** All ‘school activities’ have been postponed or cancelled during our ‘remote learning’ hiatus from school. As more dates are known, we will be updating them.
Topic/Question for the Dinner Table
To help encourage conversations and dialogue about identifying and sharing how we can take care of ourselves, our topic/question for the week is: What strategies do you use to practice self-care and nurture your own well-being? Practicing Self-Care (Week of 3/23/20-3/27/20) (This is an anonymous Google Form)
Blake At-Home Learning Considerations and Guidelines, March 2020 **
In an effort to help provide some structure/parameters/guidelines for students and families who are looking for it, we have created a potential template for students and families during our ‘time period of remote learning’. Please know that this is ‘one template’ that can be adapted/adjusted to meet the needs of your children and your family. We encourage you to take a look, talk it through with your children, and make it your own…
Blake At-Home Learning Considerations and Guidelines, March 2020
** For Parents/Guardians: Please give yourself permission to try things out, make mistakes, adjust, and move forward. There is no one right path for parenting, teaching, and learning. We care deeply for all of your children and our commitment is to 'meet them where they are at' and help them (and you as families) to grow and move forward.
Update for Blake Families - 3/17/20
Below please find a link to the note sent to all Blake families on 3/17/20...
Update for Blake Families - 3/17/20
Message to all Blake Students and Families - 3/23/20
Please know we are thinking of you, missing you, and wishing you and your families the very best. We have put together a Flipgrid 'message' from the staff to all of the students - take a look and enjoy...
Message to Blake Students/Families - 3/23/20
** As noted in the e-mail to students, please take some time to remind them of the importance of respecting 'digital spaces' and not resharing/reposting videos without permission.
Resources from Guidance
During the extended school closure, Guidance Counselor are available to our students and families through a variety of means, email, phone, virtual meetings. The Guidance Counselors will send out a daily check-in email each morning, and be available for students by phone and/or virtual meetings. Should you or your student require additional emotional support, please refer to either of the following:
Interface (888-244-6843)
Riverside Community Care (800) 529-5077
You can find additional resources and information on the following pages:
https://www.medfieldsel.com/covid-19-sel-resources--tools.html
https://blakeguidancepage.weebly.com/covid-19.html
Resources from Office of Social and Emotional Learning
We would like to let you know about some resources and tools in relation to SEL in our district. The Office of Social and Emotional Learning has content related to COVID-19 coping strategies, tips and tools for families to utilize. We have broken the material into Elementary and Secondary levels, and have a section for Educators as well. We also want to let you know that we have partnered with many other districts in the state to form a collaborative, comprehensive and ever evolving website that has lots of great information that may help with mental health and wellbeing in this tumultuous time. We hope these resources can be a tool to support health and wellness in our community. The websites are listed below:
Medfield Office of SEL
Mental Health and Well-being Partner Website
Blake ‘EdChats’ - March, 2020
We are trying out some ‘edchats’ with Blake teachers/staff as a way to connect and share what we are thinking and talking about as a community of learners. Each chat will have a particular focus and we will take some time to talk through a few questions. Check out our first chat with Jason Heim, Orla Berry, Brian Gavaghan, Susan Bycoff, Marissa Gumas, and Diane Horvath - more to come...
Adapting and Learning - EdChat # 1(Learning)
Forms for All Incoming 6th-8th Grade Parents/Guardians
All incoming 6th-8th grade parents/guardians must complete these course selection form…
2020-2021 Blake Middle School Music Selection
2020-2021 Blake Middle School World Language Selection
Parent/Guardian Input Information for 2019-2020
** Timeline has been extended to Friday, March 30
Parental/guardian input is an important part of our planning purposes for the 2019-2020 academic year. Please refer to the placement for the 2020-2021 academic year...Blake Parent/Guardian Input Letter Spring 2020 regarding our process and the guidelines for input. If you are interested in sharing information, please submit your thoughts in writing not later than Friday, March 30. As stated in the letter, written requests for specific teachers will not be entertained or accepted. Your letter should be addressed to your child's guidance counselor and Assistant Principal, Kelly Campbell. Guidance counselors for next year will be Jen Dondero (Grade 6), Matt Marenghi (Grade 7), and Tracy Allen (Grade 8).
