House C Welcomes a New Member To Our Team

House C would like to welcome Gloria Crowe, consulting teacher.  Gloria has been a member of the Milton Town School District teaching team for the past ten years.  She has worked in both elementary and middle levels.  We are privileged to now have co-teaching in math full time.  This is a great opportunity for your students and we are excited to have her join our team.

These Pictures of Us - 12/21

photos by Anna Kaigle, Kyle Raftery & Raneen Salha

House C is looking forward to our photography exhibit, which serves as the culminating event to our humanities unit about Personal Narratives. As a reminder, this event will be Monday, December 21, starting at 4:00 (and going until 6:30).

Your learners have been creating an installation that summarizes who they are and how they see themselves in the world. Learners have been exploring how to communicate through images, working with rules of photography and our visual arts teacher (Ms. Baldwin) to help set up and take some inspiring photographs. As the above examples show, the work is striking and thoughtful. 

This is an exciting project that has resulted in some terrific art. We hope you can drop by and stroll through our gallery between 4:00 and 6:30 on the 21st. (This is very similar to an art exhibit in that you may come and go as you please!)

Light refreshments will be served. Please let me know if you have any questions.

School and House News

Hi folks,
Here are a few updates for you all:

• The MMS Boosters have organized a school-wide food drive. Each house is gathering non-perishable items to donate to the local food shelf. There is a collection box in Ms. Fabri's room. If possible, please support your child in bringing in items for the cause. The house that collects the most goods will be awarded lots of free books.
• By this point, all trimester 1 report cards have been mailed home. Please contact us if you have any questions.
• Orders placed through the MMS Boosters Apparel Fundraiser are in and have been distributed to your child. Look for those today.
• It's the time of year for the Calendar Raffle fundraiser. See the note below from Mr. Smith:

Dear Families,
               It is once again time to sell the February Calendar Raffle. It is our most successful fundraiser and the best opportunity for your student to earn money for Boston. We have over $1000 in prizes including four tickets to a UVM basketball game, a teddy bear from Vermont Teddy Bear Company, and gift certificates from local restaurants and businesses. Tickets are $10.00 and if your ticket is drawn it goes back into the raffle. For each ticket that your student sells, they will earn $9.00 in their field trip account. If your student sells 10 calendars, they will get $90 into their account. Every student in the middle school should aim to sell at least 10 calendars. If your student is in 6th or 7th grade this will ensure that you will not need to pay for the full amount of the Boston trip when your student reaches 8th grade. By the end of 6th grade, students should have at least $100 in their account, by the end of 7th grade there should be at least $200 in their account. If your student is in 8th grade, the total cost of the trip this year is $350. The eighth grader that sells the most calendars, will have a special activity afforded to them in Boston. This activity will be determined based on the student's interest.

These calendars make great holiday gifts.
These calendars will be available to your student beginning tomorrow. There will be a letter about how the raffle works and it will include how much your student has raised to date. Please check the amount and make sure it is correct.
I would like to thank April Rand for her hard work in collecting many of the prizes that are on the calendar this year.
If you have any questions, please call Joe Smith at jsmith3@mtsd-vt.org or call at 893-5529.

Thanks,

Joe Smith

House A - Consulting Teacher

Boston Coordinator

 

A few announcements

Hi folks,

With just a few days left before the Thanksgiving break, we wanted to share some announcements with you.

• 8th graders must return their Boston permission slips as soon as possible.
• Student Council is leading a Food Drive for the duration of this week. Please send your child it in with non-perishable goods that can be donated to the Milton Food Bank. In order to encourage participation, Student Council is going to reward the House that is able to bring in the most goods. Go House C!
• Orders from the fall fundraiser should be in this week.

Thank you and have a wonderful Thanksgiving break.

Portfolio Conferences This Week!

This is a reminder that our Student-Led Portfolio Conferences are happening this Monday (11/9) and Tuesday (11/10) between 4:00 and 7:00PM. The students have been working hard to prepare! We look forward to seeing you.

