4/29 - MCAP Meeting
5/1 - Miss Amazing (see info below)
5/6 - School Committee Meeting
5/8 - Blake Theater Performances
5/14 - 1/2 Day for Students
Question of the Week
To help encourage dialogue and reflection about the environments and conditions that foster learning, reflection, and growth, our question of the week is: How can rest (a week of vacation) and time for reflection help you to learn, grow, and improve? Can you share a specific example? Environments (and Conditions) for Real Learning (Week of 4/25/21) (This is an anonymous Google Form)
Pooled Testing Monday, 4/26 and Wednesday, 4/28
This week we will be testing all students whose parents/guardians have signed them up for the COVID pooled testing on both Monday, 4/26 and Wednesday, 4/28. If you have any questions, contact Tricia Williams ([email protected]) or Arlene O'Donovan-Driscoll ([email protected]).
MCAS Dates for Blake Students - Spring 2021
6/3 - 8th Grade ELA MCAS
6/4 - 7th Grade Math MCAS
6/7 - 7th Grade ELA MCAS
6/8 - 6th Grade ELA MCAS
6/9 - 8th Grade Math MCAS
6/10 - 6th Grade Math MCAS
6/11 - 8th Grade Sci/Tech MCAS
Survey Reminder for all Blake Families
Please complete the survey for each child you have at Blake and it should only take a few minutes of your time. The survey is anonymous, and your identity can not and will not be discovered through the completion of this survey. We sincerely appreciate your honest responses and are hoping for 100% participation from the Blake community.
Link to the survey: Early Adopters - Blake Family Survey (April 2021)
Music Ensemble Course Selection Form for 2021-2022
Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to complete the Course Selection Google Form for music ensembles. All families must complete these forms...
2021-2022 Blake Middle School Music Ensemble Selection
Important Travel Information
Please see the travel information for all Blake families…
Important Travel Reminder
Medfield Moves for Mental Health
The literary club, Blake is Social, would like to offer you a 2020-2021 Memory Booklet opportunity! This is to make up for the fact that due to Covid we were unable to create a yearbook. This booklet will contain every grade's advisories, and a little something to highlight 8th grade. If you are interested please fill out the attached Google Doc (organized by grade). The cost of this booklet will be $8.00. Just have your child bring in the payment to his/her advisory teacher. Checks can be made out to "Town of Medfield". If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to the head of Blake is Social, Cynthia McClelland at [email protected].
6th Grade End of Year Memory Booklet
7th Grade End of Year Memory Booklet
8th Grade End of Year Memory Booklet
Drop Off/Pick Up Reminders for Blake Families
- All students can be dropped off starting at 7:30 a.m. Once families arrive 'in line', please let your students out of the car (outside of the HS auditorium) so that the traffic line keeps moving. Cars should not be parked and waiting to let their students out until a later time, as the traffic flow gets delayed and backed up. Students can wait outside in the morning and enter the building at 7:40 a.m.
- With the staggered times of dismissal for both Blake and the high school, families should not arrive too much prior to 2 p.m. to allow time for the high school 'clearing out' and arrival of middle school buses.
- When picking up students after school, all Blake cars should be exiting out the Pound Street side of the school property.
- For those families with students who are biking to and from school, please remind your students to wear helmets and to be mindful of both walkers and the traffic flow.
Pooled Testing Information
If you haven't signed up your middle school child(ren) for the weekly pooled testing yet, please consider doing so now. Currently, 72% of middle school students are participating in the pooled testing. As we have transitioned back into full in-person learning, we would like to increase participation to 90% with your support.
Pooled testing is an important data collection and mitigation tool to help ensure the health and safety of our schools. If you haven’t signed up your child(ren) for the pooled testing yet and would like to do so, click here for the online consent form. If your child has been participating in the pooled testing already, then please do NOT complete the consent form again.
A few reminders:
- Students will not miss class time for the testing.
- Testing will be done once a week.
- Results come back within 24-48 hrs after testing.
- You will only be notified if the pool your student was in comes back positive.
