Items that need attention:
Have you returned your Field Trip Permission Form? – Please confirm that you have submitted the Lower School Field Trip Permission Form. You can access that form through your MyMilton account, or click here. Students will not be allowed to travel on field trips without the appropriate permission paperwork. Completed forms can be submitted to Cassondra Basile in the Junior Building or to Mallorie Reinecke in Greenleaf.
Coming Up Next Week
- Tuesday, October 4—Grade 1 Field Trip to George’s Island
- Wednesday, October 5 to Friday, October 7—Grade 4 Trip to the Mountain School
- Friday, October 7, 8:30 to 9:15 a.m.—Lower School Assembly – TBD
Important Dates
- October 10 – No Classes, Columbus Day
- October 12 – No Classes, Yom Kippur
- October 13 – Family Education Workshop – an open conversation about our initiatives
- October 20 – Community Night Fall Festival, 3 p.m., ACC – See the sidebar for more information
- October 21 – Early Release Friday
- October 24 – No Classes, Mid-Fall Weekend
- October 28 – Lower School Halloween Parade, Early Release Friday
Announcements
Massachusetts Child Car Seat Laws—As a reminder, the state has strict laws regarding children’s safety in vehicles. According to Massachusetts law, “Children must ride in federally approved child safety seats until they are at least 8 years old or over 57 inches tall. Children older than 8 years old or taller than 57 inches must wear safety belts” Read more about the Massachusetts safety laws here.
Seeking Library Volunteers for Grade 2—If you are available, contact parent chair, Kerri Polimeno. Volunteering in the library involves checking books in and out, helping with shelving and assisting Joan Eisenberg in any other ways that she needs. We’re hoping for a weekly or bi-weekly commitment on Tuesday from 1–2:30 p.m. You don’t have to have a child in Grade 2 to volunteer!
School Photo Day was Yesterday—Thank you for your patience with our last-minute shift to indoor photos for all students. Thacher provided a great location, and the students and staff alike seemed to enjoy the day. In the next 2–3 weeks, parents will receive a unique gallery login as well as instructions to purchase photos directly from Stomping Ground. You may choose to purchase more than one pose from the sitting. Whether you choose to order individual photos, each family will receive a class photo. Thank you to Kerri Polimeno and Jennifer Jilani for serving as our Photo Day coordinators, as well as to parent volunteers (Wanda Wallace, Gillian Doyle, Jessica Trach, Lisa Wilson, Tracy Belyea, Debbie Scudiere, Beth-Ann O’Brien, and Stephanie Cham) who made the day run so smoothly.
In Case You Missed It
Reminder from the Lower School Nurses—As we enter cold and flu season, consider having your child get a flu shot. It isn’t too early! Flu shots, together with good hand-washing and safe coughing and sneezing go a long way in keeping our children healthy and happy, and our attendance up!
Halloween is only a month away and we will celebrate on Friday, October 28, with a costume parade beginning at 8:30 a.m., followed by a gathering in Thacher to sing some traditional songs. Below are some planning guidelines about how Halloween is celebrated in the Lower School:
- Students should arrive at School in costume. Please, NO: Weapons; makeup or masks; or footwear that makes walking on uneven terrain difficult.
- Costumes should be culturally sensitive to the diversity of our community.
- After our gathering, students will return to their classrooms for a regular school day. Please provide a change of clothes so that students may fully participate in all classroom and specialist activities.
- In an effort to ensure that we are meeting the needs of ALL our students, please let us know if your child wants to opt out of the parade festivities on October 28. We will provide supervision in the Junior Building, with a member of our After School staff, for students who opt out. Please contact Cassondra Basile by October 25.
- Note that we will not be collecting for UNICEF this year. Boxes are available if your child wishes to collect on his or her own. We will provide directions for the return of those boxes as Halloween draws closer.
Lower School Admissions: Accelerated Process for Kindergarten Siblings—Milton families interested in applying a younger sibling for Kindergarten may take advantage of an accelerated timeline for the application process. Grades other than Kindergarten follow the standard application timeline. While we have a strong commitment to our students’ siblings, we cannot guarantee admission. With an earlier decision, we hope to give families with children for whom Milton is not an optimal fit time to investigate other options. For more information, please call the Admission Office at 617-898-2509.
Still interested in being an Admission Tour Guide? If you are still thinking about giving tours to prospective families, click here to access the sign-up sheet. For questions, contact Katie Novak at 617-898-2508.