Millis High School

• 1/24 - MIAA Student Ambassador Winter Huddle 8:00am - 2:00pm

• 1/27 -1/31 - Spirit Week

• 1/30 - Mock Trial Competition

• 1/31 - Early Release All Grades

• 1/31 - Deadline for Senior Yearbook Photos and Write-ups

• 2/6 - College Planning for Juniors - 6:00pm

• 2/17 - 2/21 - February Vacation

Dear Parents/Guardians,

What a week it has been! Though it was a shortened one, it was certainly packed with energy and excitement. Our peer leaders ran their annual thrift store, giving both students and staff the opportunity to pick up some great bargains. It was a fun event that promoted community spirit and sustainable shopping, all while supporting our school.

Meanwhile, our Mock Trial team was hard at work preparing for their case, and their efforts paid off with a victorious verdict. Their dedication and teamwork were truly impressive, and we’re so proud of them for their hard work and success.

This morning, the winter track team welcomed our CFB students off the bus with infectious enthusiasm. It was hard to tell who was more excited—the high schoolers or the elementary students—but the energy was definitely contagious, and it was a heartwarming display of school spirit.

In another heartwarming moment, Mr. Bigelow’s class visited their pen pal partners at CFB. I was so impressed by how our high school students role-modeled kindness, leadership, and responsibility to their younger friends. It’s moments like these that remind us how powerful mentorship can be.

I also had the opportunity to visit Mrs. Streck’s engineering class, where students were using shaker tables and balsa wood structures to simulate earthquake conditions. The thinking and problem-solving skills on display were notable, and I can’t wait to see how their designs evolve as they continue working on their projects.

Many of our winter sports’ teams will be competing this weekend. Please check out the schedule below. I’m sure our student-athletes would love to see and hear your support. Also, scroll down our newsletter and check out our TVL all-stars and honorable mentions from the Fall season! Congrats!

This Weekend’s Sports Schedule:

• Friday, January 24 4:00 PM - Girls’ and Boys’ Winter Track vs. Medway at Reggie Lewis

• Friday, January 24 6:00 PM - Boys’ Varsity Hockey Co-Op against Holliston High at Loring Ice Arena

• Friday, January 24 6:30 PM - Boys’ Varsity Basketball Home vs. Ashland

• Friday, January 24 6:30 PM - Girls’ Varsity Basketball Away vs. Ashland

• Sunday, January 26 10:00 AM - Girls’ Varsity Gymnastic Co-op vs. multiple schools at Elite Gymnastics Academy

• Sunday, January 26 5:30 PM Girls’ and Boys’ Winter Track - TVL Showcase at The Track at New Balance

Check out all of our pictures and special updates below!

Have a great weekend,

Patrick Nash, MHS Principal

Next week January 27th - 31st Millis High School will be having a spirit week!

- Monday is Pajama day

- Tuesday is Class color day (Seniors are black, Juniors are white, Sophomores are blue, and Freshmen are red)

- Wednesday is Groutfit (grey on grey)

- Thursday is teacher and student outfit swap (students dress like a teacher, teachers dress like students)

- Friday is Millis pride

We will have a pep rally on the half day on Friday!

There will be a football interest meeting next Wednesday, 1/29, during both lunches. Any student interested in learning more or who plans on participating on the team next year should attend.

Our hearts go out to the Millis family who lost their home in a fire on Thursday afternoon. While thankfully everyone is safe, the loss of their home is undoubtedly devastating. The community has come together to offer support, and a GoFundMe page has been created to help the family begin the recovery process. We appreciate the outpouring of love and assistance from our community.

Today it was the turn of the Millis High School Track & Field team to welcome the students as they arrived at Clyde Brown Elementary School. Both age groups thoroughly enjoyed the high fives and welcomes!

Mr Bigelow’s Senior English visited their pen pals in Ms Carlson’s 3rd grade class this week. They have been writing letters back and forth all year as part of Layla Nutile’s senior project. This was their second visit. The pen pals made snowmen and snowflakes together and had a great time.

The MHS Mock Trial team won its case against Hopedale Sr. High School this past Wednesday. Arguing for the Defense, the team presented a preponderance of evidence to prove the defendant was not liable in their Civil Case. Next week, the team’s Attorneys and witnesses compete as the Prosecution against Franklin.

