports you should have received in October:

• Last year’s grade 9: MCAS Science score report
• Last year’s grade 10: MCAS ELA and Math score reports

In addition, if your child was in grades 9 or 11 last year, you may also have received the reports below depending on your child’s enrollment in particular classes. Please note that high school PARCC tests were part of the state pilot and do not count toward any high school graduation requirements.

• Last year’s grade 9: PARCC Integrated Math
• Last year’s grade 11: PARCC ELA

* * *

The following elementary students received perfect stores on Continental Math League during the first meet in November. Congratulations!

Grade Four:

• Collicot : Michael Sullivan, Christopher Cherry, Luke Naughton, Mason Pelligri, Daniel Steinberg, Van Tran
• Cunningham: Samuel Boucher, Frank Hawker, Mary Maloney
• Glover: Karim Camara, Kyle Denny, Alexander Files, William Hartford, David Mitchell, Casey Olsen, Camden Carr, Jack Nolan.
• Tucker: Aidan Doherty, Samantha Chiu, Lucy Hollingsworth-Hays

Grade Five:

• Collicot: Conor Mannion, Lane Carte, Kwon Lok Young, Grace Henry
• Cunningham: Owen Rogers, Samuel Callahan, Maggie Mannion
• Glover: Ardic Ceranoglu, Claire Graham
• Tucker: Timothy Fay, Logan Do

* * *

The following item was turned in by Pierce and MHS teacher, Nancy Warn, who also serves at the Model UN coach:

Our Pierce Model UN team had a great experience at a recent conference. Pierce sent nine students to compete in the conference as members of the European Union, Organization of American States, organization of African States, and Organization of Asian Pacific States. Although Wyatt Troy is the only student recognized with an award, (outstanding delegation with his fellow delegates from Nigeria) all our students were impressive in their level of involvement. They gave thoughtful solutions to the crisis situations presented to them, worked well on their coalition building and had level-headed reactions to some pretty extreme twists presented to them, including solutions to problems facing outer space !

* * *

The following items were sent to us by Amy Tom, Science Department Head at Milton High School:

For Parents:

Engage in Math Parent Game Night Series: Educational Games for Kids

Dates: Vary by grade
Time: 4 – 5:30pm
Program Fee: $25 includes a game which parents can take home to play with their child

Have you ever thought family game time and math homework could actually be the same thing?  Join us for a night of playing and learning!  Please note, this is an event for the parents so no children under 12.  For additional information please visit: http://microsites.bridgew.edu/case/community

For Students: (Please feel free to share with parents)

The Center for the Advancement of STEM Education at Bridgewater State University is excited to offer the CASE Science Academy, a 4-day program for students in grades 6-8 during the February and April vacation weeks.

Winter Science Academy-Forensic Institute of Bridgewater

Dates: February 16 – 19, 2016 (Tuesday—Friday),
Times:  8:30am – 2:30pm
Location:  Dana Mohler-Faria Science and Mathematics Center, Bridgewater State University
Program Fee: $325.00, covers all course expenses for Winter Science Academy, including lab supplies and materials. The fee does not include lunch or transportation.  Students must bring their own lunches. For additional information please visit: http://microsites.bridgew.edu/case/prek-12-students

Spring Science Academy – Enduring Everest: Engineering Challenge

Date: Tuesday, April 19 – Friday, April 22, 2016
Time: 8:30 AM–2:30 PM daily
Location: Dana Mohler-Faria Science and Mathematics Center at Bridgewater State University
Program Fee: $325.00, covers all course expenses for Winter Science Academy, including lab supplies and materials. The fee does not include lunch or transportation.  Students must bring their own lunches

 For additional information please visit: http://microsites.bridgew.edu/case/prek-12-students

Math Kangaroo Olympiad

Date: March 11, 2016
Time: Varies depending on age group
Program Fee: $20, includes a toy, t-shirt and certificate of completion

The Mathematics Department and the Center for the Advancement of STEM Education (CASE) at Bridgewater State University are excited to announce our fourth year of hosting the International Math Kangaroo Olympiad, a low stress mathematics competition for students in grades 1-12. All students are welcome to compete. For additional information please visit: http://www.mathkangaroo.org/mk/registration.html

UPCOMING MPS EVENTS

It’s Kindergarten Pre-Registration Time! Please note, your child must be five years old on or before August 31, 2016. The following are three easy steps in the pre-registration & registration process for the 2016-2017 school year:

• Go to the Milton Public School’s webpage (www.miltonps.org) and the link for Kindergarten registration will be on the main page.
• Attend the Kindergarten Information Night. Thursday, January 21, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. in the Milton High School Charles C. Winchester Auditorium, 25 Gile Rd.
• Registration will take place by appointment only on February 23rd, 24th & 25th.

Those who pre-register by January 15th will receive their registration appointment and packet at the Kindergarten Information Night.

* * *

Preschool Information and Pre-Registration Night. Mark your calendars and join us for Preschool Information Session on Thursday, January 14, 2016 at 6:30pm at Milton High School  in the Charles C. Winchester Auditorium, 25 Gile Road.  This is guaranteed to be an informative evening as preschool staff and administrators outline the various Milton Public Schools preschool programs and answer any questions families may have. Please note, your child must be three years old on or before August 31, 2016.

Please refer to the Preschool Overview document as well: www.miltonps.org/documents/Preschooloverview.pdf

FOOD SERVICE NEWS

The following item was submitted by Jackie Morgan, MPS Food Service Director:

Breakfast is available in each of the six Milton Schools. Studies show that students who eat breakfast do better in school, are less tardy, concentrate for longer periods of time and have less behavior problems. Breakfast is available 25 minutes before school day begins. There is never a need to sign up just come and show up.  The cost of breakfast is $1.25 per meal and can be deducted out of your child’s Nutrikids account.  The Middle and High School also have breakfast carts set up throughout the building to make breakfast more accessible.  The High School has a cart set up at the Field House door and students can select a fast grab-and-go breakfast, they can sit at our new Wildcat Café or join their friends in the cafeteria.  They use the same PIN that they use for lunch.  The Pierce Middle School has a breakfast cart set up on the seventh grade wing with a new breakfast café with high top tables and stools for students to gather before school begins.  They use the same PIN that they use for lunch.  Supervision is available at each school for breakfast. This year, the Milton School Food Service Program is piloting breakfast in the classroom with four of our homerooms.  Students are loving it!  Whether or not eating breakfast will slow your metabolism or stop a dieter from shedding extra pounds may always be up for debate. However, recent findings published in Nutrition Journal show that eating this morning meal can increase a brain chemical related to regulating food intake and cravings. Researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia found that teens, in particular, who skipped breakfast, were more likely to gain weight throughout the day.

“Our research showed that people experience a dramatic decline in cravings for sweet foods when they eat breakfast,” said Heather Leidy, an assistant professor of nutrition and exercise physiology, in a news release. “However, breakfasts that are high in protein also reduced cravings for savory – or high-fat – foods. On the other hand, if breakfast is skipped, these cravings continue to rise throughout the day.”

When eating initiates the release of dopamine, which stimulates feelings of food reward, a reward response that’s important to eating better helps to properly regulate food intake, and was conducted on young women with an average age of 19.

“Dopamine levels are blunted in individuals who are overweight or obese, which means that it takes much more stimulation – or food – to elicit feelings of reward; we saw similar responses within breakfast-skippers,” Leidy said. “To counteract the tendencies to overeat and to prevent weight gain that occurs as a result of overeating, we tried to identify dietary behaviors that provide these feelings of reward while reducing cravings for high-fat foods. Eating breakfast, particularly a breakfast high in protein, seems to do that.”

“In the U.S., people are skipping breakfast more frequently, which is associated with food cravings, overeating and obesity,” Leidy concluded. “It used to be that nearly 100 percent of American adults, kids and teens were eating breakfast, but over the last 50 years, we have seen a decrease in eating frequency and an increase in obesity.”

FAMILY OUTREACH LIAISON NEWS

This article was submitted by Marti O’Keefe McKenna, MPS Family Outreach Liaison.

Fun and Free Things to Do with Kids in Boston: Vacation Week Programs

MUSEUMS

• The ICA, Boston: Vacation week family activities – Examine the work of artist Amy Sillman and other artists currently on view in our galleries. Design a color experiment by creating a lively wearable work of art or a multi-colored zine with their own musings. 12/26-12/28
• The MFA, Boston: Vacation week activities: Make artwork in the galleries inspired by the theme of celebration! You can also explore different areas of the collection with our Art Connections Cards, and check out a tote bag from the Sharf Visitor Center. 12/26-12/31
• Boston Children’s Museum, Boston: Vacation week activities include viewing a special exhibit, a pop-up recycle shop. 12/26-12/31
• USS Constitution Museum, Charlestown: Kids can take part in An Officer’s Life for Me: December School Vacation program. Learn the skills these men had to master at the USS Constitution Museum during December School Vacation Week. Sail a nautical mile in their shoes and write with a quill pen, keep a medical logbook, navigate with a homemade compass, and more. Through 12/31
• The Discovery Museums, Acton: Vacation week activities include The Wishing Woods, in which children help create an indoor forest built upon wishes for the New Year. This space changes and evolves through the week as it is designed and built by staff and visitors (through 12/30).
• EcoTarium, Worcester: A vacation week program has a wildlife mystery theme, during which kids use real scientific methods and clues. Drop in; 12/26-12/28
• Higgins Armory, Worcester: Vacation week fun offers kids the chance to see, live and in-person, the toys that knights played with and see a knight in full armor as he guards the Higgins Castle. Through 12/31

MOVIES

Regent Theatre, Arlington: For sing-along movie fun, visit the Regent Theatre in Arlington for an annual favorite, Sing-Along Sound of Music. The event begins with a live show in which the host leads the audience through a vocal warm-up, the fancy dress competition and awarding of prizes. (Costumes not required but highly recommended.) The host then demonstrates how to use the free goody bag throughout the film. Finally, the audience sits back to watch the original 1965 movie. Lyrics for all the songs on the screen, so you won’t miss a chance to sing your hearts out. (12/26-12/29)

SPECIAL EVENTS

• Crabgrass Puppet Theater – Mr. Punch’s Christmas Carol – John F Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston Fri 12/27 FREE; reservations required
• Beautifully crafted puppets tell the tale of the man who hated Christmas and put profits before people. Outrageous holiday hilarity with ghosts, giggles, geese and Tiny Tim too! Reservations required; call or register via the website. [Details]
• Squirrel Stole My Underpants – Puppet Showplace Theatre, Brookline Thu 12/26-Sun 12/29 Tickets $15 each
• Sylvie is sent to the backyard to hang up the laundry. The moment her back is turned, a mischievous squirrel steals her favorite piece of clothing and runs off. When Sylvie gives chase, an entire world emerges from her laundry basket, and curious characters show her the way through mysterious lands. Will our lonely heroine rescue her underpants and discover the magic within herself? Join puppeteer Bonnie Duncan to find out. [Details]
• Disney on Ice: Passport to Adventure – Agganis Arena, Boston Through Dec 29 Tickets: $32-$102
• Join Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Daisy on a journey to the magical worlds of Disney’s The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Peter Pan and Lilo & Stitch. Before you go, be sure to check out Kristin’s review. [Details]
• Jenny the Juggler – Barefoot Books, Concord Sat 12/28 Tickets $8
• Jenny the Juggler brings her interactive juggling, magic, music, singing, and physical comedy show to the Barefoot Books Studio, including co-star Blueberry the Bunny! World-class face painting and balloon-animals, too! Advance ticket purchase recommended; drop-ins encouraged to call before coming. [Details]

 

• OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
• Vacation Week Nature Programs – Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, Topsfield

• Three days of vacation fun for families with children ages 4 and up during the December school vacation week. Cost: $7 and up. Please call to pre-register.

• Survivor (12/27, 1pm-2:30pm): Through teamwork and problem solving explore the woodlands of the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary and imagine that we are explorers stranded in the wilderness. In order to survive, we will need to build shelters, collect firewood, and find food and a water source. Fee: $9/adults, $7/children (discount for Mass Audubon members).
• Parent/Child Build a Bird Feeder (12/28, 1pm-2:30pm): Brighten up your yard this winter with a bird feeder handmade by you and your child. All materials and instruction provided; just bring a hammer. Afterwards, observe the sanctuary feeders to see what birds are coming to them. Fee: $20 per family ($18/Mass Audubon member families). The fee includes one kit; extra kits can be purchased for $12 each ( limited quantities – please inquire when you register.)
• Predator Party (12/29, 1pm-2:30pm): Take a walk to look for fishers, river otters, foxes, hawks, and owls on the sanctuary. Tracks, chews, scat, pellets, and bones will show us where predators have partied. Fee: $9/adults, $7/children (discount for Mass Audubon members).

• Vacation Week Flyby – Joppa Flats, Newburyport 12/30 & 12/31
• The vacation program offers indoor and outdoor activities, with art activities, experiments, group games, and scheduled family presentations for everyone. Drop in for an hour or stay all day for a vacation activity that suits your family schedule. Cost: children $7; accompanying adults free. Registration not required.

* The information was adapted from the http://boston.mommypoppins.com/kids/fun-and-free-things-to-do-with-kids-in-boston-vacation-week-programs-new-years-eve-and-more-dec website .  For any additional info, please contact Marti O’Keefe McKenna: mmckenna@miltonps.org, telephone # 617 980 7343

MFE NEWS

What fits perfectly into every teacher’s stocking and classroom? This holiday season,we can’t help thinking of the gifts we are given all yar long, including our wonderful teaches and the role they play in our children’s lives. Here is a simple way to give back: the Red Apple Program. When you make a $25 donation, your child’s teacher receives a special Red Apple certificate and a sincere thank you for sharing the gift of learning. Your donation will directly support our Annual Appeal Fund, which provides grants that enale teachers to foster creative classroom atmospheres and capture the interest and imagination of their students. Send your teacher a Red Apple! Click here or mail your teacher’s name and school, together with your name and donation to MFE, PO Box 223, Milton, MA 02186.

