MPS: Superintendent's Weekly Update For March 17

Milton MA

18 March, 2022

11:51 PM

Description

Press release from the Milton Public Schools: Superintendent Jette March 17, 2022 To: Parents/Guardians and StaffFrom: James F. Jette Re: Superintendent's Weekly Update Date: March 17, 2022 FROM THE DESK OF THE SUPERINTENDENT As we look forward to the first day of spring next week, our schools are busy with events and activities. Your child's principal's weekly update is a great way to stay informed on school specific events and information so please take just a few minutes each week to read through those Smore newsletters. If you do not receive the weekly Smore newsletter from your principal, please reach out to your school administrative assistant. Music in Our Schools Month is in full swing! Congratulations to the Milton Strings and Band Programs for two incredible concerts so far. We look forward to our final performance of the month with the Grades 6-12 Chorus concert on Wednesday 3/23 at 6:30 PM in the MHS Auditorium. Check out this sneak peek recorded by the MHS chorus. We hope to see you at the concert! sneak peek In celebration of St. Patrick's Day, Collicot and Cunningham students enjoyed Irish Step Dancing during lunch today. Students from Kindergarten through 5th grade signed up to entertain their classmates in what has become a fun lunchtime tradition. Congratulations to our Tucker basketball players! Last week was their championship game, won by the Black Team, and the gym was packed with spectators cheering them on. Thank you to the volunteer coaches, families and students for an excellent season! Thank you to all who attended coffee with me at MHS this week. It was great to connect with a small group of parents and guardians on a variety of topics. I am looking forward to attending a PTO coffee hour at each school this spring, please check your school communications for dates as they are announced. I look forward to seeing you there. SCHOOL COMMITTEE The next School Committee meeting is tonight, Thursday, March 17, 2022 (moved to accommodate Town Meeting on March 16). As always, 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. Town of Milton webpage under School Committee. Milton Access TV online on-demand ______ The Milton School Committee invites all to participate in the Open Public Hearing to discuss all matters relating to the proposed 2022-2023 Fiscal Budget. Wednesday, April 6, 2022 at 6:30pm Via Zoom;Passcode: 168556; Webinar ID: 811 8269 8756 
If you are unable to participate, please feel free to email comments/questions to the Milton School Committee at [email protected]. [email protected] IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES Mar 17 After School Parent/Teacher Conferences Mar 18 No School Teacher PD Day Mar 21 5th Grade Growth and Development Mar 21, 22, 24, 25 Forums on Restorative Justice in MPS Mar 23 MIOSM Chorus Concert 6-12 Apr 5 Spring Jazz Night Apr 6 Milton School Committee (Budget Hearing) Apr 7 Early Release Grades K-12 PD Day 2022-23 One Page School Year Calendar (Draft) The 2022-23 One Page School Year Calendar (Draft) linked here has been approved by the School Committee. Please note that this calendar is intended as a guide ONLY. It may be necessary to change this schedule to better serve instructional purposes. 2022-23 One Page School Year Calendar (Draft) linked here Please refer to the District-Wide Calendar of Events for times and details on current events. In addition, the 21-22 one page School Year Calendar can be found here. (Updated to reflect the February 4 snow day) Please refer to the District-Wide Calendar of Events for times and details on current events. the 21-22 one page School Year Calendar can be found here. Save the date for MFE Celebration on May 7, 2022 at Granite Links! Save the date for MFE Celebration on May 7, 2022 at Granite Links! Thank you to all who attended 1st Grade Information Night. 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 recording of the event can be found here. 1st Grade Information Night The recording of the event can be found here. Kindergarten registration will take place from March 2 through March 18, 2022. Instructions and the link to register can be found here. Kindergarten registration for the first round of school assignments must be completed by March 18, 2022. Please note that registration is ongoing, but school assignments are based on student enrollment and the date of registration. We look forward to welcoming the Class of 2035 to the Milton Public Schools! Kindergarten registration Instructions and the link to register can be found here. On April 7th at 7pm in the Milton High School auditorium, join us as we hear from NY Times best-selling author, Jessica Lahey. She brings her years of expertise as an educator and personal experience with addiction to the table as she talks about parenting and how to have conversations with children — from preschool to young adulthood – about all sorts of difficult topics including drugs and alcohol. Jessica Lahey will provide concrete skills and examples that parents can put into practice today that will help foster resilience and a trusting parent–child relationship that can keep kids safe. Local bookseller, Frugal Bookstore, will be selling Jessica Lahey's books in the lobby before and after the presentation. On April 7th at 7pm in the Milton High School auditorium, j Frugal Bookstore HEALTH AND SAFETY 5th Grade Families: On Monday, March 21 at 6:30 pm at Milton High School, the Milton Public Schools would like to invite you to our district wide program regarding Grade 5 Growth and Development. This program is offered annually to parents/guardians of current 5th grade students. This is a wonderful opportunity for parents/guardians to preview the videos that will be shown to grade 5 students this spring. All details can be found here. 5th Grade Families: All details can be found here. ______ Schools are required by Massachusetts General Law (M.G.L. Chapter 71, Section 57 and 105 CMR 200.000) to provide vision, hearing, body mass index (BMI), postural, and Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) health screenings to all students. Parents/guardians will be notified if a referral is necessary. Parents/Guardians may opt their