Archived January 2023
Weekly Newsletter
January 27, 2023
Upcoming Events
1/27 - Quarter Two Report Cards Issued at End of School Day
2/8 - Junior College Planning & Admissions Panel Night - 6pm MHS Auditorium
2/10 - Millis Music "Cabaret" Night - 7pm MHS Cafe
2/20 - 2/24 - No School - February Break
3/3 - Midpoint Quarter 3
3/17 - Early Release - 10:55am
3/28 & 3/29 - MCAS English Language Arts (Grade 10)
4/7 - Early Release - 10:55am
4/14 - Early Release - 10:55am
4/17 - 4/21 - No School - April Break
5/12 - Early Release - 10:55am - Prom
5/16 & 5/17 - MCAS Math (Grade 10)
5/29 - No School - Memorial Day
6/1 - MHS Graduation
6/6 & 6/7 - MCAS Biology (Grade 9)
- News From MHS -
Quarter 2 Report Cards Distributed
Presidents on Trial
Parent Evening a Success
Where Did the Marshmallows Go?
Operation Parent
OperationParent is an organization that supports parents and the challenges they face in today's world. They are offering a webinar on Opioids and Prevention on Tuesday, February 7, from 1:00-2:30. Registration information is below. If you cannot attend live, you can get a recording of the webinar by registering. Click on the links below for more information.
https://www.operationparent.org/parent-webinars
Fire Safety PSA
Thank You NCTA!
Junior College Planning & Admissions Panel Night - Feb. 8th
The School Counseling Office is excited to announce that our Junior College Planning & Admissions Panel Night for junior students and parents will be held on Wednesday, February 8th, 2023, starting at 6:00 pm in the High School Auditorium.
The school counselors will begin the night with a brief presentation on the college planning process followed by a college admissions panel presentation. Representatives from Boston College, Suffolk University, UMass Amherst, Quinnipiac University, and Massachusetts Bay Community College, are expected to be on hand to discuss the college admissions process and take questions from parents and students.
For those of you unable to make it, we will provide a recording of the night in the School Counseling area of the Millis High School website following the event.
This promises to be a great night you don’t want to miss, where both parents and students will take away a host of useful information as our juniors begin the college process. Please contact the School Counseling Office at 508-376-7010 with any questions. We look forward to seeing you all on February 8th!
2022-23 MCAS Schedule & Tutoring
As we move into the second half of the school year, we continue to prepare our students for this year's MCAS Exams, and wanted to update you on the upcoming schedule. Students in the Class of 2025 (sophomores) will be taking MCAS exams in English Language Arts (ELA) and Math this year, while students in the Class of 2026 (freshmen) will be taking the MCAS Biology Exam. These exams, sponsored by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), are part of the competency determination required for students to graduate from Millis High School. All exams will be computer-based this year.
In addition to preparing our students in the classroom, we have been identifying students in need of extra tutoring support, and recently mailed home letters containing contracts for tutoring. MCAS English Language Arts tutoring started in Flex Block this past week, and MCAS Math tutoring will be starting at the beginning of February. If you receive one of these letters and would like your child to take part in the tutoring support (which we strongly encourage), please return the contract to the main high school office as soon as possible. The schedule for MCAS Exams at MHS is as follows:
English Language Arts (Grade 10) - March 28 & 29
Math (Grade 10) - May 16 & 17
Biology (Grade 9) - June 6 & 7
First Can Drive is a Success!
January 20, 2023
We're on to Semester Two...
Parents...Guardians...Join Us This Wednesday, Jan 25th!
The Secret Lives of Teens and Tweens
Open to high school and middle school parents and guardians
(Geared toward parents of students ages 10 and up)
January 25, 2023
6-8pm
High/Middle School Auditorium
Thanks to a generous grant from The Kyle Cares Foundation, the Millis Public Schools is excited to host "The Secret Lives of Teens and Tweens", presented by Jon Mattleman of Minding Your Mind, on Wednesday, January 25. The event is open to parents/caregivers of students ages 10 and up, and will be held from 6-8pm in the High School/Middle School auditorium. This dynamic presentation covers areas such as depression and anxiety, social media and technology, suicide, 'acting out' behaviors, and more. If you've never seen Jon Mattleman speak, you are in for an informative and entertaining evening. We look forward to seeing you on the 25th, for what promises to be a powerful evening for our school community. Please see the flyer below for more information.
Lockdown Drill Next Week
In conjunction with Millis Middle School, we will do a “Lockdown” drill during the school day on Thursday, January 26th. After the drill, the Administrative team will meet with Millis Police to debrief.
The safety of our students and school is always a top priority. While we hope to never activate any of these protocols, trainings such as these help prepare our staff and students in the event we experience an emergency situation. Thank you for your help and support as we work to ensure the safety of your children.