Personal Learning Plans

Dear Parents, Guardians and Students,

We are pleased to inform you of an exciting initiative that Milton Middle School is working on this year. Personal learning plans (PLPs) have been mandated by the state of Vermont as a key element of the Act 77: Flexible Pathways legislation. Beginning in the fall of 2015, students in grades 7 and 9 are required to have a personalized learning plan that documents their growth and learning as a student, identifies educational opportunities beyond the traditional classroom setting, supports student achievement of academic and personal goals, and demonstrates student proficiency with the Agency of Education’s Transferable Skills. Milton Middle School is embracing personal learning plans (PLPs) for all students in grades 6-8. This work will lay the foundation for the growth of their PLP as they progress through grade 12.

Using a Personal Learning Framework (see below), students explore their identity as learners, their supportive community relationships, and their academic and extracurricular goals. Additionally, students are given the opportunity to set goals, collect evidence of goal achievement, use technology to document and communicate their growth, and to explore opportunities of interest.

Each Milton Middle School student has initiated the process of developing his/her own PLP blog. This site is secure under the mymtsd-vt.org domain and the student has shared it with their House teachers and their adviser. We encourage you to ask your child about his/her blog. All students have written an About Me section and taken personality/interest/learning surveys. At our November conferences, the personal learning plan will serve as the basis for discussion with your child about his/her identity as a learner, his/her academic, extracurricular, and citizenship goals, and evidence of learning. We would also encourage you to come to the conference with your hopes and dreams for your child. From this meeting, students will continue to work on both long term and short term goals.

As we progress through the year, we will continue using the Personal Learning Framework to help guide your child toward completion of his/her goals, collection of evidence identifying his/her growth and learning, and reflection on the strengths and challenges he/she works on as a member of Milton Middle School. The work students do on their PLPs while in middle school will carryover into the work they do in high school.

In advance, thank you for supporting this important student work. Please feel free to contact us with any questions, concerns, or comments. We look forward to our November conferences and using the personal learning plan as a key instrument in your student’s educational program.

MMS Curriculum Team Leaders
Nathan Caswell
Marcel Choquette
Jana Fabri
Maria Gordon
Amy Johnson
Josh Roof
Joe Smith
Lauren Talbot
Catherine Thibault-Cote

Wear Blue for Colin

Greetings,

Next week marks one year since our learning community lost friend and student, Colin O'Neil. Colin was a member of the MTSD learning community since preschool and made a significant impact on all those who were lucky enough to work with and alongside him. We on House C were particularly fortunate to have him on our team for over two years. Some folks here have organized a "Wear Blue for Colin" day for next Tuesday 11/10. We're asking as many folks as possible wear blue on Tuesday to honor Colin and the warm memories we have of him. Thank you in advance for your participation.

Pie Fundraiser

Dear Families,

Take some of the stress out of Thanksgiving and let Milton Middle School bake an Apple or Pumpkin Pie for you this Thanksgiving. Pies are $15 and when you order from your child, $9.00 of it goes to his/her fundraising account. Your child can even sell more pies to friends and relatives and earn even more money for Boston. Pie order forms can be picked up from one of your child’s house teachers or in the front office.

Please note: All middle school students can sell pies and start earning money for their field trip account. Even though 8th grade may be a couple of years away, it is wise to start fundraising the $350 need for this trip now. Students should aim to raise $100 each year.

If your child is in 8th grade, they can help bake the pies and they will split the total of $4.00 times the number of pies we make. Therefore the more pies we sell, the more money your child can earn towards Boston. We will be baking pies after school on November 17th and 18th. We will need ten students for each day. Students can sign up for one of these days outside of Mr. Smith’s door beginning on Wednesday, November 4th.

If you have any questions, please contact Joe Smith at 893-5529.

Sincerely,

Joe Smith
House A - Consulting Teacher
Boston Coordinator
Milton Town School District Radio  http://miltonsdr.blogspot.com/p/home.html
(802) 893-5529

Calendar Raffle Help Needed

Dear Families,

The time has come to start collecting items for our February Calendar Raffle. Last year we were able to collect over $2,000 in prizes and we raised over $4,000. This year I would like collect over $2,500 in prizes and raise $5,000.

The way this fundraiser works is that we collect donations, usually in the form of gift cards, from area businesses and restaurants. We then assign each prize to a day of the month in February. Beginning in December, we sell raffle tickets for $10 each. If the ticket is drawn in February, they win the prize for that day AND the ticket is placed back in the drawing for the next day.

