October 2022
Welcome to Family Weekend 2022
We hope you will join us on October 20, 21, and 22. Activities include assemblies and classes with your student, meetings with teachers and advisors, various presentations and information sessions around campus, sporting events, and performances.
The Upper School Parents’ Association (USPA) also hosts events throughout the weekend. Please find details and timing of all scheduled activities below. We look forward to seeing you on campus!
Thursday, October 20
7:00 – 7:30 p.m.
State of the School Address by Head of School Todd Bland and Dr. Alixe Callen ‘88, New Incoming Head of School, July 1, 2023
Please register here in advance for the State of the School Address.
7:30 p.m.
Class IV Play: The Old Man and the Old Moon (King Theatre)
All are welcome and capacity is limited! Reserve your tickets here.
Friday, October 21
The Robert Saltonstall Gymnasium (RSG) will serve as a parent gathering space until 3:00 p.m.
7:30 – 8:25 a.m.
Arrival and Check-in (RSG Gym)
Check-in and meet up with your student(s) who will escort you to classes
8:30 a.m. – 12:25 p.m.
Classroom Visits: Accompany your student(s) to class during this special schedule
8:30 – 8:55 a.m.: Orange Friday 1st Period
9:05 – 9:30 a.m.: Orange Friday 3rd Period
9:40 – 10:05 a.m.: Orange Friday 4th/5th Period
10:15 – 10:40 a.m.: Orange Friday 6th Period
10:50 – 11:15 a.m.: Orange Friday 7th Period
11:25 – 11:50 a.m.: Orange Thursday 3rd Period
12:00 – 12:25 p.m.: Orange Thursday 7th Period
12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
Lunch Available in the FCC
Please note that this lunch is for parents, guardians, and caregivers only. Families are also welcome to go off-campus if they choose. Forbes Dining Hall is reserved for student lunch.
1:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Advisor and Teacher Conferences (Refreshments available in the RSG until 3:00 p.m.)
4:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Class I Wine and Cheese Reception (Pritzker)
Class II Wine and Cheese Reception (CSG)
Class III Wine and Cheese Reception (RSG)
Class IV Wine and Cheese Reception (Cox Library)
Please note that this event is for adults only.
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
USPA Dinner for Class I Families (Pritzker)
USPA Dinner for Class II Families (CSG)
USPA Dinner for Class III Families (RSG)
USPA Dinner for Class IV Families (Cox Library)
Please note that this event is for adults only.
7:30 p.m.
Class IV Play: The Old Man and the Old Moon (King Theatre)
All are welcome and capacity is limited! Reserve your tickets here.
GAME SCHEDULE
Please visit the Athletics Calendar to find the Family Weekend game schedule.
Saturday, October 22
8:00 – 10:30 a.m.
Check-in and Refreshments (Schwarz Student Center)
8:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Advisor and Teacher Conferences (Various Locations)
8:30 – 9:30 a.m.
Class I Parents: Financial Aid Presentation by Amy Staffier, MEFA ambassador (Straus)
9:30 – 10:30 a.m.
Class I Parents Q&A: Open College Forum (Straus)
9:45 – 10:30 a.m.
Class IV Jazz Ensemble Performance (Kellner Orchestra Room)
11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Semester and Year Long Programs Information Session (Straus)
– School Year Abroad (SYA)
– The Mountain School of Milton Academy
– Maine Coast Semester at Chewonki
12:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Lunch Available in the Schwarz Student Center
Please note that this informal lunch is for parents, guardians, and caregivers only. Families are also welcome to go off-campus if they choose. Forbes Dining Hall is reserved for student lunch.
12:15 –1:15 p.m.
Spring Trips Information Session (Straus)
– Community Engagement Puerto Rico Trip
– Athletic Trips
– Spring 2024 Preview
1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
Affinity Group Gatherings
These gatherings are meant for families who can speak from the “I” in these identities. We invite you to drop into these spaces and connect with other families who share these identities. These are casual social gatherings; feel free to attend any and all gatherings that pertain to your family’s identities.
– Families of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) Students (Straus)
– Families of LGBTQIA+ Students (Thacher)
– Families of International Students (Cox Library)
2:30 – 4:00 p.m.
Parents’ Association Sports Hospitality: Parents and fans are invited for hot drinks and snacks while cheering on the Mustangs (ACC Lobby)
GAME SCHEDULE
Please visit the Athletics Calendar to find the Family Weekend game schedule.
Other Helpful Information Around Family Weekend
- Student art is exhibited throughout campus and the Class of 2025 Self-Portraits Exhibition is in the Arts Commons Gallery in Kellner.