Vision of a Millis High School Graduate
Last year, we sought feedback from our entire school community on the Vision of a Millis High School Graduate. The Vision of a Graduate is the first step in framing a new vision for our school system. It is a reimagined Core Values and Beliefs and a promise the school is making to all students. It is what Millis High School graduates need to know and are able to DO in order to succeed in college, career and life.
Thanks to the thoughtful participation of students, staff, parents/caregivers, and other members of the Millis community, we were able to land on four key skills/values our students need to thrive as learners, workers and leaders of the 21st Century. Those four identified skills/competencies boiled down to the 4 C's: Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, and Character.
As we move into year two of this four-year process, we want to develop descriptor language to provide a list of what students can and should be able to do relative to each competency. Before identifying our descriptors, we need to brainstorm why they are important for students to possess prior to leaving MHS.
This is where you come in to help us navigate the next phase in the Vision of a Millis High School Graduate. We're asking members of our Millis community to fill out this form, which will help us define these skills for our graduates. Think about how these skills impact your day-to-day lives. The Vision of a Graduate reflects skills that better position students for success in their overall lives, not just in their school lives. Your responses don't need to be fully formed thoughts. This is a brainstorm and will be wordsmithed at a later date. Finally, you do not have to share a certain number per competency. Ultimately, we will have no more than 5 descriptors per competency and they will be in the "I can. . ." format.
Please take a few minutes to fill out this form to help us define the skills we've identified as school community, as essential to the success of our students when they venture forth from Millis High School. The form will be open until Friday, January 27. Thank you!
Rostow Cup Champions Crowned
A&P Learning Practical Skills
Environmental Action Bottle and Can Drive Tomorrow
Environmental Action is holding a bottle and can fundraiser tomorrow, January 21st, from 9AM-12PM at Millis High School. They are accepting all redeemable items. Make sure all donations are empty before bringing them in, and they would greatly appreciate it if you could start collecting now. This helps the environment and the community!
- Happening Around Millis -
Message from the Millis Food Pantry
If your family or someone else you know is in need of food assistance, know you are not alone. The Millis Ecumenical Food Pantry is available to any Millis resident in need.
Location: Church of Christ, Bottom Floor—142 Exchange Street, Millis
Hours of Operation: Saturdays 10am-12pm, 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month 10am-12pm
In order to shop at the pantry, all you need is proof of Millis residency, and you will be registered and can shop the same day. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you are struggling. More information can be found at the following website: Millis Ecumenical Food Pantry
January 13, 2023
QPR Training for Staff / Signs of Suicide Programming for Freshmen
We have prioritized not only staff training around suicide prevention, but student training as well. With that in mind, next week, freshmen in health classes will receive Signs of Suicide (SOS) training with our counseling staff. The SOS training helps students identify the signs of suicide and depression, and teaches them what they should do if they are concerned about someone - talk to a trusted adult. The simple acronym ACT (Acknowledge, Care, Tell) is highlighted to the students through the SOS program, and is something we can remember ourselves and reinforce with students as we deal with this difficult, yet important issue.
Later this year, our sophomores and juniors will receive similar training courtesy of the Samaritans, who will be sending a facilitator to Millis High School to lead discussions on this important topic. Our counselors will also be meeting with seniors before graduation to give them a booster on the SOS program, before they leave MHS and head off to college, career and beyond.
According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is the 15th leading cause of death in Massachusetts. Even more concerning, it is the second leading cause of death for ages 10-24 in our state (2020 CD data). With that in mind, presentations like the one our staff received this morning, and the ones our students will receive during the course of this school year, are more important than ever. We encourage our parent community to join in the conversation through Jon Mattleman's next presentation in Millis, "The Secret Lives of Teens and Tweens", in the high school/middle school auditorium from 6-8pm on January 25. We are thankful for the support we've received from The Kyle Cares foundation and the JED High School team in solidifying our programming at Millis High School to positively impact the social emotional and mental health needs of our students and school community.
Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
As students entered school on Thursday morning, the sounds of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s, "I Have a Dream" speech were playing throughout the hallways on the school intercom. That speech was given on August 28, 1963, at the "March on Washington", and still resonates today. As we head into this long weekend, it's important to take a moment to remember the reason for this coming Monday's holiday, which marks the birthday and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. A Baptist minister, inspired by advocates of nonviolence, Dr. King helped bring an end to legal segregation and played a huge role in the passage of both the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Dr. King's efforts in the face of adversity helped to change America in profound and lasting ways.
