6/13 - 7th Grade Creature Feature Field Trip
#MedfieldPS Chat - 8 p.m. (see details below)
6/14 - Stars Bike Trip
6/15 - Stripes Bike Trip
6/19 - Transition Day
8th Grade Picnic
8th Grade Closing Ceremony (7 p.m.)
6/20 - 1/2 Day for Students
Last Day of School for Staff
Happy Summer!
Topic/Question for the Dinner Table
To help encourage conversations and dialogue about the ways we learn from one another, our topic/question for the dinner table is: What have you learned this year from a student? Learning From Students (Week of 6/11/17) (This is an anonymous Google Form)
#MedfieldPS Twitter Chat on 6/13/17
Our next district-wide Twitter chat is Tuesday, 6/13/17 at 8 p.m. - 'Reflections on Student Learning 16-17'. The goal of these chats is to bring the five schools together (staff and administration) to discuss pertinent topics in education, initiatives, and ideas to collaborate around and share. We hope you can join in and participate!
The 8th grade students will explore interesting historical sites in Medfield this week by taking guided bicycle tours to notable locations around town. The students will learn about people who have contributed to and enhanced our lives, and will learn about historic events that have happened in Medfield; as far back as 350 years ago.
Extra Yearbooks are Available
There is a limited number of extra yearbooks for sale. They will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. Please bring a check before Friday, June 16 for $30 (made out to: BLAKE MIDDLE SCHOOL) to Mrs. Boulos in room 204 and she will place you on a list for a book.
Student Council - Movie 'Afternoon'
Student Council will be holding a movie "afternoon" from 2:15 to 4 on June 16th. Students are invited to watch Moana in the auditorium for the cost of $3. Money will be donated to the Jeffrey Coombs Foundation.
Creature Feature Field Trip - 7th Grade
7th graders are preparing for their big trip on Tuesday, June 13th to the elementary schools to share their stories and creatures with younger siblings, favorite teachers, and friends. For the second year they are making their creatures light up, move, and make noise by adding circuitry with "Little Bits." Everyone is excited!
8th Grade Closing Ceremony
Our 8th grade closing ceremony and goodbye evening will be on Monday, June 19 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.
ADL Update
After a long process of reading detailed applications and interviewing students about their interest and experiences with bias and discrimination, as well as their comfort level with presenting to sixth graders, we have selected the new ADL Peer Leaders for 2017-18. We have reduced the size of the group a bit in order to keep it manageable and allow for all to contribute in a meaningful way. A positive outcome of the interviews was the perspective of many applicants that the experience of having ADL peer leaders come in and lead activities in 6th grade advisories felt to many students like it allowed their advisory to get to know and accept one another better. We wish we could have 60 peer leaders but we had to narrow it down to the 20 who showed the greatest interest and commitment to the mission of ADL. All applicants were notified via email on Thursday evening. We encourage students who are not part of ADL to consider serving their school community through student council, community service club or participation in other Blake clubs and activities.
8th Grade Cookout - 6/19/17
The 8th grade cookout will take place Monday, June 19. Students will be outside and should be prepared with sunscreen and hats.
Cluster/Advisory Placement Letters
Tentative cluster and advisory assignments will be shared with students/families via a letter that students will receive at the end of the school day on Friday, June 16. Transition Day is Monday, June 19 and on that day students will get the opportunity to meet their teachers and get a preview of next year's curriculum and grade level events. Clusters and advisories are always subject to change based on budget, staffing, and curricular needs, as well as the possible influx of new students.
Peabody Essex Museum - Grade 6
Sixth Grade students attended the Peabody Essex Museum last week. Each cluster traveled on separate days but each received the same two programs. The first program was a visit and lesson on the Yin Yu Tang House. This house was dismantled in a small village in China, shipped across the world, and reassembled in Salem, MA at the museum. Kids were able to walk through the structure and learn about Chinese history and culture. The second program was all about America's trade connections with Asia. This portion of the field trip ties in with our current unit on Trade. Students discovered that merchants collected and brought back artifacts to the museum from their trips overseas. As the kids are learning now, the trade connection established hundreds of years ago is alive today. To help foster a connection between the old and the new, students stayed with their Advisory on days of the field trip and learned about modern trade. Kids discovered about containers, container ships, ports, and new ways to use old containers no longer needed for trade. Overall, the connections students make between PEM and their lives is important. Kids should see how the world they live in today is somewhat similar to the world of 200 hundred years ago. Places in our world have always been closely linked with one another. The uniting factor was and will always be through trade.
Lost and Found Items
The number of items in our Lost and Found has certainly increased! We will be clearing out the Lost and Found after school gets out - I encourage all students and parents/guardians to come take a look.
Library Reminder
Parents, just a reminder, that all library books are now due back in the Blake Library. Students with checked out items were notified last week. Please encourage your child to return any library books promptly so that we can get the Library back in order before the end of the year. If the Library books are not returned, we will unfortunately have to ask for payment. Thanks for your help.
Washington, D.C. Trip - Coolers and Medications
Thank you for all of the cooler donations. They can be picked up this week at the Blake office. Mrs. Williams has also asked that medication from the trip be picked up this week. Please contact her with any questions that you have ([email protected]).
Theme of Diversity for 2017-2018
Our theme for the next academic year at Blake is one of Diversity. We believe that this theme will extend the work we have done over the last five years with our themes of Community, Perseverance, Creativity, Acceptance, Collaboration, and Empathy. 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]).