This is one of the best fundraisers that we have for students. Students who sell tickets can earn $9 for each ticket sold towards their field trip account. Also families who own a business and can donate or can secure a donation to the raffle can earn $25.

I am also looking for a couple of families to help secure donations and put together the calendar. If you are interested please contact Joe Smith at jsmith3@mtsd-vt.org or at 893-5529 by Monday, October 19th.

Thanks,

Joe Smith
House A - Consulting Teacher
Boston Coordinator
Milton Town School District Radio  http://miltonsdr.blogspot.com/p/home.html
(802) 893-5529

Progress Reports and More

Hi folks,

At the end of the day today (Friday 10/16), your child was handed a packet of the following important documents:

• Three progress reports - one for math, one for science, and one for humanities.
  
• PowerSchool log in letter with information for accessing your child's class performance information.
  
• Student Profile - This is how your child's information is currently listed in our system. Please update and return to school with your child, if applicable.
  
• Conference Invite - As was posted earlier, it's time to sign up for conferences. You may either do this online by following the link - http://bit.ly/housecconferences8 or by returning the completed half sheet. The times are given on a first come, first served basis. 

Please let us know if you have any questions. Have a great weekend!

Student-led Conferences

How time flies! We're well into autumn and it’s already time for our first round of Student Portfolio Conferences. Children benefit greatly from having meaningful conversations about their learning with important adults in their lives. To that end, we invite you to a Portfolio Conference, where your child will present to you artifacts of his or her learning - work from each class that he or she has thoughtfully selected to demonstrate learning and growth. 

New to the conference this year is the inclusion of your child’s Personal Learning Plan (PLP). You will have a chance to view the first two components of the PLP - which is Milton Middle School’s way of incorporating the new requirements under Act 77. You will have the opportunity to reflect on your child’s strengths and areas for growth and then collaboratively set a goal. These conferences are important to your child and represent many hours of hard work. The portfolio process helps students build life-long skills including: organization skills, self-evaluative skills, and communication skills. Most importantly, the portfolio process helps your child take more ownership of his or her learning and be more accountable for his or her academic progress. Thank you for the important role you play in this process!

Please visit http://bit.ly/housecconferences8 to indicate your preferred conference time, or return the form attached to this letter that your child will be bringing home. Any caring adult is welcome - parents, adult siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbors. If no adult is able to attend at one of the times offered, we will gladly make arrangements for you to conference with your child at another time. Conferences will take place in the Middle/Elementary School Library.We look forward to seeing you!

Milton Monster Mile to Benefit Milton Mentoring

As you may have heard by now, the third-annual Milton Monster Mile will take place on October 24th and benefit Milton Mentors. Right now registration is low, but there's still time. If you plan on participating, please register as soon as possible to make sure the program receives benefit.

The mile-long fun walk/run begins and ends with a Halloween themed party at LD Oliver Seed. The event will include spooky treats, a petting zoo, and autumn bake off!

Remember, all of the proceeds from the event directly benefit this awesome program and will help us meet our fundraising match goal of $5,800!

You can register online by visiting: www.miltonindependent.com/monstermile/

8th Grade Boston Trip

Dear 8th Grade Families,

As part of the rite of passage to high school and as a culminating activity of your students time in middle school, we go on a three days, two nights excursion to Boston.~ The dates of the trip are Wednesday, May 25th through Friday, May 27th.~ As part of this trip students will stay in a college dorm room, see Blue Man Group or Shear Madness, visit the Science Museum, walk the Freedom Trail, and have the opportunity to visit local colleges, eat in Chinatown and/or in the North End, and visit other museums in Boston.~ This is a trip that your student will never forget.

The total cost of the trip is $350.~ To help with the costs there will be ample opportunities for your student to fund raise for the trip.~ Your student has a fundraising account.~ The amount that your student raises will be deposited into your student's account.~ In April, the remainder of the balance will need to be paid.~ Families will also have to option to just pay the $350.~ To get the most out of this opportunity, I would strongly suggest that your student be responsible for a portion of the cost.~ Partial scholarships will be available to students, if they have participated in the fundraising activities.

For the student that raises the most money, we are looking for a unique experience for them and a friend. It may be dinner at a North End Restaurant or a special show. The prize will be offered based on the student’s interest.