For Incoming 6th Grade Parents/Guardians
For your reference, I have copied the link to the presentation and handout along with the Program of Studies 3/4/20…
Blake Incoming 6th PIN March 2020 Presentation for Blog
Blake Parent/Guardian Resources 2020-2021
Blake Program of Studies 2020-2021
Incoming 7th/8th Grade Parents/Guardians
For your reference, I have copied the links that were created for the Incoming 7th/8th Parent/Guardian Information Night…
Blake Incoming 7th/8th PIN March 2020 Presentation for Blog
Blake Parent/Guardian Resources 2020-2021
Blake Program of Studies 2020-2021
Remote Harmony Day at Blake - 3/31/20
On Tuesday, March 31st, the Blake GSA invites you to participate in a remote Harmony Day! Harmony Day was started at the high school several years ago as a way to show support for the LGBTQ+ community! Next Tuesday, wear a GREEN shirt and take a selfie to show your support for the LGBTQ+ people in your lives! Email your selfie to Mrs. Cuomo ([email protected]) or Ms. Malone ([email protected])!
Blake is Social - Submit Ideas!
Blake is Social is looking for posts. We would love to see what people are doing at home. Working on your next soccer or gymnastics move? How about some great photography or art? Writing a poem? Or acting out a scene? We would love material. Please send it to Mrs. McClelland : [email protected]
Nature’s Classroom Info for Current Sixth Grade Families
The Information Packet and the Forms to Fill out are linked below for our fall trip to Nature’s Classroom. The 2020 trip to Nature’s Classroom will be Tuesday, October 20 to Friday, October 23. The cost of the trip will be $495.00 and a deposit of $250.00 is due on Monday, April 13, 2020. The balance of $245.00 will be due on Friday, May 15, 2020.Cost is never a reason for a child not to attend the trip. Please reach out to Nat Vaughn [email protected] if this is a concern for you.
Nature’s Classroom Information 2020
Nature’s Classroom Forms to Fill Out 2020
In preparation for the trip an updated physical must be on file. If you have any medical/health concerns, please e-mail directly to Mrs. Williams at [email protected]. Please contact Judy Silva, [email protected] if you have any questions about Nature’s Classroom.
Mathematics Placement Process
Math teachers at Blake will soon start the process of course placement for the 2020-2021 school year. The goal of the process is to see that every student is placed in a class that allows them to learn math well while feeling good about their efforts. For current 6th and 7th grade students, decisions on student placement are made by considering current class performance, placement test grades, MCAS scores and teacher recommendations. For current 8th grade students, placement is determined by success in their current class level and teacher recommendation. We are very mindful during this time to consider the whole child while making these decisions. Additionally, it is important to us that parents feel they have a voice in this process. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your child's teacher. If your questions involve long-term planning for math, do not hesitate to email Jess Safer, Math Department Chair at [email protected]. Thank you!
School Survey
The Blake Site Council has taken time to review the data collected from last year's survey and an Executive Summary will be distributed to families in the coming weeks. Focus areas on the survey centered on the topics of school culture, academic workloads, stress, and habits. Our intent is to distribute the 2019-2020 survey soon with the hopes of gathering the data in the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned!
Blake PTO Update
We want to remind everyone that the Blake PTO Annual Appeal is still happening! While Blake is currently conducting learning from home, we’re hopeful that it will be business as usual again soon. And when that time comes, the Blake PTO would like to be ready to help fund initiatives and activities for the students! Please visit MedfieldK8PTO.com to contribute to the Annual Appeal. While we are suggesting $50/child, we understand these are uncertain times for many and will gratefully accept any amount you are comfortable contributing.