Archived December 2022

Dear MMS Families:

I just wanted to take a few minutes to wish you all the best of the Holiday Season. I hope that everyone is able to enjoy time with friends and family. This time of year can be so busy and we can sometimes forget to do what we can to take care of ourselves and the family. Here is hoping the best for all and that you are able to rest, relax and rejuvenate over the Holidays.

I am very grateful for all of the students here and for such a wonderful staff. I look forward to accomplishing so many more amazing things in 2023! Thank you for the opportunity to lead your students and this school community, I am very fortunate! All the best for a joy filled Holiday Season!

Be well,

Paul

December 7th - Early Release Day, dismissal at 10:55 a.m.

December 14th - Winter Holiday Concert at 7:00 p.m.

December 21st - Gr 8 to "A Christmas Carol" at Trinity Theater, Providence, RI

December 23rd - Early Release Day, dismissal at 10:55 a.m.

December 26th - December 30th - Winter Break

January 3rd - Tuesday - Return to School - Full Day.

Grade 7 recognized the following students for exhibiting RESPONSIBILITY at the December huddle:

Olivia Peterson

Ashley Chase

Jacob Mussi

Izzy Day

Peter Alachi

Samantha Solomon

Lauren Blake

Margaret Scavone

Tyler Shepard

Lorenzo Satta

Congratulations!

The new goal of the month is INTEGRITY. Teachers will be recognizing students at the next huddle who have exhibited INTEGRITY.

Students in grade 7 math have been working with probability. Here they are with a spinner to test out Theoretical vs. Experimental probability.

Students are utilizing the engineering design process as they design bridges in Science Class this week!

Last year our students were extras in a movie called The Snowball Effect which will premiere on Up TV tomorrow night at 7pm. They are in a bunch of shots as carolers.

This important event is open to high school and middle school parents and guardians, and will be held from 6-8pm at the MS/HS Auditorium on January 25, 2023. We strongly encourage parents to join us.

Dear MMS Families:

I hope that everyone is doing well despite all of the rush of the holiday season. As we approach the holiday break there are many wonderful things happening here at MMS. Students are off to a great start in Tri-mester II and going strong. Next week we will have a Holiday Spirit Week for all to enjoy (information below) and we will finish out the week strong. We look forward to a focused but fun-filled week. Enjoy the newsletter!

Sincerely,

Paul

We would like to congratulate our U12 Cheerleaders for another win at Nationals. The team capped off an amazing run by winning the National Championship for a third straight time. Congratulations! Your hard work and dedication paid off!

Monday 12/19 - Monochromatic Day (Wear all one color)

Tuesday 12/20 - Hat Day (Holiday or not)

Wednesday 12/21 - Pajama v. Dapper Day (you can wear appropriate pajamas or dress up...dress to the nines!)

Thursday 12/22 - Decade Day (dress in the style of a specific decade)

Friday 12/23 - Holiday Attire (which could include an appropriate UGLY SWEATER)

Let's have a little fun and get in the Spirit!

Yesterday, in conjunction with Millis High School, we conducted a “Shelter in Place” drill during the school day. After the approximately 10-minute drill, the Administrative team met with Millis Police to debrief.

In the coming weeks, we will also be practicing a full “Lockdown” drill in the building. We'll post information about that in a future newsletter as we get closer to the date.

The safety of our students and school is always our top priority. While we hope to never activate any of these protocols, trainings such as these help prepare our staff and students in the event we experience an emergency situation. Thank you for your help and support as we work to ensure the safety of your children.

The Millis Middle School Drama Club has cast its competition one act "Cobweb Dreams". We would like to congratulate all students who auditioned, you were amazing. Congrats to the cast and crew who will begin the rehearsal process for their performance in the spring. We will continue to provide updates on the show as the competition approaches. We wish all the best to the 21 Cast Members and 4 Crew as they prepare for the competition. More to come about rehearsals and the cast and crew!

The fish have arrived! The 7th grade Science classes welcomed the arrival of Eastern Brook Trout eggs into our classroom fish tank. Students will be raising the fish over the course of several months until their eventual release into the Charles River. We can't wait to learn more about them as we watch them grow!