Tentative list of this year’s fundraisers:

September – PTA Fundraiser – All students who participate, 50% of the profits from their orders will go towards Boston.
November – Thanksgiving Pie Sale
December – February – Calendar Raffle
February/March – Spaghetti Dinner

If you or your student would like to organize a fundraiser, please contact me and will try to make your idea work.

A letter went home with your child yesterday stating how much they have earned for Boston. Please ask them for it.

If you have any questions or suggestions for fundraisers, please contact Joe Smith at [ mailto:jsmith3@mtsd-vt.org ]jsmith3@mtsd-vt.org or 893-5529.

Finding Our Mansfield!

Greeting House C Learners and Families!

Here we are on the eve of our trip to show Mt. Mansfield what House C is made of. To ensure a successful day for all full of challenge, collaboration, and celebration, please prepare in the following ways:

• Get a good night’s sleep. You need lots of energy for this hike.
• Eat a hearty breakfast. (see above for reason why)
• Pack the following:
• Water - 32 oz (one liter) minimum
• Proper footwear - sturdy, closed-toed shoes/boots, socks
• Clothing layers - t-shirt, long-sleeved shirt, light jacket, light pants, shorts
• Lunch and snacks
• Sunscreen
• Backpack - it should only contain this list of items. As much as you’d love to do your humanities practice on the hike, please leave all non-hike materials at school/home.
• As of 9/15, the forecast for our trip is sunny, high of 79°F/low of 58°F with 0% chance of precipitation. This is warm weather for hiking, but you’ll notice the temperature drop as you ascend. Dress accordingly.

Please review the expectations as we discussed in class:

• No one hikes alone
• No one passes the lead adult for your group
• No one gets left behind
• If you need help, stop and wait for an adult
• Leave no trace
• Stay on the trail
• School rules and expectations apply

Remember, this trip is about both pushing yourself as an individual and about reaching out to others to help improve everyone’s experience of this trip. Let this make you and House C stronger.

Thank you for taking time to review this information. We look forward to see you all on the trail!

House C

House C's Summit in Sight

Jordan Romero suggests that we "find our Everest." House C is excited to announce our fall field trip on September 17 to see what we can see from the highest summit in Vermont: Mt. Mansfield. Your student should be bringing home a yellow permission slip for this adventure. If for some reason you have not seen said permission slip, here is a link to a copy (which also has more information about the trip)!

Please return the permission slip by Friday, September 4! We must have a permission slip on file in order for our learners to attend.

No Summit, Week 4: "On top of the world"

And so here we are: at the ending.

Order of Events

I'll be interested to hear what you all think of how the book is structured. It makes a certain amount of sense that the book proceeds in the order of Jordan's mountain climbs - at the same time, the Everest climb felt like such a climax that the final climb seems like an afterthought. I wonder if there could have been another way to structure it so we could end on that high, thrilling note. Or maybe the Vinson climb needed more detail. I found it surprising that there weren't more difficulties or details. How else could the book be structured?

That's the Power of Words

Something I've been thinking about since early on in No Summit is the support we sometimes need to tackle our goals. It's pretty clear to me that Karen and his dad are big supports on Jordan's journey, and there are often times where one of them says just the right thing that helps him keep moving and pushing himself. Could Jordan have completed his goal without the support, encouragement, and even the occasional shove of those two? 

Paul, Karen, Jordan & "King" Richard - image from kbhr933.com

Just as often, though, the words that come back to him are those of the guide on Kilimanjaro ("the mountain wants you to climb it."). This made me stop and think about the power of words. I doubt Samuel said those words thinking that Jordan would remember them for the next five years, but that is indeed what happens. As he's climbing Vinson, those words are coming back to him. Jordan is pretty lucky to have received such supportive, encouraging words from someone.

It made me think about the things we say to each other, the things that stick with us, even if the person saying them didn't mean for them to stay there. Here's a silly example from my life. 

A friend in college said that the way I eat ice cream cones was "disgusting." He said this, gasped, and averted his eyes. Years later (too many to count), that still sticks with me. To this day, I have to feel pretty comfortable with someone to eat ice cream in a cone in public. If I'm alone, no problem. But an offhand remark that someone said years ago still haunts me to this day. Did Joe mean for me to be thinking about this comment long after college? Probably not. If I asked him today, he probably wouldn't even remember the comment. But it has actively changed the way I relate to people (in an admittedly small, strange way).

