Where and how do learning and growth happen? At Milton, we believe that many different situations allow students to develop skills and abilities that will serve them well in life now and beyond our walls. We know that new challenges, shaped and often directed by adults, are our best means of promoting growth whether it takes place in the classroom, the houses, the playing fields or in other co-curricular endeavors. Moreover, we believe students learn best when they are looking for an answer to a question, preferably one they have formulated themselves. We try to inspire students to ask questions and we support them as they develop the answers. [Read More]
Two-Day Visits for Upper School Principal Candidates Three finalists for the position of Upper School principal have visited campus, and met with students, faculty and staff, and parents. In announcing the finalists, Committee chair Rod Skinner recalled “an inspiring month and a half reviewing and sorting through the more than 120 applications we received.” [Read More]
Hoops to Hearts: Milton’s Own Help for Haiti High profile events along with many heartfelt smaller efforts came together to express Milton students’ and faculty concern for Haiti’s great need. Especially important to students and faculty was reaching out to the Haitians and Haitian-Americans among us, many of whom experienced profound loss.
At their favorite weekend event, Beatnik Café, students began the collection of individual donations, a theme that grew as students figured out other ways to give. Students picking up allowances in the business office, for instance, could allocate a donation to the Haiti Fund. John Soldano, Flik dining services director, led a number of separate efforts: one gave students the opportunity to donate by buying blue “support” wrist bands. Another involved bringing heart cookies to a Town of Milton Flu Clinic, which allowed the townspeople to join the Academy effort. [Read More]
Listen to this Year’s Martin Luther King Speaker, Derrick Ashong
On January 13, the Milton community honored the memory and the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.—a learned, intensely thoughtful and thought-provoking man—by hearing from a man who leads his life with a vision that is just as compelling for our time. Mr. Derrick Ashong is an activist, an artist, an intellectual, and his exhortation to students was that they listen to each others’ stories, discover the truth behind their own, and—in light of that understanding—give to those in need, an act beneficial for all. Click on the video to watch his speech to students in the ACC. [Enlarge Video]
Sneak Preview: Rob Woodhouse ’08 Ventures His Opinion in the Upcoming Milton Magazine Rob Woodhouse ’08 has a great point of view to share in the next Milton Magazine. Rob attends Colby College, and right after he finished exams there, he was gracious enough to focus on an essay for the Milton Magazine, that will be in your mailboxes this March. The issue Rob explores is “the power of confidence” —how he came by the confidence he needed to meet the many challenges of his high school years.
The Milton Magazine tests the idea of confidence—its presence or its absence—as a driver of consequences. In Rob’s essay, enjoy a point of view that may resonate with your children. [Read Rob's Essay]
Milton’s Musicians Prepare for Tour of Spain
During spring break in March, members of Milton’s Chamber Orchestra and Chamber Singers take flight heading for Madrid to begin a concert and sightseeing tour of Spain. The group will travel to Granada, Cordoba, Seville and Cadez to perform in venues such as the Cathedral de Seville, the Church of Magdalena and Cadez City Hall. On the final day of school prior to spring break, students will perform for parents in a concert event to kick off the tour. All are invited to attend the Pre-Tour Concert scheduled to start at 7 p.m. in King Theatre on Thursday, March 11. Click on the video above to watch the orchestra during practice.
Photo of the Month: Learning to Be Mentors
With the help of assistant athletic director and basketball coach, Lamar Reddicks, boys on the varsity basketball team led a clinic to teach local kids ages 5–14 the fundamentals of the game. Hosted in the ACC on MLK Day and Presidents’ Day, the clinic gave younger kids a chance to learn from the best and, in turn, gave each of Milton’s team members an opportunity to step into the role of mentor.
“I like to see our players work with younger kids and become role models,” said Coach Reddicks. “A small group of the kids come out and support our games, and our players have already gone and supported some of those kids at their youth or travel games. There have been some good relationships made.”
Click here to enlarge the photo taken by Milton’s associate dean of students, André Heard.
When It Comes to Safety, There's Only One Way to Go Due to the high volume of traffic and pedestrian safety concerns at the corner of Chapel Road and Centre Street, vehicles will be restricted to one way on Chapel Road from 7:30–8:20 a.m. on Mondays through Fridays. At that time each weekday morning, vehicles may enter Chapel Road from Centre Street and exit campus using either Academy Road (in front of the dorms) or behind Robert Saltonstall Gymnasium. This one-way restriction will be in effect starting Monday, March 1.
Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day 2010 The Parents’ Association hosted the annual Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day on Wednesday, February 10. Many parents love to help with this event in order to show our deep gratitude for all that the faculty and staff do for our students. Our guests were welcomed into Straus Library, which was decorated as a lively French Bistro. The décor was red, white and black, a perfect complement to Straus Library and the winter wonderland outside. Under the direction of Chef M.E. Malone, many parents cooked a wide variety of delicious French entrees. Thank you, M.E. and all the cooks for your hard work. Breakfast and lunch beverages were donated by many parent contributors. Student musicians completed the package by performing during the prime dining hour. Many thanks to Wendy Ballinger, chair of this year’s Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day, and her committee members: Cat Malone, Sue Termyn, Laura Siphron, Karen Johnson, Rita Rooney, Dolly DiPesa, Maura Curran, Meg Walsh, Regina Holdstock Kaplan, Andrea Peabody, Rosalyn Baker-Greene, Martha Parker, Peggy Warner and Jackie Bechek.
We would also like to offer a special thanks to those parents who generously donated to the purchase of the plants (given to the guests), and to those who donated the 150 Amazon gift cards, as well as 16 fabulous raffle prizes including: free round-trip airfare, a weekend getaway vacation to New Hampshire, an array of tickets to sports and cultural events, a day spa package, gifts of food and wine, and some beautiful boutique items handmade by Milton parents. To the wonderful faculty and staff, thank you once again for all that you do for our students.
Brunch Recipes – Click here to download the recipes for the dishes served at the Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day. Enjoy!
Class II College Weekend Class II parents gathered on campus with their Class II students during the first weekend in February to begin a constructive two-day period of discussions and meetings about the college process. The Parents’ Association sponsored the Class II Dinner on Friday night that was attended by over 220 parents. The event featured an enlightening speaker, Ms. Doris Davis, associate provost for admissions and enrollment at Cornell University. The open dialogue was quite beneficial as many parents had questions. The evening also provided a social opportunity for parents to talk among themselves about the upcoming college application process. We’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Kathy Ticknor and Anne-Marie Woodhouse for chairing this event.
On Saturday, the College Office presented three sessions for parents and Class II students. An informed student panel provided insights and humor in discussing their experiences throughout the college process. The students’ comments were very helpful, especially to the Class II students. Thank you to the students who served on this panel. Additionally an excellent speaker, Thyra Briggs, vice president for admission and financial aid from Harvey Mudd College, outlined many practical suggestions, and Do’s and Don’t’s regarding the application process. Finally, Rod Skinner presented a timeline for students for the application process that begins with a meeting with the College Office staff. On behalf of all parents, we would like to thank the College Office for this informative weekend.
Exam Treats The Parents’ Association once again sponsored an exam treat goodie bag for each student to provide support and encouragement for the long hours of studying during exam week. Thanks to your dues, we were able to supply 675 bags with a variety of treats to keep our students energized. A special thanks goes out to the team of parent volunteers who made the purchases, delivered car loads of treats, filled the exam treat bags and stuffed the student mail boxes! This tradition always seems to be a pleasant surprise for the students in the mailboxes on the first day of exams. We hope that exams went well for all.
The Milton Paper If you’re interested in learning more about what’s going on at the Academy, you can subscribe to the student-written The Milton Paper. Take advantage of half-year prices of $25 for online, $45 for print and $60 for print and online. Those who are interested should email Ross_Lerner@milton.edu (or you can write a letter to: The Milton Paper, 170 Centre Street, Milton MA 02186). Donations are accepted as well!
Senior Showcase The Senior Showcase, coming up on February 27, will feature senior performances to be enjoyed by the students from other classes. A raffle will also be held to raise funds for the Prom. Thank you to those many parents who donated cash and raffle prizes such as Red Sox and Patriots tickets, cultural and food events, lunch with the Head of School, a weekend getaway in New York, $500 shopping at the Book Store or South Shore Plaza, gift certificates and many more items. Raffle tickets are still available for $5.00. A special thanks to Helene Haddad and Judy Reilly for their work with the Class I Student Committee.
In Control Driving Clinic Campus Safety recommends that new drivers attend the In Control Drivers Training Clinic. This provides hands-on Crash Prevention Training and helps increase students’ driving skills, particularly their ability to avoid accidents and to deal with hazardous conditions. Please contact Campus Safety if you are interested in this opportunity.
Guest Speaker Event – We hope to sponsor a fireside chat in later Spring 2010. Stay tuned for further details.
Book Group We will discuss Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin at our April 9 meeting, which will be held in Straus at 8:30 a.m. B.Y.O. coffee. At that meeting, we'll pick a book for our May 14 discussion (again, 8:30 a.m. in Straus). Contact Marty Cavanaugh (marthacavanaugh@me.com) for more information or to join the email list for meeting updates.
Dues Reminder Thank you to those many, many families who have already paid their dues. Your support is critical to the success of our events. As per the recent email reminder, you can ask to be billed for your dues—instead of needing to write a separate check. Please take advantage of this feature. If you still prefer the original way, please send a check for $60 ($100 if more than one child) to our treasurer, Gail Hoffman, 65 Sterling Street, Newton, MA 02465.
