Hello, Milford Public Schools Community!
The days are going by quickly now – and the start of the 2023-24 school year is almost here. Today’s edition of Upcoming News & Events contains information about some of the topics you may have been wondering about and, going forward, we will issue our UNE messaging every week through the end of the school year. Also know: this year we are creating a tab on our website home page called ‘Back to School Central.’ This tab will feature all of the kinds of info families are usually looking for this time of year – and it will be all in one place. We’ll remind you next week. Here we go:
When Will the Parent Portal Open?
Just like last year, the Parent Portal will open in 2 stages and it’s important that you know what will be available and when. Here’s what you can expect:
PART 1: Tuesday, Aug. 15th
Preliminary Opening. Families can enter their PowerSchool accounts beginning tomorrow – (Tuesday 8/15; beginning at 12:00 noon) -- and review/acknowledge all the items we routinely require every year. For Back-to-School purposes, the items you need to address are: Student Information (update contacts, addresses, phone numbers, etc.), the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP), the Parent-Student Handbook, the Foodservice documentation (such as the Free/Reduced Price Forms), and the Military Recruitment sections.
PLEASE NOTE: Do NOT use the PowerSchool App for this process. We ask you to use a web-based browser to accomplish this task instead.
PART 2: Tuesday, Aug. 22nd
Classroom Teacher Assignments, Bus Routes Released. Now that all your preliminary work has been completed, it will make easy work for you to log on (on the 22nd) and find out your child’s classroom teacher assignment and his/her bus route (if eligible). This 2-stage process helps mitigate the increased and substantial traffic that our system experiences when we open the Parent Portal for the first time in August.
When is the first day of school for students? Wednesday, August 30, 2023
Chromebook Insurance: You Can Renew When You Enter the Parent Portal on Tuesday
We are happy to report that our low-cost Chromebook Insurance program is back and WELL worth the annual renewal fee ($25 per year). If you’ve got kids, then you already know there’s always the potential for something to happen to the Chromebook during the year: cracked screen, broken hinges, water damage, just to name a few. Do yourself a favor. Purchase the insurance – it will give you peace of mind and save you a lot of aggravation when something goes wrong. You can reserve your Chromebook insurance right on your Parent Portal account when you first sign in tomorrow. If you have any questions, please contact our BIDS dept. at (203) 783-3446.
Foodservice News: Breakfast/Lunch Plans Released
Lots of folks have been wondering about the Breakfast and Lunch plan for the 2023-24 School Year. Here you go:
Free Breakfast for All, Lunch Will be Free Only for Qualifying Families
When school begins this year, the following changes will be in place regarding our Milford Foodservice offerings.
Breakfast: Breakfast meals will be FREE OF CHARGE for ALL students in the Milford Public Schools. Lunch: For students who QUALIFY for free or reduced-price meals, (determined by the completion of the Free/Reduced-Price Meals application or Direct Certification), lunch meals will continue to be offered FREE OF CHARGE. You may complete the Free/Reduced-Price Meals application online HERE via the LINQ (formerly Titan) website. Lunch: For students who DO NOT QUALIFY for Free/Reduced-Price Meals, lunch meals will be offered at full price.
Elementary Full Price Lunch | $3.35 |
Middle School Full Price Lunch | $3.60 |
High School Full Price Lunch | $3.65 |
The funding supplementing this year’s pricing matrix was made available pursuant to Public Act No. 23-204 (Connecticut State Budget). In Connecticut, $16 million of federal American Rescue Plan Act (2021) funds has been allocated for “Free Meals for Students” for school year (SY) 2023-24. The program administering these funds through the CSDE is called STABLE (State Transition Assistance for Breakfast and Lunch Expenses.
Need a Job? We Still Have Some Positions Available – Check ‘Em Out
As we get closer to the start of school, you may be considering returning to work once the kids are back. We have many positions available: teachers, coaches, foodservice, paraprofessionals, and several others. Click HERE to view all of the available jobs posted on our website. Become a part of our team!
Does Your Child Want to Play an Instrument This Year?
Just a quick reminder … if your child is interested in learning how to play a musical instrument (kids entering Grade 4 and Grade 5), don’t forget to read all the information on the Music Department Website. It is important that you click on the REGISTRATION tab in order to correctly arrange your child’s schedule.
That's it for now. We will continue to send you info as soon as its available. Have a great week!
-Milford Public Schools