May 27th E-blast

From: Mary C. Gormley
To: Parents/Guardians and Staff
Re: E-blast Update
Date: Friday, May 27, 2016

 

FROM THE DESK OF THE SUPERINTENDENT

Today, I am very pleased and proud to announce the appointment of Ms. Karen McDavitt to the position of Principal of Glover Elementary School. Ms. McDavitt comes to us with 13 years of experience as an educator.

Ms. McDavitt holds a bachelor’s degree from Skidmore College; a master’s degree from Lesley University; and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS) in Educational Leadership from Boston University.

Ms. McDavitt is currently employed as a teacher in the Cohasset Public Schools, where she has held various leadership positions since 2008 and was selected as a semifinalist for Massachusetts Teacher of the Year in 2012.

Prior to Cohasset, Ms. McDavitt was a teacher at the intermediate level in Ipswich, where she served as the English Language Arts Coordinator for K-5; Chair of the Writing Committee; Student Leadership Mentor and Leader; and Literacy School Library Creator and Coordinator.

Ms. McDavitt possesses many qualities which will make her an effective principal. These include a strong knowledge of curriculum and instruction, an ability to work collaboratively and a love for education and for her profession. I am confident that Glover parents/guardians, teachers, staff and most importantly, students, will continue to flourish under the leadership of Ms. McDavitt.

“I am excited for her leadership tenure,” said Glover parent and Screening Committee member JP Plunkett. “She blends unbridled passion and unabashed classroom excellence with leadership intangibles that signal a superstar in the quick making.”

I have no doubt that Ms. McDavitt will establish strong relationships with parents/guardians and staff to continue to meet the rigorous standards that have been established at the Glover Elementary School.

“Not only did Ms. McDavitt demonstrate a genuine passion for teaching but it was clear that she resonated with the teachers and staff — and I have no doubt that her warmth and commitment to elementary education will be immediately felt by the students and parents,” said Glover parent and Screening Committee Member Kathryn Beaumont Murphy.

Glover staff members who served on the Screening Committee Mary McCarthy, Brian Powers and Mary Bodkin said they are pleased with the appointment, noting: “Ms. McDavitt has demonstrated enthusiasm, energy, and dedication to students, staff and families throughout her career in education.” They extend a warm welcome to Ms. McDavitt from the Glover Community.

There were many qualified candidates for this position and I would like to thank the Screening Committee for their hard work in reviewing the applications and interviewing the candidates with me. I am grateful to the following members of the Glover Principal Screening Committee:

Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Human Resources Janet Sheehan,Tucker Principal Dr. Elaine McNeil-Girmai, Glover Adjustment Counselor Brian Powers, Glover Teachers Mary McCarthy and Mary Bodkin, Elementary Science Coordinator Bernadette Butler, Administrator of Pupil Personnel Services Tracy Grandeau,Parent Representatives JP Plunkett, Anna Barker and Kathryn Beaumont Murphy.

Additionally, a second round of interviews was conducted with myself, Principals James Jette, Dr. Karen Spaulding, Holly Concannon; Assistant Superintendents Dr. Glenn Pavlicek and Janet Sheehan; School Committee Members Sheila Varela, Dr. Elaine Craghead, Margaret Eberhardt; Elementary Curriculum Coordinator Meredith Kempf; and Guidance Director Karen Cahill. Ms. McDavitt will begin her new position on July 1^st.

SCHOOL COMMITTEE UPDATE

 There has been one School Committee meeting since my last E-blast. That meeting is summarized below. The next meeting will be held June 8^th at 7 pm in the Milton Access TV studio in Room 245.

May 25^th:  This meeting began with a presentation by the Transportation and Traffic Safety Subcommittee and an introduction of the 5th Grade Safety Patrol from each school. Transportation Director Jake Smith described the responsibilities of the patrol and School Committee members congratulated them for their efforts. Next, members voted to approve two upcoming field trips. The FY17 Needs and Priorities list was voted on, as was the FY17 School Committee Calendar and summer retreat. Subcommittee assignments were approved. The Third Quarter Report was discussed, and a Vendor Warrant was approved. Member voted to approve the minutes of April 27^th.

