This week our schools held Veterans Day events, honoring Veterans in our school communities and learning about the meaning of Veterans Day. Each year these gatherings and events are meaningful and serve as a reminder of the sacrifice and valor of those who have served in our armed forces.

MHS Music and Marching Band students participated in this year’s Veterans Day Ceremony at Milton’s Town Hall on Thursday, November 11. Reilly Bergin, Project 351 Ambassador, read a Project 351 Proclamation and Pierce students read the names of Purple Heart Veterans.

Veterans with ties to Tucker visited virtually with Tucker students and talked about different branches of the military and shared some of their personal experiences in their branch of service. Cunningham and Collicot students invited Veterans to their schools’ events, where students listened to speakers, wrote letters of appreciation and raised a new flag. Glover principal Mrs. McDavitt’s father, Dean Troxell, spoke to Glover students about Veterans Day. Thank you for your service, Mr. Troxell. You can watch Mr. Troxell’s video here.  Thank you to all who have served and continue to serve our country.

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Bravo, Chicago! Congratulations to the cast and crew of Chicago, which came to life last weekend in the Milton High School Auditorium. These talented students poured their hearts into the show, and their singing, dancing, musicianship, and stagecraft were top-notch. I was especially happy to see so many people from the Milton community come out for this highly entertaining production. You can get a glimpse of the razzle dazzle from the photos below, and I hope many of join me at the next show! Thank you to Backstage Booster parent Adam Winkler for the photos below.

Thanks to the production team and to the Backstage Boosters for their logistical and fundraising support. You can support future productions and help the theatre program grow by donating through the MHS Theatre PayPal link.

School Committee 

The next regular Milton School Committee meeting is on November 17 at 7:00 p.m.  All information about attending School Committee meetings can be found on the Town of Milton webpage under School Committee. 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

Recently, the federal government gave Pfizer’s pediatric COVID 19 vaccine for ages 5-11 final approval and doses are now available in Massachusetts. The state will be updating the their website as new vaccination sites become available.  The Vaxfinder tool can be used along with links to retail pharmacies  CVS’s scheduling site or Walgreens’ scheduling site to schedule appointments. Manet Community Health Center will also welcome all pediatric patients to 180 Old Colony Ave, in Quincy on the following days: November 12 from 1:00 p.m.  –  4:00 p.m. and November 13 from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Test and Stay: If you have not yet opted in to Test and Stay and Symptomatic testing, please consider doing so now. All details can be found here. Superintendent Jette’s September 9, 2021 letter about the Test and Stay Program can be found here. You must OPT IN to Test and Stay to participate.  You can opt in at this link.

For the time period of Thursday, November 3 – Wednesday, November 10, MPS had  13 positive student cases, and 3 positive staff cases. Many of the resulting close contacts from these positives were able to remain in school without interruption due to the Test and Stay program. If you have not yet signed your child up, you can opt in at this link.

All health and safety information can be found on our Health Services website. The recent Flu Clinic at Pierce was a success as 201 people were vaccinated against the flu. Thank you to the Town of Milton for working to keep our school community safe.

Important Upcoming Dates

• Nov 17 School Committee Meeting
• Nov 18 Early Release Day K-12 (PT Conf Gr 6-12 only)
• Nov 24-26 Thanksgiving Break
• Dec 1 School Committee Meeting
• Dec 7 MHS Winter Concert
• Dec 9 MHS Post Secondary Planning Night
• Dec 9 Early Release Date K-12 (PT Conf Gr K-5 only)

Please see below for important Preschool and Kindergarten dates. More information will follow in the coming weeks.

• Preschool Information Night – Thursday, January 6, 2022
• Preschool Pre-registration – Thursday, January 6, 2021 – Thursday, January 27, 2022
• Preschool Lottery if necessary – Friday, January 28, 2022
• Kindergarten Information Night – Thursday, January 27, 2022
• Kindergarten Pre-registration – Begins Monday, December 13, 2021

Please refer to the District-Wide Calendar of Events for times and details. The 21-22 School Year Calendar can be found here (Revised 10/27/21 to reflect updated last day of school)

Kiera Glazer, Alex McEttrick, Leo Waldbaum, Sam Boucher, Tucker Korman, Barron Clancy, 6 of the 11 participants in the Model UN conference.

