2006 Graduation Speaker
Chris Henrikson is an Artist and Activist
After graduating from Duke, Chris Henrikson, Milton Academy Class of 1985, joined the ranks of talented writers seeking bright futures in Los Angeles. Still a poet and a writer today, Chris has spent more than 10 years developing a successful non-profit organization dedicated to using the creative process as a force for personal transformation and social change.
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Graduation Details for Class I Parents

After all these years of supporting your child through the joys and challenges of studying and growing up here, you now enjoy the opportunity to think about your child’s graduation from Milton Academy. Click here to view some of the details of the graduation ceremony and surrounding events.

Graduation Speakers in Milton's Past
In 2003, director of college counseling Rod Skinner ’72 P’03 wrote in Milton Magazine that Hemingway would have called Milton's graduation “a beauty day”: a magical moment when a rainy New England spring finally retreated to reveal a cloudless, clear backdrop for the congratulations and good-byes about to be said.

Graduations, of course, share with literature that inability to stand in isolation: Each milestone allows the graduate and the audience to remember those that came before—whether it rained or didn’t, whether the speakers stumbled or shone, whether a favorite relative traveled 2,000 miles to witness the day—and to consider the graduations, at the Academy and in one’s family, that might lie ahead.
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[View a list of speakers]

Emerging School Leaders
Class II Prepares to Take Up the Mantle

The traditional early spring retreat from the Milton campus called Leadership Weekend allows Class II students to get to know one another even better, and to reflect about the importance of their roles at Milton, collective and individual, next year.

The site is Camp Bourndale, a popular conference setting for many schools and colleges in eastern Massachusetts. Cabins, a central building for meetings, playing fields and a gymnasium makes up the complex where Class Deans, Class II advisors and students gather. This year they arrived in the early afternoon of Saturday, April 1.
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Focused Fun -
Chaperoning a Milton Team Trip
by Steve Taylor P'07, P'11
There are many ways to enjoy being a Milton Academy parent, and ever since my two children started kindergarten here, I’ve tried quite a few of them. Parents’ Day each fall has long been a highlight for me, in both Middle & Upper School … almost as much fun as Lower School woodworking! I’ve been a regular member of the Roberts Rink Rats and an associate with Sideline Snacks, as well as a contributing freelancer for “How Bus Drivers Could Find Away Games.”

But March of 2006 topped them all, when I had the chance to attempt adult supervision of the varsity sailing team’s Spring Break practice trip to Annapolis, Maryland. The team had learned over the winter that they no longer had access to their former venue in Florida, at a college whose boats were already spoken for. By mid-February, co-captain Jon Enright (I) had lined up a fleet of 420 class racing dinghies at the Annapolis Yacht Club for the Milton team’s use during a week in March, but word filtered back from my son, Max Taylor (II) and his skipper, Massimo Soriano (III) that they needed a chaperone in order to go. Having spent many hours sailing 420’s in my youth, I volunteered, and began exchanging email messages with the team and their regular coach, Brent Jansen, who couldn’t make the trip due to his day job teaching in a public school.
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What year was it?
Below is a photograph of Dr. Albert Navez, a former faculty member of Milton's science department, in his laboratory. Can you name the year Dr. Navez began teaching science at Milton?
Click here to enter your guess.


This photograph is featured in the latest edition of Milton Magazine. Click here to read the Spring 2006 Milton Magazine online.

Another academic year has practically come and gone and the Parents’ Association is wrapping up its work for the year. Class I parents will gather on Friday evening May 5 for their final parent dinner. We bid a warm farewell to those parents who will leave the Milton community along with their successful graduates this year. There are too many in this group to thank individually for their many years of volunteer service to the Milton Academy Parents’ Association. Allow us to thank you collectively for the energy and volunteer spirit in the parent class of 2006!

Spring Book Group Meeting
All parents are invited to attend a meeting the Parents’ Association book group on Thursday, May 4, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. A discussion of the book, The Map of Love, by Ahdaf Soueif will be led by Larry Pollans, a Milton faculty member from the history and visual arts departments. The meeting will be held in the Admissions Office lobby in Warren Hall.