NEWS AROUND TOWN

The following item was sent to us by Allan Bishop of the Milton DPW:

Holiday Solid Waste Collection Schedule: This year, the Christmas Day and New Year’s Day holidays both fall on a Friday. Since Milton does not have solid waste collections for that day, there will be NO DELAYS due to the holidays. Milton will have REGULAR solid waste collections for trash and recycling on Wednesday and Thursday 12/23 and 12/24; and 12/30 and 12/31.

The Recycling Center will be open on Saturday January 2nd from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon. Our annual Christmas tree and wreath collections will occur on Wednesday or Thursday, January 13/14 2016, depending on which day is your regular collection day. For additional information regarding tree and wreath collections please visit the Milton DPW online.

Milton DPW Facebook page or Milton DPW Home Page. Please remember that if your trash/recycling has not been picked up, you will need to contact the Sunrise Scavenger Company at 617-361-8000 to report it.

ATHLETICS

The following item was sent to us by the Milton Boosters:

Girls Indoor Track Team will run a Can & Bottle Drive on January 2^nd. Save your cans and bottles over the holidays, because the next MHS Boosters can & bottle drive is on Saturday, January 2^nd.  The girls’ indoor track team will run the ‘Cans for Cats’ drive at Milton High School. Student athletes will be at the front entrance of Milton High School, 25 Gile Road, from 9:00 am to noontime to collect cans and bottles to redeem them for cash. Please stop by and support your Wildcats!

The following update was sent to us by Athletic Director Alex Campea:

BOYS HOCKEY

The Boys’ Hockey Team is off to a .500 start. We beat Norwood at the home opener, 4-1. Captain Elliott Chauvet scored twice, Assistant Captain Tommy Noonan and Jr. Kellen Hurley, each scored once. Jr. Bobby Lesenechal was stellar in goal. Unfortunately, Braintree defeated Milton in Game Two, 9-0.

GIRLS HOCKEY

Saturday game vs Norwood was a 5-3 win. Elena Kapolis had 3 Goals and 1 Assist to lead the scoring attack. Other goal scorers were Laura Hill and Julia Scannell. All four D played very well, with Meaghan McDougall, Kate Driscoll, Bella Calcagno and Bella Simeone stepping up, blocking shot and clearing the puck for our new Freshman Goalie Mary O’Connell. Mary got her first win of her career as the starting goalie. The game vs. Braintree was a little bit of a letdown after the big win Saturday. The team lost to Braintree 4-2. Goal scorers were Elena Kapolis and Katie Abbott. Once again, all four D played very well in front of Mary. So far I have been very impressed with the play of Freshman D Bella Calcagno and Sophomore D Bella Simeone who have stepped up to fill the void on D with Senior D Hannah O’Leary graduating and Senior Caroline Johnson out with a concussion.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

The Girls Basketball team looks to come back from a tough opening night loss to Braintree with a home game against Newton North on Friday, December 18 and a trip to Natick on Tuesday, December 22 before traveling to North Quincy for a non-league game on Tuesday, December 29.

BOYS BASKETBALL

The Milton Boys Basketball team currently are 0-2. The Wildcats lost to Norwood 67-53 and Braintree 69-47. Eddie Hassell ’18 led the wildcats in scoring vs Norwood with 10points and Jamaurie Coakley scored 15points vs Braintree. The Wildcats have three games before holiday break. Friday December 18th at Newton North, Tuesday December 22nd vs Natick, and Wednesday December 23rd at Randolph HS. Game times are 345pm, 500pm, and 630pm.

WRESTLING

The season began last Saturday at CM.  Milton lost to CM 45-27 and Sandwich 46-29 before taking down Chicopee 46-20.  Last night Milton had its home opener and didn’t disappoint the fans beating Norwood 45-21.  Milton is led by senior captains Dane Matejka 3-1 and Zack Fischer 4-0.  Milton has also had solid performance so far this year by sophomores Liam Kelly 4-0 and Miles Easterling 4-0.

SKI

Dry land training has been going as well as expected. Ted Kackley has been overseeing PE training every Tues & Thurs afternoon and the team has been training on the Blue Hills hiking trails. The team is looking forward to their 1st ski meet at Ski Ward on Jan. 7th. Think Snow!

BOYS TRACK

The Milton boys track team is off to a fast start, with wins over Walpole and Dedham. The team has been led by strong performances by the distance guys as well as the top sprinters in the league. The sprint relay team has the fastest time in the league and one of the top times in the state

GIRLS TRACK

The girls track team won their first meet of the season against Walpole by a score of 74-26. Of the 12 individual events on the roster, the girls won 11 of them. Alexis Daly won 4 events as a freshman in her first high school meet. Other individual first place finishers were Jessy Iwuala, Colette O’Leary, Alexis Belash, Elise O’Leary, Bridget Mitchell and Sophie Cousineau.

SWIM TEAM

The Swim Team did well and were very happy with the way they performed in their first-ever varsity competition vs. Malden High School. Our girls relay (Grace Curran, Maia Adley, Emma Heller & Emme Schewe) scored 3rd in the 200 Medley Relay, Grace Curran scored 3rd in the 200 IM, Emma Heller scored 3rd in the 50 Free and Grace Dwyer took 3rd in the 500 Free.  Maia Adley took 3rd for 100 Back and Emma Heller placed 3rd for the 100 Breast.  Please note that these places were against boys and girls in the same heat.

WINTER CHEER

Erica Dunton, has stepped down as the head coach of the varsity cheer team. We appreciate all her time and effort working with the team this past fall and wish her well as she continues her work within the Milton Public School District. We are happy to report that Renee Van Gestel will now serve as the varsity/junior varsity cheer coach for this winter season. We thank Ms. Van Gestel for her dedication to the Milton Cheer Team.

WINTER CONDITIONING – CREW

There will be no practice over the winter recess (24th December-3rd January). We will resume with the regular training on Monday, January 4th @ 3:30pm. Your coaches will let you know which practices to do on your own over the break. It is very important to stay in shape when we don’t practice at the High School. If you want to be a winner in the spring you have to put in a lot of hard work over the winter. Keep up the good work!

AMBASSADOR PAGE

Students: I would like to recognize the following Glover students, all of whom are members of the First Lego League team at Glover. These students work hard each week to design and code Lego “robots” to perform a variety of tasks. They also have to complete a research project and answer questions from the judges. The team recently competed at a Lego tournament in Revere. Hats off to: Michael Duffy, Charlotte Eversole, Mia Gilmore, Ayanna Gori, Craig Pentland, Omar Ramadan, Thomas Sullivan, Cole Sutter.

Staff:  Each year, the Milton Public Schools welcome back all our retirees to our Milton High School library to celebrate a holiday luncheon. This is a longstanding tradition here in the Milton Public Schools and is one of my favorite events of the year. Today’s luncheon was no exception and I would like to thank Laurie Dunn and Charlene Roche for organizing a lovely afternoon with the retirees; and Jackie Morgan for putting out such a wonderful array of foods for our guests. Many thanks also to our principals, administrators and staff members who took time out of their days to help serve and entertain our retired teachers. Thank you!

Volunteers: I would also like to recognize the two Glover volunteers who helped the First Lego League during the past few months. Please help me in thanking the phenomenal coaches Adrienne Sullivan and Terence Mulhall, who gave many hours to this program.

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

 

From: Mary C. Gormley
To: Parents/Guardians and Staff
Re: E-blast Update
Date:  Friday, December 11^th, 2015

FROM THE DESK OF THE SUPERINTENDENT

What should families know about PARCC, state testing, and Accountability Levels?

There has been much media coverage about the state’s participation in PARCC, and understandably, some confusion about what the state is planning to do in terms of the statewide assessment. Below are some key points about state testing and how it impacts Milton Public Schools:

• PARCC is a next-generation assessment designed to measure progress toward meeting grade-level expectations and mastering important skills like critical thinking, problem solving, and analytical writing. In 2010, Massachusetts adopted new learning standards (Common Core), and since then, schools across the state, including Milton, have been introducing them into classrooms. The standards are more rigorous than previous standards and are tied to the skills and knowledge that colleges and employers expect of our high school graduates. PARCC assessments are tied to those new standards.
• PARCC is a different measuring stick with a different scale than the MCAS. Results from PARCC are different from prior years’ MCAS results, so a direct comparison is not warranted.       Instead of falling in four proficiency levels as on the MCAS – Warning/Failing, Needs Improvement, Proficient, and Advanced, PARCC results fall into five levels – Level 1 (did not yet meet expectations), Level 2 (partially met expectations), Level 3 (approached expectations), Level 4 (met expectations), and Level 5 (exceeded expectations). A “Proficient” score on the MCAS, for example, does not translate directly to a “Level 4” on the PARCC.
• On November 17, 2015, the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education approved the transition to a next-generation MCAS for ELA and Math that would be given for the first time statewide in spring 2017. This updated MCAS test would use both PARCC and MCAS items, along with items developed specifically for the Massachusetts tests.
• Milton Public Schools administered the computer-based PARCC assessments in ELA and Math in grades 3 – 8 in school year 2014-15, and we will continue to do so again this school year 2015-16.
• Students will continue taking MCAS science and technology/engineering tests, and the 10^th grade ELA and Math MCAS will continue to be a graduation requirement through at least the class of 2019. The Commissioner is putting together a committee to evaluate the 10^th grade graduation requirement beyond 2019.
• The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) plans to transition the whole state to computer-based testing in 2019. The Milton Public Schools are equipped with the proper technology infrastructure to accommodate computer-based learning and assessment needs, so technology is not a barrier to our students’ progress.
• Parents can help their children prepare for PARCC by familiarizing themselves with the state’s academic learning standards. The standards are posted online at Common Core State Standards Initiative webpage. Additionally, PARCC practice tests and sample questions are available at http://parcc.pearson.com/practice-tests/.

On December 9, 2015, DESE released the 2015 Accountability Levels for all schools and districts based on state testing on MCAS and PARCC. Massachusetts’ system places schools and districts on a five-level scale relative to other schools in their grade span, ranking the highest performing in Level 1 and lowest performing in Level 5. This accountability system takes into consideration performance on the state ELA, Math and science tests, student growth, the achievement gaps in high needs subgroups, and graduation rates and drop-out rates as appropriate. Milton Public Schools received the following Accountability Levels for school year 2014-2015. (In general, a district is classified into the level of its lowest performing school.)

Accountability Level	2013-14	2014-15
Collicot	Level 1	Level 1
Cunningham	Level 2	Level 2
Glover	Level 2	Level 2
Tucker	Level 2	Level 2
Pierce	Level 2	Level 2
Milton High	Level 2	Level 1
District	Level 2	Level 2

We will continue to monitor and respond to any changes in the state testing system in the next couple of years. In the meantime, please reach out to your child’s teachers and school leaders to understand how you can help support your child in meeting core learning standards.

SCHOOL COMMITTEE UPDATE

There has been one School Committee meetings since my last E-blast, summarized below. The next meeting will be held Wednesday, December 16^th at 7 pm in the Milton Access TV studio at Milton High School.

December 2^nd: This meeting began with the School Committee recognizing the MHS Girls Cross Country Team, along with Coach Tom Shaw, for an outstanding season. As part of the Superintendent’s Report, the School Committee gave preliminary approval to the Debate Team field trip in January. Ms. Padera encouraged any interested volunteers to attend the upcoming MFE meeting. Ms. Gormley reviewed the upcoming events in the Milton Public Schools. As part of the Health and Wellness Subcommittee Report, Ms. Bagley Jones reported that the subcommittee is working on the Youth Risk Behavior Survey results and has come up with an action plan. She noted that they are working with the high school administration and community groups on some of the areas of concern. As part of the Finance Subcommittee Report, Mr. Walker and Dr. Pavlicek discussed the FY16-17 budget numbers. The committee voted to approve the first budget number of $42,436,500, which reflects the contractual and legal obligations of the district. Mr. Zullas recused himself from the second vote, and Mr. Walker went through the second needs-based budget number of $42,978,200 and the committee approved that figure before adjourning to executive session.