Milton Presents A Midsummer Night’s Dream
The stage is set in King Theatre for this weekend’s highly-anticipated performance of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Led by performing arts faculty member Shane Fuller, students have prepared a unique take on Shakespeare’s comedy, clearly illustrated in the play’s “trailer.” Click on the video to enjoy a glimpse into the creativity and imagination of Milton’s cast and crew. The show opens on Thursday, February 18 at 7:30 p.m. and continues through the weekend with performances on Friday, February 19 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, February 20 at 7 p.m. [Enlarge Video]
Milton’s Ski Team Takes Home the Silver On February 10, the girls’ ski team traveled to Mount Snow in Vermont to compete in the annual NEPSAC Championship event and ski against the best in the East. Under tough weather conditions and poor visibility, the Mustangs skied strong and placed second overall in the NEPSAC Class B division. Pictured above are Amy Chappel (2nd in slalom and 6th in giant slalom); co-captains Liza Dingle (10th in slalom and 29th in giant slalom) and Kate Elkind (9th in both giant slalom and slalom); Merrit Levitan (17th in slalom and 24th in giant slalom); Ellyn Golden (12th in giant slalom); and Julia McKown (20th in slalom). The team hits the slopes again on Wednesday, February 24 for the ISL championships.
Doubt fills Wigglesworth Hall this Month When there are no witnesses, and there is no evidence, how sure can you be? This winter, Milton’s 1212 players bring John Patrick Shanley’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Doubt: A Parable to life in Wigglesworth Hall. Doubt is a story of morality and distrust, rigid assumptions and questionable truths inside a Catholic school in Bronx, New York, in the fall of 1964. [Read More]
Student Art Brightens the Gray Days of February While the landscape outside is covered in shades of white and gray, the walls and halls of Pieh Commons pop with color and boast artistic insight from every corner. The annual mid-year student art show includes work from Classes IV through I—creative self-portrait paintings, collages representing social issues, stone-carving masks, surrealistic sculptures made entirely from pencils, digital photographic realities and fantasies, and life-size cardboard chairs.
The exhibit opens at 10 a.m. on Thursday, February 18, and will be up in the Kellner Performing Arts Center through March break. Please come by and enjoy the work of many talented and diverse Milton artists. Click on the link below to view some of the work on display. [View Photo Gallery]
Mustangs Take to the Mats at the Graves-Kelsey Tournament
On Februray 13, Milton’s wrestling squad faced fourteen ISL teams at the historic Graves-Kelsey League Tournament. With 10 Mustangs participating in the 14 weight classes ranging from the 112 lbs. weight class to Heavy Weight, Milton’s team managed to secure seven places by the end of the day. The results were as follows:
189 lbs., Nash Simpson (I) - Champion 152 lbs., Lukas Gaffney (I) - 2nd place 171 lbs., Zack Perzan (I) - 4th place 140 lbs., Krzysztof Kotarba (I) - 4th place 145 lbs., Luke Elias (II) - 5th place 130 lbs., Jack Curtin (IV) - 5th place 112 lbs., Josh Berman (II) - 6th place
In addition, Kali Robinson (IV), Sam Anderson (I) and HJ Kim (III) represented Milton at 112 lbs., 135 lbs. and 160 lbs. weight classes, respectively.
An Annual Favorite: The Winter Dance Concert Milton’s student dancers and choreographers amaze audiences each year at the annual Winter Dance Concert. Year after year, the event looks and feels more like a Broadway production than a high school dance concert. Under the direction of performing arts faculty member Kelli Edwards, this year's show should be no exception as new talent brings new ideas and returning stars raise the bar once again. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 4 and Friday, March 5, and curtains open at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 6. Use the link below to view photos of last year’s concert. [View Photos]
Personal Mythology on Display at Milton On February 9, Milton’s Nesto Gallery opened its doors to Personal Mythology, an exhibit featuring the ceramic sculptures of Boston-based artist Esta Carnahan. For parents unable to make it to campus to enjoy the sculptures first-hand, we have provided a link (below) to a gallery of images from the exhibit. Personal Mythology runs from February 9 to March 9. Located in the lower level of the Old Science Building, the Gallery is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. [View Photos]
Milton Gears Up to Take on Rival Nobles
Milton's competition with rival Nobles is a long-standing tradition that has always lived up to the hype. Come to campus and support the Mustangs on Friday, February 26 and Saturday, February 27 as we celebrate Milton-Nobles Day and the close of 2009–2010 winter athletic season. The schedule of games are as follows:
Friday, February 26 at Milton MS Boys' Basketball @ 3:30 RSG MS Girls' Basketball @ 3:30 CSG MS Hockey @ 3:30 Rink MS Squash @ 3:30 Williams Courts 3rd Boys' Basketball @ 4:00 ACC, Ct. 3 3rd Girls' Basketball @ 4:00 ACC, Ct 1
Saturday, February 27 at Milton 2nd Girls' Hockey @ 10:30 Rink 2nd Boys' Hockey @ 12:00 Rink 1st Boys' Hockey @ 2:00 Rink 1st Girls' Hockey @ 4:00 Rink
Parents Make It All Possible
As we enter the second half of the academic year, many generous families have contributed to Milton Academy’s Parent Giving program. These contributions—made to the Parents’ Annual Fund and the Class I 2010 Parent Gift—directly support the Milton essentials and provide for the highest caliber of education for our students.
