Superintendent McKinney releases updates for week of March 16, 2023

This week’s highlights include Rock Your Socks, No School – Teacher PD Day, MFE Teacher of the Year Nominations, 1st Grade Program Choice, Superintendent Shoutout, SEPAC Updates, Elementary Highlights, and more.

From The Desk Of The Superintendent

Next Tuesday, March 21, we will celebrate World Down Syndrome Day in MPS. All MPS students and staff are encouraged to “Rock Your Socks” to show support and appreciation for people with Down Syndrome. March 21 (3/21) is symbolic because people with Down syndrome have 3 copies of their 21st chromosome. Wear your brightly colored, mismatched socks (a conversation starter and reminder that while things may be different, they are still wonderful) on 3/21 and celebrate people with Down syndrome and the many contributions they make to society.

In the coming weeks, we are administering our spring round of Intellispark screeners. If you opted your child out in the fall, your child will not participate this spring. You can read the fall Intellispark communication here. The grades 6-12 screener is linked here and the grades K-5 screener is linked here. Elementary students will take the screener with their homeroom teachers.

We hope all students will participate in the universal SEL screener as part of the SEL curriculum in the district.  If any family feels their student would be better served without taking part in it, please contact your child’s principal with your child’s name, grade, and homeroom teacher to opt out.

Today, students at Cunningham and Collicot enjoyed lunchtime Irish Step dancing performances by their fellow students, and Collicot students were welcomed by a bagpiper as they arrived at school. Thank you to our talented students who gave up their lunch and recess to entertain their classmates!

As a reminder, tomorrow March 17 is a Teacher Professional Development Day, with no school for students. 

MPS Need To Know

Important Dates

• Mar 16 After School P/T Conferences
• Mar 17 No School – Teacher PD Day
• Mar 20 Grade 5 Growth and Dev. Presentation
• Mar 21 MIOSM Chorus Concert 6-12
• Mar 22 Milton School Committee
• Mar 22 SEPAC Board Meeting
• Mar 27 SEPAC Meeting
• Mar 31 Late Start for Students

As a reminder, March 17 is a Teacher Professional Development Day, with no school for students. 

Concert Updates: The Music in Our Schools Month Grades 5-12 Band Concert has been rescheduled to Tuesday, April 4 at 6:30 p.m. in the MHS Auditorium. The Spring Jazz Night featuring Pierce and MHS Jazz Ensembles has been rescheduled to Tuesday, April 11 at 6:30 p.m. in the MHS Auditorium.

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

The School Committee has approved a draft of the 23-24 SY calendar. This calendar is intended as a guide ONLY. It may be necessary to change this schedule to better serve instructional purposes.

MFE Teacher of the Year

It’s the time of year when the Milton Foundation for Education recognizes the extraordinary contributions made by MPS educators! The MFE is asking for nominations for Teacher of the Year in each school. Please take a moment to nominate an exceptional teacher here. All details can be found at this link.

MFE Celebration for Education

The MFE supports all six MPS schools in ways big and small, day in and day out, throughout the school year. MFE grants range from $500 worth of books to $25,000 worth of technology and everything in between! The MFE has funded larger projects like the Wildcat Wellness Center and MPS broadband expansion and smaller initiatives that support classrooms or grades. You can see the spring 2022 grant list here. They have been an incredible partner to MPS over the last two decades and we are grateful to the parents and guardians who volunteer their time in support of the MFE and our schools.

How can you support the good work that the MFE does for our schools? Join the fun on May 6 at this year’s Celebration for Education! Celebration is a guaranteed good time and will take place at The Beat, 135 Morrissey Blvd. on May 6:00 p.m. at 5:00 p.m. May 6 is Derby Day, so come for the early start, watch the Kentucky Derby, enjoy good food and drink and the company of hundreds of your MPS neighbors. Tickets and squares will be on sale in the coming weeks, so save the date and mark your calendar for Celebration for Education 2023!