- If a pool is positive, we will run a rapid testing clinic at school for those students in the positive pool to determine if there is a positive case.
- Your student will not need to miss school in person if their pool comes back positive unless they are found to be positive when re-tested.
- Students are spaced 6ft apart with masks below their nose (mouth covered) for about 15 seconds while they test. Students self-administer their test and sanitize their hands before and after testing.
If your child is feeling ill, then please keep them home from school and notify the school nurse as well as the main office of their absence. COVID symptoms can present as a cold or other symptoms, so please click here to help you determine when you should keep your child home from school. We would be happy to review your child’s symptoms with you.
Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. We appreciate your ongoing support.
Exciting Miss Amazing news!
The seventh annual Miss Amazing will take place in person on Sunday, May 2nd, with a rain date of Saturday, May 1st! Miss Amazing’s mission statement declares, “Miss Amazing provides opportunities for girls and women with disabilities to build confidence and self-esteem in a supportive environment.” Many thanks to Medfield Parks and Recreation for allowing the event to take place at Hinkley Pond free of charge. Their generosity and kindness is incredibly appreciated! Even though the event will look different this year with no public audience, there are still ways to support the cause and get involved.
Blake Student Council Update
Attention Blakers! Blake’s Student Council now meets after school on Wednesdays from 2:20-2:50 p.m. Everyone is welcome! E-mail Mrs. Ruminski or Mrs. Shaw with any questions.
Blake Battles Bias
Blake Battles Bias (BBB) will meet in-person every Monday after school from 2:15-3. Currently, BBB students are working on their Peer Leader presentations for 6th grade. Have a student who is interested in conversations around social justice? Reach out to [email protected] for more information.
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]).
Info for all Medfield Families
Last year was the introduction of the Rolling Rally which was a wonderful and successful celebration that many said should be done every year, so we are bringing it back. The Medfield Community was phenomenal with their outpouring of support and we’re asking for the same enthusiasm again this year.
On June 5th, the Seniors will ride through town and end at Blake Middle School baseball park for a ‘Party in the Park’. This will be a safe, supervised and substance-free celebration. Please contact us HERE if you’d like to volunteer at this event. You don’t need to be creative, just have fun working with friends decorating either the Town or the Party in the Park.
This event is dependent on kind donations from our generous community, any level of contribution will be greatly appreciated. Donations can be made HERE
The Class of 2024 Student Government is selling Medfield flags to raise money for our class! The flags cost $25.00 and are a standard 3 x 5 feet. They are perfect for decorating houses, hanging in rooms or even decorating cars for the Senior Rolling Rally. Checks should be made out to the Town of Medfield and delivered to Medfield High School 88 R South Street no later than Thursday, May 6th, so order quick! Orders can be placed by clicking the link below and filling out the form. Be on the lookout for scanning a QR code on flyers found around the school and town shops!Medfield Flag Order Form
MHS Class of 2024 Flag Flyer
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 http://www.medfield.net/o/medfield-public-schools/page/employment-opportunites--7 and find applications under the tab "employment opportunities". Please contact Kelly Campbell at [email protected] with any questions.
Blake MERJ Update
Check out the April Newsletter…
April MERJ Newsletter
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 availble 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
Game Changer Series: A Conversation with Stephanie Malia Krauss, author of Making It, and Ted Dintersmith
Part of What School Could Be’s Game Changer Series with Ted Dintersmith
Tuesday, 4/27 at 7:00 p.m.
About this Event
Stephanie Malia Krauss is an expert in what’s essential to prepare children for a future none of us can predict. In this conversation with Ted Dintersmith, Stephanie will share with her the many insights she’s gained throughout her career, and her new book Making It: What Today’s Kids Need for Tomorrow’s World.
