- Seniors: Please remember to give Mrs. Evans in guidance a small envelope (with one 42 cent stamp) addressed to the college you will be attending. Also, bring in all your acceptance (or rejection) letters for your counselor to copy. This information is extremely important for the counselors in compiling statistical data.
- Students who are taking an AP Exam and who HAVE NOT yet filled out the Student Pack must report to Mr. Aubert in guidance at 2:19 today.
- The Michael Devin Scholarship deadline is today. Extra copies are available.
- Students taking the SAT I/II on Saturday must bring two #2 pencils, their admission ticket, a photo ID, and a calculator. Students will be admitted to the building at 7:45 am. Please check your admission ticket for the test center. Some MHS students may have been assigned to test sites other than MHS.
- Poetry Club rehearsals today.
School Superintendent publishes letter on budget crisis
Mary Gormley, Superintendent of Schools, has posted her letter to parents regarding the 2009-2010 budget crisis on the school web site. You can read the full text of the Superintendent’s letter to parents here.
The letter outlines for parents the points made in her recent presentation to the school committee regarding the cuts in staff and other measures that will be taken to meet a stringent budget. The presentation is also available online. You can view it here.
In her letter Gormley says:
that if the budget crisis becomes a reality . . .we will be facing a substantial reconfiguring of the system to cope with our limited resources. Drastic cuts will be imposed across the district [and] Educational quality on all thee levels will suffer.
The cuts at the high school will be so significant that the school’s accreditation could be at risk, according to Gormley.
At the middle school the reduction in staff will likely require the dismantling of the “Team model.” The team model is a system whereby incoming students are assigned to a team of 4 teachers within their grade. It has been a highly successful means of transitioning students from the elementary school into the middle school and preserving the sense of a nurturing, intimate enviroment within a facility that has hundreds of students. According to Gormley it also gives students, “consistent, personalized, rigorous instruction.”
At the elementary level the challenge is managing the logistics of the French Immersion program across 4 schools with reduced staff. The letter outlines two options, a French Immersion Continuum strand and a Partnership strand. Regardless of the option, class sizes for the most part will exceed 30 students.
There is an open forum tonight at 7:30pm in the auditorium of the high school. The school committee and school administration encourage the pubic to attend.
Put your recycling into overdrive! Compost bins available from the DPW
COMPOST BINS NOW AVAILABLE
The DPW is once again making compost bins available to Milton Residents at wholesale prices. Residents can purchase an Earth Machines composter for $35 at the Central Business Office at Town Hall. The Milton DPW will then deliver the composter to your house the following Thursday. It’s that easy!
Police fearful of state cut
from The Boston Globe
A legislative proposal to cut a popular police benefit has caused confusion and consternation in local police departments, as some officers worry that their annual pay could be cut by thousands of dollars.
The House Ways and Means Committee released a proposed state budget earlier this month that chopped $50 million from the so-called Quinn bill, which hikes the pay of officers who earn degrees in higher education in criminal justice fields. (read the full story here.)
NOTE: According to the Massachusetts Dept. of Revenue, the amount the state gave Milton for the Quinn bill in fiscal 2009 was $266,423.
School Administration makes MPS FY10 presentation available – Open Forum Tonight 4/30
The presentation that Ms. Gormley, Superintendent of Schools, gave to the school committee last Tuesday in now available from the MPS web site. You can view it here. NOTE: The presentation was optimized for Internet Explorer. If you are using a different browser you may experience some display issues.
The presentation itemizes the cuts that will need to be made in the event that the schools need to work with a non-contingent budget (i.e. the budget in place if the town fails to pass an override).
Altogether 45.5 positions will need to be cut. The head counts to be cut breakdown as follows:
1.5 Administration
9.0 System wide (eg Educational assistants etc – presentation includes specifics)
12.4 Milton High School
11.5 Pierce Middle School
11.0 Milton Elementary Schools
The presentation details which positions, subject areas will be affected. Class sizes will increase and the elementary schools will need to have their programs reconfigured. There are two options being reviewed in with regard t this: French Partner Strands and French Continuum Strands. The presentation outlines the key characteristics of each.
The administration also has concerns regarding AYP (annual year progress, MCAS) and possible NEASC Accreditation issues.
The School Administration is hopeful of an increase in funding of $1,307,487, which while still less than level funding will only necessitate a reduction of 13 staff: 7 Teachers and 6 Support staff (1 of whom is half time).
The Administration is holding an open forum tomorrow night in the MHS Auditorium, Milton High School, Gile Rd. at 7:30pm.
“I’m flabbergasted,” McAuliffe wins Treasurer race
James McAuliffe has won the race for town treasurer. He will replace Kevin Sorgi who has held the position for the last 28 years. Charlie McCarthy was gracious in defeat saying, “It’s not the end of the world. [and] It’s about the journey not the end.” He congratulated both Ms. Lorden and Mr. McAuliffe on their campaigns. Ms. Lorden was equally gracious in acknowledging McAullife. “He ran an amazing campaign.”
Appearing at Town Hall after the results came in Mr McAuliffe said he was “flabbergasted, but thrilled.” He ran a good campaign and mobilized his supporters. The town turnout overall was 22.8%. Quite a bit below what was predeicted. Mr. Mullen, the Town Clerk, had estimated a turnout of over 30%. Precinct 7 had the best turnout with 29.1% and Precinct had the poorest turnout, only 11.8%.
