Dear Parents and Guardians,

I hope this message finds you well. It has been a fantastic week at school, filled with exciting learning opportunities and engaging activities for our students. From Spooky Stories, to the STEAM Fair launch to middle schoolers leading an activity for a group at CFB, this week has been a fun one. As we will continue with our parent-teacher conferences this coming Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, we are eager to discuss your child's progress and achievements. If you haven't yet signed up, spots are still available: LINK TO SIGN UP. Students will be released at 10:55AM on Tuesday(11/7) and Wednesday (11/8) and there will be no school on Friday 11/10 in observance of Veterans Day. Kindly note that the latest progress reports are now accessible on the PowerSchool portal, allowing you to track your child's academic journey. Detailed instructions for accessing and interpreting this feedback is available through this document. We strongly believe that effective communication between home and school is crucial for your child's success. Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you for your continued support in your child's education!

Mrs. Samantha Laney, our beloved Social Studies teacher was hurt in an accident earlier this fall. We are so happy to share that she has been discharged from the hospital and her rehabilitation facility. Now, moving back home she will still need a great deal of care and support. If possible, please consider a donation to help Sam and her family.

We have arrived at the midpoint of our first trimester and we would like to share a progress report to let you know how your child is currently performing. We have several educational tools and platforms that we use to track student learning. Google Classroom is a learning platform for organizing assignments and sharing learning materials with students. PowerSchool is our Learning Management System that houses essential student information such as schedules, contact information and grading information. We are moving toward a paperless reporting system so you will access your child’s progress reports and report cards via the PowerSchool Portal. Detailed instructions for navigating PowerSchool are included below!

Academic learning standards are rated 1, 2, 3, 4 and Learner and Expectations/Student Habits are rated E, N, S, C as detailed below...

• What are you learning about in each class?

• Have you completed all of your work and turned it in on time? (Practice is an important part of learning.)

• What would you like to practice at home so that you can improve?

• What do you need to show that you know, understand and can do in each class?

• Do you think you are making progress? How do you know? What’s your evidence?

• How have you improved? How do you keep trying?

• What learning goals have you set?

• Tell me about your strengths as a learner. How can you continue to improve?

• How do you participate in class and work collaboratively with your classmates?

• How are you respectful, inclusive of everyone, and how do you see other people’s points of view?

• What is my child expected to learn this trimester in this class? How are they asked to demonstrate it?

• Has my child been completing the practice work and assignments?

• Is there a learning standard we should be practicing at home?

• What resources are available for my child to practice?

• What has been assessed lately?

• Is my child on track and making progress?

• What happens if my child needs extra time to learn and demonstrate learning?

• What are my child’s strengths and weaknesses?

• Does my child’s work show effort and persistence?

• Is my child a good classroom citizen?

• How can I best support my child?

** IMPORTANT: You MUST use a computer for best access to the features of the parent portal. It is not compatible with cell phone or tablet views.

The parent portal screens have been customized to better communicate learning progress and show standards that are connected to assignments.

To view your child’s midterm progress report:

• Log in with parent account access information.

• In the upper left corner select your child to view

• Click Student Reports- this will take you to a printable report of all of your child’s teachers comments and feedback at midterm. Please be sure to click the blue button on the upper left to digitally sign off that you’ve seen this information.

To find the parent PowerSchool Portal, look for PowerSchool under the “Parents” tab.

If you need help using the portal, please call the Middle School office at 508-376-7014.

To view your student’s performance on Academic Standards and Learner Expectations:

• You will see a list of courses on the "QUICK LOOKUP" tab

• Click on the "Standards Grades" tab for a different view of "Current Sections"

• This will display each of the courses your student is enrolled in. You may click each course's name for additional information or click the button “Expand All” to open all scores for Learner Expectations (E, S, NI, C) and Progress on Academic Standards (1, 2, 3, 4). On this same screen, you may click the icon which will reveal all of the personalized teacher comments as well.

• The score shown is a summary score for the trimester, which reflects the average of the three most recent scores for the standard. (Currently specific standards are listed in PowerSchool for Math, ELA, SS, Science, and Spanish courses.) The Y1 score is an average for the year. The trend column is an indication of progress.

