Dear Lower School Families,
What an amazing Lower School Concert we enjoyed last night! Thank you to Pierre Young, Kristan Burke, Jenny Sorblom, Madhavi Siruvuri, Veronica Geroukos, Marlena Alex, and to all the faculty, staff and parents who provided support in the days and weeks leading up to last night’s performance. A special thank you to our ASP staff for offering gap coverage during the short turnaround from school dismissal to call time! Finally, a big thank you to our students who shared of themselves, their talents and hard work. It was a joy to see them singing and dancing and enjoying their moments in the spotlight! Early next week, we will share a link to the video so that you may share it with friends and family near and far.
Today I share some important staffing updates for the 2018-19 school year. First, it is with mixed emotions that I share that longtime Grade 3 teacher Susan Wheelwright will be retiring at the end of this year. Susan came to Milton in 2002, and for the past 16 years, has shared her steady and gentle spirit with students and faculty alike. Susan shares that she has been fortunate to have a wonderful and full career at Milton, shepherding third-grade students through their first year in Greenleaf, and guiding them through a year of exploring the natural world. We will miss Susan and we wish her well in this new chapter of her life, as she spends more time with her daughters and grandsons, and gets to do some exploration of her own. We will have ample opportunity to celebrate Susan in our end-of-year events. Second, I share that Grade 2 teacher Sachiyo Unger will be taking a year-long sabbatical during the 2018–19 school year. Sabbaticals are an important element of faculty growth, renewal and reflection. We are excited to provide Sachiyo the opportunity and congratulate her on this milestone in her career. At the end of the year, we will have the opportunity to say our temporary good-byes to Sachiyo.
Last, I draw your attention to the second of our three parent Community Conversations evenings planned for next Tuesday, February 13. Thank you to Yndia Lorick-Wilmot and to Director of Multiculturalism and Community Development Heather Flewelling for their work on these discussions. Opportunities to engage in work that supports our identity and culture exploration are few, and we are pleased to be able to create these programs for you. I hope you will make the time to join us. Click here to RSVP as well as to register any students for the complimentary childcare.
In today’s Lower School Newsletter, you will find an invitation to visit our Grade 2 Family Museum; an important health message from our nurses; an opportunity to share the contact information for grandfriends and special friends; and information about a special initiative of our Grade 5 Ambassadors to collect non-perishable goods and Valentine’s Day cards for the Milton Food Pantry.
Have a good weekend,
Racheal
The Week Ahead
Grade 5 Families are invited to the Middle School Parent Coffee: Middle School Principal Candidate, Tuesday, February 13, 9:15 a.m., Thacher
Community Conversations Parent Gathering, Tuesday, February 13, 5:30 p.m. dinner / 6 p.m. conversation—Join fellow Lower and Middle School parents to create a shared understanding of cultural narratives so that we can guide our children through this tumultuous time. No one has all the answers, but we all have questions: What do we say when our children ask difficult questions? How are we inclusive and accepting and understanding of one another? How do we teach our children to understand and to make a difference in the world they inherit?
Dinner and childcare will be provided. Parent session will be held in Straus. Students will be in Thacher for dinner, then Middle School students will move to Ware, and Lower School students will move to Greenleaf during the conversation. Click here to RSVP.
Grade 5 Families are invited to the Middle School Parent Coffee: Middle School Principal Candidate, Thursday, February 15, 9:15 a.m., Thacher
Grade 2 Family Museum & Celebration, Thursday, February 15—Grade 2 students look forward to sharing all they’ve discovered about their families. This museum-style share is a Junior Building highlight!
Lower School Walkthrough of the Grade 2 Family Museum, Friday, February 16, 8:30-9:30 a.m.—Parents from across the Lower School are invited to join us to view this hallmark Grade 2 curriculum.
No School in observance of Presidents’ Day, Monday, February 19—When classes resume on Tuesday, February 20, we will follow a Monday schedule.