This year’s book group was a first for the Milton Academy Parents’ Association and those who participated agreed that it was both enlightening and fun to discuss the books read with fellow parents and a Milton faculty member. We’d love to see even more of you at our final event for the academic year.

Thanksgiving in April
The goal of the Parents’ Association is to create opportunities for parents to meet one another so we can offer mutual support to our children and those who dedicate so much time to them at Milton Academy.

This year, we are grateful to the many, many parents, faculty, administrators, students and staff who worked hard to organize our varied and successful undertakings, including:

• Our fall, winter and spring book discussion groups, generously led by faculty members David Peck, Lisa Baker and Larry Pollans;
• A social gathering for each class in local homes to relax at the end of a long day of classes during Parents Weekend;
• A kick-off to the college weekend for Class II parents, featuring dinner and speaker Marilee Jones, dean of Admissions at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology;
• Dinners for the parents of Class III, and IV, with guest speakers for each;
• Surprise treats of Krispy Kreme donuts served by parents and faculty for all Upper School students;
• The annual Faculty and Staff Appreciation Brunch, a wonderful celebration of those who work with our children and support their efforts each day;
• Work with the Admissions office, as volunteer parents made contact with the families of accepted students to help them in their decision-making process;
• A panel workshop, “Finding Ways to Bridge the Cultural Gap,” led by the Parents’ Association’s Diversity Committee;
• The Milton Mix Up, a collection of small dinner parties attended this year by more than 230 parents, hosted in homes in Massachusetts and beyond; and
• The annual Summer Opportunities Fair, a popular community event that is also a key source of funds for the Parents’ Association. Special thanks to the committee of parents who worked hard to rethink and recreate the fair, only to have to postpone it until April after the original date was lost to a snowstorm.

A dedicated core of committee chairwomen and men, class representatives and officers gave considerably of their time and talents and we thank each and every one of them for the hours, energy, and dedication on display this year. In addition, to those who baked, drove, phoned, hosted, cheered, or stamped envelopes, we say “thank you.” Finally, we were very pleased with the parent attendance at the class dinners and other events. While it’s impossible to get to know one another as well as we’d like, we are a stronger, livelier, more diverse group each year!

Happy spring to all from the Parents’ Association executive board,

Louisa Paige and Patti Salem, co-presidents
Ayça Gazelle and Rosemary Stutz, co-vice presidents
Barbara Hawkins, treasurer
Maria Sebastian, recording secretary
Carol Flynn-Rice, corresponding secretary
Hilary Wirtz, administrative liaison

Jessica Bond Lives in Robbins House, Teaches English, and Climbs Rocks
Having taught at a number of schools—including some in London and Vienna—English faculty member Jessica Bond says it was clear to her when she first visited Milton that this was the place for her.

Growing up in Vermont and then teaching in New Hampshire, Jessica says that she’s always tried to balance the rural lifestyle with an urban one. Teaching at a school so close to Boston, and being involved in the Outdoor Program at Milton, helps her achieve what she has in mind. “When I was younger,” Jessica recalls, “my dad would take my sister and I hiking, and I really enjoyed it — even more so as I got older. That’s why I became involved in Milton’s Outdoor Program and since then I’ve been rock-climbing and kayaking as well — a great learning experience. Almost every Sunday we have trips that any student can sign up for; the Sunday trips go a little farther away than the weekday program, like to New Hampshire. This year, because of my workload, I’ve only been able to do the weekend trips.”
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Spring Sports Prospectus

Softball
Milton Softball is off to a promising start with a 4-3 win over Rivers. The team has been led by senior captain Lora Faye-Whelan (Brooklyn, NY) and junior Annie LaVigne (Milton, MA). Junior catcher Caitlin O'Malley (Medfield, MA) is working with a number of young pitchers including promising sophomore young gun Izzy Gell-Levey (Key Biscayne, FL) and third baseman/pitcher Chelsey Locarno (Boston, MA). This is a young Milton team that will have to develop an all-around game to challenge the league powers.
[View All Sports]

Nesto Gallery Presents
Furniture: Objects and Forms
The work of Alphonse Mattia and Rosanne Somerson, parents of Izzy Mattia ’06, is the subject of Furniture: Objects and Forms, the spring Nesto Gallery exhibit that opened with a reception for students and faculty on March 31. Both Mr. Mattia and Ms. Somerson are professors of furniture design at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).
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[View Photos of Gallery]