- Roberto Moody’s getting dot OLDER is on exhibit in the Nesto Gallery, located in the Arts and Media Center. The exhibition is open to the public on Friday 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. and on Saturday 8:00–11:00 a.m.
- Bookstore hours are Friday 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. and Saturday 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
- There are no events scheduled on Sunday, October 23, and there is no school on Monday, October 24.
- This is a no-homework weekend for students.
- Boarding students must return to the dorm on Monday, October 24 by 8:00 p.m.
- Class II College Weekend is a virtual event scheduled for December 4. More details to follow.
King Theatre Gets Wicked Sketchy
On the main stage at King Theatre for the first time, the fan favorite sketch-comedy show Wicked Sketchy will feature funny sketches and musical numbers written and performed by students.
First performed in 2014, Wicked Sketchy began as a 1212 play—a Milton tradition named for the former room in Warren Hall where pared-down, intimate performances were staged—giving students an opportunity to flex their comedy muscles. Last fall, the show moved to an outdoor tent to accommodate audience restrictions during the pandemic; for the first time, the show had a stepped-up production, said director and Performing Arts Department faculty member Peter Parisi.
“We were able to see the impact that lighting and sound design had on the show, and it just raised the stakes,” Parisi said. “It’s certainly evolved.”
This year, the show has about a dozen sketches, including some musical numbers. Students brought their ideas for sketches to the group, and together they fleshed out the ideas. Writing comedy is hard work, particularly for a show with a broad audience of students and adults.
TEDxMiltonAcademy Takes the Stage
The inaugural TEDxMiltonAcademy event filled King Theatre with ideas about belonging, health, climate, identity, and psychology, as six speakers from the Milton community shared carefully crafted and passionate talks on subjects of their choosing.
Milton junior Benjamin Siegel ’24 had the idea to bring TEDx to Milton after attending a TEDx conference years ago. Siegel, along with Bea Becker ’25, Grace Grady ’23, and Alexa Burton ’24, organized the event, licensing it through TEDx and soliciting applications from potential student, alumni, and faculty speakers. Together, they narrowed the speakers to six.
Milton Volunteers Make a Difference
A record number of students—nearly 300—have signed up to serve through the school’s Community Engagement Programs and Partnerships (CEPP), following a participation fair earlier in the semester, CEPP Director Andrea Geyling-Moore said.
The influx of volunteers will have students working at sites all over the Greater Boston area, where they will help train Special Olympics athletes, visit with local senior citizens, spend time with children living in a homeless shelter, provide classroom assistance in public schools, work at food banks, and more.
“It’s been starting up in stages to accommodate schedules and the number of students who have signed up,” said Geyling-Moore. “We have already started up the Special Olympics on campus, and visits to some of our regular sites. We had a group go to CelebrateMilton! (a town of Milton festival) to volunteer with face-painting for kids. And we’re planning our March break service trip to Puerto Rico.”
Meet Rebecca McCormick
When Mathematics Department faculty member Rebecca McCormick was in high school, she struggled a bit as math concepts started to get more abstract, until she mastered the tools that helped her understand and enjoy her classes.
“I think it helps me as a math teacher,” she says. “My general philosophy is that I meet each student where they are and we move forward from there. The students who have a fear of math or believe they’re not good at math often see math as a series of steps they need to memorize, versus being able to step back and see the bigger concept. Then, they can recognize that they have the tools to approach a particular problem.”
To learn math, students have to do math, McCormick says. “Oftentimes, we’re jumping right in, giving students a little time to think on their own, then working together so they can share ideas and ask questions. So they’re learning by putting ideas together. In the real world, you have a scenario, and you have to figure out what information you can pull from it, to ask yourself what you know and how you can apply your understanding.”
Milton students are “pretty amazing,” McCormick says. “They come to us with a huge range of interests and passions and things they’ve already done in their lifetimes that, quite frankly, blow me away,” she says. “They’re super motivated and driven by the learning process. I think most of them just really like to learn. So often, they teach me something along the way, whether it’s about my subject or something new to me, like parts of their culture and traditions.”
Paul Coughlin: The Man Behind the Uniforms
On the basement level of the Robert Saltonstall Gymnasium—what some have affectionately dubbed the “terrace of RSG”—you’ll find Equipment Manager Paul Coughlin. For every team in all three seasons, Paul oversees the ordering, storing, replacement, and care for each piece equipment and sporting apparel used by our students in the Upper School.