To view individual assignments and assessments in PowerSchool

• You will see a list of courses on the "QUICK LOOKUP" tab

• Click on the [ i ] next to a course name in the appropriate trimester column. (T1, T2, T3)

• You will see a list of assignments for the course. Click on the blue box under the “FLAGS” heading to open the standards that are attached to the assignment and scored.

• Also look in the "Flags" column for icons to show assignments have been completed, or are missing, late, incomplete, exempt, or if a student was absent.

• See the "Legend" at the bottom that explains the icons in the flags column. For example, Red circle = handed in late; Orange circle = assignment missing; Green circle = collected and handed in on time.

• Look in the far right column for the word “view”, which indicates that the teacher has added a comment on that particular assignment or assessment. Click on “view” to see the comment box.

In Millis, we honor each student as an individual learner, recognizing that each student has his or her own learning styles, interests, passions, challenges to learning, strengths and skill levels. We engage, support and challenge all students through varied instructional approaches that help students take ownership of their learning. Students are afforded voice, choice and flexibility in how they learn and are allowed to demonstrate their understanding in various ways to improve student well-being and ensure that they are "future ready".

Interested in more information about our process and Standards Based Grading?

Check out the resources here on our website tab for Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment.

Please remember that Clyde F. Brown School property is off-limits for middle school students until after 3:30 PM on weekdays (Monday to Friday). Your safety and the smooth operation of the school are our top priorities. Thank you for respecting this rule!

• Parent Teacher Conferences - November 7 & 8th (afternoon, 12-2:30)

• Early Release, dismissal @10:55 - Tuesday, November 7th & Wednesday, November 8th

• Veteran's Day - November 10th, No School

• MMS School Council Mtg, Virtual 3:30-4:15 11/13/23

• Picture Retake Day - November 14, please be sure to return first photos!
• MMS sharing School Improvement Plan w/ School Committee 11/14/23 7pm
• Early Release, dismissal @ 10:55 - November 22nd
• Thanksgiving Break - No School - Thursday, November 23rd & Friday, November 24th

To request a copy of a transcript for your child, please email cmullally@millisschools.org or have your child bring the needed paperwork to the front office to the attention of Mrs. Cheri Mullally. We will be happy to help you with these requests. Please be sure to provide ample time prior to deadlines for us to ensure all materials are prepared in a timely manner. A minimum of two weeks is required. If your child needs a recommendation letter, please share that request through the provided platforms (such as Ravenna) and follow up with a personalized request to the desired author of the letter. Again, please be considerate of time and provide ample notice for these materials.

Tri-County Vocational School is having their Open House this weekend, Saturday, November 4th, 10AM-2PM, click here to register, and Tri-County applications can be accessed here.

Norfolk Agricultural School is also welcoming applications for next year which are accessible here.

Thank you Millis families for making it out to the Middle/High School auditorium for the "Navigating the Digital Jungle: Things you should know because your child already does…" presentation. If you were unable to attend, the slides are linked above, as well as a video recording that can be found here. Please take some time to review the slides or watch the video to hear a little more about how you can work with your children/our students to create a safe online space for learning and living in this digital age.

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

Picture retake day will be Tuesday, November 14th. Students who would like a retake must return their original Portrait Package to the photographer on the Retake Day.

Attention 7th and 8th graders!

Have you ever wanted to fix your own computer? For Andrew Butch's senior project, he is looking for students who are interested in joining an intro class on how to repair chromebooks in preparation for the High School S.H.O.P. program. The course will be three classes long and will go over the basics of troubleshooting, chromebook repair, parts replacement, and more! For those who are interested, see the form in your student email.

Please note that this class will take place after Winter Break. The dates and location are to be determined. For more information, read the description of the form, or email Andrew Butch at andbut24@millisschools.org.

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 haven't done so, please update your student (s) information with the most current, accurate information in PowerSchool.

If you have any questions or log in issues, please contact cliberty@millisschools.org.

