4/28-4/30 - Hound of Baskervilles Theater Weekend
5/1-5/5 - Term 3 Family Outreach Week
5/1 - Grade 8 Math
Blake Battles Bias
5/2 - Grade 8 Math MCAS
5/3 - Grade 6 Math MCAS
Blake Student Council
5/4 - Grade 6 Math MCAS
Blake Pride Alliance
5/5 - 1/2 Day for Students
Professional Afternoon for Staff
7th Grade Dance (7-9 p.m.)
5/8 - Grade 7 Math MCAS
Community Conversations (see info below)
5/9 - Grade 7 Math MCAS
Blake Site Council Mtg - 3:30 p.m.
5/10 - Blake Student Council
5/11 - DEI Task Force Mtg
5/12 - Jazz Night
5/15 - Grade 8 Science MCAS
5/16 - Grade 8 Science MCAS
5/19 - 8th Grade Dance (7-9 p.m.)
Blake’s Question of the Week
To encourage dialogue and reflection about discovery, articulating hopes, and our paths of learning, our question for this week is: What are your hopes for the end of this school year? How do you want to grow as a learner? Discovery, Hope, and Learning (Week of 4/23/23) (This is an anonymous Google Form)
Blake Intramurals
The Spring Intramurals session has begun. You can find information on the Blake Intramural Website. If you have any questions, please contact Matt Marenghi ([email protected]).
Blake Theater Update
Tickets are on sale now for the Blake Middle School production of The Hound of the Baskervilles: A Comic Thriller Starring Shirley Holmes and Jennie Watson at bmstheater.booktix.com.
Please join us on
Friday, April 28th @ 7pm
Saturday, April 29th @ 1pm & 7pm
Sunday, April 30th at 1pm
Production Adapted by Kent R. Brown. Inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Novel. Produced by special arrangement with THE DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY of Woodstock, Illinois.
Blake Battles Bias will next meet on Monday, May 1st.
Blake - 7th Grade Dance
Student Council is excited to announce a 7th grade dance on May 5th from 7-9 pm in the Blake gymnasium! This event is open to 7th graders only. The cost is $5. 7th graders will be getting a dance contract in Advisory that needs to be completed by the day of the event. If students do not fill out the contract, they will not be permitted to attend. Contracts can be submitted to Mrs. Shaw. If there are any questions, please see Mrs. Shaw!
Community Conversations - 5/8 at 6:30 p.m.
On Monday, May 8th Medfield Public School and Medfield Outreach Community Presentation on Medfield Results of the MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey in the cafeteria of Memorial School (59 Adams Street). Doors open at 6:00PM, and the event will start at 6:30PM. The event will include:
-Medfield adolescent data & trends
-Tips for talking with kids of all ages
-Risk & protective factors
-Ongoing local prevention efforts
-Discussion time
-Additional resources
For the twenty-sixth year, the Zullo Gallery, in collaboration with the K-12 Visual Arts faculty of the Medfield Public Schools, is hosting its Annual Student-Faculty Art Exhibit. The Zullo Gallery offers a fantastic opportunity for deserving student art work to receive special notice by our community in a professional gallery setting. This year’s exhibit will be held from April 8th through April 30th. Congratulations to the following student who will be exhibiting: Ryen Jablonski, Lia Kenworthy, Alex Martinez, Vivian McGrory, Sophia Zeppieri, Leanne Louis, Lauren Conder, Charlotte Mahoney, THomas Rosa, Keala DeHoff, Cecilia Puthiaparambil, Justin Bae, Anne Zhang, Elise Casinghino.
On Sunday, April 30th from 12:00-3:00pm, Medfield High School’s Student Council is partnering with the Jimmy Fund to put on our 8th Putting for Patients event! Bring your family and friends to the MHS gym to take part in the 18 hole mini-golf course, hole-in-one contest, opportunity drawing, caricaturist, and photo booth! The link below contains all the information for the event, as well as the link to register online. If you can’t make the event but would still like to contribute, the same link doubles as our donation page. All contributions go directly to the Jimmy Fund to find a cure for cancer! We’ve raised over $40,000 through our years with the Jimmy Fund. Contact [email protected] if you have any questions.
Here is the link to donate/register: https://danafarber.jimmyfund.org/site/TR?team_id=21453&fr_id=2010&pg=team
Here is the link to more information: https://sites.google.com/view/mhsstudentcouncil/home
Hope to see you there!
Sincerely,
Medfield High School Student Council
MassHealth Info from DESE
Outreach toolkit about renewing MassHealth: Families with MassHealth need to renew their coverage this year in order to maintain coverage. Information is available on mass.gov/masshealthrenew; and school leaders can help spread the word using the newly available Phase 2 Redeterminations Outreach Toolkit, which contains downloadable flyers, posters, and other materials in nine languages. Individuals who interact with MassHealth members might also find the new MassHealth Renewal Help Guide helpful.
