PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL
Family Update
May 6, 2024
Dear Pierce Families,
This week’s newsletter includes details about upcoming events in and around the school community. If you would like to view this newsletter in another language, you'll find the translate button at the top right corner of the document.
Please do not hesitate to be in touch with any questions.
Sincerely,
William Fish, Ed.D.
Principal
Upcoming Dates
- May 9th – AMPlify Arts fair (Pierce cafeteria @ 5:00 p.m.)
May 13th – Washington, D.C. trip family meeting (6:30 p.m. @ Pierce auditorium)
- May 13th & May 14th – Science, technology & engineering MCAS (grade 8 only)
- May 16th & May 17th – Math MCAS (grades 6-8)
- May 22nd-May 24th – 8th grade Washington, D.C. trip
May 24th – Early release day (11:21 a.m. dismissal)
Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. AAPI Heritage Month is an annual celebration that recognizes the historical and cultural contributions of individuals and groups of Asian and Pacific Islander descent to the United States. The AAPI umbrella term includes cultures from the entire Asian continent – including East, Southeast and South Asia – and the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. Below are some links to resources for AAPI History Month (www.history.com).
Library of Congress (www.asian pacific heritage.gov)
History Channel (https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/asian-american-pacific-islander-heritage-month)
Staff Appreciation Week
This week, Pierce will be joining schools across the country to celebrate the entire staff. We would greatly appreciate any support the families can provide whether it is donating food/treats, gift cards, money through Venmo (jacqueline-mullen-4) or offering to help set up and clean up. The sign-iup links are listed below. Please bring donations to the main office by the morning of the daily event. Thank you all so much!!
This is what the week looks like:
Monday
Soup & Salad – The staff will be treated to salads and crockpots full of delicious soups. Please use this link to sign-up and donate: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0444ADAE28A7FC1-49307968-souper
Tuesday
Café Tuesday – The PTO will be providing a mobile café. Staff will be served coffees, lattes, teas, hot chocolates, etc. Breakfast will also be provided. Please use this link to sign-up and donate breakfast items: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0444ADAE28A7FC1-49323052-cafe
Wednesday
Catered Lunch – The PTO will be providing a catered lunch from Buck & Bloom.
Thursday
Thank You/Gift Card Thursday – Please send messages of appreciation to Pierce staff members in the form of emails, written messages, verbal messages, pictures, etc. Please donate gift cards to be raffled off each hour to staff members. The more gift cards we have, the greater the chance most of the staff members can win. To donate gift cards, please use this link to sign-up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0444ADAE28A7FC1-49315492-winthursday
Friday
Treats Friday – The staff will be treated to scoop of delicious homemade ice cream donated by The Ice Creamsmith in Lower Mills. To donate additional treats, please use this link to sign-up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0444ADAE28A7FC1-49315585-treat
If you have any questions, please email the PTO at Piercemiddlepto@gmail.com.
8th Grade End of Year Celebration Dates
We are working on planning several events to celebrate our 8th graders later this spring. Below please find a few key dates for your calendar.
June 13th: 8th grade social (6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m., Pierce cafeteria)
June 14th: 8th grade awards assemblies (8:00 a.m.-11:45 a.m., Pierce auditorium)
June 14th: Field day (12:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m., Kelly Field)
There will be four 8th grade awards ceremonies on June 14th.
8:00 a.m.-8:45 a.m.: All 8th grade students; parents/guardians of students receiving awards at the whole-grade ceremony will be invited to attend this event too
9:00 a.m.-9:45 a.m.: Orion team awards; all Orion students and Orion parents/guardians are invited to attend
10:00 a.m.-10:45 a.m.: Phoenix team awards; all Phoenix students and Phoenix parents/guardians are invited to attend
11:00 a.m.-11:45 a.m.: Aquarius team awards; all Aquarius students and Aquarius parents/guardians are invited to attend
AMPlify Arts Showcase
Save the Date! Pierce Middle School's Second Annual AMPlify Arts Showcase will take place on Thursday, May 9th, 2024 from 5pm - 7pm in the Pierce Cafeteria. This event will showcase and celebrate the incredible skills and talents of Pierce students in the visual arts and music - you won't want to miss it!
