Milton High School will host its decennial visit for the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) from December 12-14. NEASC is a non profit organization that works with schools throughout New England to assess and support high quality instruction in private and public schools. Every ten years Milton High School is evaluated and then accredited by NEASC, and this is a process that is voluntary on the school's part. During the visit educators from other school districts observe classroom teaching and meet with teachers, students and administrators. Upon completion of the visit NEASC provides a written report with their analysis of our school, including areas in which we are doing well and suggestions for ways we can successfully meet our students' needs. We look forward to hosting the NEASC team and we look forward to getting their feedback.

Please consider donating to the MHS Gift Card Drive! MHS School Counseling supports teens and families in need with gift cards during the holiday season and your support directly assists our MHS families! Target and/or Amazon gift cards in $25 denominations can be dropped off to the MHS office by WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14th! THANK YOU SO MUCH for making the holiday season a little brighter for our neighbors!

In case you missed our MHS Winter Concert, attached below is the program, video, and pictures! Special thanks to our AMAZING Music Department teachers, Ms. Damiani, Ms. Hanna, Ms. Miller, and to all our talented students on and off stage! AND special thanks to Mr. LoPresti and his students for capturing all the media! Enjoy!

The National Honor Society (NHS) is the nation's premier organization established to recognize outstanding high school students. More than just an honor roll, NHS serves to honor those students who have demonstrated excellence in areas of scholarship, leadership, service, and character. On Monday, November 21, eight members of the senior class were recognized for their achievements and inducted into the society. Additionally, the National Honor Society officers for the 2022-2023 school year were formally inducted into their leadership roles. Congratulations to all students who were part of the ceremony - we look forward to seeing all you accomplish this year!"

Congratulations to our newest senior members: Kate Cooper, Ben Catudal, Sarah McGillivray, Patrick Murphy, Samantha Pincus, Kate Schewe, Matthew Stockbridge, and Brady Vrettas

The Spanish VI class has been learning about human rights and how they are connected to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For one of the projects, after reading and discussing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, they created their own Human Right Tree. They wrote on the tree in the form of leaves, those human rights that they think people need, to live in dignity and justice, and labeled the roots with things students consider to make human rights flourish. Since the celebration of Human Rights is observed on December 10- the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the class wanted to display their work for all to reflect on this day. (Lesson adapted from the World Largest Lesson Plan - Global Goals)

While the weather has been mild for December, we are seeing a considerable increase in traditional winter illnesses across all of our schools. Kim Coughlin, Director of Nursing, shares these important reminders so we can work together to keep the MPS community healthy and safe.

• If your student is ill, please keep them home until they are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and are feeling well enough to get through the school day. If your student has an intestinal virus or has been vomiting, they should wait 24 hours from the last episode before returning to school.
  
• Please see this link for COVID-19 quarantine and isolation guidelines. The joint early childhood & K-12 guidance for students and staff can be found here. Please refer to the MPS Heath Services page for all updates.
• Please ensure that your student has tissues in their backpack every day and remind them of the importance of proper hand washing to decrease the spread of germs.
  
• Everyone 6 months and older is eligible to get a Flu vaccine each year and is now eligible for the COVID vaccine. Everyone 5 years and older is eligible for the COVID vaccine and booster.
  
• Your student should have a healthy breakfast each morning and come to school with a water bottle every day. Breakfast is available in every building prior to the start of the school day. Adequate sleep is essential and The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that children aged 6 through 12 get 9–12 hours of sleep, and that teenagers aged 13 through 18 get 8–10 hours of sleep. Proper hydration, nutrition, and sleep are essential components of a healthy immune system and improve the body’s defense to illness.

Thank you for working with us to keep our students and staff healthy this winter!

Do you know who your school rep is? Each month your Milton SEPAC school rep meets with your principal to discuss issues of staffing, programming, inclusion, and collaboration. Lately MPS has been experiencing a lot of staffing and programming developments that have an impact on our children’s educational experience. To find out more, come to our next SEPAC Board Meeting on Thursday, December 15, 6:30-8:30pm online at this link. Attend to find out what is happening in your building and how to connect with your school rep.

Are you looking for part time work that compliments your child’s school day? Earn $19.15 an hour for a Food Service substitute on call position! Call Natalia Perez at 617-898-1051 for details.

Congratulations to the winners of the logo contest for the Milton Music Department! Tri-M, the music honor society, ran this competition, which was open to all Milton High School students. First prize went to Ann Nguyen for her wildcat design; first-runner up is Alicia Wong for her treble clef; second runner-up is Priya Shaw with her musical pawprint. Tri-M and FAME (Friends and Advocates of Music Education) have teamed up to put their winning designs on a range of different items, from t-shirts and sweatshirts and coffee mugs. Check out the merchandise shop here and order gear for your favorite musician!

Looking for an easy and healthy holiday gift idea? Support the Milton Music Department by ordering from our online fruit fundraiser anytime between now and December 11th! Gift boxes or crates of fresh fruit are guaranteed to ship directly to the recipient in time for Christmas! Whether you're shopping for yourself, your family, colleagues, neighbors, or friends, these delicious gift boxes are sure to be a hit! Use the QR code below or visit this link to order through our website. The sale closes on December 11th, so don't delay!

On September 29th, Katie Greer came to Milton and spoke to all 3rd-5th grade students on digital citizenship. That evening, Katie delivered a powerful parent/guardian session titled, Keeping Students Safe in a Digital World. On January 5th, Katie will be returning to Milton to speak to all of our secondary students. That evening she will deliver another parent/guardian session at 6pm in the Pierce auditorium. Please complete the short survey linked here to help us determine the topic for Katie’s evening session on January 5th, 2023.

Please visit the MPS Community News & Events page for information on Milton Parks and Rec Basketball and Ski, Milton Library programs, Mackie's Veterans Day Cut-a-thon, The Run to Change Lives on November 19th and more!

That December is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month...

Let's all keep our community safe. Please sure everyone has a plan to get home safely. Include your teens in these conversations. Remind them that drugs and alcohol are illegal for those under 21 and can have long-term impacts on developing brains. Role play what they would do if faced with getting a ride with someone who is impaired.

Click here to find out more about impaired driving and tips for talking to your teens.

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