Update from SEPAC
The Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) mission is to work for the understanding of, respect for, and support of all children with special needs in the community. Our role as a parent council is to advise the district on children with special needs; share information and discuss matters of common concern and interest; offer speaker events, workshops, and other programs for families and children; and fundraise to support the schools and award scholarships. We like to say we “Advocate, Educate and Celebrate”.
SEPAC is starting to plan for next year and has many fun ideas. We seek members to join our Fundraising, Community & Events, and Communications committees. If interested, please reach out to [email protected].
We also hope to see you at our next events:
April 29th - SEPAC Mixer - Meet and mingle with members of the Medfield, Medway, Millis, and Norfolk SEPACS from 2 pm - 5 pm at Mickey Cassidy’s
May 16th - Elections & Yoga (all levels), 7pm, Blake Middle School Library
All incoming 6th-8th grade parents/guardians must complete this course selection form…
2023-2024 Blake Middle School World Language Selection Google Form
Music Ensemble Selection Form - Incoming 6th-8th Grade
All incoming 6th-8th grade parents/guardians must complete this course selection form…
2023-2024 Blake Middle School Music Ensemble Selection Google Form
MCAS 2023
4/28 - Grade 7 ELA
5/1 - Grade 8 Math
5/2 - Grade 8 Math
5/3 - Grade 6 Math
5/4 - Grade 6 Math
5/8 - Grade 7 Math
5/9 - Grade 7 Math
5/15 - Grade 8 Science
5/16 - Grade 8 Science
Blake Intramurals Update
The Blake Winter Intramural Program wraps up at the end of this month. Look for the Spring Offerings in the coming weeks.
Message from Blake PTO
The BLAKE PTO is searching for new board members to support the Blake Community beginning next year, with opportunities to shadow members this year if interested.
The following positions will need to be filled: Co-President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. If you are interested or want to know more, please reach out to Karen Peters, [email protected] or Brenna Ferrick at [email protected] if you would like to know more. Please consider offering your time in these important roles.
Message from MCPE
There are a few weeks left to support Medfield Public Schools by donating to MCPE's 35th Anniversary Appeal!
So far, we’ve raised nearly $50,000 in support of five special projects throughout the district. Please donate today and help us raise $10,000 more by the end of April!
When you donate, you’ll receive a blue ribbon on your mailbox, proudly displaying your support of our schools and helping us paint the town blue. Click here to learn about what the money raised will support at each of Medfield’s five schools.
Blake’s Pride Alliance
We are pleased to announce that the club formerly known as Blake GSA is now called Pride Alliance! This more inclusive name better represents the values of our club, where we strive to create a safe space for people in the community, those who want to learn more about the LGBTQIA+ community, and also those who wish to learn how to become a better ally. Meetings are every Thursday until 2:45 in room 502. Everyone is welcome to join, regardless of identity.
Blake Student Council
Blake’s Student Council meets every Wednesday afternoon from 2:15-2:45 in Mrs. Shaw’s room (525). All are welcome to join - the more members we have, the more we can accomplish! Spread the word!
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 Public Schools - Employment Opportunities and look under ‘Substitute Teaching’. Please contact Marcia Berkowtiz ([email protected]) with any questions.
Webinars/Workshops of Interest
Youth Mental Health: Understanding the Challenges and Opportunities
Wednesday, 5/10 at 6 p.m.
Panel discussion featuring: John Della Volpe, Wendy Fischman, Robert Kinscherff, Nadja Lopez Reilly, and Gemima St. Louis.
Moderator
Julie L. Ryan, PhD is a licensed psychologist, Core Faculty member and Associate Professor in the Clinical Psychology Department at William James College. Dr. Ryan directs the Children and Families of Adversity and Resilience concentration within the department. She received her PhD from the Clinical Psychology Program at the State University of New York at Albany. She completed her predoctoral internship at Montefiore Medical Center, in Bronx, NY. She completed her postdoctoral Clinical Research Fellowship at New York University Medical Center, Child Study Center, the Anita Saltz Institute for Anxiety and Mood Disorders. She was an Assistant Professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University (2011-2015) teaching and supervising doctoral students, as well as serving as FDU’s Associate Director of Clinical Training (2012-2014) in the Clinical Psychology Doctoral program before joining the faculty at William James College.
Panelists
John Della Volpe is the director of polling at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics, where he has led the institute’s polling initiatives on understanding American youth since 2000. John's best-selling book, FIGHT, How Gen Z is Channeling Their Fear and Passion to Save America, has been called "the definitive account of America's next great generation," and "a great read with a tremendous amount of learning for anyone in the business of marketing, selling, or otherwise engaging with the most exciting generation in decades."
John is an NBC and MSNBC Contributor, appearing regularly on Morning Joe; his op-eds have been featured in The New York Times and The Washington Post. He is the founder and CEO of SocialSphere, Inc., a public opinion research company headquartered in Massachusetts—and is pollster and advisor to President Biden.
