Superintendent Sheehan releases updates for week of December 1, 2022

This week’s highlights include Celebrating our MHS Students!, MHS Post Secondary Planning Night – Tonight at MHS, MHS Wildcats in the Super Bowl, Kindergarten and Preschool Information ’23-24, MPS Holiday Giving Drive, The Calculus Project, and more.

From The Desk Of The Superintendent

Each week, one or two items usually present themselves as good items to start this blog post – an important meeting, a big accomplishment, or something to celebrate. While items like Kindergarten and Preschool Information dates, MHS Info Nights, a thank you to community partner Steel and Rye, and a call to action for our Holiday Giving Drive are all very worthy of your attention and could easily lead my weekly email to you, this week, all of that information can be found in the sections below.

Because this week, we are overwhelmed with the accomplishments of our students, specifically our MHS students! National Honor Society Inductees? Check! Athletic accomplishments? Check! Talented musicians? Check! An all-school pep rally that had it all – dancing MHS staff, feats of strength, the marching band, high-flying cheerleaders? Check, check and check!

On Monday, November 21, eight members of the senior class were recognized for their achievements and inducted into the National Honor Society. Congratulations to Kate Cooper, Ben Catudal, Sarah McGillivray, Patrick Murphy, Samantha Pincus, Kate Schewe, Matthew Stockbridge, and Brady Vrettas! The National Honor Society (NHS) is the nation’s premier organization established to recognize outstanding high school students. More than just an honor roll, NHS serves to honor those students who have demonstrated excellence in areas of scholarship, leadership, service, and character. Additionally, NHS officers Lucy Liberidis, Kiera Glazer, Olivia Disandro, Jayme Lo, and Molly Shea were formally inducted into their leadership roles for the 2022-2023 school year. Congratulations to all students who were a part of the ceremony. We look forward to seeing all you accomplish this year!

We know many of you are excited about the Milton Wildcats Division 3 Superbowl Game at Gillette Stadium on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are available at this link, and information on a parent organized, before game, gathering for fans can be found here. Milton Access TV has been interviewing our student athletes and you can watch those videos here. Can’t make the game? Comcast channel 814 will have all of the Saturday games on live all day/ night, with the Milton game at 5:30 p.m.  There was plenty of post season success for many of our teams including the Boys and Girls Cross Country Teams making it to their division championships! AD Ryan Madden shares a full fall wrap up here.  Roll ‘Cats!  Thanks to MHS’s Sean Lopresti for this video featuring our Senior Wildcats!

Front L-R: Claudia O’Neill, Lucy Hays, Carle Bleau, Lily Lane, Back L-R- Julien Roberson, Atticus D’Alessandro, Owen Creamer, Tim Fay Missing: Isabelle Feloney, Angel Leggett

Bravo to MHS student musicians Carle Bleau, Owen Creamer, Atticus D’Alessandro, Tim Fay, Isabelle Feloney, Lily Lane, Angel Leggett, Claudia O’Neill and Julien Roberson, who have been accepted to the MMEA Eastern District Senior Festival! In addition to their acceptance to the festival, four students  – Atticus D’Alessandro, Tim Fay, Lucy Hays, and Claudia O’Neill – have been recommended to audition for the MMEA All State Festival in January!

The MPS Music Department hosted over 900 students for the MMEA Eastern District Senior Auditions at MHS on Saturday, November 19. This is no small undertaking and we owe a big thank you to MMEA, FAME, our wonderful student volunteers, and the MPS Music Department, especially organizers Rebecca Damiani, Julia Hanna and Colleen Martin.

Finally, at a pep rally just before Thanksgiving break, all of MHS celebrated a successful fall, a fun spirit week, the Thanksgiving football game and the upcoming Superbowl. Want to take a peek at their fun? Check out the Spirit Week video (with some football highlights!) in the video below. Thank you to our student leaders and MHS administration for planning such a fun week for our MHS community!

Please read below for information about tonight’s Post Secondary Planning night at MHS, 8th Grade Information Night at MHS, the MPS Holiday Giving Drive, important kindergarten and preschool dates, classroom highlights, and more.