Congratulations to the winner of our student designed AMPlify Arts logo contest, Emily Zheng. Emily's design was selected by student vote.
Private School Plans
If you have made the decision to send your child to another school (private, parochial or different school district) for next year, please contact your child's school counselor with that information. We are in the process of planning next year's classes/teams and need to have this information as soon as possible.
Extended School Year - Summer 2024
ESY 2024 is quickly approaching! For more information, please refer to our 2023 ESY website. We are looking forward to a fun and educational summer for all students receiving special education services! Please be on the lookout for registration information from your child's Team Chair or Liaison.
Please note that in order to attend ESY Services, your child’s IEP must be returned signed to your building’s Team Chair. Any questions or concerns regarding ESY should be emailed directly to esy@miltonps.org.
MCAS Dates
The dates of the spring 2024 MCAS administration are as follows:
Grade 8 STE – May 13th & May 14th
Grades 6, 7 & 8 Math – May 16th & May 17th
Grade 8 civics field test – May 30th
Family Resources
Please reach out to Marti O’Keefe McKenna, Family Outreach Liaison, at (617)980-7343 or mmckenna@miltonps.org with any questions you might have about MPS programs, the upcoming school year or if you are in need of a resource. All calls and emails are confidential. All updates on Family Resources – food, heating assistance, health insurance, financial assistance, contacts – can be found at this link.
Reporting Student Attendance
Families are asked to complete this form to communicate information about their student’s attendance. The form can be used to report student absences, tardies and dismissals.
District News and Events
Milton Summer Enrichment
It's time to sign up for MSE!
- MSE runs from July 1-26 at Milton High School (no programming July 4th + 5th)
- Enjoy MSE favorites including tennis, Engineering is for Everyone, and Wildcat Soccer.
- New classes for Summer 2024 include MSE:Taylor's Version, The Wiffle Wizards, Learn to Draw for Beginners and more!
- Collicot and Cunningham technology teacher Sara Doherty will be teaching some exciting classes including Storytelling with Kibo Robots, Creative Projects with Google Apps, and Creative Coding with Scratch
MSE is a fabulous ways to spend some of your summer days. Milton Summer Enrichment (MSE) registration is open on Family ID and the MSE 2024 Brochure is linked here. Join the summer fun at MSE!
Grace + Grit 5K
Please join us for the third annual Grace+Grit 5K which is being held on Saturday, May 18th at the Glover School. This race is held in honor of Katie Crowell, Glover’s past PTO president, who was an amazing member of our community.
Visit https://racewire.com/register.php?id=14048 for additional information.
Safe Firearms Storage
US Education Secretary Cardona has asked School Principals and District Administrators to share this letter with information encouraging safe firearms storage. He urgently pressed principals to promote safe and responsible firearm storage in a press conference earlier this year. Thank you to MPS parent Annie Busch for the reminder to share this important information with the MPS community.
Helpful Contacts
Ms. Janice Mazzola, Assistant Principal, jmazzola@miltonps.org
Dr. Matthew Maré, Assistant Principal, mmare@miltonps.org
Mrs. Erin Jaquette, Grade 6 School Counselor, ejaquette@miltonps.org
Mrs. Lisa Veldran, Grade 7 School Counselor, lveldran@miltonps.org
Mrs. Erica Benjamin, Grade 8 School Counselor, ebenjamin@miltonps.org
Mrs. Myriam Francoeur, School Adjustment Counselor, mfrancoeur@miltonps.org
Mrs. Lynne Henry, School Adjustment Counselor, lhenry@miltonps.org
Mrs. Kara Sheridan, School Adjustment Counselor, ksheridan@miltonps.org
Ms. Amanda Gray, Special Education Team Chair, agray@miltonps.org
Dr. Seth Harmon, Special Education Team Chair, sharmon@miltonps.org
Mrs. Marti O'Keefe McKenna, Family Outreach Liaison, mmckenna@miltonps.org
Mrs. Sandra Wyse, Administrative Assistant, swyse@miltonps.org
Mrs. Kristen Lesser, Administrative Assistant, klesser@miltonps.org
Pierce Middle School
Email: wfish@miltonps.org
Website: https://www.miltonps.org/pierce/
Location: 451 Central Avenue, Milton, MA, USA
Phone: (617)696-4568