4/26 - 5-Town Special Olympics
4/29 - Pride Alliance
5/1 - Grade 8 Civics MCAS
Blake Student Council Mtg
5/2 - 5-Town Special Olympics (rain date)
MAC Meeting
5/3 - ½ Day for Students
8th Grade Career Day
Professional Afternoon for Staff
5/6-5/10 - Term 3 Family Outreach Week
5/6 - Grade 8 Math MCAS
Pride Alliance
Blake Site Council Mtg
5/7 - Grade 8 Math MCAS
Blake PTO Meeting
5/8- Blake Mini-Marathon
Blake Student Council Mtg
5/9 - Grade 9 STE MCAS
MAC Meeting
5/10 - Grade 8 STE MCAS
Blake’s Question of the Week
To encourage dialogue and reflection to keep learning on the forefront of our minds, our question for the week is: What are your hopes for the end of this school year? How do you want to grow as a learner? Compass of Learning (Week of 4/21/24) (This is an anonymous Google Form)
The 29th Annual Medfield Public Schools Student-Faculty Art Exhibition
For the twenty-ninth year, the Zullo Gallery, in collaboration with the K-12 Visual Arts faculty of the Medfield Public Schools, is hosting its Annual Student-Faculty Art Exhibit. The Zullo Gallery offers a fantastic opportunity for deserving student artwork to receive special notice by our community in a professional gallery setting. The show is designed to highlight student work and pieces are chosen as examples of student learning within the art curriculum. This year’s exhibit is open through April 28th.
Project 351 - Clothing Drive Follow-Up
Thank you for your support of this year’s Project 351 Clothing Drive - see the story below…
Blake Middle School Project 351 Ambassador Hosts Successful Cradles to Crayons Clothing Drive
Trout Release
Check out the recent posting about our Trout Release with the 7th graders…
Medfield’s Blake Middle School Science Students Release More Than 400 Trout into Charles River as Part of Trout Release Program
World Language Selection Form - Incoming 6th Grade Only
2024-2025 Blake Middle School World Language Selection
** All incoming sixth grade families need to complete this form, regardless of their current participation in world language
Music Ensemble Selection Form - Incoming 6th-8th Grade
2024-2025 Blake Middle School Music Ensemble Selection Google Form
** All Blake families need to complete this form, regardless of their current participation in music courses this year or interest in participation for the 24-25 school year.
Blake's Multicultural Awareness Club
Consistent with MAC's purpose, we welcome any/every community member to share their culture with our club. Please contact Mr. Marenghi ([email protected]).
Substitute Applications
Blake is always looking for substitute teacher applicants. Applicants need not have teaching licensure but should be energetic, flexible and enjoy working with children. For more information or to apply, please visit Medfield Public Schools - Employment Opportunities and look under ‘Substitute Teaching’. Please contact Kelly Campbell ([email protected]) with any questions.
Blake 2024 MCAS Dates
Here are the dates for MCAS at Blake. It is important that students are present during the MCAS testing window. All students should have fully charged chromebooks and bring a non-electronic book to read if they finish testing early and a snack for after testing is completed.
5/1 - Grade 8 Civics
5/6 - Grade 8 Math
5/7 - Grade 8 Math
5/9 - Grade 8 STE
5/10 - Grade 8 STE
5/14 - Grade 7 Math
5/15 - Grade 7 Math
5/17 - Grade 6 Math
5/20 - Grade 6 Math
Substitute Nurses Needed…Can you help?
Substituting will offer the opportunity to learn what school nursing involves and to interact with our wonderful students. The need is sporadic, but the rewards are great! A current Massachusetts RN license is required and at least one year of pediatric nursing experience. Duties include: tending to the health needs of the students, dispensing medication, and communicating with parents. A basic orientation is provided. Please reach out to Brittany Hardiman, Nurse Leader, [email protected] for more information.
The Blake Break!
Thanks to our students and Kate Jones on the production of the Blake Break - special thanks to Blake PTO for their funding - check it out…
Blake Break - Episode 3
Blake Break - Episode 4
In each episode of The Blake Break, students from the Design Studio classes (C2 and C4) will be delivering the news, events, and highlights from Blake Middle School. If you have any video or information to share, upcoming reminders, and/or curriculum, club, activity highlights, pass them along to Kate Jones at [email protected]
We will do our best to include any content in upcoming episodes. Stay tuned!
Save the Date - 8th Grade Dance!
➡️ 8th Grade Dance- Friday 5/17/24 from 7-9 pm
Summer 2024 AI and Natural Science Program by Stanford Alumni:
Inspirit AI is a 25-hour project-based AI program taught by Stanford graduates that introduces middle and high school students to fundamental AI concepts to build interdisciplinary AI projects across domains. In 2024, the team is excited to announce new projects such as Exoplanet Discovery and ChatGPT for Mental Health. No CS experience is necessary to apply and priority applications are due soon
Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth (MPY) is pleased to announce its new MPY Parenting Solutions Library. The MPY Parenting Solutions Library is offered at no charge, in partnership with Peace At Home Parenting Solutions, a non-profit located in Mansfield, Connecticut. Peace At Home Parenting Solutions is a dynamic hub of trusted knowledge and compassionate support that inspires parents to create positive change for their children, their families and themselves. Through this new partnership, MPY is pleased to offer proven resources to help students’ families thrive.Peace At Home Parenting Solutions specializes in empowering parents with evidence-based strategies to foster nurturing connections that safeguard their children's mental well-being. The trainings are presented by experts with advanced degrees and the trainings focus on child and adolescent development, including difficulties in school, mental health challenges, neurodiversity, LGBTQ+ identity formation, racism, and grief. These trainings present easy-to-use strategies for long-lasting change.
