Milton High School Weekly Updates

I would like to thank all of our MHS teachers, students, and families for your cooperation and support during the lockdown earlier this week.

After investigating, Milton Police believe this was an instance of the "swatting" phenomenon that is happening both locally and nationally. Per our protocol, we immediately implemented our emergency protocol and lockdown procedures until any threat was ruled out by the Milton Police Department. This rash of hoaxes in local schools is upsetting for many. We appreciate your partnership as we work to ensure the safety and security of all.

This type of event can be stressful and overwhelming for all involved as we don’t know people’s personal experiences and how they can impact situations like this. As we move forward, I have asked all students and staff to be thoughtful with their interactions and if they notice anyone is feeling stressed, unsettled or overwhelmed, please let a trusted staff member know.

IMPORTANT DATES

• Feb 20 - Feb 24 February Recess
• Feb 28 SEPAC Meeting
• March 2 Early Release - PD for Staff
• March 2 Program of Studies/Course Selection Information Night 6:30pm
• March 8 Harlem Wizards
• March is Music in Our Schools Month so watch for all of our performance dates in the upcoming weeks!

Thank you MHS PTO and to all of the families who donated treats for MHS staff and to the MHS Culinary Club for the delicious cookies! Valentine's Day was a little sweeter for all of us because of you!

The MHS Program of Studies Night will be held on Thursday, March 2, at 6:30 pm in the MHS auditorium. All parents/guardians and students who will be in grades 9-12 next year are invited to join us this evening to learn about the MHS Program of Studies for the 23-24 school year.

The MHS Senior Class is hosting the Harlem Wizards at MHS on March 8, 2023 at 7pm. Doors open at 6pm. Tickets are available now at harlemwizards.com.

Our amazing PE Teacher Ms. Daley brought her Adaptive/Unified PE Class to Cunningham Hall for some bowling fun! As you can see by their big smiles, the students had a blast!

With the winter break around the corner, our school nurses want to remind you that MPS continues to follow several health and wellness policies to ensure a safe and healthy return for our community.

• The MPS handbook states that students should be fever free without medication for 24 hours and 24 hours from their last episode of nausea/vomiting prior to returning.
• Students who have tested positive for COVID should isolate for 5 days and may return to school on day 6 (full COVID policy here). If you are unsure if your student should return to school after break, please keep them home until you speak to your school nurse on Monday, February 27.

Over the February break our health rooms will be closed from Friday, February 17 at 3pm until Monday, February 27 at 8am. If you have health questions during this time, please contact your pediatrician. Our MPS Nursing Department wishes you a safe, healthy February break.

On Monday, February 13, the Tri-M Music Honor Society hosted their first ever Coffeehouse at Cunningham Hall! The evening included performances from various MHS Music Ensembles including the R&B Ensemble, A Cappella, Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Choir, DoReMigoes and Pretty Sharp. Tri-M students helped throughout the evening serving audience members their choice of refreshments all to raise money for the organization to continue to provide musical opportunities for MPS students. We are looking forward to making this an annual event for the department!

On Wednesday, February 15, over 130 students from the MHS Music Department visited the Pierce Middle School and performed a concert for the eighth graders, showcasing all of the ensembles offered at MHS. The eighth graders were treated to performances by the Wildcat Marching Band, Mixed Chorus, Chamber Ensemble, A Cappella, String Orchestra, DoReMigoes, Concert Band, Pretty Sharp, R&B Ensemble, Jazz Choir, Jazz Ensemble and Treble Chorus. We look forward to welcoming the incoming 9th grade to the Music Department in the Fall!

Musical Valentine's were delivered during last period today! 💟

Such a wonderful treat! See the pictures and video below.

MPS Athletic Director Ryan Madden shares the following recent winter sports highlights:

The Girls Hockey Team are Bay State Conference Champions! They beat Weymouth 3-0 last night to earn the program’s first league title in over 12 years! Their lone loss this season (1-0 to Braintree) seems a very long time ago. They have two games remaining over February Vacation before they enter the MIAA Tournament, currently sitting at 16-1-3.