CURRICULUM NEWS

The following item was submitted by MHS Fine Arts & Family/Consumer Studies director Dr. Noreen Diamond Burdett:

We have some wonderful results from our Music Department! The Milton High School Music Department hosted the auditions for the Eastern District Senior Festival on Saturday. Over 1100 students from schools in the Eastern District of Massachusetts competed. Sixteen MHS students were selected to participate in the Eastern Senior Festival (which is in January) based on their high scores at the audition.  They are: Band – Kyle Dempsey, Ben Scott, Maddy Scott, Simon Eder, Sawyer Flanagan Chorus – Samanatha Antoniewicz, Julia Butler, Hope Huban, Dominik Hyppolite, Harry Kong, Will Macmillan, Katie Steele, Stephen Tan, Grace Varela Strings – Ryan Au,  Nethania Marc

Nine of these 16 students had such high scores that they have received a recommendation to audition for the Massachusetts All State Festival. They are: Band – Ben Scott, Simon Eder, Sawyer Flanagan Chorus – Samanatha Antoniewicz, Hope Huban, Harry Kong, Katie Steele,  Stephen Tan Strings – Nethania Marc

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The following item was submitted by MPS K-12 Science Coordinator Bernadette Moonan:

We live in a world surrounded by technology.  We know that whatever field our students choose to pursue as adults, their ability to succeed will increasingly hinge on understanding how technology works.  That is why all four of our elementary schools are joining in on the largest learning event in history:  The Hour of Code!  Last year, over 100 million students worldwide tried computer science through computer programming!  This year, we’re joining students worldwide to reach 200 million students!  Students will work on self-guided tutorials on computers, Chromebooks, and iPads to engage in the world of computer programming!  During the month of December, be sure to ask your child about the coding experience he/she has participated in.  Feel free to continue the learning at home by visiting code.org to explore free self-guided coding tutorials. This might be a fun activity over the Winter Break!  Here is a link to an inspiring short video that gives you a glimpse into the Hour of Code:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7L97YMYqLHc

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The following item was submitted by MHS History Teacher and Debate Coach Kacy Dotoli:

The Milton High Debate Team began in 2009 with then-English teacher Dr. Nick Fitzgerald co-coaching with Attorney Phil Tedesco. They had four students at the time and collaborated with the Milton Academy Speech Team. Nancy Warn joined as co-coach in 2010 and the team grew over the next few years, with many students making it to quarter and semi-finals. Kacy Dotoli took over as the debate coach in the fall of 2014. The team meets after school, scrimmages at night, and competes on Saturdays. The students’ hard work paid off as the team did very well throughout the year, placing at multiple tournaments and winning speaker awards. The team traveled to Fairfax, Virginia in January 2015 to compete in the George Mason University National tournament, where two students made it to the octo-finals. At the state tournament in the spring, the team placed 6th overall. This year, the team has new and returning debate members for a total of 26 students. So far this year, the team has competed in three tournaments and students are continuing to place as well as winning speaker awards. During the November debate in Lexington, the following students attended: Seniors: Lydia Horan, Matt Murphy; Juniors: Aislinn O’Brien, Jessy Iwuala, Emily Possi, Declan Foley; Sophomores: Domenic Jancaterino, Gigi Jiang, Alyssa Foster, Ornella Ebongue, Jack Cullen, John Daly, Al Lenz, Tanvir Islam, Hue Ninh Ngyuen, Shoilee Banerjee, Arielle Solomon, Hope Bell; Freshmen: Amanda Kwong, Carl Williams and Ayla Alsebai.  Each team competed in five Rounds of competition and there was a novice circuit as well as a Varsity circuit. Teams who win five or more rounds qualify for the state tournament in April. The teams from Milton who won three or more rounds and qualified for the state tournament were: Domenic Jancaterino and Lydia Horan; Tanvir Islam and Matt Murphy; Jessy Iwuala and Emily Possi; Declan Foley and Amanda Kwong; Ornella Ebongue and Jack Cullen; and Shoilee Banerjee and Ayla Alsebai. All of the above students received medals for winning the majority of their rounds. The big win of the night went to Jack Cullen and Ornella Ebongue. Jack and Ornella are a novice team who are students in my debate class and have previously competed in one other tournament before tonight. This team won four out of their five rounds and came in 5th place out of 66 teams! Varsity: Out of a pool of 100 students Domenic Jancaterino received 8th place and Lydia Horan received 4th place. Novice: Out of a pool of 122 Ornella Ebongue received 7th place and Jack Cullen received 2nd place.

At the Lincoln-Sudbury debate on December 5^th, the team also performed well.

In recent years, we have only had one team make it on to the quarter finals, and that was last year in Washington DC. At the December tournament, Matthew Murphy grade 12, debated alone, doing the work of two people and made it to the quarter finals, placing in the top 8 out of 102 teams. Lydia Horan placed 14th.Other teams that did well were Lydia Horan & Jessy Iwuala coming in 21st and Tanvir Islam & Alyssa Foster coming in 25th out of 102 teams.

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Milton High School students were given a lesson in financial literacy on Wednesday, thanks to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Banks and the State Treasurer’s Office. The program was funded by the Financial Education Innovation Fund, which provides an opportunity for high schools to develop or expand a financial education fair. The event was designed to be a fun and effective way for students to learn about making real world financial decisions when it comes to saving, spending, and budgeting based on career choices and lifestyle decisions. Many thanks to the following volunteers who came to assist students with this Financial Education event: Mark Gibbons of William Raveis Real Estate, Jim Potter of Hanscom Federal Credit Union, Rick Dumais, Akwasi Agyemang and Andrea Cipolla of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Banks, Rich Rogers of Abbey Capital and Mark Sullivan of Sullivan Insurance.

UPCOMING MPS EVENTS

The Pierce Middle School is proud to announce that this year’s Winter Arts Fest will be held Wednesday, December 16^th from 5:30-7pm in Art Rooms 101 and 104. Please join the Pierce art teachers with prizes, crafts and art to view.

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Milton Youth Soccer Uniform Program. Pass us your soccer uniforms….and we’ll pass them on to children all over the world. Drop off your used soccer uniforms (and equipment) in collection bins located in the lobbies of Collicot/Cunningham, Glover, Tucker and Pierce schools and at 34 Cliff Road. Any donations of CLEAN T-Shirts, shorts, socks, shin guards, cleats, and deflated balls and pumps will be gratefully accepted. Note that uniforms from other sports will also be gratefully accepted. (Collection dates are now through December 18^th) Thank you for your support!  For more information, call Madame Brown @ 617-696-8125. This project is supported by the Milton Public Schools and Milton Soccer.

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The Milton High School Key Club is collecting donations for Toys for Tots until December 15^th. Please donate new, unwrapped toys to help families in need this holiday season. Toys can be dropped off in the Milton High Schoo Main Office and the Guidance Office. We appreciate your support.

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It’s Kindergarten Pre-Registration Time! Please note your child must be five years old on or before August 31, 2016. The following are three easy steps in the pre-registration & registration process for the 2016-2017 school year:

1. Go to the link below to pre-register your child for Kindergarten before January 15, 2016. http://goo.gl/forms/MD0HlaFHtK
2. Attend the Kindergarten Information Night on Thursday, January 21, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. in the Milton High School Charles C. Winchester Auditorium, 25 Gile Rd.
3. Registration will take place by appointment only on February 23rd, 24th & 25th.

Those who pre-register by January 15th will receive their registration appointment and packet at the Kindergarten Information Night.

FAMILY OUTREACH LIAISON NEWS

This article was submitted by Marti O’Keefe McKenna, MPS Family Outreach Liaison:

Preschool Information Night for The 2016-2017 School Year: Are you or someone you know looking for a preschool program for your three or four year old? Milton Public Schools has a variety of programs for those children who will turn three or four on or before August 31, 2016.

Mark your calendars and join us for an information evening on January 14, 2016 at 6:30pm. The information session will take place in the Milton High School Charles C. Winchester Auditorium, 25 Gile Rd.  This is guaranteed to be an informative evening as preschool staff and administrators outline the similarities and differences in the programs offered as well as answer any questions families may have.

Please feel free to contact Marti O’Keefe McKenna, Family Outreach Liaison, at 617-980-7343 if you have additional questions. We look forward to seeing you there.

PAC/SPECIAL ED NEWS

The next SEPAC meeting will be held Monday, December 14^th at the Glover Elementary School library from 7-9pm.

Also, I would like to share the following comments, which were made by SEPAC chair Michelle Connolly at the most recent School Committee meeting in honor of Special Education Day:

“Today marks a very special day – a day that is celebrated nationally and every year since 2005 in honor of legislation that celebrates its 40-year anniversary. Happy Special Education Day! This day was created to celebrate progress made since the Federal Government enacted its first special education law – known in 1975 as the Education of Handicapped Children Act … or as we know it now the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA. For those not familiar with IDEA, it essentially ensures that students with disabilities have the right to a free and appropriate education just like all other children. Not only that, it requires that their education be provided in the least restrictive environment—meaning schools must teach students with disabilities in general education classrooms whenever possible.  In adopting this landmark civil rights measure, Congress opened public school doors for millions of children with disabilities and laid the foundation of the country’s commitment to ensuring that children with disabilities have opportunities to develop their talents, share their gifts, and contribute to their communities.

In the last 40 years, we have advanced our expectations for all students, including students with disabilities. Classrooms have become more inclusive and the future of children with disabilities brighter. Significant progress has been made toward protecting the rights of, meeting the individual needs of, and improving education results for infants, toddlers, children and youths with disabilities.  In 2015, we celebrate the 40^th anniversary of the passage of Public Law 94-142. While tremendous progress has been made over the years, we must continue the hard work and address the challenges that still exist. Although we are able to help many individual students to achieve their goals, we must strive to ensure that all children have the support they need and to find ways to meet each student needs within the context of each school.  At a local school level, we celebrate that MPS is continuing to make progress, especially in the past couple of years and on the following issues: a social/emotional curriculum, transparency in the district, written guidelines that meet federal and state criteria, an inclusion task force, and collaboration with MPS in educating all-parents, teachers, community on disabilities and inclusive practices.

FOOD SERVICE

This past month, we said goodbye to our Tucker School manager, Patricia McIsaac. She has worked for the Milton School Food Service Program for over 21 years. She came to work when her youngest child, Lauren, entered elementary school.  She is retiring to spend more time with her husband Frank and her two children.  Pat, or “Ms. Pat” as the Tucker School students call her, was very emotional on her last day, as Principal Dr. Elaine McNeil-Girmai celebrated her retirement with quite a send off.  The day before the Thanksgiving holiday, after the food service staff went home, the students and teachers decorated the cafeteria, the kitchen and even Ms. Pat’s office with posters and cards of thanks. The walls in the cafeteria were covered with signatures of each Tucker student and their kind thoughts of thanks.  Tucker’s adjustment counselor, Mr. Cadet, made quite a speech to Mrs. McIsaac reflecting on how many students depend on the meals she prepares for them each day and how much that helps these students succeed in school.  The reflection of “Hungry Children Cannot Learn” became the theme of this special send off. We thank Patricia McIsaac for her many years of service.  Her dedication shows each and every day in the smile of all of her students.  They really made her know how special she is to each and every one of them.  HAPPY RETIREMENT!!!

MILTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

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

Winter is on its way – and so are fun things for kids to do at the Milton Public Library! Come visit us anytime during the month of December and enter to win our Winter Solstice Contest, help us decorate for the holidays, and participate in fun and free youth programming. 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 December 13 – 19:

Friday, December 18, 2015 from 4:00 – 5:00 pm
Lego Club, Ages 6-12

Come build with the library’s Lego collection!  Each month we’ll build on a different theme.  At the end of the hour, your creations will go on display for all library visitors to enjoy.  Ages 6-12 welcome. Registration is required.

Saturday, December 19, 2015 from 10:00 – 10:30 am
Tech Tots Storytime, All Ages

Join Miss Sara for a storytime that incorporates iPad apps along with books and songs to show families how to appreciate stories in new ways! For ages 0-5 with caregiver; no registration required.

Saturday, December 19, 2015 from 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Life-Size Candyland, All Ages

Join us for a sweet adventure: families are invited to visit the Keys Room and play a life-size version of the classic board game Candyland! Kids, see if you can beat your parents to the Candy Castle to rescue King Kandy, while at the same time practicing counting and color recognition. For all ages; children must be accompanied by an adult in order to play. Registration is required so we know how many players we’ll have, but you can drop in anytime between 2-4pm (play should take approximately a half hour). Sponsored by the Friends of the Milton Public Library.

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

NEWS AROUND TOWN

Blue Hills Bank invites the community to their Milton branch to help ring in the New Year!  Join the staff for face painting, balloon animals, a photo booth, crafts, snacks and the official countdown to 2016 at 12 noon!  Come join us for this free, fun, family event.

VISUAL ARTS

Holiday Floral Arranging at the MAC: Master flower arranger Lucinda Larson will help attendees create a beautiful arrangement for their holiday table at the Milton Art Center on December 18^th from 6:30-8 p.m.  Participants will use fresh seasonal flowers and simple design techniques to create a floral masterpiece to delight their family and friends.   The artist will supply all materials and no prior experience is required.  Cost of the workshop is $45.  Please see www.miltonartcenter.org for more information or to register.

ATHLETICS

Congratulations the Student Athletes listed below who have been selected for recognition:

Bay State Conference All Stars:

Courtney Scarborough – Cheer
Colette O’Leary – Girls Cross Country
Bridget Mitchell – Girls Cross Country
Elise O’Leary – Girls Cross Country
Kate Driscoll – Field Hockey
Derek Perkins – Football
David Perkins – Football
Jack Clifford – Football
Mack Feeney – Football
Devon Nzepuome – Football
Omar Fraser – Football
Akeem Smith – Football
Kendall Van Allen – Football
Mike Fallon – Football * Selected as BSC Herget League – Player of the Year.
Walker Stroud – Golf
Jared Carr – Golf
Alden Rosa – Boys Soccer
Stefan Richardson – Boys Soccer
Liam Donelan – Boys Soccer
Chae Diani – Girls Soccer
Sophie Cousineau – Girls Soccer *Selected as BSC Herget League Most Valuable Player.
Kate McAuliffe – Volleyball
Joanna Needham – Volleyball

Bay State Conference Honorable Mention

MacKenzie Caputo – Cheer
Tim Lynch – Boys Cross Country
Meaghan McDougall – Field Hockey
Maddy Brown- Volleyball

Boston Herald All Scholastics

Bridget Mitchell – Girls Cross Country
Colette O’Leary- Girls Cross Country
Walker Stroud – Golf
Mike Fallon – Football

Boston Globe All Scholastics

Bridget Mitchell – Girls Cross Country
Colette O’Leary – Girls Cross Country
Mike Fallon – Football
Tom Shaw – Cross Country Coach of the Year Division2
Steve Dembowski – Football Coach of the Year Division 3

Patriot Ledger All Scholastic

Walker Stroud – Golf
Alexis Belash – Girls Cross Country
Bridget Mitchell – Girls Cross Country
Naomi Negassi – Girls Cross Country
Colette O’Leary – Girls Cross Country
Elise O’Leary – Girls Cross Country
Joanna Needham – Volleyball
Alden Rosa – Boys Soccer
Sophie Cousineau – Girls soccer
Mike Fallon – Football
David Perkins – Football
Derek Perkins – Football
Akeem Smith – Football

For sports schedules for all MHS teams, please click here: http://www.usatodayhss.com/school/milton-high-school-milton-ma/scores-and-schedule

AMBASSADOR PAGE

Students: I would like to congratulate the following Pierce students, who are attending an invitation-only Model UN conference at Northeastern University today. Please join me in recognizing Dominique Thomas, Zoe Malouf, Wyatt Troy, Ralph Destin, Amalia Halpin, Abigail Files, Eliot Hiss, Lila Slymon, and Sarah Palmer. Best of luck!

