From: Amy Rex, Superintendent
As we prepare for the new school year, our main goal is to make sure every student has a positive, safe, and welcoming place to learn and grow. We believe students learn best when our schools are safe. In part, keeping students safe means making sure our buildings are secure, technology is used appropriately, student privacy is protected, and systems for communication operate well.
Facility Safety
To uphold our commitment to physical safety, we want to remind you of the ongoing practices and state requirements for "Access Control and Management." Vermont State Law (16 V.S.A. § 1484) mandates that all school exterior doors remain locked during the school day. All visitors, including parents, must sign in at a centralized location before entering a school and wear a visitors badge. At the start of the school year, Principals will inform families of the specific requirements for their schools.
Technology - Artificial Intelligence
The world of technology is constantly evolving, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly making its way into K-12 education. At MTSD, we recognize that we must teach students how to use AI appropriately while also keeping them safe. To prepare for AI, we are currently developing a clear set of Beliefs, Principles, and Practices for our district. We plan to share our framework at the start of the school year and will be actively seeking your feedback. As part of this process, we will also send families a separate "Opt In/Out" form regarding student use of AI tools, ensuring that you have a voice in these new developments.
Communication
The MTSD has a new mass communication system. We will begin testing this system next week. You will receive advanced notification as to when the test will happen and how to respond if you do not get the test message. Our current system, School Messenger, will be phased out soon. We’ll stop using it once we are confident that everyone in our system is receiving information from the District / Schools through our new system.
This new mass communication system integrates with our new website and social media tools to help families stay better connected and informed. Additionally, our new website now has its own mobile application! You can download the Milton Town School District app on Apple App Store or Google Playstore to stay up to date on school news, events, activities, and important notices.
We look forward to continuing our partnership with you to ensure every student has a safe and successful learning experience.