Hey faculty, what space made your day?
“I learned how to read in a set of two faded, outdated, and deliciously comfortable floral armchairs that were the foci of the living room in my childhood home. My parents generously let me take these beloved chairs to college, where they served as my daily workspace. Unfortunately, I had to abandon these chairs during final move-out; I will forever hope they found a good home.” Olivia Robbins (English) “Withington Room, on campus. Not only do I enjoy solitary working lunches, but I also overhear passionate and thoughtful conversations...
read moreGoing on Project
Each May, Class I students begin the long-awaited “Senior Project.” A tradition since the 1960s, Senior Projects have evolved, and today seniors’ proposals qualify as: scholarly or academic; community service; internships; or the arts. The Class of 2016 chose broadly—from immigration to the environment, from stem cell research and business startups through working on presidential campaigns. Students painted, gardened, sewed, prepared concerts and recitals, shadowed doctors, wrote and directed plays, tried learning new instruments and...
read moreLet Us Snap Your Style!
And they did. During a break between classes, on a game day, in the depths of winter, Milton students shared the looks that make them feel good. Predictably, denim makes a solid showing, along with khakis — but so does so-called “elevated activewear,” neat and comfortable pants, tees and jackets that work for class and field, and tout the Milton logo. On their feet: Converse and Vans, iconic L. L. Bean boots, work boots unlaced just so, and classic black high boots topped by socks. Plaid is the rage and “groutfit” is the...
read moreFaculty Facts: The Lives They Lead
Teacher: a person or thing that teaches something; especially: a person whose job is to teach students about certain subjects (Merriam-Webster) Does that include being house heads, class deans, coaches, advisors, coordinators and sponsors? Does it include weekend dorm duty, driving students to the airport or community service, directing plays, choreographing dance concerts, running music rehearsals, leading hikes, or chaperoning dances? College “Recs” Faculty each write, on average, six to twelve college recommendations per year....
read moreWalter McCloskey Names Eight to Remember Stories that moved him, and might move you
“Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne Hawthorne’s perverse sense of humor gives this allegory of universal guilt a distinctively comic undertone. “Bartleby the Scrivener” by Herman Melville Melville’s Bartleby, the lawyer’s scribe who practices a ferocious passive resistance, has taught me one of life’s most useful phrases: “I would prefer not to.” “The Old People” by William Faulkner In this story, which anticipates the much longer and more complex “The Bear,” Faulkner introduces one of his major themes:...
read moreTheir Shortest Assignment Ever!
Short-shorts by students, like @VeryShortStory, in 140 characters or less. She was wild, sassy, but imaginative; so, when she told me she lived in an island in the sky, I thought she was insane. But no, there it was, just like she said. — Sophia Greenaway, Class III I love how you can think you’re at the top with every bend in the path. “False summit,” I think it’s called. You’re not yet, but you will be. — Claire Huffman, Class I She was there. Her stare was oblique. “I’m sorry.” “For what?” Again, the...
read moreAdmission Stats 2014–2015
Upper School Applications for 2014–2015 — 1,100 New students enrolled — 141 (92 boarding, 49 day) K–8 Applications for 2014–2015 — 413 New students enrolled — 52 K–12 total enrollment — 1,034 Vitals Male — 54% Female — 46% Sibling or legacy — 35% Receive need-based financial aid — 28% New day students are from 48 surrounding cities and towns. The Admission Office hosted 1,400 families visiting for interviews last year. New boarding students come from 20 states. And 14...
read more5 Treasured Traditions
Class IV Talks A rite of passage. A distinct memory for most alumni. Five- to seven-minutes on a subject you choose. At Milton today, classmates vote on which talks they want to hear again at an annual “Best of” event in May. Topics range from being the oldest of eight children to China’s one-child policy, from hiking Mount Washington to breaking a Breaking Bad addiction. “Class IV Talks are one of the most valuable things we do here,” says English faculty member Caroline Sabin ’86. “Putting students in front of their peers and...
read moreWhat’s on your Milton Bucket List?
How many of these “Milton musts” have you experienced? Observing the night sky from the Ayer Observatory Applauding budding thespians at the Class IV Play Getting your laughs at Improv Night Finding your rhythm in the Dance Concert, or at Beatnik Café Entertaining classmates during morning assembly Cheering on the Mustangs at an away game Running for an elected position Calling alumni during a development office phone-a-thon Spending a night in a dorm, if you’re a day student Spending a night at a day student’s home, if you’re a...
read moreSenior Projects
As an idea, Senior Projects seems to have emerged from the fog of the late ’60s and early ’70s. Having made their way proposal writing, finding faculty sponsors, and earning a thumbs-up from overseers, students are free to immerse themselves in something totally different for their final five weeks at Milton. They expand an area of interest, like composing music; or take on a challenge, like building a boat; or try something completely new, like creating a movie. During two days just before graduation, students present their...
read more