Staff:   I would like to recognize Renee Mendoza, a math teacher at Pierce Middle School, who also serves as an officer in the Air Defense Artillery branch of the Massachusetts U.S. Army National Guard. She was recently promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, and is assigned as the Massachusetts Army National Guard Safety Officer.  Lt. Col. Mendoza is a combat veteran, having served in Iraq. I would like to thank Lt. Col. Mendoza for her service.

Volunteers: Many thanks to the following volunteers came to assist students with our recent Financial Education event: Mark Gibbons of William Raveis Real Estate, Jim Potter of Hanscom Federal Credit Union, Rick Dumais, Akwasi Agyemang and Andrea Cipolla of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Banks, Rich Rogers of Abbey Capital and Mark Sullivan of Sullivan Insurance. This event would not have been such a success without their generosity and expertise. Thank you.

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

 

From: Mary C. Gormley
To: Parents/Guardians and Staff
Re: E-blast Update
Date:  Friday, November 20^th, 2015

FROM THE DESK OF THE SUPERINTENDENT

This fall has been a memorable for our Wildcats! Our Milton High School football team has remained undefeated, winning both the Herget Division and the South West Division 3 Championship. We are all looking forward to tomorrow’s State Semi-Finals game vs. Dartmouth, which takes place at 4:15pm at Marciano Stadium in Brockton.  And don’t forget, this year’s Thanksgiving Day game is being held in Milton, at Brooks Field. Kickoff on Thanksgiving Day is at 10am.

Another team having a historic year is the Girls Cross Country team. First, this team won the Herget Division, which has not been done since 2009.  Secondly, the girls earned the #2 spot in the very competitive Bay State Conference. Last Saturday, they won the MIAA Eastern Mass Divisional Championship in Wrentham – something the MHS team has not done since 1998. At this same meet, junior Colette O’Leary won first place, making her the first Milton girl ever to earn the Divisional Championship. Tomorrow the team will be heading to Westfield, Mass to compete in the All State Meet. Please note that sophomore Nick Villard of the MHS Boys Cross Country team will also be competing at this meet. Best of luck!

Please see the item below under “Athletics” for more info on winter signups, etc.

CURRICULUM NEWS

I’d like to congratulate our High School Quiz Show contestants who competed at the WGBH studios last weekend. Four MHS students – Liam Chase, Harry Kong, Nolan Carvalho and Sindhu Banerjee — took part in “Super Sunday,” along with their coach, MHS math teacher Nancy Mikels. High School Quiz Show is an award-winning single-elimination academic team competition for all high school students in Massachusetts. More than 140 towns competed as part of the qualifying round and we will learn next week whether or not Milton has qualified as one of the 16 teams who will take part in the televised finals.

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The Collicot School had a recent fundraiser which was a huge success. The fundraiser was the “One Book One School – The Jennifer Kelly Project.”

Jennifer Kelly, a mother of past and present Collicot students Liam (10th), Ava (9th) and Ronan (3rd) passed away unexpectedly in the summer of 2009.  She was a huge presence in the Milton School Community, who gave endlessly to the Collicot School.

Jenn was particularly passionate about the One Book One School program.  In this program, each family receives their own copy of the same book to read.  The books chosen contain topics that celebrate diversity, embrace our differences and cultivate understanding, acceptance, and inclusion. The school community then comes to participate in fun, shared events that celebrate our book’s theme.

The year that Jenn passed, she tried to start this program at our school as part of a diversity committee initiative.  Unfortunately, funding was not available at the time.

Due to overwhelming support from the school community, this project was launched in her memory.  We are so proud to have celebrated the 7th year in honor of Jenn and the love she gave to Collicot.

On Friday, November 13^th, more than 200 people attended the One Night to Remember  at Granite Links Ballroom.  One Night To Remember benefits Collicot School’s One Book One School – The Jennifer Kelly Project.  There were past and present Collicot parents, staff, parents from other schools, and friends and family of The Kelly Family present.

The evening included raffle and silent auction items, food, music and dancing.  Donations were made by Milton families, local businesses and even larger, more distant businesses.  The Event was a great success.  Mrs. Elizabeth Caruso announced this year’s book choice – The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig.

Trudy Ludwig visited the school on October 2nd as part of this project, to kick off Anti-Bullying Month.  She read her books, The Secret Bully and Just Kidding and did exercises with the students, providing them with tools to use to prevent bullying.

The books will be used in lessons throughout the school year in all classes.  This year’s project will conclude with an Adventure Night in the spring, when all families will be invited to come to a night where the children move through stations to participate in activities related to the book.

Collicot would like to acknowledge the Collicot Staff and Community members, in particular, Michelle Cardosa, Jessica Cherry, Kerry Darcy, Kerry Kelly and Michelle Kennedy.

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This fall, Pierce Middle School was accepted to participate in the Greater Boston Model United Nations Conference taking place at Northeastern University.  Pierce students were assigned the countries of Libya, Czech Republic and Sri Lanka, at their upcoming conference.   Since early October, they have been meeting once or twice a week to understand the history of the assigned countries, the history of the work done by various UN committees, and the complexities of various topics facing our world today

Tomorrow, ELA teacher Lauren Hoyt, along with Nancy Warn, Humanities Curriculum Coordinator will travel with 17 students to Northeastern University to engage in committee work to solve problems of malnutrition, safe and fair labor conditions, access to clean water and sanitation, access to vaccines and immunizations as well as election assistance in post-conflict societies.  Pierce will have delegates on the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), the Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and in the General Assembly (UNGA).  Very exciting!

The students attending are Evan Trafton, Jack Elliott, Sean Guilderson, Michael McCarthy, Charlie Pugh, Abigail Files, Amalia Halpin, Eliot Hiss, Lila Slymon, Wyatt Troy, Ralph Destin, Dominique Thomas, Zoe Malouf, Sarah Palmer, Michael Howard and Abigail Tran.  They have researched, written position papers and introductory speeches, learned and practiced parliamentary procedure and attempted writing resolutions to solve the problems facing their countries and the world.

These students are amazing.  Not a single student came in with experience with Model United Nation conferences, but students quickly adjusted and engaged in serious research, discussion of problems of grave importance, inquired further to differentiate between issues facing the countries they will represent versus the global community and worked together with others to better understand the focus of the various UN committees.

FAMILY OUTREACH LIAISON NEWS

The item below was submitted by Marti O’Keefe McKenna, Family Outreach Liaison for the Milton Public Schools.

Upcoming Playgroup: Have you been looking for an indoor place for you and your child to play during the cold winter months? The Milton Early Childhood Alliance and First Congregational Church are proud to offer “Skip and Hop Co-Op Play Group.” This is a free, parent cooperative, indoor play space for energetic children to play and make new friends!

The Skip and Hop Co-Op Indoor Play Group is open to all children from infancy through 5 years old with their parents/caregivers. As this is a cooperative play space organized by play group visitors, your help will be appreciated. While there are some communal toys to play with, please feel free to bring your own toys and PEANUT-FREE snacks.

Come and go anytime between 10:30 AM and 12:00 PM. This space will be overseen by those who visit. Parents/caregivers are expected to supervise their children at all times. Please enter the facility at the front of the Church; through the red door at the top of the handicap ramp. Please DO NOT park in front of the Church. This play space will be closed on holidays or during inclement weather should Milton Public Schools close or delay the opening of their school day.

• Where: Huntington Hall, located inside the First Congregational Church, 495 Canton Avenue, Milton
• When: Thursdays, December 3, 2015 through April 14, 2016 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
• For more information, please call Milton Early Childhood Alliance at 617-696-2262, or email cpcmecasld@verizon.net.

MECA is administered by Discovery Schoolhouse, Inc. and is funded through a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care.

FOOD SERVICE NEWS

The following item was submitted by Jackie Morgan, Food Service Director for MPS:

The Milton School Food Service and the Department of Defense and are working together!! Yes, that’s right the Department of Defense (DOD).  For many years the DOD has had large contracts with fresh produce companies to help keep our troops well fed.  The USDA and the DOD have now joined forces and are allowing schools across this country to be part of their fresh produce bids.  Schools that are part of the National School Lunch Program can use their USDA entitlement dollars for beef, chicken, cheese, canned and frozen fruits and vegetables and now fresh produce.  The Milton School Food Service Program has committed $26,500 to this produce bid and our students are loving it.  We are ordering in weekly: Lettuce, tomatoes, squash, spinach, carrot and celery sticks, apples, oranges, pears, melons etc…  The best part of this DOD produce is it is all grown in the USA.

Our newest menu item is Roasted Carrot Fries.  We are using the recipe we found in the farm to school cook book.  Our first time menuing this item we used 15 pounds of product at the Milton High School but once the word was out we are now using 80 pounds of carrots.  Try these at home — they are delicious.

Recipe:

2 lbs. of carrot sticks
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. butter
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. fresh minced garlic
Dash of salt and pepper

Toss the carrot sticks well in the above mixture.  Roast on parchment paper, stirring twice during cooking.  Cook at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

MFE NEWS

Teachers, please note: The MFE grant application deadline has been extended to Monday, 11/23.

Milton Foundation for Education Competitive Grants

Purpose: Our competitive grants are designed to encourage and reward effective, innovative teaching. The proposed projects are expected to show direct benefit to student achievement and impact classroom teaching.
Deadline: Monday, November 23rd, 2015, by the end of the school day
Application: Please submit via email to mfegrants@gmail.com
Guidelines: Refer to our website www.miltonfoundationforeducation.org for guidelines, application as well as examples of past grants.
Awards: Requests for $1,000 or less per grant preferred. Requests for more may be considered.
Limitations: No present limits on the number of awards per school. The foundation attempts to award each school about the same amount of funding, but we will grant awards on the basis of the number and quality of proposals received.
Eligibility: Teachers and staff members in all grades may apply individually or in groups.
Approvals: Each grant needs to be approved by your principal and department head. Technology requests should also be cc’d to Dr. Angela Burke.
Information: Please contact mfegrants@gmail.com with further questions, or call MFE Grants Committee Chair Susan Sullivan at 781-244-9503.

* * *

The MFE recently named this year’s Co-Chairs for Celebration. I would like to welcome and thank MFE board members Eileen Heller, Bill Resnick and Angie VanAllen and community member Darryl Elliott. Every school in Milton is represented in this wonderful group of Co-chairs with Eileen a proud Cunningham, Pierce and MHS parent, Bill-Glover, Angie-Tucker, PMS, MHS and Darryl-Collicot, PMS. They are enthusiastic and ready to hit the ground running to Celebrate MPS teachers, students, alum and Celebrate our 20th Anniversary!

SEPAC NEWS

An Evening with Carrie Cariello, December 1: The Milton Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is hosting a parents night out on Tuesday December 1, 7-9pm at 88 Wharf Restaurant. Carrie Cariello, mother of five and author of What Color is Monday?, will read excerpts from her blog and book of the same name. Attendees will have an opportunity to mingle and share their own experiences raising a child with special needs. Carrie’s book will be available for purchase, and she will be signing a limited number of copies.

Guest speaker Carrie Cariello lives in New Hampshire with her husband, Joe, and their five children; her son Jack is on the autism spectrum. She writes regularly about the joy, challenges, and humor involved in raising Jack and her other four children. Her work has been featured on The Huffington Post, Today, and other national media outlets.

Reservations are required for this event. Please email your name, hometown, and number of attendees to norah.c.ferry@gmail.com. For more information about this event and others, visit the Milton SEPAC website at miltonsepac.org, or contact us at miltonsepac@gmail.com.

MILTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

Fall is here – and so are fun things for kids to do at the Milton Public Library! 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 November 29 – December 5:

Wednesday, December 2, 2015 from 2:30 – 4:30 pm
Half Day Family Movie, All Ages

It’s an Early Release Day for the Milton Public Schools… so come to the library and watch a movie in the Keys Room! We’ll be showing popular 2015 release Shaun the Sheep Movie, just out on DVD: “When Shaun decides to take the day off and have some fun, he gets a little more action than he bargained for. A mix up with the Farmer, a caravan and a very steep hill lead them all to the Big City and it’s up to Shaun and the flock to return everyone safely to the green grass of home.” Rated PG; runtime 85 minutes. Bring a sleeping bag or a pillow and get cozy! Popcorn will be served. No registration required.

Saturday, December 5, 2015 from 10:00 – 10:30 am
Little Linguists Storytime, Ages 2-6

Bonjour and Hola! Come enjoy stories, songs and activities with Mary Doherty, local language instructor. Elements of the French and Spanish languages will be introduced each week. For ages 2-6 with parent. No registration required.

Saturday, December 5, 2015 from 11:00 – 12:00 noon
Reading Dogs, Grades 1-5

The Reading Dogs are back!  Kids currently in grades 1-5 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.

Saturday, December 5, 2015 from 2:30 – 3:30 pm
MCBA Book Club, Grades 4-6

The Massachusetts Children’s Book Award was established as a program to encourage children in grades 4-6 to read great books. This year the MCBA Book Club will read one book from the 2015 shortlist each month, and in February-March we will vote for the book we think deserves to be named the book of the year. Call the Children’s Room to find out what December’s pick is: copies will be available in advance of the program at the Children’s Room desk, or by placing a hold in our online catalog. Please read the book in advance of our meeting – you’ll have more fun that way! Registration is required.

