Know someone who needs a pick-me-up?
Though February is a short month on the calendar, it can be a long and gray month in New England. Julie Rinaldini, the parent of a boarding student, has put together a list of Milton-area establishments - and a few beyond - that might be helpful to you if you're interested in sending a little bit of extra support and TLC to a student at Milton. We hope you find it useful for birthdays, holidays away from home, congratulations, festive occasions, or just any old time. Click here for the list of places near campus or that deliver or mail items to school.

A place for parents at Milton
Everyone reading this newsletter today has at least one thing in common: a child attending the Upper School at Milton Academy. Though our students share the same environment, their challenges are different. The same could easily be said of us, their parents.

There is no one-size-fits all approach to helping parents find their own comfort zone at Milton. Most of us know the pathways to connect with the school on our children’s academic performance. But we also know that Milton is much more than that.

The Milton Academy Parents’ Association offers times, places and excuses for parents to gather, make connections, revel in the rewards of parenting our teens and share wisdom gathered over the years or just yesterday.

So far this year, we’ve organized and hosted on-campus dinners for the parents of students in Classes II, III and IV. (Class I parents will gather on April 21.) The speakers addressing Class IV parents drew vivid pictures of the emotional, academic and ever-present social challenges of being a freshman at Milton. Class III parents heard about ways in which the ground shifts beneath a sophomore’s feet in a way that is unique to that age group. The Class II parents’ dinner was designed to initiate thinking and provide some clarification (we hope!) about the college selection process.

In addition to class-specific events, social events open to all parents included a dinner and dance performance during Parents’ Weekend and, just this month, the annual Mix-Up dinner. (See below.) Association meetings are held five times during the academic year, with guest speakers invited to talk to parents on topics of interest. Click here to see the full schedule of Parents’ Association events.

We know that staying connected to Milton - whether you are the parent of a boarding or day student – can’t always be accomplished by attending a few social functions or meetings each year. We encourage you to use the school’s Web site, http://www.milton.edu - particularly the calendar feature - to see what’s going on. The monthly calendar is on the left side of Milton’s home page. Click on a date and you will see all the events on campus that day. You needn’t be invited to the play or a musical performance or an athletic event in order to attend. You can also volunteer at the library, or with the community services program, or with the parents’ association if you live nearby. If you live further away, consider subscribing to one of the two student weekly newspapers. Check the Web site calendar before you come to Milton to visit your child and plan to attend one on-campus activity while you’re here. And, as always, if we can be of help to you feel free to contact the Parents’ Association at 617-898-2599 or by e-mail at MiltonParentsAssociation_US@milton.edu

Sara Lawrence Lightfoot to speak to parents at Milton in April
Don’t miss the opportunity to hear Sara Lawrence Lightfoot speak at Milton Academy this spring. This renowned author, educator and thinker will be a guest of the Parents’ Association at our meeting on Wednesday, April 13 in Straus Library at 7:30 p.m.

As a parent group this year, we have focused our programs on the laudable and often elusive goal of finding balance in life and helping our students do the same. In keeping with that theme, we have asked Professor Lightfoot to speak to our group about her book, Respect: An Exploration. She does not offer us a time-management formula approach to our busy lives, but rather a new way of looking at all the relationships we form, within our families, our workplaces, and our communities.

In her introduction, Lightfoot writes:
“…I hope to shape a new view of respect. Usually, respect is seen as involving some sort of debt due people because of their attained or inherent position, their age, gender, class, race, professional status, accomplishments, etc. Whether defined by rules or law or habits of culture, respect often implies required expressions of esteem, approbation, or submission. By contrast, I focus on the way respect creates symmetry, empathy and connection in all kinds of relationships, even those, such as teacher and student, doctor and patient, commonly seen as unequal…I see it not only as an expression of circumstance, history, temperament, and culture, rooted in rituals and habits, but also arising from efforts to break with routine and imagine other ways of giving and receiving trust, and in so doing, creating relationships among equals.”

Professor Lightfoot is a sociologist who examines the culture of schools, the patterns and structures of classroom life, socialization within families and communities, and the relationships between culture and learning styles. In 1984, Lawrence-Lightfoot was awarded the prestigious Macarthur Prize Fellowship, and in 1993 she was awarded Harvard's George Ledlie Prize for research that makes the "most valuable contribution to science" and "the benefit of mankind." In March 1998, she was the recipient of the Emily Hargroves Fisher endowed chair at Harvard University, which upon her retirement, will become the Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot endowed chair, making her the first African-American woman in Harvard's history to have an endowed professorship named in her honor. She also holds an endowed professorship at Swarthmore College. She enjoys long-distance swimming, tennis, dance, the theater and symphony, playing the piano, and travels abroad.

Her publications include: The Essential Conversation: What Parents and Teachers Can Learn From Each Other (2003); Respect (1999); The Art and Science of Portraiture (1997); I’ve Known Rivers: Lives of Loss and Liberation (1993); Balm in Gilead: Journey of a Healer (1989); and The Good High School: Portraits of Character and Culture (1983).

Please plan to join us for what we are certain will be a provocative and informative conversation with Professor Lightfoot.

Milton Mix-Up was a success
We’re not positive that Mix-Up is unique to Milton, but it’s certainly not a typical high school parent social! Instead of trying to round up dozens of parents in one location for a series of short, often rushed conversations over crackers and cheese, Mix-Up provides an opportunity for a more leisurely approach to getting to know the parents of the students our children see each day. While many of us would not sacrifice the opportunities to meet administrators and faculty members during on-campus events, Mix-Up is an added benefit to having a child at Milton.

This was Milton Mix-Up’s eighth year and it was a very successful one. Eighteen generous families in and around the Milton area opened their homes to 215 parents of Milton Academy students for an evening of food and conversation. Parents of boarding as well as day students gathered for a respite from other demands to get to know one another a little better. Many parents came as couples, others come on their own. Some parties had as few as six guests sharing food at one dining table; others had 20 or so parents sharing stories and laughs. Class II parents, many of whom were on campus for the weekend to learn more about the college process, came in record numbers with 78 parents from that class in attendance. A good time was had by all.

Special thanks to all who hosted a dinner, as well as to the three-person Mix-Up committee of Charlie Wagner (P’08), Laura Jeppesen (P’06) and Walter Martin (P’06).

CultureFest comes to campus March 5th
You may have already seen a notice about CultureFest on Milton’s Web site, but in case you missed it….. This is a wonderful festival, the school’s largest K-12 event and an opportunity for parent involvement. This semi-annual celebration of our diversity will be held on Saturday, March 5th from 4 to 7 p.m. (snow date: Sunday, March 6th) in the Fitzgibbons Convocation Center and all are welcome to attend. It is an opportunity to connect and share parts of ourselves and to appreciate each other. CultureFest delights the senses: there will be music, dancing and food. Booths will be brightly decorated with flags and country or regional artifacts. Some people will come in national dress.

You can, attend, yes and have a wonderful time doing so. But you can also be a part of making CultureFest happen. There are many volunteer opportunities available, large or small, depending on your skills and interests. Help is needed to work with students to set up and decorate the many booths that represent the array of cultures on campus at Milton. Or, you can offer to prepare food in your own kitchens and contribute it to the day’s festivities. It’s time to pull out your grandmother’s famous recipes or your father’s family tree. Come share a traditional dance or play some music. General help will be needed to staff the ticket booth and to clean-up after the event. Booth leaders are needed; choose a cultural group from the list on the volunteer form below or add one of your own.

It's not too late to get involved. Email Heather Flewelling, director of student multicultural programs: Heather_Flewelling@milton.edu

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