This past weekend MHS students Sam Boucher, Leo Waldbaum, Will Malec, Will McElroy, Kiera Glazer, Tucker Korman, Barron Clancy, Alex McEttrick, Anderson Korman and Jonathan Waldmann participated in the Brown University Model United Nations Conference, a virtual conference with hundreds of other high school students participating from around the nation.

In the Model UN team’s opening conference, our students participated with excellence throughout the weekend. Students engaged in diplomacy during 4 three hour sessions, working diligently and representing  MHS well as they tackled both current crises facing the global community as well as  issues of the past in historical committee sessions. It was an impressive show of diplomacy for Milton delegates.

Five MHS students were recognized for their excellent diplomacy!  Three students won the top honor of Best Delegate:

• Barron Clancy for representing Russia on the UN Security Council
• Tucker Korman for representing Anatoly Lunacharsky (a journalist) in a historical committee on the Russian Revolution 1917
• Alex McKettrick for representing Eric Lander on the US Cabinet

In addition, there were two awards for Outstanding Delegate:

• Will McElroy for representing the United Arab Emirates in the Arab League
• Jonathan Waldmann for representing the minister of Industry and Trade in the Cabinet of Park Chung-Hee of South Korea, in 1978

Bravo to the whole team on an excellent start and a special shout out to team leaders, Anderson Korman, Barron Clancy and Jonathan Waldmann for preparing the team so well and guiding all students through the first conference of the year.

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We have been serving freshly grown kale, lettuce and basil at MHS during all of our lunches this week. Thank you to our Achieve students for their work in tending to our Grow Racks and growing and harvesting these greens.

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The MHS French Club has been selling Hilliard’s chocolate bars and members sold in front of Starbucks this past Sunday to continue raising money. Our ask was simple  – donate in exchange for chocolate! The club raised over $1200 in profit and plans on using it to create cultural experiences for the members. They also want to donate some of this money back to the community during the Holiday Season.  Thanks to all who supported the French Club.

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Please join the Milton High School Guidance Counselors for their annual Post Secondary Planning night, at Milton High on  Thursday, December 9 at 6:15 pm in the MHS Auditorium. The following topics will be presented in order to help you and your child successfully navigate their post secondary decisions:

• Financial Aid –  How to pay for College
• Standardized Testing –  Standardized Tests: The SAT vs The ACT
• College Admissions – An Insider View
• College Athletics – From Intramural to Division I Sports
• Overview of the College Application Process – Milton High Procedures
• Naviance 101

Representatives from Emmanuel College Admissions, Bridgewater State University, Summit Educational Group, “Strategies for College” and Milton High School staff will be running these 6 sessions. After a brief introduction in the auditorium, each session will run four times, in 25 minute intervals. Students & Parents/Guardians are invited to attend up to four sessions between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. This workshop is open to all parents/guardians & students in grades 8 through 12.  Masks are required in the building.

Pierce Pages

On November 6, the Pierce Middle School Debate Team participated in the Lumos Fall Invitational Tournament. Students debated the economic and social impacts of raising the federal minimum wage in the United States. Students used the Public Forum Debate format to discuss the benefits and costs of increasing the minimum wage. Students Isabella Alba, Josue Castillo-Savage, Saibh Chaplin, Adam Cheairs, Samuel Epstein, Nailah Hazelwood, Dobie Illich, John Griffin, Penelope Jain, Sara Khan, Ben Neugebauer, Avery Squiciarino, and Sadie Wetzner-Crothers competed in this tournament. Isabella Alba, Nailah Hazelwood and Ben Neugebauer received Speaker Awards after earning distinguished scores in debate rounds. Avery Squiciarino and Sara Khan were awarded 4th place in the tournament for their excellent record after winning multiple successive rounds. The Pierce Debate Team was thrilled to participate in this tournament after several weeks of rigorous practice and preparation, and we look forward to competing again in December.

