10/5 - No School (Yom Kippur)
10/6 - Blake GSA
10/7 - ½ Day for Students
Professional Afternoon for Staff
10/10 - No School (Indigenous People’s Day/Columbus Day)
10/11 - Blake Site Council Mtg
10/13 - School Committee Mtg
10/17-10/21 - Family Outreach Week (Term 1)
10/26 - Blake Picture Retake Day
MCAP Meeting
11/1 - Blake Site Council Mtg
11/3 - School Committee Mtg
Blake’s Question of the Week
To encourage dialogue and reflection about the ways that we have each made progress, our question(s) for the week is (are): What are you proud of from the first month of school? Making Progress (Week of 10/2/22) (This is an anonymous Google Form)
Blake Intramurals
Registration for the Blake Fall Intramural Session is now open: Blake Intramural Website. We will be in touch as more activities become available.
Term 1 Family Outreach Period - 10/17-10/21
The week of 10/17-10/21 is the Term 1 Family Outreach week for Blake Middle School. During this week, teachers will send an e-mail to families to notify them if their student is consistently not meeting the standard in an area OR if they do not have sufficient data to assess their student at that point in the term due to absence or missing work. If students are meeting the standards, families will not receive an e-mail from teachers. Please know that you may reach out to teachers or your child's guidance counselor if you have questions or concerns about their progress.
Blake’s Pride Alliance
We are pleased to announce that the club formerly known as Blake GSA is now called Pride Alliance! This more inclusive name better represents the values of our club, where 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. Meetings are every Thursday until 2:45 in room 502. Everyone is welcome to join, regardless of identity.
Blake Student Council
Blake’s Student Council meets every Wednesday afternoon from 2:15-2:45 in Mrs. Shaw’s room (525). All are welcome to join - the more members we have, the more we can accomplish! Spread the word!
Inktober is Here!!!
Every October, artists all over the world take on the INkTOBER drawing challenge by doing one drawing a day the entire month. ANYONE CAN DO INKTOBER, JUST PICK UP A PEN AND START DRAWING!!! Listen to the announcements every AM for the prompts!
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 Marcia Berkowtiz ([email protected]) with any questions.
Medfield Destination Imagination Information Night to be held Thursday Oct 6th
DI is a fun hands-on system of learning that fosters students’ creativity and curiosity through open-ended academic challenges.
Medfield’s Destination Imagination (DI) program will hold an information Night on Thursday, October 6 from 7:00-8:00 p.m. at the Wheelock School Cafeteria. New participants are welcome to come learn what DI is all about. DI is a fun hands-on system of learning that fosters students’ creativity and curiosity through open-ended academic challenges. DI’s mission and vision is to teach students the creative process and empower them with the skills needed to succeed in an ever-changing world. In solving challenges using a student-driven, collaborative, problem-solving approach, DI participants learn patience, flexibility, persistence, time-management, and respect for others and their ideas. Teams, consisting of no more than seven members, choose to
participate in one of the Central Challenges.
This year, the challenges being offered include:
PIECE BY PIECE– This Technical Challenge prompts students to complete tasks by using engineering, research, strategic planning, and related skills.
FAR-FETCHED – This Scientific Challenge blends the curiosity of scientific research with the creative expression of performance art.
THRILL RIDE – This Engineering Challenge asks students to design, build, and test load-bearing structures created from specific materials.
FLIP THE SCRIPT– This Fine Arts Challenge helps students develop acting and
creative skills through artistic media, theater arts, script writing, and prop design.
SHOWDOWN – This Improvisational Challenge is all about research, spontaneity, and storytelling. Teams receive topics and produce skits right on the spot.
HIGH STAKES – This Service Learning Challenge is designed to engage students in public service that addresses real-life community issues.
PLAY ON (available to 2nd grade only) – The Rising Stars Challenge offers simple experiences with the creative process, and gives young kids a place to work together and make new friends.
Teamwork and creativity are two key components of DI. A willingness to cooperate with others and learn new things are really the only pre-requisites. Skills and talents are revealed and acquired in the creative problem-solving process. Parents are invited to KEEP OUT of the process! DI is students working with students to problem solve and create solutions to challenges. The only role parents’ play is as a guide to the process. In fact, DI considers it “interference” if an idea comes from a non-team member. Each team will have the support of two parent Team Managers but students, not the “coaches”, drive the solution.
Students can sign up in groups of 7 (or less) or can sign-up individually and will be placed on a team. Teams may be same-gender or co-ed and typically consist of members in the same grade. Teams are broken into grade-level divisions: elementary (3rd-5th); middle level (6th-8th); senior level (9th-12th). There is also a non-competitive Rising Star division, for 2nd graders. Team members work together during the school year to prepare for the regional competition in March where Medfield DI teams compete against teams from local towns.