Please click on the link below to fill out the Interest Form for Boys Tennis for Spring 2023

https://forms.gle/BKp42L42heSLaDY6A

please click on the link below to fill out the Interest Form for Boys & Girls Lacrosse for Spring 2023. This is available for Grade 8 only.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1fRBjXvGjz9BjQp88NPuNIk5cEIKWBagQDmjd8-0L13U/viewform?edit_requested=true

An email from PowerSchool Registration Support has been sent to each parent/guardian listed in PowerSchool. Please take a moment to update and verify your emergency contact information and submit as soon as possible. This is extremely important for each students' record to be verified and submitted.

If you have multiple children you must submit for each. The email address that you need to find in your inbox is PowerSchool Registration Support. The link provided in the email is generated exclusively for your student.

If you did not receive an email, please contact jdavies@millisschools.org for a new link.

In math 7th graders are calculating the surface area and volume of rectangular and triangular prisms. Students have been creating 3-dimensional figures from 2-dimensional nets.

The eighth grade will be attending A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens on December 21st, at the Trinity Theater in Providence.

Last year many of you supported this program through generous donations. We sincerely appreciate your support. We are continuing to run the program this year. If you are interested in supporting the program please feel free to send along a contribution. We would appreciate any support you can give. If interested you may have your student drop-off the donation to the Middle School Office. Any checks should be made payable to Millis Middle School with the word "Yoga" in the memo line. Thank you again for your consideration.

These sessions have been very successful for our students in helping them to navigate some of the stressful situations that may come up during their day. It is a good relaxing time for our students as they learn some important strategies to settle their minds, and improve focus and brain function.

Good afternoon!

Millis Athletics has teamed up with local footwear company (slides) iSlide to offer a team shop that is open now through 12/12. Slides and socks are available. Slides can be customized by color, sport/club along with name/#. Everyone receives a 20% discount by using the code Millis20. Great option for many sports/clubs when going to and from games/practices/performances. It's the holiday season.... Support Millis Athletics!

Here is the link: https://islideusa.com/collections/millis-1

And discount code is Millis20

Great holiday gift for a family member or even yourself. See Mr. Phinney with any questions. Go Mohawks!

Dear MMS Families:

It is so hard to believe that we have entered the month of December and that 2022 is shortly coming to a close. We have had a wonderful fall and many things have been happening here at MMS. The Thanksgiving Basket drive to benefit the Millis Food Pantry was a great success. Our grade eight students did a wonderful job in organizing and filling the boxes which were delivered by some of our teachers and students just before Thanksgiving. The Millis Food Pantry was very grateful for the donation. Great Job!

At this point, Trimester I is coming to a close and we will be starting up Trimester II on Monday. We are looking forward to the weeks leading up to the holiday break and all that we will be doing and enjoying over those weeks. I thank you for all of the support you have given us this fall and look forward to the coming months.

Enjoy the Newsletter!

Sincerely,

Paul

MMS is very proud to announce that Nicholas Roy has been selected to be MMS Project 351 Ambassador!

Project 351 is a nonprofit organization that develops a new generation of community-first service leaders through the year long engagement of an eighth grade Ambassador from each of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts. Youth are selected by their hometown educators for an exemplary ethic of service and the values of kindness, compassion, humility and gratitude. Nicholas is a prime example of this here at Millis Middle School.

We would like to congratulate Nicholas on his nomination to the program and will look forward to supporting him throughout the coming year as he represents Millis well!!

Congratulations Nicholas! Well done!

We are very exited to announce the the Millis / Medway 12U and 14U Cheerleading teams placed at Regionals a few weeks ago and will be heading back to Nationals to defend their title as NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!

The 14U team placed 2nd at Regionals and the 12U team not only placed 1st, they were the GRAND CHAMPIONS, which means they had a higher score than every other team at Regionals, beating out 146 other teams. We would like to congratulate all of the cheerleaders and their coaches on a job well done and wish them all the best at Nationals.

We would especially like to recognize:

Cassidy Cook

Gianna Scotland

Gianna Tiberi

Maddie Brynczka

Well done!