You're probably guessing where this is going - what are the things we say to each other that don't go away? What are some things friends have said that have helped you in trying times? What about things said that still make you feel hurt, or angry, or bothered? How can we make sure that what we say to each other is positive and supportive? 

That's the thought I want to take away from this book as we start the school year on Wednesday: anything I say could have a bigger impact than I intended. I want to be aware and thoughtful so that those impacts are helpful. Not harmful.

I'll look forward to seeing you all soon! Perhaps even at tomorrow night's open house! 

And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go get a creemee. 

Three people in front of whom I can eat creemees.

No Summit, Week 3: "Yakety Yak"

Well, when I split the book into four sections, I didn't realize I would be leaving us on such a cliffhanger (so to speak). However, when we leave our dear Jordan, there are a lot of questions about how he'll proceed and how his father is doing. The avalanche that started the book finally makes its appearance, and, for this reader at least, it was a very engaging, nail-biting scene - even knowing that he obviously makes it out alive (since he wrote the book!).

This week, I found myself making note of some details I wanted to see. While I am finding that the book moves quickly, there are some images that I wanted to dwell on or have explained more clearly. Here are three examples:

Torma 
Romero identifies these as yak butter sculptures used "as offerings to the gods." Here's a picture of some torma.

Photo from www.explorersweb.com

Not My Favorite Way To Use A Ladder
Reading this scene (just reading it) made me queasy (I've never been known to be fond of heights). Unsurprisingly, it is just as queasy to watch...(skip to 1:21 for the nerve-wracking passage).

Did I Mention My Fear Of Heights?
Okay, the term "Tyrolean traverse" sounded intriguing to me. So I found this video of a Tyrolean traverse on the Carstensz Pyramid. It takes him a while to set up, but it's worth it to watch his traversing (especially the "look ma, no hands" part). 

The Final Countdown...
And with that, I leave you to our final week of our online book club. Let's get Jordan off Everest, shall we? If there is something you wanted to look up (or if you did look something up), post it below in the comments!

Enjoy the summer!!

No Summit, Week 2: "Against All Odds"

Welcome to page 199! If you are there, congratulations! From here, you are well over halfway through the book! If you haven't yet made it this far, there is still plenty of time.

This week, I was struck by the obstacles that Jordan has to overcome in order to reach his goal. There are the obvious things - like the mountains themselves - and the slightly less obvious things - like doubts from other people and officials denying permits. Then there is that inner wrestling that Jordan finds himself doing. Sometimes he is merely doubting himself while other times he might rather be skiing or playing with friends.

This made me think a lot about my goals and what obstacles I face. As some of you know, I enjoy writing poetry. On the computer I'm using today, there are at least 100 poems that I quite like. Eventually, I plan to put some of them together as a collection and try to get it published. But then the obstacles come in. They arrive in the following forms:

• self-doubt (are these poems really good enough?)
• what I think others may think about me (NOTE: this is not people actually saying my work isn't good; it's me worrying that they might not think it is good)
• distractions (I could put these poems together and find a place to consider them, or I could go for a walk, or read a book, or play a video game, or...)

So what are your goals?
What obstacles get in your way?
And...most importantly...what helps you overcome those obstacles? What do you see Jordan doing to overcome them?

So I was going to post a video of Phil Collins' super cheesy "Against All Odds" - as this week's treat. I thought about "Against All Odds" as a fitting title since this week is about obstacles, but then I saw something great. Watch what happens at 1:09 - Phil makes a mistake in front of this large audience. And then check out the way he handles it. What a pro. I never thought I'd say this, but...I want to be more like Phil Collins.

 Happy reading!

No Summit, Week 1: "Right, kid."

Right, kid.

Okay, so take this with a grain of salt, as I am an adult reading this book, but here's the first thing I was struck by:

How do the adults in Jordan's life let him do this!??!

As you certainly know by now, this book is told from Jordan's viewpoint. He seems to me to be a plucky kid, full of confidence and ready to challenge himself. I am intrigued by him, but my focus keeps falling to the adults in the book. I don't personally have kids, but I wonder how I would feel if my 10-year-old son asked to climb the highest peaks on each of the seven continents. Or how I would respond to him if I were Samuel. What would I think of this boy telling me he wants to go the hardest route up Kilimanjaro? Would I let him? Or would I laugh at him and say, "Right, kid. If you wanna climb the mountain by that route, you're going to have to get yourself another guide."