What is the Parents’ Annual Fund? The Parents’ Annual Fund is a component of Milton’s Annual Fund, which supports approximately 10 percent of the operating budget each year and impacts financial aid, faculty salaries, the dynamic curriculum and student activities. Thank you very much to each family who has made a gift! We would also like to thank the dedicated group of Parents’ Annual Fund volunteers who have reached out to fellow Milton parents over the last six months. Your efforts and commitment are integral to the success of the Parents’ Annual Fund.
What is the Class I Parent Gift? The Class I Parent Gift is a special tradition at Milton that allows Class I parents to celebrate their children’s Milton experience with a significant gift to the Academy. This year’s Class I Parent Gift will support the Pritzker Science Center, the Annual Fund, and Milton Academy’s Endowment. The Class I Parent Gift Committee is comprised of 30 Class I families who are dedicating their time to encourage fellow Class I parents to demonstrate the strength of the class with their own gift.
If you have not yet given, thank you for considering a gift before the end of the fiscal year, June 30, 2010. For more information about Milton Academy’s Parents’ Annual Fund or Class I 2010 Parent Gift, please contact Shannon Ollerhead at 617-898-2374 or shannon_ollerhead@milton.edu.
Sign Me Up! This academic year, 50 volunteers support Milton’s Parents’ Annual Fund and 30 Class I families serve on the Class I 2010 Parent Gift Committee. Parent connections through phone calls, emails and letters are crucial to the success of both the Annual Fund and the Class I 2010 Parent Gift, and volunteering is a wonderful opportunity to meet fellow Milton parents. We have parent volunteers from Massachusetts to California to South Korea!
If you are interested in becoming a parent volunteer or would like to learn more, please contact Shannon Ollerhead, associate director of annual giving, at 617-898-2374 or shannon_ollerhead@milton.edu.
It’s Calling Time! Phonathons are great opportunities to meet fellow Milton parents and encourage support of the School. The last Parent Giving Phonathon this year will take place on Tuesday, April 20. Dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m., and calling will begin at 7 p.m. in Milton's Development Office, located on the second floor of the Caroline Saltonstall Building. Please contact Shannon Ollerhead at 617-898-2374 or shannon_ollerhead@milton.edu for more information or to R.S.V.P. Parent Giving volunteers who are unable to come to Milton are encouraged to use this evening to make phone calls from home.
Learn More! For further information regarding Milton Academy’s Parent Giving program, please visit Milton Academy’s Web site! Find updated information regarding the Parents’ Annual Fund and the Class I 2010 Parent Gift, as well as Frequently Asked Questions and upcoming events.
To access this site, visit www.milton.edu, and select “Parent Giving” under the "Parent" tab at the top of the homepage, or click here.
From the Archives In case you missed them, below are links to a few featured news articles posted on www.milton.edu.
Where and how do learning and growth happen? At Milton, we believe that many different situations allow students to develop skills and abilities that will serve them well in life now and beyond our walls. We know that new challenges, shaped and often directed by adults, are our best means of promoting growth whether it takes place in the classroom, the houses, the playing fields or in other co-curricular endeavors. Moreover, we believe students learn best when they are looking for an answer to a question, preferably one they have formulated themselves. We try to inspire students to ask questions and we support them as they develop the answers.
High profile events along with many heartfelt smaller efforts came together to express Milton students’ and faculty concern for Haiti’s great need. Especially important to students and faculty was reaching out to the Haitians and Haitian-Americans among us, many of whom experienced profound loss.
Rob Woodhouse ’08 has a great point of view to share in the next Milton Magazine. Rob attends Colby College, and right after he finished exams there, he was gracious enough to focus on an essay for the Milton Magazine, that will be in your mailboxes this March. The issue Rob explores is “the power of confidence” —how he came by the confidence he needed to meet the many challenges of his high school years.
On February 9, Milton’s Nesto Gallery opened its doors to Personal Mythology, an exhibit featuring the ceramic sculptures of Boston-based artist Esta Carnahan. For parents unable to make it to campus to enjoy the sculptures first-hand, we have provided a link (below) to a gallery of images from the exhibit. Personal Mythology runs from February 9 to March 9. Located in the lower level of the Old Science Building, the Gallery is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
;){kind=link}