Paul joined Milton in 2004 following a 34-year career with Verizon, working his last ten years in the company’s Pay Phone Division. Paul joked, “Kids don’t even know what a pay phone is now, so it’s obvious why they offered me an early retirement.” A resident of Milton and close-by neighbor to Milton Academy, Paul jumped at an offer to join the school’s athletic department, assisting the department’s equipment manager at the time. What started as a part-time job quickly turned into a second career when the equipment manager resigned. Her departure opened the door to a busy, full-time position for Paul. A position that he has quietly and tirelessly fulfilled for the past 18 years.
Milton Academy’s Performing Arts Department Presents Lobby Hero
This fall’s 1212 play is Kenneth Lonergan’s Lobby Hero, a dialogue-rich play set entirely in the lobby of a Manhattan apartment building. Directed by Performing Arts Department faculty member Darlene Anastas, the show features four main characters whose lives intertwine during the investigation of a crime.
“Lonergan is a Tony-award winning playwright who is known for his dialogue and how he integrates ideas and action into his dialogue,” Anastas said. “It’s a very naturally flowing play. It’s fitting to set it in the lobby of a residential building in Manhattan, where people from all walks of life are passing by. It deals with interpersonal interactions, some social issues with policing, and the personal issues of the ‘lobby hero’ whose life is on display for the whole show.”
Mustangs of the Week
Each week, Milton’s Athletics Department recognizes two athletes for their hard work either on or off the field. These deserving students are our Mustangs of the Week. For future announcements of Mustangs of the Week and all athletic-related information, follow Milton Athletics on Twitter @MA_Athletics
Convocation Calls for Togetherness
Hope and unity emerged as the central themes of this year’s Convocation ceremony. Co-head monitors Victor Chen ’23 and Robin Storey ’23 both encouraged their peers to make meaningful friendships and be themselves. Watch their speeches:
Victor Chen ’23
Robin Storey ’23
Parents’ Association News and Notes
We are looking forward to getting together with so many of us on campus at the Family Weekend socials and other activities this weekend. Look for your USPA Class Reps at the events on Friday night. We’ll also have a table providing some refreshments at the athletic center on Saturday. In response to some questions we have received, here are a couple of notes about the Saturday programming:
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- The Semester programs (SYA, Mountain School, and Chewonki) are available to juniors. So presumably this would be of most interest to the Class III parents (along with some Class II and Class IV parents).
- Spring trips are open to everyone. Some are community building and volunteer focused while others are specific to the orchestra/ jazz/ music groups (i.e. some past trips include the jazz combos traveling to South Africa and, before the pandemic, the orchestra planned to travel to Hong Kong). There are also trips that certain teachers lead (i.e., Mr. Emmott leads a trip to Jordan)—so really anyone who thinks their child might want to go on such a break with the school should check it out.
We continue to be thrilled with your participation and engagement during our monthly meetings. So far, we have had over 100 parents attending each meeting. Thank you for asking insightful questions that help the whole community. These monthly meetings are a great way to learn about the school and share information with Upper School parents. They feature a guest speaker and are followed by Q&A discussion. Our monthly meetings will be held via Zoom. The upcoming meetings will be held on the following dates (more details to follow):
Tuesday, November 8, 2022 from 7–8 p.m.
College Counseling Update
Zoom Speaker: Dean of College Counseling Rod Skinner
USPA Board Meeting 8 – 8:30 p.m.
Tuesday, December 6. 2022 from 7–8 p.m.
Health Panel
Zoom Speakers: Director of Counseling Lisa Morin, Director of Nursing Peg Reardon, R.N
USPA Board Meeting 8 – 8:30 p.m.
Please note that all meetings will be recorded and emailed to parents after the meeting for those who are unable to attend. We respectfully request that you not share the recordings beyond the Milton Academy parent community.
You will be delighted to know that the USPA can host fun activities on campus. We have hosted donut days and Halloween cookies and plan to host a senior breakfast in the next few weeks. All these events and socials sponsored by the USPA are made possible by your generous contributions of time, funding, and gifts, as we are a self-sustaining organization led by volunteer parents and supported primarily by parent dues and donations. Thank you so much for all the gracious contributions!
Please note, we are still in search of parents to volunteer! Please contact Teena Kamal (teena.kamal@gmail.com) to help or learn more.
We look forward to engaging with you via Facebook https://www.facebook.com/miltonacademyuspa and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/miltonuspa/
Just in time for Family Weekend, this year’s Class IV play, The Old Man and the Old Moon, will take audiences on an epic quest. Directed by Performing Arts Department faculty member Eleza Kort, the “play with music” tells an adventurous folktale about the stages of the moon.
In the story, the Old Man charged with taking care of the moon abandons his duties and takes to the sea—throwing the world into chaos—when his wife is lured away by a mysterious song. His quest brings him encounters with storms, sea monsters, and ghosts, “as well as the fiercest obstacle of them all: change,” according to the show description.