What do you think of Jordan? In what ways are you like him? In what ways do you differ?

For me, when I was ten, I thought I pretty much had the answer to everything. I quickly found that not to be the case, but I don't yet see that happening for Jordan. I did chuckle at what happened when he turned down his father's help on Mt. Kosciuszko, and I appreciated his understanding that climbers younger than him probably climbed Kilimanjaro without being acknowledged. But I will be looking forward to see if he continues to be as cocky or if he finds a bit more humility as he continues his quest. 

Globe Trotter

I am particularly enjoying the global aspect of this book. As I read, I'm keeping my internet open and briefly researching any names of tribes or places. I have appreciated seeing the pictures of Elbrus and Kosciuszko, as well as learning about the Masai tribe that Jordan mentions en route to Kilimanjaro (I can't bring myself to call it "Kili"). This research is enriching my experience of the book (though it also makes my reading take longer), and I look forward to learning more about the other continents as the book progresses.

Inspirations

While I am not currently attempting to summit seven or eight different mountains, I am finding plenty of inspirational moments in this book. If you found a quote you found particularly inspiring, feel free to post it (with a page number) below. Mine for this week is:

"Shelter makes all the difference in a storm." - p. 71. I might talk more about why I find that inspirational later. For now, I'll just leave it there and look forward to checking in with you all after Mount Aconcagua and Denali (after page 199). 

A Little Something For You

As a gift for reading Week One's entry, here's a picture of me at rock climbing school (age 12). I thought of this picture when Jordan spoke of the "Kissing Wall." How Jordan describes his experience there reminded me of this moment (though I was much closer to the ground (though definitely not much cooler)). 

Happy reading!

No Summit - Blog Book Group

Hello everyone!

We hope the summer is treating you well and that you're enjoying every bit of it! As July is coming to a close, we thought it would be a good time to check in and make sure that everyone is making progress through our summer reading book, No Summit out of Sight. For those of you who have not yet started, or for anyone who is interested in refreshing their memories, we're going to start a No Summit book group right here!

What does it mean?!?!

Below, you'll find a reading schedule for the entire book. If you follow this plan, you will have the book read before we start school (in exactly one month!). At this pace, you'll read no more than 15 pages a day. Each Sunday, I will create a blog post sharing reactions or reflections on what we've read and inviting you to do the same! You can also use that place to post questions you might have about the reading or questions that you think might engage others!

Do I have to post to the blog?!?!

Nope! If you just want to follow along with this timeline, that's fine, too!
Or if you've already finished the book, terrific!
Or if you want to read the book all in one week, coolio!
The only requirement is that you've read the book before school begins.
 
Okay, Smart Guy, where is this schedule?!?!

By August 3, read to page 107 (Mount Kiliminjaro, Kosciuszko and Elbrus).
Average daily page count: 15 - the steepest part of our climb.
 
By August 10, read to page 199 (Mount Aconcagua and Denali).
Average daily page count: 13 - easing up a little, but still making good progress.

By August 17, read to page 278 (Carstensz Pyramid and Mount Everest (pt. 1)).
Average daily page count: 11 - a smaller page count so people can catch up, should they need.
 
By August 24, read to page 355 (Mount Everest (pt. 2) and Vinson).
Average daily page count: 11 - finishing at a nice, easy pace.


Happy reading! And I'll meet you back here after we've climbed Mount Elbrus!

MMS Summer Reading

June 2015

Greetings students and families of Milton Middle School,

As one year winds down, we are already gearing up for the next; can you believe it? Without rushing things, we do want to let you know about the summer reading expectations. We are excited to announce that we will be reading 2015-2016 Dorothy Canfield Fisher (DCF) selection, No Summit out of Sight by Jordan Romero. Students will be given a copy of the book by 6/15; this copy will be theirs to keep and annotate. With its connections to exploration and larger message about persisting, this title is a great fit with our upcoming curriculum. Students should bring in their copies, having already read them, on the first day of school. If your child is unable to receive his or her copy by this Monday, it will be available to pick up from the elementary school throughout the summer.

