This weekend, under the sunny skies of Brooks Field, we will graduate the Class of 2022 from Milton High School. High school graduation is often a bittersweet time of great excitement and promise and this year is no different. While we all know that the last two and a half years have been incredibly challenging at times, our young people prove time and again that the future is indeed bright. This week, our 271 seniors are generally filled with enthusiasm and joy with tinges of trepidation as they leave their childhood behind and embark on new adventures – higher education, career exploration, travel and more. In summary, 88% of this class will attend 4 year college, 4% will attend a 2 year college: 3% will take a gap year, 3% have plans to apprentice and learn a trade and 2% will begin working. Many of them have given us permission to share their specific future plans with you and we’ll do that in the coming weeks.

For now, we will celebrate all that they have accomplished and wish them much luck in the days and years ahead.  They are Milton’s best and brightest and we could not be prouder of the MHS Class of 2022!

Senior Awards Night this week was a wonderful event for our community and I invite you to read the list of award recipients here. Almost $170,000 in Scholarships and awards were presented to 147 students. On behalf of Milton High School and all recipients and their families, I would like to thank our Scholarship donors for their continued support and generosity. We also greatly appreciate the sponsors who were able to join us on this very important evening to personally present their award to the graduating seniors. Thank you to MHS parent John Gillooly for the photos below and those linked here.

MHS teacher Sean Lopresti and his Wildcat Team have assembled this Senior Recap video that showcases many great events from this past year. It’s a great look back for our Seniors and families!

Graduation (Sunday, June 5 at 2 pm) will be live streamed and we invite all to watch on Milton Access TV. Senior parents and guardians have received graduation details several times, and they are linked here for last minute questions.

The 3rd Annual Graduation Car Parade will take place at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 5. Born out of Covid gathering restrictions in 2020, this Car Parade has become an absolute highlight for our Seniors and Milton community. Wear your MPS gear or red and white and line the streets of Milton in support of our Seniors on Sunday night. The route and details can be found here. This culminating event is not to be missed!

On Wednesday morning, I was honored to stand with MPS faculty and staff, Milton School Committee members and Milton community members in solidarity against violence in our schools. The work to keep our students and staff safe from violence is ongoing and will need to be a community, Commonwealth and nationwide effort.

School Committee 

The next School Committee meeting is Wednesday, June 15, 2022.  All information about attending School Committee meetings can be found on the Town of Milton webpage under School Committee. You can watch regular 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. Meeting minutes, presentations and other documents related to School Committee can always be found on our website under the School Committee tab.

Important Upcoming Dates

• June 2, 4 Pierce Players
• June 5 MHS Graduation, 2:00 p.m. Brooks Field
• June 9 Pierce Concert
• June 15 Instrument Info Night
• June 15 Milton School Committee
• June 20 Juneteenth, No School
• June 24 Last Day of School, Early Release

MPS Calendars: 21-22 One Page School Year Calendar; 2022-23 One Page School Year Calendar; District-Wide Calendar of Events for times and details on current events.

______

Get your tickets now for Golly Gee Whiz, Pierce Players newest (amazing) production!  Tickets on sale at this link and shows are on June 2 and 4. Join us for some terrific family entertainment!

______

Instrument Information Night, June 15 at 6:00 p.m. in the MHS Auditorium.  If your student is entering 4th grade or above and is interested in learning a musical instrument, come to this info session at MHS. You will have the opportunity to ask questions regarding the instrumental lesson program and your student will have the opportunity to try instruments at our “Instrument Petting Zoo” and meet students who have taken lessons in the program. Contact Lesson Program Director Rebecca Damiani  with any questions.

Health And Safety

COVID Updates: MPS has reported 44 new student cases and 12 staff cases to DPH for previous reporting period (May 26- June 1)  with the following breakdown per school. Cunningham -8; Collicot -8; Glover- 4; Tucker-0, Pierce-10 and MHS- 14. Local and Norfolk County data can be found here: CDC COVID data tracker  and Milton COVID 19 Dashboard.