Featuring:
Stephanie Malia Krauss is a mom with a background in education and social work. Eight years ago, she left her work in schools because she knew that helping students earn a high school diploma was not the same as getting them ready for adulthood. Since then, she has been on a mission to figure out what kids really need to be ready for college, work, and life.Stephanie is the author of Making It: What Today's Kids Need for Tomorrow's World, a senior advisor to Jobs for the Future, and a consultant for the Youth Transition Funders Group. You can learn more about Stephanie at www.stephaniemaliakrauss.com and find her on Twitter @stephanie_malia.
and Ted Dintersmith (author, film producer, innovation expert, 2018 recipient of NEA’s Friend of Education Award)
The Influential School Leader with authors Craig Murphy & John D'Auria
Wednesday, 4/28 at 6:00 p.m.
Join us for a 1-hour live Zoom discussion of strategies to effectively reopen schools in 2021-2022 using their framework for change.
Learning Loss: A National Conversation about the term hosted by ASCD
Thursday 4/29 at 1:00 p.m.
Join ASCD and leaders from around the country as we discuss Learning Loss through the lens of Equity, Social-Emotional Learning, Leadership, and Curriculum and Instruction.
My Turn: Young Adults and Julie Lythcott-Haims
Thursday, 4/29 at 7:30 p.m.
On Thursday, 4/29th, 7:30 pm ET, join @jlythcotthaims author of Your Turn: How to Be an Adult, & a panel of young adults in a conversation about how to lead their best lives.
Game Changer Series: A Conversation with Linda Darling-Hammond, founder and CEO of Learning Policy Institute and Ted Dintersmith
Part of What School Could Be’s Game Changer Series with Ted Dintersmith
Tuesday, 5/4 at 4:00 p.m.
About this Event
Linda Darling-Hammond is a towering figure in the world of education policy and practice. During this wide-ranging conversation, we’ll gain insights from an inspiring expert and leader on topics vital to the future of our schools, our children, and our democracy.
Featuring:
Linda Darling-Hammond is President of Learning Policy Institute, is Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education Emeritus at Stanford University where she is Faculty Director of the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education. She is a former president of the American Educational Research Association and member of the National Academy of Education as well as the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Her research and policy work focus on issues of educational equity, teaching quality, and school reform. She has advised school leaders and policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels. In 2008, she served as director of President Obama's education policy transition team. Her book, The Flat World and Education: How America’s Commitment to Equity will Determine our Future, received the coveted Grawemeyer Award in 2012. Among her most recent books are Getting Teacher Evaluation Right: What Really Matters for Effectiveness and Improvement (2013) and Beyond the Bubble Test: How Performance Assessments Support 21st Century Learning (2014).
and Ted Dintersmith (author, film producer, innovation expert, 2018 recipient of NEA’s Friend of Education Award)
Education Now: Cultivating the Power of Resilience
Wednesday, 5/5 at 3:00 p.m.
As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, the aftereffects of isolation, stress, fear, and sadness are sure to linger. How can we fortify ourselves to grapple with the legacy of this unprecedented year? How can we offer relief to ourselves, our children, our colleagues, and our loved ones? Join us as we dig into the power of resilience — not as a magic cure-all, but instead as a way to build the tools we need to contend with difficulty, fear, or loss, and to take care of ourselves, and others, so that we can weather the storm.
We’ll hear from three experts who will explore the notion of resilience from a variety of perspectives, offering helpful insight into how to sustain ourselves through challenging times.
Moderator: Junlei Li, Saul Zaentz Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Education and Co-Chair, Human Development and Education Program, HGSE
• Richard Weissbourd, Senior Lecturer on Education, Faculty Director, Human Development and Psychology Master's Program, and Director, Making Caring Common Project, HGSE
• Lisa Damour, clinical psychologist, noted author and news commentator, and author of the monthly Adolescence column in the New York Times
Game Changer Series: A Conversation with Jal Mehta and Sarah Fine, authors of In Search of Deeper Learning and Ted Dintersmith
Part of What School Could Be’s Game Changer Series with Ted Dintersmith
Thursday, 5/13 at 7:00 p.m.
About this Event
Bringing both research and practitioner expertise, Jal Mehta and Sarah Fine will share with us their perspectives on deeper learning, innovation, and the future of American education. During our conversation, we’ll learn about their exploration of 30 innovative high schools that are the focus of their book In Search of Deeper Learning.
