We are just two weeks from the beginning of the new school year and we are looking forward to a wonderful start to school for our MPS students, staff, and families. Our custodial staff has spent much of the summer readying our buildings for September and our Leadership Team has been preparing all summer for a successful return to school. Our many summer programs (ESY, Camp Cunningham, Universal Summer, Calculus Project, Summertime Stories, MHS Bridge, and MSE) have concluded or are wrapping up this week. It has been wonderful to have students and staff in our buildings all summer!

Last week I sent an update about the MPS mask policy for the start of the school year and you can read that letter here. To summarize, as we have no way to determine who is vaccinated in our community and a significant portion of MPS students are not yet eligible for the vaccine, MPS will require all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to our schools to wear masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status. Universal indoor masking, along with several other mitigation measures (adherence to symptom screening protocols, physical distancing when possible, hand hygiene, enhanced cleaning procedures, air purifiers, and ventilation upgrades) will help us to minimize the spread of COVID-19 in our schools, limit quarantines and keep our students learning in-person five days a week. The Milton Public Schools Face Covering Policy remains in place. The District will review the policy bi-monthly (every other month) at School Committee meetings with updates as to the current health data.

The district has submitted an application for the testing initiative through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). We aren’t sure when we will hear if we have been approved for this program but we remain optimistic that we will be able to offer testing as part of our mitigation efforts this fall. Principals are re-assessing plans for breakfast, lunch, recess, mask breaks, chorus/band, and athletics and will share them with their school communities as they are finalized. As we know, September can be warm in our schools, and in addition to our hands free water fillers throughout the buildings, we will have extra water stations on hot days. All students are reminded to bring their personal refillable water bottle every day.

I also want to call your attention to the recently released Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (M.A.S.S.) Position Statement on K-12 Curriculum and Critical Race Theory linked here. As I stated at the School Committee meeting on July 21, 2021 the Milton Public Schools have not implemented Critical Race Theory into our curriculum. Our goal is to be culturally responsive as we highlight the rich diversity in our country and history in all of our teachings.

As we look to the upcoming school year we will continue to focus on teaching and learning, educational equity, social emotional learning, and student and family engagement. I often hear that we should return to our “Pre-Covid-19 normal” but I disagree! We can and should strive to do better and as your Superintendent, in partnership with teachers, staff, students and families, I promise to continue to move the district forward as we pursue excellence for all in the Milton Public Schools.

Please read on below for important upcoming dates, technology updates, new staff introductions, athletics details and more. You can also visit our Back to School page for links and information. I hope you enjoy these last weeks of summer. We look forward to welcoming our new employees on August 23, our teachers and staff on August 30, our students in grades 1-12 on September 1 and our Kindergarten and Preschool students on September 7.

Important Upcoming Dates

• Aug 19 Urinetown Screening at Pierce
• Aug 25 School Committee Meeting
• Aug 29 Covid Testing at DPW
• Aug 30 Teachers Return
• Aug 30 MHS New Student Orientation
• Aug 31 Pierce Grade 6 Family Night & Open House
• Sept 1 1st Day of School Grades 1-12
• Sept 3 No School
• Sept 6 No School Labor Day
• Sept 7 1st Day of School Pre-K and K
• Sept 8 School Committee Meeting
• Sept 13 Applied Music Lesson Registration
• Sept 14 MHS Open House
• Sept 16 No School Yom Kippur
• Sept 20 Pierce Open House (note new date)
• Sept 22 School Committee Meeting
• Sept 23 Tucker Open House
• Sept 23 Collicot Open House
• Sept 30 Glover Open House
• Oct 5 Cunningham Open House
• Oct 6 School Committee Meeting

Please refer to the District-Wide Calendar of Events for times and details. The 21-22 School Year Calendar can be found here (Revised 2/24/21) Note: This calendar is intended as a guide ONLY. It may be necessary to change this schedule to better serve instructional purposes.

TONIGHT! All are invited to come and see Milton High School’s production of Urinetown onscreen — with an audience! Set in a world where every toilet is a pay toilet, Urinetown is a dark, funny musical that satirizes the legal system, capitalism, populism, bureaucracy, corporate mismanagement, municipal politics, and musical theatre itself. This production was filmed on the Milton High School stage back in June.

• When: Thursday, August 19th at 6:30 p.m.
• Where: Pierce Middle School auditorium
• Why: To support the MHS Theatre Dept. and watch our talented students!
• Tickets are $5, available at the door only (credit cards accepted).
• Masks required for all.

