Superintendent McKinney releases updates for week of May 4, 2023

This week’s highlights include MFE Celebration for Education – THIS Saturday!, Thank You to our Principals, Pierce 8th Grade Town Meeting, Important Upcoming Dates, Milton Summer Enrichment – Registration is Open, Residency Re-establishment Begins May 15, Superintendent Shoutout – Tenacity Challenge Winners and more.

From The Desk Of The Superintendent

This Saturday is the MFE  Celebration for Education! Join the fun on May 6 for a Kentucky Derby themed evening with betting, bourbon, and local band Twice-A-Day Ray. Tickets available now at this link and details are below.

• This year’s Celebration is at The Beat (just renamed Southline), a brand new event space located in the former headquarters of the Boston Globe, just 6 miles away at 135 Morrissey Blvd, Dorchester.
• Early start at 5 so that you can watch the race live.
• Teacher of the Year winners from each of our six schools will be honored.
• Derby betting squares are available at this link.
• All your southern food favorites are on the menu.
• Derby attire is bright colors, and there will be a best hat and tie contest.
• Tickets available now at this link!

May 1 was Principal Appreciation Day, and I know many of you took  time to say thank you to your child’s Principal. Principals have complicated jobs, serving students, staff, and families, managing budgets and buildings, coordinating curriculum, and much more. While we will celebrate all staff next week, during MPS Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week (May 8-12),   I want to give a special thanks to Karen Cahill, Bill Fish, Jon Redden, Karen McDavitt, Cat DesRoche, and Holly Concannon for the excellence each of them brings to their school. We are grateful for all they do as the leaders of their school communities.

Many of you are attending or watching Milton’s annual Town Meeting this week. Thanks to our Pierce 8th grade Social studies teachers, Melissa Uhlmann, Jake Smith, and Owen McElhinney, our 8th graders are also informed and engaged in this process. Last week, students participated in a mock Town Meeting (TM), assuming various roles within TM. At their mock TM, students debated article 31 on Milton’s 2023 Annual Town Warrant, which pertains to the acquisition and land swap of the land by Gile Road with the intention of building a new school. Students debated for and against the passing of this article and utilized evidence and research to argue their claims and debate the article.

A big thanks to Milton’s TM Moderator, Bob Hiss, and the (just retired) Selectboard Chair, Arthur Doyle. Both attended mock TM, interacted with students, and Moderator Hiss even served as the moderator for one of the mock sessions.

Our students did an incredible job applying what they have learned about Milton’s form of government and fulfilled their roles with the recognition that it’s important to be engaged in local government. Thank you to Ms. Uhlmann, Mr. Smith, and Mr. McElhinney for bringing this lesson to life for our students and to Mr. Hiss and Mr. Doyle for their time and support in making this such a great culminating activity.

MPS Need To Know

Important Dates

• May 4 Pierce Amplify Arts Fair
• May 9 Getting Ready for Kindergarten Cafe
• May 12 MHS Spring Semi
• May 17 Milton SEPAC Meeting
• May 18 Spring Concert
• May 22 MHS Music Awards Dinner
• May 23 MHS Arts Show
• May 24 School Committee Meeting
• May 25-27 Mamma Mia at MHS
• May 30 MHS Awards/Scholarship Night
• May 31 Boosters Varsity Celebration
• June 4 MHS Graduation

The MPS Events Calendar can be found here, and the one-page 22-23 SY calendar can be found here.  The 23-24 SY calendar can be found here.

Residency Reestablishment

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 from May 15- 31, 2023

On May 15, 2023, 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.

Milton Summer Enrichment

MSE registration is OPEN at this link!  MSE is for students in rising grades K-8, takes place at Milton High School, and runs from July 5-28, five days a week, 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Classes include academic enrichment, arts and crafts, sports and outdoor fun, technology, and much more!

Please visit this link for the MSE 2023 Brochure to review course information, program details, and registration information. We are excited to offer some great new classes as well as popular MSE favorites. Please email [email protected] with any questions. We are looking forward to a fun and enriching summer!

MPS Intrumental Music Lessons

Save the date! The Instrumental Lesson Program Information Night will be held on Wednesday, June 7 at 6:00 p.m. in the MHS Auditorium. Those interested in beginning instrumental lessons will receive information on the program and students will have an opportunity to try various instruments and speak with high school students about their experience playing instruments. All details are here.

MHS Spring Semi – May 12

MHS Freshman and Sophomore Student Government is excited to be hosting the Spring Semi Dance for 9th and 10th graders on  May 12. They need your help to make it happen! Day of volunteers are especially needed. Please see the Sign Up Genius linked here to volunteer for set up and/or to donate items or funds. Tickets are on sale at MHS, $10 per person. Thank you so much for your support of our students!

MHS 1:1 Chromebooks

We are excited to share with you that Milton High School will continue with our one-to-one Chromebook initiative (1:1) for all 9th and 10th grade students next year. All 9th and 10th graders will receive a school-issued Chromebook that they will take to and from school on a daily basis. 9th and 10th graders will not be allowed to bring their own device to school.