Opioid Knowledge Survey for Juniors and Seniors
In conjunction with the Millis Board of Health, Millis High School will be administering an optional survey to students in Grades 11 & 12 only on Monday, January 23, 2023, during the high school advisory period. The purpose of this optional survey is to assess the baseline knowledge of Millis residents regarding the topic of general and community-based opioid-related knowledge, as well as other demographic information (please see the link to a letter below from the Board of Health for more information).
This survey also asks questions regarding general prescription drug safety and some opinion questions regarding concerns of the community. The goal is to use responses from this survey as a means to build a community education program for the town of Millis depending on the needs of the community.
Due to the nature of the sensitivity of the topic and some of the questions, all surveys will be anonymous and participants may choose to skip any question that makes them feel uncomfortable answering. However, for legal purposes, the Millis Board of Health may have to report the responses from some of or all of the questions.
If you DO NOT wish to have your child participate, you may communicate a couple different ways to opt out your student. Complete and submit this Google Form or send a signed, written statement/e-mail to mawdycki@millisschools.org by Monday, January 16. If we do not receive any correspondence, then we will assume that your student has permission to participate, on January 23.
Information From Tech Services
At Millis Public Schools we are committed to providing a learning experience that allows your child to grow and flourish with technology. That’s why we’ve teamed up with a student safety and digital wellbeing platform that protects the devices your child uses at school, ensuring they stay safe and secure. We’re happy to invite you to join us in this world of digital wellbeing by giving you access to the Qustodio Parents App. This will provide you with full visibility on how your child is using their school devices. Simply create your account to see your personalized dashboard.
To learn more about Qustodio Parents App click here
Please note: Sign up following the link above on a web browser before you install the app on your mobile device. Be sure to use the same email address we have on file for you.
We’ve answered some common questions below:
How do I create my account?
- Just click on the ‘Create your account’ button above and then follow the steps shown on screen.
- You can view your child’s activity on their school devices, read digital safety guidance from experts, and remotely switch off the internet using the ‘Pause’ button during hours designated by your district.
- No, your child's device is already protected. By setting up your account with Qustodio, you aren’t turning protection on or off. Your new account provides you with visibility of your child's activity on their school device.
- It is completely free to create your account and get visibility on your child’s school devices. You can also get visibility on two family devices for free - with the option of adding Premium features.
- Qustodio is COPPA compliant and does not share personal data with third parties.
Chemistry II Turning Copper into Gold
The Chem II classes explored the art and science of electroplating and brassing this week. Students started by making sure to have clean pennies by either rinsing with vinegar or scrubbing with steel wool. Then, they used procedures written by last year’s Chem II students to look at different methods of zinc plating the pennies. All techniques required the addition of energy; some groups used heat energy while others used electrical energy. Those groups that used electrical energy also had to create tools to hold the pennies, so they used plastic forks and spoons and heat guns to create slotted type devices. Once the pennies were zinc plated, they heated the pennies so that the zinc and underlying copper atoms could become more mobile and mix to form the alloy, brass, which appears as a “gold” penny. In the end, students made updates and revisions to the procedures for next year’s class.
Mr. Howden Visits A&P
Mr. Howden, our speech and language pathologist, visited the anatomy and physiology classes this week to discuss the brain and language. Mr. Howden showed the students two patients with different aphasias and the students diagnosed the function of Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas of the brain.
Collaborative Advisories
Documentaries Getting Ready to be Entered
The students in TV/Film & Podcasting are finishing up their documentaries. The films will be entered in film festivals around the world. Topics include adoption, anti-vaping, school safety, sports, our mascot, mushroom foraging, dance, family bonds, video games, blacksmithing, vintage cars, following your own path, and Life in Ghana. Below: As part of his film on mushrooms, Brendan Curry is pictured below cooking some mushrooms purchased at a local grocery store. Look for this film and more on the Millis Memories YouTube page.
Peer Leaders Thrift Shop Donations Needed
January 6, 2023
To Our MHS Community
In the middle/high school building, we are equipped with three AEDs in different areas of the schools. We also have a portable AED that our athletic trainer carries with him to games and practices on campus, and when our student athletes are practicing at Clyde Brown, there is an AED on site located near the gym. Last year, Colin Christie, a member of the Class of 2022, raised money through his senior project to buy an AED that will soon be placed outside near the basketball and tennis courts by the Millis Fire Department.
Our physical education teachers, Anthony Fallon and Scott Kendrick, are certified to teach First Aid/CPR/AED, and are currently doing so with all of our sophomores taking PE. Following the training, for a small fee, students will be able to receive their official certification in all three areas through the American Heart Association, which will last for two years from the date of issue. This is a training done yearly with all our sophomores in PE. We're exploring the possibility of adding Stop the Bleed training to our sophomore PE curriculum as well.