We hope you will come celebrate the talents of the cast and crew and meet the leaders of the theatre program; rising ninth graders interested in exploring theatre at the high school are encouraged to attend. All proceeds will benefit the Milton High School theatre program.
Stay tuned until the end of the show to hear a big announcement regarding the Fall Musical.

School Committee

The next regular School Committee meeting will be on August 25 , 2021 at 7:00 p.m. All information about upcoming School Committee meetings can be found on the Town of Milton webpage. You can watch School Committee meetings live on Milton Access TV online, live on Milton Access cable channels (Comcast 22, RCN 15) or watch on-demand in the days following the meeting.

Health And Safety

Up to date Physical Exams are required for entrance to MPS at any grade level, as well as for currently enrolled rising Kindergarten, 4th grade, 7th grade and 11th grade students.  Up to date immunizations are required for entry to MPS and to participate in all after school activities. Please forward this to your student’s school nurse.  Details on immunization requirements for School Entry can be found here.

High School Happenings

Milton High School is ready to welcome our incoming freshman – the Class of 2025! Please join us on Monday, August 30 from 3:00 p.m. -5:00 p.m. for orientation. MHS Student Leaders will be your hosts and will show you all that MHS has to offer. All new students (in any grade) are welcome to attend.

If you are a 10th-12th grade MHS student formerly in the full remote model, we would also love to see you on August 30. Our goal for you on this day is to show you around Milton High School and answer any questions you may have about Milton High School that will help you to feel comfortable returning to the building in a few weeks. We ask that you show up by 3:00 p.m. to Brooks Field for a quick welcome message and to be grouped with Student Leaders who will show you around.  If you are coming, please complete this registration form. You will check in at Brooks Field but you will be having a tour by student leaders and may not need to be here for the entire orientation. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns prior to the orientation. The schedule for the day is as follows:

• 2:30 p.m. -3:00 p.m. – Registration (Brooks Field Entrance, if rain, Field House Entrance)
• 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. -Welcome by Mrs. Cahill, introduction of the Student Leaders and MHS staff, group activities, tours of Milton High School grounds
• 4:30 p.m. – Snacks in the Courtyard/Cafeteria, Activities Fair in Cafeteria
• 5:00 p.m. – Orientation concludes & Chromebook pickup in Main Foyer

We look forward to seeing you on the 30th at Milton High School!

More MHS information can be found on the following webpages: Milton High School Webpage; Milton High School Athletic Information; Milton High School Program of Studies; Milton High School Clubs and Activities; Milton High School Fine and Performing Arts

Pierce Pages

Pierce Principal Dr. Bill Fish shares the Pierce updates below.

Team Assignments: Team assignments for the 2021-2022 school year will be emailed home the week of August 23.

New Families Night: On Tuesday, August 24, Pierce will host an orientation event for families of Pierce students who are new to the Milton Public Schools at 6:30 p.m. in the Pierce Middle School library.

School Supplies: This list is meant to provide families with some direction around purchasing school supplies. Students are not required to buy supplies, but we realize that it can be helpful for families to have some guidance and suggestions.

Chromebook Pick Up for Grade 6 Students: Sixth graders are invited to come to Pierce on Monday, August 30, to pick up their Chromebook. Many of our sixth grade teachers will help with distributing devices so that students will be able to meet some of our staff before the first day of school. In order to facilitate the pick up of devices, we will follow the schedule at right and in this link. Please note that team assignments will be shared with families next week.

Grade 6 Open House: All sixth grade families are invited to an open house at Pierce on August 31, 2021. At the open house, students and parents/guardians will meet their team teachers and participate in several small group activities facilitated by the sixth grade teachers. The event will be run as two sessions dividing students alphabetically by last name to make the groups smaller. Please note that the grade 6 open house will take the place of the open house that is typically held later in September and that the open house for grade 7 and grade 8 families will be held later in September. The schedule for the grade 6 open house can be found at right and in this link. 

IEP & 504 Information Session: Parents and guardians of students with IEP or 504 plans are invited to join Susan Maselli, MPS administrator for pupil personnel services, for an information session about special education and 504 support services at Pierce. This meeting will take place in the Pierce auditorium on August 31, 2021 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Inside Our Elementary Schools

Please see below for key contact information and important dates at each of our elementary schools.

