On Monday, March 7, masks become optional in the Milton Public Schools. We held assemblies for all students this week and asked all students and staff to be respectful of others’ choices and treat each other with kindness as we move into this next phase of our management of COVID. I stressed that for some this will be an emotional and difficult decision and that as we move forward to be mindful of those around us and to take care of one another. I ask that you do the same at home to prepare your child for this change. Please reach out to me with any questions.

Masks will still be worn in our health office but are optional in school buildings and on school buses. Masks will still be required for individuals testing COVID-positive and returning to school from isolation on day 6 or later through day 10. While masks will be available if needed in school. As Superintendent Jette mentioned, I suggest that students and staff bring a mask to school in case they feel more comfortable wearing one (or need to wear one) at times throughout the school day.

Please review the 2022-2023 Course Selection Letter with your student

We ask all families to read through the Program of Studies and watch the presentation posted above for more information on the course selection process.

Junior and Senior Class & Families:

The Jr/Sr Prom will be held on Friday, April 29th at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, from 7 pm- 11 pm. This link contains all of the information you will need to know. 2022 Prom Information Packet. All juniors and seniors also received hard copies of the Prom Information Packet in their advisory classes on Friday, March 4th. All students attending prom must submit payment and completed contracts by Friday, March 25th.

Please reach out to Mrs. Damiani (rdamiani@miltonps.org) with any questions regarding Prom.

Dear Class of 2022:

With the month of March underway and final post-high school plans beginning to emerge, it is a great time to secure some extra funding to support your futures. Below is the current list of scholarships available to you in the local, Town of Milton scholarship program. Further details, and copies of applications, can be found on Naviance, (highlight the Colleges tab, see Scholarships and Money on the right, and select Scholarship Search). Feel free to email me or stop by Guidance with any questions.

Sincerely,

Mr. Devlin

ArtDante Scholarship - calling all visual artists, how has art influenced your life? - due March 25th

Beirne Lovely Memorial - $2500 - how have you exemplified Beirne's motto of "be kind; do good?" - essay, and more required - due March 25th

BID Milton Healthcare Scholarship - students pursuing a career in nursing or healthcare - due March 17th

Caitlin Clavette Memorial - brief statement required, how does your own vision of your future embody the Caitlin Clavette Memorial Foundation's mission? - due March 26th

Cameron Nohmy Memorial Scholarship - for those pursuing technical training or a trade - brief statement required - due March 17th

Debra Davis Memorial - what sets you apart from others? How have you grown over the last four years? How have you helped others? Essay due in Guidance March 26th

Edan Cicerone Memorial - how have you supported the LGBTQ community? - due March 31st

Mark Bavis Leadership Foundation - due April 15th

MHS Boosters - several awards available, $500 each, application due April 15th

Michael C. McHugh Tucker Scholarship - calling all Tucker alums - due March 21st

Milton For Peace - due March 17th

Milton Foundation for Education 25th Anniversary Scholarship - new in 2022 - $1000 - due March 18th

Milton Foundation for Education Future Educator Award - new in 2022 - $1000 - due March 18th

Milton Foundation for Education Sam Cichello Memorial Scholarship - new in 2022 - $1000 - due March 18th

Milton Girls Softball Giovannucci Scholarship - $250, due April 5th

Milton Kiwanis Club - resident of Milton for at least 3 years, exemplifies the Kiwanis ideals, due March 25th

Milton Players - participation in theater and the performing arts, due March 20th

Milton Woman's Club - $1000, short essay, due in Guidance March 20th

NAAAP (National Association of Asian American Professionals) - see website listed for application details - due March 5th!!!

ONECommunity Scholarship - HarborOne Bank - $2500 - see website for details

Pierce PTO - attended Pierce, write a speech you will deliver at 8th grade commencement, due March 25th - $1000

Rebekah Assembly of Massachusetts - $1000 - due March 30th

Rockland Trust - $3000 - due March 29th

Mary Szekely Scholarship for Women in STEM - $10,000 four-year renewable scholarship - due March 11th - for a Massachusetts woman, including those identifying as a woman, who plan to major in computer science, software engineering, IT and/or computer information systems.