All current 8th grade students will be asked to return their loaned Chromebook and charger to Pierce during the last week of school.  Students attending MHS this fall will receive their Chromebook on the first day of school.  All 9th grade students will keep their school issued Chromebook throughout the summer and 10th grade year.

All details, including insurance information, can be found here. For more information regarding the MHS Chromebook program, please view the MPS Chromebook Care & Use Policy Guide & MHS 1:1 9th & 10th Grade Digital Learning Student & Family Manual.

MPS Good To Know

MHS Theatre – Mamma Mia

Mamma Mia at MHS, May 25-27, tickets on sale now at this link! Come see our talented MHS students in our spring production of Mamma Mia, the story of Sophie, a bride-to-be trying to find her real father, is told using hit songs by the popular 1970s group ABBA. Set on a colorful Greek Island, the plot serves as a background for a wealth of ABBA songs and a ton of fun!

Superintendent Shoutout

Congratulations to MHS students Donna Gauvin, Shanti Bosque-Hamilton, Lia Duran, Layla Raymond, Kyle Denny, and Nathan Auguste, who recently took 1st place overall in the 12th Annual Tenacity Challenge!  The Tenacity Challenge is an annual academic scholarship competition for teams of Latinx and African-American students from urban and suburban high schools across Massachusetts. The competition consists of four events: History Argument, Math Quiz Bowl, Literature Analysis, and Art. The MHS team – The POC Powerhouse –  won 1st place in the Math Quiz Bowl, 2nd place in both the Art and Literature competition, and placed top 5 in the History Argument. With the highest points overall, Team POC Powerhouse took 1st place in the competition!

MPS Professional Development

Reading specialists and literacy coaches at the elementary and middle school levels and the MPS PreK-8 Literacy Director recently attended the MA Reading Association Conference. Our educators valued their time together, learning from national and local literacy leaders on a variety of topics, particularly regarding aligning instruction with research-based and culturally responsive best practices.

MPS Nice To Know

MHSusic Eastern Division Festival

Five outstanding MHS music students – Timothy Fay, Lucy Hays, Claudia O’Neil, Isabelle Feloney, and Nessa Malin –  participated in the Eastern Division Festival in Rochester, New York at the beginning of April break. This massive accomplishment was made possible due to their hard work over the past two years as students had to go through two rounds of auditions and an application process to be selected for the festival, which included students from the 12 states and European schools that make up the National Association for Music Educators Eastern Division. Lucy, Claudia, Isabelle, and Nessa shared some of their experiences with their MHS peers, and you can read their thoughts here.

Food Service

MPS Food Service intern Stephanie Young shares her recent experience with Project Bread and a taste test for Pierce students.

I recently had the opportunity to help Project Bread with their cooking and taste testing for Pierce students. While helping with cutting veggies, I observed how much effort Chef Sherry and the Pierce kitchen staff put into making a delicious and healthy meal for students. Project Bread works towards having reliable sources of healthy food available to students and continuously makes small steps towards a larger change in food accessibility. Pierce students were able to taste the Spicy Chicken Flatbread we made, it was a huge hit, and this meal will be on the Pierce menu for May. Thank you to Project Bread to the MPS food service staff for all they do to serve healthy meals to our students.

Glover Green Up

On Saturday, April 29, Glover families came together for the Milton Green Up. Students and their grown-ups picked up trash, planted perennials, mulched garden beds, and raked the grounds. Special thanks to Curry Hardware and A. Thomas and Sons for donating plants and supplies!

MHS Small Ensembles Shine

Last week, the MHS Music Department showcased its small ensembles and honors program students. The evening of music featured a variety of performances including duets from the string ensemble, jazz combos, funk bands, rock bands, R&B Ensemble, Pretty Sharp, Absoflutely, A Cappella, the Do Re Migos and MHS Jazz Singers.  All of these ensembles and honors projects are run by students in the MHS Music Department. The student leaders selected the music with the input of ensemble members and then spent the past several months running rehearsals in preparation for this performance. You can view the entire evening’s performance here, courtesy of Mr. LoPresti’s Wildcat News students: MHS Small Ensemble Cabaret.

There’s still one more chance to see the MHS Music Ensembles perform at their Spring Concert on Thursday, May 18 at 6:30 PM in the MHS Auditorium. Come and support all students, especially our seniors, as they take the stage one final time at MHS.

Wildcat Marching Band News

The Wildcat Marching Band and Colorguard is gearing up for their 2023-24 season! The Wildcat Marching Band is an ensemble that performs at community events such as parades, ceremonies and football games throughout the year. If your student is entering grades 9-12 and would like to participate in the Marching Band and Colorguard please fill out this form.

Milton Community Schools

Puddlestompers Nature Exploration is rotating among all three ASE sites (Glover, Tucker, and Collicot/Cunningham) to provide classes for kindergarten students at no extra cost. Each site will have two more visits this school year. Last week, Stephen from Puddlestompers visited Collicot/Cunningham for the first time, and the children learned all about worms, made a “worm” bird feeder for the birds, rolled over fallen logs, and found plenty of worms and other bugs.

