Cunningham Connection

Dear Cunningham Families,

We had a great Spirit Week at Cunningham last week! It was fun to see students and staff joining in the different themes and bringing so much energy to the school. I know a week of theme days makes mornings busy. Thank you to our families for helping make the week special.

On Thursday, we welcomed Interim Superintendent John Phelan, Director of Human Resources Christine Lyons, Director for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Jamele Adams, and Interim Assistant Superintendent for Teaching & Learning Karla Koza. During our walk through seven classrooms, they saw students engaged in active learning, sharing their thinking, asking questions, and working with classmates. From literacy lessons to science and social-emotional learning, it was a wonderful opportunity to see the work happening across Cunningham. Thank you to our teachers and support staff for the care and planning that make these learning experiences possible each day.

We also welcomed more than 50 Milton High School students for Wednesday’s Day of Service. Many were returning Cunningham students who enjoyed reconnecting with former teachers and helping in classrooms. Our students loved working with them, and it was a great reminder that their connection to Cunningham continues long after they leave!

Thank you to everyone who purchased pumpkins after school on Friday and to the volunteers who helped with the sale. It was exciting to see so many pumpkins heading home with our families! We are looking forward to our Pumpkin Parade on Friday, October 30.

I also want to share a personal update. Beginning Monday, November 2, I will be taking FMLA leave to care for my wife as she has surgery and recovers. During my leave, Mr. Young will be leading Cunningham. As you know, he knows our students, staff, and families very well, and I know the school will be in great hands while I am away. Thank you for your understanding and support.

I hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend. We look forward to welcoming students back tomorrow!

Best,

Jon Redden

• Cunningham Calendar
• Veteran's Day on November 9th
• Holiday Help
• We had a great week at Cunningham
• Spotlight Room Ms. Walsh (227) and Ms. Rachel (121)
• Join the Cunningham DEIB Committee
• Performance Matters - Reading and Math Data
• PowerSchool Forms
• Attendance Matters

• Superintendent Search Survey
• My Brother's Keeper Holiday Assistance
• Monster Dash - Register Now
• MHS Athletes - Trail Run, Cheer Clinic and Basketball Clinics for Kids
• FAME Recycling Event 10/17
• Milton Flu Clinic

Cunningham Forms and Important Links

• Friday, October 30th - Pumpkin Parade in Front of Cunningham (Decorated pumpkins can be dropped off on Thursday or on Friday morning and picked up after school on the 30th)
• Monday, November 9th @ 9:00 - Veteran's Day Assembly
• Wednesday, November 11th - Veteran's Day (No School)
• Wednesday, November 18th - Early Dismissal For Term 1 Conferences

We are very excited to host our annual Veteran's Day celebration on Monday, November 9th @ 9:00 in the new 4th floor library/classroom space. We will be serving light refreshments beginning at 9:00, with the full assembly starting by 9:20. If you are interested in attending, we ask you to please complete this form. Any pictures of your veterans can be sent to Mr. Young (ayoung@miltonps.org). We look forward to another special morning on the 9th.

The Milton Community Food Pantry will have 2 open dates available for families to complete the applications for My Brothers Keeper holiday program. If your family could benefit from this holiday program, please go to the Food Pantry on either October 10th or October 24th between 9am-11am. Please reach out to Jennie Beliveau, Director of Counseling, jbeliveau@miltonps.org with any questions.

Check out our Spirit week fun below! From PJs and Cowboy hats to Cunningham gear and showing off who we root for, we had a ton of Cunningham spirit on display! We were also lucky to welcome 9th grade volunteers on Wednesday and our students had a great time with the older kids.

Students worked together and used different solids to construct towers. 2nd graders quickly learned that a strong and sturdy base was important. The goal was to figure out how to use all the materials to make the tallest structure, without it falling down. Students were successful!

Our preschoolers in Room 121 have been busy bringing stories to life! Last week, Ms. Rachel Carney read Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson, and students used visual supports to identify story elements and retell the story. They also continued their apple theme through books, art projects, and hands-on activities. October is AAC Awareness Month, and this classroom celebrates all the ways children communicate, including the use of Augmentative and Alternative Communication devices. Thank you to Ms. Rachel and the Room 121 team for making literacy engaging and accessible to every learner!

Thank you to all who attended last Thursday's kick off DEIB meeting. All are welcome!

We'd love to invite you to join the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Committee! Our goal is to continue making our Cunningham community an even more inclusive, supportive, and welcoming space for all students, families, and staff.

When: Second Thursday of each month, 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM

Where: Virtual <https://miltonps-org.zoom.us/j/94620073542#success>*

Next Meeting: Thursday, November 12, 2026 | 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM 2026–2027

DEIB Meeting Schedule (All meetings are virtual and run from 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM) November 12; December 10; January 14; February 11; March 11;April 8; May 13; June 10

Whether you have been part of the committee before or are interested in joining for the first time, your voice, experience, and perspective are incredibly valuable to our school. We can't wait to collaborate with you this year! Thank you for everything you do for our Cunningham community.

The Cunningham DEIB Committee

Please log in to PowerSchool through the website or the app to complete all forms. If you have not established your PowerSchool credentials, you will need to do so before accessing your child's forms. Once you log in to PowerSchool, navigate to STUDENT FORMS.

