The Alchemy of Friendship
A progressive idea among friends from the ’5os penetrates students’ lives today. Two weeks after the cataclysmic events of September 11, 2001, a group of friends met to begin planning their 50th Milton Reunion. From their school days in the ’50s through the turn of the century, they had all ably tended families and careers. Now they struggled with a new, incomprehensible chapter. Ned Felton, the boys’ head monitor in 1952, was sure that these friends could and should organize around an idea. “Ned was sure that we could identify a common project, memorialize our class, and help—in...
Read MoreThe Support to Fly: Two Stories of Risk and Its Reward
Starting anything new is at least partly scary. When the people in your new setting look mostly like you, you make some assumptions, consciously or not, about shared experiences. Knowing that you share common ground makes opening up, or making friends, a bit easier. When Ronnell Wilson ’93 and Nafeesah Allen ’02 arrived in Class IV, the School looked much less like the face of America than it does now. Today, 45 percent of our new students self-identify as students of color. Still, most students of color, as well as our international students, come to Milton from schools where they have...
Read MoreFlocking Together
When Andy Ward came to Milton in 1944, the Milton Academy Bird Club had been active for nearly 20 years. The thrill of observing songbirds, hawks, warblers and the shorebirds of New England strengthened friendships that Andy relies on 60 years later. Early encouragement from biology faculty member Pete Morrison drew the group together. He orchestrated weekend birding trips to Newburyport and other areas around Boston. “Bird-watching is widely accepted now, but during our time at Milton, birding was thought to be a little offbeat,” Andy says. Birders must have several things in common,...
Read MoreFriends Become the Mirror that Middle Schoolers Seek
Sorting out who you are takes time and effort. Nicci King has her finger on the pulse of Middle School life, and she knows her students well. Nicci is Milton’s Middle School counselor. She began at Milton in 2005, and she responds to the needs of students, parents and colleagues as they try to understand adolescent behavior. Nicci helped develop and co-teaches the 360° affective education class, a program that fosters empathy, respect and perseverance in our middle schoolers. It promotes the development of constructive communication, problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills. At the...
Read MoreHow we stay connected: A survey of students
Have you ever sent a text you regretted? Is a Facebook “friend” a true friend? The Milton Magazine, Milton Paper and Milton Measure put together a single survey of Upper School students about technology, social media and cell phone...
Read MoreAccording to My Friends
Students parse how friendship flows. Direct answers, to fundamental questions, from Class I–transitioning from Milton to college–and Class IV, working toward friendships that last. Here’s what they said. What is a friend? You can be quiet, relaxed and comfortable around a friend. A friend is trustworthy. Otherwise, you can’t be open. A friend makes you feel good about yourself, but doesn’t necessarily always tell you what you want to hear. You have fun with a friend; he makes you laugh, no matter what you’re doing together. A friend watches your back. Becoming a friend...
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