MHS students Macy Cyr, Lucy Fuentes, Kevin Bryncska, Ben Vaccaro, Nora Doherty, and Marina Arian participated in the first of monthly sessions at the Regency at Glen Ellen Condominiums. The initiative is intended to assist Glen Ellen residents with tech. issues. Feedback from Glen Ellen and from the students was very positive. A message from Glen Ellen stated:

“Thank you all for your efforts.

The residents felt you were:

• Welcoming

• Polite

• Knowledgeable

• Interested and cared about helping them to resolve their issue

• Felt they had learned a skill

I think we met our goals!”

Thanks to the students for helping to make this new initiative a success.

The eagerly anticipated Peer Leaders' Thrift Store was held on Thursday, with both staff and students finding all kinds of bargains. The Thrift Store was a great success as usual.

See the flyer below for details. Email Mrs Graham with any questions.

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!

The School Counseling Office is excited to announce that our virtual College Planning & Admissions Panel Night for junior students and parents will be held on Thursday, February 6th, 2025, starting at 6:00 pm.

The school counselors will begin the night with a brief presentation on the college planning process followed by a college admissions panel presentation. Representatives from Boston College, Suffolk University, UMass Amherst, Massachusetts Bay Community College, College of Charleston, and the University of Alabama are expected to be on hand to discuss the college admissions process and take questions from parents and students.

For those of you unable to make it, we will provide a recording of the night in the School Counseling area of the Millis High School website following the event (hs.millisps.org/for_students/counseling).

This promises to be a great night you don’t want to miss, where both parents and students will take away a host of useful information as our juniors begin the college process. Please contact the School Counseling Office at 508-376-7010 with any questions. We look forward to seeing you all on February 6th!

Sincerely

Riley Dunn & Nicole Knabel

The Leos Club is holding a community wide laundry detergent drive. They are asking middle and high school students to donate bottles of laundry detergent to help those in need. All donations may be dropped off to Mr. Caulfield's room (106). This drive will run until Friday February 14th.

The Environmental Action Club is hosting their annual bottle and can drive on Sunday, January 26th. Anyone can volunteer. You can sign up with the link on the Environmental Action Instagram or scan the QR code on the bulletin board.

Nora is collecting Winter clothing for Cradles to Crayons. Donations can be taken to Rm 106 in the High School or the bin in the CFB lobby.

Donations can be taken to the High School Main Office or sent directly to Unity Farms Sanctuary. The Amazon wish list of requested items can be found be scanning the QR code below:

The LuvPug Foundation is a non-profit organization that goes above and beyond to help, care and provide homes for animals. Donations can be taken to Rm 102 until May 2025.

Nathalya is looking for both volunteers and donations for her meal packaging event on April 5th

Dear Parents and Guardians,

This week has been a busy and productive one as we wrapped up the second quarter. Our students and staff have worked hard, and it’s important to take a moment to recognize all the effort that went into this period of learning. We look forward to the new opportunities and challenges of the second half of the year!

I want to highlight the work being done in some of our classrooms. In AP Human Geography, students participated in the annual Rostow Cup, a unique event that honors the famous economic model created by economist Walt Rostow. This year’s competition was a wonderful demonstration of our students’ understanding of global development patterns and their ability to think critically about economic growth. See pictures and champions of the competition below!

Additionally, our Mock Trial team and Law class have been in full preparation mode as they continue to model and prepare for various roles in court cases. The energy and dedication shown by our students in both of these settings has been very impressive. From crafting persuasive arguments to simulating real-world legal proceedings, they are gaining invaluable skills that will serve them well in any future endeavors.

We will have multiple teams competing over the weekend: The boys’ basketball team will face Holliston at home tonight at 6:30 p.m. The girls’ hoops team will travel to Holliston tonight with the game starting at 6:00 p.m. The boys’ ice hockey team will play at Canton Ice House against Westwood starting at 5:30 p.m.The winter track teams will have a meet on Sunday at the Reggie Lewis Center starting at 3:00 p.m.

Lastly, as we approach the celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, I want to take a moment to remind everyone of his words: “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.” Dr. King’s commitment to justice, equality, and community continues to inspire us all to create a better, more inclusive world. As we pause to remember his impact, I encourage our students to reflect on how they can carry his principles forward in their own lives, both in and outside of the classroom.

Have a great long weekend,

Patrick Nash, MHS Principal

This is a reminder about class dues. Class dues help to offset the costs associated with class-wide activities and events such as graduation, prom, school dances and all those fun and traditional activities that take place Senior year. Dues must be paid in order for your student to participate in these activities.