First Grade Program Choice

Thank you to all who attended First Grade Information Night this week. Parents and guardians of current MPS kindergarten students learned about our two first grade programs: The English Innovation Pathway (with STEM & Spanish) and French Immersion. We presented information on each program as well as the assignment plan, lottery (if needed), and timeline. The PDF of the presentation can be found here, and a recording of the presentation will be posted on the Milton Access TV Youtube page linked here. A link to make your program choice will be sent by your child’s principal.

Fifth Grade Growth and Development Presentation

5th Grade parents and guardians are invited to our district wide 5th Grade Growth and Development Program on Monday, March 20 at 7:00 p.m. in the MHS Auditorium. This annual presentation is a wonderful opportunity for parents/guardians to preview the videos (The Puberty Workshop and Curriculum, Human Relations Media, Inc.) that will be shown to 5th grade students this spring. After the videos, there will be time for Q&A regarding the program. This is a powerful opportunity to gain knowledge and build skills to help engage your child in conversations about puberty. This program will be presented at your child’s school on March 31.

MPS Good To Know

Superintendent Shoutout

Congratulations to MHS English teacher John Radosta, whose paper “The Loveliest and the Best: The Tapestry of Influence of Omar Khayyám’s Rubáiyat On the Works of Bob Dylan” has been accepted into the World of Bob Dylan Conference in Tulsa, OK. Mr. Radosta will present his work along with 125 other speakers across the four day conference in June. Congratulations on your accomplishment, and good luck in June!

Milton Community Schools is Hiring

Milton Community Schools has immediate openings for Community Service and paid Counselor positions for high school students through the end of the school year. If you enjoy working with children, are ready to make a difference, are reliable and willing to learn, we want to hear from you! All details can be found here.

SEPAC

Please see below from information from Milton SEPAC.

Participate: We will soon be saying goodbye to the leaders of our Pupil and Personnel Services, Mark Harrison (March 31) and Susan Maselli (June 30) This is a significant leadership transition for our community, and it is happening in conjunction with central leadership transition. Please stay tuned and engaged – this is an important time for us!

SEPAC Board Member Darcy Maksou (Cunningham Rep) served on the search for Asst. Director of Pupil Personnel Services. Two SEPAC board members, Tracy Menoza (Collicot Rep) and Jennie Mulqueen (Co-Chair and MHS Rep) will serve on the search committee for the new Administrator for Pupil and Personnel Services.

Advocate: Know your school rep: Find Your School Rep Here

Educate: Attend the next SEPAC sponsored Federation for Children with Special Needs workshop: Evaluation and Eligibilty Monday, March 27th 6:30 p.m., followed by Parent Speak. This workshop is on Zoom and will be presented in the Tucker School Library, followed by a Parent Speak meeting from 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

MPS Nice To Know

MHS And Pierce Orchestra

MPS District Orchestra Director Debra Miller extends her thanks to the Pierce and MHS orchestra students for 8 wonderful years of music! And the district thanks Ms. Miller and wishes her a wonderful retirement.

National Latin Exam

MHS and Pierce Latin students recently took the National Latin Exam (NLE).  The NLE is a test given annually to Latin students across the United States and around the world. The NLE is not meant to be a competition but rather an opportunity for students to receive reinforcement and recognition for their accomplishments in the classroom. Depending upon their score, students may earn certificates and medals and may even qualify for scholarships. Pierce students also recently took the National Mythology exam.

Thank you to World Language teachers Danielle Huebner, Meagan Crowley, Madeline Murphy and Pat Menard for their dedication to our students and good luck to all of our Latin students!

Collicot 4th Grade Social Studies

Ms. Hodgkin’s 4th graders made both 3-D models and topographic maps of Mount Shasta in California to show how they can represent the different elevations of landforms.

Cunningham Glow Run

Thank you to all who supported our Cunningham Cougars on their very successful Glow Run this week! Funds raised will be used to promote the PTO mission of enhancing the school year for students, families, and staff.

MHS Athletics

MPS Athletic Director Ryan Madden shares the following.

Congratulations to our Winter All-Stars! Not all of them have been named, but take a look at those who have been below!