GLOVER
Principal Mrs. Karen McDavitt and Assistant Principal Ms. Melissa Craven
Administrative Assistant Ms. Deb Woods
Glover Webpage ; Glover Twitter account; Glover PTO FB Page; Glover PTO email contact ; Glover School Supply List 

Glover events: Principal McDavitt and the Glover PTO will sponsor a welcome event for all new families on Thursday, August 26, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. and Friday, August 27, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. Come and meet other families new to the Glover School. Incoming Kindergarten students are encouraged to wear their new bright yellow “I’m Going to Kindergarten” t-shirt.

Kindergarten students will have an orientation/screening event on September 1st or 2nd. Dates and times will be included in your child’s classroom assignment letter that you will receive in late August.

The Glover Open House is on Thursday, September 30, 2021.

COLLICOT
Principal Mrs. Holly Concannon and Assistant Principal Ms. Ellen Lohan
Administrative Assistant Ms. Joanne Barker
Collicot Webpage; Collicot PTO email ; Collicot PTO Facebook page

Collicot events: The Collicot PTO will be hosting welcome events for Kindergarten and new 1st-5th grade families on Tuesday, August 31, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. Families will have a chance to meet school administration, have a tour of the school and an opportunity to ask questions of their tour guide. Principal Concannon will be sending out details in her newsletter next week.

Kindergarten students will have an orientation/screening event on September 1st or 2nd. Dates and times will be included in your child’s classroom assignment letter that you will receive in late August.

On August 31st the whole school is welcome to join the Collicot community and the Administration from 3:00 p.m. -4:00 p.m. in the rear playground.

The Collicot Open House is on Thursday,  September 23, 2021.

CUNNINGHAM
Principal Dr. Jon Redden and Assistant Principal Mrs. Bernadette Butler 
Administrative Assistant Ms. Erica Cadigan 
Cunningham Webpage ; Cunningham PTO email; Facebook Page; Cunningham School Twitter 
Cunningham School Instagram;Cunningham School Supply List

Cunningham events: New families of students entering grades 1-5 are invited to meet school administrators, tour the school, and see their child’s classroom on Tuesday, August 31, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. Families should come to the main entrance. We look forward to officially welcoming you to the Cunningham School community.

Kindergarten students will have an orientation/screening event on September 1st or 2nd. Dates and times will be included in your child’s classroom assignment letter that you will receive in late August.

All Cunningham School students and their families are welcome to attend the annual Welcome Back event held on Tuesday, August 31, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. Please join Principal Dr. Redden and other administrators on the rear playground of the school. Come see old friends and meet some new ones.

The Cunningham Open House is on Tuesday, October 5, 2021.

TUCKER
Principal  Dr. Elaine McNeil-Girmai and Assistant Principal Ms. Kristen Driscoll
Administrative Assistant Mrs. Eileen Keaney
Tucker School Supply lists; Tucker Webpage ; Tucker  PTO email contact; Tucker  PTO Facebook page; Tucker Elementary School Webpage

Tucker events: Families new to Tucker and those who were remote learners last year and/or didn’t have an opportunity to visit the school previously are invited to attend a welcome back event on Thursday, August 19, 2021 from 1:00 p.m. -2:00 p.m. or Thursday, August 26, 2021 from 5:30 p.m. -6:30 p.m. The meeting location for these events is the back playground. Families will have an opportunity to meet administrators and tour the building.

Incoming Preschool and Kindergarten students and their families are invited to visit the school and meet administrators and new friends on Thursday, August 19, 2021 from 10:45 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. (immediately following Summertime Stories at 10:00) or Tuesday, August 24, 2021 from 6:00 p.m. -7:00 p.m. The welcome events will take place on the back playground and Kindergarten students are encouraged to wear their yellow “I’m Going to Kindergarten” t-shirt.

Kindergarten students will also have an orientation/screening event on September 1st or 2nd. Dates and times will be included in your child’s classroom assignment letter that you will receive in late August.

The Tucker Open House is on Thursday, September 23, 2021.

District Contact Information

New MPS Staff

We are delighted to introduce the following new staff to the MPS community. We also wish our departing staff members well. Former Guidance Director Karen Cahill  is now our MHS Principal and Magen Slesinger and Dr. Nick Fitzgerald are pursuing new opportinities outside of the district. We are grateful to Ms. Slesinger and Dr. Fitzgerald for their excellent work in the Milton Public Schools. I know that you will join me in wishing them all the best as they move on to their new positions.

