
Archived September 2023
September 2023
*****
September 29th
Wow, what a month! September has been such a wonderful whirlwind of activity! The Millis Booster’s Run Back to School event was the perfect way to kick off this week. It was a great event and we were so proud to see so many students participate! The week continued in a very joyful and athletic fashion with several teams competing and practicing. To round out the week our seventh graders had a wonderful day at the North Attleboro YMCA for team building and outdoor activities. Just this afternoon we had a visit from students and an administrator from Tri-County Regional Vocational School come to share information with our eighth graders. They are hosting an open house on Saturday, November 4th from 10:00AM-2:00PM. Registration is required at Tri-county.us/openhouse
This first month of school has been focused on building relationships with our students and getting to know them as people. Feeling safe and supported is foundational to being able to learn and stretch into new topics and skills. In addition to our classroom teachers, related supports and paras, our two adjustment counselors have been working to get to know all of our students. Several of these conversations have happened in classrooms, hallways, the lunchroom and one on one. We want every student here to know that they have several adults who care about their well–being and sense of belonging. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if your child might need a check-in with a counselor to help solve a challenge in their path.
Mandatory Contact Information Update Required
All Millis Middle School families have been sent an email to update their emergency contact information. It is very important that all phone numbers and emails are up to date. This information is used for contacting you in the event of an emergency, attendance and other school related correspondence.
Unfortunately, if you have multiple students in the district you will need to update each student separately.
If you have any questions or log in issues, please contact cliberty@millisschools.org.
*****
Tri-County Visit September 2023
How to Prevent and Respond to Cyberbullying with Expert Dr. Sameer Hinduja Hosted by Spark Kindness Tuesday, 10/3 at 7 p.m.
Expert Sameer Hinduja, PhD, shares how parents/caregivers can address the ways youth are using & misusing their phones and other technology.
Are you concerned about your child/teen’s technology use and the effects of harmful online behavior? This program is about empowering children/teens, parents, and community members to build a healthier online community for all. The pandemic has led to increased technology use by both children and adults. There has also been an increase in cyberbullying and online toxicity. Cyberbullying expert Sameer Hinduja, Ph.D., will share:
Information on the current trends and factors that contribute to cyberbullying, sexting, and unsafe social media practices.
Prevention strategies for parents/caregivers and the community to address cyberbullying and harmful behavior.
Ways to best inquire about and respond to children/teens’ technology use and abuse.
Research-based parenting approaches designed to induce moral and ethical choices online (and offline).
Strategies to sharpen your ability to informally and formally monitor your children’s actions.
How to report cyberbullying when you spot it, and how best to assist both aggressors and targets.
The importance of intentionally cultivating resilience and empathy, and how to use media to do so.
ASL Interpretation and Portuguese and Spanish Language Interpretation will be provided at this event.
****
*****
Dr. Lisa Damour on Raising Connected, Capable & Compassionate Adolescents
Wednesday, 10/18 at 7 p.m.
Hosted by Spark Kindness
In person event (at Natick High School) with limited seating. Register early!
For parents/caregivers of adolescents (ages 10-25)
World renowned author/expert Dr. Lisa Damour (NYTimes, CBS This Morning) will discuss her new book - “The Emotional Lives of Teenagers” and offer the concrete, practical information parents/caregivers need to steady their teens through the journey into adulthood.
Being - and raising - a teenager has never been easy and it’s especially challenging now. In this talk, psychologist and best-selling author Lisa Damour, Ph.D., will offer practical strategies to help parents and caregivers understand their teenagers’ emotional lives, how to help teens manage their emotions and how to support them through this critical developmental stage. The program will address:
What to expect in the normal course of adolescent emotional development and when it’s time to worry.
Why teens (and adults) need to understand that mental health isn’t about “feeling good” but about having feelings that fit the moment.
Strategies for supporting teens in managing their feelings.
The best ways to stay connected to your tween/teen and how to provide the kind of relationship that adolescents need and want.
important dates coming up
Book Fair - October 2nd thru 5th - 7:45am - 2:45pm
District Technology Parent Presentation, October 23rd
Parent Teacher Conferences - November 2, 7 & 8th
*****
*****
welcome senorita belen portugal martin!!
*****
november 14th is picture retake day
Parents may also continue to order online at www.coffeepond.com , the PDF with Online Ordering instructions is attached to this email.