To see a complete listing of library events, please click here:

http://www.eventkeeper.com/code/events.cfm?curOrg=MILTONPL

ATHLETICS

Wildcats Update! Remaining Fall Games and Events

Friday, 11/20               MHS Frosh Football @ Home vs. Braintree at 5:30pm

Saturday, 11/21          MIAA – All-State Cross Country Tournament. Stanley Park, 400 Western Ave, Westfield, MA Girls Division 2 starts at 11:00am; Boys Division 2 starts  12:20pm.

Saturday, 11/21          MIAA Football  State Semi-Finals  MHS Varsity Football vs. Dartmouth HS at 4:15pm at Marciano Stadium Brockton.

* * *

The upcoming MIAA Football game between Milton and Dartmouth will be available to watch LIVE on the NFHS Network. Fans that are unable to make it out to the game will be able to watch online from their phone, tablet, or computer. Please visit the MIAA site www.miaa.net for all the details.

* * *

Please visit our school website to register for Winter Sports  www.miltonps.org. The winter athletic season begins on Monday, November 30^th and You Must Have a Clearance Cards to Tryout. Please note the added DATES and TIMES to pick up Clearance Cards in the Field House. Friday, 11/20 – 3:00 – 6:00pm & Saturday, 11/21 – 10:00 – 12noon.

AMBASSADOR PAGE

Students:  Congratulations to Shannon Conley, Daniel Costello, Zackary Fischer and Daniela Silva, four Milton High School students who were inducted into the National Honor Society today. Great job!

Staff:   Many thanks to Pierce Middle School teachers Lauren Hoyt and Nancy Warn who will be accompanying 17 students from Pierce Middle School to Northeastern University tomorrow to participate in the Greater Boston Model UN Conference. This is a great opportunity for our students – and a wonderful experience for these talented teachers.

Volunteers: I would like to recognize Terry Driscoll, an MPS parent and board member of the Friends of Milton Crew, who has been working for many years to develop the crew team at Milton High. In addition, Mr. Driscoll, as part of the Neponset Rowing Club, has been instrumental in including the larger Milton community in the sport of crew. Thank you!

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

 

From: Mary C. Gormley
To: Parents/Guardians and Staff
Re: E-blast Update
Date:  Friday, November 13^th, 2015

FROM THE DESK OF THE SUPERINTENDENT

• Our football team will play at home tonight vs. Duxbury at 7pm at Brooks Field. This is the Southwest Divisional Final. Also, our Freshman football team plays today at Brookline at 3pm; and JV plays home vs. Brookline on Monday at 3:45pm. Go Wildcats!

• Our Girls and Boys Cross Country Teams will be attending MIAA Div IV State Championships on Saturday in Wrentham. The girls’ team is in contention to win the divisional championships, which would be the first time since 1998. The boys’ team has not qualified for All States since 200, and they have a good chance of doing so tomorrow.  Expected start times: Boys’ races at 1:05; girls’ races at 2:25pm. Good luck to our Wildcats at this event!!

2015 PARCC Results – Executive Summary

In school year 2014-2015, Milton Public Schools’ students participated in the computer-based PARCC tests in ELA and Math in grades 3-8. Statewide, 54% of districts took the PARCC while 46% took the MCAS. A smaller sample size of grade 9 and grade 11 Milton High students also took one computer-based Math PARCC test and one computer-based ELA PARCC test respectively. Those results are not included here, because the high school PARCC tests were purely optional.

The district saw PARCC as an opportunity to gauge where students stood on an assessment specifically designed to test the curriculum standards we use. We also saw it as a chance to see how students interact with technology, and to hear feedback from our students, teachers and administrators on a next-generation assessment. Overall, our transition to PARCC went smoothly due to the extra preparation given to our staff and students in using technology in the classroom. By the time our students took the PARCC tests, they had already worked with curriculum content on computers, iPads, and Chromebooks. Our school leaders agreed that the PARCC is a rigorous assessment that will push our students to apply higher order thinking skills to achieve at high levels.

On November 10, 2015, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released official PARCC scores for schools and districts to the public. Below are highlights of the PARCC results for Milton. As can be seen across the board, Milton students continue to outperform the state at every grade level in both ELA and Math.

Results from PARCC are different from prior years’ MCAS results, so a direct comparison is not warranted. Instead of falling in four proficiency levels as on the MCAS – Warning/Failing, Needs Improvement, Proficient, and Advanced, PARCC results fall into five levels – Level 1 (did not yet meet expectations), Level 2 (partially met expectations), Level 3 (approached expectations), Level 4 (met expectations), and Level 5 (exceeded expectations). A “Proficient” score on the MCAS, for example, does not translate directly to a “Level 4” on the PARCC. However, the state does have a method of linking the PARCC results to MCAS results for the sake of accountability and examining data trends.

Families should keep in mind that PARCC is a different measuring stick, and the assessment includes challenging questions designed to measure critical-thinking, writing and multi-step problem solving. Essentially, this year’s results will serve as a baseline for PARCC testing going forward.

Individual student PARCC reports will be mailed home to families in December. Parents will receive a copy of their child’s detailed score report; an example of a parent report is available online at http://understandthescore.org.

On November 17, the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education will decide whether to replace MCAS with PARCC or look for other ways to upgrade the state assessment system. This decision will determine how student achievement will be measured in future years. Regardless of the Board’s decision, it is evident that Milton students are well prepared to achieve at high levels on any assessment.

Click here to view the executive summary of our PARCC test scores.

CURRICULUM NEWS

It has recently been brought to our attention that Milton High School has been named one of the best high schools in Massachusetts. MHS placed #22 in Massachusetts in the US News and World Report high school rankings. To view the entire rankings as well as the criteria and methodology, click here.

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To celebrate Family Literacy Month and Statewide Story Walk Day, the Milton Public Schools and the Milton Early Childhood Alliance have partnered to create a unique literacy event. A tri-lingual, English, French, and Spanish children’s book has been posted as a Story Walk on the grounds of Tucker Elementary School for the entire month of November. The story is posted on the fence near the Tucker Playground and can be read by walking along the pathway and reading one page at a time. Please sign the register when you are finished to let us know that you enjoyed this activity! We would like to thank Susan Lewis-Grant, a realtor with William Raveis, as well as Sen. Brian A. Joyce, for providing the materials to make this possible.

* * *

The finalists for Milton Reads 2016 have been announced and the public is invited to vote for the one book they want to read.  Last spring, the pubic submitted book titles for consideration and the finalists were chosen by the committee. Anyone of any age can vote right at the library or online at www.miltonlibrary.org.  Voting ends December 5^th and the winner will be announced at the New Year. This event, “Milton Reads,” is now in its fifth year. The program is sponsored by the Friends of the Milton Public Library.

Here are the titles:

• Dead Wake by Erik Larson, the true story of the attack on the luxury ocean liner Lusitania during World War I
• Deep Down Dark by Héctor Tobar, the true story of the survival of thirty-three Chilean miners in 2010
• Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan, a fictional exploration of three young people encountering music and troubles during the World War II era
• The Finest Hours by Michael Tougias, the true story of a Coast Guard rescue of two boats in 1952.

* * *

Please help us to wish our High School Quiz Show contestants good luck this weekend. Four MHS students – Liam Chase, Harry Kong, Nolan Carvalho and Sindhu Banerjee — will be attending “Super Sunday,” at WGBH-TV studios this Sunday, November 15^th, along with their coach, MHS math teacher Nancy Mikels. High School Quiz Show is an award-winning single-elimination academic team competition for all high school students in Massachusetts. Super Sunday is a one-day qualifying event to determine the 16 teams that compete in televised matches of High School Quiz Show.

UPCOMING MPS EVENTS

The MHS Boosters are sponsoring a can & bottle drive tomorrow – Saturday, November 14th – to benefit athletic team fundraising. The girls basketball team will run the ‘Cans for Cats’ drive at Milton High School. Student athletes will be at the front entrance of the high school, 25 Gile Road, from 9:00 am to noontime to collect your 5 cent cans and bottles to redeem them for cash. Please stop by and support your Wildcats!

 * * *

On Wednesday, November 18th, Milton High School’s Diversity Committee will be presenting “Women Up” — The Power of Phenomenal Women. From the Diversity Committee: “In an effort to unite the Milton community around our rich and diverse culture, we have committed to focusing our efforts  on forums that foster engaging conversations. As our country evolves to offer women equal opportunities, the conversation about gender equality becomes increasingly imperative. The Diversity Committee of Milton High School is hosting a distinguished panel of female leaders in Massachusetts to discuss perceptions and expectations of women in leadership roles and other aspects of society. Panelists will share their personal journeys toward success as female leaders. They will also reflect on their own challenges and accomplishments through the lens of gender and power constructs.” The event will be held Wednesday, November 18th in the Charles Winchester Auditorium at Milton High School from 6:30 to 8:30pm. This free event is open to the public.

 * * *

Milton High School Financial Aid Night: on Wednesday, December 2^nd at 6:30 pm Jacqui Carli, a Representative of the Massachusetts Education Finance Agency (MEFA) will be at Milton High School to give a financial aid presentation.  Ms. Carli will discuss the FAFSA/CSS Profile, share tips and dispel any myths regarding the college financial aid process.  The presentation will take place in the Charles Winchester Auditorium.  We look forward to seeing you there!

FAMILY OUTREACH LIAISON NEWS

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

Are you a grandparent raising grandchildren?  Are looking for a parenting support group? How about some activities for your young children or teens? The Quincy Family Resource Center works with parents, grandparents, caregivers, youth of all ages, their family members and any member of the community seeking support.  QFRC, serving communities including Milton, helps families to access and navigate resources in the local community.  They provide on-site programs, services and activities to benefit families.

Services they offer include Support for Grandparents raising Grandchildren Support for Parents, Youth Activities, Education Opportunities, Prevention Services, Community Services, Child Requiring Assistance Support and Groups for Youths, Adults and Families.  To learn more about what Quincy Family Resource Center has to offer and day and time of groups please contact them at 617-481-7227.  They will be happy answer any questions you might have as well as  add you to their monthly newsletter/calendar list.

Please feel free to contact me for additional resources or referrals.  My contact information is: Marti O’Keefe McKenna, Family Outreach Liaison, 617-980-7343 or mmckenna@miltonps.org

MFE NEWS

The following update was sent to us by our friends at the MFE:

The Milton Foundation for Education would like to thank our wonderful sponsors and this amazing community for another spooktacular Monster Dash. The weather was a little scary, but the day was nothing less than sensational. On October 25th, more than 1,100 Miltonians, an impressive number of superheroes (including a pint-sized Captain Underpants), and one owl came to run, walk, play, bounce, do science, and raise money in loving memory of Sam Cichello. Together we raised $15,000 for “Sam’s Fund” to support science enrichment in all four Milton Public Elementary Schools. Stay tuned for details on the exciting new science opportunities that will be made possible through your support. Thank you!

Here are the Race Winners: Steve Brady 17:44 (male winner) Erin Hardy 20:34 (female winner) Bobby Carew 18:55!!! 4th place overall at 13 years old. (fastest child)
Get all the results at: https://my.racewire.com/results/31918
Check out finish line photos: https://my.racewire.com/media/raceid/31918

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Milton Foundation for Education Competitive Grants

We are pleased to announce our Fall Grant Cycle

Purpose: Our competitive grants are designed to encourage and reward effective, innovative teaching. The proposed projects are expected to show direct benefit to student achievement and impact classroom teaching.

Deadline: Thursday, November 19, 2015, by the end of the school day

Application: Please submit via email to mfegrants@gmail.com

Guidelines: Refer to our website www.miltonfoundationforeducation.org for guidelines, application as well as examples of past grants.

Awards: Requests for $1,000 or less per grant preferred. Requests for more may be considered.

Limitations: No present limits on the number of awards per school. The foundation attempts to award each school about the same amount of funding, but we will grant awards on the basis of the number and quality of proposals received.

Eligibility: Teachers and staff members in all grades may apply individually or in groups.

Approvals: Each grant needs to be approved by your principal and department head. Technology requests should also be cc’d to Dr. Angela Burke.

Information: Please contact mfegrants@gmail.com with further questions, or call MFE Grants Committee Chair Susan Sullivan at 781-244-9503

NEWS AROUND TOWN

Please join Best Buddies Massachusetts for the 8th annual Milton 5k Gobbler run/walk on Saturday, Nov. 21st at Cunningham School, 44 Edge Hill Road.  Pre-race festivities and registration take place between 7:30am and 9:00. The race/walk portion gets underway at 9:00am. Race fees are $20 in advance/on line;  $25 day of registration. Sponsors present at the event include: Boston Brewin, Perfect Fuel and Today’s Special. Prizes and gift certificates will go to top fundraisers and finishers. Top individual, community team and school team fundraisers will receive the coveted Golden Gobbler trophy!

Our elementary schools have created a team. If anyone would like to register and run with our MPS elementary schools, here is the link: The team is titled Collicot/Cunningham/Glover/Tucker!

https://www.kintera.org/faf/r/default.asp?ievent=1148280&lis=1&kntae1148280=AC876CAC962A4CF5BFEEB73C2C7FFFFF

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The following item was sent to us by Allan Bishop of the Milton Department of Public Works:

Town of Milton to Conduct Inflow Investigations: In order to improve sewer service, on behalf of the Town of Milton, Weston & Sampson will be conducting inflow investigations in selected portions of the sanitary sewer system. The inspections are being conducted as part of Milton’s 2015 Inflow Investigation Program.

The purpose of inflow inspections is to locate sources of rainwater entering the sanitary sewer, such as roof leaders, yard and driveway drains, and sump pumps that are improperly connected to the sewer system. By redirecting these sources, the Town of Milton will reduce the amount of wastewater it sends to the MWRA’s Deer Island Treatment Facility.

