Archived December 2024

• 12/23 - 1/2 Winter Break

• 1/8-1/9 DECA Competition

• 1/17 - Term 2 Ends

• 1/20 - No School MLK Day

• 1/31 - Early Release all grades

Dear Parents and Guardians,

First, I’d like to express my sincere appreciation for all those who attended and supported our Winter Concert. It was truly a night to remember, showcasing the incredible talents of both our band and chorus. The performances were excellent, and our students did an amazing job of bringing joy and holiday spirit to our school community. A huge thank you to our chorus and band directors, Mr. Femino and Ms. Norton, and all of our performers for their hard work and dedication! The band also welcomed our Clyde Brown students to school this morning, which really seemed to energize the younger students. See pictures down below in the newsletter.

I am thrilled to share that many of our senior students have begun receiving early action college acceptances this week. It’s been an exciting time in the main office as students have come in to share their great news with us. We celebrate these accomplishments with them and look forward to even more successes from all of our seniors in the coming months.

As we approach the holiday season, I want to extend my warmest wishes to all of our families who celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa. May this season bring you joy, peace, and cherished moments with your family and friends. For those who do not celebrate, I hope you too enjoy the time to rest and reflect as we head into the New Year.

On behalf of the entire staff, I want to wish you all a safe and happy winter break! We look forward to welcoming your student back in 2025 with renewed energy and excitement.

Sincerely,

Patrick Nash, MHS Principal

Congratulations to all the students who made the 2024-25 Millis High School Honor Roll for Quarter 1. Students earning High Honors carried all grades of A- or better, while students earning Honors carried all grades that were A's and B's.

Click here to view the Q1 Honor Roll

Your Yearbook photos and Write-ups are due next month!

1) Seniors are able to submit their own portraits. Your portraits should be submitted on the Yearbook Google classroom as an assignment and are due by January 31. If you do not submit your own portrait, we will use your school photo.
2) Your yearbook Write-Up is an assignment on this classroom as well and is also due January 31.

If you have any questions, please let Mrs Graham know by email or stop by room 112. SGraham@millisschools.org.
Thank you!

Grade 9 Nominees: Jocelyn Bibeau and Keilina Navas

Winner: Keilina Navas: "Keilina is a role model for her peers. She has a tremendous work ethic and works above and beyond on all of her assignments. She has excellent problem solving skills."

Grade 10 Nominees: Harrison Loer and Alexis Skerry

Winner: Harrison Loer: "Harrison has really started stepping up his effort and advocating for himself. He was struggling and really started pushing himself to get the help he needed and encouraging others to do the same."

Grade 11 Nominees: Alfredo Furcal Matos and Corinne Banks

Winner: Alfredo Furcal Matos: "Alfredo is a role model for his peers. He does all of his classwork and homework. When he is confused he works hard to understand the material."

Grade 12 Nominees: Amelia Stapels, Vera Medvedeva, Abby Wallace, Kaitlyn Richards

Winner: Vera Medvedeva: "Vera achieved a life goal of being accepted to the college of her choice - 'a dream come true'. That achievement reflects her dedication to academic excellence, positive attitude, and willingness to help others. The last point is exemplified by her motive to teach the after school MS Coding Workshop. To paraphrase her words: 'I want to help others to learn'. The nomination is simply recognition of how far she has come since she joined us a short time ago."

This morning members of our band went over to CFB Elementary school to welcome the students into school! This is part of an initiative to strengthen community bonds between our youngest and oldest students.

Maggie Doherty has been selected as a Finalist for the "Artist of the Week" contest for grades 10-12 on Artsonia.com. Congratulations Maggie!!

Please vote for Maggie by clicking here: Vote now

Vote by end of day December 21. There is a limit one vote per computer per day for each grade group.

Winners will receive commemorative plaques and be featured on the Artsonia homepage. In addition, Blick Art Materials has generously donated $100 gift certificates to the winning schools and $50 to the winning artists.

There’s been so much going on in the Art Room. Take a look at some of our recent highlights.

