Archived MHS April 2022
Weekly Newsletter
April 29, 2022
Upcoming Events
5/2 - 5/13 ~ AP Exams
5/6 ~ Terpsichore Spring Dance Recital 7:00pm
5/11 ~ NHS Induction 6:30pm
5/12 ~ MHS Music Pops & Awards Concert 7:00pm
5/13 ~ Seniors Last Day Before Senior Projects / Senior Field Day / Rolling Rally (6:00pm)
5/16-5/20 ~ Senior Projects
5/17 - 5/18 ~ MCAS Math (Grade 10)
5/20 ~ Early Release 10:55am / Prom
6/2 ~ Graduation 6pm
6/7 - 6/8 ~ MCAS Biology (Grade 9)
6/14 - 6/17 ~ Final Exams
~ This Week at MHS ~
MHS Top 10% in Nation!!
Millis High School Ranked Among Top High Schools
in Country by US News and World Report
Millis High School has been ranked in the top 10% of high schools nationwide by US News and World Report in their latest evaluation of Best High Schools (MHS moved up from the top 15% in the 2021 rankings). In addition, MHS was in the top 21% of all high schools in Massachusetts and the top 25% of Metro Boston Area High Schools (MHS moved up from the top 30% in both categories in the 2021 rankings). U.S. News ranked approximately 17,843 public high schools after reviewing nearly 24,000 in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Criteria assessed by US News included: college readiness; college curriculum breadth; state assessment proficiency and performance; underserved student performance; and graduation rate.
Millis High School is proud of this recognition as one of America's Best High Schools. It is a testament to the hard work of our students and staff and the foundation of excellence fostered by Millis Middle School and Clyde Brown Elementary School. More details about the rankings can be found at: https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/massachusetts/districts/millis-public-schools/millis-high-school-9445
AP Lit Exam Prep
In preparation for the AP Literature exam, students practiced essay question #3 in the form of speed dating. This essay asks students to analyze a major literary aspect - a theme, importance of a character, or a literary device - from a novel of their choosing. Students were given prompts from the previous years and had 7 minutes to write a thesis statement, include supporting evidence, wait for the timer, then do it all again with a different prompt! This helped with the speed needed to outline the essay before writing it. Mrs. Bartley and the students brought food in to make the practice more enjoyable. For the last 2 days before the exam, students will select what aspect of the test they need more practice on; Mrs. Bartley will select questions and prompts to target their individual needs.
Senior Project Showcase
Literary Arts Night
Thank you to the Millis Cultural Council, for the grant that allowed us to have our Literary Arts Night in the Millis Middle/High School Library! Our students showcased 3D printing, poetry, musical duets, original stories, documentaries, and songs! Staff added their presentations of poetic renditions, flute, and guitar. Artwork from Middle and High School students framed the library.
Special guest authors Sandra Elaine Scott and Justin LaRocca Hansen presented both in-person and virtually, giving our audience the up close and personal connection to their writings and art! It was an entertaining and enlightening evening. Thank you to Mrs. Divver for putting together this wonderful event, and thank you to all our performers and exhibitors that made this a night to remember!
Terpsichore Spring Dance Recital
Terpsichore will be presenting its Annual Spring Dance Recital on Friday May 6, 2022, in the Millis High School Auditorium at 7:00 PM. The show runs about 45 minutes and includes original works set to the scores of Bartok, Prokofiev, Alanis Morrissette, Daft Punk, and the Andrew Olham Orchestra. If you are looking for a preview of what you can expect check out the video below that was shot by Mrs. Mannion on April 6. A suggested donation of $5.00 can be made at the door. If you have questions please reach out to Ms. Stephanie Copice at scopice@millisschools.org.
Congratulations Daisy Lyons!!
Congratulations to junior Daisy Lyons, who earned second place for her short film, "Life Support" at the second annual Open Mind Film Festival through UCLA. Daisy was competing against more than 120 entries into the competition, making her accomplishment even more incredible! The festival allows high school students to use the medium of film to tell stories related to teen mental health. Daisy's video was screened during the live awards show on Thursday evening, April 28.
Here's a link to an article about the festival published in the UCLA Health Blog: https://connect.uclahealth.org/2022/04/20/teen-filmmakers-bring-youth-mental-health-to-the-screen-in-open-mind-film-festival/
and
Here is a link with the festival invitation/information: https://www.friendsofsemelinstitute.org/calendar
It's Official!!
Congratulations to Jaden Adams and Dulce Abreu! Both of their films are official selections for the Metrowest Film Festival!