Summer 2024 AI and Natural Science Program by Stanford Alumni
Inspirit AI is a 25-hour project-based AI program taught by Stanford graduates that introduces middle and high school students to fundamental AI concepts to build interdisciplinary AI projects across domains. In 2024, the team is excited to announce new projects such as Exoplanet Discovery and ChatGPT for Mental Health. No CS experience is necessary to apply and priority applications are due soon.
MAC Update
Blake's Multicultural Awareness Club (MAC) will meet Thursday after school in Mr. Gow's room, room 513.
Pride Alliance
Pride Alliance meets Mondays at 215 in Señora Manning's room. At Pride Alliance, we strive to create a safe space for people in the community, those who want to learn more about the LGBTQIA+ community, and also those who wish to learn how to become a better ally. Everyone is welcome to join, regardless of identity. Meetings for Pride Alliance will take place on Mondays from 2:15-2:45 in room #309. If you have any questions, please reach out to Jen Dondero ([email protected]) and Kristin Manning ([email protected]).
Update from Blake PTO
This link contains information about the Blake PTO initiatives and ways you can get involved with supporting Blake teachers and students…
Update from Blake PTO
** Please note that there is an open position for Co-President of the Blake PTO - it is a two year position. Thanks in advance for your consideration!
Update from SEPAC
The Medfield Special Education Parents Advisory Council (SEPAC) is proud to announce The Jim James Inclusion Award, sponsored by the Medfield Special Education Parents Advisory Council. This award seeks to highlight the employees within our district who promote and model inclusive practices, ensuring that all learners are welcomed and celebrated. Read more and submit nominations (4/1-5/1)here: https://forms.gle/c97eQzwrPoQmCCtP8
4/30 ASD Parent Connection Group, 7 pm, Medfield Public Safety Building
5/1 Dyslexia + Language-Based Learning Disabilities (LBLD) Parent Connection Group - 7 pm Medfield Public Safety Building
5/14 ADHD Parent Connection Group - 7 pm Medfield Public Safety Building
5/16 Down Syndrome Parent Connection Group, 11:30 am Medfield Public Library
5/21 High School Transition Planning w/ Meredith Becker and Stephanie Worthley - 7 pm Blake Middle School Library
RSVP to [email protected] or by completing the RSVP form: https://forms.gle/SeeQg6Apmngad5dq7 . Please email [email protected] with questions or to join a group. If you want to connect with a parent with experience with a diagnosis not covered by our current parent connection groups, don't hesitate to contact us, and we'll work to find someone to connect with.
Workshops/Webinars of Interest
Igniting Lifelong Learning: SEL & Academic Integration
5/23, 6/20
We recommend registering for the entire three-part series. You don’t need to be available to attend every webinar live. By registering, you will receive the recordings and follow-up resources straight to your inbox.
---------------------------
Academic recovery is a top priority and will require a deep understanding of how students learn and progress. Research tells us that students’ social, emotional, and cognitive development are deeply intertwined and key to academic learning and success. So how can we effectively integrate social and emotional learning (SEL) with academic content to best support learning and thriving?
This three-part webinar series will explore the research, practices, and policy conditions that promote SEL and academic integration. Through 60-minute thought leadership conversations, we aim to share expertise that can strengthen your work, encourage new approaches, and leave you curious to learn more.
Join us and collaborators once a month as we build a shared understanding of SEL and academic integration (part I), explore classroom and school strategies (part II), and spotlight supportive policies (part III).
Recommended for: Education and research/policy leaders at the state, district, and school levels.
Sessions:
April 16: Introduction to SEL and academic integration (Part 1 of 3)
May 23: School and classroom strategies that integrate SEL and academic learning (Part 2 of 3)
June 20: Beyond the classroom strategies (Part 3 of 3)
The Power of Data to Transform the Student Experience
Wednesday, 5/1 at 7 p.m.
Join us to hear school leaders and students alike share their transformative journeys with Challenge Success. Discover how these visionary schools have used student and school survey data to increase student well-being, deepen engagement with learning, and enhance belonging within their educational communities. With unwavering dedication, they’ve leveraged insights from data to inform strategic decisions, ultimately leading to tangible improvements in student experiences.
They will share Challenge Success’s role as a support, with resources, expertise, and a network to help propel their vision forward. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear directly from educators and students doing critical work to transform the student experience. You will leave empowered with ideas for your own school’s journey and energized to get started.
Elevating AAPI Youth: Uncovering Mental Health Challenges and Enhancing School Support
Tuesday, 5/7 at 7 p.m.
Asian American and Pacific Islander teens are often overlooked by mental health services due to the model minority myth. Even when AAPI students may look like they are “doing well”, they can mask underlying issues of anxiety, depression and other mental health issues. In fact, we know that there has been a recent increase in mental health needs in this population due to factors like the isolation caused by the Covid-19, rise in AAPI discrimination and hate and the continued lack of access to mental health services. Special focus will also be given to AAPI LGBTQ youth’s mental health outcomes and suicide risk. This webinar will give participants compelling data and practical resources to better support the mental health of AAPI students.