Superintendent Gormley Releases Updates For The Week Of February 6, 2020

FROM THE DESK OF THE SUPERINTENDENT

This week is National School Counseling Week across the country. The week, sponsored by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), highlights the unique contribution of school counselors within  school systems and the tremendous impact they can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career. I would like to take this opportunity to thank and celebrate the counselors in all six of our schools.

Each of our elementary schools has an Adjustment Counselor on staff, while Pierce and Milton High School have both Adjustment and Guidance Counselors who work together to support students. Our Adjustment Counselors collaborate with teachers, administrators and parents/guardians to support students with friendship challenges, family changes that may bring stress, anxiety, mindfulness, PBIS, returning to school after illness and more. Our Guidance Counselors support students around academics, scheduling, navigating the new environments of Pierce and MHS, course selection, the college process and more. These professionals are valued members of the Milton Public Schools staff and are vital in the social emotional health of all of our students.

I have asked several parents to share their experiences with our counselors and I share a few of their thoughts here.

“As a Milton High parent that has been through the college process, Milton High guidance department was extremely helpful in finding a good academic and financial fit, while also encouraging the student to manage the steps independently with Naviance. The MHS scholarship program is amazing, and they make it very easy for MHS students to apply for a myriad of opportunities with just one application.”

“From the first day of kindergarten to the transition to academic independence, elementary school can cause anxiety in lots of kids. The MPS elementary adjustment counselors for many kids are the calming faces, words of encouragement or simple presence that bring a sigh of relief as the kids tackle each day.”

“For my child, the counselor succeeded in bringing a child who literally fought getting on the bus everyday in the early years to becoming a member of the school’s student council in fifth grade.”

“I’m just so in love with this department that I could go on and on! I cannot say enough about the Guidance and adjustment counselors at Pierce! When we were in a time of crisis and didn’t know up from down these amazing professionals got the whole teaching team informed, on board and the whole team could not have been more patient, informative, supportive of our both our child and us and in touch all the while individualizing supports to meet our child’s changing needs. With so many students it was amazing, we felt like we were the only ones, that is how much attention and support we received. When needed, I would hear from the adjustment counselor or guidance counselor after every single period of the day. They had their fingers on the pulse of the situation. They knew and truly believed we would get through it and guided us along the way and continue to do so to support my child, even though things have settled and we are in a great space. We are so grateful to have such knowledgeable, approachable and empathetic professionals who go above and beyond to support students get what they need to be as successful as they can be.”

Just this past week, MHS Guidance Counselor Jennie Beliveau visited Pierce with 6 MHS juniors to lead a mentor training session with nine Pierce 8th graders. After February vacation, the eighth grade students will mentor a group of sixth grade students with the help of the Pierce guidance team. The goal of the program is to promote leadership in our eighth graders and help ease transitions and make connections for our sixth grade students. The students had a great time connecting with each other on Friday and Pierce is excited to kick off their third year of the mentor program.

Please join me in thanking our counseling staff for all that they do, every day, to support our students.  Kelly Dearing, Jaclyn Germano, Elizabeth Caruso, Karen Cahill, Rich Guarino, Leonice Bernard, Lisa Spinelli, Scott Devlin, Jennie Beliveau, Mary Bianca Mattocks, Kenneth, Adelmann, Ramsay Cadet, Brian Powers, Christine Howley, Lisa Veldran, Erica Benjamin, Erin Jaquette, Myriam Francoeur and Kara Sheridan as well as interns Ekta Bhalla, Gabrielle Jonas and Kate French are to be commended and celebrated for their work with students.

UPCOMING MPS DATES 

• Feb 6 Milton Activities Fair – Tucker Gym
• Feb 12 Budget Meeting 6:30pm, MHS Auditorium
• Feb 13 Pierce Middle School Science Fair
• Feb 13  MHS Cabaret
• Feb 17-21 February Recess
• Feb 25 1st Grade Information Night
• Feb 26 Milton School Committee
• Feb 27 MHS Program of Studies Night
• Mar 2 1st Grade STEM Information Night
• Mar 3 Parent Speaker Series, Ivy Watts, Mental Health Empowerment
• Mar 4 Milton School Committee
• Mar 5 Early Release Day
• Mar 7 Minority Job Fair

Join us TONIGHT for the Milton Activities and Athletics Fair! The fair takes place tonight,  February 6th, in the gymnasium of the Tucker School, 187 Blue Hills Parkway from 5:30-7:00pm.

