One of the great pleasures in my life and in my work at Milton is that I get to teach seniors in a modern literature course. Every day, I look forward to the experience of walking into a room with teenagers, closing the door, and talking about reading and writing. This year’s Modern Comparative Literature course began as always with the discussion of summer reading. It was light stuff—breezy, easy reading—quotidian. Not really. Have you seen that New Yorker cartoon of a policeman standing in front of a man under an umbrella, sitting in a beach chair and holding a book? The caption goes something like this: “I’m sorry, sir, but Dostoevsky is not beach reading.” My students might agree. [Read More]

Parents' Weekend
We hope you have been saving October 24 and 25, the dates for Parents’ Weekend, and that you plan to spend as much time as possible at school on one or both of those days. Please come and share in your children’s school lives by visiting classes, cheering on athletic teams, and meeting advisors, teachers, and fellow parents. [Read More]

Parents' Weekend Schedule of Events

Student-Faculty Center Opens to Rave Reviews

Class IV students enjoy the comforts of their new common room on the second floor of the newly opened Student-Faculty Center.  On September 29, Head of School Robin Robertson officially handed over the new building to student co-head monitors, Sophie Subermen and Andrew Smith.  Since its opening last week, the Student-Faculty Center has been a flurry of activity as students relax in their new spaces.  Students are eargerly awaiting the opening of the snack bar on October 10.  [See more photos]

A Message From The Middle School Principal
The other day on my drive to Milton, I noticed the first signs of autumn, the leaves on a tree changing from green to a vibrant orange. Just as we see the leaves change, we also see the changes occurring in your sons and daughters. Adolescence is a period of rapid change_physical, intellectual, social, and emotional. One of the first signs that may affect a parent is your child’s lack of communication compared to when he or she was a younger child. As Middle School students search to form their own identities and reflect on their daily interactions, they tend to communicate less. Therefore, we want to keep you informed of all the exciting activities in the Middle School. [Read More]

Stephanie Hall Joins Middle School Faculty
Walk into Stephanie Hall’s sunny classroom at the top of Ware Hall, and you’ll find an atmosphere geared toward students who are neither in elementary school nor high school, but in their own special place: Dotting the walls are bright bullet points on parts of speech and posters featuring other pointers on writing and grammar. On the opposite wall, drawings from characters in Elizabethan drama are coupled with quotes from Shakespeare and Seamus Heaney. Vibrant colors and cerebral witticisms combine to target the minds of Middle School students with a just-right mix of sophistication and fun. [Read More]

Parents' Day, Classes V-VI
We are finishing our second week here at the Middle School. How quickly summer seems to fade when there is so much activity here on campus. Students are learning their schedules and becoming more comfortable with the daily routines. The classrooms are buzzing with excitement and energy as the teachers lead the students in daily activities. If you have not heard from your child’s advisor yet, you will very soon. He or she will be checking in with you about how the beginning of school is going for your son or daughter. [Read More]

Parents' Weekend Schedule of Events

Parents' Association Notes

On November 13, John R. Knight MD, Harvard Medical School’s Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse will speak to parents about the adolescent brain and recognizing the signs of substance abuse. A video of the speech will be available for download from the Web site shortly after John’s visit.

If you are coming to campus for Parents’ Weekend, please join the Parents’ Association for a light dinner on Friday, October 24 at 5:30 PM Class IV will meet in Wigglesworth Hall and Classes I-III will meet in the Student-Faculty Center. Everyone is welcome to join us at 7:00 PM in the Kellner Performing Arts Center to enjoy social commentator and humorist Jimmy Tingle. Dessert and coffee will be served at 8:00 PM [Read More]

Share-A-Ride
The Parents' Association is happy to announce the launch of its share-a-ride program. Some parents find it hard to pick up and drop off for all holidays or long weekends; the share-a-ride program will match up boarding families that would like to car pool at the start and end of school vacations.  Those interested should email the following information to Susan Littlefield.

Name
Student's name and grade
Address
Phone number
Dates you are available to drive students to and from Milton and /or the dates on which your child needs a ride to or from Milton.

The Annual Fund kicks off its 2003-2004 year
The Annual Fund officially kicked of its new year on October 8, 2003. Providing eight percent of the school’s operating budget, the Annual Fund is a crucial part of Milton Academy’s fund raising activities. The Fund helps to support competitive faculty salaries, extensive extracurricular activities, scholarships, and much more. Tuition does not cover the full cost of a Milton education, the difference on average being $10,000 per student; the Annual Fund helps to make up this gap and provides a hidden scholarship to each and every student.

A component of the Annual Fund, the Parents’ Fund generates almost 25 percent of the total unrestricted dollars raised. Last year, 73 percent of all current parents made a gift to the Annual Fund, up 7 percent from 2002-2003. We hope to build on this success for the coming year by raising $700,000 from 77 percent of current parents.

