Good Afternoon Meadowside Families,
Happy December!
We held our second school wide HEART Assembly today -- focused on showing EFFORT. We couldn’t be prouder of all our students for the effort they show everyday and especially for those students who were honored at our assembly this afternoon.
Highlights from our STEM Lab this week:
As we have shared, Milford Food Services expects that the Free Meal program will end at the end of December and meals will once again need to be purchased starting in January 2023. More information is included on the transition at the end of this newsletter. Please note that our Meadowside front office staff will be happy to assist any of our families in completing the form for free and reduced lunch. Please call 203-783-3555 or stop by the office for assistance.
Just a few quick reminders as we transition into December this week.
- Fifth Grade Winter Concert: The fifth grade winter concert is scheduled for this coming Wednesday, December 7th at 6:30 pm. Click here for a copy of the invitation to fifth grade families.
- Wednesday, December 7th is a 1:25 Early Release for Students for Staff Professional Learning.
- Photo Retakes: Lifetouch has scheduled Picture Retakes for Tuesday December 13th. Look out for more information coming home this week.
- Community Resource Center News: This week's Community Connection Center's Newsletter (CCC News) has links to Adams House and Bridges Inc. Both support families through tough issues. Each week information about Milford's providers & their programs are listed . You will also find ideas for family friendly activities & places to visit. And don't forget that the CCC website is also updated with links to community resources. Have a Safe & Healthy weekend!
- Report Cards: Your child’s Report Card will be available on Friday 12/16 after 1 pm to view/print in the PowerSchool Parent Portal. The report card can be accessed right from the grades and attendance screen. You must access it from your web browser and not the Powerschool App.
Additional News from our PTA:
- Winter Festival: We are super excited to bring back the Winter Festival on Friday, December 9th from 6-8pm. Cake walk, raffle baskets, crafts, treats, and pictures with Santa. For more information about the family event, click here. For more information on the cake walk click here, to donate a treat for the cake walk click here. For more information on the raffle baskets click here, to donate to the raffle click here. These events don’t run themselves, volunteers are needed, even just 30 minutes of help is appreciated. Sign up here.
- PTA Meeting: December 13th at 6pm in the Media Center.
- Holiday Shop: This is an opportunity for students to shop for and purchase gifts for the holidays, all on their own! The holiday fair will take place on Wednesday, December 14th for students in grades K, 1, & 2 and on Friday, December 16th for students in grades 3, 4, & 5. Click here for more information. We need volunteers to help the student shop, click here to volunteer for one or both days.
Important Dates:
- Wednesday, December 7th: 6:30 Fifth Grade Winter Concert (Click here for full MPS listing)
- Wednesday, December 7th: 1:25 Early Dismissal for faculty professional learning
- Friday, December 9th: PTA Sponsored Winter Festival 6pm
- Tuesday, December 13th: Lifetouch Photo Retake Day
- Tuesday, December 13th: 6:00pm PTA Meeting in Meadowside Media Center
- Wednesday, December 14th: PTA Sponsored Holiday Shop (Grades K, 1 and 2)
- Friday, December 16th: PTA Sponsored Holiday Shop (Grades 3, 4 and 5)
- Friday, December 16th: Trimester Report Card released in PowerSchool
- Thursday, December 22nd School Spirit Day: Pajama Day
- Winter Break 12/23/2022-01/02/20233
Important information from our Milford Food Services:
Back in August, the Milford Foodservice department confirmed it would continue to provide breakfast and lunch at no charge this school year, thanks to limited federal funding we received through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) and the subsequent allocation to the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE). At that time, we reported we would provide free meals to students until the funding source was depleted. We also stated that we would provide all of our families with a 30-day notice of when we anticipated the funds would be depleted. As of today, we are confirming the Milford Foodservice department will continue to offer lunch and breakfast to students at no charge through December 2022. We do, however, expect the Free Meal program will end at the end of December and meals will once again need to be purchased starting in January 2023.
To prepare for this change in our Food service program we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the online payment portal we use here in Milford, called Titan. This service gives families the opportunity to create an account for the entire family that is convenient and easy-to-use. Click HERE to learn more about Titan. Families that previously completed a Free/Reduced-Price Meals application and were approved for the program will still be able to receive free/reduced price meals. If you did not complete a Free/Reduced Price Application this year but believe your family would qualify, we strongly urge you to complete the form that is linked below now so your child’s meal service will not be interrupted. You can access the forms here or stop by the main office to pick one up.
We will continue to provide updates – with a specific end date for the program – as we get closer. In the meantime, we are grateful for the funding we have received to date from our state and federal sources and are thankful for our Milford Foodservice Team and their impeccable service throughout this program. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your school’s cafeteria manager.