• Jeffrey Potter – Boys Basketball Honorable Mention
• Stephanie Needham – Girls Basketball
• Grace Henry – Girls Basketball Honorable Mention
• Katie O’Toole – Girls Indoor Track and Field
• Gretel Schewe – Girls Indoor Track and Field Honorable Mention
• Fabrice Hippolyte-Midy – Boys Indoor Track and Field Honorable Mention
• Lila Chamoun – Girls Ice Hockey – Herget MVP
• Kerry Balerna – Girls Ice Hockey
• Molly Murphy – Girls Ice Hockey
• Caelan Leddy – Girls Ice Hockey Honorable Mention
• Owen McHugh – Boys Ice Hockey
• Declan Walsh – Boys Ice Hockey Honorable Mention
• Mason Pellegri – Wrestling
• Ben Catudal – Alpine Ski
• Norah Walsh – Cheerleading
• Andrew Scapicchio – Cheerleading Honorable Mention
• Eowyn Young – Dance
• Julia Delaney – Dance Honorable Mention

Spring Sports start Monday, March 20. Please see the link here for tryout information.

Winter Sports families: If you have not done so already, please take a moment and complete the Athletics Parent/Guardian Feedback Survey linked at the bottom of the Athletics newsletter. While you have the option to remain anonymous, it is extremely helpful to leave your name and contact information. You will remain anonymous, but leaving information allows the Athletic Director and Principal to follow up if necessary.

Senior MHS Athletes and Managers are encouraged to apply for a Boosters Athletic Scholarship.  Requirements include: 1) have competed (or managed) at the varsity level while at MHS; 2) be an active Booster member; 3) submit a complete application; 4) obtain a letter of reference if needed (see award instructions).  Applications (including letters of reference) are due April 14. More information and the application can be found here.

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!

On Sunday, March 19 at 3:00 p.m., Milton Community Concerts presents Stuart Ryerse in a concert titled “Tunes and Tosses: An Afternoon with Virtuoso Musician and Juggler Stuart Ryerse (and friends)”. This concert will take place at First Parish of Milton, 535 Canton Avenue.  Tickets for this concert are $20 general, $10 senior, and free for 18 and under.  All details can be found here.

Brookwood Community Farm, located at the base of the Blue Hills, on the Milton/Canton line, has CSA (community supported agriculture) shares and a farm stand.

We offer accessible 2023 shares through alternative payment options. Details can be found here.  One option for the CSA is to use SNAP benefits ($40/month) which will be fully reimbursed by HIP.  These shares are available as half-veggie shares (every other week). The form for SNAP CSA can be found here. Pickup is at the farm, but if you do not have transportation, please contact us directly at [email protected]. so we can try to work it out. If you do not have EBT, we can consider a discounted share or offer a payment plan, so please email [email protected].

Neponset Rowing Club Spring 2023 Registration for the Competitive Juniors (HS) program is now open. Registration for the spring high school rowing season is open to MPS and all local high schools.  Please sign up here: 2023 Spring – Neponset Rowing Club: Competitive Juniors (HS) 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.

Milton American Baseball registration is now open for players ages 4-12. With T-ball through the Majors Division, there is an opportunity for everyone to play and develop with friends. Please visit miltonamericanbaseball.org for more information.

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.

Beantown Boston Youth Flag Football League is open for registration. All details can be found here. The website is here, go to the register tab at the top.

The Milton Public Library’s calendar of March programs for kids can be found here.  To learn more and to register for programs for kids, teens, and adults, please visit the MPL website.

• Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with an Irish Step performance, demonstrated by Petrocelli Academy of Irish Dance, on March 17 at 2:30 p.m. in the Keys Community Room!  No registration is required, and all ages are welcome.
• The Milton Teen Program is always looking for high school volunteers! If you’re interested in helping our Children’s Department out with some awesome programming, and earning service hours along the way, please email Tyler Vachon at [email protected].

Learn more and register for these programs through the MPL Events Calendar.

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.