Dear Lower School Families,
Many thanks to all who attended Charles Fadel’s talk last night. Mr. Fadel was inspirational and shared a vision for the future. Many of you left that meeting transformed and exhilarated. We look forward to a strong partnership in educating your child and we look forward to having more opportunities for you to speak with and hear from Mr. Fadel. Next week, we will share a link to Mr. Fadel’s presentation from last night.
In this newsletter, you will find important messages about snacks, including birthday snacks; Fall Reports and Conferences; and lunches. You will also find information about tomorrow’s Open House and the week ahead—including our K–12 Pep Rally and Veteran’s Day Flagpole Ceremony—and a reminder about ordering school photos.
Finally, thank you for attending this morning’s wonderful Summer Reading Assembly. The tradition of summer reading allows us to begin the year with a common experience and with thoughtful conversations. This morning was a sharing and a celebration of the multidisciplinary approaches we take to learning. Many thanks to our teachers and specialists for their time, energy and effort in bringing our books to life, as well as to our children for sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm.
Best,
Racheal
News and Announcements
Fall Reports—You may notice some subtle changes to your child’s report this fall. In the spring, the Lower School faculty, led by Bridget Sitkoff, created a new reporting system. Our new reports are tailored to our program and will debut later this month. Expect to receive the link to reports the week of November 28.
Fall reports will be followed by parent conference on December 1 and 2. These conferences, which will be 35 minutes long, are meant as an opportunity to speak with teachers about your child’s progress in these first 10 weeks of school. Parents in Grades 4 and 5 can expect to meet with both teachers.
Important Snack Message—Due to the increasing number of students in our community with peanut/tree nut allergies that range from mild to life-threatening, it is imperative that all snacks sent into the classroom be nut free. This applies to every classroom and every grade, regardless of whether or not that classroom contains a student with peanut/nut allergies. Products explicitly containing nuts, nut traces, nut products and nut oils as well as those products that state they may contain peanuts or nut traces are not acceptable in any classroom. Any product with a label stating that it was manufactured on shared equipment with peanut/nut products or was processed in a facility that also processes peanuts and nuts is also not acceptable.
Because of the seriousness surrounding these health issues, unacceptable snacks will be sent home unopened. Please do not take offense. Be in the habit of reading the entire ingredient label every time (what may have once been safe may have changed, as in the case of Cape Cod Sweet Potato Chips). A statement about common allergens may appear elsewhere on the package and not necessarily on the ingredient label. For snacks that are homemade, be sensitive to the presence of nuts in your kitchen and take the necessary precautions. Finally, bakery items and chocolate are particularly at risk for potential peanut/nut contamination.
Birthday Snacks—Moving forward, the only birthday snacks that will be allowed are Rice Krispies® treats, Chloe Bars, Oreo® cookies, Chips Ahoy® cookies and fruit platters.
Lunch Boxes—For the safety of our students, we will no longer allow lunch boxes from home. If your child has unique dietary needs, please contact Marlena Alex and we will work with FLIK to prepare a special plate for your child.
The Week Ahead
K–8 Admission Open House. Saturday, November 5 from 1:30–3:30 p.m.—Drop-off for our student volunteers is 1:15 p.m. at the student’s assigned location. We shared student assigned locations at their training session this week, and we will be giving them each a blue Milton Academy short-sleeve shirt to wear during the Open House. Please keep this in mind as your child dresses for the day. Students can be picked up at 3:30 p.m. at their assigned locations.
An email went out from our office to Parent Volunteers this past week with location assignments. If you signed up and did not receive an email from us, please call or email us to follow up.
We could not do this event without our wonderful families! Thank you so much for your time and participation. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the K-8 Admission office at 617-898-2509 or k8admissionoffice@milton.edu.
K–12 Student Pep Rally, Thursday, November 10 from 9:50–10:30 a.m. in the ACC—This event is Milton pride at its best. Students, dressed in head-to-toe in orange and blue celebrate the Milton-Nobles rivalry and get ready for the big games. While parents are welcome to watch, the event is standing room only.
Veteran’s Day Flagpole Ceremony, Friday, November 11 at 11 a.m.—The entire school gathers around the flagpole while the flag is lowered and then raised, honoring the tradition that began in 1918 when the armistice was announced and the Milton community spontaneously gathered in front of the flag to honor the people who fought in the war.
Early Release, Friday, November 11. Dismissal is at noon. Special programming theme is Pirate Day! Contact Noah Spofford for more information or to register your child.
Important Reminders
School Photo Order Deadline (for free shipping) is November 10! To view your proofs, click here. Order by Thursday, November 10 for free shipping to School. We will put completed orders in students’ backpacks when they arrive.
Add These Dates to Your Calendar
November 15—Lower School Fireside Chat, 7 p.m., Straus Library.
November 17—Kindergarten and Grade 1 Family Education Series with Maria Trozzi. We hope that all Kindergarten and Grade 1 parents will make every effort to join us for this important discussion.
November 18—Middle School Play, November 18 at 10:15 a.m. (performance for Lower School)
November 22—Thanksgiving Assembly at 2 p.m. Dismissal at 3 p.m.
November 29—Classes Resume, Monday Schedule.
December 1 & 2—Parent Conferences
December 2—Early Release Friday