Good Afternoon Meadowside Families,
We had a great first week of school in 2023!
We have had an increase in seeing the sharing and trading of pokemon cards this week. Please reinforce with your children that they should not be bringing in personal items such as these to school and that they should not be trading or selling cards at any time. Thank you for reinforcing this at home -- it is becoming a distraction during our students' day that we are hoping to avoid.
As we have shared, the last day for free meals for all students in the Milford Public Schools is today Friday, January 6, 2023. Beginning on Monday, January 9th, our district will return to serving meals for purchase. If your family previously qualified through the Free/Reduced Price Application (filed during the 2022-23 school year), discounted or free meals for those children will not be disrupted. Letters to approved families for discounted (reduced price) or free meals have already been sent so if you have received one of these letters, you do not need to complete any additional forms. If you have NOT received a letter – or if you never completed a Free/Reduced Price Application this school year – we urge you to do so as soon as possible. The application, as well as other information, is located on the district website HERE. Please read the full letter from the MPS Food Services which includes meal prices at the end of this communication. Also, as we have previously shared, please feel free to stop in or call our Main Office at 203-783-3555 for assistance with the form.
Our Community Connection Center can connect families with information and solutions for a wide variety of family needs: child care, parenting skills, literacy skills, food insecurity, job search, and financial assistance, just to name a few. This week's Community Connection Center's Newsletter (CCC News) has links for the CT food bank, links to apply for Milford's free & Reduced lunch programs. New programs offered by WORKFORCE to aid you in all aspects of finding a new job. ENERGIZECT has ways to help lower your electricity bill. You will find fun activities at the Milford Public Library & the Trivia game sponsored by Milford Park & Recreation. Just to list a couple. 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. Please contact our Community Connection coordinator to have a chat about how they can help support you and your family: Mary-Kate Williams
News from the PTA:
PTA Meeting: January 10th at 6pm in the Media Center.
Book Fair: Winter Scholastic BookFair: Students will have the opportunity to shop for books in school on January 17th. Families will be able to shop for books from 3:30 - 6:30 on January 19th. We are looking for volunteers, to sign up click here
Sweetheart Dance: Meadowside PTA is excited to announce the return of the Sweetheart Dance. This is a semi formal dance where every Meadowside student can bring an adult “sweetheart” to join them. Save the date: February 10th from 6-8PM. More information will be available soon.
Important Dates:
- Tuesday, January 10: 6:00 PTA Meeting
- Monday, January 16: No School in Observance of Martin Luther King Day
- Tuesday, January 17: PTA Sponsored Book Fair During the Day for Students
- Thursday January 19: 4th grade band and strings Informance 6:30
- Thursday, January 19: Book Fair MakeUps
- Thursday, January 19: Evening Family Book Fair (3:30 - 6:30)
- Wednesday, January 25: 1:25 Early Dismissal for Staff Professional Learning
Complete Letter from Food Services:
Dear Milford Public Schools Families, As we all prepare for the new year, we are writing to you today to inform you that the last day for free meals for all students in the Milford Public Schools has been extended to Friday, January 6, 2023. Beginning on Monday, January 9th, our district will return to serving meals for purchase. If your family previously qualified through the Free/Reduced Price Application (filed during the 2022-23 school year), discounted or free meals for those children will not be disrupted. Letters to approved families for discounted (reduced price) or free meals have already been sent so if you have received one of these letters, you do not need to complete any additional forms. If you have NOT received a letter – or if you never completed a Free/Reduced Price Application this school year – we urge you to do so as soon as possible. The application, as well as other information, is located on the district website HERE.
Meal Prices, as of January 9, 2023.
BREAKFAST
Elementary: $1.75
Middle School: $2.00
High School: $2.50
LUNCH
Elementary: $3.35
Middle School: $3.60
High School: $3.85
At all levels, reduced-price breakfasts for qualifying families are 30¢.
At all levels, reduced-price lunches for qualifying families are 40¢.
SNAP Program: An Alternative for Free/Reduced Price Meals
Back in October, the income level required for eligibility for SNAP (formerly known as Food Stamps) was increased, so some families who previously did not qualify for SNAP may now qualify. Any student who receives SNAP benefits is automatically eligible for free school meals. Click HERE to go right to Connecticut’s dedicated website page about SNAP funds and directions on how to apply.
Paying For Lunches
For families who will need to purchase meals for their children, we have several convenient options for you to do so. The online payment portal, Titan, offers you many advantages for keeping track of your child’s meal spending and is a great way to manage his/her account. You can access your child’s Titan account 24/7/365 – from anywhere. If you haven’t created a payment portal account in the Titan system, please consider doing so as soon as possible. Details and directions on how to do this appear on the district website; click HERE to get started.
The Milford Foodservice Department will also accept checks; please complete a deposit slip and send it in with your child along with your check. Please make sure to indicate your child’s name on the note line on the check.
At this time, cash cannot be accepted in the Milford Foodservice program.
We thank you for your patronage and your support in the coming year. If you have any questions or concerns, you may contact your child’s school cafeteria manager or the Milford Foodservice Central Office at (203) 783-3490.
Eileen S. Faustich
Director of Food Services