DESE has announced a change to guidance for quarantine after exposure for students. All details can be found here.

______

In accordance with DPH school health unit, this notice is for parents/ guardians of students in 5th-8th grade that the state mandated postural screenings were unable to take place this school year. MPS followed the guidance of the DPH school health unit and prioritized vision and hearing screenings along with conducting postural screenings for the 9th grade students as this was their last time for this assessment. MPS will plan to conduct postural screening in the fall for all 5th-9th grade students. If you have specific concerns regarding your student and would like to request a postural assessment be done prior to the end of this school year, please reach out to your student’s school nurse.

Milton Foundation For Education 

The MFE has been visiting our schools and announcing winners of the MFE Teacher of the Year from each school! So far there has been excitement at Collicot – music teacher April Allegrezza, especially exciting as Mrs. Allegrezza is retiring this year after 38 years in education; Cunningham, Andy Young with a fun outside surprise surrounded by his 3rd grade class and Preschool, for a special surprise for Jessica Cleary-Moone and her very excited preschoolers! Who will be next? We’ll have to wait to find out!

MPS Summer

Milton Summer Enrichment is the perfect July option for families who are looking for a way to start the day right. Each day, our MSE kids are engaged in what THEY choose!

We have interesting and fun classes and programs for elementary, middle and preschool kids. MSE has a flexible start and end time, and is competitively priced with a family cap.

Attending MSE for an engaging morning gives families the afternoon for outings, family time, downtime, play with friends – whatever works for your family. Registration closes on June 17th, so register today for a fun July! Click here for the MSE 2022 Brochure for course offerings and registration information. Questions can be directed to [email protected]

High School Happenings

The MPS Calculus Project celebrated its 4th cohort of graduates last week! The Calculus Project is an initiative designed to increase the number of Black, Latinx, and Multiracial students who enroll in and successfully complete Calculus Honors or Advanced Placement Calculus in high school. 15 seniors have been a part of The Calculus Project program since 8th grade and we had a great time celebrating everything they have accomplished over the years. Congratulations to Sola Blue, Williams Cayo, Kayvoune Charles, Jalyssa Coley, Diana Do, Diana Duran, Kyle Erhabor, Christina Frederique, Melissa LaBelle, Amaiah Manion, Amari Marsman, Jared Mitchell, Marcus Ollivierre, Nkechinyere Onyiriuka, and Tala Rezk on their accomplishments!

Pierce Pages

IS English Grade 7 has finished their unit with a novel study on Peak by Roland Smith with extension and companion texts on Mt. Everest. Students finished with “body biographies” where they tracked a character and analyzed the changes and growth their character made throughout the novel.

______

After a strong season, the Pierce Pi-thons, our math team, ranked second in the Quaden division. A huge shout out to the mathletes Isabella Alba, Sara Callahan, Tess Carroll, Hanna Do, Xander Do, Viena Do, Angelo Gartaganis, Valerie Huang, Aidan Leschuk and Fedor My who competed in our four competitions. Hanna, Xander, Feydor and Avery also played the role of captain during the team round.

______

Mr. Manning’s 6th grade artists have been studying three of the most influential contemporary cartoon artists; Matt Groening, creator of the Simpsons, Charles Schulz creator of the Peanuts Gang, and Jeff Kinney the author of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Students researched all three styles of cartoon characters and picked one to create a cartoon style self portrait.  The characters would fit right into one of the comic strips!

6th Grade artists are now working on a “Cartography” assignment that has them drawing a birds eye view of their neighborhood, but this won’t be an ordinary map. They are drawing their map inside the shape of their profile. They are incorporating technology into their art by using google maps and satellite photos of their neighborhood and drawing it directly into their profile. We will share their unique results in the next few weeks.

______

7th and 8th grade artists finished up their “POP ART” pieces and the finished candies are beautiful. Students learned how to mix unique paint colors and how to create unrealistic color schemes.  The debate on what was the best candy ever was fierce with Twix, Sour Patch Kids, Gushers, and AirHeads rising to the top. These large scale paintings took a lot of time and patience and our students are proud of the art they created.

