6/8 - 6th Grade ELA MCAS
6/9 - 8th Grade Math MCAS
6/10 - 6th Grade Math MCAS
Bike Trip for Stripes
6/11 - 8th Grade Sci/Tech MCAS
6/14 - Bike Trip for Eagles
6/15 - Bike Trip for Stars
6/15 - 8th Grade Closing Ceremony
6/16 - 8th Grade Closing Ceremony Rain Date
6/16 - Bike Trip Rain Date
6/17 - Transition Day
6/18 - 1/2 Day for Students
Last Day of School
Question of the Week
To help encourage dialogue and reflection about the importance of finding and making room for joy in our lives, our question of the week is: What brings you joy in your life? How can you make space for that this summer? Room for Joy (Week of 6/6/21) (This is an anonymous Google Form)
Cluster/Advisory Placement Info for Incoming 6th-8th Grade Students
Tentative cluster and advisory assignments will be shared with students/families at the end of the school day via e-mail on Wednesday, June 16. E-mails will be sent directly to both students and parents/guardians. Please know that clusters and advisories are always subject to change based on budget, staffing, and curricular needs, as well as the possible influx of new students.
Transition Day for Incoming 6th-8th Grade Students
Transition Day will be taking place Thursday, June 17 and that afternoon students will get the opportunity to meet their teachers and get a preview of next year's curriculum and grade level events.
Blake Summer Reading Info!
Find ALL Blake Summer Reading information HERE for incoming grade 6/7/8 students. Park Street Books is once again partnering with Blake Middle School to offer 20% back to Blake library/ reading programs with every purchase. Use this LINK to order online. Be sure to enter the discount code 'BLAKEREADS2021' to guarantee the 20% donation. Shopping in-store? Mention the special code at checkout!
8th Grade Bike Trip
This year the 8th graders will again have the opportunity to participate in the annual Bike Trip. The students will bring a bike and helmet to school and travel by cluster in either the morning or the afternoon on a scenic historical tour of our hometown of Medfield. The trip consists of two parts both departing from Blake Middle School and will be accompanied by their teachers and other staff volunteers. Each leg of the trip is approximately 3 miles and the pace of the trip is very manageable. At each stop along the route, students will hear about historical events from the past that have impacted the town and its surroundings. The dates for the trip are as follows: Stripes 6/10, Eagles 6/14, Stars 6/15, Rain Date 6/16.
8th Grade Closing Ceremony Update
We are looking forward to celebrating our 8th grade students next week and I have shared a few notes/reminders for all below...
- We are hoping to hold the ceremony the evening of Tuesday, 6/15 at 6:00 p.m. on the baseball field with a rain date of Wednesday, 6/16. On Friday, 6/11 we will send an e-mail with a final decision (weather contingent, of course!).
- All students should arrive by 5:45 p.m. so that we can start promptly at 6:00 p.m.
- Families are welcome and we ask that all guests bring lawn chairs/blankets for seating in the outfield. We will have a limited number of chairs for our older guests or those who may need some accommodated seating.
- We ask that students and families do not bring any food on to the field, and that only water be brought for beverages.
- Students typically like to dress up a bit but cool, comfortable clothing makes sense and is appropriate -- collared shirts and nice shorts, dresses, or pants are common choices. Both students and families should dress for a potentially warm evening.
Blake is Social - Memory Books!
Blake is Social Memory Books have gone to print!
A Message from the Blake Battles Bias Peer Leader Program (BBB)
Dear Blake Community,
The Blake Battles Bias (BBB) Peer Leader program's primary goals are to learn about bias related issues in order to help educate ourselves and our community to promote positive social change. We would like to share with you some resources you might find helpful when thinking about bias and discrimination or talking about it with your family. This by no means is a complete list, but the following can offer ways to begin and continue the conversation.
Organizations and websites which offer a lot of information and resources:
Medfield Public School's Cultural Proficiency Resources - videos, articles, and other resources
Medfield Public Library's Anti-Racism Resources - videos, articles, podcasts, book lists, social media to follow
Redefy- a world wide social justice organization created and run by teens!
Also, be sure to check out all of the diverse voices in Blake's Summer Reading Lists. There are so many "own" voice stories to choose from!