News and Announcements
Make Valentines and Donate Non-Perishable Food to the Milton Food Pantry—Grade 5 Ambassadors invite all Lower School families to join them in this important project. Beginning Monday, there will be bins for cards and for food in the lobbies of both buildings. Donations will end on Friday, February 17.
An important message from the Nurses’ Office—We are seeing an increase in the number of students either absent or being sent home sick with a variety of ailments including fever, headache, sore throat and cough, or stomach bug (vomiting and/or diarrhea). To minimize the spread of illness, if your child is reporting any of these symptoms in the morning before leaving for school, please keep him or her home.
- Fevers: Students may return to school when they are fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication.
- Vomiting or Diarrhea: Students may return to school when they are able to tolerate a normal diet without any further episodes.
When your child is sick, be sure to copy both nurses (annmarie_martens@milton.edu and diane_holland@milton.edu) on your communication with the School. If you prefer to call, the number is 617-898-1671.
Sick children do not belong in school. Beyond the risk to students and teachers, we have students in close contact with family who are immunocompromised. To these people, exposure to viruses can be life-threatening.
Last, please confirm that your contact information as listed in your myMilton account is up to date. We use this information to contact families when their children are sick or injured.
Please join us for a special evening with representatives from The Social Institute, Tuesday, February 20, 7 p.m., Straus Library—The parent presentation focuses on the positive and constructive engagement in social media. The Social Institute has worked with many schools, universities, teams and organizations to analyze social media use in the community and to educate teens about how they can be empowered through the digital world. As part of their presentation, the Social Institute is requesting that parents participate in the following survey. Results from the survey will be shared at the presentation. Please complete the survey by Monday, February 12.
Important Reminders
Community Skating— Click here for the schedule. Community skating is a really fun weekend activity with children and their friends!
No Assembly on February 16—Students and teachers across the Lower School will be able to visit the Grade 2 Family Museum. Parents are welcome to join us in the Junior Building for this walk through.
Lower and Middle School Grandfriends’ Day, Friday May 11—In late March, invitations will be mailed to our students’ grandparents and intergenerational friends. To confirm that we have the correct addresses on file, or to share the names and addresses of those whom you’d like invited, click here. Please complete this form by February 20.
Snack menu for next week:
- Monday – Red Delicious Apples
- Tuesday – Bananas
- Wednesday – Special Snack: Strawberries & Cream
- Thursday – Cantaloupe
- Friday – Clementines
Students and Parents can now check the FLIK Lunch Menus on their mobile devices—Myschooldining can be downloaded from the App Store or from Google Play. Click here to bookmark the menu page on your computer.
Events Coming Up
LSPA Coffee: Focus on Curriculum! Thursday, February 22, 8:15 a.m., Thacher—Tying into our curricular discussions at the start of the year, join us and our LSPA in featuring curriculum presentations by three of our Lower School teachers. Kindergarten teacher Kelly Darling will share her experiences and reflections as teacher who is new to our community. Grade 1 teacher Jerrie Moffett and Grade 2 teacher Sachiyo Unger will present, “We’ve implemented the Lucy Calkins Reading and Writing Program…now what?”
Our newly-added March 29 Focus on Curriculum will be “All About Technology, Engineering and Design.” Mark your calendars to learn about how students are being prepared for the connected world of today.
Report Link sent to Parents—Week of February 26
Grade 5 Parent Meeting followed by Grade 5 Student Wax Museum, Wednesday, February 28.
Parent Conferences, March 1 and 2
- To make an appointment with your child’s homeroom teacher, click here. Once on the conference appointment page, choose your child’s homeroom teacher from the list. You will be directed to his or her calendar where you can click on the time slot you wish to reserve. You will be asked to provide your name and email address so that we may confirm your appointment.
- To make an appointment with a specialist, click here and follow the same procedure of selecting the teacher and providing contact information.
Egyptian Parade, Assembly, Share, Celebration, Thursday, March 8, 1 p.m. in Greenleaf and Thacher.