Featuring:
Jal Mehta is a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. His research explores the role of different forms of knowledge in tackling major social and political problems, particularly problems of human improvement. Jal is the author of The Allure of Order: High Hopes, Dashed Expectations and the Troubled Quest to Remake American Schooling (New York: Oxford University Press, 2013) and the co-editor of The Futures of School Reform (Cambridge: Harvard Education Press, 2012). He is currently working on two projects: In Search of Deeper Learning, a contemporary study of schools, systems, and nations that are seeking to produce ambitious instruction; and The Chastened Dream, a history of the effort to link social science with social policy to achieve social progress. He is co-editor of the Learning Deeply blog at Education Week, and in 2014 was the top-ranked junior faculty scholar in the Rick Hess Education Week rankings. He is also the winner of the Morningstar Teaching Award at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He was recently awarded a Radcliffe Fellowship and will be on sabbatical for the 2016-17 academic year.
Sarah Fine is an educator and scholar working at the intersection of practice and research. She currently directs the San Diego Teacher Residency, hosted at the High Tech High Graduate School of Education, and also teaches courses in educational leadership at the University of California San Diego. Sarah has written for a wide range of publications, including The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Chalkbeat, Education Week, Edutopia, and Educational Leadership, as well as scholarly journals such as The Journal of Educational Change and The Harvard Educational Review. Her recent book, coauthored with Jal Mehta, is In Search of Deeper learning: The Quest to Transform the American High School. In 2019, the book won the Grawemeyer award in Education. Her recent book, coauthored with Jal Mehta,In Search of Deeper learning: The Quest to transform the American High School, won the Grawemeyer award in Education.
and Ted Dintersmith (author, film producer, innovation expert, 2018 recipient of NEA’s Friend of Education Award)
Game Changer Series: A Conversation with Pasi Salberg, author of Finnish Lessons 3.0, and Ted Dintersmith
Part of What School Could Be’s Game Changer Series with Ted Dintersmith
Wednesday, 5/19 at 7:00 p.m.
About this Event
When looking for inspiring examples of national education transformation, all eyes are on Finland, and who better to give us a phenomenal perspective on the keys to success than Pasi Sahlberg. In this conversation, we’ll learn so much about policy, practice, transformation at scale, and the teaching profession.
Featuring:
Pasi Sahlberg is a Finnish educator and author. He is former Director General at the Finnish Ministry of Education and was a visiting professor at Harvard University's Graduate School of Education in 2014-2016. Pasi is experienced classroom teacher, trainer of teachers and school leaders and advisor to education policy-makers. He is an international speaker and writer on school improvement and educational change. Pasi's many awards include the 2011 Upton Sinclair Award in the US, the 2012 Education Award in Finland, the 2013 Grawemeyer Award in the US and the Rockefeller Foundation's Resident at the Bellagio Center in 2017. His latest books are FinnishED Leadership (2018), Let the Children Play (2019), Finnish Lessons 3.0 (2021) and In Teachers We Trust (2021). He is professor of education policy at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, where he lives with his wife and two sons.
and Ted Dintersmith (author, film producer, innovation expert, 2018 recipient of NEA’s Friend of Education Award)
How One Girl’s Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed the World
Tuesday, 5/25 at 7:00 p.m.
For elementary and middle school students and their caregivers
Celebrated disability rights activist and author Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins will share her award winning book, “All the Way to the Top,” which addresses the struggle for inclusion and the fight for equality in our country. Ms. Keelan-Chaffins will also encourage young people to use their voices to make a positive difference.
Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins is a passionate advocate and activist for disability rights. She joined the disability rights movement at age six and at age eight she participated in the famous "Capitol Crawl" protest to support the passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act. In 1990, she received the Americans With Disabilities Act Award from The Task Force on the Rights and Empowerment of Americans with Disabilities. Jennifer received her GED in 2002 and an Associate of Arts Degree in 2008 both from Arapahoe Community College before earning a B.S. in Family and Human Development from Arizona State University in 2017.