For those incoming seventh and eighth grade students who would like to join us, we would love to hear your voice.
Thank you,
BBB Peer Leader Program
Message from the Blake LMC
From the LMC-- Sadly, the time has come... the Library is now closed for book checkout. Please return all library books by Friday, 6/10/21. If you can not find a book, please let Mrs. Cowell/ Mrs. Walton know-- NO stress over this, please :)
Student Water Bottles
For health and safety reasons we have our water fountains turned off with the exception of the “auto refill” component. Please be sure with weather getting warmer to have your child bring either a refillable water bottle or a few bottles of water for the school day.
Blake Advisory Update
This week, our advisories will be adding footprints they created that include action steps they have taken this year or want to take in the future to help address issues of social justice. The footprints are being added to a visual path that is hanging in the front hallway of the school. The path was created by some former Blakers - art students from the high school!
Blake Battles Bias
BBB, Blake Battles Bias, is now open to any 6th grader who is interested in learning more about issues involving social justice and working towards creating a more inclusive community. We welcome our 6th grade peer leaders! Please reach out to [email protected] with any questions.
Pride Month - Message from Blake GSA
Join the Blake GSA in our celebration of PRIDE this week! Each morning members of Blake's GSA will be sharing information about PRIDE week and the LGBTQ+ community. We also hope you will join us in celebrating a RAINBOW SPIRIT DAY on Friday, June 11. We invite everyone to wear some rainbow swag!
Blake GSA Update
Reminder that the GSA will meet in person in room 212 at 2:15 p.m. on Thursdays. If you have any questions about the Blake GSA, please reach out to Matt Marenghi ([email protected]),Cynthia McClelland ([email protected]), or Jen Dondero ([email protected]).
Medfield Outreach
Medfield Outreach is offering WEEKLY MENTAL HEALTH DROP IN HOURS. Are you a Medfield parent or student who is feeling extra stressed, down or anxious? Want to talk to someone but you're not sure who or if what you're going through warrants ongoing therapy? We are available to listen and help! Medfield Outreach is now offering Weekly Drop-In Mental Health Open Hours for STUDENTS on: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 - 3:30pm and ADULTS on: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10-11:30am. Email [email protected] to sign up for a free confidential specific time slot via telehealth.
Webinars of Interest
Change Maker Series: A conversation with Tony Wagner, author of Learning By Heart (and many other remarkable books!) and Ted Dintersmith
Part of What School Could Be’s Game Changer Series with Ted Dintersmith
Tuesday, 6/8 at 10:00 p.m.
About this Event
While our conversation will touch on the vast body of work of Tony Wagner, one of our nation’s most important and influential thought leaders, we’ll spend most of our time exploring his stunning memoir Learning By Heart. He has so much to say about the role of passion and purpose in education -- including how we lost it, and what we can do to restore it.
Featuring:
Tony Wagner is a globally recognized expert in education and serves as a Senior Research Fellow at the Learning Policy Institute, founded by Linda Darling-Hammond in 2015. Tony is a frequent speaker at national and international conferences and a widely published author. His work includes numerous articles and seven books, including three best-sellers: Most Likely To Succeed: Preparing Our Kids for The Innovation Era, co-authored by Ted Dintersmith, was published by Scribner in 2015. Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change The World, was published in 2012 to rave reviews and has been translated into 17 languages. His 2008 book, The Global Achievement Gap continues to be an international best seller, with more than 140,000 copies in print. Tony's memoir, Learning By Heart: An Unconventional Education, was published by Penguin/Random House in 2020. Tony served as the Strategic Education Advisor for a major new education documentary, "Most Likely to Succeed," which had its world premiere at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and has since been shown in more than 8000 communities. He also collaborated with noted filmmaker Robert Compton to create a 60 minute documentary, "The Finland Phenomenon: Inside The World's Most Surprising School System.
and Ted Dintersmith (author, film producer, innovation expert, 2018 recipient of NEA’s Friend of Education Award)
How to "Ungrade" Imagining Assessments That Encourage Discovery - with Jesse Stommel
Thursday, 6/11 at 12 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Why Do We Grade? It seems like such a basic question, but in reality, it's profoundly complex. Without much critical examination, teachers accept they have to grade, students accept they have to be graded, students are made to feel like they should care a great deal about grades, and teachers are told they shouldn't spend much time thinking about the why, when, and whether of grades.
