Important Dates:

Dec. 24 through Jan. 2 - No

School - Winter Break

Jan. 5 - School resumes

District News:

November was National Family Literacy Month, a wonderful opportunity to recognize and strengthen the reading and learning bonds within your household. Supporting literacy at home can be fun and interactive, creating lifelong learners! Try setting aside a daily family reading time, modeling the joy of reading by letting children see you read, and engaging in word games and storytelling. Crucially, take advantage of the vast resources available by planning a trip to Milford Town Library. The library offers a wealth of books, digital resources, and community programs—like storytimes and book clubs—that provide essential tools and engaging environments for your family to explore the world of literature together. Making literacy a shared, daily family activity is the key to educational success.

Milford High School

As part of the MHS Ben’s Challenge, Ms. Catherine Fair (MHS Science Teacher) brought about 10 high school students over to Brookside to read with 1st grade students. Ben’s Challenge is a social and mental health initiative MHS is sponsoring this year. Students and staff at MHS are undertaking a variety of projects, taking workshops and seminars, and hearing from speakers on a variety of projects with the goal of improving mental health and connection within our school community.

The Milford High Vocational Program had the pleasure of volunteering at the Milford Senior Center. The students helped Senior Center staff serve their annual Thanksgiving dinner. With over 100 seniors attending, students completed tasks such as setting up and decorating tables, serving food, cleaning up, and taking orders. Our students engaged in many conversations, worked in a high pressure situation, and even had an occasional dance with the seniors! Thank you to MHS teacher Mr. Nate Gaucher for leading this effort with his students. Good for our kids, and good for our community!

Fifty Milford High School students recently explored the fascinating world of forensic science and cybersecurity during a field trip to Bridgewater State University. The visit offered hands-on learning experiences inside the university’s Forensic Science Laboratory and Cyber Range, where students participated in real-world simulation activities. Chaperoned by Career Counselor Ms. Deborah Monteiro, PLTW Biomedical Science Teacher Mr. Tim Walsh, and Computer Science Teacher Mr. Dan Nelson, students had the opportunity to engage with university faculty, test out forensic techniques, and experience cyber defense simulations firsthand. Students were fully immersed in their respective simulation experiences — analyzing evidence, running digital investigations, and connecting classroom learning to potential career paths in science and technology.

In early November, Milford High students from the Spanish National Honor Society had the opportunity to go on a field trip to La Taquería Estrella to prepare Mexican food. The students were able to make many different foods such as tortilla chips, flautas, quesadillas, burritos, and tacos. In addition, the students also tried many new foods and drinks such as horchata, tamarind, flautas, and more dishes. Everything the students made and tried was delicious, and they really enjoyed the experience. The members of the Spanish Honor Society would like to thank Mr. Ruelas and his staff for such an amazing experience. The environment was very clean, friendly, and welcoming for the students. Mr. Ruelas gave the students a tour of the kitchen and taught them some techniques to prepare some of the foods. Thanks to Mr. Ruelas' generosity, this cooking class was made possible for the students of the Spanish National Honor Society, and we cannot thank him enough for organizing this cooking class.

MHS proudly hosted the annual AP Scholar Breakfast, celebrating the hard work and accomplishments of 38 Milford High School students who earned AP Scholar recognition from the College Board. We are incredibly proud of these students for their dedication and commitment to academic excellence. Their achievements reflect countless hours of hard work and we look forward to seeing all they will continue to accomplish! Students were honored across three award categories:

•  AP Scholar – granted to students who score a 3 or higher on three or more AP exams.

•  AP Scholar with Honor – awarded to students who earn an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken, with scores of 3 or higher on four or more exams.

•  AP Scholar with Distinction – presented to students who earn an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken, with scores of 3 or higher on five or more exams.

Woodland Elementary School

At Woodland, a Kindness Club with 20 students met on Friday mornings with Woodland educator Ms. Megan Gabellieri. One of their projects included creating necessity bags for those without stable housing. They assembled 100 bags of toothbrushes, body wash, shampoo, conditioner, socks and other toiletries. Students wrote notes of encouragement to include in the bags. New Hope, an organization with multiple shelters in the area, was very grateful to accept the donation. A representative came to meet the students and collect the bags. Students also made cards for veterans which will go to Thanks to Yanks. A wonderful example of Milford Pride and community service! These kids have shown that a little kindness goes a long way!

Woodland celebrated the end of their "Raking Up Leaves with Jiji" challenge yesterday. A record breaking 30 classes reached the target goal for puzzles completed and played BINGO with Jiji!

Brookside Elementary School

Every classroom at Brookside created a character pumpkin based on a book that they read. These beautiful pumpkins were painted, dressed up, decorated, and accessorized to match a character. Pumpkins were on display in the Library area of Brookside and shared with parents as well. Amazing creativity on display!

At Brookside, each Grade One class read Balloons Over Broadway, the story of the puppeteer for the Macy’s Day parade. The students then created their own balloon and put on a parade around the school.

Brookside’s Grade 1 assembled to share their projects as part of their Expeditionary Learning “Be a Maker!” unit of study. Students had to identify a problem at school, and create a solution as a class. Describing problems, engineering solutions, and presenting their thinking to others are great skills to develop!

Memorial Elementary School

Memorial students participated in community meetings, where they reviewed expectations and talked to the students about kindness. Our ST Math mascot, Jiji joined the fun and students sang the Memorial song! Thank you to Mrs. Evans, Mrs. Samiagio and Mrs. Rohde for facilitating the meetings.

Memorial Elementary School celebrated 20 students for their perseverance on ST Math. Each student received a certificate and had a visit with Jiji.

Memorial School students in Mrs. Kowal and Mrs. Bruno's classes had a visit with Milford’s community helpers, including representatives from the Fire Department, the Police Department, and Milford EMS. Piper, the MPD Comfort K9, was the highlight of the visit! The students thoroughly enjoyed the visit with our community helpers and learned a lot. Thank you!

Shining Star Early Childhood Center

Hip, hip, hurray to Shining Star’s October Strong Character students:

•  Joao for displaying cooperation

•  Xiomilaniz, Maiya, Bernardo, Arianna, Varshini, Eleanor, Bernardo and Maverick for displaying kindness

Shining Star Staff Spotlight features:

•  Ms. Danielle Carter. Once you have the pleasure of working with her, it becomes clear why. She has an impact on everyone around her. Her passion for working with children is undeniable. Ms. Carter consistently demonstrates care and kindness in every interaction with both students and staff. She plays a crucial role in keeping the classroom organized, timely, and on track. Her patience, understanding, and positive energy make her a true asset to Shining Star. Ms. Carter's greatest strength is her ability to love and support every student equally, helping them reach their fullest potential. We are truly fortunate to have her as part of our team!

•  Ms. Patti Reed. She is an amazing preschool teacher and truly a wonderful person. Ms. Reed is patient, creative, and always finds fun ways to teach lessons so the kids stay engaged. She knows how to balance learning with play, helping children grow while still enjoying school. Beyond her teaching, Ms. Reed is kind, thoughtful, and easy to work with. Her positive energy, dedication, and love for being a preschool teacher makes her someone who truly makes a difference in the lives of every child and coworker she meets.

•  Ms. Ally Duffy. She brings such warmth, positivity, and energy to our school community. She’s always there to lend a helping hand, share a thoughtful idea, or offer encouragement when it’s needed most. Ms. Duffy is a dedicated and compassionate teacher who truly wants the best for every child in her care. Her commitment to helping her students learn, grow, and reach their full potential shines through in everything she does. We are so lucky to have her!