Representatives from a variety of athletic programs, after school activities, musical instrument lessons, theater, acting and future engineers opportunities, and Milton Summer Enrichment will be on hand to answer questions. In addition, a representative from the Milton Public Library will be on hand to register students for a library card and outline all the amazing MPL programs offered.

If you have any questions or need additional information please email Marti O’Keefe McKenna, MPS Family Outreach Liaison.

***

The 4th Annual South Shore Regional Minority Educator Recruitment Fair, hosted by Milton Public Schools  and sponsored by PROforma Printing & Promotion will take place at the Copeland Field House at Milton High School on Saturday, March 7th from  8am- 12pm.

The number of Latino, African-American, and Asian students in kindergarten through grade 12 public school classrooms is expected to exceed the number of non-Hispanic, white students, but the racial and ethnic makeup of our country’s teaching staff does not reflect this shift. There is a shortage of African American, Hispanic and Latino, Native American, and Asian educators, and this recruitment fair helps to encourage those individuals to pursue a career in education.

During the event, representatives from South Shore public school districts (all levels: elementary, middle/Jr. high and high school) will meet with potential employees in an effort to find the most qualified minority teachers, administrators, librarians, administrative assistants, instructional aides, custodians, food service personnel, coaches and more. Please contact James Jette via email or phone (617-696-4470) with any questions.

SCHOOL COMMITTEE

Recent School Committee meetings can always be watched on Milton Access TV.  The next School Committee meeting is on February 5th , 2020 at 7pm. School Committee agendas and documents can be found in the School Committee tab on the front page of our website. 

The School Committee recently updated the Milton Public Schools Strategic Plan. The updated document can be found here. 

MPS Budget Meetings: There were two school budget meetings this week and there is one still to come on February 12, 2020 @ 6:30pm in the Milton High School Auditorium. This presentation is open to all Milton residents, please join us to discuss the projected MPS budget for the 2020-21 school year. The recent budget presentation to the Warrant Committee can be found here. 

HIGH SCHOOL HAPPENINGS  

Members of Milton High School’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) would like to share some information about the GSA and its role at MHS. The GSA focuses on creating a safe and accepting environment for members of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies. As members of the GSA, we work together to provide a welcoming, safe space for all students.Through group meetings and field trips to The Massachusetts GSA Leadership Council – part of the Safe Schools Program for LGBTQ+ Students – we work to promote inclusive learning environments for all students.

Topics of discussion include: inclusivity, education, supporting people in the questioning and coming out process, and building connections. With full support of the administration, the GSA has collaborated and researched what we feel are useful resources for families, friends, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Links to these resources can now be found on Milton High School’s Guidance webpage. Please keep an eye out as this list of resources may grow through our collaboration with all schools in the district. We encourage parents, families, and friends of members of the LGBTQ+ community to take this opportunity to educate themselves and others in order to continue to increase acceptance and awareness in our schools.

The group would like to share the resources for students/parents/guardians/families. These resources can all be found on our MHS Guidance page.

***

Model UN Advisor Ayeola Davis shares that on Thursday, January 30, 2020, the Boston Sheraton and Marriott hosted the Harvard Model United Nations’ sixty-seventh conference. The 4-day conference welcomed more than 4,000 students from 50 countries. Delegates were tasked with grappling some of the most serious challenges in international relations. The conference gave secondary students an opportunity to broaden their horizons, learn/network, establish peace and enable all people to live in dignity.