Sustainable Milton - students who have helped to reduce waste, preserved the ecosystem, or raised environmental awareness of others, due March 17th

Stephen Phillips Memorial - see website for details - due April 4th

Tempus Unlimited - for students with a documented disability and current IEP, due June 1st

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: Please reach out to your school rep with concerns and questions, and consider attending our next ZOOM board meeting on March 23.

EDUCATE: 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. Register Here for this free webinar.

On Wednesday, March 16, Superintendent Jette invites all parents and guardians to a coffee hour in the MHS auditorium from 8:45-9:30 am. The group will meet in the auditorium space as it’s available for that time, but this is not a presentation. He hopes to use the time to connect with MPS parents and guardians on a variety of topics and looks forward to seeing you there. Please enter through the main entrance at the front of the building.

Milton School Building Committee Family and Community Forum: The Milton School Building Committee is holding a second Family and Community Forum on Thursday, March 10, 2022, at 4 pm. Please join members of the Milton School Building Committee, along with Superintendent James Jette, Pierce Middle School Principal Bill Fish, and Collicot School Principal Holly Concannon for a virtual Family and Community Forum. The Committee will share current information about the need for a new school building, an overview of our proposed site, consideration of options for grade configuration for a new building, and progress that has been made to date. All details and links to attend can be found here.

Parent/Guardian Forums on Restorative Justice in the Milton Public Schools will be held virtually on March 21, 22, and in person on March 24 and 25.

Restorative Justice is an approach, mindset, and flexible set of practices that put relationships and connection at the heart of a community. All parents and guardians from our Pre-K to 12 schools are invited to meet MPS’s new district-wide Restorative Justice Coach, Adina Schecter, to learn more about how this approach can create transformational change in our school district. There will be both in-person and virtual options the week of March 21st. Please sign up for the session you will attend so we can plan accordingly. All details and the sign up can be found here.

This Resource Guide contains contact information to link families and youth to mental health, substance use and trauma hotlines as well as to emergency and outpatient therapy, family and group support programs, substance use disorder treatment, culturally competent care, and social services.

Tax season has begun and Noreen Kearney Dolan, Fund Coordinator for the Milton Residents Fund, asked that we share this resource with MPS families. MyFreeTaxes, a product supported by United Way, helps people file their taxes for free while getting the assistance they need. The site will point you to either an in-person VITA site in a local community or will provide you with access to the website to file your taxes for free – with no income limits. Volunteer help is a phone call away.

MPS knows that families may sometimes need resources for their children and family beyond the classroom. In addition to the Family Resource Newsletter please visit Milton Public School Resource Guide. If you need additional assistance please don’t hesitate to reach out to Marti O’Keefe McKenna, MPS Family Outreach Liaison at 617-980-7343 or by email at mmckenna@miltonps.org. All calls and emails are confidential.

Our Milton High Library is open by 7am every morning so students can access all the amazing resources the library has to offer! Librarian J Troy is always on hand to help guide students in the right direction!

Throughout the school year, members of our MPS community celebrate and observe various religious holidays. We adjust homework expectations as needed as you can see in the document linked here. If there is a religious holiday that we have missed, please email Superintendent James Jette.

For Family Technology Support click HERE

Chromebook Troubleshooting

Is your family having internet issues or need assistance to access the internet in your home? Please go here for more information.

As discussed at a recent School Committee meeting, the Milton Public Schools has updated our school incident reporting forms so people can specify incidents on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion and more. The Milton High School incident form can be found here and each school has a form linked on the front of their school’s website and they are also linked on the front of the MPS website, the MPS Education Equity page and MPS Anti-Bullying page.