From: Mary C. Gormley
To: Parents/Guardians and Staff
Re: E-blast Update
Date: Friday, October 23nd, 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 21st: As part of Citizen’s Speak, the School Committee was treated to a performance by members of the cast of the upcoming MHS musical, “42nd 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 4th at 7 pm in the Milton High School library.
CURRICULUM NEWS
Wednesday, November 11th, is a NO SCHOOL day in honor of Veteran’s Day.
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Thursday, November 12th 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
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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.
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Please read the link below for an interesting article on the relationship between pre-school skills and the modern workplace:
UPCOMING MPS EVENTS
Parents of 5th through 8th graders, please note: On Thursday, October 29th at 6:30pm, Milton High School is holding a 5th-8th 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.
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The MHS Boosters are sponsoring a can & bottle drive on Saturday, November 7th 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!
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Save the Date! The Milton High School Diversity Committee presents “Woman Up – The Power of Phenomenal Women,” on Wednesday, November 18th 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 28th from 7-9pm. The next Parent Workshop. The next Parent Workshop will be held on Tuesday, November 3rd from 7-9pm. Both events will be held in the Glover Elementary School Library. Please read below for more information on the November 3rd 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 25th 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 24th 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 25th!
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 26th 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 28th 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 3rd 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 31st.
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.