Eight students from Milton High School and their advisor, Ayeola Davis, accepted the opportunity to attend this conference. The following students attended the conference: Evan Trafton, Anderson Korman, Jonathan Waldmann, Iris Trafton, Kiera Glazer, Ralph Destin and William McElroy. Although students took part in committees that lasted hours, they had nothing but positive feedback. Barron Clancy said, “Participating in HMUN gave me the opportunity to debate about the economic empowerment of rural women. I was also able to meet people from across the world that has a similar love for discussion, debate, and compromise. This conference provided an incredible experience that I will never forget”. Kiera Glazer acknowledged that, “HMUN was an amazing experience and was extremely eye-opening. I had the chance to work with kids from all over the world; which was an exciting opportunity. I learned a lot about the international community and had fun working to solve a worldwide crisis”. Jonathan Waldmann also stated that, “The 2020 Harvard Model United Nations Conference was easily one of the most intriguing and enjoyable events that I have ever attended. It was simply amazing to observe the diversity of nationalities and cultures present at the conference. Furthermore, I was astounded by delegates’ ability to overcome these cultural and linguistic barriers to both have fun and work to address some of the most urgent issues facing the international community today”.

Congratulations to Anderson Korman and Jonathan Waldmann who both won Outstanding Delegate awards, to Barron Clancy and Ralph Destin who both won Honorable Mention and to William McElroy and Evan Trafton who both won Diplomatic Commendations.

MSE Red Shirt Opportunity for MHS Students:  All Milton High School students are invited to apply for volunteer and paid Red Shirt positions this summer at Milton Summer Enrichment. Details can be found in the application link here. The application deadline is February 13, 2020.

PIERCE PAGES 

Pierce students in Ms. Downey-Tipping and Ms. Hartgering’s 8th Grade Literacy Lab class have been reading the novel Something Upstairs, by Avi . In the book, set in Rhode Island, the protagonist becomes fascinated by historical research in trying to solve a mystery about his house. The Milton Historical Society recently hosted the class for a morning of historical research.  Students examined documents and maps from long ago Milton and got a customized tour of the house, with connections to how the characters may have lived. The Suffolk Resolves house is the exact same architecture as the house in the novel, and students felt as if they were in the characters’ home.

This was the 4th year that the 8th grade Literacy Lab class has visited the Suffolk Resolves House and over the years, classes have learned about the fascinating history of the house and how it was moved, viewed some of the intriguing objects inside, and learned about the many businesses that contributed to Milton’s rich history. Through the glimpse into Milton’s archives, students have traced the suffragette movement in Milton (original vote was against; but future votes upheld voting rights for women), looked at some interesting political ads for and against the right to vote, and explored through maps how Milton (and specifically their neighborhood) has changed over time. The Milton Historical Society, especially the President Steve O’Donnell and  Educational Coordinator Gwen Labbe, have been amazing partners as they make this time period come alive for students and give them get a glimpse of the Milton of long ago. In preparation for our visit, Steve and Gwen read our book so they can talk to the students about the connections, and pull out fabulous documents and maps from the archive that students can look through. This year, we were so appreciative that the Milton Police Department and Officer Potts, who supported the experience by providing a van to travel  to the Suffolk Resolves House.

The Milton Public Schools is so lucky to be supported by the community in this way, and we encourage everyone to check out the Milton Historical Society website and programming.

***

This week, motivational speaker Ed Gerety presented to all Pierce students. He captured the students’ attention with his passion, humor and positive message: be respectful, be grateful and be kind to one another. He reminded the students to take the time to tell the people in your life that you love them, and he encouraged them to reach out and be kind to everyone because you never know what struggles other people may have in their lives. A huge thank you to the Pierce PTO for sponsoring this amazing speaker!

***

The Pierce Student Council will be holding its 3rd Annual Student vs. Faculty basketball game in the gym this Friday, starting at 2:45. The Teachers have come out on top the past two years. Who will own bragging rights in 2020? Ticket $1 before the game, $2 at the door. Come out and cheer on your team!

INSIDE OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS 

As a kick off to Black History Month and Science Fair season,  all Tucker students enjoyed a presentation by Dr. Oneeka Williams this week. In addition to being a surgeon, Dr. Williams is the author of the “Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo” children’s book series. The series centers around a main character who is a female surgeon who uses her super powers to help others. The series also focuses on the five habits of positivity. Students learned about Dr. William’s journey to become a surgeon and the challenges she faced along the way as a woman of color. Our hope is that all Tucker students left the assembly excited to participate in the upcoming science fair on February 27th!