MPS Need To Know

Important Dates

• Dec 1 Post Secondary Planning Night
• Dec 5, 6, 8 Milton Town Meeting
• Dec 7 School Committee Meeting
• Dec 7 MHS 9-12th Winter Concert
• Dec 8 Early Release K-12, P/T Conferences Grades K-5
• Dec 13 Pierce 6th Grade Concert at MHS
• Dec 14 Pierce 7th & 8th Grade Concert at MHS
• Dec 15 SEPAC Meeting
• Dec 15 MHS 8th Grade Information Night
• Dec 20 MHS Cabaret
• Dec 21 School Committee Meeting
• Dec 23 No School Winter Break Begins
• Jan 3 School Resumes

MPS Calendars: 2022-23 One Page School Year Calendar and Link to MPS Monthly Calendar.

School Committee

The next regular School Committee meeting will be on December 7 , 2022 at 7:00 p.m. All information (including agendas and links to attend) about 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.

Post Secondary Planning Night

TONIGHT: Please join the MHS School Counseling Department for their annual Post Secondary Planning Night on Thursday, December 1, from 6:15 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Families will have the opportunity to attend the information sessions that most interest them. Sessions include How to Pay for College, Alternative Paths, Training in the Military, Start Planning for your Child’s Future, Trade Talk, Admissions Advisory: Private Colleges and Public Universities and College Testing: ACT vs SAT. The evening is targeted to parents and guardians of students in Grades 8-11, but all are welcome to attend. We hope you will join us for this valuable evening as you begin to think about your child’s post secondary plans.

MHS Information Night

Please join us on Thursday, December 15 at 6:30 p.m. in the Milton High School Auditorium (25 Gile Rd) for an opportunity to learn about Milton High School course offerings, academic and extracurricular programs, athletics, and activities that prepare students for college and life beyond high school. Current 8th grade students, parents, and guardians are invited to attend this information session and tour of Milton High School.

Kindergarten 2023-24

We are excited to begin welcoming the class of 2036 to the Milton Public Schools!  Parents and guardians are invited to join MPS administrators and staff for Kindergarten Information Night on Thursday, January 26, 2023 at 6:30 p.m. Come learn about the Kindergarten curriculum, Health Services, Transportation, Milton Community Schools before and after school programs, school assignments, and the online registration process.  Specific details about the evening’s format will be announced closer to the event.

Children must be 5 years of age on or before August 31, 2023 in order to enroll in Kindergarten for the 2023-2024 school year. MPS invites all families with age eligible children to complete this Kindergarten Pre-registration Questionnaire. If you have any questions or need additional information please contact Marti O’Keefe McKenna, MPS Family Outreach at [email protected] or 617-980-7343.

Preschool 2023-24

MPS has a variety of preschool programs for our youngest learners, and we are excited to share details about them at our upcoming Preschool Information Night. Please see below for upcoming preschool dates.

• Preschool Information Night – Thursday, January 12, 2023
• Preschool Pre-registration – Thursday, January 12, 2023 – Thursday, January 26, 2023
• Preschool Lottery, if necessary – Friday, January 27, 2023

MPS Good To Know

MPS Holiday Giving Drive

The Milton Public Schools is partnering with My Brother’s Keeper, the Milton Residents Fund, and the MPS School Counseling department to ensure all Milton families in need have a wonderful holiday season. There are three ways for MPS families to help support these efforts, and families at any grade level are invited to participate in any of the drives.

Elementary Toy Drive: The Holiday Toy Drive organized by our elementary PTOs will run from December 5-8 in our elementary schools. We need donations of all types of items, and popular gifts include Legos, LOL Surprise dolls, dolls representing a diverse array of skin tones, cultures, and ethnicities, superhero action figures, arts and craft kits, science/STEM kits, board games, video games, books, a football or basketball, outdoor active toys, or anything representing Boston sports teams.  We cannot accept food or violent games. $25 Target Gift Cards are always needed as well.

