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From the Upper
School Principal
In each issue, Centre Connection will answer any questions
of general interest raised by parents. Parent questions, for the
last several months, have sought clarification on how graduation
will work and who will be able to attend. Principal Hugh Silbaugh’s
message for this issue, therefore, explains the details.
Graduation at Milton is a ceremony that carries years of traditions
and favorite rituals – formal and informal. For instance,
the Friday morning parade from house to house, picking up seniors
at each stop and then marching from east campus back to Straus,
is so important that last year’s graduates marched in the
pouring rain. The longstanding practice of electing the student
speakers has assured seniors that they will, at their last Milton
gathering, hear a voice of their choosing. That alone differentiates
a Milton graduation from most others. More
Milton
Parents’ Newsletter
An evolving history of outreach
Before the wave of new technology that has made distance purely
a physical matter, Milton Academy had few connections with parents,
and parents had few with each other. Letters from the head of school
or the Upper School principal, spaced widely and preceding major
events throughout the school year, touched base with the facts,
but did not give the flavor of school life – let alone address
parents’ many questions. In 1991, Patricia Arnold, a parent
and trustee, developed the idea of a periodic newsletter. Her idea
was that it be a cooperative venture between the Milton and its
parents. At the start, Milton staff planned and wrote the articles
and sent the 8–page newsletter out to print. Local day parents
from the Parents’ Association came in on a given weekday morning
for labeling and stamping. School matters and Parents’ Association
matters shared the space and soon parents began to depend on this
view of life on campus. More
Let us
know what you think. Bring us your questions. Tell us what we need
to know.
Whether you want to advertise a rental house for
rent, comment on a Centre Connection article, or ask a question
about the School calendar, events, apolicies or traditions the Web
site offers a variety of ways for parents to communicate with each
other and with the School. More
Decoding Eating Disorders
In early February, approximately 30 parents settled into Straus
Library to talk with Catherine Steiner-Adair P ’04, a clinical
and consulting psychologist, about teen eating disorders.
Catherine, whose clinical work and research in the area of eating
disorders in girls and how disorders relate to gender equity issues
is internationally recognized, began her presentation, with a sociocultural
understanding of why eating disorders have occurred in our culture;
she reformulated eating disorders as a social justice issue. “Bulemia
was not named until 1985” explained Catherine, “and
since it is very rare for new psychiatric disorders to appear in
society, bulimia must have to do with culture.”Catherine also
explored the connections between gender equity issues and eating
disorders and emphasized the powerful force of media in our lives.
More
Dear Parents,
The final events sponsored by the Parents’ Association of
2002-2003 are drawing near.
- On Tuesday, April 22, at 7 p.m. we invite those Class I parents
who are able, to meet with members of the administration for dinner
and talk about the Class I prom. Please check the Web site for
details about this meeting.
- Noted author and historian, David McCullough will speak on Thursday,
April 24 at 8 p.m. to students, parents and alumni in the Fitzgibbons
Convocation Center. Your will receive your invitation in the mail.
- May 1 will be our last business meeting, at 7 p.m. in Straus.
We encourage all committee chairs and class representatives to
attend and we welcome all parents.
During the winter months, the executive board of the Parents’
Association planned sessions for next year and also sponsored thought-provoking
and enjoyable gatherings. More
Parents'
Association Calendar 2002-2003
The final stretch!
Thank you to every family that has generously made a gift or pledge
to the 2002-2003 Parents’ Fund. The final phonathon took place
on Wednesday, April 9, and as always, our parent volunteers lit
up the phone lines and encouraged as many families as they could
reach to participate before the Fund year ends on May 31, 2003.
Parents’ Fund At A Glance
- The Parents’ Fund provides immediate support to the operating
expenses at Milton, helping to defray the $10,000 gap for each
student between tuition revenue and the true cost of a Milton
education.
- 298 families have given $360,312 as of 3/31/03.
- We’re ahead of last year’s pace in donors but behind
in dollars.
- This year we hope every family will consider making a gift
to the Fund.
