The Act of Teaching is Changing as We Speak
Indu Chugani is Milton’s dean of teaching and learning. In her first year here, she has focused on cultivating talent within Milton’s faculty through new professional development programming. Growth as an educator, Indu says is “constantly reviewing and defining the act of teaching, and how it is changing as we speak.” We asked Indu to consider questions about teaching that intrigue and challenge every community, and resonate at Milton. What set of skills should I bring to the table if I want to teach at Milton today? In a different decade, perhaps expertise in a discipline may...
Read MoreWe Call Them Specials: Chances to Try, “Fail,” Learn
Each day, projects in music, woodworking, visual and performing arts, and physical education add context to what children are studying in mathematics, social studies, science and language arts. In the Lower School, both grown-ups and children refer to these courses as “specials,” and in these classrooms, creativity reigns. K–5 specials are strong curricular components, fully integrated with the academic curriculum. In these fun and challenging classrooms, students ignite and develop particular interests and talents. Specialists may be among the first adults to recognize children...
Read MoreWho made it happen? Reunion Classes Holding the Bowl
Every school depends on committed volunteers. At Milton, volunteers not only have a great time working with equally energetic people on a shared goal. They also make sure that faculty and students this year—as in past years—will thrive, learn and grow in that particular Milton environment. Last year, reunion classes broke records and won the Bowl. For 40 years, the Jackson Bowl, named for Henry B. Jackson ’23, celebrates a “select few” who have done the most to promote annual giving at Milton. The classes of 1978 and 1993 both reached unprecedented participation numbers. Overall...
Read MoreHigh Energy Math Makes Tracks
The math department has taken the lead in a renewal process that every department at Milton will conduct, in sequence and at regular intervals. “Ongoing, rigorous, curriculum renewal” is a key tenet of the Strategic Plan adopted by the trustees in January 2013. Heather Sugrue, math department chair, and her colleagues have pioneered the first major example of the process the plan intends. The energy surge sparked by this process has resulted in many outcomes; Heather established a new speaker series—Pi Talks, pairing math discussion and dessert—and developed Milton’s first math...
Read MoreMessages: Chris Herren
This year’s Talbot Speaker, former basketball star Chris Herren, spoke with students about his very public 14-year struggle with drug and alcohol addiction. In his powerful talk, Mr. Herren urged students to think about the “whys” as well as the consequences of drug and alcohol use during their teenage years. Mr. Herren runs the Herren Project, a nonprofit that assists individuals and families struggling with addiction. One of the nonprofit’s initiatives, Project Purple, aims to create a sober culture within schools. “Studies show that 90 percent of addictions begin during the...
Read MoreMessages: Brendan Caine ’03
Brendan Caine ’03 served as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Marine Corps with deployments to Iraq in 2009 and Afghanistan in 2011. This year’s Veterans’ Day speaker, Brendan asserted that several military acronyms, such as PFC and GPS, relate powerfully to Milton students’ lives at School, opportunities here, and choices ahead. Before joining the Marines, Brendan attended the University of Southern California, where he earned degrees in biology, psychology and neuroscience. Since fulfilling his active-duty commitment, Brendan is pursuing concentrations in econometrics and...
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