Congratulations Mr. McAuliffe!
The town web site has the complete voting results for all offices by precinct. You can find it here.
Affanato wins Park Commissioner & Gunning retains Assessor seat, & there are 2 new Library Trustees
Steve Affanato prevailed against McCarthy for Park Commissioner 2451vs 1176.
In the Assessor race, Grunning held onto his seat against Todd Greenwood who after results were in said, “I started using my bike. . .” because his legs got so tired.
Andrea Gorden, an incumbent, was re-elected library trustee. She is joined by newcomers Barbara Mason and Brendan McLaughlin.
Lastly, Lee Carey edged out Richard Casey for the Housing Authority
Congratulations to all!
The town web site has the complete voting results for all offices including town meeting members by precinct. You can find it here.
MA Dept of Public Health Fact Sheet: Swine Flu
Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 250 Washington Street Boston, MA 02108
April 27, 2009
What is swine influenza?
Swine influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by a type of influenza virus. Outbreaks of
swine flu happen regularly in pigs. People do not normally get swine flu, but human infections can and do
happen. Most commonly, human cases of swine flu happen in people who are around pigs but it’s possible for
swine flu viruses to spread from one person to another. In the United States there were 12 cases of swine flu in
people from 2006 through 2008. In March and April 2009 there have been many more cases of swine flu than
usual in both Mexico and the U.S. and the infections have spread from one person to another.
What are the symptoms of swine flu in people?
Swine flu causes symptoms very similar to seasonal (or human) flu. The most common symptoms of swine flu,
like seasonal flu, are fever, cough, and sore throat and can include body aches, headache, chills and fatigue.
Some people also have diarrhea and vomiting. There have been some people with swine flu who have been
sicker and have even died.
Is swine flu treatable in people?
People sick with any type of flu should make sure to drink enough fluids, get plenty of rest, eat healthy foods,
wash hands frequently and stay home to avoid spreading the flu to other people. The kinds of drugs used to treat
seasonal flu, called antivirals, can also be used to treat swine flu. There have been a few influenza viruses,
including the most recent swine flu, that are resistant to some, but not all, of these drugs. Healthcare providers
may recommend that people who are sick or appear to be sick with swine flu receive an antiviral medication.
How would I know if I have swine flu?
If you have symptoms of influenza as described above, and especially if you have recently traveled to an area
where there have been human cases of swine flu, contact your healthcare provider who will decide what type of
testing and treatment is right for you. To diagnose any kind of flu virus, a swab of the inside of your nose needs
to be collected by a doctor. Identification of a swine flu virus requires special laboratory testing.
If you think you might have swine flu and you need to see your health care provider, you should call ahead and
let them know you might have the flu. That way, precautions can be taken to avoid the spread of flu to others.
John Shields now chairman of Board of Selectmen
The Patriot Ledger reported that the Milton Board of Selectmen unanimously voted John Shields chairman of the board. He will take over from Kathy Fagan. (read the full story here.)
The story also mentioned that the board was looking at a permitting process for movie and television production companies. This may stem from inquiries recently received from a production outfit that wanted to use Milton locations in their filming of “The Company Men.” Oh boy, movies!
“The Company” is a film about three men dealing with corporate downsizing. You can find some information about the film at the IMDB site here.
MHS Bulletin for 04.29.09
- Today, Juniors in Group 11B will meet for their final session of group guidance and on Thursday, April 30, Juniors in Group 11C will meet for their final session.
- Any AP students who missed their pre-registration session will meet in the cafeteria during Activity Period on Wednesday.
- College Mini-Fair for Juniors on Thursday from 8:45 to 9:18 in the Field House. We are expecting sixty college representatives. The list is available on Edline and in the guidance office. Thursday is a B Block Day and students must obtain a pass in guidance and have it signed by their B period teacher. Only juniors with signed passes will be admitted.
- Debate Club will have a brief meeting today directly after school at 2:20 in room 212 to confirm the next topic of debate.
- Asian Culture Club will meet today to discuss elections and t-shirts.
- Seniors: Please remember to bring in a small envelope (with one 42 cent stamp) addressed to the college you will be attending. Also, bring in all your acceptance (or rejection) letters for your counselor to copy. This information is extremely important for the counselors in compiling statistical data. Thank you for your cooperation.
It’s Election Day – polls are open – VOTE!!
It’s election day here in Milton. It is time to exercise your civic responsibility. There are several offices up for grabs, chief among them Town Treasurer and Collector. There are also elections for Park Commissioner, Assessor, the Housing Authority and Library Trustees.
Jim Mullen, Town Clerk, is estimating an average turnout of around 35% according to the Milton Times.
You can find links to information about the candidates including summaries, reruns of debates and interviews on our Election 2009 Candidate round up HERE.
Precincts 1 and 11: Tucker School, 181 Blue Hills Parkway.
Precinct 2: St. Mary of the Hills School, 250 Brook Road.
Precinct 3: Glover School, 255 Canton Ave.
Precinct 4: Milton Senior Center, 10 Walnut St.
Precincts 5 and 9: Copeland Field House, Milton High School, 25 Gile Road.
Precincts 6 and 8: Cunningham School gym, 44 Edge Hill Road.
Precincts 7 and 10: Cunningham Park Community Center, 75 Edge Hill Road.
View Milton Polling Places in a larger map