We continue to review our policies and procedures around medical emergencies, and have been in contact with the Millis Police and Fire Departments to find ways to enhance and strengthen our capabilities to respond to emergency situations. In collaboration with the Millis Fire Department, we are looking into offering a course for students not currently certified in First Aid/CPR/AED, and will have more information about that soon. We are also continually in the process of ensuring all our athletic coaches are CPR certified, which is required per state law. We have emergency plans in place that every coach is briefed on prior to each season. There are certainly areas we can improve, but we have a number of important steps in place in the event we should ever be faced with an emergency situation that requires the quick thinking displayed this past Monday night, which undoubtedly saved a life.
Seniors/Juniors Mentoring Sophomores/Freshmen
The Great Marshmallow Challenge
Opioid Knowledge Survey for Juniors and Seniors
In conjunction with the Millis Board of Health, Millis High School will be administering an optional survey to students in Grades 11 & 12 only on Monday, January 23, 2023, during the high school advisory period. The purpose of this optional survey is to assess the baseline knowledge of Millis residents regarding the topic of general and community-based opioid-related knowledge, as well as other demographic information (please see the link to a letter below from the Board of Health for more information).
This survey also asks questions regarding general prescription drug safety and some opinion questions regarding concerns of the community. The goal is to use responses from this survey as a means to build a community education program for the town of Millis depending on the needs of the community.
Due to the nature of the sensitivity of the topic and some of the questions, all surveys will be anonymous and participants may choose to skip any question that makes them feel uncomfortable answering. However, for legal purposes, the Millis Board of Health may have to report the responses from some of or all of the questions.
If you DO NOT wish to have your child participate, you may communicate a couple different ways to opt out your student. Complete and submit this Google Form or send a signed, written statement/e-mail to mawdycki@millisschools.org by Monday, January 16. If we do not receive any correspondence, then we will assume that your student has permission to participate, on January 23.
The Secret Lives of Teens and Tweens
Open to high school and middle school parents and guardians
(Geared toward parents of student 10 and up)
January 25, 2023
6-8pm
High School Auditorium
We strongly encourage parents to join us. If you have any questions please reach
out to Principal Awdycki at mawdycki@millisschools.org
See the flyer below for more information
Class of 2026 Dues are Due
This is a reminder to pay class dues if you have not already done so.
Class dues are an essential component contributing to the vitality of each student class. Class dues are collected each year from the Freshman, Sophomore, Junior and Senior classes. Student Activity accounts are created to receive these funds, as well as any other monies generated through class activities and fundraisers. The funds in each account remain dedicated to each class and can only be withdrawn to support class activities. Class funds are utilized for a variety of purposes. First, many class activities, such as Proms, Outings and Social Functions require deposits to be made well in advance of the event. This guarantees the venue will be available. These payments must come from class monies. Second, having money in the class treasury helps to offset the overall cost of class activities. This reduces the price for each student, which in turn facilitates greater participation in class activities.
The class dues for this year, 2022-2023, are as follows:
- $35 before January 31, 2023
- $40 after January 31, 2023
- Pay $120 now for all 4 years
- Please pay by cash or check
- Checks are made payable to: Millis High School
Class dues can be given to:
Class Advisors: Shannon Graham or Michelle Panciocco
Student Council Members: Izzy Schaad, Marina Arian, Nicoletta Koronios, Reagan DiIorio, Gabby Kramer, Sophia White, Timmy Krauss, Luca Judkins, Oliver Powers, or Nicole Lauria
If this is too much of a financial burden, we can certainly make the necessary accommodations for you. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the Class of 2026 advisors:
Shannon Graham: sgraham@millisschools.org
Michelle Panciocco: mpanciocco@millisschools.org
~ Happening Around Millis ~
Attendance Line Contact Options
Options to Report Your Students Attendance
email: hsattendance@millisschools.org
Call: 508-376-7010 ~ press 1*
*PLEASE NOTE DISMISSALS CAN NOT BE CALLED IN.
PARENT/GUARDIAN MUST SEND A NOTE/EMAIL OR COME IN TO THE BUILDING TO DIRECTLY SIGN THEIR STUDENT OUT.
Dismissal Reminders
- Student brings a note from home and presents to the office first thing in the morning.
- Parent emails main office at hsattndance@millischools.org, student must still come to the office to get a dismissal pass.
- Parent comes in to school at dismissal time and completes a dismissal notice. Student will be called out of class at the time the parent comes in.
We are unable to accept phone calls or voicemail messages for dismissals. The hsattendance email can be used for all attendance notices.
Millis High School
Small School.. Big Family
The Millis Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, age, gender identity, religion, national origins, sexual orientation, disability or homelessness.
Website: https://hs.millisps.org/
Location: Millis High School, Plain Street, Millis, MA, USA
Phone: 508-376-7010
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Millis-High-School-1743691028988870/
Twitter: @millishigh