CURRICULUM NEWS

The following item was submitted by Meredith Kempf, Curriculum Coordinator at Glover Elementary School:

Problem solving is an integral part of the Milton Public Schools Math Curriculum. Each elementary classroom provides opportunities for students to develop their problem solving skills through integrating problem solving strategies and real life word problems into their daily routines. Students are able to demonstrate their deep understanding of math concepts through their application of skills in these problems and are encouraged to share their strategies with their peers.

For more than 25 years, Milton Public School students in grades 2-5 have been participating in the Continental Math League (CML). All students participate in at least 3 CML “meets” per year within their classrooms. These meets provide an additional way for our students to challenge themselves and demonstrate their ability to problem solve.   Each thirty minute meet consists of 6 challenging word problems that require students to use their analytic skills to determine which math skills are needed to answer the question.  For years our students have challenged themselves and persevered demonstrating their ability to approach difficult problems in different ways.  Success is measured not only through their individual score in a meet but also through growth from meet to meet.

More recently, each school has also added Math Clubs. These clubs provide the opportunity for students to further develop their problem solving skills.  Students meet with parent facilitators to work through problems and challenges.  In this format, students have the opportunity to develop the skill of determination and experience the excitement of success in a club format.  Frequently, students can be found working in small groups using multiple ideas and perspectives to figure out how to solve the problems.  In this format, students also discover that many problems have multiple ways in which they can be solved.

When asked about CML, one student explained, “I like how it is challenging and you have to work hard on it.” Give some problems a try yourself!

• Marcy has 28 pennies and Tom has 21 pennies. If Marcy gives Tom 5 pennies he will have _____ more pennies than Marcy will have.
• George spent $22. This is half as much as Maria and Harriet spent together. Maria spent $15. How much did Harriet spend?
• Pedro lives 3 miles from his Aunt’s house. He can walk a mile in 17 minutes. If he leaves his house at 9:15 a.m., he will arrive at his Aunt’s house at ______a.m.
• Tyshawn needs $90. He worked 6 hours on Thursday earning $7 an hour. He worked 4 hours on Friday earning $8 an hour. How much more money does he need?

SUMMER READING INFO

The following item was sent to us by Elementary Curriculum Coordinator Amy Gale:

It’s that time of year again! All of our teachers have been working hard readying children to take on the challenge of reading every single day this summer and topping the last summer’s record of 484,000 minutes read. We are once again partnering with our friends at the Milton Public Library to ensure that all students have ample access to everything that the library has to offer and a place to enter their minutes read. Students currently in grades K-4 have already brought home a registration form to be filled out and returned to school. Upon receipt of this form, Mrs. Henry and Mrs. McKenna will ensure that each child is registered on the library’s website and can participate in their SUMMER READING CHALLENGE!! Please let your child’s teacher know if you did not receive the summer reading registration so that we can ensure all children are signed up and READY TO READ!!!

UPCOMING MPS EVENTS

Great news … the Milton Transportation & Traffic Sub-Committee of the Milton School Committee was nominated for and won the Safe Routes To School (SRTS) Community Collaboration Award! This award goes to the community which has best demonstrated the importance of collaborating among local organizations and municipal staff to develop an effective and successful SRTS program.

The group has been meeting consistently for the past year. Regular members include: SRTS, parent reps from each school, school committee, superintendent’s office, school transportation dept. This is an open public meeting and, as such, is listed on the town website 24 hours in advance so any interested community residents can join. The Sub-Committee has planned and implemented an annual pedestrian safety training at all four elementary schools- both the parent/teacher volunteer instructor model and the peer (5th grade) mentor model. All four elementary schools have incorporated the AAA Safety Patrol. The middle school has incorporated annual bicycle safety training into the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade curriculum in addition to hosting a community-wide bike rodeo. All schools have recently completed student travel surveys, aerial mapping, and walk assessments in order to create recommended walking routes. The awards ceremony will be held on Wednesday, June 29th, 2016 at the Grand Staircase Hall, State House, 24 Beacon St, Boston from 10am to noon.