Milton Academy Theatre Presents Three Sisters
On May 18, 19 and 20, Milton Academy students, directed by faculty member David Peck, present Anton Chekhov’s Three Sisters in Ruth King Theatre. Chekhov’s play is about the decay of the privileged class in Russia and the search for meaning in the modern world. The Prozorov sisters, played by Jessica Kingsdale (Class II) as Irina, Elise Wanger (Class II) as Masha, and Reya Sehgal (Class II) as Olga, are refined and cultured young women who were raised in urban Moscow but now live in a small, provincial town. With their father dead, their anticipated return to Moscow comes to represent their hopes of a better life.
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Spring Drama: The Real Inspector Hound
“The man is wearing a darkish suit with a lightish shirt. He is of medium height and build and youngish. Anyone seeing a man answering to this description…is advised to phone the nearest police station.” - Radio

In early May, Milton students will stage a 1212 studio performance of the riotous one-act, The Real Inspector Hound, by witty British playwright, Tom Stoppard. This show, about a play-within-a-play-within-a-play, is a clever parody that lampoons both theatre criticism and the English "whodunit" genre.
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A Night of the Arts
Every year students in the Milton Arts Program bring together a collection of the year’s best work to celebrate an evening of the arts. At this multi-venued event, students share their work with each other, faculty, parents and friends.

Milton hosts many exhibits and performances throughout the year, but the tradition of Arts Night is a favorite event. It is a chance for all students—with varying degrees of experience—to showcase their artistic talents in a wide variety of outlets such as music, dance, drama, speech, painting and sculpture, among others.

Arts Night will be held on Friday, April 21, in the Kellner Performing Arts Center beginning at 6:00 p.m. Click here to view the schedule of performances.

Milton Musicians in Italy, a Memorable Whirlwind
Having entertained the home crowd with the now-traditional send-off concert, the touring Milton musicians—along with many large instruments—met at Logan Airport to begin their Italian journey. The small town of Sorrento was the first stop, with its view of the isle of Capri and Mt. Vesuvius. The first concert, before a crowd of locals and tourists, was at Sorrentino’s Teatro. The Chamber Singers opened with several sacred and secular selections including some of the ever-popular Vivaldi Gloria. The Chamber orchestra followed with some Cimarosa, Mozart and Boccherini. The Boccherini Cello Concerto featured senior Daniel Charness as soloist. During a sightseeing visit to the ancient ruins of Pompeii, the Chamber Singers sang briefly in one of the smaller amphitheatres and were amazed at the wonderful acoustics.
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[View Photos of Gallery]

As we approach the final stretch of the school year, the close of the Annual Fund is also in sight. March finished strong with gifts totaling over $660,000 from 48% percent of families. There is still time for you to make your gift to Milton’s Annual Fund. If you have already contributed, thank you very much. If not, it’s not too late.

Click here to give online, or contact Jess Feingold, assistant director of annual giving, at (617-898-2113) or
Jessica_Feingold@milton.edu. Annual Fund gifts must be received by May 31, 2006.

Get Involved
Join us for a spring “picnic” on Wednesday, April 26, for the final Parent Giving calling night. This is a great way to become involved in the Milton Community and meet fellow parents. Parent volunteers are a vital part of the program, and necessary for the Parents’ Fund to achieve its goals.

Dinner: 6:30 p.m.
Calling: 7:00 p.m.
Development Office,
Caroline Saltonstall Building,
2nd Floor

Please respond to Jess Feingold at
Jessica_Feingold@milton.edu if you plan on attending.

The Competition Continues
The race between each of the classes is getting close. Click here for a breakdown of where each class stands as of the end of March. 2017 is in the lead with 67% participation!

Class I 2006 Parent Gift
To date, over 50 percent of Class I families have made a gift in support of the project. Our goal is to reach 100 percent participation. Please consider making your gift today.

Click here to make your gift online via Visa, MasterCard or American Express, or contact Hilary Wirtz, associate director of annual giving, at (617) 898-2386 or
hilary_wirtz@milton.edu. Class I gifts and pledges must be received by June 30, 2006.