MHS Athletics

MHS Athletic Director Ryan Madden shares the following. Save the dates below!

Athletics Recruiting Night – Monday, May 22 6:00 p.m., Copeland Field House
All Milton residents, students and families are invited.

• We invite all Milton residents and Milton Public School families to our Athletics Recruiting Information Night in just over 2 weeks! Speakers include; Julie Ryan, Babson College Field Hockey Coach; Jason MacDonald, Navy Football Coach; Katie Conover, Stonehill Women’s Lacrosse Coach; Greg Sullivan, Boston College Baseball Coach; and Tara Watchorn, Stonehill College Women’s Hockey Coach. This is designed to be a panel for students and their parents/guardians to ask questions and hear from local college coaches about the recruiting process.

Varsity Awards Banquet – Wednesday, May 31 6:30 p.m., Auditorium
All Varsity Student-Athletes and their Parents/Guardians, all MHS Coaches

• You should receive an email soon from the MHS Athletic Boosters’ Club with your invitation to the Varsity Awards Banquet in the Auditorium on May 31 at 6:30 p.m.! All student-athletes that received a Varsity letter (or are receiving a Varsity letter for a Spring Sport) and their Parents/Guardians are invited! If you are unsure if your student has received or is receiving a Varsity letter, please reach out to Ryan Madden, at [email protected]. This night serves as recognition of our student-athletes, their accomplishments and a celebration of another tremendous athletic year!

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!

Join the Milton community on Friday, May 12 for “Let’s Celebrate our Kevin” at Florian Hall at 7:30 pm. Proceeds benefit scholarships for MPS students who want to learn a trade. All details can be found here.

MHS music students, Bella Fiske and Claudia O’ Neill will be playing music at the Pancake Brunch fundraiser by Milton Rotary to benefit Milton Coalition on Mother’s Day, May 14, 11am to noon at East Congregational Church. Please stop by to support our students, our community partner and enjoy some pancakes!

Brookwood Community Farm Annual Seedling Sale is May 6 & 7; Saturday, 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. and Sunday, 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.  Bring your own box/container to get seedlings home. Special musical performance on Sunday May 7 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. by members of the Southeastern Orchestra and Wompatuck Senior Orchestra!

High school students or the general public are welcome to volunteer for set up and during the Sale. HERE is the link to sign up and learn more. Limited CSA shares are still available.  Please see our website under Our CSA to learn about how to access some fresh local produce!

The 2nd Annual Grace+Grit 5K will be held on Saturday, May 20, at the Glover School. The race is held in honor of Glover’s past PTO president and an amazing member of the community. Visit GraceGrit5K.racewire.com for additional information.

The Milton Road Race is fast approaching, on Tuesday, June 13! Sign up here to help support scholarships for graduating Milton seniors and grants to local nonprofit organizations.

The Milton Early Childhood Associations Spring Newsletter filled with many free fun spring programs, parent information, and local resources can be found here!

MECA Kindergarten Cafe: Is your child entering kindergarten in the fall? This parent workshop, filled with information, resources, and developmental skills is for you!
Registration is required and can be completed here.

The Milton Parks Summer Program Brochure is linked here. Registration opens soon for spring programs, more info can be found here. Coming this spring – Babysitting Course; Spring Junior Golf; Spring Junior Tennis; Spring Indoor Basketball.

Attention Wildcat Nation! Registration for the 2023 tackle football, cheer and flag football programs is now open – register here. We have two different closing dates, one for cheer and one for tackle. Cheer closes on May 31 and Tackle closes on June 21. Flag is on a rolling registration.

Summer Art Camp at the Milton Art Center is open for registration. The camps will run for nine weeks from June 26-August 24. Each session has a different theme and children can sign up for half day or full day sessions. Visit the website to find out more and register.

Milton Field Hockey is open for registration for the Winter (K-8) and Spring (K-8) 2023 season and summer camp (up to age 18)! All details can be found here.

Reg closes May 1: Milton Girls Softball encourages children in Kindergarten through Grade 8 to register for the 2023 Spring Season. All details can be found at www.miltonsoftball.com.

The Milton Public Library’s calendar of  May programs for kids can be found here.

• Join Turo (teacher) Vince Jornales on Saturday, May 6 at 2:30 P.M. for Introduction to Martial Arts! No prior experience is required. Learn more and register today through our Events Calendar!
• Comic and Graphic Novel fans! Take part in this month’s Graphic Novel Book Club for Grades 3-5 on Wednesday, May 17 at 4:30 p.m. This month we are reading Just Roll With It by Lee Durfey-Lavoie. Pick up a reserved copy in the MPL Children’s Room and register today!

To learn more and to register for programs for kids, teens, and adults, please visit the MPL website.

Blog Subscription: If you do not receive the Superintendent’s Weekly Update and would like to, please enter your email here to subscribe to this one weekly email.
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.