* * *

The Milton Public Schools will be hosting Arbella Insurance’s Distractology Program at the Milton High School campus on June 13-17. This is a free distracted driving program for our students, which utilizes a driving simulator.  Details on signups, etc will be included in the next E-blast.

PAC/SPECIAL ED NEWS

For those of you who have been following Milton’s Challenger League, which is now in its fourth season, there are still a few games left this year. The Challenger Team welcomes players of all genders, 6-18 years old, with any special need. Games are played Sundays at Shields Park. Please join the players and fans on Sunday, June 5^th at 4:20pm; or Sunday, June 12^th at 4:30pm.

BID-MILTON

Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Milton (BID-Milton) will hold its seventh annual Community Health Walk and Health Fair on Saturday, June 11, from 9:30 am – 2 pm, at the hospital. The family-oriented, health and wellness event starts at 9:30 am with registration for a 5-kilometer (3.1 miles) or a one-mile walk which will start at 10 am from the hospital’s Highland Street Parking Lot.

The walks will be followed by family-oriented events including face painting, children’s obstacle course, tours of several emergency response vehicles and DJ entertainment. A free barbeque lunch will be available starting at 12 noon.

Boston Red Sox mascot Wally the Green Monster will once again stop by and be available to meet and be photographed with kids of all ages from 11 am to 12 noon.

A new family feature this year will be a Teddy Bear Clinic. Children can bring their sick or injured bears to be evaluated and treated by BID-Milton Emergency Department staff.

A community health fair in the hospital’s main lobby will begin at 11 am. Health screenings and checks will be available as will displays and information from area health and wellness providers.

The American Red Cross’ Blood Mobile will be onsite to accept blood donations from the community. Individuals who are interested in donating should call the Red Cross at 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to schedule an appointment. Those who donate blood will be entered into a raffle to win a special prize.

The hospital will also formally award its Community Health Grants to several local organizations whose programs address the primary health needs identified in the hospital’s Community Health Needs Assessment.

Funds raised at the event will go towards facility improvements and new equipment for the hospital’s cardiac testing service. Visit the hospital’s website at www.bidmilton.org/walk  to download registration forms. Registration is $5 per walker, except children under the age of 12 who are free.

* * *

 We recently received this letter from BID-Milton President/CEO Peter Healy:

I write to you with mixed emotions to announce that I will be leaving Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Milton on January 1, 2017 to assume the newly created role of President of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC).

This move is part of a strategy to place the Beth Israel Deaconess system in the best possible position during a period of rapid growth and change locally and across the industry.  In just a few short years, the Beth Israel Deaconess family has grown to include an academic medical center, three member community hospitals, four community hospital clinical affiliations, one specialty hospital and more than 2,400 physicians.

I will report to Kevin Tabb, MD, who will continue to serve as Chief Executive Officer for BIDMC. He will focus largely on the system including building and overseeing the leadership team, and developing and executing a system-wide strategy.  As President of BIDMC, my focus will be on the medical center’s internal operations such as service, operations, management and finance.

I was not looking to leave BID-Milton.  This was a very difficult decision, especially on a personal level.    During my tenure at BID-Milton, we have made strong progress on a number of fronts:

• A Spring 2016 Joint Commission Survey placed us among the nation’s top hospitals
• Expansion of our Center for Specialty Care to include 18 BIDMC physicians and specialist surgeons, bringing outstanding expertise to our community
• Implementation of a board-certified, critical care specialist ICU staffing model which is offered by fewer than 50 percent of hospitals nationwide
• Fifteen percent growth in Emergency Department volume since the closure of Quincy Medical Center while maintaining prompt throughput times for patients and families
• Fiscal strength enabling reinvestment in facilities, technology and staff
• Robust community partnerships established in Milton, Quincy and Randolph Please know that I have greatly enjoyed working with you and other community partners.  An extensive search for BID-Milton’s next President and CEO will soon be launched. The role is sure to attract many talented candidates due to our strong clinical, financial and market positions, our outstanding care givers and your unwavering support.I thank you for your commitment to BID-Milton and I look forward to our continued work together.  If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly at Peter_Healy@bidmilton.org or at (617) 313-1353. NEWS AROUND TOWNOur town will hold its annual Memorial Day Observance on Monday, May 30^th. The American Legion Post #114 will begin this year’s Memorial Day program with the raising of the flag and the placing of the wreath at 9:30 a.m. at the Town Hall. Following this observance, participants will march to Milton Cemetery for the customary ceremony.

TOWN HALL – 9:30 a.m.

• Placing of the Wreath at the War Memorial – Legion Members
• Raising of the Flag – Legion Members
• MHS Band – National Anthem

CEMETERY – 10 a.m.

• Introduction – Frank Stout, Legion Member (introductory remarks and introduction of special guest and keynote speaker U.S. Army Major General Stan Genega (Ret.)
• Greetings – Paul McDonnell, Commander of the American Legion Post #114 and Joseph M. Reardon, Cemetery Trustee
• Invocation – Reverend Stephen Zukas, Administrator, Saint Elizabeth Parish
• Select Chorus & Band – Armed Forces Salute – Songs from all branches of the American Armed Forces (Select Chorus under the direction of Noreen Burdett and MHS band under the direction of both Rebecca Damiani and Gary Good)
• Welcome – Kathleen M. Conlon, Chair, Board of Selectmen
• In Flanders Fields – recited by Joanna M. Needham, MHS Junior
• Band Selection – National Emblem
• Keynote Speaker – U.S. Army Major General, Stan Genega (Ret.)
• Coin Presentation – WW II Veterans
• Prayer Offered by Rabbi Alfred Benjamin (in absentia) – written by Rabbi Arnold Resnicoff
• Placing of Wreaths – Legion Member
• Roll Call – Kevin Cook, Veterans Agent
• Volley / Echo Taps – Legion Member / MHS Student
• Flag Raising – National Anthem – MHS Mixed Chorus
• Remarks – State Representative Walter F. Timilty
• Benediction – Reverend John Allen, Pastor, First Congregational Church
• Band Selection – MHS Band

* * *

 The Milton Jr. Wildcats are happy to announce that we will be offering an inspirational football team for the Fall 2016 season.  Any child ages 5-21 with cognitive or physical challenges may register for this team.  This team will meet two nights each week for one hour.  The children will do an exhibition in competition events and games, but no child will be required to participate.

You can register for the inspirational team by going to our website at www.miltonjrwildcats.org, click the REGISTER NOW button and follow the prompts from there. Practices will start in August, then continue throughout the season which ends in October. Uniforms will be provided to each cheerleader for the season.

We have a few committed volunteers already but are actively looking for more, please forward along any persons or volunteers to me and we will add them to the list. The JR. Wildcats are very excited about this new team and we look forward to working with all of you.

* * *

The 39th annual Milton Road Race will be run Tuesday, June 14th, 2016 starting and finishing at Cunningham Hall. The race is hosted and organized by the Milton Junior Woman’s Club. The first 500 registered runners receive a swag bag with fun goodies in it. The last 3 years we have had more than 700 runners participate in the race between the 5K and 10K runs. All the proceeds for the race go back into our community in the form of grants to local non profits and scholarships to graduating high school seniors who are Milton residents.

We are sponsored by many local organizations including these GOLD sponsors: Milton Hill Sport and Spa, Reebok, Symmons Industries, LLM Design, ProForma Printing and Promotion, the Cunningham Foundation and Fallon Ambulance along with the Milton Police Department, Milton Fire Department and the Milton Department of Public Works. We could not put on this event with out all their help. We are also grateful to have an amazing community turn out every year with lots of families running. Many of the schools have created teams as well. Check in with your principal to see who the school captain is– or start a team for your school!