Five Wrestlers qualified for States this weekend, which we are very lucky to host in the beautiful Copeland Field House! Mason Pellegri, Conor Walsh, Isaac Remy, Alex Alexis and Kenny Heraldo all qualified by finishing in the Top 5 at Sectionals last weekend. Mason Pellegri took home the Division II Central Sectional Championship at the 182lb weight class for the second straight year! He will look to defend his State Title this weekend!

The Cheer Team qualified for Regionals with their performance in the Bay State Conference Competition last Thursday! Congratulations on a second place finish.

The Dance Team had their first ever competition last week in Weymouth. They turn their focus to the State Competition in March.

The Track Team had some excellent performances at the Bay State Competition last Wednesday. Highlights include: 2nd place in the 4×400 meter relay (Katie O’Toole, Marilyn Roche, Gretel Schewe, Margaret Glenn); 4th place in the 4×400 meter relay (Shane Olsen, Aidan Crummey, Luka Juric, Luka and Fabrice Hippolyte-Midy); Haydn Pierre 4th place in the High Jump; Moses Mann 5th place in the 600 meter; Gretel Schewe 5th place in the 600 meter; Katie O’Toole 5th place in the 1000 meter.

The Ski Team only has one week left in the regular season. A big congratulations to ALL Milton Racers who successfully finished last Thursday’s Slalom race at Blue Hill. In addition, Bowie Garvin (27th & 32nd) and Ben Catudal (10th & 12th) earned high quality points in both races. Let’s all keep cheering for Ben as he continues to climb towards a top-10 seeding in this years State Alpine Championship Race on Feb. 28 at Berkshire East!

Spring Registration is OPEN! Be sure to register for sports this spring as we are just over one month from tryouts! If you have already registered for a sport this year, all you need to do is update your registration and add the spring sport. You do not need to register again. Please find instructions and links 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.

Dear 10th-grade students and parents,

On March 28th and 29th, 10th-grade students will take the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) in the subject of English Language Arts. Although it might be several weeks away, this is the time to begin preparation for the MCAS ELA exam. To learn more about MCAS ELA preparation resources, read the attached document.

Remember, passing the MCAS exams is an essential part of earning a high school diploma. Try your very best!

Some study tips to keep in mind:

During the week of February 27, 2023, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE’s) Office of Language Acquisition (OLA) will review our English Learner Education (ELE) program at Milton Public Schools in a process called a Tiered Focused Monitoring Review.

The Office of Language Acquisition reviews each school district’s English Language Education program every six years to monitor compliance with federal and state English learner education laws and regulations. Areas of review will include English Learners’ assessments; identification of English learners; what programs English Learners are placed in; parent and community involvement; curriculum and instruction; student support services; licensure requirements for faculty, staff, and administration; and program plans, evaluation and recordkeeping. Please see this link for information about parent outreach, how to contact DESE for a telephone interview and how to view the report after the Onsite Review. Details can be found here in English, Arabic, Chinese Traditional, Chinese Simplified, French, Haitian Creole, Spanish, Portuguese and Vietnamese.

Share Now

Night 1 on Wednesday, March 1, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, features:

Dillard University

Fayetteville State University

Florida A&M University

Morgan State University

Tuskegee University

Night 2 on Thursday, March 2, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, features:

Bethune-Cookman University

Claflin University

Morehouse College

Norfolk State University

Tennessee State University

Texas Southern University

Real Talk events were created to provide Black students and their families with the tools they need to feel confident as students start planning for their future after high school.
Sincerely,
The Real Talk Team

The recording of the webinar for students to learn about the possibility of attending a French University can be found here. A PDF of the presentation can be found here. Listen to hear about Sciences Po Paris, Sorbonne University, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, and Université Paris Saclay and a discussion about possible paths to attendance.

During the week of February 27, 2023, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE’s) Office of Language Acquisition (OLA) will review our English Learner Education (ELE) program at Milton Public Schools in a process called a Tiered Focused Monitoring Review.

The Office of Language Acquisition reviews each school district’s English Language Education program every six years to monitor compliance with federal and state English learner education laws and regulations. Areas of review will include English Learners’ assessments; identification of English learners; what programs English Learners are placed in; parent and community involvement; curriculum and instruction; student support services; licensure requirements for faculty, staff, and administration; and program plans, evaluation and recordkeeping. Please see this link for information about parent outreach, how to contact DESE for a telephone interview and how to view the report after the Onsite Review. Details can be found here in English, Arabic, Chinese Traditional, Chinese Simplified, French, Haitian Creole, Spanish, Portuguese and Vietnamese.

