Meet Elizabeth Lillis
“Ms. Lillis, here’s that book that you loaned me.” “Ms. Lillis, did you see what’s going on in the Student Center today?” “Ms. Lillis, I heard something on NPR this morning that totally connects with what we’re doing in class.” Walking across campus on any day, Elizabeth Lillis is approached by eager students wanting to share the news of the moment. That eagerness, that vitality is what drew Elizabeth to Milton and, as she says, what keeps her and her colleagues here year after year.
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A Night to Celebrate Milton's Artists
A favorite annual tradition at Milton, Arts Night showcases the work of Milton’s talented pool of student artists on Friday, April 17. View the work of Jim Connolly’s creative writing class; laugh out loud at Peter Parisi’s improv troupe; witness the grace of Tze Chun’s dancers; peruse the work of Bryan Cheney’s photography class; enjoy performances from Pam McArdle’s and Shane Fuller’s drama classes; soak in the sounds of classical piano and jazz; and more. The event begins at 6 p.m. with a performance by Milton’s Advanced Oral Interp speechies in Straus Library and a creative writing presentation in Kellner's orchestra room. At 7 p.m., Milton’s jazz students lead all in attendance into King Theatre for the remainder of the night’s festivities. Click here to download the Arts Night poster created by senior Dougan Khim.
Happy Anniversary, Beatnik!
Talent at night: of, by and for students
This year marks the fifteenth anniversary of Beatnik Café—an evening of live entertainment, for and by the students. Widely attended by students and fondly remembered by young grads, Beatnik has been growing in scope and popularity ever since alumnus Colin Cheney ’96 brought it to life.
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The Orchestras: Ready to Help You Believe in Spring
The Ruth King Theatre is the setting; Friday, April 24 is the date. At 7:30 p.m. weeks of practice will be behind them, the tune up will be finished, and the musicians will open the 2009 Spring Orchestra Concert.
The Chamber orchestra begins the program with works of Chopin, Mozart, Monn, Weber and Beethoven. Five Class I soloists, playing in their final Milton formal concert, highlight this part of the program: Jaclyn Siu, Kim Chang, Drew Douglas-Steele, Alisha Magnus-Louis, and Will Yu. The Chamber musicians will close this performance with the first movement of the Beethoven 5th Symphony.
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1212 Plays: A living heritage at Milton
This Spring’s 1212 : As Bees in Honey Drown
That’s a strange name for a play
In Douglas Carter Beane’s As Bees in Honey Drown, a young writer gets caught up in the conflict of fantasy and reality and is enticed by access to fast fame and fortune. In a society obsessed with celebrity, this comic satire on contemporary popular culture, the allure of success, and the true value of art and of love, is a reflection on Warhol’s “15 minutes of fame.” Fame like honey, may taste sweet but it can also be a sticky, enveloping mess.
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Undefeated Girls’ Varsity Squash Team are League Champions
Milton’s girls’ varsity squash team finished their season with an impressive 11-0 record, marking only the second undefeated season in the history of the program. Winning 68 of 77 matches this season, and competing in the strong Independent School League (ISL), the girls earned the title of 2009 ISL Champions. Senior co-captains Alli Rubin and Sarah Loucks were members of Milton’s first undefeated team as seventh graders, and led this year’s team along with other Class I members Casey Cortes, Amara Warren and Caroline Palmer. According to coach Chris Kane, Milton’s Class of 2009 graduates some of the most talented female squash players in Milton Academy history and in New England.
In addition to their league success, the team finished second in the Groton Invitational, fourth at the New England Interscholastic Tournament, and a remarkable fourth at the U.S. High School National Championships. The fourth place finish at Nationals matched the best finish in School history and gave the girls the unofficial title of “Best of the Boarding Schools.”
Not Your Grandfather’s Odyssey
Milton’s unique take on the time-honored tale
Milton theater productions are never what you might assume they would be. This spring’s production of The Odyssey, directed by performing arts faculty member Shane Fuller, turns Homer’s epic poem into a welcoming evening of storytelling. The goal is, as Shane puts it, to create “more than a show; the goal is to create a theatrical experience for the audience.”
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A Morning of Service
One way for everyone to give something
On and off campus, students will hunker down to work for several hours during the biennial Community Service Day, Wednesday April 29. Classes I-IV — advisors and all their advisees — will serve at nearly 40 sites in Milton, Boston and surrounding towns. Task sites include: schools that need indoor and outdoor spring cleaning; daycare sites; a zoo; parks; residences for elders and the disabled; and classrooms. Class I will host 120 Boston public elementary school children for a field day here on campus. A number of Class II students will host the Epiphany Middle School (Dorchester) for workshops in science, writing, and music.
Coming up
If you’re local, we’d love your help
Milton Academy is again the site for the Special Olympics Track and Field Qualifier (for State competition) on Sunday, May 17. We will host more than 700athletes and their coaches. This is a community wide project (K-12). Students and adults collaborate to run the events, serve lunch, present awards, etc. It’s great fun, and a favorite event for our students. If you are willing to help, even for part of the day, please email Andrea_geyling@milton.edu.
It is hard to believe April has arrived and only two months remain in the 2008–2009 academic year. Many generous families have contributed to Milton Academy’s Parent Giving program, which consists of the Parents’ Annual Fund and the Class I 2009 Parent Gift. This support is crucial to sustaining Milton’s quality and unique character.
