The Millis High School Counseling Department would like to invite parents and students in the Class of 2024 to Senior Parent College Planning and Financial Aid Night on Thursday, September 28, at 6:30pm in the Millis High School Auditorium. Millis High school counselors, Riley Dunn and Nicole Moore, will kick the night off with a presentation from 6:30-7:15 pm that will explain the post-secondary/college planning process. After their presentation, a representative from the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (http://www.mefa.org), will be on hand to give an overview of the financial aid process, including types of financial aid, how to apply, and determining financing options for your family. You will be able to access the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) beginning on October 1, so this is a great opportunity to get your questions answered about this important process.

Thank you, and we look forward to seeing many of you on September 28!

Riley Dunn and Nicole Moore

Millis High School Counselors

The library is having a book fair October 2-5, from 7:45am-2:45pm. Funds help us order new books and replace popular lost books. We need volunteers to help run checkout at the book fair.

Please sign up here https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdOlcVmmskp8sOaqje0tOB-Ng_q3Lku28doPHHfeLoI8gM7kQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

For more information, check out the library website here https://sites.google.com/millisschools.org/libraryresources/home or email Mr. Carter mcarter@millisschools.org

The Millis High School Drama Club is proud to announce this fall’s production of Twelve Angry Jurors (November 17th and 18th) by Reginald Rose and adapted by Sherman L. Sergel. Every Monday and Tuesday, you will see the actors and Mrs. Bartley in the auditorium working on lines, blocking, costumes, and set design. If you are interested in being part of the backstage crew, please contact Mrs. Bartley in Room 116.

On Thursday, September 21, the Millis High School Active Minds organization traveled to Patriot Place to view the Send Silence Packing (SSP) exhibit, put on by the national chapter of Active Minds, in partnership with the New England Patriots Foundation and KyleCares. According to the national Active Minds organization, "This interactive exhibit features nearly 100 backpacks representing young lives lost to suicide that uplift their stories in order to galvanize conversation around mental health, and provide critical resources around mental health awareness, help-seeking, and peer support tactics among youth and young adults. Centering stories on mental health journeys, covering themes of silence, loss, survival, and resilience, SSP serves as a mobilizing force to change the way youth and young adults think, talk, and feel about mental health, and how they can show up for their peers and communities." Thanks to Mrs. Morrill, the MHS Active Minds advisor, Mrs. Zitoli, MHS Adjustment Counselor, and Ms. Moore, one of our school counselors, for bringing nearly 40 MHS students to this incredibly impactful and important exhibit during National Suicide Prevention Month. Impressively, we have over 100 students currently involved with our Active Minds chapter, putting in the work to destigmatize help seeking around mental health issues.

Congratulations to MHS alum (Class of 2023), Ryan Petrush, for earning a perfect score on the Advanced Placement (AP) Spanish Language and Culture exam this past year! AP Exams are scored on a scale of 1 to 5. Ryan not only received the top score of 5, but was also one of only 247 students (amounting to just 0.14% of 2023 AP Spanish Language and Culture Exam takers) from around the world to earn every point possible on this challenging, college-level examination. Ryan graduated as part of the Spanish Immersion program at MHS, and is currently a freshman at the University of Vermont. Kudos to Ryan and to all of the Spanish teachers he had over his years in the Spanish Immersion Program here in Millis, including his AP Spanish Language teacher, Mrs. Ames!

Pursuant to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Millis High School is required to provide, upon request, the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of current students to the armed forces' recruiters and institutions of higher education who request them unless the student and/or parent/guardian has submitted a request indicating that such information is not to be released. If a student or that student's parent/guardian does not want such information to be released, they must notify the principal in writing. You only need to fill out this form if you DO NOT want information shared with armed forces recruiters and institutions of higher learning.

Here is the link to the Armed Forces Release of Information Opt Out form

Hola everyone! My name is Belén Portugal Martin, and I am the new Spanish Language Assistant this year. I will be helping in Middle and High School Spanish classes here in Millis. I am from Zaragoza, Spain. I spent my junior year of high school in Oklahoma as an exchange student, and just loved the country. After graduating from college, I felt like I had to live abroad again so here I am! I am very excited for this learning opportunity and I can’t wait to see what this year brings.

MHS sophomore, Mia Young (right), participated in Project 351’s 9.11 Tribute Service this past Monday, September 11. Mia joined over 150 Project 351 Ambassadors & Alumni, as well as elected officials, Gold Star Families, and representatives of Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund, to assemble more than 1,000 care packages for troops serving abroad and local veterans experiencing homelessness.

Project 351 is a nonprofit organization and youth-led movement for change, that starts in the 8th grade. That's when Mia began her time with the program, representing Millis amongst the Commonwealth's 351 cities and towns. She has continued with Project 351 as an Alumni, and plans on working with the group throughout her high school years. In a recent letter to MHS, Project 351 told us that, "Mia stewards Project 351’s ethic of service and values of kindness, compassion, humility, and gratitude."

Congratulations, Mia, for your participation in this National Day of Service & Remembrance which is truly a worthy leadership and enrichment opportunity. Thank you to Mia for sharing some pictures of the day to share with our Millis community.