Mailing Address:
Coffee Pond Photography
3 Speen Street, Suite 200
Framingham, MA 01701
The student portrait packages will be mailed to the school within 3-5 weeks after Picture Day. If parents have any questions regarding the portraits, payments or ordering images, please have them contact:
Customer Care
508-907-6633 ext 0
800-632-2323 ext 0
*****
This fall the nurse will begin state mandated screening for grades 6, 7 and 8. All students will be screened individually.
Vision and hearing screenings are conducted for grade 7 according to the guidelines provided by MDPH. A referral letter is sent home when the student does not meet the screening parameters recommending evaluation by a physician.
The purpose of the postural (scoliosis) screening is to find early signs of possible spinal problems in children grades 6, 7 and 8. If the nurse has any concerns she will notify you and recommend further evaluation.
Heights and weights are done on students in grades 7. Body Mass Index (BMI) and corresponding percentile is calculated and recorded following guidelines from the MDPH.
A student may be exempt from scoliosis screening, vision, hearing, and BMI screenings upon written request from the parent/ guardian. If you wish to opt out of this screening or if you have any questions please email Lynn Molinari at lmolinari@millisschools.org.
grade 7 screening
*****
middle school unified arts teachers
book fair - October 2 - 5th
*****
click on the link below for more library news
*****
*****
*****
click on the links below for Millis Middle School Sports information
*****
*****
~~~~~~
september 22nd
This week in all three grades we have had situations with students and their use of technology and cell phones. We certainly understand the concerns many of you have regarding your child's use of cell phones, group texts, and social media. As school administrators, we value the importance of maintaining a safe and conducive learning environment within the school premises, and we believe teaching responsible digital citizenship is a shared responsibility between the school and parents. We appreciate your communication with us to ensure we are in the loop, and we encourage you to reach out to each other to share expectations within the Millis parent community.
We strongly encourage you to take an active role in monitoring your child’s digital behavior. Remind them to think critically about the content they share and the people they interact with on these platforms. Please monitor your child's text messages and online interactions, not as an invasion of privacy but as a means to ensure their safety in an increasingly connected world. Together, we can work toward fostering a generation of responsible and digitally literate individuals. Thank you for your partnership and collaboration on these matters.
Take care,
Ana Hurley & Kelly Rao
*****
Millis Middle School Core Values Survey
*****
millis middle school open house feedback
*****
news from the art room
~~~~~~
september 15th
If anyone missed the first period last night, students will be bringing home their handouts including their PowerSchool access information. Please be sure to ask your child for these materials. We would love your feedback about Open House, so please share your thoughts in this brief survey.
*****
Student Safety Concern
We would like to make you aware of a social media challenge called the “One Chip Challenge”. This trend challenges kids to eat a Paqui brand chip which contains very high levels of capsaicin. Capsaicin can cause esophageal damage, heart problems, and restrict breathing at the levels found in the chip. Several days ago a high school student in Worcester participated in this challenge and unfortunately lost his life a few hours later (cause of death is under investigation). Paqui has since pulled this product from store shelves.
Please talk with your children about social media and these challenges in particular. Social media sites such as TikTok target children and encourage risky and sometimes dangerous behavior.
Here is a recent article about several students in a nearby community middle school who attempted this trending challenge this week.
*****
*****
important - signature sign-offs required
Please take some time to read and review our 2023-2024 Millis Middle School Handbook.
Both parents and students must sign off on this important information. Please do so below:
*****
******
~~~~~~
september 8th
Today we had our first All School Assembly, which will be a new monthly tradition for us here at Millis Middle School. In our assembly we shared announcements, recited the pledge, heard three beautiful poems, and talked about the importance of acceptance and inclusion.
As we move through the year we will take this time to celebrate student achievements, showcase talents and honor growth. We want to publicly praise and celebrate our student and staff achievements to build up our community’s sense of positivity and a growth mindset. Today we thanked Bella G, Jocelyn B and Erynne S for their wonderful support and participation in our incoming family orientations. We also deeply appreciate the commitment and extra efforts from staff members: Mara Robinson, Janet Shockley, Molly Saccardo and Robin Taillefer. Moving forward we hope to share the mic with more students and staff to include additional voices into our celebrations.
This has been a busy four day week where we had a successful fire drill, completed a whole rotation through our new schedule, and an early dismissal due to heat. Students and staff have truly been troopers through a significant heat wave, the early dismissal and all the other unexpected happenings that this week has included. We have a great group here this year, and we are off to a wonderful beginning!