***

Collicot held its 2nd annual Scripps Spelling Bee last week. After many gruelling rounds, 4th grader Isabel Berdik won on the word console! Congratulations to Isabel and 2nd place winner 5th grader Teddy Hsu and 3rd place winner 5th grader Sofia Serpa.

Students who participated came in 1st and 2nd in their classroom bees. They were invited to an after school club with Mrs Spitz to prepare for the big bee!

3rd graders Luke McEvoy, Juliette Van Riet, Sofia Conti, Owen Griffin, Ariella Corcoran, Caroline Mullen, Alicia Chan, Lola Murillo, Brendan Aylward and Karen Foo;

4th graders Hope Sergi, Alex DeGregorio, Gavin Gottlieb, Paul Raffle, Christopher Morrow, Isabel Berdik, Cole Kelly and Oliver Berdik

5th graders Helena Case, Rafael Corcoran, Caitlin Sanchez, Keira Clark, Lauren Connolly, Sofia Serpa, Jack Ensign, Teddy Hsu, Sophia Lang and Nolan Sweeney.

***

Cunningham held their 4th Annual Diversity Night this week. Students and families were invited to bring items representing their culture to share with the community, and participate in breakout sessions for both children and parents. Children were read a book from the Reading about Diversity program and engaged in an activity led by Cunningham teachers. Adults met with Tanya Frank McKnight, a social worker and former Cunningham parent, to participate in  thought-provoking activities and discussion around diversity.

***

Our Collicot 5th grade writers participating in the after school newspaper club, the Cardinal Connection, recently had the opportunity to meet Mary Whitfall, a writer from the Patriot Ledger.

Students were able to ask Ms. Whitfall questions about her career and they learned that each reporter at the Patriot Ledger has a “beat” or an area they focus on. Students were surprised to learn that the news never stops and reporters are often called at all hours to report on breaking news. Students also learned about the importance of meeting writing deadlines and editing their work.

Ms. Whitfall stayed and offered suggestions to students as they worked on articles for the upcoming edition of the Cardinal Connection. The Cardinal Connection is part of the Collicot CASS program and has been offered exclusively to 5th grade students since 2014.

***

The Collicot Cafe was the site of the 3rd -5th grade Science Fair last week and full of innovative Science and STEM projects. The MHS Robotics and Science Teams attended and gave students feedback on their projects and highlighted the strengths of the projects – display, data or research. The 5th grade display of their 3D city was a huge success. Students made their 3D buildings with our Technology teacher Ms Van Hill.

***

The book  I Am Love: A Book of Compassion by Susan Verde kicked off Kindness Week at Collicot.  Students will take part in the Great Kindness Challenge and will collect coins  to help build a school in Mexico. Students have a kindness checklist to complete as part of that challenge with tasks like surprise someone with a kind act, take a picture with the kindness frame decorate and a classroom kindness bulletin board.

***

Cunningham 2nd graders researched their heroes and presented biography reports dressed up as their subject.  Mrs. Walsh’s class was full of athletes, inventors, politicians, musicians and artists. Students talked about their subject’s childhood and accomplishments.

***

Glover students in Ms. Vanacore and Ms. Craven’s 2nd grade class celebrated World Read Aloud Day on February 5th with students in Ms. Craven and Ms. Renehan’s 4th grade class. World Read Aloud Day began in 2010 to recognize the joy of reading aloud around the world, but also to bring awareness to the fact that literacy should be a fundamental human right that belongs to everyone. Since it began in 2010, World Read Aloud Day has evolved into a global movement of millions of readers, writers, and listeners from communities all across the world coming together to honor the joy and power of reading and sharing stories. The event is celebrated by millions of people in more than 100 countries. These lucky students spent time reading together not just on World Read Aloud Day, but once a month when they gather to read together. Students choose their favorite stories to share with each other and practice their oral reading and fluency skills. These classes have formed a unique bond because not only are their teachers siblings, there are many siblings pairs within these two classrooms as well.