Students spent part of the morning this past Wednesday learning about all the club opportunities we have at MHS. With 24 clubs presenting at the fair, there was bound to be something for everyone. Students are always encouraged to start a new club when they see an opportunity to chart a new path. If you didn't sign up for a club during the fair, don't worry! Our clubs are always looking to take on new members, so take a chance and get involved with one of our organizations this school year!

Click Here to Access Club Descriptions

Click Here to Access Club Meeting Chart

Summer certainly made a return this week, and to say it was hot in our rooms and hallways would be an understatement to say the least. Though it wasn't easy, students and staff worked together to make the week a success, and to keep the school running as normally as possible in spite of the high temps. We had additional water stations set up throughout the school, teachers dimmed the lights, turned on fans, and closed the shades, and students found slightly cooler spots in the hallways to do work. An early release on Thursday gave a little reprieve, and next week looks like we are headed back to some normal early fall weather. Thanks to our teachers, paraprofessionals, food services staff, custodial crew, office staff, school nurses, counselors, and everyone else who worked so hard to make this week a smooth one, in spite of the curve ball Mother Nature tossed our way. We hope everyone finds some air conditioning this weekend!

Millis High School will be offering the Pre-ACT to sophomores on Saturday, October 14th, starting at 9am. Students should arrive by 8:45am to find their room assignments, and come prepared with several number two pencils and a calculator.

The Pre-ACT is a practice ACT, one of the two college entrance exams available to students. No preparation is required for the Pre-ACT. The Pre-ACT is a multiple choice test consisting of questions in English, Math, Reading, and Science. The exam requires approximately 3 1/2 hours, so students should expect to finish between 12:00pm-12:30pm. All students will be dismissed at the same time. Students were given registration forms on September 7th to bring home with them. In order to register for the exam, the bottom of the registration form along with $30 in cash should be returned to Mrs. Harkey in the School Counseling Office by Friday, September 15th.

Millis High School will be offering the PSAT-NMSQT to juniors on Saturday, October 14th. Students were given registration forms on August 30th to bring home with them. In order to register for the exam, the bottom of the registration form along with $30 in cash should be returned to Mrs. Harkey in the School Counseling Office by Friday, September 8th.

The PSAT, or Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, is a “practice” version of the SAT, one of two college entrance exams available to students. It is an excellent predictor of how a student will score on the SAT. The PSAT helps prepare our juniors for the SAT, which they will be taking this coming Spring. The PSAT/NMSQT will help students better understand their abilities, determine eligibility for national scholarships and recognition programs, and enable them to receive information directly from colleges. We recommend that all juniors take the PSAT.

On October 14th, the exam will begin at 8:30am. Students should arrive by 8:15am to find their room assignments, and come prepared with a chromebook, charger, and several number two pencils and a calculator. The exam requires approximately 2½ hours. Students may expect to finish between 11:00am-11:30pm. All students will be dismissed at the same time. Please contact Riley Dunn rdunn@millisschools.org with any questions.

On Wednesday, September 6th (which happened to be National Read a Book Day as well!), we wrapped up Summer Reading 2023. Students met in their Summer Reading groups to engage in lively discussions, and to complete projects or assessments, displaying insights into the books they chose. Pictured below, Mr. Alconada's group discussed their summer read, while Mrs. Haggerty's group demonstrated the theme and impact of their book through art, using magazine clippings to tell the story. Thank you to Mr. Carter for all of his work in organizing this wonderful summer reading event, and to all our teachers that read a book this summer, showing our students the power of reading!

On Monday, August 28th, we kicked off the 2023-24 School Year with our annual district meeting, which brought the entire Millis Public Schools staff together to celebrate the opening of the new year. A welcome address from Superintendent Robert Mullaney kicked off the day, where 19 members of the staff were celebrated for more than 20 years of service to the district, and another six members were congratulated for more than 25 years of service to the Millis Public Schools! The staff took part in a variety of activities during the morning, including an important school safety training led by Millis Police Chief, Chris Soffayer. Staff continued to prepare through a variety of meetings on Tuesday, before opening the doors to our students on Wednesday morning. It was a great first two days of school, with a lot of positive energy and smiling faces ready for the fresh start that a new school year brings. We hope everyone enjoys the beautiful weather this Labor Day weekend, and we look forward to welcoming our students back on Tuesday, September 5, on what will be a C Day at MHS. Below we have a few pics of the opening days for our staff and students.

Earlier this week, we were notified of two wonderful recognitions for Millis High School that we wanted to share with you. These recognitions belong to the entire district and community for the collective commitment we have toward providing a top notch education for the students in our small town.

First, Boston Magazine released its list of the Best Public High Schools in Greater Boston. For the second straight year, Millis High School cracked the top 25, ranking 24th out of 150 high schools in the Greater Boston area (last year MHS was 22nd). For the third straight year, MHS also made the list of 11 schools Boston Magazine ranked for Bang for Your Housing Buck. Criteria assessed by Boston Magazine included: class size, student to teacher ratio, MCAS, SAT, and AP performance, graduation rate, college attendance, and educator evaluations.