The link to register is www.miltonroadrace.racewire.com Online registration is $30 for adults (19 and older) $20 for youth (18 and younger).  In person registration is $35 for adults- the youth rate is the same.

* * *

All are invited to join the Friends of the Blue Hills for a spring festival of stewardship and fun. The annual Green Up the Blue Hills will be held on Sunday, June 5, from 1 p.m.-3:30 p.m. at the Ponkapoag AMC Cabins.  Students and families will enjoy music, face painting, crafts and a scavenger hunt while helping with an essential task: pulling up invasive weeds that threaten the Blue Hills.  Volunteers should park at Temple Beth David, 1060 Randolph Street, Canton. It is a short, scenic walk from the parking lot to the cabins. The event is rain or shine.  Please RSVP to Anne Comber at Greenup@FriendsoftheBlueHills.org.

MILTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

The following item was sent in by Lilly Sundell-Thomas, Reference & Young Adult Librarian at the Milton Public Library.

Teen Yoga with Joanne Lloyd

The Milton Public Library will be offering a series of teen yoga classes this summer on Monday afternoons from 4pm – 5pm in the Keys Community Room. Local yoga teacher Joanne Lloyd has been practicing yoga with young people and their families for the past 9 years. She has taught yoga classes at Boston Children’s Museum, Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center, Brookline Center, Yogafest, Faneuil Hall,  and in local daycare centers in the Boston area. Classes will be on 6/27, 7/11, and 7/25. Register online for FREE at miltonlibrary.org. Beginners welcome!

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

Summer is on its way – and so are fun activities for families at the Milton Public Library! Books, programs, coloring, games, puppets and more are available every day for you to check out. In addition to our regular storytimes on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, we have these exciting programs for the young people in your life happening during the week of June 5 – 11:

Friday, June 10, 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.

Friday, June 10, 2016 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 and will open two weeks prior to the event.

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 join me in congratulating Coach Tom Shaw, who was recognized at the annual Coach of the Year banquet sponsored by the MIAA in Milford last night. Coach Shaw was recognized for his work as Girls Cross Country coach. He and his student athletes do an amazing job of representing our athletic program, our high school and our town.

 

 

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

Reminder that the Annual Booster banquet is next Wednesday, June 1^st in the Copeland Field House at 6pm. Tickets are on sale online at www.miltonboosters.com. All tickets must be purchased online. No tickets will be sold at the door.

Congratulations to all our Spring athletes and coaches as they have all represented Milton High School athletics with poise and class throughout the season. Best of luck to all those continuing to compete in MIAA tournament events!

Rugby: The team finished another highly successful regular season last night.   The combined records of Varsity and JV were 11 wins-2 losses-1 tie, this Spring. With a 23-13 victory over Brookline in the Division 2 semi-finals on Tuesday, Wildcat rugby will roll into General Foley Stadium, Worcester this Saturday, May 28th, for the Divisions 2 State Final, pitted against #1 seed Lincoln Sudbury.  It will be Milton’s fourth consecutive year of making it to the D2 State Finals, having won titles in 2013 and 2015.

 Girls’ Crew: The two varsity boats raced this past weekend at the US Rowing Northeast Youth Championships. The first four came in fourth in their heat and did not advance to the second day. The second varsity four placed second in the heat and advanced to the semi’s on Sunday. They placed fourth in their semi’s putting them just out of the grand final later that day. Our final race is the Massachusetts Championships this Sunday, May 29th in Lowell. We will see some of our regular, tough opponents like CRLS and Duxbury Maritime.

Boys Tennis: The team wrapped up their season with a 3-2 victory at Dedham and a 1-4 loss to Natick.  Sophomore, Mike Gates led the team with a 10-4 record, while junior, Gainni Rodrigues ended the season with a 9-6 record.  Mike Gates was named to the Bay State League All Star Team and teammates: Mike Wyatt and Giannie Rodrigues were voted as Honorable Mentioned to the All Star Team. Down the stretch, the 1st doubles team of senior Mike Wyatt and freshman Kevin Meade had 2 crucial victories that helped move the team’s record to 7-8.Kevin Huang, Jeff Chan, & Aiden Sullivan showed great improvement throughout the season and should be major contributors next season.