The Parents’ Fund Class Representative Program
Volunteering for the Parents’ Fund is a great way to become an active member of the parent community at the School. Led by Parents’ Fund chairs, Jeff ’70 and Cecilia Garrity P’05, and Lower School Parents’ Fund chair, Ned Pride ’76, P’08, ’13, parent volunteers are vital to the success of the Fund. As a class representative, parents make connections with 10-15 families. Twenty-five Parents’ Fund representatives are already on board, but we are still looking for additional volunteers; we are especially in need of Kindergarten representatives. If you would like to get involved, please contact Hilary Smyth in the develoPMent office at (617) 898-2386 or hilary_smyth@milton.edu.

Come to a Phonathon
All parents are welcome at Milton’s parent phonathons. It’s a small time commitment that is fun and helpful to Milton and ultimately to your child’s experience. One calling night last year totaled over $30,000. Join fellow parents in calling your son or daughter’s class on one of the following evenings (dinner will be provided). Phonathons are held in the DeveloPMent Office located on the second floor of the Caroline Saltonstall Building.

November 4, 2003
December 9, 2003

Dinner at 6:30 p.m
Calling begins at 7:00 PM

Contact Hilary Smyth, assistant director of annual giving, at (617) 898-2386 or hilary_smyth@milton.edu for more information or to RSVP. We hope to see you there.

Class I ’04 Gift Drive is Underway
One important tradition in the Milton Academy community is the Class I ‘04 gift. For 19 years, Class I parents have made a special “thank you” gift to the School to express their appreciation of their children’s experiences at Milton. This year’s Class I ’04 gift chairs are Tom and Judy Bullitt, parents of Ben ’04.

Join the Class I ’04 Gift Committee
There are many ways to get involved in the Class I ’04 Gift drive from making calls, and writing thank you notes, to helping with our Class I Newsletter. There will be an informational meeting on Tuesday, October 14 at 7:00 PM in Straus Library.

Attend a Class I phonathon!
Phonathons are held in the DeveloPMent Office located on the second floor of the Caroline Saltonstall Building (dinner will be provided).

November 18, 2003
Dinner at 6:30 PM,
Calling begins at 7:00 PM

If you are a parent of a boarding student and live far away from the School, please know that much of the work is done via phone or email. You can be a volunteer from anywhere! If you would like to learn more about this project, join the committee, or to RSVP for a phonathon, please contact Perry Buroker, director of annual giving at (617) 898-2375 or perry_buroker@milton.edu.

Jenny Cook, Performing Arts Department
“In coaching and in the classroom, I really appreciate the support I get from administrators, other faculty and parents,” says Jenny Cook, history faculty member and coach of the Speech and Debate Team with Debbie Simon and Patrice Jean-Baptiste ’88 (performing arts). “I don’t feel like people here put up roadblocks. I have the freedom to make choices that benefit my students.” [Read More]

The Milton Measure: The Real Scoop

It’s three o’clock on Friday afternoon. Jess unlocks the door, throws her book bag on the ground and excuses herself as she sits down at the computer. “I’ll just be one second, I have to send an email to the section editors.” [Read More]

Fall Play Preview: Ubu Roi
Kathrin Seitz P ’04

When Alfred Jarry wrote Ubu Roi (King Ubu) at the end of the 19th century, he was still in high school. It was later performed in a legitimate theatre and caused quite a riot. The Irish poet, William Butler Yeats, who was in the audience, stood up at the end and said “apres moi, le deluge,” quoting Louis XIV on the end of the French monarchy. Yeats and others were outraged by the language, the burlesque and the mockery of Shakespeare, in particular of Macbeth. Jarry founded a movement called Pataphysics which became the basis for other theatre movements, including The Theatre of the Ridiculous. [Read More]

Flik: Quality Dining

Pleasing the finicky palates of adolescents is no easy task, but already many students have noted positive changes since Flik Independent Schools by Chartwells began providing dining services at Milton.

A recent issue of the Milton Measure asked students to “sound off on Flik Food” and other than a number of requests for the return of the much coveted ice cream machine— which is out for repair— the comments were overwhelmingly positive. Many students commented on the improved quality of the food. [Read More]

Food Allergies
Rosemary Stutz P ’06

Among children and adolescents, food allergies present a growing medical problem with implications for those directly affected and their peers, parents and schools. Understanding, recognizing and managing risks of serious food allergies has become a priority for schools nationwide, including Milton.

"Flik has a strong food allergy awareness," says JoAnn Weinert, dining ervices manager of the Academy's new food service provider, Flik. "We do not use peanut oil in the kitchen, and we label everything that may contain nuts," she says. [Read More]

The Ones to Watch: Milton Football

The Boston Globe has pegged Milton’s football team as the one to watch.

With the season just underway, the Boston Globe’s recent football preview of the Independent School League (ISL) focused on Milton:
“Football is a game predicated on aggression. But it's also one based on talent, and that's what [coach] Kevin McDonald and Milton Academy are banking on,” wrote Globe correspondent Jason Dunbar.

“Blessed with savvy at each of the skill positions, Milton will rely on a high-powered offense to outscore opponents.” [Read More]

Read this and many other Milton news stories on the Milton homepage, www.milton.edu. Check the most recent athletic scores at www.milton.edu.

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