Inflow inspections will be conducted by the town’s wastewater consultants, Weston & Sampson, in a “door-to-door” fashion from November 12^th through December 18^th, 2015, Monday through Friday,

between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.  Inspections at each home will last about  10-15 minutes and will be performed by a two-person team.  The team will evaluate the basement or equivalent lowest level of each

building to determine if any of the common sources of inflow may be connected to the sewer system.  The exterior of each building will also be checked for potential inflow sources.

For your convenience inflow inspections may be scheduled in advance by calling (857) 598-4372.

All persons performing inflow inspections will carry proper photo identification.

The Town of Milton is asking every homeowner to help by taking part in the Inflow Investigation Program.

If you have any questions or would like to set up an inspection appointment, please call our wastewater consultant, Weston & Sampson at (857) 598-4372.

* * *

On Thursday, December 3, Congressman Stephen F. Lynch will host a public forum at Milton High School to address growing complaints about the frequency and increased levels of airplane noise in local towns and neighborhoods that are impacted by Logan Airport air traffic.

Much of the increase in noise coincides with the adoption of the NextGen, GPS-based navigation system. The GPS-based flight system guides hundreds of flights per day with laser-like precision over a narrow flight path.  While the RNAV procedures of the NextGen system can increase efficiency and save on jet fuel costs, the neighborhoods lying beneath those flight paths can experience extended periods of aircraft noise, raising health implications and negatively impacting the quality of life for local families.

Since 2014, Congressman Lynch has called on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to meet directly with concerned residents.  While the FAA has been open to meeting with elected officials, requests for constituent meetings have been denied in the past.  Following a meeting with FAA Administrator Michael P. Huerta and State Representative Walter F. Timilty (D-Milton) in Washington, D.C. in September, Congressman Lynch was able to secure an agreement that the FAA would participate in a community forum in Milton.

“The upcoming face-to-face meeting in Milton with FAA officials will allow people who are being impacted to have the opportunity to be heard.  Local communities deserve to have more say in the FAA decision-making process.  I am hopeful that through this forum we can increase community engagement and find a way to ease the disproportionate burden of airplane noise on residents of impacted communities,” said Congressman Lynch.

The December 3 forum will be open to residents of all communities affected by the increase in airplane noise.  In addition to a presentation from the FAA, the FAA representatives will hear directly from concerned residents during the question and answer portion of the program. The forum will be open to the press. The invited guests include:

• Representatives from the FAA
• Representatives from Massport
• Representatives from Logan Airport Community Advisory Committee
• Congressman Michael E. Capuano
• Congresswoman Katherine Clark
• State Senator Brian A. Joyce
• State Representative Walter F. Timilty
• Milton Town Administrator Annemarie Fagan

 GRANT/FUNDRAISING NEWS

Dear Families of Milton High School: This is “Give Back to Schools Week,” at the Fruit Center Marketplace. The event ends today  (Friday 11/13) This is the biggest fundraiser for the PTSFO, with all funds go back into Milton High School events. Please download vouchers here and share with friends and family.

* * *

Please help to support Milton PTOs! There is an ongoing Textile Recycling Fundraiser. The donation boxes are located outside of each Milton School. Program generates a rebate of $100 per ton on textiles collected. Please bag your donations. The bins accept the following: footwear, clothing, accessories (hats, pocketbooks, belts, gloves, backpacks, ties, scarves, and bathrobes); linens (sheets, blankets, curtains, towels, throw rugs, table linens) and stuffed animals. When cleaning out your closets, re decorating, or updating your household linens, support Milton PTOs!!!  For more information, visit this link.

* * *

We would like to thank the MHS Class of 1961, who recently visited Milton High School to see the beautiful display case they donated to the school to be used for art and music. This case was a gift from both the Class of 1961 and the Class of 1963. The case is now filled with medals and trophies from our talented art and music students and is located in the second floor hallway near the Copeland Field House balcony doors.

FOOD SERVICE

The following item was submitted by our Food Service Director, Jackie Morgan:

“Snacking can be very healthy”

Many parents ask me what is the best snacks to offer my children.   I have gathered the following list from families, teachers, and staff members.  Next time your children or yourselves are hungry give one of these a try.  These are all 100 calories.  Pre-portioned snacks often help our children enjoy a treat while controlling how much we eat.  Snacking can be part of a healthy diet.

1 large stalk of celery with 2 Tbsp. of nut butter (Almond butter is delicious)
1 cup of raw vegetables with ¼ cup of light ranch dressing
28 grapes
½ cup of unsweetened applesauce with a slice of whole grain toast cut into sticks for dipping
10 cashews
1 mozzarella string cheese with two whole wheat crackers
6-8 oz. of low fat yogurt
2 Tbsp. Hummus with 12 grape tomatoes
½ cup plain oatmeal with ¼ cup fresh berries
1 medium banana
½ cup of 1% cottage cheese with 5 strawberries
1 cup of mango chunks
8 corn tortilla chips with ¼ cup of salsa
½ apple with 2 tsp. of nut butter
12 almonds
1 cup blueberries
6 whole wheat crackers with 2 tsp. almond butter
1 medium apple with ½ oz cheddar cheese
3 Tbsp. raisins
7 baby carrots with 2 tsp. of nut butter

MILTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

Fall is here – and so are fun things for kids to do at the Milton Public Library! In addition to our regular storytimes on Monday and Tuesday, we have these exciting programs for the young people in your life happening during the week of November 22 – 28:

Thursday, November 26, 2015
LIBRARY CLOSED

Friday, November 27, 2015 from 10:00 am – 12:00 noon
Free Play Friday, Ages 0-5

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

Saturday, November 28, 2015 from 10:00 – 11:00 am
Family Craft, Ages 3-6

Come to the Story Hour Room for a crafty good time! Each month the Children’s Room will provide instructions and materials for a preschool age-appropriate, seasonal craft. Drop in anytime during the hour and make something lovely to take home! No registration required.

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

To see a complete listing of library events, please click here:

http://www.eventkeeper.com/code/events.cfm?curOrg=MILTONPL

ATHLETICS

Wildcats Athletic Updates !Winter Sports Athletic Registration is now open and available to all athletes. Please click here for all the details.

Also, for tonight’s football game, please note that this is a MIAA Tournament Event and ticket prices are controlled by the MIAA and will be $ 7.00 for all Students and $ 10.00 for Adults. A very large crowd is expected for this championship game, so please plan on arriving early as parking will be a challenge and seating will also be hard to find if you are late to this event. All children under 12 years of age are asked to be accompanied by an adult and proper behavior is expected during the entire event. We ask all parents for cooperation in this regards to this request.

And again, please wish our Girls and Boys Cross Country Teams good luck at States this weekend.

AMBASSADOR PAGE

Students: Congratulations to Bella Brown, a 6^th grader at Pierce who achieved a perfect score last spring when she was a 5^th grader at Collicot. We are very proud of Bella for earning the only perfect science MCAS score in the district!!!

Staff:  I would also like to acknowledge the work Dyanne Crowley does each year to prepare Milton High School students to present at Milton’s annual Veterans Day event.  This is a wonderful event for the Milton community and her hard work behind the scenes is commendable!

Volunteers: I would like to thank Leigh Pukel, the parent who organizes the textile bins. These bins, located at five of our schools, have been a very successful fundraising tool. Thank you to Ms. Pukel and all the volunteers who help to maintain this great source of revenue for our PTOs.

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

 

 

From: Mary C. Gormley
To: Parents/Guardians and Staff
Re: E-blast Update
Date:  Thursday, November 5th, 2015

FROM THE DESK OF THE SUPERINTENDENT

• It’s official, Stoughton vs. Milton is the Fox 25 High School Game of the week! Thanks to all who voted. Please come this Friday night 11/6 to Brooks Field at 7pm to cheer on our Milton Wildcats football team.
• Tonight is Opening Night for our high school musical. Please come to see “42^nd Street”at 7pm in the Charles Winchester Auditorium or come Saturday, November 7th at 2pm or 7pm. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in advance at the front lobby of MHS or PMS– or buy your ticket at the door.  

Please read the summary below regarding the Youth Risk Behavior Survey administered by the Milton Public Schools, which was presented at last night’s School Committee meeting:

The Milton Public Schools recognize that for students to be productive, caring and contributing members of society, as our Mission Statement says, they need more than an excellent academic experience. They also need to be healthy in mind, body and spirit.

We regularly assess the academic progress of our children through a variety of mechanisms such as report cards, MCAS, PSATs, portfolios, and the like. We believe it is also important to understand our students’ health and safety status and to ask ourselves: Do the Milton Public Schools create a safe environment where children can thrive, and are MPS students making the right choices to keep themselves physically and psychologically sound so that they can reach their fullest potential?

To ascertain these questions, we felt it was important to survey students to better understand their risks and address them if need be. We determined that the best instrument was to employ a validated survey developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and used by many districts across the Commonwealth entitled, the Youth Risk Behavior Factor Surveillance Survey (YRBSS).

In December 2014, we randomly selected nearly 500 students from grades 9-12. This was a large enough sample to make statistically valid conclusions, and the sample was quite representative of the ages, gender, racial backgrounds and academic standing of MHS students. We were able to also compare how we stand relative to the U.S. and the state. Here are some of the key findings:

Results of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System at Milton High School:

In this report (see link below) prepared by Lynch Research Partners, MHS students were compared with students in: 1) the United States 2) Massachusetts and 3) the Metrowest region. Results reported below represent statistically significant differences between MHS students and students in other samples.

Results of the survey highlight several areas in which MHS students are doing well and also identify potentially problematic areas that may be targeted for additional remediation efforts. Positive findings suggest rates of bullying and cyberbullying within MHS are significantly lower than rates within the United States, Massachusetts, and Metrowest. Rates of sexual assault and dating violence are also lower among Milton students than other students in the United States. In addition, Milton students are less likely to drive drunk or to ride in a car with a driver who is drunk. In relation to substance use, MHS students are less likely to smoke cigarettes, use hallucinogenics, ecstasy, heroin, methamphetamines, or prescription drugs and less likely to be given, offered or sold drugs on school property then students across the United States and Massachusetts. The YBRSS also identified several risk behaviors in which MHS students engage at higher rates than students in the United States, Massachusetts, and Metrowest. Specifically, Milton High School students use alcohol and marijuana at higher rates than United States, Massachusetts, and Metrowest students and report depressive symptoms more frequently than Massachusetts and Metrowest students.

Violence and Bullying

• MHS students are less likely to be bullied on school property or online than students in the United States, Massachusetts, and Metrowest
• While 7.1% of students across the United States report not going to school because they felt unsafe, only 3.3% of MHS students reported feeling unsafe at school

Mental Health

• 25.3% of MHS students reported experiencing symptoms of depression in the last year – this rate was lower than students in the United States (29.9%) but higher than students in Massachusetts (21.7) and Metrowest (20.0%)
• MHS students were less likely to have attempted suicide in the last year than students in the United States and Massachusetts

Cigarette Use

• 41% of students in the United States and 31.6% of students in Massachusetts report smoking cigarettes within the last 30 days compared with 24.1% of MHS students

Alcohol and Drug Use

• MHS students reported higher levels of binge drinking (34.5%) than students in the United States (20.8%), Massachusetts (18.9%) and Metrowest (19%)
• 73.9% of MHS students report they consumed alcohol compared with 66% of United States students, 63% of Massachusetts students and 56% of Metrowest students
• MHS students were more likely to use marijuana than students in the United States, Massachusetts, and Metrowest
• Rates of cocaine use among MHS female students were significantly lower than students in the United States and Massachusetts. However, 6.9% of MHS male students reported using cocaine compared with 6.6% of male students in the United States and 4.4% of male students in Massachusetts

Drug- and Alcohol-Related Risk Behaviors

• 29.2% of MHS students reported using alcohol or drugs before sex compared with 22.4% of United States Students and 23.5% of Massachusetts students

• Only 5.8% of MHS students reported driving drunk in the last 30 days compared with 10% of students in the United States, 7.1% of students in Massachusetts and 9% of Metrowest students

Call to Action

The Milton Public Schools is a highly regarded system because we believe in looking at data, naming our challenges, and devising plans for addressing them. When our school assessments showed an achievement gap, we named it, and then pursued evidence based strategies and resources to turn this problem around. Similarly, we cannot afford to ignore the problems that this survey has illuminated. If we want our children to be successful and productive citizens, we cannot pretend that social issues don’t exist, nor can we afford to ignore or hide them.

Underage alcohol use and youth mental health issues are particular challenges in Milton that were raised by this survey. We must be clear that these are community problems that the school system cannot possibly address alone. These conditions are influenced by children’s environments including at home, their peers, and in their communities. Our schools must join with our families, community leaders, faith organizations, social service and health care organizations, and public safety officials to have a coordinated response that is inclusive and that identifies interventions that are proven to make a difference. Our approach cannot be driven by personal anxiety or indignation. We must look at the research and determine how we can unite to address these issues in a coordinated and impactful way, emphasizing prevention instead of punishment.

What Can We Do?

• The Milton Public Schools has developed a Resource Guide on our website where families can get help for a variety of substance abuse and mental health issues http://www.miltonps.org/partnerships-resourcepages.php
• We will convene faculty, administrators and students to better understand the issues and prioritize our strategies
• We are sending our faculty and students to a regional conference on underage drinking to get as much information as we can on best practices
• We are teaming up with the newly-formed Milton Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition, sending faculty, resource officers, administrators and students to meetings, where representatives from all sectors of Milton are committed to working on addressing these issues. We will tap their public health professionals for technical assistance and resources.
• We will sponsor educational programs for our faculty, parents and students, in coordination with the Coalition.
• We will continue tracking these issues in the future, and monitor our progress.