The amount of dues are determined by class and placed in an activity fund, which the class uses to finance these activities. If you are unsure whether you have paid or not or have any questions regarding dues, please reach out to your student’s Class Advisor. They are listed below.

Class of 2025

$35 per year or $125 for all 4 years

Class Advisor: Rachel Hayden, rhayden@millisschools.org

Class of 2026

$35 before January 31st, $40 after February 1

Class Advisors: Michelle Panciocco, mpanciocco@millisschools.org & Shannon Graham, sgraham@millisschools.org

Class of 2027

$35 for the remainder of the year

Class Advisors: Riley Dunn, rdunn@millisschools.org & Brian Kraby, bkraby@millisschools.org

Class of 2028

$35 before January 31st, $40 after February 1 or $120 for all 4 years

Class Advisors: Ally Marcone, amarcone@millisschools.org & Nicole Knabel, knabel@millisschools.org

This morning it was the turn of the Boys Basketball team to welcome the younger students at Clyde Brown Elementary School. This initiative helps to build community between the younger and older students and is enjoyed by both groups equally.

Every year, Mr Bigelow’s AP Human Geography class competes in the Rostow Cup. Students study development and specifically, Rostow’s Model of Economic Development, a theory that states all countries pass through 5 stages on their way to becoming an MDC (More Developed Country). Students select countries in a fantasy-styled draft from different regions of the world, research specific indicators that measure development, and then compete against their classmates with their roster of countries to determine a champion. This year’s two class champions were Timmy Krauss and Taylor O’Toole and the final champion was Timmy Krauss. Congratulations to all participants!

Mrs Graham often offers a crafting class during FLEX. This week it was a bracelet making session.

The Millis High School Mock Trial Team completed their first competition on Wednesday January 15th. They faced Blackstone Millville Regional High School at Milford District Court as the prosecution. The case involved social host liability and the attorneys along with the witnesses did an excellent job with their performance. The students have been preparing with Ms. Ziemba and their judge volunteer, retired Supreme Judicial Court Justice Thomas Connors. The team will represent the defense next week against Hopedale Sr. High School.

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

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/.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We are now back into the full swing of things, and it was nice to get the first full week of this year under our belts.

A focused highlight of this week for me was attending the DECA competition, where I had the distinct pleasure of serving as a judge alongside Superintendent Mullaney. For those who may not be familiar, DECA is an international organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. It is an incredible platform for students to develop essential skills such as public speaking, critical thinking, and professional presentation, all while engaging in real-world business scenarios.

During one portion of the competition, students from all different schools had the opportunity to present their business ideas and solutions in a format similar to the popular “Shark Tank” television show. I was thoroughly impressed by the creativity, confidence, and professionalism demonstrated by the students as they pitched their ideas to the panel. It was a wonderful opportunity to see how our students not only rise to challenges but also thrive in competitive environments, embodying the skills and values that DECA aims to foster. The experience reaffirmed how proud I am of our students and the dedication of our teachers and staff in preparing them for success beyond the classroom. Thank you to our DECA advisor, Mrs. Fitzgerald, for all of her work in making this a successful experience for our students! Check out the pictures below.

In place of doing a classroom highlight, I encourage you to scroll down this newsletter and check out all the exciting things our students are doing throughout our classrooms here at MHS. Also congratulations to Mr. D for being named as Staff Member Of The Month by our students!

For events this weekend we have our girls’ varsity basketball team hosting Dedham tonight at 6:30 PM. The boys’ team will be away at 6:30 pm at Dedham. This is a big weekend for our gymnastics co-op who have two meets at Elite Gymnastics Academy. The first will take place versus Norwood at 4:15 on Saturday and the second will take place versus Norton at 4:15 on Sunday. Our hockey co-op will also be in action this weekend facing Dedham on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. at Noble & Greenough Flood Rink. Good luck to all of our teams competing!

Have a great weekend,

Patrick Nash, MHS Principal

DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around the globe.

Thursday and Friday this week saw our team members take part in a DECA competition in Mansfield.

The December Staff Member of the Month winner has been decided. The winner is Mr. DiGiammerino! Mr. D is an amazing teacher who truly values the education of his students above all else. His approach isn’t just about getting good grades—he makes sure that we understand the material, no matter how difficult it may seem. He’s kind, patient, and takes the time to explain different concepts. It’s clear he cares about our success in gaining knowledge. We are lucky to have a teacher like him. Congratulations Mr. D!