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.net and find applications under the tab "employment opportunities", the. Professional Staff Openings. Please contact Kelly Campbell at [email protected] with any questions.
iPad Planning Inventory for 17-18 - Please Complete
As you know we are continuing with our mobile learning program at Blake for the entire 6th-8th grade for the 2017-2018 academic year. To help us effectively plan for next year, we are asking all current 5th-7th grade parents/guardians (incoming 6th-8th grade parents/guardians for the 2017-2018 academic year) to let us know your plans for your student (Lease-to-Own, Bring an iPad from home, Borrow) for next year, by completing this brief survey by Friday, May 19: iPad Planning Inventory at Blake Middle School for 2017-2018. Please fill out this inventory for each child that will be attending Blake next year. This decision is not binding and we recognize that your plans may change - confirmation and final decisions will be made by mid-June, 2017. I sincerely appreciate your taking the time to complete this brief inventory and am hoping for 100% participation.
We have outlined the Blake Mobile Learning Initiative 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 4, meaning the following are acceptable devices for students to use: iPad4, iPad Mini, iPad Mini 3, iPad Mini 4, or iPad Air. The device selected by the students/families 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, iPad Mini 3, iPad Mini 4, or iPad Air are the recommended devices. We are committed to making the experience meaningful and viable for all of our students, troubleshooting challenges that arise in a thoughtful and inclusive manner. Our work over the last five 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...Blake Mobile Learning Blog
Blake Mobile Learning General Information (has articles, background information, and philosophy)
Blake Mobile Learning FAQs 17-18
Blake Mobile Learning Initiative Participation Options
iPad Program Estimated Lease-to-Own Pricing Structure 17-18
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.
New Student Registration at Blake
Blake would like to welcome any families with middle school students moving to Medfield to attend the Blake Registration Day on Wednesday, August 23 at 10 a.m. Please call the guidance office at508-359-2445 and speak with Debbie Avery to make an appointment to register. (After June 20th, please call the main office at 508-359-2396 and speak to Mrs. Skerry). Paperwork needed to complete registration is listed on the guidance page - http://blakeguidancepage.weebly.com/new-student-information.html
Message from Blake PTO
THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS & PURCHASES WERE MADE POSSIBLE BY OUR MANY VOLUNTEERS & SUPPORTERS DURING THE 2016-2017 SCHOOL YEAR.
THANK YOU!· Ipad storage- $1,172
· 12 Art Panels $1,695
· Artwork Posters and Frames $948
· LMC Tables and Chairs $4,700
· PA Cabinet for PE Department $1,695
· Christmas in the City Buses $2,250
· Safe Learning Environment Presentation (co-funded with MCPE) $1,500
· Grupo Fantasia Presentation $1,800
· Shakespeare Now! Midsummer Night’s Dream $1,160
· 7th Grade Roman Army Presentation $750
· DI Globals for Blake Team $500
· Theater Sound System (co-funded with MCPE) $2,000
SCHOOL SUPPLY KITS - DEADLINE TODAY, JUNE 13th!Medfield K-8 PTO is happy to announce that we are using School Kidz again this year for pre-assembled school supply kits tailored to teacher’s class lists by grade. No need for trips to Target or Walmart for last minute school supplies! School Kidz ships the kits directly to Memorial, Wheelock, Dale Street or Blake so your child’s kit will be at their desk or in advisory the first day of school. A portion of the proceeds will be given back to the Medfield K-8 PTO. Ordering begins now and runs through June 13th. Order now and get it out of the way so you can enjoy your summer.
Click here to start shopping http://www.shopttkits.com.
School Codes:
Blake - 86343
Dale St. - 86230
Wheelock - 86231
Memorial - 86174
Cost Per Kit:
Kindergarten & 1st Grade - $45
2nd & 3rd Grade - $40
4th Grade - $55
5th Grade - $48
6th Grade - $35
7th Grade - $40
8th Grade - $18
BLAKE COMMITTEE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR THE 2017 - 2018 SCHOOL YEAR
Take a look, grab a friend and see what committees you would like to help with next year at Blake. There are so many fun things to help with like the 8th grade Cookout, 8th grade Celebration, 7th grade Ice Cream Social, Career Day, Copy Room Helper, Box Tops Helper, Hospitality and more. Sign-up here https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScVH6fbiK1-cVI5r7yu42e6szW5bnuT2EUO9qk3CLc-l9A8UQ/viewform. We appreciate all your help!
ONGOING BLAKE APPEAL - We need your help so we can continuing funding enrichment programs and future initiatives for the 2017 - 2018 school year. We are requesting a contribution of $50/child this year. This is a suggested amount but we will gratefully accept any amount you can contribute. Making a donation is easy. Simply click on the link http://www.medfieldk8pto.com/blake.html and scroll down to the end of the page or send a check made payable to Blake Middle School PTO to Blake at 24 Pound St. Medfield, MA 02052. Thank you in advance for your support of the Blake PTO. Please feel free to contact Claudia Rosen [email protected] or Kim Price [email protected] with any questions.
STAY IN TOUCH Please LIKE us on Facebook Medfield K-8 PTO and follow us on Twitter @MedfieldK8PTO. www.medfieldk8pto.com
Update from MCPE
Has your child been impacted by a fantastic teacher this year? Show your appreciation by giving your child's teachers the tools they need to innovate! Make a tax-deductible Blue Ribbon Donation in any amount to the MCPE, and your designated teacher or staff member receives a personalized note acknowledging your appreciation of their skill and dedication. Blue Ribbon donations may be made throughout the year, but the deadline for delivery before the end of the school year is June 19. http://www.medfieldcoalition.org/events-programs/blue-ribbon-program/
Doing some spring cleaning in your child's room and want to find a home for all those books they no longer read? Please see the flyer in the Thursday Packet for the MCPE book drive partnership with Park Street Books.