Millis Middle School

All School Assembly: Collaboration Exemplars

HELP WANTED!! Looking to get more involved? We need YOU!

• We are looking for a few parent volunteers to champion the MS/HS Building Project. The Building Committee is getting closer to having a recommended building proposal and we will be in need of getting the word out to the community. If you are curious and possibly interested in supporting this initiative, please reach out to Ana Hurley at ahurley@millisschools.org
• Grade Eight Caregivers: we are hoping to plan a memorable spring season as our current eighth graders complete their middle school journey, if this might be something you'd be interested in, please reach out to Michele Lahah, mlahah@millisschools.org to provide input on completion events, field trips, the dance and other festivities.
• Interested in providing more opportunities to support our students and staff with snacks, spirit and some extra love? Please reach out to Kelly Rao at krao@millisschools.org for ways to provide glimmers of joy and care to our students and staff. Thank you!

Need to know info:

• Last Friday, we celebrated several amazing students for their wonderful displays of collaboration and working well with others. Congratulations to all of these wonderful students!
• Grade Six: Drew A., Dylenne B., Aryanne C., Kelsey D., Yasmeen EA., Willa H., Samantha L., Kalleb S., Maeve S., Lucas K., Ginny A., Alec M.
• Grade Seven: Joseph M., Emily S., Brileigh B., Hayden M., John M., Viki G., Grace G., Parker H., Chloe G.
• Grade Eight: Ciaran, Caitie P., Juliana, Harrison, Lyla, Andrew, Madison, AJ, Louisa, Annabelle
• MS Drama Club is up and running! If still interested, please contact Deb Hickey. Rehearsals are starting soon and will be on Tuesday after school, students will need to be picked up after practice!
• Thank you for the donations of tissues, wipes and hand sanitizer. As we are moving through a challenging cold season, these unsolicited donations have been really helpful. Thank you for your kindness!
• MS/HS Building Project has had TWO successful community forums! If you'd like to learn more about the progress of this project, please check out our Building Project Website for many more details about the proposed project: https://www.millisschoolproject.com/
• Here's the complete recording of the Virtual Community Forum Presentation: December 3, 2024 School Building Project Community Forum Recording

Nice to know info:

• Congratulations to Anyka Ludwig, who is the band student of the week!
• We are very excited that Talitha Fuller will be heading out as our Project 351 Ambassador for her service experience next weekend. Talitha is already an impactful leader and volunteer, we can't wait to see what she does next!
• Tessa Molinari's ACTIVE MINDS MS club is now in full swing and had a great meeting this week making bracelets and discussing ways to support mental health. Active Minds is a popular club in HS that focuses on mental health awareness and education for teens and young adults. Tessa is a Senior and will be holding this group during lunch for middle schoolers as part of her senior project.
• Please see below to check out Nora Molloy's Cradles to Crayon's clothing, shoes and toy drive.
• Our MS Baking Club continues to be a wonderful success with many students baking and participating in this awesome group during lunch on E Days!
• Important Dates:
• MLK: 1/20 - No school
• Early Release Day: 1/31, dismissal @ 10:55 am
• All School Assembly: 2/7
• February Vacation: 2/16 - 2/24
• PD day for teachers 3/10 - no school for students

Good afternoon,

We have no new updates on the PowerSchool cyber incident, but have included communications from PowerSchool and an FAQ they've provided to families on our webpage: https://www.millisps.org/for_staff/power_school_data_breach

As new information becomes available, we will keep you updated.

Bob Mullaney, Superintendent

The Millis Special Education Parent Advisory Committee (SEPAC) wants to continue to provide resources for our community. Unfortunately, as circumstances have changed, this group may no longer be able to remain active in Millis.

A meeting will be held Tuesday, January 28th from 6pm-7pm in the Millis Public Library Roche Bros Room. This is an open call for support in continuing the Millis SEPAC. All district caregivers and interested parties are welcome.

The Millis SEPAC provides input to school district leaders about policies, programs, and services that directly impact students in need of or engaged in special education services. Free workshops and speakers on special interests are offered annually. SEPAC has been a valued resource over the course of many years for caregivers in navigating the path of supporting children with learning needs who may or may not receive services through an IEP or 504 plan.

Please, join us Tuesday, January 28th at 6pm and learn how you can become involved.

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

Take care,

Millis SEPAC

At the December School Committee meeting, I had the opportunity to join Mr. Nash, our High School Principal, to present on the addition and renovation plans currently being reviewed by the School Building Committee. As part of our presentation, the school administration has carefully examined the proposed renovation plans to ensure that they align with our educational goals while also maintaining fiscal responsibility. We have been focused on ensuring that each proposal addresses the unique needs of our students, providing both an enriching learning environment and the flexibility to meet future demands. We are committed to selecting a plan that will enhance the educational experience for all our students, both now and in the years to come. The School Committee meeting can be viewed here. The Millis HS/MS Building Project can be viewed down below in the newsletter.

Hello Millis Middle School community members,

Please check out our first edition of our MMS newspaper, Hermes Horizon

https://sites.google.com/millisschools.org/hermeshorizon/home

Happy reading, and congratulations to all of our Newspaper Club participants!

Great job!!

-Mrs. Hurley

All students and caregivers have been provided with PowerSchool logins and passwords. PowerSchool provides realtime access to your child's academic progress, grades and comments.

Here is information regarding PowerSchool and Standards based grading and how to access the Portal details.

From Riverside Community Behavioral Health Center:

As we welcome a new school year, we want to emphasize the importance of mental health and well-being. Returning to school can bring about a mix of emotions—excitement, anxiety, anticipation, and more. We know for some students the beginning of a new school year can come with difficulties, including depression, anxiety, school avoidance and complex emotional and behavioral issues. The team at Riverside Mobile Crisis Intervention would like to remind everyone that we are here for all students no matter the level of concern; we are available to see people 24 hours a day anywhere in the community: at home, school, or our office. Please share our information with caretakers who may need help navigating these complex situations at home, and we are available to come into the school for in-the-moment assessment to help partner with you in navigating challenging events. We’re just a phone call away at 781-769-8674 or toll-free at 800-529-5077. Thank you from the team at Mobile Crisis Intervention, a component of Riverside’s Community Behavioral Health Center.

We are pleased to announce that registration for the Bridgewater State University Winter Science Academy is now open! The Winter Science Academy is for students currently in grades 6-8.

The program offers middle school students the opportunity to participate in an exciting hands-on class, the Forensics Institute of Bridgewater. Students will work as crime scene analysts and will learn how to collect and analyze fingerprints from a simulated crime scene, perform blood type analysis and conduct DNA fingerprinting.

The class takes place on the Bridgewater campus February 18-21, 2025, from 8:30 AM - 2:30 PM. The cost is $250. Need based scholarship opportunities are available for those with significant financial need.

Additional information about the program, including discounts and need-based scholarships, can be found on the Science Academy Website and Science Academy Registration.

Register before January 1, 2025 and save $25.

Hope to see you in February!