6/23 - Last Day of School
Happy Summer!
8/31 - Professional Day for Teachers
9/1 - Professional Day for Teachers
9/2 - First Day of School
Delayed Start for 7th/8th Grade
9/4 - No School
9/7 - Labor Day (No School)
9/14 - Rosh Hashanah (No School)
9/23 - Yom Kippur (No School)
Topic/Question(s) for the Dinner Table
To help encourage conversations about mindfulness (both in and out of the classroom), our topic/question of the week is: If you do not have a moment during work to jump into a real ball pit - or something equivalent in nature - being able to imagine when you lived such a moment may help you be mindful. (As a parenthetical note, I want to thank Seth for his help throughout the year, crafting these questions and topics with me as compass points for our discussions, readings, and thinking.)
8th Grade Closing Ceremony
Our 8th grade closing ceremony and goodbye evening will be on Monday, June 22 at 7 p.m. This evening will be our opportunity to thank and recognize our 8th graders for their years at Blake and wish them well as they head off to high school. Families are welcome, and there will be a reception with refreshments, including allergen-free treats, in the cafeteria following the ceremony. We are hoping for a 'cool weather' evening.
Theme of Collaboration for 2015-2016
Our theme for the next academic year at Blake is one of Collaboration. We believe that this theme will extend the work we have done over the last four years with our themes of Community, Perseverance, Creativity, and Acceptance. As a staff we have begun brainstorming ideas and I encourage all families to join us in the brainstorming process as well. As ideas and thoughts come to mind, do not hesitate to e-mail me ([email protected]) or Kelly C. ([email protected]).
Creature Feature Recap
The seventh graders visited their siblings, previous teachers and lots of elementary school classes with their creatures and the creature's story. It was a great success for all the students involved and very touching to see the older kids be role models for the younger ones.
Summer Math Workbooks
The Blake Middle School math department has found it beneficial for students to work on strengthening their math skills over the summer months. For the past few years, we have used a series of workbooks published by a company called Summer Skills (www.summerskills.com). We have found these books to be successful in helping students practice and sharpen their math skills and are once again recommending the books listed below. Please be aware that some questions contained in the workbooks may cover topics that have been introduced but not yet mastered. As a team of teachers, we feel that summer work is beneficial; however, this book is entirely OPTIONAL. Students who complete the entire book will receive recognition in the fall. If you have not already done so, you may order the book at www.summerskills.com. Please order the book for the year your child just completed. Please feel free to email Susan Bycoff at [email protected] if you have any questions. Thank you!
Summer Supply Lists
All students should refer to the School Supply Lists located on the Guidance webpage.
Eighth Grade Canoe and Swim Test Information
As part of the eighth grade Charles River Community Awareness Unit offered in the fall, each eighth grade student is required to pass a swimming test during the summer. Each student is required to tread water for five minutes and swim a distance of seventy-five yards. A qualified swim instructor is required to administer the test and sign the form: Swim Test Form. Completed swim tests may be dropped off at the main office of the Middle School Monday through Friday between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. throughout the summer. All swim tests must be completed and returned to the student’s new advisory teacher by the first day of school. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. The Charles River Community Awareness Unit is an exciting way for students to begin their eighth grade experience! (FYI: In the past, students have been certified at Hinkley Pond, YMCA and
local swim clubs.)
Locks
As with last year, all Blake students will be required to bring in a combination lock with which to lock their hallway lockers. They will give their combination to their advisory teacher for safekeeping in the event that they forget it. In order to give students time to practice using their lock and become comfortable with it, we recommend that families consider purchasing it in June so that students may practice using it throughout the summer. A photo of locks that fit on Blake lockers can be found on the school supply list page.
Blake Summer Reading
Please refer to the [ http://www.medfield.net/blake/summer-reading.html]Blake Middle School Summer Reading Lists for copies of the 6th-8th grade reading lists for this summer. If you have any questions, please contact Jon Haycock at [email protected].
Parking
This is a general reminder to all parents to be sure to follow the parking regulations in the parking lots and around the 'flagpole circle'. When dropping off or picking up students, vehicles should not be parked ('stationary' or 'live') in the fire zone. We need to make sure that we are providing a safe environment at all times for our students and community. Thank you for your cooperation.
iPad Planning for 2015-2016
We are continuing with our mobile learning program at Blake for the entire 6th-8th grade for the 2015-2016 academic year, and have outlined the 2015-2016 Participation Options (Lease-to-Own, Bring an iPad from home, Borrow) for Blake students for this program. We are committed to providing an equitable learning experience for our students and appreciate the shared commitment and investment in the education of our students. As such we have a system in place for families with demonstrated financial need.