Under "General", you will see the following forms linked:

• Back to School 26-27 (photo opt opt, digital use agreement, information opt out)
• Emergency Contacts / Guardian Contact Info
• Google Consent Form
• MPS Technology Equipment Use Policy (Chromebook Loan Agreement)

Please complete all forms. These forms are required. It is imperative that we have the most up-to-date contact information for your family. If you do not complete the directory information portion of the back-to-school form, your child's information will NOT be included on the classroom directory that is sent out to families for the purposes of playdates, birthdays, etc. and will NOT be shared with the Cunningham PTO for their communications.

Your student’s latest DIBELS Reading and i-Ready Math data are now available to view in Performance Matters. This platform serves as our district's assessment and data warehouse, providing a centralized location for you to track your student's academic progress. We will not be emailing home individual student reports anymore. By providing families with direct access to student data, we aim to foster transparency and allow families to be informed partners in your students’ educational journey.

To access your student’s data, please follow the steps below:

• Login: Visit unify.performancematters.com and click Customer Login.

• First-Time Users: If you have not logged in before, click "Need Password?" and enter the email address associated with your PowerSchool account. This is the email address where you receive your school newsletters every week.

• Viewing Data: Once logged in, navigate to the Additional Results tab, click the Measures box and select the assessment you want to see.

• If your email address is not recognized or you need assistance with your account, please contact your school's main office. They can update your email address in PowerSchool.

• Reviewing this Assessment Glossary will provide you with some additional context for all the assessments available in Performance Matters.

The following resources offer further guidance on what you can expect on the Performance Matters family portal. They are also posted on the Milton Public Schools website, under PowerSchool, Performance Matters.

• Visual Guide for Accessing Performance Matters

• Family FAQ’s Document

Each day that students are in school counts. While we understand that there are extenuating circumstances and illnesses that occasionally prevent children from attending school, it is extremely important that we build a partnership with our families that encourages regular and consistent school attendance. Please take a moment to review this important excerpt from the Student Handbook regarding student absences and excusals.

Please note: absences are excused only for the following reasons-

1. Illness or quarantine;

2. Bereavement or serious illness in family;

3. Weather so inclement as to endanger the health of the child; or

4. For observance of major religious holidays.

Absences for travel, sports commitments, and appointments that could otherwise be scheduled outside of the school day are not excused absences. The state tracks chronic absenteeism (missing 10% or more of the school year) and this year, families can expect to receive regular communication and requests for meetings with families if children demonstrate a pattern of absenteeism. We are here to partner with families in any way possible to ensure students regularly attend school.

The Milton Community Food Pantry will have 2 open dates available for families to complete the applications for My Brothers Keeper holiday program. If your family could benefit from this holiday program, please go to the Food Pantry on October 24th between 9am-11am. The pantry is located around the back, to the left, at Parkway Methodist Church, 158 Blue Hills Parkway, Milton, between West St and Brook Rd. Please reach out to Jennie Beliveau, Director of Counseling, jbeliveau@miltonps.org with any questions.

Get your costumes ready, lace up your running shoes, and join the Milton Foundation for Education's (MFE) Annual Monster on Sunday, October 25th at Cunningham Park! The event features a 5K, kids’ fun run, bouncy houses, a DJ, costume contests, and local food vendors!

Proceeds support Sam’s Fund, which honors Tucker student Sam Cichello’s passion for science and love of Halloween,while providing science enrichment to all six Milton Public Schools.

Register today!⁠ For more details, visit MFE’s website!⁠ Interested in volunteering or sponsoring at Monster Dash? Email us at miltonfoundationforeducation@miltonmfe.org⁠. See you at Monster Dash!

Sign up for Cheer here

Sign up for Basketball here

Register for Trail Run via Venmo @ jacqueline-mullen-4

Jon Redden, Principal, jredden@miltonps.org

Andy Young – Assistant Principal, ayoung@miltonps.org

• Superintendent John Phelan, jphelan@miltonps.org
• Asst. Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Karla Koza, kkoza@miltonps.org

• Director of Business and Finance James Malary - 617-696-5041, jmalary@miltonps.org

• Director of Student Services, Danielle Wetmore – 617-696-5040 ext 5572, dwetmore@miltonps.org
• Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB), jamele adams - 617- 696-5040 ext 5246

• Director of Human Resources Christine Lyons - 617 - 696 - 5040, clyons@miltonps.org

• Transportation – 617-696-5040 ext 5510, bus@miltonps.org
• Milton Community Schools Director, Martha Sandoval – 617-696-5040 ext 5544, mcs@miltonps.org
• Director of Food Services, Natalia Perez, 617-696-4470 ext 5514, nperez@miltonps.org
• Athletic Director, Mike Bierwirth – 617-696-4470 ext 5515, mbierwirth@miltonps.org
• Student Registrar, Sarina Burke – 617 696-5040 ext 5516, registration@miltonps.org

To help make calling out, picking up, and walking home as smooth as possible, we have created online forms available on our website. All forms are found on the top right hand side of the website under Cunningham Forms. Please bookmark these forms, as they are the most efficient way to communicate with our staff. When you use a form, you will always receive a response, so you will know your message has been received.

• Absent /Tardy Form
• Permission to Walk Home Form
• Dismissing Early/Change in Dismissal Form