2020 - May

It is the first week of May, and hard to believe we have been in remote learning for almost two months. On April 13th and 14th we made a significant shift from Blizzard Bags to online learning for our K-5 students. A huge shout out to our Elementary staff for taking on such a significant task, with such a steep learning curve. They have done a fantastic job! I also want to say a special thanks to our Food Service Department for continuing to serve thousands of meals to families each week, and our technology department for all the support they have given to everyone district-wide. We appreciate you all so much. 

Per the orders of Governor Sununu, we are still under a stay-at-home order. Our teachers, staff, students, and families continue to do incredible work to advance learning this school year, and I want to express tremendous thanks to everyone for making this unprecedented situation such a great success. We have much to celebrate amidst a very difficult and challenging time. 

END OF THE YEAR CALENDAR

Remote learning will continue in accordance with our school calendar. The last day of school for students in Pre-K-12th Grade is May 29th.

We want to give students time to finish projects and assignments before the last day of school. It is important that students complete their assignments. We will be working as a district leadership team on a year-end calendar for these assignments, which will be communicated to families via the School Administration. 

Some schools have already provided opportunities for students to pick up personal belongings. To provide students/families closure to the School Year, summer “Send-off” events are planned for Friday, May 29th at the elementary schools. Principals will be providing further communications regarding this moving forward. Please stay tuned! 

CLASS OF 2020

Detailed plans to honor our Class of 2020 graduates and their families, along with final decisions regarding graduation will be announced by the 15th of May.  A celebration that allows for physical distancing is being planned for June 8th; however, we are still hoping to hold a traditional graduation if safely possible this summer.  

No new assignments will be given to our seniors after Friday, May 22nd; however, seniors who still need to finalize their course work are expected to fully engage the following week.

Senior scholarship awards as well as the junior, sophomore, and freshmen awards will be presented through a virtual video presentation; those dates are TBD.  

Milford Middle School Updates:

Plans for virtual celebrations for our 8th Graders as they transition into Milford High School are in the works. We look forward to celebrating this important time for our incoming 9th Grade Class. 

Transition Meetings and Transition Opportunities 

Each year careful consideration goes into transitioning students successfully between grade levels and schools.  This year, the Student Support team, principals, teachers, and school counselors are also considering the unique challenge of transitioning students back to school from extended remote learning.  Lots of creative discussions and plans are underway with tentative thoughts for late summer step-up days, teacher meet and greets, school visits, and parent information nights. 

With support from building principals, the special services department adds an additional layer to the work being done to support all of our students as they transition. Our special educators and related service providers of those students transitioning to a new school in the fall meet together to share current progress, as well as helpful hints to ensure our students have the best possible start to the new school year.  We have set aside time in mid-May for this collaborative work.

Summer Learning Opportunities and ESY services for Special Education Students

During our Commissioner’s Call last week, we were informed that State guidance will be forthcoming on May 15th. We will communicate more concrete plans following that guidance on topics of summer learning. These topics include: Title I camps, Kindergarten “Blast Off”, Extended School Year (ESY), and other summertime activities. 

Planning for Next School Year

Plans for next school year are underway. K-8 families, we appreciate the input we have received regarding student placement. Principals will continue to communicate regarding scheduling, etc., in the coming weeks.  We have been able to participate on conference calls with the Governor, and the Education Commissioner. Governor Sununu has been very frank about the situation we face, and the reality is that we may not have a vaccine until sometime next summer.  The virus will be circulating in our communities until a vaccine is discovered and distributed.  We all need to plan for a long duration event and a longer economic recovery.  As he has stated over and over, we are in this for the long haul, and it is not going to fade away easily, so we will continue to proactively plan for such events. As such, we will be working diligently as a leadership team, and as a School District to be as forward thinking as possible as we move into the next School Year. State, Local, and Department of Education guidance will be critical to this work. 

In light of these difficult times which have changed nearly every aspect of our daily lives, there is a lot of good that has grown from this. Our teachers and administrators have created inspiring videos showing all of the fantastic learning happening across the district. Our parents and community continue to express their thanks to our teachers and staff which is greatly appreciated. We’re so proud of our district and appreciate the patience, flexibility, and support of everyone. 

Please continue to practice the repeated health and safety recommendations – Stay at home, wash your hands and practice strict social distancing. 

There are many resources available online for your health, safety and mental wellness. Milford School District has a hub of resources related to remote learning, and Social and Emotional Supports information to assist students, families, and teachers. These resources can be found on our website. Additionally, please see our latest Social Worker’s Newsletter attached. 

We hope everyone is safe, healthy, and doing well. We miss our students and staff very much, and appreciate everyone’s support during this time.