Next week, we will have our Millis Middle School Open House. Please arrive a five minutes early and we will have copies of student schedules to help you locate all of your child’s classes. Caregivers will visit classes in ten minute intervals, and at 7:40 we will invite all parents to the auditorium for a brief presentation from our school administrators, counselors and select teachers. We are looking forward to opening our doors to you and providing an opportunity for everyone to get better acquainted!
We will also provide PowerSchool access and information for parents at Open House so that everyone is able to review and access the important information provided there. Several weeks from now we will provide additional information about accessing report cards and midterm grades through PowerSchool.
*****
A Few Reminders
Students are NOT allowed to access other buses than the one they are registered for and the only exception is the late bus which is a single bus serving all students needing a ride home.
Our cafeteria offers a gluten free pizza, gluten free chicken tenders, a variety of salads, and they can make any sandwich or burger on gluten free bread.
SchoolBucks is the platform to provide funds for a la carte options from the cafeteria.
Cross Country is the athletic offering for grade 6 during the fall then indoor and outdoor track & field for the winter and spring season.
*****
Click on the links below for some timely articles and resources
*****
*****
august 29th
Back to School Opening Success!
Parents, we know you've been managing back-to-school feelings for your kiddos and setting them up for success. We recognize this is no easy feat and we are grateful for your partnership and involvement.
Our building and grounds look fabulous. Thank you to John Engler, Bryon Tingley, Andrew Towne, Bill Firth, Bob Postler and Dana Olson and all the summer crew for their hard work over the past several months.
The detailed schedules for students and teachers were created and coordinated by the thoughtful dedication and hard work of Cheri Mullally, Chad Liberty, and Maureen Knowlton. As you can imagine this is quite a complex task and this team handled it in an artful fashion.
Each classroom has been transformed into a welcoming and inviting space by our talented teachers. Robin Taillifer and many others transformed our hallways into tunnels of affirmations and encouragement with their decorations and artistic talents.
A great deal of appreciation and gratitude to our Office of Student Services, led by Nealy Urquhart, for ensuring that we meet the individual needs of our students for a safe, healthy and constructive learning environment. Thank you to all of our Special Education, counseling and nursing staff members for your loving care and preparation for our students!
A great deal of thanks also must go to Ryan Camire and his amazing technology team of Dave Bush, Darius Corcoran and Don Tirrell who worked hard to ensure all of our students had Chromebooks, safe and streamlined technology and internet access for day one, and resolved a host of staff needs and requests.
Director of Athletics, Derek Phinney, has worked his magic so our athletes and coaches have everything they need for a successful season ahead. Let's go Mohawks!
None of this would be possible without the expert leadership and direction of our beloved superintendent, Mr. Bob Mullaney, and the entire Central Office team. Superintendent Mullaney led a wonderful day of district-wide professional development on Monday, providing words of inspiration, commitment and encouragement. It was so incredible to hear about so many staff members celebrating twenty and twenty five years in the district!
We also appreciated the school safety training provided by Millis Police Chief Soffayer, welcomed our new School Resource Officer (SRO) Zachary Forsythe, and a motivating presentation from adolescent psychologist, Jon Mattleman.
Lastly I'd like to thank my fellow principals for easing our transition into a new school year by sharing their expertise and wisdom - a huge heartfelt thank you to Tanna Jango, Elise Molloy, Mark Awdycki and Kelly Rao.
With all these amazing teammates we will certainly have a great year! Onward!
*****
Sign up for Bus Transportation for 23/24 School Year
*****
From our Tech Department
*****
Middle-High School Home-School Association
*****
Grade 6
Grade 7
A Message from the School Health office for students entering Grade 7
An updated physical should be provided at the start of the school year. If your child is due for one in the fall you can just email me and let me know. The following vaccines are also required:
- 2 doses of the MMR vaccine
- 3 doses of the Hepatitis B vaccine
- 1 dose of Tdap - required for grade 7-(given at 11 or 12 year visit)
- 2 Varicella Vaccines- A reliable history of chickenpox or laboratory evidence of immunity is acceptable.
- 1 dose of MenACWY (menactra) for all students (a meningococcal conjugate vaccine).
Please send in documentation of the most recent physical exam including the immunizations to the School Nurse. See below for the most recent immunization update requirements.
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/school-immunizations
Wishing you all a happy and healthy summer!
Thank you so much,
Lynn Molinari RN, MSN