The Millis athletic department has teamed up with iSlides to offer a team store through December 12th. You can customize slides with several options around extracurriculars like basketball, soccer, chorus and drama. You may have your name or number printed as well. All orders receive 20% off when using the code Millis20. You can find the link on the Millis Athletics social media accounts and in your email later today. Great holiday gift for a family member or even yourself. Please visit https://islideusa.com/collections/millis-1 to order. See Mr Phinney with any questions. Go Mohawks!

An email from PowerSchool Registration Support has been sent to each parent/guardian listed in PowerSchool. Please take a moment to update and verify your emergency contact information and submit as soon as possible. This is extremely important for each students' record to be verified and submitted.

If you have multiple children you must submit for each. The email address that you need to find in your inbox is PowerSchool Registration Support. The link provided in the email is generated exclusively for your student.

If you did not receive an email, please contact jdavies@millisschools.org for a new link.

MMS Grade 7 Families:

Message from the School Health Office

The Nurse is conducting mandated screenings for students in grade 7, which includes vision, hearing, height, weight and postural. These screenings are conducted together in the privacy of the school Health Office. The purpose of the postural (Scoliosis) screening is to find early signs of possible spinal problems in children grades 5th-9th. If the Nurse has any concerns she will notify you. If your child has already been screened by your doctor and you wish to opt out of this screening or any of the screenings please email Lynn Molinari at lmolinari@millisschools.org.

Stay well!

Lynn Molinari

Last year many of you supported this program through generous donations. We sincerely appreciate your support. We are continuing to run the program this year. If you are interested in supporting the program please feel free to send along a contribution. We would appreciate any support you can give. If interested you may have your student drop-off the donation to the Middle School Office. Any checks should be made payable to Millis Middle School with the word "Yoga" in the memo line. Thank you again for your consideration.

These sessions have been very successful for our students in helping them to navigate some of the stressful situations that may come up during their day. It is a good relaxing time for our students as they learn some important strategies to settle their minds, and improve focus and brain function.

It's been a great first trimester, but T1 has come to an end. Students should be aware that many of them will be switching UAs starting on Monday. New UAs will be posted on PowerSchool and new schedules will be handed out. UAs are assigned on a rotating basis so that students have an opportunity to experience a variety of specials during their time in Middle School. Here's to a successful Term 2!

7th Grade Science classes began exploring Engineering design! How can you create a bridge using only 2 cups and a "1,000" dollar bill?

Please remind your students to charge their iPads every night. If they are having an issue with the iPad let a teacher know.

The eighth grade will be attending A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens on December 21st, at the Trinity Theater in Providence.

Term 1 Art Wrap-up

Term 1 art students are wrapping up the term with amazing clay creations.

6th grade-slab construction textured frames.

7th grade-glazed coil pots

8th grade-Letters to My Future Self featuring slab construction, underglazing, and sculptural elements.

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2HQJ1Z1OKS03R?ref_=wl_share

If your student needs to be absent from school, a parent/guardian should notify the office via the attendance line (508) 906-3711 or by emailing msattendance@millisschools.org prior to 8:00am, if possible. If we do not hear from a parent/guardian, the absence will be marked as "truant".

If your student is going to be late to school, a parent/guardian should contact the Middle School Office. The office should be notified via the attendance line (508) 906-3711, by emailing msattendance@millisschools.org or by sending a note in with your student. An excused tardy will require a note from the place of their appointment, (not a parental note). Upon arrival, the student should go directly to the Middle School Office and check in.

If your student needs to be dismissed, a parent/guardian should send their student in with a note listing the dismissal time and reason, or call the attendance line (508) 906-3711. Students are expected to check in with the Middle School Office to confirm their dismissal and to receive a pass. This policy is to prevent as much interruption of class time as possible.

*Activities Eligibility Dismissal: If students are involved in extracurricular activities and need to be dismissed during the school day, they will need to provide a note to the office from the place of their appointment, not a

parental note, so they remain eligible to play or practice.

*Medical Dismissal: Any student requiring to leave school for any kind of medical reason must receive approval from the School Nurse.

*Emergency Dismissal: In case of an emergency dismissal, a parent/guardian should contact the Main Office and every attempt will be made to expedite the dismissal.

Classes resume Tuesday, January 3rd!