In this Newsletter, you will find important reminders about our parent speaker series, the AISNE Middle School Diversity Conference, next week’s student and parent socials, our upcoming Open House, and updates for the week ahead. Finally, join me in thanking Sonya Conway for sharing her Faculty Voice.
News and Announcements
Mark your Calendar for our Parent Speaker Series. We look forward to welcoming parents to campus for three exciting presentations on privilege, technology and resilience. Join us:
- Tuesday, November 1 at 6 p.m. in Thacher—Debby Irving, racial justice educator and author of Waking Up White.
- Tuesday, December 13 at 5 p.m. in King Theatre, Kellner Performing Arts Center—Screenagers: Growing Up in the Digital Age.
- Thursday, February 2, time and location TBD—Maria Trozzi, assistant professor of pediatrics at Boston University School of Medicine and consultant to the Child Development Unit at Children’s Hospital.
Middle School Diversity Conference, Saturday, November 5, 9:45 a.m.–3:30 p.m., Thayer Academy, Braintree—Students are invited to take part in the conference, which includes speakers Eric Axelman, Oliver Arias and Zoey Washington. Workshops throughout the day include Chinese Calligraphy and Paper, LGBTQ Awareness, Forced From Home: The Refugee Crisis, Graffiti and Personal Identity, The Voice: An Exploration of the African-American Spiritual, Untold Stories: Fact and Fiction, Privilege, Self-Expression through Clay, YOUnique and Racism in America. Milton will provide transportation to and from the conference. The van will leave from Ware Loop at 9:15 a.m. and will return at approximately 4 p.m. Students are also welcome to meet us at Thayer. Participation fees will be covered by Milton. Spaces are limited. Click here to access the registration form. Completed forms must be returned to the Middle School Office by Wednesday, October 26. Contact Robert Lightbody if you would like your child to attend. For more information, click here.
The Week Ahead
No Classes, Mid-Fall Weekend, Monday, October 24 – Middle School Faculty Professional Development Day. When classes resume on Tuesday, October 25, we will follow a Tuesday schedule.
Middle School Mix-It-Up Day for students, Tuesday, October 25. Mix-It-Up Day is part of a national campaign that encourages students to think critically about social boundaries. At Milton, Mix-It-Up Day initiatives are organized during lunch because research indicates that the lunch room is a typical environment where social divisions are most clear.
Athletic Team Photos, Wednesday, October 26. Students will wear uniforms for that day’s games. The cost of photos ($19) may be charged to student IA accounts. Ordering photos is optional; students will indicate whether they would like to order them on photo day, so please discuss with your child whether you want to place an order prior to Wednesday.
Speech Party, Thursday, October 27, 4-5:30 p.m., Ware Hall—Students will prepare for the Catholic Memorial Novice Tournament.
Student and Parent Socials from 6:30-8:30 p.m., Friday, October 28. The Student Social will take place in the Caroline Saltonstall Gymnasium (CSG). The Parent Social will take place in the Robert Saltonstall Gymnasium (RSG). Additional information about the student social is below. Information about the parent social is in the sidebar.
Speech Team Novice Tournament at Catholic Memorial High School, Sunday, October 30.
Important Reminders
The Middle School Student Social, which will be held next Friday, October 28, in the CSG Gym from 6:30-8:30 p.m., is all about fun. There will be dinner, a DJ, inflatables, games, contests, a photo booth and much more! Costumes are optional but encouraged; we’ll have prizes for various categories, so be creative. Drop-off and pick-up are in the Pool Lot—we hope that parents will head to the parent social in the RSG while the students are busy. Students returning to Milton after games will automatically be placed in the After School Program, which will extend its hours to 6:20 p.m. Ware Hall will be locked after 6:30 p.m.
Messages from the K–8 Admission Office
- Lower School Admissions: Accelerated Process for Kindergarten Siblings — Application Deadline is today, October 21! If you have questions, call the Admission Office as soon as possible (617-898-2509). Supplemental School Forms are due into the Admission Office by November 14.
- Open House – Seeking Parent Hosts and Student Tour Guides. The K–8 Admission Open House is Saturday, November 5 from 1:30 -3:30 p.m. Volunteering to host at our Open House is a great opportunity for current families to help us welcome prospective families onto the campus, answer any questions they may have, and give them an ‘inside look’ into Milton Academy. We welcome an average of 400 people to campus—so the more hands, the merrier! To volunteer, click here to complete our sign-up form. If you are the parent of a student in Grades 4-8, we are also looking for Student Tour Guides. To grant your child permission to be a tour guide, click here. Consider speaking with your children at home about this very important opportunity to volunteer and share their experiences as members of our Milton community.
- Lawn Signs. The K-8 Admission Office is seeking parents who would be willing to post a lawn sign advertising our November 5 Open House. We hope you will post the sign in your yard for the next 3 weeks. Willing volunteers should come by our office to grab a sign or reach out to us and we can make them available at pick-up next week. Thank you in advance for helping spread the word about this important event!
In the News
Click here to read about our first-ever Mix-it-Up Sports Day.