Barbara Meyer – Director of Guidance 6 – 12: Ms. Barbara Meyer has been appointed as the Director of Guidance 6-12 for the Milton Public Schools. Ms. Meyer has worked in the Stoughton Public Schools since 2004 as a Guidance Counselor and prior to that as Guidance Director in the Medfield Public Schools. As a counselor at Stoughton High School she was actively involved in writing and implementing Guidance curriculum, assisting families in the post-secondary educational search, collaboratively planning and presenting evening programs to families; administering the AP, SAT and PSAT exams; coordinating SAT Administration. Ms. Meyer also served on School Council, School Improvement Committee, as DEI Committee Chair, on the BRYT Program Development team, as the 2021 Student Outreach Coordinator, and Co-Chaired NEASC Hospitality Committee. She was also the advisor to SPECTRUM, the Gay-Straight Alliance and advisor in the Step-Up to Excellence Program. Ms. Meyer holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and master’s degrees in Counseling Education and Educational Leadership.

Thank you to the parents and staff who participated in the screening process to identify two finalists to move forward to Central Administration. Thank you to the following members of our schools and community who participated in the screening interviews: Pierce Guidance Counselor: Lisa Veldran, Nurse Barbara Perry, Assistant Principal Dr Nick Fitzgerald; Milton High School counselors Leonice Bernard, Scott Devlin, Vice Principal Ben Kelly; and MPS parent Victoria Dozier.

Aneeka Cheema – Director of Fine & Performing Arts K-12: Aneeka Cheema has been appointed as the Director of Fine & Performing Arts K-12. Ms. Cheema has extensive experience as both an artist and art educator. She began her formal work as a surface designer in Pakistan where she also served as an arts instructor/heritage craft and textiles development strategist. Ms. Cheema has lectured, taught, and conducted research at the higher education level at the National College of Arts and Beacon House University in Pakistan and The Tisch College of Citizenship at Tufts University and Massachusetts College of Art here in the United States. Her K-12 experience includes teaching Visual Arts at the Mary Lyon Pilot High School in Boston and with the Collaborative for Education in Southeastern Massachusetts. Ms. Cheema’s interests include South East Asian heritage crafts, contemporary Pakistan textile design/fiber art, printmaking, vegetable dying, technology in the arts, social justice and art education, intersectionality in racism, and trauma informed practice. Ms. Cheema holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, a Bachelor of Design, a Master of Science in Art Education, a Master of Arts in Leadership and Policy Studies, and is currently in a doctoral program at UMASS Dartmouth.

A special thank you to parents Carrie Boehler, John Mitchell, and Ceronne Daly as well as teachers Colleen Martin and Debra Miller who served on the screening committee.

Kaitlin Gass – Pierce Assistant Principal: Ms. Kaitlin Gass has been appointed as the Pierce Assistant Principal. Ms. Gass has worked at the Cambridge Street Upper School in Cambridge since 2015. She has taught grade 6, 7, 8 science, served as the school’s grade 6 team leader, and most recently held the position of acting principal. At the Cambridge Street Upper School, Ms. Gass was a member of the instructional leadership team and a facilitator of the school’s cultural proficiency team. Prior to working in Cambridge, she was a science teacher in the Franklin Public Schools and Springfield Public Schools. Ms. Gass’ breadth of experience and passion for middle school students will be a tremendous asset to the Pierce community. Ms. Gass holds a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from the University of Massachusetts – Amherst. Additionally, she completed the principal licensure program at Curry College.

In recruiting for the assistant principal position, Milton Public Schools received 42 applications. Nine applicants met with a screening team and two finalists were identified. I wish to thank the following members of our school community who participated in the screening interviews: Pierce educators Zakia Jarrett, Renee Mendoza, Sarah Pullia; Assistant Principal Janice Mazzola; and MPS parents Regina Campbell-Malone, Melissa Feldman, and Tina Greene.

Please join me in welcoming Ms. Gass, Ms. Cheema and Ms. Meyer to the MPS community!

Technology

Optional Chromebook Insurance: All students are highly encouraged to obtain insurance for their school-issued Chromebook for the 2021-22 school year.If families decline to purchase the insurance for the Chromebook you are responsible for damage beyond reasonable wear and tear as outlined in the Loan Agreement.

The cost of insurance is $30/year and it covers unlimited claims with no deductible. Please click on the following link to purchase insurance for your student.

After registering for insurance, you will receive an email that includes an invoice and payment information. If you wish to purchase insurance for another child, you will need to repeat this process. Thank you for considering the purchase of accidental damage coverage for your student’s Chromebook.