In addition to reading this title, we are expecting all students to continue their independent reading. Vermont's reading standards challenge students to read one book every two weeks.  Many students love to plunge in and read over the summer with all that free time.  Others need some structure, encouragement, and strategic planning -- plan regular time for reading, read with your child, listen to books on tape or digital recordings, read books then watch the movies, take trips to the library. In fact, the Milton Public Library is offering some fabulous summer programming under the theme Unmask. We have included a list of all of this year’s DCF titles on the back of this letter. Please visit the websites listed below for more information about the books, including recommended ages and descriptions. Additionally, the folks at the Milton Public Library are helpful resources for book recommendations. Families, this could be a wonderful opportunity for you to enjoy some excellent young adult literature, while supporting your child with his/her reading expectations.

When we return in August, in addition to school-wide celebrations of the book No Summit out of Sight, each house will have its own way of discussing and working with the books.There is also a chance that our school will be invited to participate with the Vermont Public Radio program Dorothy’s List. Keep track of those questions and talking points!

So, find a nice sunny spot, curl up, and get lost in some fabulous literature. If you have any questions, please direct them to the appropriate humanities teachers.

Happy Reading!

The MMS Humanities Team

For an annotated list of the 2015-2016 DCF titles:

http://libraries.vermont.gov/sites/libraries/files/CBEC/BookAwards/DCF/DCFMasterlist15-16.pdf

For a list of books with high interest, background building, current trends for all the students in grades 5th-8th.

http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/284.Middle_School_Book_List

Trimester 3 Progress Reports

Hello families, Students received their progress reports for the third trimester on Friday 5/8. Please be sure to check with your child to review his or her science, math, and humanities reports. As always, feel free to contact individual teachers if you would like more information. Thanks!

Power to the People Celebration on T.V.

Milton Middle School Power to the People Celebration is on LCATV.

Portfolio Conferences April 15 & 16

Dear Families,

The days are getting longer and the snow is melting. Spring is in the air, and it’s time for Student Portfolio Conferences! Your child has done much learning and growing over these past months. We invite you to a Portfolio Conference, where your child will present work from each class that he or she has thoughtfully selected to demonstrate learning and growth.

These conferences are important to your child, and represent many hours of preparation. The portfolio process helps students build life-long skills including: organization skills, self-evaluative skills, and communication skills. Most importantly, the portfolio process helps your child take more ownership of his or her learning and be more accountable for his or her academic progress. Children benefit greatly from having meaningful conversations about their learning with important adults in their lives. Thank you for the important role you play in this process!

Please visit http://bit.ly/housecconferences7 to indicate your preferred conference time. Any caring adult is welcome - parents, adult siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbors. If no adult is able to attend at one of the times offered, we will gladly make arrangements for you to conference with your child at another time. Conferences will take place in the Middle/Elementary School Library.

We look forward to seeing you!

The Teachers of House C

Power to the People! Celebration

On Thursday 4/2 from 5:30pm-7:30pm at the high school, Milton Middle School students will celebrate the culmination of their learning during the Power to the People unit. Students have been engaged in an examination of the historical struggle for all Americans to gain their full civil rights. We have followed the struggle for equality of African Americans, women, and gay Americans, paying particular attention to the current state of these struggles. The students have worked on their literacy skills in the areas of research, informational and reflective writing, as well as speaking and listening. The learning has been synthesized in the form of an artistic representation of a group's struggle and/or the changemakers who have worked to secure civil rights for all. Please join us in the celebration and attend what is sure to be a powerful and enlightening evening.

Field Trip

Hi folks,

This is a reminder that House C will be going on a field trip to Cairns Arena on 3/11. Please have your child return his/her permission slip by this Thursday (3/5).

If you have any questions, please let us know.

Thanks!

Science Fair on TV!

Check out this great feature on LCATV. You'll find some House C students featured in the last 15 minutes!

Introducing...

Hello folks,

We are lucky to have two UVM interns joining House C Humanities this semester.