Today she’s an educator and a motivational speaker; and together with her new illustrated biography “All the Way to the Top, How one girl’s fight for Americans with disabilities changed everything”, she does educational speaking presentations to teach children the importance of the ADA, the Capitol Crawl, and the disability rights movement in American history with a emphasis on education, advocacy, and empowerment. Jennifer is the subject of an art sculpture commemorating the 30th anniversary of the ADA, “All the Way to Freedom” by local artist Gina Klawitter that is currently on display at the Colorado History Center. Jennifer is the brand ambassador for Mobility of Denver and Vantage Mobility International. She is also owner of Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins LLC.
Game Changer Series: A conversation with Carlos Moreno, Executive Director of Big Picture Learning, and Ted Dintersmith
Part of What School Could Be’s Game Changer Series with Ted Dintersmith
Thursday, 5/27 at 7:00 p.m.
About this Event
Our conversation with the inspiring education leader Carlos Moreno will bring us remarkable insights from a career fighting so effectively for better futures for America’s youth. We’ll learn about the many successful innovations of Big Picture Learning schools, and gain insights from his perspective on education, equity, and opportunity.
Featuring:
Carlos Moreno has been a teacher, a principal, a director, and now a Chief Executive Officer. But through it all he has been and continues to be an observer and a learner. A proud native New Yorker, Carlos is a passionate educational trailblazer committed to supporting school and district leaders to create high-quality, non-traditional schools designed to tackle systemic issues related to equity in education. He currently serves as Executive Director for Big Picture Learning, a nonprofit organization that, since 1995, has developed over 150 such schools in the United States and throughout the world. He also co-founded and leads the Deeper Learning Equity Fellowship in partnership with the Internationals Network for Public Schools. Carlos holds undergraduate degrees in marketing and business from Johnson & Wales University along with a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership. Most recently Carlos was named a Pahara-Aspen Institute Fellow – a fellowship designed to sustain diverse, senior leaders who are reimagining public education.
and Ted Dintersmith (author, film producer, innovation expert, 2018 recipient of NEA’s Friend of Education Award)
Game Changer Series: A Conversation between Ted Dintersmith and six dynamic classroom teachers, principals, and superintendents
Part of What School Could Be’s Game Changer Series with Ted Dintersmith
Wednesday, 6/2 at 7:00 p.m.
About this Event
Perspectives on leadership strategies from six dynamic classroom teachers, principals, and superintendents. We’ll gain perspective on how to turn the challenges of the past year into a springboard for effecting confidence-building transformation. And we’ll delve into effective strategies of leaders in different organization roles.
Featuring:
Six Classroom Teachers, Principals, and Superintendents TBA
and Ted Dintersmith (author, film producer, innovation expert, 2018 recipient of NEA’s Friend of Education Award)
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,Secretary, Co-President and VP for our Board next year! Contact Mary Kelly ([email protected] for more information!
Our Annual Appeal is here! We are again requesting a contribution of $50/child this year; an amount that has remained the same over the past 5 years. This is a suggested amount, but we will gratefully accept any amount you can contribute. Please make checks out to Blake Middle School PTO and send it in with your child. We are hoping for 100% participation of Blake families by April 30th, 2021. This will 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
MCPE Update - Blue Ribbon Day 2021
Celebrate Blue Ribbon Day 2021 and recognize a special teacher or staff member for making a difference in a student's life! This year, each student participating in our Blue Ribbon Recognition Program will receive a limited edition 2020/2021 “I did it with the help of my Blue Ribbon Teacher” t-shirt along with two blue ribbon note cards for students to write a note of thanks to teachers, bus drivers, specialists, or other staff members who have made a difference in their year. On May 28, students are encouraged to wear their shirts to school to celebrate Blue Ribbon Day and deliver their handwritten notes. Price for participation is $10 per student. This event is sponsored by Warren & Fontana Attorneys at Law.