We are once again partnering with two local toy shops and encourage you to check out their great toy selections while supporting the toy drive: The Toy Chest in East Milton or The Toy Box in Hanover (owned by a Milton family). Bring your new, unwrapped item(s) to a collection box in the lobby of the elementary schools between December 5-8.

Pierce Families Helping Families: Each year, our school counselors identify Pierce families in need and collect gift cards to be distributed to them for the holidays. This program, Families Helping Families, provides an opportunity for your family to bring a little bit of holiday spirit to family at Pierce Middle School in the most anonymous and quiet way. If you are interested in supporting this effort, please bring your gift card donation to the main office at Pierce by December 16 and deposit it in the sealed box located in the front office. We recommend gift cards to Star Market, Shaws, Stop & Shop, Target, and Old Navy, but we will, of course, accept gift cards from all stores.

MHS Teen Gift Card Drive: MHS School Counseling supports teens and families in need with gift cards during the holiday season. If you would like to anonymously support an MHS family or student, please consider dropping a $25 gift card from Target or Amazon to the MHS to the MHS front office by December 9.

Our School Counselors and Family Outreach Liaison Marti O’Keefe McKenna work with the Milton Residents Fund and My Brothers Keeper to ensure MPS families are supported throughout the holiday season.  Thank you for helping us make the holiday season a little brighter for our neighbors!

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If you are in need of assistance this holiday season (or at any time), please reach out to your building principal or Marti O’Keefe McKenna, MPS Family Outreach Liaison, at 617-980-7343 or by email at [email protected].  All calls and emails are confidential.

December Vacation Camp 

The December Vacation Camp flyer can be found here.  Registration on Family ID is open. All information can be found on the MCS website.

Katie Greer At MPS

On September 29th, Katie Greer came to Milton and spoke to all 3rd-5th grade students on digital citizenship.  That evening, Katie delivered a powerful parent/guardian session titled, Keeping Students Safe in a Digital World.  On January 5th, Katie will be returning to Milton to speak to all of our secondary students.  That evening she will deliver another parent/guardian session at 6:00 p.m. in the Pierce auditorium.  Please complete the short survey linked here to help us determine the topic for Katie’s evening session on January 5th, 2023.

MPS Nice To Know

The Calculus Project

Each term, The Calculus Project will award two TCP students per grade Calculus Project Term awards. These students were chosen because of their growth and hard work in math class and the Tutoring Center. Congratulations to 9th graders Natan Fanon, Ryan Denny, 10th graders Alex Alexis, Gisele Dimanche, 11th graders Alessandra Lyons, Kai Quinones, and 12th graders Amira Wallace and Tale Odion-Ukpebor! Please read about our Term 1 award winners here.

In more The Calculus Project news, TCP seniors attended a tour of Boston University this week. While on the tour the students got a first hand look at the college lifestyle as well as navigating the city. They learned about the many majors BU offers as well as financial aid, dormitory living, and dining options. Students enjoyed asking the BU student tour guide questions about college life and what they should expect in the future. After the tour several students reported they are interested in applying to BU and enjoyed the experience overall. TCP is interested in touring more colleges in the future.

Collicot 2nd Grade Presentations

Ms. Ostrowski’s Collicot 2nd graders recently wrapped up a Reach for Reading unit about animal adaptations and features for survival. The culmination of the unit was a research project on an animal of their choice. Students created Google Slides from the information the learned and then presented to an audience of classmates and parents. We are so proud of their hard work!

Cunningham 5th Grade Bakers

Mrs. Chen and Ms. McDonough’s Cunningham 5th graders contributed to their family’s Thanksgiving tables with loaves of homemade bread! Students had fun making their doughy loaves and went home with a ready to bake bread dough loaf.  You can see the bakers in action here.

Project 351

The Commonwealth’s Project 351 celebrates the ethic of service, youth leadership, and the unifying and uplifting power of community. Pierce 8th grade student Adam Cheairs has been selected as Milton’s Project 351 ambassador. Through his yearlong ambassador journey, Adam will represent Milton in a variety of leadership roles and community service projects. Congratulations, Adam!!