The Parents’ Annual Fund is a component of Milton’s Annual Fund, which supports approximately 10 percent of the operating budget each year and, as such, has an impact on financial aid, faculty salaries, the dynamic curriculum and student activities. As of March 31, the Parents’ Annual Fund received over $860,000 from 230 families. Thank you very much to each family who has made a gift and to the dedicated group of Parents’ Annual Fund volunteers who have reached out to fellow Milton parents over the last seven months. Your efforts and commitment are integral to the success of the Parents’ Annual Fund.
The Class I Parent Gift is a special tradition at Milton which allows Class I parents to commemorate their children’s Milton experience with a significant gift to the Academy. This year’s Gift will help complete funding for the Pritzker Science Center. The Class I Parent Gift Committee is comprised of 35 parents who are dedicating their time to encourage fellow parents to demonstrate the strength of the class with their own gift. As of March 31, over 45 percent of families have contributed to the Class I Parent Gift, with gifts and pledges totaling over $600,000. If you have not already done so, please consider your own contribution as we strive to reach a goal of 100 percent parent participation and one million dollars before June 30, 2009. Please note that you can maximize your gift by taking advantage of the five-year pledge payment option. Your entire pledge will count toward the Class I 2009 Parent Gift total, and you may pay the pledge over time (up to five years), with the first installment due by June 30, 2009.
For more information about Milton Academy’s Parents’ Annual Fund or Class I 2009 Parent Gift, please contact Shannon Ollerhead at 617-898-2374 or shannon_ollerhead@milton.edu.
Become a Parent Volunteer in 2009-2010
This academic year, 50 volunteers support the Parents’ Annual Fund and 35 Class I Parents serve on the Class I 2009 Parent Gift Committee. Parent connections through phone calls, emails and letters are crucial to the success of both the Annual Fund and the Class I 2009 Parent Gift, and volunteering is a wonderful opportunity to meet fellow Milton parents. Whether you are from Massachusetts, California or China, please consider becoming more involved in Milton’s parent community.
If you are interested in becoming a parent volunteer for the 2009–2010 academic year or would like to learn more about Milton’s Parent Giving program, please contact Shannon Ollerhead, associate director of annual giving, at 617-898-2374 or shannon_ollerhead@milton.edu.
Upcoming Events
Parent Giving Phonathon
Phonathons are great opportunities to meet fellow Milton parents and encourage support of the School. Please join us for the last Parent Giving Phonathon of 2008–2009 on Tuesday, April 21.
Dinner begins at 6:30 p.m., Calling at 7 p.m.
Milton Academy Development Office, Caroline Saltonstall Building, Second Floor
Parent Giving Volunteers who are unable to come to Milton are encouraged to use this evening to make phone calls from home. Please contact Shannon Ollerhead at 617-898-2374 or shannon_ollerhead@milton.edu for more information or to R.S.V.P.
Parent Giving Information
Milton Academy’s Web site is a great resource for additional information regarding Milton Academy’s Parent Giving program. Find updates about the Parents’ Annual Fund and the Class I 2009 Parent Gift, as well as answers to frequently asked questions, class statistics and upcoming events. To access this site, select “Parent Giving” in the Parents section of www.milton.edu or click here.
What I hope to remember of your class, the Class of 2009, and this year, is your creative and well thought out senior pranks. Bad pranks are easy but good ones take planning, team work and care. Few classes manage to design and implement successfully even one such statement of class pride. You have brought us many. Each one showed consideration of the people who live and work here and of the school – none destructive or dangerous or insulting. Instead, they were whimsical and clever; they brought smiles to our lips and wonder to our minds. And – you remembered that cleaning up was part of the plan. I appreciate the time and spirit behind these ventures. You have set a bar few others will reach.
Does April feel like election season to you? Fresh from the Junior Leadership Weekend, full of energy and spirit for their class and the School, Class II students find the courage to rise to the challenge of running for offices. On Thursday, April 9, six girls and six boys — self-nominated — made three-minute speeches to a full house. Each made his or her case to all students from Class IV through Class I and the faculty, that he or she should be the one of the two head monitors for the 2009–2010 year.
CultureFest delights the senses with dancing, food, performances, music, and more. The community’s talent is on display. The Fizgibbons Convocation Center is ringed with booths representing our heritages from around the world and regions of the United States. Flags brightly decorate the booths that display country or regional artifacts and often people add to the color by coming in national dress.
This year, Erika Mobley, Class of 1986, will address the graduating class. Erika’s background is in international copyright law; she began her career within the digital and music industry. She worked for the Recording Industry Association of America (R.I.A.A.), Palm, RealNetworks and Amazon.com in roles that expanded her expertise into global business strategy and marketing as well as anti-piracy law. Today, Erika leads business development and licensing for Apple’s App Store, the online location for new applications—from books and business through entertainment, games, finance and fitness—that are being developed for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Applications in the worlds of TV, music and movies are Erika’s responsibility. The App Store has been open for eight months and is now available in 77 countries; at its seven-month mark, downloads of applications, free and purchased, numbered 800 million. Over all areas, 25,000 applications are available for download. Prior to her current role, Erika developed global business initiatives in Australia and New Zealand as senior product marketing manager for iTunes.
