6/7 - Creature Feature Family Open House
Stripes Bike Trip
6/10 - Creature Feature Field Trip
Eagles Bike Trip
6/11 - Blake Marathon Rain Date
MHS Athletics Info Night (see details below)
6/13 - Transition Day
8th Grade Cookout
8th Grade Graduation
6/14 - Last Day of School!
Topic/Question for the Dinner Table
To help encourage conversations and dialogue about adapting and changing as a learner, our topic(s)/question(s) of the week are: How are you working to grow, adapt, and change as a learner? (What are you working on improving as a learner?) Be specific. Adapting With Change (Week of 6/2/19) (This is an anonymous Google Form)
8th Grade Closing Ceremony
Our 8th grade closing ceremony and goodbye evening will be on Thursday, June 13 at 6:30 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. Students typically like to dress up a bit but cool clothing makes sense-- collared shirts and nice shorts, dresses, or pants are common choices -- students and families should dress for a potentially warm gym. Seating for families is available in the bleachers and chairs on a first come, first served basis. We are hoping for a 'cool weather' evening.
Teacher Luncheon Help - Thank You!
The Blake PTO could use your help with one last Teacher Luncheon for the 2018-2019 school year. To sign-up, please visit the link below.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050d49aaad23a75-blake2
Many thanks, in advance, for your time and generosity.
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 Wednesday, June 12. Transition Day is Thursday, June 14 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.
Blake Site Council Survey - Please Complete
The Blake Site Council has been working on the development of our annual survey to students and parents. A similar survey has been administered the last six years and we are committed to having parents and students take it each year as part of our continual efforts to examine our programming. Please complete the Blake Site Council survey for each child you have at Blake, and base your responses on your student's experiences this year. The survey should take about 10 minutes of your time. The questionnaire is anonymous, and your identity can not and will not be discovered through the completion of this survey. Focus areas include the topics of school culture, academic workloads, stress, and habits. The results will help us to gather information and examine our current practices to better meet the needs of our students and assess progress towards our mission.
We sincerely appreciate your honest responses and are hoping for 100% participation from the Blake community. If you have any questions or have difficulty accessing the survey, please do not hesitate to contact me directly ([email protected]).
Link to the survey: Blake Middle School Parent Survey - June 2019
2019-2020 iPad Planning Inventory
As you know we are continuing with our mobile learning program at Blake for the entire 6th-8th grade for the 2019-2020 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 2019-2020 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 Monday, June 10: iPad Planning Inventory at Blake Middle School for 2019-2020. 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-late June, 2019. 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 who choose to borrow the devices from the district.
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, these are all models that Apple has identified for continual OS updates: iPad mini 2, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 4, iPad Air, iPad Air 2, iPad 5th Gen, iPad Pro, iPad Pro 2, and iPad 6th Gen. 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 General Information (has articles, background information, and philosophy)
Blake Mobile Learning FAQs 19-20
Blake Mobile Learning Initiative Participation Options
iPad Program Estimated Lease-to-Own Pricing Structure 19-20
In the fall we will be planning an iPad/Mobile Learning/Innovation Highlights and Information Session for all Blake families. Our hope is for the entire Blake community of parents and guardians to hear and see highlights from teachers and students, answer questions, and gain an understanding of the work that is taking place. Stay tuned for more information!
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.
Great East Music Festival
The 7th & 8th grade band, chorus, orchestra, jazz ensemble and chamber strings joined together for Blake's 18th annual music trip to the Great East Music Festival Six Flags this past Friday, May 31. School music groups from all over New England participated in the Great East Music Festival hosted by various schools across Massachusetts. Approximately 200 Blake students performed at Springfield Central High School early Friday morning before traveling to Six Flags New England in Agawam. The performances were adjudicated by veteran music educators who also led each of the ensembles in a short clinic. All of the BMS music ensembles gave outstanding performances! The band, chorus, orchestra and chamber strings all earned a Gold Medal and the jazz ensemble a Platinum! We had ideal weather and a fun day at the park. Thank you to all of the teachers and parents who chaperoned. Congratulations to all of our music students!