The Engineer Your World students have been busy exploring the fascinating world of chemical engineering processes. They have been honing their skills in writing technical memos, which are crucial for effective communication in the field.

As a bridge into the vacation, the Honors EYW class participated in a 2-day Gingerbread Design Challenge! Students selected their own judging criteria, and entries were voted on by our science students. It was a sweet and creative way to apply engineering principles!

Looking ahead, they will embark on a civil engineering project focused on designing a safer building for regions prone to earthquakes and heavy snow. This project will challenge their creativity and problem-solving skills as they consider real-world applications.

Our Honors and CP1 Physics students have been studying Newton's Laws and Forces. They have learned to create Free Body Diagrams and calculate various forces, including gravitational, normal, frictional, and tensional forces.

Hands-on labs with inclined planes and Atwood machines have brought these concepts to life! Students are now beginning an exciting project to create mobiles that require them to successfully calculate and balance forces. Stop by Mrs Streck’s room to see the projects as they take shape.

The Earth Systems students are wrapping up their study of dynamic processes. They have constructed impressive models of strike-slip faults, triangulated the epicenter of an earthquake, and built anticlines and synclines. Additionally, they have created paper models of plate boundaries, showcasing their understanding of geophysical concepts.

On Monday, Mr. Howden, the speech pathologist for the middle and high school, taught the two anatomy and physiology classes about language and the brain. Mr. Howden explained Broca's and Wernicke's areas of the brain, the two main areas for language processing. Students watched videos of people with aphasia, discussed what they saw and heard in the video, and linked the aphasia to damage in Broca's or Wernicke's areas of the brain. The lesson was incredibly engaging. Thank you, Mr. Howden.

Art, Design, and New Media students have been learning some basics on Photoshop. These Double Exposure portraits were made using layer masks and opacity modifications.

Art 2 and 3 students have just begun creating some plaster hand sculptures. They used their own hands, plaster strips, and a lot of patience to cast these models. They will be adding additional sculptural elements before painting.

Our annual Millis Public Schools Night of the Arts has been scheduled for April 16. Mark your calendars for a wonderful evening celebrating our town’s music and arts students.

The Hopkinton Co-op Girls Varsity Hockey team (Hopkinton HS&MS, Nipmuc, DS, Mills) is hosting our annual ovarian cancer fundraising game on Saturday, January 11th at 4PM at New England Sports Center.

MHMM (Medway, Holliston, Millis, Milford) Gymnastics Fundraiser January 13, Panera, Medway Rd., Milford, MA.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We hope you all enjoyed the winter break. We were excited to welcome back our students who appeared rested and ready to learn. With the shortened week, I wanted to provide a couple of highlights with sports that occurred over the break:

The girls' basketball team hosted a winter tournament that wrapped up this past Monday. The Mohawks remained undefeated throughout the tournament and recognized as the overall winners. The team showed great preparation and played great team defense. Lindsey Grattan and Caroline Connors earned All-Tournament and MVP recognition, respectively. The team plays at Medway tonight at 6:00 PM. See the team pictured below.

The boys' basketball team also earned a victory over the break. The team was firing on all cylinders as they took on Holbrook, beating them 77-58. The boys' varsity team hosts Medway tonight at 6:00 PM.

Other sports competing this weekend are our winter track team at the Reggie Lewis Center at 5:00 PM and boys' varsity ice hockey co-op will be competing home Saturday night at 7:30 PM.

It's hard to believe we are a few weeks away from reaching the midpoint of our school year. We look forward to what's to come!

Sincerely,

Patrick Nash, MHS Principal

Grade 9 postural screening will take place next week. 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. The students will be screened individually. If you would like your child to opt out of the screening please email Lynn Molinari at lmolinari@millisschools.org.

The girls’ basketball team won their winter break tournament! Congratulations to Lindsey Grattan and Caroline Connors for their all-tournament and MVP recognition!

Good luck to all of our sports’ teams competing this weekend. The boys’ varsity basketball team will be playing tonight home against Medway at 6:00 PM. The girls’ team will be away at Medway High School at 6:00 PM. The winter track team will compete at Reggie Lewis tonight at 5:30 PM. The hockey team will face Norton tomorrow night at 7:30 PM.

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

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

Spring 2025 registration is now open.

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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