Recognizing Positive Community Members: Each month, we recognize students who demonstrate the values of safety, responsibility, respect, and kindness. Teachers nominate students and one student from each grade is selected by Pierce’s culture and behavior committee. Please join us in congratulating Isabel Berdik, Brynn Midura, and Daniela Yaranga who were honored for the month of October!

Project 351 Ambassador Selection: The Commonwealth’s Project 351 celebrates the ethic of service, youth leadership, and the unifying and uplifting power of community. Pierce eighth grade student Ada Mitchell has been selected as Milton’s Project 351 ambassador. Through her yearlong ambassador journey, Ada will represent Milton in a variety of leadership roles and community service projects. Congratulations, Ada!

Inside Our Elementary Schools

As we wrap up Unit 1, Senora Brown and Senor Foy share this peek into our elementary Spanish classrooms.

MPS Gives Back

November is the month that most of us feel thankful and grateful for all that we have and also a time for increased awareness that some of us are not as fortunate.

The teachers and staff at Pierce, led by Head Custodian Mike Buzzell, recently filled and donated 24 backpacks full of food gift cards, snacks, waterproof gloves, water bottles, hats, rain ponchos, wool socks, hygiene items, hand and foot warmers, flashlights and more.

This year Pierce 8th grade teacher Mrs. Pouliot’s children joined the effort by involving their neighbors. This effort lead to another 12 backpacks, for a total of 36 backpacks distributed to those in need. The backpacks were distributed in Boston this week.

Thank you to our Pierce community for leading the way with this thoughtful and impactful project.

Family Resources

If you or someone you know is in need of heating assistance this winter the Quincy Community Action Program, serving Milton families, has begun their Winter Fuel Assistance Application process. For applications and more details please visit QCAP Fuel Assistance Program. In an effort to support and foster a strong home-school connection MPS knows that families may sometimes need resources for their children and family beyond the classroom.  In addition to the Milton Public School Resource Guide we will be highlighting local community resources families may find beneficial in our Family Resource Newsletter.  If you need additional assistance please don’t hesitate to reach out to Marti O’Keefe McKenna, MPS Family Outreach Liaison at 617-980-7343 or by email at [email protected]. If your family needs assistance with fees for athletics, clubs, activities, please email Ms. McKenna, your principal or adjustment counselor. All calls and emails are confidential.

SEPAC

The SEPAC website along with weekly SEPAC newsletters will be the way to stay in the know about all SEPAC events. Our next SEPAC board meeting is on November 16, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. The Zoom link can be found here.

Transition Planning (Ages 14 plus): This presentation addresses the planning involved when a student is of transition age, the roles of both parent/guardian and student and the student’s post-secondary vision. We will discuss how to prepare for the transition planning meeting, the age of majority, and procedural due process rights for resolving disputes. Join us on Thursday, November 18, from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. This presentation is sponsored by the Milton SEPAC and presented by the Federation for Children with Special Needs. All details are here.  You must register before the workshop at this link. Once registered, you will receive a zoom link.

Food Service

Breakfast is free at all schools this year! Come to the cafeteria to grab a quick bite before class. Breakfast is available 20 minutes before your child’s school starts.

MPS Food Service is hiring for all positions – permanent and substitute, both full and part-time. Pay is $17.28 per hour. Email Jackie Morgan at [email protected] for details. Come join our MPS team!

Art And Music

FAME, Friends and Advocates of Music Education, the Milton Music Boosters organization, shares the following.

We hope our Milton music supporters will shop our holiday fundraiser to raise money in support of our music students.  You’ll find one-of-a-kind handcrafted goods from farmers and artisans from around the world, including holiday décor, gifts, jewelry, accessories, and home goods as well as chocolate, teas and coffee. All details can be found at this link. 25% of your purchase goes directly to FAME!

You’ll be helping us raise money to support Milton youth musicians and programming at all levels of music education, including scholarships for seniors, entry fees for Districts and SEMSBA, and needs that are not allocated in the music budget.

Plus, you’ll also be supporting fair trade, which means you’re saying YES to NO child labor, fair pay, safe working conditions, and sustainable practices.

Our fundraiser ends on November 15, so start your holiday shopping now at this link. These affordable items will be loved by all on your gift giving list!

Athletics