The Finalist's Showcase and Awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, May 1, at 4pm. The Showcase will begin with a screening of all 12 final films and will be followed by a prize giving presentation for the winner of each category. There can only be one winner for each category (3 winning films in total), but by making it to this stage of the festival, their films have been selected out of hundreds of submissions to be in the final 12. Congratulations for getting this far and good luck on May 1st!
Click the Graduation Cap to Access All Things Graduation
Gear Up for the Class of 2022 Rolling Rally on 5/13!
We are so excited for the upcoming Class of 2022 Rolling Rally on Friday, May 13, as we begin the celebration of our graduating class!! Thanks to the support of Chief Chris Soffayer and the Millis Police Department, and Chief Rick Barrett and the Millis Fire Department, this Rolling Rally has quickly become a new Millis tradition. The map of the Rolling Rally route can be found below. The Rolling Rally will start at 6:00pm and seniors will leave from the newer parking lot on the town hall side of Clyde Brown. When the Rolling Rally thunders into the school grounds after going all over town, the students will be treated to a big bonfire courtesy of Chief Barrett and the Millis Fire Department. Following the Rolling Rally, The Class of 2022 will enjoy food and hypnotist show at MHS. Pull out your lawn chairs, bring out your grills, and make a night out of it, as we show our love and support to the MHS Class of 2022!
Bridget Welch's Senior Project May 3rd
Fish are Friends Trout Release
This past Wednesday, the Anatomy and Physiology class, alongside Mrs. Sears' class, released the brook trout Mrs. Cheney's classes have been raising this year. The trout journeyed to their new home, entering the Charles River at the 115 canoe launch. Both the students and the fish enjoyed the trip.
Common Ground Fundraiser
Award Winners
~ Happening Around Millis ~
HANNAH PYENSON
Cloud Applications Consultant at Accenture
MHS Class of 2015
Did you attend college?
I graduated from UMass Amherst with a double major in Sport Management and Spanish.
What is your profession?
I work at Accenture and I consult for Oracle Customer Experience cloud applications. Accenture is a professional services company that specializes in IT consulting. I partner with companies in different industries who are implementing Oracle Customer Experience cloud applications. My job is to ensure there is a seamless process between the development and business teams throughout the different implementation phases.
What skills do you find yourself needing most at work?
A key skill for work that I need is adaptability. The ability to stay calm and pivot on a moment's notice is critical when juggling with multiple teams, time zones, and project deadlines. That being said, I also find it important to lead with empathy, advocate for yourself, lift as you rise, and to always be networking.
Do the skills and values that you learned at MHS help you in your professional life?
As I continue to gain more professional experience I often find myself referring back to my time at MHS. Given our size at MHS, we had the unique ability to participate in multiple clubs, opportunities, events, and sports. Through this exposure, we were able to lay a foundation of the skill sets necessary to succeed in professional environments. I feel grateful for the friends, mentors, and experiences gained at MHS. Feel free to reach out or connect on LinkedIn!
April 15, 2022
April Break is Here!
~ MHS This Week ~
Seen Around the Halls
Last Reminder for Scholarships
Last Call for Senior Spotlight
Berkshire Hills Music Academy Performs
Senior Parents Wanted! Needed!
As we start to plan events celebrating our seniors as they head toward graduation, we’re looking for some parent volunteers that would be willing to join a group to help with planning, fundraising, and assisting at events. If you are interested in joining the conversation, or willing to help out in any way, please contact Class of 2022 advisors Mr. Saegh, jsaegh@millisschools.org, or Mrs. Sullivan, esullivan@millisschools.org. Thank you!
School Counselor Booking Links
Do you need to make an appointment to see your School Counselor?
You Can Book Me is a quick way to make an appointment.
Mrs. Dunn ~ YouCanBookMe Link: https://rileydunn.youcanbook.me
Ms. McCarthy ~ YouCanBookMe Link: https://mmccarthy-2.youcanbook.me
~ After Vacation Events ~
April is School Library Month
Celebrate “School Library Month” in April!
Check out a book! Get a bookmark and possibly a treat!
Upcoming events for Wednesday, April 27th:
Mindy Uhrlaub virtual author visit for her book,
“Unnatural Resources”
AND
Sign up to perform! Hear authors! Musicians! More!
Save the Date ~ Literary Arts Night 2022
It is not too late to sign up to perform. Click here to access the sign up form or see Mrs Divver.
Mindy Uhrlaub to Discuss "Unnatural Resources"
New Club for Fall - Math Club
Coming this Fall Ms. Young’s Math Club:
Explore Math and the uses in our world today
Enrichment Math Activities
New Problem Techniques
Contact Ms. Young if you are interested.