Dear Parent or Guardian,

To make sure we give the best possible education and services to children in Millis, we want to learn about their attitudes and behaviors with regard to a variety of health issues. In order to accomplish this, students attending Millis Middle School are being asked to participate in a survey called the MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey. Millis Middle School has been participating in this survey since 2006. The questions on the survey cover many topics including alcohol, tobacco and other drug use; violence and safety; nutrition and physical activity; online behaviors; and mental health. This project will help our district develop and enhance its health education and prevention programs. We will be giving this online survey to students in grades 6-8 on November 7, 2023.

The survey is anonymous, meaning your child will not be asked to provide their name, and no one will know how they respond. There will be no identifying information collected on the survey, and there will be no way to link your child’s responses to their identity.

Completing this survey is voluntary. Your child’s grades in school will not be affected by whether or not they participate. Your child can also decide not to take the survey or skip any question they don’t wish to answer.

The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment is a Federal Law that requires us to notify you ahead of time about the survey, and give you the chance to look at it, so you can let us know if you don’t want your child to take part. If you want to see the survey before deciding, a copy will be available at the high school main office from November 1-6, 2023.

If you DO NOT want your child to take part in the survey, please email Kelly Rao at krao@millisschools.org by November 6, 2023.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Kelly Rao, Director of Student Affairs, at krao@millisschools.org.

Late bus available on Wednesdays at 3:25 pm for all students to take, regardless if they take the bus regularly or not.

On October 30th and 31st, middle school students were treated to scary stories written by Ms. Fillebrown's high school Creative Writing class and performed by Mr. Caulfield's high school Speech Class. Many stories featured some extra-twisted endings that the students loved!

Click on the link below to order Millis swag

username: MILLIS

password: ATHLETICS

Deadline for orders has been extended to November 6th.

click on the link below for millis middle school sports and schedules

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security has updated information on enhanced 9-1-1 services available to citizens.

"Text to 911" allows a person who is unable to speak or hear to communicate via text with a 9-1-1 dispatcher.

The second feature is the "Silent Call Procedure," which allows a person who is unable to speak to call 9-1-1 and when the call is answered by the dispatcher to press the following digits on their phone:

1 for police

2 for fire

3 for ambulance, so the dispatcher can immediately send help.

The slides listed below provide more information on these 9-1-1 features...

BC Splash is a program where middle and high school students can take classes taught by Boston College Students. There are classes on everything from the history of the Vietnam War to Surfing 101. The program is a wonderful opportunity for students to explore their interests and have a great day on the Boston College campus. This semester, the program will take place on Sunday, November 19th, from 10 am - 3 pm, and lunch will be provided. You can register by visiting the website at https://bcsplash.learningu.org or by using the QR code in the poster below.

We hope students are enjoying the benefits of using Chromebooks for their education. As we continue through the school year, it's essential to remember the importance of responsible technology usage. Responsible technology usage is not only about protecting your device but also about creating a positive digital environment for everyone in our school community.

Here are a few key points to keep in mind:

1. Respect Your Device: Treat your Chromebook with care. Avoid rough handling, spills, and using it on unstable surfaces. Remember, it's a valuable tool for your education.

2. Digital Etiquette: Be mindful of your online behavior. Always use appropriate language, show kindness, and respect others in your digital communications.

3. Protect Your Privacy: Safeguard your personal information. Don't share your passwords or personal details online, and be cautious about what you post or share on the internet.

4. Stay Focused: Use your Chromebook for educational purposes during class time. Avoid distractions from games, social media, or unrelated websites that can disrupt your learning.

5. Cyberbullying Awareness: Never engage in cyberbullying, and report it if you see it happening. Be a supportive and empathetic classmate online, just as you would in person.

6. Copyright and Fair Use: Respect copyright laws. When using online content, make sure you have the right to use it, and give credit to the original creators when necessary.

7. Digital Footprint: Remember that your online actions leave a digital trail. Your online presence can affect your future, so think twice before posting or sharing something.

8. Security Awareness: Stay vigilant about online security. Keep your device updated, use strong, unique passwords, and be cautious about downloading files or clicking on links from unknown sources.

9. Time Management: Strive for a healthy balance between screen time and other activities. Take breaks, get fresh air, and engage in physical activities for your well-being.

10. Ask for Help: If you ever encounter problems or have questions about responsible technology use, don't hesitate to ask a teacher, librarian, or a trusted adult for guidance.