The 'minimum specifications' will still remain as the iPad 2, meaning the following are acceptable devices for students to use: iPad2, iPad Mini, iPad4 and the iPad Air. Although the iPad 2 is no longer manufactured by Apple, it will suffice for the students' needs in school as long as Apple continues to update the OS (operating system) on that device. If your family intends to purchase a new device this year, then the iPad4, iPad Mini, or iPad Air are the recommended devices. Our work over the last three years has provided a foundation as our teachers and staff continue to thoughtfully implement and review the effectiveness of this initiative. It is important to keep in mind that teachers and students will be following the same curriculum frameworks and the common core Blake curriculum.
For your reference I am sharing links below to documents about our initiative/program...
Mobile Learning in Medfield
Blake iPad Program Update for 15-16
Blake Mobile Learning General Information
Blake Mobile Learning FAQs 15-16
Blake Mobile Learning Participation Options 15-16
iPad Program Estimated Lease-to-Own Pricing Structure 15-16
We are excited about the prospects that lie ahead as we work to provide your students with the opportunity to learn with meaningful technology and are hopeful that we can foster and promote a positive and relevant learning experience. As always, please do not hesitate to contact me directly ([email protected]) with any questions, concerns, or thoughts that you may have.
Lost and Found Items
The "Lost and Found" at Blake is overflowing with water bottles, jackets, sweatshirts, sneakers, books, and lunch boxes. We have been sifting through, trying to return items with names on them to their owners but there are still a lot of unclaimed items. Please encourage your child to take a look during lunch as the lost and found is located in the lunchroom. Parents may feel free to stop by, check in at the main office, and claim any belongings over the next week. Any remaining items will be donated at the end of the day on Friday, June 26th.
Middle School Athletics for Fall, 2015
Anyone interested in participating in Blake Middle School Athletics in the Fall (Grade 6-8 Boys and Girls Cross Country, 8th Grade Girls Field Hockey, 8th Grade Girls Volleyball, or 7th and 8th Grade Football) please do the following ASAP:
- Register your son/daughter on FamilyID.com (direct link off Blake Athletics Page)
- Pay online (Direct Link for UniBank on FamilyID) or send check for $225 (made out to the "Town of Medfield") to Medfield High School, C/O Eric Scott, AD, 88R South St, Medfield, MA 02052. You can also drop it at the main office.
Football:
George Chung
papachungz@yahoo.com
Cross Country:
Patty Graham
pgraham@email.medfield.net
Volleyball:
Setheli Hellerstein
shellerstein@email.medfield.net
Field Hockey:
Mary Adams
[email protected]
CSA News
The CSA thanks you all for your wonderful support over the past year. Because of you some of the items we were able to fund were...
1. Contribute $8000 to cover the cost of the 8th Grade canoe trip
2. Provide $6000 in scholarships for Nature's Classroom and Washington DC trips
3. Provide $3500 towards DiLL Language Learning Software
4. Curriculum-based program enhancements such Pyraminds and Pharaohs, Midsummer Night's Dream
5. Fulfill various technology requests
6. Cover the cost of a clay tile mural
In addition to all who contributed financially, we would like to take this time to thank all who volunteered their time. We had many events which required you assistance, and we are fortunate and very grateful that we had a team of volunteers who stepped up to help.
Finally, the CSA is excited to announce a new name and website.
Check out http://www.medfieldpto.weebly.com, going live this week.
While there, please be sure to click the Volunteer Request form which highlights all the open positions for the upcoming year. The CSA is more than fundraising - it coordinates the volunteers to run the programs that the kids and staff both appreciate. Please consider helping out.
Have a wonderful Summer!
Blake CSA Board
MCPE News
Save the date! Trivia is back! Mark your calendars for the return of MCPE's Community Trivia Night and Student Trivia Challenge. Trivia Night, for those ages 21 and over, is scheduled for Friday, November 13th at 7 pm at the American Legion AND Student Trivia Challenge, for middle and high schoolers, is scheduled for Tuesday, November 10, 2015 after school in the Medfield High School Cafeteria. Visit www.medfieldcoalition.org in early September for more details and to register your team. All proceeds will fund enrichment programs for Medfield Public Schools. And, as always, thank you for making the success of our schools a community effort!!