Glass mosaics by Art 2 and 3:

Art, Design, and New Media students have been creating a variety of seasonal imagery using Google Draw, Google Slides, and Adobe Illustrator:

In Art 1, students have been experimenting with traditional and non-traditional watercolor techniques:

They also learned basic blending techniques using soft pastels:

AP Art and Design students have been busy creating artwork for their Sustained Investigations. They are each exploring their own ideas and themes. Take a look at their current works in progress:

Chemistry I students explore atomic emission by conducting flame tests to identify unknown solutions of metal ions. The electrons in the metals, when energy is added in, will jump up and down and emit colors of light. Each element has a unique color spectrum (rainbow) and by identifying the rainbows in unknowns we can figure out what metals are present.

Chemistry II Students have continued their studies with redox reactions by silver plating glass balls in the same way that mirrors were made in the 1800’s. German scientist Justus Von Liebig invented a silvering technique whereby silver ions are reduced (pick up electrons) from dextrose (a sugar solution). This method was much less expensive than the techniques developed by the Italians in the 1600s and made mirrored glass much more accessible.

Many MHS Staff Members took part in No Shave November for men's mental health awareness. Students were invited to vote for a winner. Congratulations Mr MacGowan for winning the most votes!

No Shave November is a national movement that helps raise awareness and funds for essential cancer education, prevention, and patient care. Your hair becomes a symbol of support for those battling cancer and sparks conversations that matter.

This week's Winter Concert was a great success! Congratulations to all the performers, and to Mr. Femino and Mrs. Norton for all their hard work in putting this spectacular show together!

The Brook Trout Fish eggs have arrived from the Massachusetts Wildlife Fisheries. The eggs are being kept nice and cold (45 º F) in Room 117.

Once we return in January the eggs will be warmed to 54 º F and will hatch.

Please come stop by and have a look.

Once the eggs are hatched the "Fish are Friends" club will start up again.

Pursuant to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Millis High School is required to provide, upon request, the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of current students to the armed forces' recruiters and institutions of higher education who request them unless the student and/or parent/guardian has submitted a request indicating that such information is not to be released. If a student or that student's parent/guardian does not want such information to be released, they must notify the principal in writing. You only need to fill out this form if you DO NOT want information shared with armed forces recruiters and institutions of higher learning.

Here is the link to the Armed Forces Opt-Out Form

For the most up-to-date information on the Millis Middle/High School Building Project, please go to the following website: https://www.millisschoolproject.com/.

The MS/HS Library Wish List is out. Please check out our website for links and information

We ran a fun contest this month with baby/child photos and fun facts about staff members on a bulletin board. Students were able to scan a QR code and enter their guesses on a Google Form. Congratulations to Klara Sieczkiewicz who guessed 17 out of 21 staff members correctly.

Our newspaper has published its second issue of the year. You can find it online here .

Show us your support by subscribing to receive a hard copy or advertising with us.

The Millis Leos conducted a holiday gift card and toy drive for Millis Families. It was a great success.

Please donate your gently used clothing, shoes, toys, books & accessories to the Peer Leaders' Thrift Shop

Environmental Action has created a Sustainable Wrapping Station located in the library. Any student or staff member is encouraged to bring in gifts that need to be wrapped. Members will wrap all gifts with recycled and sustainable materials. The Station raises awareness about the unnecessary waste caused by the holidays and encourages the community not to go out to buy wrapping paper. Go see them in the library!

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You are all welcome with your kids on Saturday, December 21 to the free kids author event in Millis at Niagara Coffee Haus featuring nationally published children’s book authors. You can register here to reserve space or just show up at the door any time from 11am to 2pm to hear live music, meet the authors and browse books for last minute gifts.

Visit NiagaraCoffeeHaus.org for more info. Pre-register here.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to take a moment to share some important updates from this past week and highlight some of the exciting events happening here at the high school.