Every town, every school—whether public or private—has social challenges. They can choose to ignore or conceal them, or they can confront and address them.  The Milton Public Schools’ administration chooses the latter.  We are fortunate to have a community that is poised to make a difference for all of our children.

Please click here to view the report in its entirety or here to read the executive summary.

SCHOOL COMMITTEE UPDATE

There has been one School Committee meeting since my last E-blast, held last night. I will summarize this meeting in my next E-blast. The next School Committee meeting will be held on Monday, November 23^rd at 7 pm in Room 245 at Milton High School.

CURRICULUM NEWS

Please note, Wednesday, November 11^th is a NO SCHOOL day in honor of Veteran’s Day.

Also please note that Thursday, November 12^th is a HALF DAY for all students PreK-12 due to Parent-Teacher Conferences held throughout the district.

Please be sure to register for one of the Parent-Teacher conferences. I cannot stress enough the importance of maintaining communication with your child’s teacher, and conferences are one of the best tools for doing this. If you have not scheduled a time for your conferences, please do so as soon as possible. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s grade-level guidance counselor.

* * *

Save the Date! Milton High School’s Diversity Committee will be presenting “WOMAN UP – The Power of Phenomenal Women,” on November 18^th from 6:30 to 9:30pm in the Charles Winchester Auditorium at Milton High School. This event is free and open to the public and will feature four panelists, including myself, Joanne Jaxtimer, Elsie Taveras and Tracey West. Panelists will discuss their journeys toward leadership, perceptions and expectations around leadership, and reflect on their own challenges and successes pertaining to gender and power.

* * *

Please see the note below from Pierce Middle School teachers. Kerry Callender, Sarah Pullia, Jill Markarian, Owen McElhinney:

On behalf of the Orion Team teachers and students, we would like to extend a sincere thank you for the opportunity to go to the Hale Reservation for a second year.  It was a huge success!! The weather was beautiful (despite the puddles), the kids were all so positive and willing to take risks and push themselves, and the Hale staff was so complimentary of them all.  They really came together as a team, and the energy was palpable. We couldn’t have asked for a better day.

UPCOMING MPS EVENTS

Veteran’s Day Services:

Cunningham:  The Cunningham School invites any Cunningham student who has an active or retired service member in his or her life to bring that service member for a Coffee Social in the Cunningham School library at 9am on Tuesday, November 10^th.  At 9:45am, the school community will assemble on the front yard of Cunningham School for a flag-raising ceremony, accompanied by a Military Honor Guard.

Collicot:  The staff and students of Collicot Elementary School will hold a flag-raising ceremony on Tuesday, November 10^th at 2pm to honor the nation’s veterans.

Glover: The Glover School will be “planting” flags in honor of veterans.  The students have written tags with the name of a veteran and those tags will be tied around a flag and planted on the lawn in front of the school.

Tucker:  The entire school will be reading a book entitled “America’s White Table,” by Margot Theis Raven, which explains about honoring our veterans. On Tuesday, a table in the cafeteria will be set to symbolically honor veterans. Also, Tucker Parent and US Navy veteran Rebecca Harvey will hold an in-school assembly on Tuesday and will discuss her military career.

Pierce:  Pierce families and staff members were sent Veteran’s Day stars and were asked to write in the name of a veteran, decorate the star and return it to school. The Pierce Student Council Members filled a large bulletin board in the cafeteria with these stars to honor our veterans.

Milton High School: Members of the MHS Key Club are collecting Halloween candy to donate to our troops. Students are bringing extra candy, as well as toothpaste, toothbrushes and dental floss to package up and ship to our troops. (Candy can be dropped off in Guidance or at the main office.)  In addition, MHS Junior Michael Sullivan is collecting used/tattered flags for a retirement ceremony. Donation boxes are in the lobby of each school.

* * *

Parents of college-bound students, please plan to attend the College Information Night on Wednesday, December 9th @ 6:30pm. This event will be held in the Milton High School Library. Do you want to learn more about the college process; how to use Naviance, understand the difference between SAT, ACT and SAT Subject Tests and which one to take? Do you have Financial Aid Questions? If so, please come this night to have your questions answered. Anyone is welcome to attend this event. It is never too early to start planning!

FAMILY OUTREACH LIAISON NEWS

The following item was submitted by Family Outreach Liaison Marti McKenna O’Keefe:

November Is Family Literacy Month! Celebrate and Support Family Literacy! National Family Literacy Day, celebrated across the U.S.A. on November 1st, focuses on special activities and events that showcase the importance of family literacy programs. First held in 1994, the annual event is officially celebrated on November 1st, but many events are held throughout the month of November. Schools, libraries, and other literacy organizations participate through read-a-thons, celebrity appearances, book drives, and more. To celebrate Family Literacy Month and National Story Walk Day, the Milton Early Childhood Alliance is teaming up with the Milton Public Schools to bring a tri-lingual, English, French, and Spanish Children’s book to the community. A Story Walk will be installed on the grounds of Tucker School for the month of November. Be sure to come out, take a walk and enjoy a great book all at the same time.

In addition to a story walk or sharing a story at home, try one of these activities with your family*:

Family Game Night: Set up a family board game night where a different game is played each week. Have each member of the family involved in reading instructions and game cards and keeping score.

Karaoke Night: Rent a Karaoke machine and invite the neighbors over for a party. Not only is this activity fun, but it also encourages, reading, singing and family involvement.

Sous Chef: Following recipes is a great way to improve both reading and math skills. Ask your children to read the instructions out loud and help measure the ingredients when making a treat for the family.

*Adapted from Global Literacy Project

NEWS AROUND TOWN  

Milton’s American Legion Post #114 and the administration of the Town of Milton invite the public to join them in the Veteran’s Day observance to be held Wednesday, November 11^th. All participants who wish to march should gather at Milton High School, 25 Gile Road by 10:30am. The parade will proceed from MHS to Canton Ave. and on to the Town Hall for the services, which begin at 11am. All residents, friends and relatives are welcome to join the American Legion in honoring the men and women in our country’s armed services – those who have served and those who are presently serving.

MILTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

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

Fall is here – and so are fun things for kids to do at the Milton Public Library! 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 November 15 – 21:

Saturday, November 21, 2015 from 10:00 – 10:30 am
Tech Tots Storytime, Ages 0-5

Join Miss Sara for a storytime that incorporates iPad apps along with books and songs to show families how to appreciate stories in new ways! For ages 0-5 with caregiver; no registration required.

Saturday, November 21, 2015 from 2:30-3:30 pm
MCBA Book Club, Grades 4-6

The Massachusetts Children’s Book Award was established as a program to encourage children in grades 4-6 to read great books. This year the MCBA Book Club will read one book from the 2015 shortlist each month, and in February-March we will vote for the book we think deserves to be named the book of the year. November’s book is The Nearly Calamitous Taming of PZ: A Laboratory Dog’s Search for Love by Martha Ritter. Copies will be available one month in advance of the program at the Children’s Room desk, or by placing a hold in our online catalog. Please read the book in advance of our meeting – you’ll have more fun that way! 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 on Facebook and get updates right in your news feed! Please contact the Children’s Room if you have questions about any of our programs or services.

To see a complete listing of library events, please click here:

http://www.eventkeeper.com/code/events.cfm?curOrg=MILTONPL

ATHLETICS

Please note the following tournament games being played by our MHS teams during the next few days:

Tonight: (11/5) Milton Girls Soccer plays Apponequet  at Brooks at 6:00pm

Friday night: (11/6) Milton Football Home vs. Stoughton at Brooks at 7:00pm

Monday night (11/9) Milton Girls Volleyball at Canton at 7:00pm

For sports schedules for all MHS teams, please click here:

http://www.usatodayhss.com/school/milton-high-school-milton-ma/scores-and-schedule

AMBASSADOR PAGE

Students: I would like to recognize Tucker students Olivia & Isabela Corporan, who recently hosted a book swap. Family, friends & neighbors were invited to bring any school-age books and take home ‘new-to-them’ books in return.  Attendees received goodie bags filled with stickers, book marks, name plates and gummy “bookworms.” All of the books not taken from the swap were then donated to Tucker School to enhance our classroom libraries and take home book bins! Thank you to these two young bibliophiles!

Staff:   I would like to thank Cunningham teachers who opened their classrooms to their colleagues and MPS administrators as part of the Leadership Team Learning Walk held this week. Sarah Smith, Kerry O’Leary, Sue Hennessy, Tanya Walsh and Emily Hyde along with Carla Eigen, Pam Smith, Karen McGrath, Marlene Mason and Michelle Jensen allowed us a glimpse into their “typical” school day. This was an outstanding learning opportunity for all. Thank you!

Volunteers:   I would like to recognize Laurie Stillman, a former MPS parent, School Committee member and current member of the Milton Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition. Ms. Stillman has volunteered countless hours assisting the Milton Public Schools with a variety of issues, the most recent of which has been her work on the Youth Risk Behavior Survey mentioned in my introduction. We are lucky to have a health professional who has given us such valuable advice. Thank you!

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

 

From: Mary C. Gormley
To: Parents/Guardians and Staff
Re: E-blast Update
Date:  Friday, October 23^nd, 2015

FROM THE DESK OF THE SUPERINTENDENT

I am pleased to announce that I have recently opened a Twitter account. My Twitter “handle” is @SuptMPS and I am looking forward to sending out brief updates via Twitter on a regular basis. I would encourage Milton Public Schools parents and guardians to open a free Twitter account in order to receive these updates. The beauty of this form of communication is that it is ideal for short (140 characters or less) updates called “tweets.” These updates can be received on desktop computers or mobile devices. As we develop this form of communication, I envision using Twitter to alert parents/guardians about transportation issues, upcoming events and late-breaking news or alerts from Central Office.  Visit www.twitter.com for more information about signing up.

SCHOOL COMMITTEE UPDATE

There has been one School Committee meeting since my last E-blast. This meeting is summarized below.

October 21^st:  As part of Citizen’s Speak, the School Committee was treated to a performance by members of the cast of the upcoming MHS musical, “42^nd Street.” This was followed by a review of this year’s MASC Resolutions, in advance of their annual conference. The School Committee goals were reviewed, along with a point person/committee assigned to each goal and a brief summary of the budget process was given by Assistant Superintendent for Business, Dr. Glenn Pavlicek. The School Committee voted to approve the final FY16 budget reductions and the most recent vendor warrant. They also re-approved the district’s Diversity Policy and received an update from the Transportation and Traffic Safety Subcommittee before adjourning to executive session.  The next meeting will be held November 4^th at 7 pm in the Milton High School library.

CURRICULUM NEWS

Wednesday, November 11^th, is a NO SCHOOL day in honor of Veteran’s Day.

* * *

Thursday, November 12^th is a HALF DAY for all students PreK-12, due to Parent-Teacher Conferences held throughout the district. If you have a child in elementary school and would like to sign up for the Early Release Day program run by Milton Community Schools, click here: https://unipaygold.unibank.com/TransactionInfo.aspx?transid=17884

* * *

The following was submitted by Pierce Middle School Guidance Counselor Erin MacCurtain:

On Tuesday, October 20th, a group of Pierce Middle School students attended “The Club, by George Foreman” for some exercise/team building activities and to hear a motivational talk from Mr. George Foreman III. One of the key messages that Mr. Foreman discussed with our Pierce students was “fighting it forward,” or paying it forward. Mr. Foreman encouraged the group to do small acts of kindness for others. His message was that being kind is not only the right thing to do, but it makes people feel better when they are kind to others. Pierce will be starting a “fight it forward” initiative with all students starting in a few weeks. Our goal is to have every Pierce Middle School student perform a random act of kindness. “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?” -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

* * *

Please read the link below for an interesting article on the relationship between pre-school skills and the modern workplace:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/18/upshot/how-the-modern-workplace-has-become-more-like-preschool.html?emc=eta1&_r=0

UPCOMING MPS EVENTS

Parents of 5^th through 8^th graders, please note: On Thursday, October 29^th at 6:30pm, Milton High School is holding a 5^th-8^th grade Parent Information Night in the Charles Winchester Auditorium.   This event will afford parents/guardians an opportunity to learn about course offerings, academic and extracurricular programs, athletics and activities that prepare students for college and life beyond high school. Parents/guardians will meet faculty and students and also have the option to take a tour of the building.

* * *

The MHS Boosters are sponsoring a can & bottle drive on Saturday, November 7^th to benefit athletic team fundraising. The girls’ basketball team will run the ‘Cans for Cats’ drive at Milton High School. Student athletes will be at the front entrance of the high school, 25 Gile Road, from 9:00 am to noontime to collect your 5 cent cans and bottles to redeem them for cash. Please stop by and support your Wildcats!

* * *

 Save the Date! The Milton High School Diversity Committee presents “Woman Up – The Power of Phenomenal Women,” on Wednesday, November 18^th at 6pm in the Charles C. Winchester Auditorium at Milton High School. Panelists will discuss their journeys toward leadership, perceptions and expectations around leadership and reflect on their own challenges and successes pertaining to gender and power. Milton High School student Lydia Horan will moderate and panelists include Mary Gormley, Joanne Jaxtimer, Elsi Taveral and Tracey West.   This event is free and open to the public.

PAC/SPECIAL ED NEWS

SEPAC will hold a Board Meeting on Wednesday, October 28^th from 7-9pm. The next Parent Workshop.  The next Parent Workshop will be held on Tuesday, November 3^rd from 7-9pm.  Both events will be held in the Glover Elementary School Library. Please read below for more information on the November 3^rd event:

Understanding Sensory Processing: Its Role on our Behavior, Skill, and Learning, will be presented by Melanie Salort, Licensed and Certified Occupational Therapist on November 3 at Pierce Middle School.