Inside Our Elementary Schools

Thanks to an MFE grant, kindergarten students at all four elementary schools have been able to participate in a Project Lead the Way module during their Technology classes with Mrs. Doherty or Mrs. Van Hill this spring.

This unit has students learning about structure and function through the use of fairy tales. Students read Jack and the Beanstalk and then followed the design process to create their own beanstalks out of pipe cleaners.  Following the criteria, we evaluated our beanstalks to see how tall they could be while still being freestanding. Students learned that the most successful beanstalks had a wide base to support the structure. For the next design challenge, we read The Three Little Pigs and students worked in teams to create their own houses out of toothpicks, popsicle sticks or craft bricks. Then we tested the houses against the big bad wolf – a mini blower! The students loved seeing if their houses were strong enough to withstand the big bad wolf.

______

Glover featured AAPI Heritage Month all month through video morning announcements. Famous and influential Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders were featured and introduced to students accompanied by powerful read alouds such as Eyes That Speak to the Stars.

Adult Education

The English Learners Education (ELE) Department’s Parent English Class, an ESL class for parents and guardians of English Learners in Milton Public Schools, is in its second week and class is going great! Like MPS PreK-12 students, these adult learners represent a wide diversity of nationalities, cultures, and languages, and bring to class a range of English proficiencies and life experiences. From Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, these life-long learners are dedicated and eager to learn. Class meets at Milton High School on Tuesday and Thursday evenings through the end of the school year. Look for the next class to start in the fall!

Special Education 

Please see below from Susan Maselli, Administrator for Pupil Personnel Services.

Thank you for a great year! It’s hard to believe June is upon us and the school year is coming  to an end. The Office of Pupil Personnel Services is open intermittently throughout the summer. Important contacts are below.

• Office number 617 -696-4770 x 5572
• Susan Maselli – [email protected]
• Mark Harrison – [email protected]

If you have questions about your child’s IEP, please check in with your Team Chair before the end of the school year.  If you are returning an IEP after signature/response after June 26, please submit to the Office of Pupil Personnel Services, 25 Gile Road Milton, MA 02186 so we can process your response immediately.

Please see below from Melissa Craven, ESY Director.

The Milton Public Schools Extended School Year (ESY) will run from July 5- August 12, 2022. Information regarding programming can be found on theESY Website. If you have questions regarding your student’s eligibility for ESY services, please contact their Team Chair. Schedules for students who receive drop in services have been sent. Additional information for program students and staff will be communicated by June 3. If you have any questions, please reach out to Bridget Renehan at [email protected] and Melissa Craven at [email protected].

SEPAC

Please see below for information from SEPAC.

PARTICIPATE: Tuesday, June 14 will be our final SEPAC meeting in the Milton High School Library (in person), 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. We will have refreshments, a guest speaker, and a chance for connection before the summer.  Free childcare will be provided on site.

ADVOCATE: We need to hear from you! Please fill out this brief, 3 question survey to inform our visioning process for 2022-2023. SEPAC Survey 2022

EDUCATE: Federation for Children with Special Needs (FCSN) provides information, support, and assistance to parents of children with disabilities, their professional partners, and their communities.  The Federation is committed to listening to and learning from families, and encouraging full participation in community life by all people, especially those with disabilities.

Art And Music

Check out our MHS Senior Music Spotlights below. Each week we will spotlight several of our graduating seniors. Click the photos below to enlarge the information. Best wishes to our talented student musicians.

Residency Re-establishment

The Milton Public Schools Residency Policy linked here states that students who attend the Milton Public Schools and Out of District placements shall be required to re-establish residency prior to entering Grade six (6) and or Grade nine (9). Re-establishment of residency will take place between June 6 – 20, 2022.

On June 6, an email with “re-establishment” in the subject will be sent to all families who must re-establish residency. That Re-establishment of Residency Letter is linked here. In addition, the MPS required residency documents can be found here.