***

The Cunningham+Collicot Green Space Committee is excited share that their fundraising has taken off!  Once they raise the 1st $50,000,  a matching grant from the Copeland Family Foundation kicks in. Once the C+ C Green Space committee raises $50,000, The Copeland Foundation will DONATE $50,000! If you would like to donate or learn more, please visit their website to learn more and to donate! Thank you to everyone in the Cunningham & Collicot community who is working to make this project a reality for our children!

CURRICULUM HIGHLIGHT 

This past weekend, 45 MPS students from Pierce, Glover, Tucker, Collicot and Cunningham competed in the Future Problem Solving Qualifying Bowl held at Pierce Middle School.

The Future Problem Solving program provides students with a way to critically think about relevant topics that will impact the future. Teams of four students learn a six-step problem solving process which they then apply, along with their research on specific topics, to solve social and scientific problems. A “future scene” prompts students to explore challenges as they refine their critical and creative thinking skills, focus on one problem area to solve, produce solution ideas, generate criteria to evaluate their solutions, and develop an action plan.

The Qualifying Bowl held this past weekend required students to use the six-step problem solving process to solve a future scene in a two hour competition. The topic this year is Gamification. Students have researched different techniques to use gamification in a variety of settings including in education and the workplace to enhance learning, productivity, and even their personal health. In previous years, the topics have included de-extinction, philanthrocapitalism, coping with stress, food and waste, and drones.

We will have the results of the bowl in 3-4 weeks and selected teams will advance to the State Bowl in April. In the meantime, our teams will be preparing for the State Bowl topic on “Living in Poverty” in the hopes that they receive an invitation to move forward. Our MPS Future Problem Solving program coaches are Justine Novak (elementary) and Nicole Lauria (Pierce) and we are grateful to them for their preparation, guidance and leadership of our students.

Pierce students who participated are: Tucker Korman, Ella Cantor, Jasmine Bethea, Ida Zoll, Kevin Gomes, Taylor Xu, Theo Dhami, Jayden Ng, Gisele Dimanche, Sam Boucher, Ryan Kelly, Kyle Tam, and Emma Dhima.

Our elementary teams were:

• Cunningham teams: Julia Scapicchio, Brayden Zeldis, Andy Ramkissoon and Elizabeth Miller, Moon Morrison, Taylor Feloney and Noah Tran.
• Collicot teams:Charlie Hellmuth, Rory Gorham, Annabel Gale, Reese Longo and Alex Nowak, Esme Neugebauer, Ella Hunt and Peter Mullen
• Glover teams: Michael Canale, Avery Squiciarino, Lilo Grassl, Sebastien TranPham and Aava Darvish, Vicky Pierre, Sophie Derwinski and Sam Epstein.
• Tucker teams: Lucas Petersen, Lena Do, Ellie Hardy and Ephraim Ohaya and Caleb Simmons, Ben Gallagher, Samara Solomon-Sanneh and Grace Tucker.

MILTON SUMMER ENRICHMENT

Believe it or not, it is time to start thinking about Milton Summer Enrichment (MSE) 2020!  We are looking forward to a fun-filled summer with the children. The full MSE letter linked here will serve as the first of many communications in the upcoming months about MSE, and contains important information about our program.  In addition to updates, there are two important changes related to course registration and course payment increases found here.

Those of you who had children participate in the MSE program last year will see the return of the same MSE Directors.  Cat DesRoche (PK-8 Literacy Director) and Ellen Lohan (Elementary Science Coordinator) will once again be working together to ensure 2020 is the best summer yet!  We can be contacted via email anytime.  We are fortunate to have Billy Donovan   on our team as well, who will be continuing his role of coordinating middle and high school courses.

MSE will be held at Milton High School and will run Monday – Friday, 8:00-12:00 from July 6 – 31, 2020.

Please read the full MSE letter here with information on tuition, registration and important dates. 

We are looking forward to a fantastic summer at MSE 2020! Please be on the lookout for more communications in the coming months.  If you have questions at anytime, please  contact Ms. DesRoche and Ms. Lohan via email.