student out of any of the screenings. Written notice should be sent to the school nurse if you wish to opt your student out. Vision: Annually in grades 1 through 5, once in grades 6 through 8 Hearing: Kindergarten through grade 3 and once in grades 6 through 8 Heights and Weights: Heights and weights are measured and body mass index (BMI) is calculated on children in grades 1, 4, 7 and 10. Postural Screening: The State of Massachusetts mandates that all students in grades 5 through 9 be screened for scoliosis. Parents will be notified if referral is needed. SBIRT: Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment is done in grades 7 and 10. The screening uses the CRAFFT tool as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics' Committee on Substance Abuse. Student screening sessions will be brief and conducted confidentially in a private, one-on-one session. ______ A Covid vaccine clinic will be held on Saturday, March 26 from 11am-2pm at Pierce Middle School. We are partnering with the Department of Public Health to host school vaccination clinics for eligible children ages 5 and up. There are still 2nd dose appointments for both 5-11 year olds and 12+ and boosters available. All details and registration information can be found at this link. At the March 5 clinic, 66 total vaccines were administered. Saturday, March 26 from 11am-2pm All details and registration information can be found at this link. We will continue to provide a weekly summary of COVID cases affecting our schools as reported to DESE in the Superintendent's blog. This week's report was from 3/10-3/16 and MPS reported 2 staff and 6 students as COVID positive. For families or faculty/staff who wish to opt-in for rapid antigen testing kits, please submit this Opt-In Form for each student to your school nurse. HIGH SCHOOL HAPPENINGS Milton High School's Asian Culture Club's Red Envelope Fundraiser was an incredible success! With the money raised, ACC will be donating over $300 to Stop AAPI Hate to support Asian communities and combat the prevalent racism and xenophobia in our society. We hope to contribute positive change in regard to the increase in Asian hate, especially during these challenging times. The rest of the funds will be used to create an inclusive environment in which anyone can learn and appreciate Asian traditions. Thank you to the following companies for the donations and for supporting our initiative: Coffee Break, Steel & Rye, Fruit Center, Fuji Group, Starbucks, and Playa Bowls. Special shout out to ACC officers Lok Ye, Chloe, and Caylie, and all club members who have helped make this all possible! ______ ______ If your high school student is interested in being a Red Shirt at MSE, all details are here. ALL applications are due by April 12th at 3 pm. Late applications will not be considered. all details are here. ALL applications are due by April 12th at 3 pm. Late applications will not be considered. Please note the following guidelines for qualification and process of acceptance as a Red Shirt Volunteer or Paid staff member. All guidelines and the link to apply are here. You must use your student email address to apply. All guidelines and the link to apply are here. Milton High School students will be given priority for any open positions (both Community Service and paid); upper class students will be placed first. Students must volunteer a minimum of one summer of Community Service at MSE before being eligible for paid positions. Having been a volunteer or paid Red Shirt in the past does not guarantee a position in this year's staff. The final year that students can work as paid Red Shirts is the summer following their graduation from high school. Positions are offered as openings become available. ______ The Milton High School National Honor Society is currently collecting new and lightly used books to donate to libraries throughout the Milton Public Schools. Please leave any books you would like to donate in the labeled boxes near the front and back entrances of the high school. PIERCE PAGES Each month, Pierce recognizes students who demonstrate the values of safety, responsibility, respect, and kindness as Positive Community Members. Teachers nominate students and students from each grade are selected by Pierce's culture and behavior committee. Please join us in congratulating Londyn Gray, Gabrielle Petty, and Sharon Liu who were honored for the month of February! INSIDE OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS Registration opens at this link please visit the MCS website. OFFICE OF STUDENT SERVICES – SPECIAL EDUCATION Registration details are here. [email protected] Rock Your Socks for Down Syndrome Day! SEPAC: Participate: We are very happy to say that we have a new SEPAC secretary. Meredith McGrory is a teacher at Tucker Elementary and is an MPS parent, with her youngest in preschool. Welcome Meredith! Advocate: Change your culture, join SEPAC! Please reach out to your school rep to find out about how being a part of SEPAC is essential for advocacy. Join the ZOOM board meeting on March 23. We welcome new voices and ideas. Educate: FREE WEBINAR College Admissions for Complex Students: Monday, March 21, 7-8pm. The college admissions process can seem like a black box. Especially for neurodiverse students, navigating key elements of this process – from academic performance, to testing, to identifying colleges that meet a student's needs and preferences, to just how much to disclose and how – can be challenging. Join us to learn more about how applications are evaluated, changes in the admissions landscape due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and how an intentional approach to the college process can reduce stress and improve outcomes for the whole family. Please register here. ART AND MUSIC Wednesday 3/23 – 5:30-6:30 PM (Chorus Concert Night) Saturday 4/9 – 12:00-4:00 PM (FAME Mattress Fundraiser) WHEN: Saturday, April 9th, 10am-4pm WHERE: Milton High School Auditorium WHAT: Big savings on brand name mattresses, pillows, weighted blankets, sheets, massage chairs and more! Funds raised go to supporting MPS music department programming, festivals and scholarships. This press release was produced by the Milton Public Schools. The views expressed here are the author's own.