At this week's School Committee meeting, I had the opportunity to join Ms. Hurley, our Middle School Principal, to present on the addition and renovation plans currently being reviewed by the School Building Committee. As part of our presentation, the school administration has carefully examined the proposed renovation plans to ensure that they align with our educational goals while also maintaining fiscal responsibility. We have been focused on ensuring that each proposal addresses the unique needs of our students, providing both an enriching learning environment and the flexibility to meet future demands. We are committed to selecting a plan that will enhance the educational experience for all our students, both now and in the years to come. The School Committee meeting can be viewed here. The Millis HS/MS Building Project website can be viewed down below in the newsletter.

On another note, I would like to recognize senior Abby Wallace for her outstanding leadership during the recent Stop The Bleed training session for Millis Public Schools' staff. As part of her senior project, Abby took the initiative to lead a session for our staff on this important life-saving technique. Her preparation and dedication to teaching others were evident, and I am proud of the way she represented our school community. Abby’s work is a great example of how our students are not only excelling academically but also making a positive impact on the lives of others.

Finally, I want to share some exciting news regarding our winter sports teams. Tonight marks the beginning of our winter season, with several of our teams in action. Our boys' basketball team will be playing at home at 6:30 PM against Dover-Sherborn, and our girls' basketball team will be competing away at D-S at 6:00 PM. Additionally, both the boys' and girls' track teams will be competing at the Reggie Lewis Center, with events starting at 5:30 PM. Our boys' ice hockey co-op with Bellingham will play at ASIAF Arena in Brockton at 5:00 PM. I encourage you to come out and support our athletes, and I wish all of our teams the best of luck as they kick off their seasons!

* I wanted to add a quick note that our opt-out form for our Armed Forces Release of Information is available below in this newsletter.

Thank you,

Patrick Nash, MHS Principal

Chemistry II students transitioned from their study of acids and bases to redox reaction by producing copper plated ornaments from steel plates. We looked at the property of acids whereby they react with metals to produce hydrogen gas as we removed the zinc galvanization from steel plates. We then applied acidified cupric nitrate to the exposed steel which allowed us to deposit copper atoms on the steel plate, thereby copper plating it. Both reactions are examples of redox reactions.

Stop the Bleed Training

During this week's Professional Development session, staff members were trained in the American College of Surgeons' 'Stop the Bleed' program. This important training was organized by Abigail Wallace in conjunction with Millis Fire Dept. as part of her Senior Project. Representatives from Boston Medical Center were also there to support the training. Abby has managed to secure a donation of 40 Stop the Bleed kits for Millis Schools. The training was presented by Abby in a clear and easy to understand manner and staff were able to practice packing wounds and using tourniquets. Way to go Abby!

Yoga, Hiking and Volleyball were also available to staff members to take part in as part of a 'self-care' themed Professional Development session.

A seasonal decorative craft was also on offer along with cookie decorating! Staff members could choose one or two of these activities depending on the length of the chosen activities.

During December 11th's Advisory session, Mrs. Knabel's group played a holiday themed Kahoot game and made a gingerbread house.

Congratulations to all the athletes that received their Varsity Jackets this week! Winter application is now open! Jackets are sponsored by Millis Boosters and are available to all athletes who have 3 Varsity Letters
(Not all recipients are pictured) GO MOHAWKS!!!!

A new club began meeting this week. Book Club will meet on H days during both lunches in the library! If you love reading be sure to join and share some of your favorite books with the club!

The members of Terpsichore would like to thank everyone for their support last weekend for a fabulous Nutcracker 2024. We had three full houses and a total of 180 performers and another 25 volunteers over the course of the three performances.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Happy December! It has been an exciting and busy start to the month here at Millis High. We kicked off the month by announcing our Students of the Month for November. Congratulations to Kethelen, Nora, Phoenix and Kaylee, who have demonstrated exceptional academic achievement, leadership, and kindness! In a wonderful twist, our students also had the opportunity to choose a member of the staff for the Staff of the Month award, and this month, Ms. Ames was selected. We are so proud of the positive impact Ms. Ames has on our school community!