For more information on Medfield DI, attend the Information Night on October 6th from 7:00-8:00 p.m. in Wheelock Cafeteria. Meet and talk with experienced Team Managers as they explain “Instant Challenges” and share their Destination Imagination experience. Registration forms will be distributed and are due no later than October 28th. If you can’t make it, please email: [email protected]
For more information, visit the MA DI website www.madikids.org or the national DI website www.idodi.org or email [email protected]
Message from our Nurses
Welcome to the 2022/23 school year! We hope the new school year is off to a healthy start and your child(ren) are enjoying middle school.
Here are a few helpful reminders:
- Please send your child to school daily with a refillable water bottle to hydrate throughout the day. Please make sure their name is on the bottle.
- Please send in your child’s physical following their annual appointment.
- If your child is feeling ill with cold/allergy symptoms, headache, sore throat or other symptoms, please be sure to do a COVID test prior to deciding if they are well enough to attend school. Refer to the attached COVID Guidelines for more detailed information regarding when to test.
If your child tests positive for COVID, please keep them home to isolate for 5 days to avoid spreading the virus to others and notify us in the Blake School Nurse’s office as well as notify your child’s healthcare provider.
You can reach the nurse's office at 508-242-8554 or by email as noted below. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns.
Theme of Discovery for 2022-2023
Our theme for the next academic year at Blake is one of Discovery. We believe that this theme will extend the work we have done over the last ten years with our themes of Community, Perseverance, Creativity, Acceptance, Collaboration, Empathy, Diversity, Happiness, Courage, Curiosity, and Imagination. 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 email me ([email protected]) or Marcia ([email protected]).
Food Services Information
The breakfast program at the Middle School is up and running! We are offering free breakfast to all students prior to the start of the school day from 7:10-7:30. The 8th grade students will get their breakfast in the cafeteria and 6th and 7th grade students will have the opportunity to get breakfast outside of the gym in the morning.
Similar to lunch, students will need their PINs (Personal Identification Numbers) to get breakfast. Please note your child’s PIN below and share it with them.
Additionally, if you wish to set up a My School Bucks account to track when your child is getting a school breakfast or lunch, you will need their student ID number.
Our breakfast menu can be found here.
If you have any questions regarding the breakfast program, please feel free to contact us.
Sincerely,
Caitlin Fahy
Food Service Director
[email protected]
Notification for Absences/Dismissals
If a student will be absent from school, please call Blake's absence line at (508) 242-8501. If a student needs to be dismissed from school before 2:07 p.m., an e-mail must be sent by the parent/guardian to [email protected]. Please include the following information:
- Date
- Time of dismissal
- Student name
- Reason for dismissal
- Person picking up
Book Discussion Group for Parents for 2022-2023
Over the last few years the Blake Site Council has read several books and we will continue this practice during the 2022-2023 school year. Stay tuned for more information and we hope you can join in these discussions - all caregivers are invited and welcome!
3 v 3 Basketball Tournament for Grades 4-7
The High School Boys Basketball team is hosting a 3 x 3 tournament for boys and girls in grades 4-7 at the high school gym on Veterans Day from 9-12 .
Here is the registration form and a FAQ section on the tournament. Please email your completed registration forms or direct any questions to event coordinator, Natalie Madej at [email protected].
Medfield K-8 PTO Dues Flyer - 2022
Dear Medfield Families:
The Medfield K-8 Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) would like to extend a warm welcome to all new and returning families to the 2022-2023 school year! The K-8 PTO is a volunteer organization that supports initiatives, activities and events designed to enrich and supplement the educational experiences of every Medfield K-8 student. Each school has its own PTO
Board that works closely with the staff to provide opportunities tailored specifically to that school. We come together as a K-8 organization during the school year to share ideas, fundraising opportunities and provide
financial support across the district.
HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT THE MEDFIELD K-8 PTO?
● Contribute – The K-8 PTO runs entirely on donations! Last school year, we started 2 new traditions: K-8 Medfield Madness Online Auction and the K-5 Rainbow Run. We are excited to announce that Medfield Madness will be back this school year and the Rainbow Run is planned for Fall of 2023. We are thankful for the support of so many to make both fundraisers a huge success.
Today we are asking for your support to kick off the new school year with our Annual Dues Drive. The need is always greater than what we can fund throughout the year, so every dollar raised is appreciated. The suggested $30 per student amount is just a guideline - all donations welcome! You can now pay your dues online through Venmo or PayPal, as well as by check.