Sophias Sock Drive

Pierce 6th grader Sophia Cassini has been collecting for people experiencing homelessness for 8 years, since she was 4 years old! You can read about Sophia’s efforts and how you can support them here. Donations are welcome at Pierce Middle School, 178 Lyman Rd and 3 Phyllis Lane  until December 16.

Music Department Fundraiser

Looking for an easy and healthy holiday gift idea? Support the Milton Music Department by ordering from our online citrus fruit fundraiser anytime between now and December 11th! Gift boxes or crates of fresh fruit are guaranteed to ship directly to the recipient in time for Christmas. Whether you’re shopping for yourself, your family, colleagues, neighbors, or friends, these delicious gift boxes are sure to be a hit. Use the QR code below or visit this link to order through our website. The sale closes on December 11th, so don’t delay!

Athletics

The MHS Boosters share the updates below.

• The next Boosters meeting is Tuesday, Dec 6th at 7:00 p.m. Enter through field house doors.
• New merch is available on our website, including pub glasses, sweatpants, and sweatshirts.  Visit us online to do your holiday shopping!
• Membership for the 2022-23 school year is now open! Families will receive a mailing or join today online.

Community News & Events

Please use the links below or visit the MPS Community News & Events page for information on these terrific community events and opportunities!

The Milton Coalition shares the following events.

• December 8, 6:30 p.m. join us for a reception at the Wozit Gallery in the Milton Public Library for “Voices: Two Exhibits that Raise the Voices of Milton Residents”.
• Kevin P. Hill, M.D., M.H.S., is an addiction psychiatrist, Director of the Division of Addiction Psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He will be joining us for a community discussion about marijuana on January 9, at 7pm. There will be limited free tickets available for the in-person presentation, as well as virtual access. Details to follow closer to the event.
• Youth Mental Health First Aid training is back on February 10. Youth Mental Health First Aid teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among children and adolescents ages 12-18. Mental health training is valuable for teachers and school staff, coaches, camp counselors, youth group leaders, parents, and other adults who work with youth. Training is free and at Laboure College, right here in Milton, will be hosting this daytime training. Details and registration coming soon.

Milton Soccer: Registration is now open for our spring 2023 soccer programs.  Please visit our Milton Soccer website  for all details on programs or to register (or use the direct registration link).  Please note that the grade 9-12 registration will open in March. The deadline to register is January 7^th (on January 8^th waitlist and late fees apply).

The Milton Public Library’s calendar of December programs can be found here. Visit the Milton Public Library to kick off the start of December with some winter festivities:

On Saturday, December 11, from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Fontbonne welcomes five well-known children’s authors to Fontbonne as part of our Christmas at Fontbonne Book Fair. There will be author presentations and signings, craft activities, face painting, photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, food tables and more. $10 per family pre-registration is required. All details are here. 

Milton resident Pauline Wells, will perform in “Home For Christmas” on Saturday, December 3 at 7:30 p.m. at the Norwood Theater. The 2022 production of Home for Christmas will once again feature a superb lineup of guest artists, dancers and musicians. This concert benefits “Cops for Kids with Cancer” and all details can be found here. 

Superintendent Shoutout

We owe a big shout out to Dan Kerrigan, his team at Steel and Rye, and all the members of the community who made a donation to make the Thanksgiving dinner program possible. Through the team’s rigorous work and the community’s generosity twenty-six MPS families received a complete Thanksgiving dinner, including turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and gravy topped off with a pumpkin pie to complete the feast. We are extremely grateful for the thoughtfulness and dedication of the Steel and Rye community of employees and friends at Thanksgiving and throughout the year.

A special thank you to our MPS delivery teams – Jackie and Caroline Morgan, Marti O’Keefe McKenna and Stephanie O’Keefe. On Thanksgiving morning, their cars were overflowing with dinners, and each was delivered safely to its recipient. A sincere thank you to all who made this effort possible!

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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: Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Human Resources Dr. Garth McKinney, (617) 696- 4808/4809.