Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Parents’ Association?
The Milton Academy Parents’ Association (classes I-VI) is a volunteer organization which includes parents of boarding and day students in Classes I through VI. The purposes of the Parents' Association are as follows: to provide a forum where parents can achieve a greater understanding of the school, its philosophy and goals, and where issues of concern to parents may be discussed with school representatives; to support the educational goals, the faculty and the activities of the Upper School; to provide a networking mechanism through which parents of day students and parents of boarding students can meet; and to interact to enhance the spirit of the Milton Academy community.

How do I become a member?
All parents are considered members of the PA, and receive all of the Parents’ Association mailings, emails and invitations.

Is there a membership fee?
Dues ($40 per child) are optional, but encouraged through our annual fall dues drive. Dues are our only means of fund raising. We welcome whatever you can send. Dues should be mailed to Dr. Ayca Gazelle, MAPA, 155 Otis Street, Hingham, MA 02043.

What are members of the PA expected to do?
Nothing is expected – but much is encouraged. Parents near and far can volunteer for one of the PA’s standing committees. Parents are encouraged to attend PA events where you will have an opportunity to meet other parents, hear administrators and faculty speak at class dinners or other events, attend speaker presentations on topics of interest and perhaps volunteer for a committee that interests you.

Can I participate from a distance?
Yes. Parents of both day and boarding students are often unavailable to attend some events and participate in some committee projects – but there are committees you can join and many other ways to help. Parents write for the parent newsletter, Centre Connection; offer to research materials for PIN or specific PA projects; those talented in graphic design help us with invitations and hand outs and the list goes on. Please call us and we will find a way for you to be involved.

How do I know what is happening at Milton and how do I stay connected with my child?
Both day and boarding parents ask this question. We asked “veteran” parents and students, what has worked for them, and received the following suggestions:

What parents said…..

* Make www.milton.edu your homepage. There is a calendar on the left that tells you everything that is happening every day. The homepage news articles are full of information about different events at school and are updated often. These articles and the rest of the Web site provide a great opening for conversation with your child, although don’t be surprised if they wonder how YOU knew what was happening on campus so quickly.

*The Parents’ Association Web page: Don’t log off the Milton Web site without visiting this important parents’ page. The page includes: a calendar of events; list of officers; class representatives and committee chairs; an explanation of “your dues at work”; bios of our speakers; minutes of meetings; information on volunteer opportunities; and more.

What parents and students said….

*Email or Phone or both? Some students prefer email, others the telephone – some like both. Most students say the shorter the email the better – they’d rather receive short emails more often than one, two-page email once a week. After a busy day of running from classes to sports or activities to homework, and a little down time – a two page email can be overwhelming. If you have the ability to email photos (funny ones of the family dog can be a hit) they are often appreciated. Discuss and work out with your child what works best for you and your family. Some families stay in touch daily, some weekly.

* “Instant Messaging” Some parents asked us if they should IM their children. Some students prefer “IM’ing” (Instant Messenger) over email or phone; but others do not. One student told us she loves it, another told us she finds “IM’ing” an intrusion, especially when she is trying get work done and only IM”s when convenient for her. So again, it seems the best solution is to work out with your child what works best for you and your family.

* Phone Calls: If your child seems reticent to get involved with a long telephone conversation, it might be because they have friends visiting in their room. Letting them know you were thinking of them, and making a time for you or your child to call back when there is privacy was the advice we most often received.

*Care Packages: Everyone likes coming back from the mail room with a “Care Pak.” You can put together your own personalized "Care Pak" with a favorite treat or game, holiday decor for their room, a deck of cards, photos, posters, a new CD, or a bag of candy to share with roommates and friends. FLIK Catering has options available or you can always search the web for ideas – parents tell us they’ve used the following with great success: Dancing Deer Munchies (www.dancingdeer.com), Mrs. Fields (www.mrsfields.com) and Harry and David’s. (www.harrydavid.com) It doesn’t always have to be about food. Parents suggest www.amazon.com for books, cd’s, dvd’s or www.toysrus.com for trivia or board games, indoor and outdoor games (to play on the quad) and they even have oldies but goodies like the Magic 8 Ball. One student told us even a small mail pak with one package of her favorite flavored licorice made her day….she knew her mom and dad were thinking of her.

*Humorous cards or notes: Sometimes with an anecdote about something that happened at home, work better than a long, detailed letter, especially if it is the “20 questions letter” (or phone call or email) ……commonly referred to, by some students, as the “interrogation letter” or the “grilling.” One student explained that after full day, the last thing he wanted to do was go over it again with his parents. Another student admitted to venting in the car, on the phone and by email at the end of her day; sometimes preferring no other conversation, sometimes looking for parental input. These teens like to keep us guessing.

As adults, we can probably relate to both these reactions. After a busy day either at the office or home, some of us want some time to relax, eat dinner or read the paper before discussing our entire day…some of us can’t wait to talk it all out as soon as we can. Take your lead from your child, if you find they are talkative, go with it – if not, we were told it doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t want to share they just need a break – so try again later. Students told us it’s better to ask them if they want to talk now or later, rather than assuming they don’t want to share at all. They also comforted us with their theory that everyone in their family eventually figured out what worked for them.

The Parents' Association doesn’t have the answers to every question about communicating with your teen – we can only offer suggestions. Each family will eventually work out together, what fits with their schedule and style.