MILTON COMMUNITY SCHOOLS

Milton Community Schools is holding February Vacation Camp  from February 18-21 (4 days) at two sites: Cunningham & Tucker Schools.
Join the fun during February vacation week. Arts & Crafts, Cooking, Gym Games, Survivor Challenges, Sports, Special Projects, STEM, Drama workshop, Special guests, Science Show and more! Students from all MPS elementary schools are welcome to attend either site. Register before Wednesday February 12 online at Cunningham Camp Registration or Tucker Camp Registration. Questions? Please email Jackie Marr or call  617-696-5040 ext. 5544

ADULT EDUCATION 

Registration is open to sign up for one of our fabulous Adult Education courses  for our spring term beginning in March. Please visit our website and scroll through our menu of courses where you will find Zumba, Restorative Yoga, Knitting, Beginner French and Intermediate French Level 3, Beginner Ukulele,  Beginner Guitar, our ever popular Pickleball courses and more! There is something for everyone to melt away the winter weather and join other like-minded adults and enjoy the spring together. Registration will be open until February 24th.

MILTON FOUNDATION FOR EDUCATION

The MFE is busy planning Celebration 2020!

Join us on April 4, 2020 at Granite Links for a seated dinner, black tie optional event with dancing and amazing auction items in support of all six Milton Public Schools. We are raising funds to expand the competitive grants in all six schools and we are excited to support even more innovative requests to help MPS students learn and grow.

MFE Celebration tickets are available in the coming weeks and will be $95 per person, (with discounted tables of 10 so start talking to your friends!) If you are interested in sponsoring or have an auction item, please email the MFE.

ART AND MUSIC 

Tucker students in Kindergarten and first grade experimented with the concept of taking something old and making it into something new by using scraps of paper from previous projects. We looked at the African American community of artists from a tiny town in Gee’s Bend, Alabama and how they used old scraps of clothes to create unusual quilts. We also made a literacy connection to the book “Joseph had a Little Overcoat” by Simms Taback. Fifth grade ACE students are painting large heart paintings by mixing and blending warm or cool colors.

ATHLETICS  

Your “Susi” Athletes of the Month for January are Patrick Kennedy and Bobby Carew!

Pat has set personal records at over four track meets during the month of January. In just two days, Pat was able to lower his time in both the 1000m run and Mile by over 13 seconds! That kind of improvement in performance is extremely rare, particularly for a senior who has been running for all four years. Pat has also ran the lead off leg on the winning 4×800 meter relay team at the Division 3 Relay Meet on January 19 and on the second place team at the Coaches Invitational on January 25. Pat continues to work hard every day in practice and is a role model for his peers.

Bobby compiled 6 goals, 4 assists for a total of 10 points in 7 games played. His season totals to this point are 8 goals, 6 assists for 13 points in 13 games played (a point game average). He also has a +2 plus/minus rating for the season at this point. This included a hat-trick in the 4-0 victory over Wellesley High School! On top of that, his leadership as a captain has been exemplary through his consistent work ethic on and off the ice, as well as through the way he earns the respect of his teammates as he pushes everyone on the team to improve and try to be better than they were the day before.

Spring Athletics Registration Opens Friday, February 7th. Please visit the MHS Athletics Website for more information.

Girls Basketball will have their Senior Recognition Night on Friday, February 7th, at 6:30pm vs Weymouth High School in the Copeland Field House and the Girls Hockey Team will have theirs against Weymouth the following night at Ulin Rink, 6pm start!

All schedules can be found on our Athletics website.

IN THE COMMUNITY 

Milton Police Chief John King has asked us to share the following:

It’s the Law – February 23

Drivers who are 18 and over:

• Can only use electronic devices and mobile phones in hands-free mode and are only permitted to touch devices to activate hands-free mode.
• Not permitted to hold or support any electronic device/phone.
• Cannot touch phone except to activate the hands-free mode and can only enable when the device is installed or properly mounted to the windshield, dashboard, or center console in a manner that does not impede the operation of the motor vehicle.
• Not allowed to touch device for texting, emailing, apps, video, or internet use.
  Activation of GPS navigation is permitted when the device is installed or properly mounted.
• Handheld use is allowed only if the vehicle is both stationary and not located in a public travel lane, but is not allowed at red lights or stop signs.
• Voice to text and communication to electronic devices is legal only when device is properly mounted; use of headphone (one ear) is permitted.