We are grateful to everyone who has already given. If you have
not made a gift, and would like to do so, you can call Gina D’Allesantro,
associate director of parent giving, at (617) 898-2378, or email
at gina_dallesantro@milton.edu,
or click your way to our online
giving form.
Class I ’03 Gift
 Tuesday,
May 6 marks the final Class I ’03 Gift phonathon, and volunteers
will be calling all Class I parents who have not yet made a commitment
to the project, the Class I Commons. Just as the student-faculty
center has taken shape over the course of this year, so too has
the Class I ’03 Gift, which hit 71 percent participation as
of the end of March. That’s 9 percentage points ahead of last
year’s class, giving the parents of 2003 great momentum as
we strive to attain the highest level of participation possible—100
percent!
Thank you to those of you who have already given. If you are interested
in learning more about the project, viewing the building progress,
or making your contribution online today, please visit these various
areas on the Milton Web site.
- Class I ’03 Gift Homepage:
for recent editions of the Class I ’03 Newsletter, a listing
of the committee, and a description of the gift from Class I Co-Chairs
Carol & Jeff Miller and Joan Mullen.
- Construction Homepage: for
photos of the emerging student-faculty center.
- Online Giving Page:
to make your Class I ’03 gift or pledge today.
For questions regarding the Class I ’03 Gift, please contact
Gina D’Allesantro, associate director of parent giving, at
(617) 898-2378 or gina_dallesantro@milton.edu. |
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Michael Edgar:
Science Department
By Bonnie Emmons P ’03
 Michael
Edgar, in his third year at Milton Academy, is head of the science
department and is a class dean for Class III. I met with him recently
in the lab outside the science faculty office, where the walls are
lined with student posters discussing a marvelous variety of topics,
from red tide to various kinds of algae to SPF labels on sunscreen.
We were briefly accompanied by a student carefully investigating
–dissecting might be the right word here – a flower.
In this space the strength of Milton’s science curriculum
seemed exceptionally tangible; the room was alive with experiments
and projects, including several fish swirling around in a few little
bowls and a large beaker of flowers next to various containers for
gathering pollen. It was the ideal setting for a brief chat with
Michael, who marveled at the “serendipitous” (his word)
path that brought him to Milton. More
The Outdoor Program: Two programs,
afternoon and weekend fit student needs
The Milton Academy Outdoor Program, directed by Matt Bingham (science
department), connects students with the outdoors so they will appreciate
the back country for sport, beauty, contemplation and camaraderie.
In addition to meeting these goals, the outdoor program teaches
students responsibility, taking intelligent risks and trusting themselves
and others. More
Athletic
Trainers Keep Students Healthy
 “It’s
our job to keep student-athletes healthy. But we’re not just
here for the athletes,” says Larry Fitzpatrick, “We’re
here for all students who want to learn more about leading a healthy
lifestyle. We promote health and wellness to the whole Milton community.”
More
Dog Days
“ Senior Dog Day is a long-standing tradition,” says
Jane Brewer, Class I dean. “You realize it’s Dog Day
- it’s always a surprise - when you arrive to see dogs of
every shape and size and breed all over the campus.
“The boarders, of course, have always been very creative.
Sometimes they borrow a dog from their house head, or a faculty
famiy, or an extra dog from a day student.”
What are Senior Projects?
Few would call Milton's senior spring a winding down. Some Milton
seniors accomplish childhood dreams, some travel to distant lands,
and others focus on a personal passion —art, music or dance
— and create a masterpiece.
A favorite Milton tradition since their inception in the Milton
Academy Girls’ School in 1966, senior projects begin taking
shape in January of each year, when students submit proposals for
a five-week project to replace part or all of their academic work
at the close of the school year. The project period, which begins
this year on May 1 and ends June 4, is designed to give students
the opportunity to pursue interests that have grown out of their
Milton experiences. The entire School enjoys the final presentations,
performances and displays that the seniors work so hard to put together.
For many underclassman seniors’ projects sow ideas which students
realize several years later, when this unique opportunity becomes
their own. For other members of the community, sharing in the commitments,
dreams and talents of fellow classmates and friends is an unforgettable
experience.
What would
you like to see in future issues of Centre Connection?
Use the feedback form
to tell us what you think.
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