Girls Lacrosse team finished strong this season with an exciting win against Ursuline Academy on Tuesday! The final score was 16-15, the Wildcats battled back with just minutes left in the game! Milton also had a big win against Dedham with a final score of 14-10! Unfortunately, the team finished the season just short of making the tournament, ending the season with a 7-10 record. Devin Coulter was awarded first team in the league and Julia Scannell got an honorable mention! Both girls were top scorers along with captains Morgan Begley and Katie Abbott. The defense was led by Julia Collins, Kate Driscoll and Lily Phelan with outstanding goal tending by Kat Buchanan.

Girls Softball: The team got on a roll and finished the season strong. The girls defeated Brookline and Dedham this week bringing their final record up to 9- 11. Thank you to everyone who supported the softball program this weekend at the Car Wash!

Girls Tennis: The team started off the last week of the season with a win against Dedham! Our first singles, Kate won in two sets, while second and third singles, Mikalia and Adri both won in a third sets. First doubles, Abbey and Alyssa also beat their opponents in two sets. Second single Ange and Lidia won in a third set tiebreak, solidifying their 3rd win of the season. The team is excited to play our last two matches of the season this week!

Girls Outdoor Track:  The team finished the regular season with a record of 3-2. They are competing for the Div III State Title on Saturday and are one of the favorite contenders for the title. The team will be bringing 26 athletes to the state tournament. The girls team has never brought this many girls to the state tournament.

Boys Tennis Team wrapped up their season with a 3-2 victory at Dedham and a 1-4 loss to Natick.  Sophomore, Mike Gates led the team with a 10-4 record, while junior, Gainni Rodrigues ended the season with a 9-6 record.  Both boys should at least received Honorable Mention when the All Star voting takes place later this week. Down the stretch, the 1st doubles team of senior Mike Wyatt and freshman Kevin Meade had 2 crucial victories that helped move the team’s record to 7-8.

Baseball The Wildcats have won three conference games in a row over Walpole, Wellesley and Brookline to bring their record to 9-10 with one game remaining. They need to win their last game to make the tournament. They will play tomorrow at Nauset Regional HS.  Pitching has been great from Sam Jacobsak, Brandon Musto, and Jake Walker all season long.

Boys Lacrosse: The team is looking forward to preparing for the 2017 campaign, with eight returning starters who gained a great deal of experience this season. Congratulations to our graduating seniors, Nick Rogers, Charlie Karoff, Joey Binda, Mike Fallon, David Cunniff, and Nick Bagley.

AMBASSADOR PAGE

Students: To the Class of 2016, I would like to express my sincere congratulations. Some of you have spent 13 years with the Milton Public Schools. Some have spent less than a year with us. But you are all now part of the community of Milton Public Schools. Please enjoy the upcoming school events (Senior Awards, Boosters Banquet, Prom, and Graduation) but please also make wise decisions and keep yourselves and each other safe. We look forward to seeing you all on Graduation Day on June 5^th.

Staff:   I would like to recognize Glover French Reading Teacher Kate Lavalle for being one of this year’s Outstanding Teachers. Ms. Lavalle was not in school on the day the MFE conducts its annual “surprise” visits to teachers’ classrooms, but she is certainly a worthy choice for this honor, and she did receive a classroom visit the following week. Congratulations to Ms. Lavalle!

Volunteers: I would like to thank Julie Ritchie, Piel Hollingsworth, Angie Van Allen, Eileen Heller, Nora Vernazza and Liddie Sutter for their incredible work at last night’s Outstanding Teacher of the Year presentation. I hope that the poignant words of our teachers demonstrated everyone how much the Milton Foundation for Education is appreciated and valued by our teachers, administrators and staff.

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.