Milton, MA– Sensory processing is a term that refers to the way the nervous system receives messages from the senses and turns them into appropriate motor and behavioral responses.  For many children, these messages aren’t received by the brain in an organized fashion which can affect behavior, skill development and learning.  On Tuesday, November 3rd, the Milton Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) invites parents and educators to join us at the Pierce Middle School Auditorium at 7pm for a presentation by Melanie Salort.  Melanie will define sensory processing and explain how our senses play an integral role in our self-regulation, emotional regulation, skill acquisition, and learning.  The topics discussed will better define when challenges in sensory processing exist and how to look for them.  Ideas and strategies for home and the classroom will be discussed.

Melanie Salort is a Licensed and Certified Occupational Therapist. Educationally, she received her Bachelors Degree from Quinnipiac University. Upon graduation, she worked for 3 years in early intervention in East Boston. In 2003 she completed the Comprehensive Program in Sensory Integration and is SIPT certified. Soon after this certification, she began working at OTA-The Koomar  Center. With over 10 years of experience in the area of sensory processing, Melanie has completed various training programs complimenting her work in sensory processing.  She is a certified provider in the following listening therapies: Integrated Listening Systems (iLs), The Listening Program, and Therapeutic Listening.  Melanie completed Level 1 and 2 of craniosacral therapy.  Additional training has included visual vestibular work along with reflex integration.  An area of interest has been picky eating and she has attended various courses and practiced using models such as the MORE approach and the SOS model.

In addition to her clinical experience in Sensory Processing, Melanie also has had experience with young infants and toddlers. She has worked on research with LADDERS (now known as TRANSCEND) on their infant sibling autism study.  While in early intervention, Melanie trained with the Brazelton Institute to use their Clinical Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (CLNBAS).

Over the last few years, Melanie has focused on areas to support more specialized populations, such as individuals who have experienced trauma and attachment issues and various challenging behaviors. She has attended trainings with Dr. Dan Hughes, a psychologist who specializes in trauma and attachment.  In addition she has attended trainings at Think:Kids, a collaborative thinking approach.

FAMILY LIAISON NEWS

The following item was written by Marti O’Keefe McKenna, MPS Family Outreach Liaison.

Do you dread that letter home from your child’s classroom teacher informing you someone in the class is presently being treated for head lice? The Collicot and Cunningham PTOs are hosting Berit Pratt RN from NitWits Lice prevention on MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9th at 6:30 in the Collicot/Cunningham library. Berit’s company focuses on all natural lice prevention and treatment. She will talk about common myths and the most effective way to prevent the spread of lice.  School nurses, Alison Joyce RN and Jeanie Sgroi RN will also be there to answer any other health questions parents may have. Parents and guardians from all schools are invited to attend. Please feel free to reach out with any questions you might have about the upcoming school year or if you are in need of a resource. My contact information is: Marti O’Keefe McKenna, Family Outreach Liaison, 617-980-7343 or mmckenna@miltonps.org .

FOOD SERVICE

The following essay, “A Day in the Life of Visiting the Milton Food Service Program,” was written by Yennie Mok, an intern in the Milton Food Service program:

This past spring, 14 other undergraduate students and I participated in a Justice Brandeis Semester program at Brandeis University entitled “Food, Lifestyle, and Health.” This eight-week program allows us to explore diabetes and obesity by examining the biological science and the social determinants of health through three academic courses that incorporate experiential learning and opportunities to visit and engage with the community. One of these opportunities was to meet Jacqueline Morgan, the Food Service Director of the Milton Public Schools. At the elementary school cafeteria, we were shown around the kitchen and led through the cafeteria line, showing us how the lunches are prepared and served to the students. Simply walking through the kitchen space and observing a few minutes of the preparations in the elementary school cafeteria gave us an idea of the complexities of providing lunch to 600-700 students a day.

Although Milton School Food Services and the cafeteria staff are responsible for serving an extremely large number of meals, Milton School Food Services goes to great lengths to ensure that the lunches they are serving are balanced and nutritious, while also tasting good to the students. Low-fat and fat free milk, all whole-wheat breads, and a complete lack of deep fryers were just some of the initial observations we made while walking through the kitchen. Milton School Food Services not only follows all of the nutritional standards (specific serving sizes for low-fat and fat-free milk, whole grains, and fresh fruit and vegetables offered daily) but also goes to great lengths to ensure that students are actually eating and enjoying their lunches.

On our visit, lunch that day included a side of sweet potato fries. Milton School Food Services pointed out how they saw that many students weren’t eating them, and would next time make sweet potato puffs, an option that they knew students had previously enjoyed. Later that day in the high school cafeteria, once both lunch periods were over, Milton School Food Services passed around one of the smoothies that they offer as part of one of their lunch options. Made with a full serving of strawberries and low-fat yogurt, these delicious yet nutritious smoothies are another option that Milton School Food Services provides to make sure that even those students who are “grazers” or who need something on-the go are able to get something nutritious to eat during the day.

From budgeting, ordering ingredients, addressing allergies, ensuring the nutritional value and quality of the food, to making sure that students are enjoying and eating the food, a lot goes into providing a nutritious, healthy meal at school. This opportunity to talk to the Milton School Food Services Team and visit the Milton Public School cafeterias was a valuable experience that allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between our daily environment, food, nutrition and health.

Whether through policymaking, practicing medicine, or working in the community, we as students hope that in the future we will be able to use what we have learned from this visit and program to make a difference in the field of health. Even those who are not directly in the health field, such as parents and educations, can use knowledge about the process, intricacies, and possible impact of school lunch to make informed decisions regarding public school lunch and student health.

MFE NEWS

The17th Annual Milton Monster Dash will be held on Sunday, October 25^th from 9 to noon at Cunningham Park. This wonderful community event, including the 5K walk and run and kids’ costumed fun run activities, science experiments and crafts, is held in loving memory of Sam Cichello, a Tucker school elementary student who died following a playground accident in 1999. Proceeds support enhanced science programming for grades K through 5.

• EARLY BIB PICKUP IS ENCOURAGED: Pre-race bib pick-up will be on Saturday, October 24^th from 2 – 4 pm at Cunningham Hall. We strongly encourage all – especially large teams – to take advantage of this to avoid the lines Sunday morning. Team captains can pick-up all bibs for their team.

• VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED! The MFE would welcome your support before, during, or after the race. Please contact Will Korman at wkorman@rflawyers.com.

• Register at: miltonmonsterdash-2015.racewire.com

For more information, please visit www.miltonfoundationforeducation.org or email us at MiltonMonsterDash@gmail.com.  Get those costumes ready! See you on the 25^th!

GRANT/FUNDRAISING NEWS

I want to be sure that everyone is aware of our district’s Textile Recycling Program. Our PTOs initiated this program, which places boxes at five of our schools to collect used clothing, shoes and textiles. This has been a huge success. Since the program started in June of 2014, the PTOs have collected about $3000 from the various school boxes.

Thank you to the all of those who have donated to these boxes, to make the ongoing textile recycling program successful.

Did you know……every year in Massachusetts, over 520 MILLION pounds of textiles are disposed of at incinerators or landfills, of which 95% can be reused or recycled? Turn your unwanted clothing, shoes and linens into revenue for the Milton Public Schools.   Donated items are accepted in any condition as long as they are clean and dry, Bay State Textiles takes “the good, the bad and the ugly.“ Visit baystatetextiles.com for a list of acceptable items including clothing, shoes, pocketbooks, household linens and stuffed animals.  When cleaning out your closets, redecorating or getting rid of the childhood stuffed animals, support the Milton Public Schools!  It feels good to clean out your closets, feels good to recycle/re use and it feels good to support your school community.

NEWS AROUND TOWN

The following item was sent to us by Allan Bishop of the DPW:

The Town will begin roadway paving on Big Blue Drive. The DPW will have street paving on Monday October 26^th starting at 7am until 5pm. All work should be completed on Monday by 5pm. Detours and police details will be on site to direct traffic and assist paving crew. Street parking will not be permitted during roadway paving, 7am to 5pm.  If you have any questions or concerns please contact the Department of Public Works – Engineering at (617) 898-4900.

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The October Town Meeting will begin on Monday, October 28^th in the Charles C. Winchester auditorium at Milton High School.

MILTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

Fall is here – and so are fun things for kids to do at the Milton Public Library! 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 November 1 – 7:

Friday, November 6, 2015 from 10:00 – 11:00 am
Signing with Maribeth for Parent and Child, Ages 0-4

Join us for a fun, interactive American Sign Language class with Maribeth. Learn how to sign the book, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin and Eric Carle to your child.  Reading and signing to your child is a fun and easy way to teach your child sign language. All materials will be provided so that you can sign the book at home. The hour program is geared toward children ages 0-4 and their parents and caregivers. Registration is required. Sponsored by the Friends of the Milton Public Library.

Friday, November 6, 2015 from 4:00 – 5:00 pm
Lego Club, Ages 6-12

Come build with the library’s Lego collection!  Each month we’ll build on a different theme.  At the end of the hour, your creations will go on display for all library visitors to enjoy.  Ages 6-12 welcome. Registration is required.

Saturday, November 7, 2015 from 10:00 – 10:30 am
Little Linguists Storytime, Ages 0-5

Bonjour and Hola! Come enjoy stories, songs and activities with Mary Doherty, local language instructor. Elements of the French and Spanish languages will be introduced each week. For ages 0-5 with parent. No registration required.

Saturday, November 7, 2015 from 11:00 am – 12:00 noon
Reading Dogs, Grades 1-5

The Reading Dogs are back!  Kids currently in grades 1-5 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 on Facebook and get updates right in your news feed! Please contact the Children’s Room if you have questions about any of our programs or services.

To see a complete listing of library events, please click here:

http://www.eventkeeper.com/code/events.cfm?curOrg=MILTONPL

ATHLETICS

Football: The Varsity Team is enjoying a terrific season with a record of 6 wins and 0 losses. They have a big game coming up this Saturday at Wellesley HS (3pm start time) that will determine the Champion of the Herget Division in the Bay State Conference. The team hopes to host a first round game next weekend. The Football Committee will meet this Sunday to determine the seeding for all teams.

Girls Soccer: The girls are having a good season and have already qualified for tournament play. They still have several more games to play and hope to have a home game for the tournament. Senior, Sophie Cousineau has scored a record 3 hat tricks (that’s scoring 3 goals in a game) and Senior, Isabel Belash has recorded 4 shutouts this season.

Golf : The Varsity Team won the Bay State Conference Championship match last Wednesday at Spring Valley Country Club in Sharon. The team was lead by Senior Captain, Walker Stroud, sophomore Jared Carr and freshman, Jared Carney. Walker Stroud and Jared Carr were both selected to the Bay State All-Star Golf Team. Also, Walker Stroud competed in the Division II South Section Golf Tournament yesterday and finished 3^rd with a score of 74. He now has qualified and will move on to the Division II State Finals next Monday.

Cheerleading: All the girls are always hard at work getting better at their routines. Courtney Scarborough and MacKenzie Caputo were selected to the Bay State Conference All Star Team for their fine efforts.

Boys Soccer: The boys had a thrilling 1 -0 victory over Weymouth on Thursday night. It was the first victory over Weymouth in quite a long time. It came on a special night, as all the seniors and parents were honored on senior night. The boys hope to continue their winning ways and qualify for tournament play with several more games to play.

Field Hockey: The team continues to compete well and still has a chance of qualifying for tournament play. They had a terrific 1 -0 victory over Notre Dame Academy this week.

Volleyball: The girls are having a great season with a record of 11 wins and 5 losses at this point. They have qualified for state tournament play and hope to have a home match. The team has several more matches and with a few more victories, they hope to get a home match in the tournament.

Girls Cross Country: The team is having an outstanding season with an overall record of 10 wins and 1 loss and a record of 5 – 0 in the BSC Herget Division. This is the team’s first championship since 2009. They have many outstanding runners. The girls travel to Barnstable tomorrow for the Barnstable Invitational Twilight Meet.

Boys Cross Country: The team has made vast improvements since the start of the season. All the boys’ times have improved. The boys ended its regular season with a great victory Wednesday against Braintree. All the boys look forward to having a strong finish at the Bay State Conference Meet on Saturday, October 31^st.

For sports schedules for all MHS teams, please click here:

AMBASSADOR PAGE

Students: The Outdoor Classroom at Collicot School has been flourishing, thanks in part to the efforts of two of the school’s fifth-grade students. Ella Goonan and Luca Sandonato have spent a great deal of time during their recess periods taking care of the Collicot Outdoor Classroom. Not only do they know every inch of the space, but they have also agreed to train fourth-graders on how to care for the plants, so that next year there will also be students who can maintain this outdoor educational space. Thank you to Ella and Luca!

Staff:   I would like to recognize Erica Dunton and Brendan Bonn from Pierce Middle School who recently ran a very successful health curriculum night for Pierce families. “Making Healthy Decisions: A Night With Dr. Tara Cousineau and the Pierce Middle School Health Teachers,” was a very well attended event which relayed important information to our Pierce parents and guardians. Thank you to Ms. Dunton and Mr. Bonn for their work on this event, and thank you to Milton Public School parent Dr. Cousineau!

Volunteers: I would like to recognize a group of Milton citizens who have been working to keep artistic and cultural offerings available to Milton Public School students. The group, M-PACE (Milton Partnership for Arts & Cultural Enrichment), works through the excise tax billing program to request donations. With the cooperation of the Town of Milton treasurer’s office, M-PACE has enacted a “check-off” campaign each spring to raise funds for field trips to museums, interactive geography games and live Shakespeare performances. The board of M-PACE is composed of Treasurer Jim McAuliffe, Roxanne Musto, Meredith Hall and Charlotte Streat. Thank you to all these volunteers for their work on this worthwhile cause. If you would like to make a donation to M-PACE to enhance offerings in the arts for Milton Public School Students, please send a check to M-PACE, c/o James McAuliffe, Town Treasurer’s Office, 525 Canton Avenue, Milton, MA 02186.

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