● Volunteer – The K-8 PTO needs you! We encourage you to attend school PTO meetings and become involved. Our online volunteer sign-up form is a great way to stay informed. There is no obligation to volunteer. As events are created and/or volunteer opportunities arise those on the distribution will be the first to know. Please sign up today by visiting www.medfieldk8pto.com.
Thank you for your continued support. It’s going to be a year to remember, and we look forward to supporting each and every child inside and outside of the classroom!
Sincerely,
Nicole Drummond
K-8 PTO President
Message from MCPE
(Medfield Coalition for Public Education)
- Science & Engineering Visiting Science Unit at Dale Street School, providing five hands-on engineering lessons from visiting scientists for grade 5 students
- Modernizing the LMC/Makerspace Learning Spaces at Blake Middle School, including purchase of a GlowForge 3D Printer and space-appropriate furniture
- Funding for Numicon kits for each Kindergarten and grade 1 classroom, allowing our youngest learners to build a developmentally appropriate conceptual understanding of numbers
Webinars/Workshops of interest
StrongMind: Reimagining Schools
Wednesday, 10/5 at 1:00 p.m.
We have known for years that traditional school doesn’t work for many at-risk students, but one of the surprises from the pandemic was finding that other types of students thrived in the flexibility of remote, virtual, and hybrid learning. Forward-thinking district and school leaders are seeing the challenges and lessons learned from the pandemic as an opportunity to offer innovative and flexible options for students and families who, for a variety of reasons, don’t want to go back to traditional school now or possibly ever. Offering new options and expanding them to more types of districts, including urban districts, may be the key to bringing missing students back to school communities.
Join us on October 5 at 1 pm ET for a panel discussion about reimagining school for students and families that are looking for something different. John Watson, founder of Evergreen Education, the Digital Learning Collaborative, and the Digital Learning Annual Conference will moderate a panel of school leaders and other education experts that are leading new options in learning. They will share insights about their school models, the populations they are serving, their challenges, and their successes.
Walking the Talk: A Practical Framework for Leading Toward Equity
Tuesday, October 11 3:00 p.m.
This webinar will explore the Equity Leadership Framework and the essential leadership attributes in creating a culture centered around everyday equity actions that matter. Leaders will gain insight and learn strategies to effectively lead equity efforts by
*Defining and clarifying equity. This is the foundation from which all things will flow. We will explore the importance of creating a working definition of equity and why this definition is so crucial for the other framework components to function optimally.
*Creating productive discomfort. Creating a new normal where adults get comfortably uncomfortable to challenge the status quo through intentional dialogue conscious of race.
*Building efficacy. Monitoring adult beliefs and supporting the development of higher levels of individual and shared efficacy.
*Normalizing action. Ensuring that staff routinely use an equity lens in gathering and using data and providing instruction for consistent and sustained success over time.
Equity calls for courageous leadership. Join this webinar for a journey of discovery about the importance of leveraging focus, competence, and passion to confidently forge an unconventional path that will authentically lead to equity.
About the Presenter:
Dwayne Chism is the Dean of the School of Education at Peru State College in Peru, Nebraska. He supports equity work at the local, state, and national levels and works to support the development of current and aspiring leaders of color across the United States. Chism previously served as a principal supervisor, principal, and teacher. In 2018, he founded Shifting Perspectives, LLC, to help schools navigate diversity to create equitable conditions for learning.
How to Have Difficult Conversations (with Respect and Understanding)
Wednesday, October 12 7:00-8:30 p.m.
For parents, caregivers, educators, and community members of all ages
In this small group interactive program, SPARK Founder and Executive Director Christine Guthery will share: (1) the reasons why courageous conversations are important; (2) why they are challenging; and (3) the tools, strengths (and super powers) that allow us to manage them successfully.
This program will focus on practical strategies and how to harness our strengths to have conversations that matter at work, at home, and in the community! Feel free to share scenarios that you would like to address in your registration form.
(Limit 30 registrants)
ASL Interpretation will be provided at this event.
Changing the Game with John O'Sullivan
Thursday, October 27 7:00-8:00 p.m.
For youth sport coaches at all levels of play, parents and caregivers of active kids. Young people involved in youth sports and teen athletes are also welcome to attend.
John O'Sullivan, internationally known bestselling author, speaker and podcast host, will offer strategies to promote a positive and character-building sports experience for young people. Youth sports should be focused on learning sport-specific skills, as well as helping kids get the most out of their sports experience, all while growing as a person, learning life lessons, and having fun.
Registrants are invited to also sign up for a special Post-Program Discussion with John O’Sullivan - here
Space is limited, so sign up now if you would like to join John O’Sullivan and fellow youth sport coaches/sports leaders immediately after the program to go deeper into some of the topics and content presented in “Changing the Game”. Bring your questions and ideas for this interactive discussion.