Drivers who are under 18:

• Are not allowed to use any electronic devices. All phone use while driving is illegal, including use in hands-free mode.

Penalty for violating the hands-free law:

• 1st offense – $100 fine.
• 2nd offense – $250 fine, plus mandatory completion of a distracted driving educational program.
• 3rd and subsequent offenses – $500 fine, plus insurance surcharge and mandatory completion of distracted driving educational program.

2 Exemptions:

• Does not apply to public safety personnel operating an emergency vehicle engaged in the performance of their duties.
• Anyone in an emergency can offer a defense (accident, disabled, medical, etc.)

***

On Wednesday, February 12, at 7:00 pm, the Forbes House Museum will host public historian Amanda Goodheart Parks presenting Sweethearts at Sea: Love and Marriage in the Age of Whaling. 

During the nineteenth century, when Yankee whale oil lit the world, men from more than thirty New England communities sailed the seven seas in the pursuit of whales, leaving their families behind for up to five years at a time. This lecture will focus on one remarkable couple out of Fall River, MA who defied social and industrial conventions and went to sea together. It’s a story of life, love, and loss drawn from the letters and journals that the couple left behind.

Sweethearts at Sea is offered in conjunction with the exhibit, “Man Overboard! How One Man Reckoned with the Challenges of the Sea.” Following the program and Q&A, guests are invited to view the exhibit. Complimentary wine and chocolates will be served.

Tickets are $20/person or $15/member, and advance reservations are strongly recommended. To purchase tickets, visit our website. 

***

VOLUNTEERS: Thank you to Tucker parents Lacy Stoneburner, Daphnis Dessources, Jody Macleod and Marya Ochs who volunteered their time to help with the 2nd grade indoor gardening project this week. Parents helped prepare the soil and assisted students in planting seeds evenly. Students are very excited to watch their kale, basil, and arugula grow in the classroom. These greens will be harvested by students and shared with the Tucker cafeteria for all to enjoy as part of the school lunch program.

STUDENTS:  Congratulations to MHS junior Sam Higgins who has been selected to perform on the NPR radio show “From The Top”!   In addition to being concertmaster of the MHS Orchestra and Chamber Ensemble, Sam is a very talented vocalist.

His performance will be recorded at a live performance on Saturday, February 29th in the George Mason University Center for the Performing Arts in Fairfax, Virginia. Sam will be on episode #384 which will be aired nationally on NPR the week of April 20th.  As more information becomes available it will be posted at this link and we will keep you posted as the date nears. Good luck and congratulations to Sam!

STUDENTS: Tucker families spent Wednesday’s half day volunteering at Cradles to Crayons in Brighton. The kids checked the quality of the items and then sorted the clothes into appropriate size bins. We learned that there are over 300,000 children 0-12 years in Massachusetts that are in need of everyday items. The work the volunteers did as a group helped 660 kids in need. Way to go, Tucker Tigers!

Thank you to my blog contributors this week: Noel Vigue, Sara MacNeil, Ryan Madden, Ellen Lohan, Marti O’Keefe McKenna, Jon Redden, Janice Mazzola,  Zeina Hamada, Dawn Sykes, Karen Cahill. Liz Hallisey, Jeannie Beliveau, Millicent Hartgering, Caroline Morton, Tanya Walsh , Justine Novak. Nicole Lauria, Aeyola Davis and Jess Gillooly.

The Milton Public School system does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, gender identity, transgender status, gender transitioning, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its programs, activities or operations. These include, but are not limited to, admissions, equal access to programs and activities, employment, provision of and access to programs and services, as well as selection of volunteers, vendors and employers recruiting at the Milton Public Schools.  We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, students, volunteers, subcontractors, and vendors. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Asst. Superintendent for Curriculum & Human Resources, Dr. Karen Spaulding, (617) 696-5040 ext. 5582.