Holly Murphy is a senior at UVM double majoring in Secondary Education and English. She is from a coastal town on the North Shore of Boston, Massachusetts. When she’s not in school, Holly is working at the UVM Davis Center as the Technical Assistant Lead, cooking, playing video games, or playing Dungeons and Dragons with her friends at Champlain College. Holly is an avid reader, writer, and singer.  Her favorite book is A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. Ms. Murphy had a previous placement in South Burlington with 7-12th graders, worked with Winooski high school students after school for a year at the Winooski Teen Center. She also has over 10 years of experience working both on and off stage at local and school theaters in Massachusetts with a range of ages. She also rides with the Champlain Equestrian Club when time permits.

Shannon McCullen is currently a senior at UVM and a double major of secondary education and political science with a minor in French.  She hails from Essex Junction, Vermont.  At UVM, she is involved with the Catamount Pep Band where she is a section leader for the flutes and clarinet.  She also is involved with the Cooperative Christian Ministry. Outside of school, she is active in the Boy Scouts with Troop 624 and Crew 6689.  She is looking forward to working with all of our students.

These two have been busy over the past month getting to know our students and planning engaging instruction in language arts and social studies.

Progress Reports

Hello families,

Students received their progress reports for the second trimester on Friday 1/30 (those involved in the play will receive them today). Please be sure to check with your child to review his or her science, math, and humanities reports. As always, feel free to contact individual teachers if you would like more information.

Thanks!

Write On!

Hello!

This Monday (2/2) will mark the first day of Write On - a time and place for students to work on and hone their writing. I (your loyal writing interventionist) will be on hand to support and assist with any writing needs - whether it's student assignments (informational text/science fair procedures/summaries/et cetera) or their own personal story/novel/epic poem/rap/et cetera. My hope is that the room will also serve as a relatively quiet place where people who just want to come write can also do so. Any student is welcome to bring what they'd like to work on.

Write On will be held Mondays through Thursdays, from 2:30 to 3:00 in room 224. If you have any questions, please let me know!

Best:
James Moore.
Writing Interventionist.

Science Fair Update

Dear House C Families,

On Thursday, February 12, from 5:00 to 7:00PM, we will celebrate the hard work of our young scientists at the second annual Milton Middle School Science Fair. It is our hope that each and every student in the middle school will attend and present his or her project to the community. We are working to gather a team of judges from scientific, engineering, and medical fields. Next week, I will assign your child a 30 minute window, during which he or she will exhibit his or her project for judges and guests of the fair.

By now, your child has selected a topic, identified a scientific question or engineering design problem, and designed an experiment. To be on track to complete a successful project, your child is expected to complete his or her experiment by the start of class on Monday 2/2. We have much work to do after the experiments are complete. You can help ensure that your child is on track by asking about his or her progress on this project.

If you have any questions about the Science Fair, don’t hesitate to contact me. I look forward to seeing you at the fair on 2/12.

Sincerely,
Nathan Caswell
House C, Room 215
893-5507
ncaswell@mtsd-vt.org

How To Help Your Student With Reading

Did you know that all students are asked to read for at least 20 min a day on House C? We also encourage students to read, read, read outside of school.

If you are looking for ways to support your student with reading please view this document. It includes many great websites, apps, and social media sites for you and your child to use. There is also an excellent article by author James Patterson on how parents can support reading at the end of the document.

Affordable Internet at Home

If you're eligible for the National School Lunch Program, you might qualify for high-speed internet for $9.95/month (no activation fees, no "trial period" increases). Check out the Internet Essentials program offered by Comcast.

Science Fair Launch This Week

On Thursday, February 12, Milton Middle School will host our second annual Science Fair. Hands-on scientific investigation and engineering are the foci of our particular fair. Over a five week period, your child will design, test, analyze, and present a project that uses scientific methods to solve a problem. The sky’s the limit!

All students in grades 6-8 will participate in the Science Fair. This event will be on the same evening as a Milton Community Dinner so you can enjoy a great meal before experiencing the impressive work our students will be showcasing.

This week, students begin the process of developing a plan for their project. The first steps involve brainstorming topics of interest, and then narrowing the focus to a specific testable question or problem statement. Students will ultimately use the scientific method, or the engineering design cycle, to answer their question or solve the problem.

Although we will be doing much of the work in class, students will periodically have homework for this project. I will post homework assignments on the House C calendar on the House C blog.

If you have any questions about the Science Fair, don't hesitate to contact me.

N. Caswell

ncaswell@mtsd-vt.org