~ Happening Around Millis ~
YOU’RE INVITED!
Lisa Dieker, Ph.D., will be speaking at the Medway Schools SEPAC Meeting on May 4, 2022 at 7:00 pm. Dr. Dieker is the Lockheed Martin Eminent Scholar Chair at the University of Central Florida. She will talk about her experiences as a parent of a student with Dyslexia and Tourette’s syndrome. Additionally, her son, Josh Dieker, will speak about his experiences as he moved through school and finally came out of the other end of college with a successful job. From preschool to college, they will share their personal journey with Tourette’s Syndrome, dysgraphia, and dyslexia. Join Josh and his mom as they provide practical advice and share their story through humor and heartfelt strategies - from the good, the bad, and at times ugly parts of the life of being a parent or a person with a disability.
OLIVIA DONEHEY
Technology Sales Rep at Oracle
MHS Class of 2015
Did you attend college?
I attended UMass Amherst! I was a member of the Commonwealth Honors College and graduated with a psychology major and a certificate in criminal justice.
What is your profession?
I am a Sales Representative for Oracle Corporation. Oracle is a massive technology company that provides infrastructure and software to organizations all over the world. I specifically sell Oracle Database software to large companies in the Southeast. Many of those companies built their entire business on our technology— very cool!
What skills do you find yourself needing most at work?
My job is dependent on interpersonal skills and relationship building. It’s a bit overused but the quote “people buy from people” really holds true to my role today. You need to have a strong relationship (trust, partnership, good communication) with your customers because there is competition. However, in the face of competition, if they like you they will gravitate to you.
Organization and adaptability are also huge components of my job. I support over 150 customers and am responsible for understanding each business. It’s important to stay organized so I can support each customer individually. It’s also important to adapt to each customer's communication style, historic relationship with Oracle, their technology roadmap, etc. so you are getting & giving the most value in each interaction. Lastly, perseverance is key!
Do the skills and values that you learned at MHS help you in your professional life?
100%! MHS is a unique community where you have more opportunity to build relationships. With our size there’s more chance to make the sports team or get a part in the play. You can stay after class and talk with your teachers or be a member in as many clubs as you want. The small school big family mentality really cultivated an environment for interpersonal skills and relationship building to flourish!
April 8, 2022
Term 3 Report Cards Issued
Notice From the Nurse
March Students of the Month
Grade 9 Nominees: Ramsey Breslau, Annie Rollag, Nick Grankewicz
Grade 9 Winner: Annie Rollag: "Annie is both a strong academic student and highly involved in extracurricular activities. In the fall she was in both the drama club production and the Nutcracker, and while performing beautifully onstage, back stage she worked tirelessly with costumes, child supervision and cleaning up. This spring, Annie continues her work with Terpsichore and the spring production and has been an essential member of the ensemble for The Addams Family. She helps keep the younger students focused and organized and has served as the productions Dance Captain. Her work in the arts is complemented by her involvement in ChemClub and newspaper. For ChemClub she has volunteered every time we have had grade 3 students over. She comes to all of our own events."
Grade 10 Nominees: Lindzey Murillo, Rayssa Oliviera, Victoria Ruo
Grade 10 Winner: Lindzey Murillo: "She is an outstanding role model with a great sense of humor. She is always doing the right thing and never complains. She is totally deserving of this award."
Grade 11 Nominees: Jack Burns
Grade 11 Winner: Jack Burns: "He is an outstanding student and role model to all students. Recently I saw a very kind act that he exhibited with another one of my students. He does the right thing without even being asked."
Grade 12 Nominees: Devon Gatz, Ray DeMarco, Derek Lazare
Grade 12 Winner: Ray DeMarco: "Ray has been wonderful working with the Grade 3 students this year. The Grade 3 teachers have all complimented him on how partners with their students. Additionally, Ray has worked hard to get the Chess Club off the ground as part of his senior project. This group has been meeting almost every week since October."
8th Grade to 9th Grade Step Up Night
JED Team Visits MHS
Student Council Assembly Returns
MHS Competes in Vans High School Custom Culture
Vans High School Custom Culture was created to inspire and empower high school students to embrace their creativity through art and design and bring attention to diminishing arts education budgets. Vans believes everyone should be empowered to express themselves creatively and should be given the tools to do so. Custom Culture High School is a national high school customization competition using blank Vans shoes to be customized around the specific themes.
Millis High School was honored and excited to take part in this competition. Frankie Pizzarella and Lauren Costa created the Hometown Pride entry and Maryn Cyr and Mackenzie Sullivan designed the VanD(IY)oren Legacy shoes.