Chromebook Loan Agreement: All students and families of students using an MPS Chromebook are required to sign the Chromebook Loan Agreement.  Here are links to the digital Chromebook Loan Agreements: Elementary; Pierce; MHS

Students in grades K-5 will have an MPS Chromebook issued to all students.  Students are NOT allowed to bring their own device to school.  The Chromebooks will primarily be stored in the classroom.  However, teachers may occasionally ask students to take the Chromebooks home.

Rising 6th Graders: Rising sixth graders will receive their Chromebook on Monday, August 30th.  Please see this link or the chart at right  for the specific time and locations for pickup.

Rising 9th Graders: All rising 9th graders will receive their MPS Chromebook and charger during new student orientation at Milton High School on Monday, August 30th at 5:00 p.m.  If a student is unable to attend new student orientation, the student will be provided their Chromebook the first day of school.

Digital Citizenship: Four of the main components to becoming a successful digital citizen include: understanding digital footprints, what to share and not to share online, knowing copyright laws, and understanding how to identify fake news.  This link, Path to Raising a Digital Citizen, will help families better understand what it takes to become a responsible digital citizen.

Please access the Milton Public Schools Family Technology Support Help Center website to troubleshoot potential issues with, and/or educate yourself about, a device/ platform/application for which you are not familiar. The site provides information on PlusPortal, Google, Clever, Guardian Monitoring, Who to Contact, and more.

In an effort to help prepare students for the 2021-22 school year, we invite all students to complete the Student Technology Boot Camp.  The modules will help students become more comfortable with the platforms/applications that will be used throughout this school year.   Each module includes important topics your student will potentially be expected to use.  Some modules are grade level specific.  If the topic does not apply to all levels, the level that it applies to will be listed below the topic.   When possible, students will be able to view both video tutorials and text-based tutorials.  In some cases only video or text tutorials are available.  Here is a link to the Student Technology Boot Camp.

Food Service

Next week is our final weekly meal pick up of the summer. Each pick up will include 7 days of breakfasts and lunches as well as a box of fresh produce for each family. Pick up is at Milton High School, on Wednesday, August 25 from 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Please enter from Blue Hills Parkway.

In the upcoming school year, ALL children will be eligible to receive one free breakfast and one free lunch each day during the school year. There will also be a la carte items for sale at Pierce and MHS. Students can pay cash or have money on their MySchoolBucks account in order to purchase these additional items.

If you think you qualify, it is important that families fill out the free/reduced lunch applications as this information may be helpful in getting additional benefits. We will have the application ready soon and will share that link next week. Please email Jackie Morgan with any questions.

Milton Community Schools

Thank you to our Camp Cunningham families and campers! We had an amazing time at camp this summer and we hope to see you next year. Check out our Camp Cunningham Album for a look at all the fun we had this summer.

ASE and ESAP Updates: ASE (After School Enrichment) is by waitlist at this time at all sites. The ESAP (Early School Arrival Program) has a few spots available. Registrations to start September 1, will close on Monday, Aug 23 at noontime. Registration will reopen the second week in September based on availability.

MCS is hiring. Milton Community Schools is looking to hire energetic, motivated, creative, experienced, and multi-talented people with the ability to lead groups of 10-15 children from Kindergarten up to 5th grade in our before and after school elementary enrichment programs. Compensation starts at $16.33/hr.  If you are interested, please reach out to Martha Sandoval at [email protected]. The job description can be found at this link. Learn more about MCS at this link. 

Art And Music

Come Be a Part of the Milton Public Schools Instrumental Music Program!

• Applied Instrumental Lesson Registration for Beginners in Grades 4 and above
• Beginner Registration Night- Monday, Sep 13, 2021
• 7-8 pm at Milton High School

The Milton Public Schools Music Department offers instrumental lessons through the Applied Lesson Program (ALP). Students in grades 4 and above may take lessons on flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, saxophone, trumpet, french horn, trombone, baritone horn, tuba, percussion, violin, viola, cello, and bass. The 30 minute lessons are given once a week at Milton High School and are scheduled Monday-Thursday from 3:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Lessons are taught by professional musicians who are specialists on these instruments.

Family Resources

The Office of the Family Outreach Liaison remains open during the summer months.  Please reach out to Marti O’Keefe McKenna, Family Outreach Liaison, 617-980-7343 or [email protected] with any questions you might have about MPS/community summer programs, summer reading, the upcoming school year or if you are in need of a resource. All calls and emails are confidential.  All updates on Family Resources – food, heating assistance, health insurance, financial assistance, contacts – can be found at this link.

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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 a 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.