Performances begin on 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 20, and Friday, October 21.
More about the play
Reserve your tickets online
Featured Videos
Jazz in Kellner
Milton’s musicians rehearse Horace Silver’s Nutville in Bob Sinicrope’s Kellner classroom to prepare for the Fall Jazz Concert. The concert event begins at 7 p.m. on Thursday, November 10, in King Theatre.
Flash Films
Students in Shane Fuller’s filmmaking class were assigned three random words as inspiration to create an original “flash film.” Here are two examples of the students’ work.
Get Back by Luke Witkowski
Crunch Time by Henry Darling
View more projects on Vimeo.
Featured Photos
Student Self-Portraits
Class III art students illustrate their talents and uniqueness in a new exhibit lining the walls of the Kellner Performing Arts Center. The Class of 2025 Self-Portrait exhibition features 136 student self-portraits on display through October 28 in the Arts Commons. If you can’t make it to Kellner, view these digital photos of the students’ work.
getting dot OLDER
Now through November 4, Milton’s Nesto Gallery is host to getting dot OLDER, an exhibit featuring the digital media work of Roberto Mighty. The exhibit showcases intimate, personal revelations about aging from diverse baby boomers. The Nesto Gallery is located on the lower level of the Art and Media Center and will be open for viewing during Family Weekend.
Sukkot in the Stu
Last week, members of Milton’s Jewish Student Union decorated the Schwarz Student Center in celebration of Sukkot. This week-long Jewish holiday coincides with the traditional season of the fall harvest in Israel/Palestine and commemorates the 40 years Jewish people spent wandering in the desert after their liberation from slavery in Egypt.
Robotics in the AMC
Milton’s robotics team is busy preparing for their first competition of the year—The Spooky Spin Up qualifying tournament on October 30 in Mashpee. The team will compete with other regional high schools vying for a spot in the Southern New England Regional Championships.
Milton Magazine, Fall 2020
EDUCATION: WHAT LIES AHEAD?
The events of the past several years have been especially challenging for the field of education. But the circumstances of these times have also brought about the potential for growth and innovation. Some of Milton’s alumni and teachers share their perspectives.
Visit miltonmagazine.org to read more.
Milton Magazine Wins Magazine of the Year Award
Milton Magazine made history this year, becoming the first publication from an independent school to win the 2022 Robert Sibley Magazine of the Year Award. The award, from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education’s Circle of Excellence competition, recognizes Milton’s 2021 spring and fall issues.
The judges said, “Milton Magazine is that rare mix of big ambition and high-level execution. The judges admired both the story choices and concepts, as well as the depth and dimension of the storytelling. We found the design smart and balanced throughout, filled with thoughtful illustration and photography choices that perfectly matched the tone of the narrative. Milton Magazine does what print magazines do best: Offer a thoughtful, intellectual, and engaging departure. The competition for this year’s Sibley Award was remarkably fierce, with exceptional quality and ambition evident across a wide range of institutions.”
The Sibley Award has existed for 79 years; all 78 of its previous honors have been given to publications from colleges and universities.
Development News
Adult Affinity groups are launching this fall and will be open to alumni and current parents. For more information on how to get involved or join a facilitated affinity space, please contact Molly Herman at molly_herman@milton.edu.
Looking for ways to get involved on campus and connect with other Milton parents? Reach out to Alana McGrath at alana_mcgrath@milton.edu or 617-898-2267 to learn about opportunities to volunteer for the Milton Fund and the Development Office.
UPCOMING EVENTS
New York City Annual Reception
Wednesday, November 2
6–9 p.m.
Soho Grand Hotel, Club Room
Register today!
Nobles Day
Saturday, November 12
10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Noble & Greenough School
Register today!
Boston Annual Reception
Wednesday, November 16
Boston, Mass.
6–9 p.m.
Register today!
*Per venue policy advanced registration is required
Speech and Debate Team Starts Off Strong
On the first weekend of October, members of Milton’s Speech and Debate Team competed in the Yale Invitational Tournament. The following students received recognition:
Double-Octa Finalists in Public Forum Debate: Can Yildirim (I) & Eli Breyer-Essiam (II)
Semi Finalists in Dramatic Interpretation: Felicity Wong (III)
Semi Finalists in Humorous Interpretation: Alexa Burton (II)
Semi Finalist in Program of Oral Interpretation: Alexa Burton (II)
Champion in Dramatic Interpretation: Fernando Paiz (I)
The team looks forward to the first full year of in-person competition at the local level, starting on October 22.