Mr. Caulfield’s speech class had the honor of participating in the annual Lions' Club Speech Competition, where students were asked to reflect on the theme, “What is the best advice you have ever received?” Many of our students shared heartfelt and thoughtful responses, with advice passed down from parents, relatives, teachers, and coaches. It was a great reminder of the power of words and the impact that guidance and wisdom can have on our students’ lives. Congratulations to Riley Sullivan, who was selected as the winner for Millis High!

Ms. Cheney’s class took a creative leap in their Anatomy course by using Google Vids to demonstrate the concept of action potential. This hands-on approach gave students an opportunity to engage with the material in a new way. Our Technology Director, Mr. Camire, was on hand to support the class and help integrate technology seamlessly into the lesson. The students were super engaged and interested in learning new technology.

We are so excited about the upcoming Nutcracker Performances this weekend! Our talented students have been working hard, and we can’t wait to see the show. A huge shout-out to the director, Ms. Copice, and to all the performers, who span all three of our schools! The performance schedule is as follows:

• Tonight at 7:00 PM

• Saturday at 1:00 PM

• Sunday at 2:00 PM

Winter sports started up this past week. Teams have been working hard to get ready for their upcoming games and meets. We look forward to watching our winter teams compete! P.S. If you would like to see photos of our student-athletes from the fall season, please see the link further below. Thank you to senior, Andrew Morse, for all of his work on putting these albums together!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Thank you,

Patrick Nash, MHS Principal

Grade 9 Nominees: Serena Solomon, Maxwell Chase, Kethelen Dos Santos

Winner: Kethelen Dos Santos (Nominated TWICE): "Kethelen is an extremely hard worker and diligent in all her work. She is always pleasant in class and friendly. She works well in groups and on her own. She is great about asking questions when she needs clarification. Kethelen is a quiet but really nice addition to class." AND "Kethelen is quietly an outstanding student. She is the definition of GRIT. She is super driven as a student and has had academic success as a result. She is also one of the kindest people that I know. She is very deserving of this recognition."

Grade 10 Nominees: Liam Termini, Nora Doherty, Devin Kruszewsi, Lucy Miller

Winner: Nora Doherty: "Nora is always on task and mentally present in class. She asks great questions and is willing to put in the time necessary to understand material. Her interest in the subject and commitment to learning make for a positive class environment."

Grade 11 Nominees: Phoenix Silva, Leeland Judkins, Mia Young

Winner: Phoenix Silva: "Phoenix is a leader every day in my classroom. Phoenix has a great work ethic, attitude and true curiosity/interest in learning."

Grade 12 Nominees: Hedia Louati and Kaylee Heredia

Winner: Kaylee Heredia: "Kaylee is really good person, loyal friend and good student. She is quick to help others in class. She is kind and has a great smile. She is so quiet, she may fly under the radar, but when you get to know her, you are glad you did. She is also really creative and artistic."

Phoenix, Kethelen, Nora and Kaylee

Congratulations to our November staff member of the month, Señora Ames! Although she stands out all year long, she was especially recognized this month by many of her students for the role she plays in their lives each and every day! She truly embodies what it means to care for students on a deeper level as she starts every class period with “algo nuevo”, meaning “what’s new”. This encourages participation and allows students to talk on an open level about the positives and negatives in their lives. Sra. Ames is extremely enthusiastic, always going the extra mile for her students. Whether she is dressing up to represent Uruguayan culture or bringing in tea bags so her class can try a traditional drink called “mate”, she never fails to keep her students engaged. Simultaneously, she creates a challenging classroom environment that pushes students to be the best they can. All of her assignments are purposeful and encompass the skills needed for her students to thrive in the Spanish language!

The Spanish department, has introduced a new cultural initiative to the High School.

We would like to announce the appearance of a new bulletin board related entirely to Spanish! Our little corner is called: "El rincón del español" (Spanish Corner), and it will be updated weekly with interesting facts related to Spanish-speaking cultures.

Students will be able to find news, memes, songs, poems, riddles and much more. This initiative aims to deepen the learning of Spanish, connecting aspects worked on in class with elements more related to their interests!

Come and check it out. And if you have any recommendations, we'd love to hear from you!