In addition, Millis High School was ranked in the top 12% of schools nationwide, and the top 23% of public high schools in Massachusetts (both rankings right on par with where we were last year), by US News and World Report in their latest evaluation of Best High Schools. As part of those rankings, MHS was 27th in the state and 626th in the entire nation in College Curriculum Breadth, which measures the proportions of 12th graders who took and passed Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams in multiple areas. U.S. News ranked approximately 18,000 public high schools after reviewing nearly 25,000 in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Criteria assessed by US News included: college readiness, college curriculum breadth, state assessment proficiency and performance, underserved student performance, and graduation rate.

These recognitions are a testament to the hard work of our students and staff, and the foundation of excellence fostered by Millis Middle School and Clyde Brown Elementary School. They also speak volumes to the support our students and schools receive from our families and the entire Millis community. Rankings alone don't give justice to the work put in every day to ensure our students receive such an incredible, personalized education, but they sure do give our school community some bragging rights as we head into the Labor day weekend!

MHS sophomore, Aedan Wetherbee, has taken on a brave fight against a rare form of brain cancer - a fight we know he is going to win! We always come together as a community to help support those who need it, and right now Aedan and his family could use your help. If you are interested in helping Aedan and his family, you can check out the GoFundMe that his aunt has launched on his behalf. Aedan's positive outlook on life and wonderful sense of humor are stronger than ever, and we are all behind him as he works hard every day to defeat cancer!

A new AED machine has been installed outside of MHS between the basketball and tennis courts. The funds needed to secure this life-saving device came from the Senior Project by Millis graduate Colin Christie, Class of '22. Thank you to Colin, the Millis Fire Department (pictured below after installing) and the entire Millis community that generously support our students and their Senior Projects.

Please be advised that paving work is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, September 5th, daily until work is completed:

Spring Street will be CLOSED from 7:30am-9:00am

Plain Street will be CLOSED from 9:00am-2:00pm

Other affected roads will be Auburn Road from the cemetery entrance to Route 109 AND Village Street from the intersection of Pleasant Street to Acorn Street.

Please allow for extra time for travel in Town while work is performed. Questions should be directed to the Millis DPW at 508-376-5424. Schedule updates will be posted here.

School lunch continues to be FREE to all students this year. Every student is eligible to receive one free breakfast and one free lunch each daily, and you can check out the menus here. If you feel your family qualifies for free and reduced lunch, you should still fill out the Household Application for Free and Reduced Price Meals for the 2023-2024 school year. The application is used to determine qualification for free transportation, as well as waivers, such as athletic fees.

• Free and Reduced FAQ
• How to Apply
• Application

Now is a great time to familiarize yourself with the 2023-24 Millis High School Parent/Student Handbook. Students are required to sign off on the fact they read through the handbook and understand the school policies as we head into the new school year.

2023-24 Millis High School Parent/Student Handbook

If your student is going to be late to school, a parent/guardian must contact the office, by or before 8AM. The office can be reached one of the following ways:

Attendance line

508-906-3713

hsattendance@millisschools.org

or you may send your student in with a note

If we don’t hear from a parent/guardian, the tardy will be unexcused. Upon arrival at school, the student should go directly to the office and sign in.

If your student needs to be dismissed, a parent/guardian must send their student in with a note or email the office at hsattendance@millisschools.org, listing the dismissal time and reason. Just a reminder that driving hours should not be scheduled during the school day, and do not constitute excused time away from school.

Phone calls for dismissals are not permitted.

Students are expected to check in with the office to confirm their dismissal and receive a pass. If we do not receive a note, a parent or guardian must come into the office to sign their student out at the time of dismissal. Please make every effort to adhere to this dismissal policy to minimize disruptions to class time. Please also be mindful of how a dismissal may impact your student’s eligibility to participate in extracurricular activities.

Activities Eligibility Dismissal:

If your student is involved in extracurricular activities and needs to be dismissed during the school day, they will need to provide a note from the place of their appointment (not a parental note) so they remain eligible to play or practice.

Medical Dismissal:

Any student requesting to leave for any kind of medical reason must go through the nurse’s office.

Emergency Dismissal:

In the event of a true emergency, a parent/guardian should contact the office. Every attempt will be made to expedite the dismissal. Please note, driving hours scheduled during the school day are not considered an emergency nor excusable under any circumstance. Every effort should be made to complete these hours outside of school hours.

If your student needs to be absent from school, a parent/guardian must notify the office via the attendance line at 508-906-3713 or by emailing hsattendance@millisschools.org as close to 8:00 AM as possible. If we don’t hear from a parent/guardian, the absence is unexcused and the student will be marked as truant. Attendance at school is incredibly important, and every effort possible should be made to maintain regular attendance at the high school.

Join us in building a vibrant Middle-High School Home-School Association! We are looking for parents of 6th-12th graders to volunteer their skills and time for teacher appreciation, winter gratitude, outdoor planters, food for parent teacher conferences, and possible fundraising opportunities. A Home-School Association enriches the lives of our children and creates lasting connections among families! Ready to make a difference? Let's do this! Contact Mrs. Rao for more information: krao@millisschools.org