Wendy Fischman joined Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1995. Since then, she has managed various aspects of the Good Project, a collection of research initiatives focused on the meaning of work in the lives of young children, adolescents, and novice professionals. With Howard Gardner, she has completed a large-scale national study of higher education in the United States. Their book, The Real World of College: What Higher Education Is and What It Can Be is just published (MIT Press, 2022). Now, they are working with colleges and universities to help bring ethics “front and center” on the college campus. Over the years, Wendy has written about education and human development in several scholarly and popular articles. She is also the lead author of and Making Good: How Young People Cope with Moral Dilemmas at Work (Harvard University Press, 2004).
Robert Kinscherff, PhD, JD is a clinical/forensic psychologist and attorney who currently serves as a Professor (Doctoral Clinical Psychology Program) at William James College (WJC) and Executive Director of the Center for Law, Brain & Behavior (CLBB) at Massachusetts General Hospital (Harvard Medical School). His previous service has included Associate Vice President at WJC, Assistant Commissioner for Forensic Mental Health for the MA Department of Mental Health, Director of Juvenile Court Clinic Services for the MA Trial Court, and Director of Clinical Services for residential and community-based behavioral health services of Easter Seals of New Hampshire. For the American Psychological Association, his service has included: co-author of its US Supreme Court amicus brief filed in Roper v Simmons (2005) in which the Court ruled the death penalty unconstitutional for crimes committed under age 18; Chair of the Ethics Committee, Committee on Legal Issues, Task Force on Gun Violence Policy, and Working Group on Juvenile Solitary Confinement; and, APA representative for Rand Corporation briefings, Congressional briefings, an Expert Panel on Mass Violence in America, and White House Summit on Community Violence. His career has been at the intersections of behavioral health, law and policy, and professional practice and ethics. He publishes widely and his authored and co-authored publications have subsequently been cited in hundreds of chapters and articles. Dr. Kinscherff teaches and consults nationally and internationally. He oversaw the drafting and dissemination in January 2022 of the CLBB White Paper on the Science of Late Adolescence: A Guide for Judges, Attorneys and Policy Makers, and in recent years has provided legislative and court expert testimony on clinical, legal and policy issues involving the neuroscience and developmental psychology of adolescent and young adult development.
Dr. Nadja Lopez Reilly is the Executive Director of the William James College Center for Behavioral Health, Equity, and Leadership in Schools. Throughout her career, Dr. Lopez Reilly has focused on translating research and clinical practice into accessible school and community-based approaches aimed at promoting youth mental health. She has worked directly with thousands of educators, parents, and community leaders; directed philanthropy-based initiatives focusing on prevention of adolescent depression and suicide; served as Co-Director of a Graduate Certificate in School Climate and Social Emotional Learning for educators; and served as the Training Director for an internship program at William James College. Her primary clinical and research interests focus on the treatment of anxiety and depression in youth, school climate and social emotional learning, culturally responsive treatment and teaching, and systems change. Dr. Lopez Reilly has presented at numerous national and international conferences on the topics of depression prevention in adolescents, social emotional learning, and community practices for prevention of mental illness and promotion of emotional health. She has written multiple publications to support student mental health, including her book Anxiety and Depression in the Classroom: A Guide to Promoting Self-Regulation in Young Students.
Dr. Gemima St. Louis is Vice President for Workforce Initiatives and Professor in the Clinical Psychology Department at William James College. She is the Program Director for three federal grants funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration—i.e., the Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Program for Professionals, the BHWET Program for Paraprofessionals, and the Specialized Training and Academic Retention (STAR) Fellowship. She also directs the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Initiative, a workforce development program supported by Boston Children’s Collaborative for Community Health that aims to diversify the behavioral health field by offering scholarships, academic training, and field education experiences to students from historically excluded and underserved communities.
Dr. St. Louis is the Founder of the Center for Multicultural and Global Mental Health and the African and Caribbean Mental Health Concentration at William James College. For more than seven years, she directed the PATHWAYS Program, which continues to provide culturally-responsive and trauma-informed mental health services to youths in local urban school districts. Her primary clinical focus is on the impacts of trauma on children, adolescents, and families. Dr. St. Louis has presented at local, national, and international conferences on trauma, disaster mental health, health disparities, and behavioral health workforce development. She is the recipient of several awards, including two Community Appreciation Awards, the Massachusetts Service Recognition Award, and the City of Boston Mayor’s Office’s Award for Leadership and Dedicated Services to the Haitian Community. She is an alumna of the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Leadership Institute for Women in Psychology, and a Member of APA’s Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity and Race, and Clinical Child Psychology.
Teen Truth: Youth Mental Health, Managing Success and Achievement, and Understanding the Pressures of Adolescence
Tuesday, 5/23 at 7 p.m.
Join us for a discussion of balancing mental health, achievement, the pressures of adolescence, and what caring, supportive adults can do to help. Ex-NFL Linebacker, West Point Graduate, and former Army Officer, Caleb Campbell, will share his story of overcoming challenges, managing success, and finding his way to a life he loves. Teens are encouraged to join with their parents/caregivers.
Free, Virtual Event
Hosted by the NWH Resilience Project’s Building Resilience Series