Technology

Accidents happen. Even when you are being your most careful, sometimes Chromebooks get damaged or stop working. That’s why MPS strongly recommends that families purchase insurance for the Chromebooks issued to students. The cost is $30 per student per school year. Purchases now will cover your student through June 2023. All details on coverage and how to purchase can be found here. 

Transportation

Bus registration for the 2022-23 school year is open and will close on June 24, 2022. Please visit our Transportation Page for all details and links.

Milton Community Schools 

Community Schools online enrollment for the 2022-23 school year starts on June 15 at noontime. Community Schools offers After School Enrichment (ASE) and Early School Arrival Program (ESAP). This link has detailed information. Questions? Email us at [email protected]. Check out some of ASE fun below!

It’s an exciting time for sports with the Celtics in the Finals and lots of soccer, basketball, and basketball games happening at our ASE programs! Students have been learning and practicing good sportsmanship.

Food Service

MPS is unable to serve summer meals this year, as we do not meet federal guidelines. There are local resources available to all families and the list of local sites can be found here. 

If your family is in need of further resources, please reach out to MPS Family Outreach Liaison Marti O’Keefe McKenna via email or phone (617-980-7343).

Athletics

Please see below from MPS Athletic Director Ryan Madden.

The Milton Wildcat Track Team had one of their best meets of the season when it mattered most! Many of our athletes performed season bests highlighted by freshman Gretel Schewe, Sophomore Mia Jilani, Junior Katie O’Toole and Senior Donovan Murray‘s strong performances in individual events. Those four athletes all qualified for individual events for this week’s Meet of Champions (formerly known as the All-State Meet). The girls 4×800 meter relay team of Gretel Schewe, Norah Affanato, Marilyn Roche and Katie O’Toole also stamped their ticket to this week’s Meet of Champions (Thursday & Saturday) with a strong second place performance and a season’s best time of 9:52.

The following teams have received their matchups for the Tournament:

• Rugby (5-2) travels to Xaverian tonight in the Preliminary Round for a 5:00 p.m. kick off as they look to get back to the State Finals again!
• Girls Tennis (8-8) will host Chicopee tomorrow, Friday 6/3 at the Kelly Courts at 4:00 p.m. in their first tournament match in nearly 10 years!
• Softball (12-6) will host Pembroke tomorrow, Friday 6/3 at Milton High School at 4:00 p.m.
• Baseball (17-3) won the Bay State Conference for the second year straight and will host the winner of Grafton/East Longmeadow on Monday 6/6 at 4:00 p.m. at Cunningham Park!
• Boys Tennis (8-9) will travel to Dartmouth on Monday 6/6 for a 4:00 p.m. match in the 1st Round of the MIAA Tournament.
• Both Girls Lax (8-10) and Boys Lax (7-11) won their season finale yesterday, against Fontbonne and North Quincy respectively, and will await seeding tomorrow to find out their tournament matchups!

Congratulations to our seniors on the Cheer Team who have made their mark here at Milton but will also continue to cheer in college! Brianna Seeto will be cheering at UMASS Amherst in the fall, Lila Glenn will be cheering at Boston College in the fall and Tait Peloquin will be cheering at University of Kentucky in the fall.

The Boys and Girls Crew Teams had a great Sunday at the MPSRA (Mass Public Rowing) State Championships. The Boys brought home the 1st Varsity Cup again after 7 years! They won it in 2015, both the cup and the overall. They came in second overall, just missing the four man all points trophy 145 to 150 points. That makes the boys 1st, 3rd and 4th varsity State Champs and 2 overall across all four man events.

The Girls had their best performance to date this year, losing to CRLS (who just won the North East Regionals and is scheduled to do very well at Nationals). They also came in just behind Somerville by 1 second in a 6 minute nail biting race. Our girls lost to Somerville last week at the Mayor’s Cup by 7 seconds, so last week was a display of significant improvement. It was an exciting battle until the end!