Especially now, when the well-being of every student is paramount, asking hard questions about the whys and hows of grading are crucial.Much of our work in education resists being formulated as neat and tidy outcomes, and yet most assessment takes the complexity of human interaction within a learning environment and makes it “machine readable.” When learning is the goal, space should be left for wonder and experimentation.
We're wondering, why do we grade? Who are grades for? How does it feel to be graded? What do we want grading to do (or not do) in our classes (whether as students or teachers)? What do letter grades mean? Do they have any intrinsic meaning, or is the value purely extrinsic? Does assessment mean differently when it is formative rather than summative?
"If you're a teacher and you hate grading, stop doing it."
Join internationally recognized author and educator Jesse Stommel for this free 45-minute webinar that will unpack some of the bigger questions around grading and offer some provocative ideas for doing without. You'll leave inspired to look closely at your own practice around grading, and you'll have a sense of how to change that practice to more effectively serve your students.
Game Changer Series: A Conversation with Dr. Darryl Adams, Education Leader & Social Justice and Equity Advocate and Ted Dintersmith
Part of What School Could Be’s Game Changer Series with Ted Dintersmith
Wednesday, 6/16 at 7:00 p.m.
About this Event
Darryl Adams has been a transformational education leader throughout his career, recognized by the Obama White House for his outstanding contributions. During this conversation, we’ll explore issues of equity, social justice, the appropriate role of technology, and how to energize and mobilize your community and your school board to support bold innovations. Fasten your seatbelt for this fascinating discussion.
Featuring:
Darryl Adams is a sought after keynoter speaker and thought leader and is widely known as the Rock & Roll Superintendent advocating that "Every Child Be Connected" and provided with a 21st Century College, Career and Citizenship education. Dr. Adams, known as an innovator, provides motivational "keynote concerts", a new concept in educating and "edutaining!" Dr. Adams also provides consulting, business and educational leadership training services to corporate firms, government entities and school districts. Dr. Adams has been recognized by the Obama Administration as one of the Top 100 Innovative Superintendents in the nation.
and Ted Dintersmith (author, film producer, innovation expert, 2018 recipient of NEA’s Friend of Education Award)
Game Changer Series: A Conversation with Ken Kay & Suzie Boss and Ted Dintersmith
Part of What School Could Be’s Game Changer Series with Ted Dintersmith
Wednesday, 8/4 at 10:00 p.m.
About this Event
Experts in the power of community’s embracing a Portrait of a Graduate as their education North Star, Ken and Suzie will share with us the many lessons they’ve learned over through their distinguished careers, and highlight what we will find in their eagerly-anticipated new book Redefining Student Success: Building a New Vision to Transform Leading, Teaching and Learning
Featuring:
Ken Kay is the Chief Executive Officer of EdLeader21, a professional learning community for education leaders committed to 21st century education. Ken co-founded the Partnership for 21st Century Skills in 2002 and served as its President for eight years. Prior to his work on 21st century education, Ken served as executive director of the CEO Forum on Education and Technology. Ken spent 28 years in Washington, DC, where he gained a national reputation as a coalition builder on competitiveness. He founded a landmark coalition of US universities and high-tech companies focused on research and development issues, and was the founding Executive Director of the premier CEO advocacy group in the US computer industry.
Suzie Boss is a journalist who writes about the power of teaching and learning to improve lives and transform communities. Author of Bringing Innovation to School: Empowering Students to Thrive in a Changing World and co-author of Reinventing Project-Based Learning: Your Field Guide to Real-World Projects in the Digital Age, She's inspired by educators who push the boundaries of the traditional classroom. Suzie is on the National Faculty of the Buck Institute for Education, and has also helped nonprofit organizations design programs that teach both youth and adults how to improve their communities with innovative, sustainable solutions.
and Ted Dintersmith (author, film producer, innovation expert, 2018 recipient of NEA’s Friend of Education Award)
Blake PTO Update
Want to get involved? We're looking for a Treasurer and VP for our Board next year! Contact Mary Kelly ([email protected]) for more information!