Millis Middle School
Weekly Community Newsletter
Archived MMS Weekly Newsletter
week ending 1/5/24
THINGS TO KNOW
THINGS TO KNOW
MCAS TESTING is coming up April 4 -11, 2024 and May 13-24, 2024. Please avoid scheduling family appointments and vacations during these windows.
IMPORTANT DATES AND EVENTS COMING UP
IMPORTANT DATES COMING UP
January 2024
15 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day - No School
26 - Early Release Day, dismissal @ 10:55
29 - Talent Show Auditions 2:20 p.m. - for Millis Middle School students only
February
15 - Talent Show
19 - 23 February School Break, no school
March
1 - Aeden Wetherbee Comedy Show Fundraiser - MHS Auditorium
11 - Professional Development Day - No School
29 - Early Release Day, dismissal @ 10:55
TALENT SHOW AUDITIONS
January 29th @ 2:20pm
AEDEN WETHERBEE - COMEDY CANCELS CANCER FUNDRAISER
Aedan's Army is hosting a Comedy Show fundraiser on March 1st at the MMS/MHS Auditorium. Please attend the event if you can or support the GoFundMe by scanning the code below.
THANK YOU!
NOTE FROM PRINCIPAL
PRINCIPAL'S NOTE
Happy New Year to All~
We are thrilled to be back and we have had a wonderful start to this new year! Students have returned and have been especially kind and considerate of each other. In honor of the upcoming holiday to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we are asking for stories of people (students and staff) in our community exhibiting the values that MLK exemplified. We are hoping for volunteers to read the shared stories about courage, truth, humility, dignity, compassion, and service for others. Could you share a brief little story of someone in our school community who has demonstrated one of these characteristics? Here is the spot to share your story with us!
Our theme for January is REFLECTION and we thought it a perfect time to work on contemplating the various forms of feedback we receive throughout the day. Self awareness and regulation are important skills to develop during the middle school years. We are very proud of our students for showing kindness and compassion to their peers and also learning to be kind and compassionate to themselves as they grow. During PLT (Power Learning Time) students have had guest visitors presenting on topics such as The Five Point Scale self regulation tool with School Adjustment Counselor, April Leman, standing up for change, forms of harassment, bully conversations with our School Resource Officer Zachary Forsythe, and career discussions with School Adjustment Counselor, Jocelyn Blessing.
In the next few weeks we will have a few screenings for ELA and Math growth, social emotional well-being and other student wellness objectives. Parents who prefer to opt their children out of the more individual and detailed screeners will be able to do so. Notices about these screening tools will be emailed and shared via this newsletter. We needed to reschedule our lockdown safety drill due to the power outages during the storm on December 18th, and that will most likely occur next week. We are all excited for a bit of snow as forecasted for this weekend!
Students have been wonderful at adjusting to Middle School routines and student skills. Now that the second trimester is underway we are continuing to support our students regarding executive function, organization and time management. We've provided each student with a planner and lessons in PLT to organize assignments, timing and prioritizing and also work completion.
Thank you all for being so supportive and involved with your students. Students seem to be coming to school with their devices charged and ready to go for the most part, which is great! Please try and keep watch on tardiness and try to have your students arrive in time to be in homeroom when the bell rings at 8:00, when class begins. We appreciate your partnership on this middle school journey with us!
WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING
ALL SCHOOL ASSEMBLY
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Last month we had our monthly All School Assembly. We had a lovely presentation of the many holidays celebrated by community members by students from Mrs. Lahah's PLT and recognition of several acts of kindness and friendship. Students commended by their teachers are shown below! What a wonderful sentiment to celebrate this season!
Our community also wanted to publicly recognize several of our teachers:
Mrs. Simpson: We appreciate Mrs. Simpson’s kindness and patience, and her willingness to always help all students in every subject!
Mrs. Robinson: A trusted confidante in the school who selflessly gives her time, Mrs. Robinson always offers compassionate support to those in need.
Mrs. Monaghan: With unwavering enthusiasm, Mrs. Monaghan is committed to enriching our students' lives as they grow. Her helpful and nurturing approach creates a supportive environment to all!
NEWS BY GRADE
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Grade Eight travels to Providence
On Thursday our eighth graders traveled to Trinity Theater in Providence to see a production of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol". Prior to the trip, our entire eighth grade performed the play broken up by staves and presented to their peers and teachers. They did a great job and their creativity and effort was fabulous!
PROJECT 351 AMBASSADOR SELECTED
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Erynne exemplifies an outstanding commitment to her academic pursuits, consistently demonstrating a strong work ethic and unwavering diligence. Not only does she excel in collaborative efforts with her peers, but she also exhibits an impressive ability to thrive independently. Her kindness and respect extend beyond her academic achievements, as she consistently displays courteous and considerate behavior towards both her classmates and the school's teachers and staff. Erynne's exceptional qualities make her the epitome of an ideal candidate to represent Millis Middle School in the prestigious Project 351, embodying the values of leadership, teamwork, and community engagement that the initiative seeks to promote.
BAND AND CHORUS PERFORMANCE
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Community Service Opportunities from MHS
Peer Leaders Thrift Shop Donations Needed
Did you get gifted a sweater from your Grandma that you know you will never wear? Donate it to the Peer Leaders thrift shop! How about those clothes in your closet that you are just done with but are still in good shape? Donate them to the thrift shop! The Peer Leaders are accepting new and gently used clothing for their upcoming thrift shop (January 11). Donation boxes are set up in Mrs. Dunn’s office and Mr. Alconada’s room. Please bring in your donations starting next week!
LEOs Club Collection
The Millis LEOS are collecting for their annual "Gift Cards for Millis Teens" drive. You can drop off cash or a check made out to Millis LEOS at Millis High School, c/o the LEOS, or Venmo LEOS President @Lindzey-Murillo, and the LEOS will shop for the cards. You can donate an entire gift card, too. The cards will be given to School Resource Officer, Zach Forsythe, who will work to ensure they are distributed to Millis teens in need.
If you'd rather donate a toy, you can drop off an unwrapped toy at Millis High School c/o The LEOS, or at 96 Cottage Ave, in Millis. The toys will be donated to Project Just Because in Hopkinton.
Both drives will run until Thursday, December 21st.
Environmental Action Collection
On Sunday, January 14th, the Environmental Action Club at Millis High School will be picking up any redeemable bottles and cans from residents in the Town of Millis. This money will go towards supporting the club and future donations that will be made to environmental non-profits, or other activities, to ensure climate education and awareness. Please put your name and address on the form linked to below (or scan the QR code) if you would be willing to donate. You can leave the bottles and cans out the morning of January 14th, by your front door, garage, or in the driveway. Environmental Action volunteers will come by and pick them up for you between 10AM-12PM! If you have any questions, please email: isabri25@millisschools.org. Happy New Year!
SENIOR PROJECT: FUNDING A SERVICE DOG FOR MILLIS MIDDLE SCHOOL
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Paige Zarnofsky, a senior at Millis High, is seeking donations for her senior project. She is fundraising for a service dog for the middle school. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen a significant rise in students’ mental health issues at the middle school level. We’ve seen the benefits of having our beloved Harry, the service dog, at the high school level. We would love for our middle school students to be able to have the same opportunity. I’m hoping our community can come together and make this happen for our middle school students. Any donations or sharing this senior project is greatly appreciated. If interested in donating or have any questions you can reach Paige through email at paizar24@millisschools.org. Thank you!
SHOW SUPPORT TO THE LANEY FAMILY
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SUPPORT OUR MILLIS LIBRARY
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SPORTS
SPORTS
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COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY
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