Theme of Courage for 2019-2020
Our theme for the next academic year at Blake is one of Courage. We believe that this theme will extend the work we have done over the last seven years with our themes of Community, Perseverance, Creativity, Acceptance, Collaboration, Empathy, Diversity, and Happiness. 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]).
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
This is a reminder for all families 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.
8th Grade Bike Trips
8th graders are participating this week in the Medfield Bike Trip. This is a half day trip where students will be biking around Medfield to visit historical landmarks dating back to King Philip's War. The other half of the day students will have a modified schedule with classes. All students should bring their bike to school and are required to wear a helmet. For students who need accommodated transportation for this field trip, we will be arranging travel on Medfield’s Warrior Van. Please contact your child’s cluster leader if you feel this accommodation is needed. The dates for clusters are as follows…
Stars - 6/4
Stripes - 6/7
Eagles - 6/10
8th Grade Cookout - 6/13/19
The 8th grade cookout will take place Friday, June 15. Students will be outside and should be prepared with sunscreen and hats.
8th Grade Parents - Request for Tents and Coolers
We are hoping to borrow EZ up tents for end of year activities - they can be dropped in main office with names on them. Also, donations of water coolers are welcome by June 13 - if you are able to donate, please e-mail Sharon Skerry ([email protected]). Loans of lawn games such as Kan Jam, Ladder golf, Volleyball nets, wiffle ball and bat, and Corn Hole, etc. would be appreciated for just the day of the 8th grade cookout-- June 13th. All games will be returned to owners at the end of the day .
Creature Feature Field Trip - 7th Grade
7th graders are preparing their creatures for the trip to the elementary schools. 7th graders will be visiting younger siblings or previous teachers with their creatures and stories. The creatures even come alive with the inclusion of Little Bits circuits to make them light up, move or make noise.
Medfield High School Athletics Info Night - 6/11
On Tuesday, June 11, at 6:00pm, there will be a meeting held in the gymnasium at the Medfield High School for all athletes and a parent(s) interested in playing high school athletics this coming fall season at Medfield High School (grades 9-12). This meeting is very important and will cover many questions and concerns you may have, as well as introductions to all high school coaches and staff. Immediately following this meeting, coaches will meet with their respective sports to speak about the season and answer any questions you may have.
*Sports offered for the fall season are:
Cross Country (Boy’s and Girl’s)
Soccer (Boy’s and Girl’s)
Volleyball (Girl’s)
Field Hockey (Girl’s)
Football (Boy’s)
Golf (Co-ed)
Summer Reading Info for Incoming 6th-8th Grade Families
Each summer we ask Blake Middle School Students to read a minimum of two books. Students should read one book from their grade level Core Book Reading list and also choose a minimum of one book from their Suggested List as well. Students also have the option to read another age-appropriate book, that they haven’t read before, instead.
Blake Summer Reading 2019
Blake GSA Information
The Blake Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) meets every Tuesday from 2:15 - 3:00, in room 101. The GSA provides a space for open dialogue about topics such as how to be better ally and how to make our school a safe place for LGBTQ students and families. All students are welcome and encouraged to attend. Please feel free to contact Elise Malone ([email protected]), Russ Becker ([email protected]) or Amy Reynolds ([email protected]) with any questions or concerns you may have.
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.
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". Please contact Kelly Campbell at [email protected] with any questions.
Blake PTO Update
THANK YOU for those who contributed to our annual appeal this year! If you didn't get to send in your contribution yet, don't worry, there's still time! Donate here http://www.medfieldk8pto.com/blake.html or you can mail a check to Blake Middle School (24 Pound St Medfield MA 02052) or send it in with your child. Checks should be made out to Blake Middle School PTO. Your contributions allow our students and teachers to benefit over the next year, as the students and teachers did before them. We thank you in advance for your financial support of the Blake PTO.
Don’t forget to like us on Facebook (Medfield K-8 PTO) and follow us on Twitter (@MedfieldK8PTO). And for more information and calendar of events, please check out our website medfieldk8pto.com