Worldwide Support for Ukraine with Art
Online Art Teachers (a group of 24,000+ members from over 120 countries) wish for peace for the school children, teachers, school administrators and staff, and the parents, grandparents, and people of Ukraine through the artmaking of their member art teachers and their students.
Group members from 47 schools, including Millis, and four global continents, collectively shared over 1500 artworks compiled into a Google SlideShow of support. From this slide show, OATK12 has made a downloadable poster file and shared here in an effort to share the sentiment expressed in this beautiful artwork by school children from outside of Ukraine with the people of Ukraine.
This is a link to the poster download, a digital quilt of all submitted student artwork
This is a link to the Google Slide Show with student artwork
April is National Month of Hope
The Countdown Begins....
May 13th
May 16th will begin Senior Project Presentations Week. Keep checking back here as more Senior announcements are posted.
~ Happening Around Millis ~
TYLER ANGEL
Police Officer
MHS Class of 2014
Did you attend college?
I attended Westfield State University and graduated with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and a minor in sociology.
What is your profession?
I am a police officer for the town of Millis, MA.
What skills do you find yourself needing most at work?
The skills I find needing most at work are being detail oriented, having good communication skills, integrity, good deescalation techniques, being a team player, and an active listener.
Do the skills and values that you learned at MHS help you in your professional life?
The teachers and staff at MHS prepared me for my future by instilling values, and hard work that I still carry with me today. As someone who had the pleasure of growing up in Millis, and now getting to work here protecting and serving the community, I cannot say enough good things about what MHS and MPS have done for me. The sense of community that Millis holds has given me great relationships throughout the town, and friendships that I still have today.
April 1, 2022
~ This Week at MHS ~
Term 3 Grades Close
Chem Club and Third Grade Experiments
On Friday, ChemClub and Chem II welcomed Ms. Carlson’s third grade class for a round of chemistry experiments. The students conducted a flame test first. In a flame test, wooden splints are soaked in a metal ion solution which, when heated in a flame, cause the flame to change color. They observed six known and then had to identify an unknown based on their data. In the second half of the period, students conducted Calorimetry to determine the caloric content in Cheez-Its, potato chips and marshmallows. They had to predict which they thought would have the most to the least, then burned the food samples and used the generated heat to warm water. At the end of the session some of the observations included:
"I didn’t know fire could change color."
"Sugar catches fire faster than oils." (when they heated the chip the carbs burned but the oil dripped out onto the bench)
"I didn’t know that everyday metals could make colors."
The remaining third grade classes will be joining Chem II and ChemClub over the next few weeks.
Students Screen Transend by Ethan Vara
Ms. Mannion’s class welcomed director/photographer/editor and 2013 Millis High alumni Ethan Vara to the studio earlier this week. To prepare for this event, students screened a film Ethan Vara and Brian Walsh made called, Transend (about Motorcycle Racing). The film has been selected for festivals around the world. Ethan also showed some of his other projects including a film he worked on which was used to introduce the foreign film nominees at the 2017 Academy Awards. In addition to working on his own projects, Ethan works at the Mayor’s TV Studio in Boston and freelances for Northeastern basketball. Pictured with Ethan is Liam Walsh who is currently shooting and directing a film on bicycle racing for his senior project. Liam had the opportunity to meet with Ethan to ask questions and get feedback specific to his film.
Global Scholars World Challenge Group
Under the mentorship of our Global Scholars advisors, Mrs. Ames, Mr. Fallon and Ms. Ziemba, our Global Scholars students, had their first MHS Global Scholars World Challenge during Flex Block this week. The Global Scholars Challenge is based on the following categories set forth by the Academic World-quest group.
Where Climate and Migration Meet
Afghanistan: End of the 20-Year U.S.-Led Intervention
Human-Centered Agenda to the Future of Work
CDC and the Global Health Agenda
Technology and Democracy: Threat or Promise
Great Decisions
21st Century Money: Dollars to Digital Currencies
Working for Peace through Legacies of War: The Case of Vietnam
Insecurity in China's Neighborhood
Current Events
Congratulations to the The Winning Group of.....
Ben Pudelka
Brooke Whelan
Lilly Cassidy
Mia Molinari
MHS Welcomes MA GSA Student Leadership
Prom Tickets On Sale
Attention Juniors and Seniors:
Prom tickets are now on sale. Prom tickets can be purchased during both lunches for $75 a ticket. Make sure your class dues are paid in full. They must be paid in order to buy a prom ticket. Students can contact a class officer for more information on their class dues status. Tickets will only be sold for 2 weeks so don’t wait. Don’t miss out on your opportunity to attend our first real prom in 2 years. Guest contracts are available in the Main Office.