Mr. Camire, technology director, popped into Ms. Cheney's anatomy class this week. Students were experimenting with Google Vids to demonstrate action potential.

Mr. Kraby challenged his class on what is a leader and how do you recognize one. He also dived into the idea of moral compass and ran through thought-provoking scenarios.

On Thursday, Mr. Caulfield's Speech class participated in the annual Lions Club Speech Contest. The topic was "The Best Advice I Ever Received."
The following students participated and all did a fabulous job:

Daniel Delaney

Alicia Ellis

Layne Gerrish

Raven Greeno

Italo Maestre

Angela Noonan

Kelan Riggs

Emily Ruo

Kevin Bryczka

Riley Sullivan

Michaela Vasta

Joe Zangari

Congratulations to the winner, Riley Sullivan!

This holiday season, bring some festive fun to your neighborhood while supporting a great cause! For just $30, you can have cheerful Elf Lawn Ornaments placed in someone's yard for three nights. Each elf brings a touch of holiday magic and is part of a special fundraising effort to support Millis DECA students.

Your donation helps us continue providing valuable leadership, career development, and entrepreneurial opportunities for future business leaders. It's a simple, fun way to make someone's home more festive and make a big impact on our community!

How it works:

1. Make a $30 donation to DECA. (checks made out to Millis High School or venmo @Yvonne-FitzGerald)

2. We’ll place adorable Elf Lawn Ornaments in the yard of your choice for three nights. We will deliver to Millis, Medway, and Medfield.

3. They can enjoy the holiday cheer as people marvel at the festive sight!

Thank you for your support, and happy holidays from the Mills DECA team!

Any questions please contact Yvonne FitzGerald - yfitzgerald@millisschools.org

Starting this evening "The Nutcracker'' will be gracing the stage at Millis High School, 245 Plain Street, for its 3-day run. The family friendly performance features music from the original Tchaikovsky Score as well as some of Duke Ellington’s variations from his Three Suites. The production runs about 90 minutes including an intermission where snacks will be available to benefit the HS Newspaper The Crimson Post.

Tickets are $10.00 for adults and $8.00 for students and seniors (under 5 free but a possible lap sitter) and can be purchased at the door until they sell out. All proceeds benefit Terpsichore the Millis MS/HS Dance Club. Performance Dates as times are as follows:

Friday December 6 at 7:00 PM

Saturday December 7 at 2:00 PM

Sunday December 8 at 1:00 PM

If you have questions please contact Stephanie Copice at scopice@millisschools.org

Thank you to everyone in the district who helped build the production this year. We have a record number of participants coming in at 175 students dancing, and another 20 who are volunteering in a variety of capacities.

These will be the final Nutcracker performances of our Seniors: Mollie Hatch, Isabella Michaud-Huang, Kaitlyn Richards and Annie Rolllag.

97 performers for Friday's performance:

95 performers for Saturday Night (we are done in time for the Santa Parade in town).

And another 97 performers for Sunday's performance:

Senior student Andrew Morse has been busily clicking away with his camera at the past season's sporting events. His excellent photos of Football, Girls' Soccer and Volleyball can be viewed here on his very professionally-presented website.

Come support the Millis Ski Team on Thursday, December 12 at 7:00pm at Holliston High School by coming to see this year's Warren Miller Movie! Warren Miller movies are ski and snowboard movies filmed in some of the most beautiful places featuring incredible athletes. Warren Miller Entertainment is going big for 75 years - yes, this is their 75th annual film! It features 10 all-new, original segments and a stacked lineup of athletes like snowboarders Shaun White, Zeb Powell, Toby Miller, Danny Davis, and 15-year-old phenom LJ Henriquez, plus skiers Max Hitzig, Lexi duPont, Caite Zeliff, Aaron Blunck, and many more. The film will take fans to powder stashes and chutes worldwide, featuring special collaborations with Selema Masekela, the Real SkiFi, Sherpas Cinema, the Technically Doing It crew, and Framework.

You can purchase your tickets here.