The Milton SEPAC shares the following updates:

Our February board meeting has been changed to Monday, February 27, 6:30-8:30. Join us on Google meet at this link. We encourage folks to attend the February 28th DEI Event at Pierce on February 28th!

School Meals for All ensures that all students have equal access to the nutrition they need to learn and thrive. Please consider asking your legislators to invest in the future of our children by supporting the Feed Kids MA bill. It’s easy to reach out to your legislators, all details are at this link.

This year’s Celebration for Education will be at The Beat on Saturday, May 6, 2023. The Beat is a fun, new event space located just 5 miles from Milton on Morrissey Boulevard, in Boston’s historic former headquarters of the Boston Globe. Save the date to join the fun!

The Pierce Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee will host a community event open to all parents and caregivers on February 28th at 6:30 p.m. in the Pierce auditorium. The event will offer a series of short educational and skill building workshops for parents and caregivers that will focus on promoting and supporting the academic, social, and emotional well-being of children and teens through the lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The workshop sessions are as below:

• Diversity, equity, and inclusion at Pierce & MPS facilitated by Claire Galloway-Jones, MPS Director of DEIB
• Restorative practices at Pierce Middle School facilitated by Adina Schecter, MPS Restorative Justice Coach
• LGBTQ+ hate speech lesson facilitated by Oliver Jones, MPS student

More details about the event can be found here. Parents and caregivers are asked to complete the pre-registration link in advance of the event on February 28th.

It’s time for the Booster’s General Membership drive! Become a Boosters member to support our student athletes. Last year we committed $40k to our sports teams and we’re looking to do even more with your support! Memberships start at just $25. All details are here.

Milton is hosting our divisional state championship and Milton Boosters is looking for volunteers. Click the link below to sign up for a shift (or 2) to help earn money for your team's PVA account. If your athlete would like to work along side you -they can earn volunteer hours.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f45a8a623a5fa7-wrestling?useFullSite=true#/

Please visit the MPS Community News & Events page for information about community events.

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.

Riverside Theatre Works is performing “Matilda” from March 3-19. Many of our MPS students are involved and there are nine show dates including matinees on Sundays. The show is appropriate for ages 6+. All details are here.

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 Sports for All wants to share some exciting news! We are starting a high school bowling league! We will be bowling on Wednesdays from 4:30-5:30, with a tentative start date of March 1st (we will confirm this asap.) If you have a high school relative or friend who would be interested in having some fun and bowling in an inclusive, non-competitive environment, please reach out to us. We will be sending a flier out shortly, but we wanted to share the news with our MSFA community first - please spread the word! Volunteers are always needed for our events so if you are interested in helping out or if you know a high school student who can to bring the fun, please drop us a line!

miltonsportsforall@gmail.com

At Milton High, we have a variety of clubs that our students are actively engaged in.
A complete listing of Clubs and Organizations for the 2022-2-23 School year is listed here.

Students are encouraged to get involved in the many offerings provided by Milton High School.

However as stated in our Student Handbook there is an annual $25 club/activity fee for joining any of the clubs or participating in other student activities with a $50 maximum fee per student per year limit. Furthermore, students who wish to start a new club/activity may do so at the discretion of the Principal. A listing of clubs is here and all students are invited to join clubs at any time.

If you are involved in a club at MHS please go to the MPS Online Payment Center, on the MPS Homepage, select HS Student Activities and follow instructions for payment.

If you have any questions please reach out to Karen Cahill (kcahill@miltonps.org) or Tyler Urso, Administrative Assistant Milton High School (turso@miltonps.org).

This week's Family Resource Newsletter contains information about two local food resources for families. If you need additional assistance, please reach out to Marti O’Keefe McKenna, MPS Family Outreach Liaison at 617-980-7343 or mmckenna@miltonps.org. All calls and emails are confidential.

Email: kcahill@miltonps.org
Website: https://www.miltonps.org/mhs/
Location: 25 Gile Road, Milton, MA, USA
Phone: (617)-696-4470