Course Selection for 2022-23 School Year Begins
Millis High School Counselors, Riley Dunn and Megan McCarthy, met with students last week to explain the process of course selection for the 2022-23 school year and emailed the MHS Program of Studies 2022-2023 to every student. Students will be choosing their classes through the course registration area in PowerSchool. Teacher recommendations have been made and are posted in the course registration area of each individual student's PowerSchool account. The system is now open for students to enter their course selections.
The school counselors started meeting with students individually during their English classes this week, in order to ensure they are taking appropriate schedules and meeting graduation requirements. The meetings will continue on Monday with sophomores and juniors, and begin with freshmen starting on April 5th. The English teachers will be informing the students when their day for course selection meetings falls. Courses need to be selected in the PowerSchool system prior to that meeting. It is critical that you review your student's course selections with them and that they are completed on time for the meeting with the school counselor. The course selection system will be shut down for outside access when the scheduling period is over for each class.
If you have questions about the courses your son/daughter was recommended for, please have your son/daughter speak to their individual teacher or feel free to contact the teacher yourself. Each teacher makes course recommendations after a great deal of time and consideration with the best interests of the students at heart. If you have any further questions about the scheduling process, please do not hesitate to contact the School Counseling office at 508-376-7010. We look forward to working with you through the course selection process.
Megan McCarthy and Riley Dunn
School Counselors
Parents Night Out! - Last Day to Register Today
Colin Christie's Senior Project CPR Class
Final Week
Staff Trivia Winners
Spring Athletics Begins....
Boys Volleyball kicks the spring season off today with a match at Milford. JV starts at 5:00 followed by Varsity at 6:00. Busy schedule next week. Spring athletics are ready to go! Click the schedule link for all the upcoming games and matches.
~ Happening Around Millis ~
MOLLY BREEN
Teacher
MHS Class of 2010
Did you attend college?
I graduated from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in 2014 with a major in Health Science and a dual minor in Spanish and Education. Currently, I am just a couple classes away from completing my Master of Arts in Teaching from Bridgewater State University.
What is your profession?
I am a high school science teacher at Blackstone-Millville Regional High School. I teach mostly Biology but I also teach Biomedical Science, Anatomy & Physiology and Physics. I also coach the girls varsity basketball and tennis teams at BMR and I am the assistant girls soccer coach right here at Millis High School.
What skills do you find yourself needing most at work?
The skills I have to utilize most at work are interpersonal skills such as communication and collaboration. My job involves working with lots of teenagers so it is important that I am able to communicate clearly and help my students learn to navigate social interactions. Obviously I want my students to learn science, but I also want them to learn to be good people and a lot of that comes through clear and kind communication. Collaboration is another skill I utilize daily. My coworkers and I are constantly working together to brainstorm and design new curriculum, to determine how to best reach our students or to adjust our plans to meet the needs of struggling learners. Two other skills I utilize on a daily basis are problem solving and creativity. I like that I have the freedom in my job to create my own lesson plans and I challenge myself to find ways to make them more interesting, engaging and effective. I am regularly using problem solving and creativity to come up with new lessons or adjust old ones for improvement.
Do the skills and values that you learned at MHS help you in your professional life?
The skills and values I learned at MHS have definitely helped me in my career. Although the saying of small school big family may be corny, it has definitely stuck with me and reminds me that to be successful it takes a community or a family behind you. This has inspired me to try to be one of those people for my students; one of the people in their corner supporting them, rooting for them and challenging them to be the best version of themselves. I also learned the value of hard work through my classes and athletics at MHS which allowed me to be successful in college and beyond. Looking back, I can confidently say MHS prepared me to take my next steps into the real world.
Millis High School
Small School.. Big Family
The Millis Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, age, gender identity, religion, national origins, sexual orientation, disability or homelessness.
Website: https://hs.millisps.org/
Location: Millis High School, Plain Street, Millis, MA, USA
Phone: 508-376-7010
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Millis-High-School-1743691028988870/
Twitter: @millishigh
Attendance Line Contact Options
Options to Report Your Students Attendance
hsattendance@millisschools.org
or
508-376-7010 ~ extension 713*
or
508-376-7010 ~ press 1*
*PLEASE NOTE DISMISSALS CAN NOT BE CALLED IN. PARENT/GUARDIAN MUST SEND A NOTE/EMAIL OR COME IN TO THE BUILDING TO DIRECTLY SIGN THEIR STUDENT OUT.