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If your student’s Chromebook stops working or requires maintenance, please have them email our Tech Department at helpdesk@millisschools.org to advise they have an issue. Students can also bring their device to the Library and speak to a student at the SHOP desk. The SHOP desk is our student technology team that now handles the loaner devices. If there are no students present at the SHOP desk, please see our librarian, Mr. Carter, at the circulation desk. The same is true if they forget their device at home. They can go to the Library and borrow a device and/or charger any day school is in session as long as supply lasts. We have also created a Chromebook Care and Use Guide for everything Chromebook related.

Insurance for Chromebooks is suggested and the information can be accessed below.

School lunch continues to be FREE to all students this year. Every student is eligible to receive one free breakfast and one free lunch each daily, and you can check out the menus here. If you feel your family qualifies for free and reduced lunch, you should still fill out the Household Application for Free and Reduced Price Meals for the 2024-2025 school year. The application is used to determine qualification for free transportation, as well as waivers, such as athletic fees.

• Free and Reduced FAQ
• How to Apply
• Application

Now is a great time to familiarize yourself with the 2024-25 Millis High School Parent/Student Handbook. Students will be required to sign off on the fact they read through the handbook and understand the school policies as we head into the new school year.

2024-25 Millis High School Parent/Student Handbook

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If your student is going to be late to school, a parent/guardian must contact the office, by or before 8:00 AM. The office can be reached one of the following ways:

Attendance line: 508-906-3713

Attendance email: hsattendance@millisschools.org

or you may send your student in with a note

If we don’t hear from a parent/guardian, the tardy will be unexcused. Upon arrival at school, the student should go directly to the office and sign in.

If your student needs to be dismissed, a parent/guardian must send their student in with a note or email the office at hsattendance@millisschools.org, listing the dismissal time and reason. Just a reminder that driving hours should not be scheduled during the school day, and do not constitute excused time away from school.

Phone calls for dismissals are not permitted.

Students are expected to check in with the office to confirm their dismissal and receive a pass. If we do not receive a note, a parent or guardian must come into the office to sign their student out at the time of dismissal. Please make every effort to adhere to this dismissal policy to minimize disruptions to class time. Please also be mindful of how a dismissal may impact your student’s eligibility to participate in extracurricular activities.

• Activities Eligibility Dismissal: If your student is involved in extracurricular activities and needs to be dismissed during the school day, they will need to provide a note from the place of their appointment (not a parental note) so they remain eligible to play or practice.
• Medical Dismissal: Any student requesting to leave for any kind of medical reason must go through the nurse’s office.
• Emergency Dismissal: In the event of a true emergency, a parent/guardian should contact the office. Every attempt will be made to expedite the dismissal. Please note, driving hours scheduled during the school day are not considered an emergency nor excusable under any circumstance. Every effort should be made to complete these hours outside of school hours.

If your student needs to be absent from school, a parent/guardian must notify the office via the attendance line at 508-906-3713 or by emailing hsattendance@millisschools.org as close to 8:00 AM as possible. If we don’t hear from a parent/guardian, the absence is unexcused and the student will be marked as truant. Attendance at school is incredibly important, and every effort possible should be made to maintain regular attendance at the high school.

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Below are the School Counseling assignments for the 2024-25 school year, along with contact information for the School Counselors:

Mrs. Riley Dunn (rdunn@millisschools.org)

Grade 9 (2028): Abraham - Johnson

Grade 10 (2027): Alan - Kazis

Grade 11 (2026): Arian - Lauria

Grade 12 (2025): Adams - Johnston

Mrs. Nicole Knabel (nmoore@millisschools.org)

Grade 9 (2028): Kirkland - Wosny

Grade 10 (2027): Kraby - Zammarchi

Grade 11 (2026): Lebak - Young

Grade 12 (2025): Kiggen - Zangari

Small School.. Big Family

MHS Vision of a Graduate

Communication * Collaboration * Critical Thinking * Character

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, 245 Plain Street, Millis, MA, USA
Phone: 508-376-7010
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Millis-High-School-1743691028988870/
Twitter: @millishigh

Instagram: @millishigh