May 28 - Subway Night for Blake
May 29 - Blake Art Show and Reception
May 31 - Six Flags Music Field Trip
June 3 - 6th-8th Band Concert/7th-8th Orchestra Concert
June 5 - Blake Mini-Marathon (see details below)
June 6 - 6th-8th Chorus Concert
June 7 - Grupo Fantasia Concert for 8th Grade
June 11 - Ben Speaks Presentation for Parents (see details below)
Royal Pizza Night for Blake
June 19 - 7th Grade Creature Feature Field Trip
June 21 - 7th Grade Field Trip to Boston
June 25 - Subway Night for Blake
June 26 - Transition Day
8th Grade Closing Assembly (7 p.m.)
June 27 - Last Day of School for Students/Staff
'Topic/Question for the Dinner Table'
To help bring the idea of thinking laterally and innovation into our conversations this week, our Topic/Question for the Dinner Table this week is: Should you revise a good idea if you think you can make it better? Is it worth doing if there is no guarantee your changes will work, and if there is a chance you will dismay people by making or suggesting these changes?
Memorial Day Weekend - No Homework Weekend for Blake
Thank you to all of the staff for their support and help in making this past weekend a 'no homework weekend' for Blake. We hope that everyone was able to find some family time and down time together.
iPad Program Selection Inventory for Incoming 8th Graders
Thank you to everyone for completing the iPad Inventory Survey last month as the information we gathered has helped in our planning. As the next step in our planning process, we are asking all current 7th grade parents/guardians to indicate your plans for your student ('Providing iPad' or 'Participating in Lease to Own Program') for next year, by completing this brief survey asap: Incoming 8th Grade iPad Program Selection. Even if your decision has not changed since the last correspondence, we are asking all families to complete this survey as well. As part of our program, we have a system in place for families with demonstrated financial need. If you are in need of financial assistance, please contact me directly ([email protected]). I have also copied the link to the iPad site (iPad Blog) and I encourage you to visit it to gain a greater understanding of the work that has taken place. We are excited about this initiative and look forward to our work together to enhance our students' education. As always, do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns ([email protected]).
Curriculum Highlights - Mathematics
This week's curriculum update comes from the Mathematics (Susan Bycoff, Content Specialist) department...
Mathematics
What does Fenway Park and Blake Middle School have in common? Just ask a sixth grader. They'll tell you all about their baseball project in math class. It's sure to be a homerun! The 3 R's have taken shape in seventh grade math! Math students will show off their ërithmetic skills by visiting our elementary schools to read childrenís books. They authored these books in math class. Eighth grade students are learning about the need for quadratic functions when gravity gets involved. Students are studying these advanced functions as they examine the height of a ball being thrown into the air.
Thank You to SIPS
I would like to thank the members of SIPS and their advisors Mr. Gow and Mrs. Jalkut for taking the time to pick up trash along the grounds of the middle school and high school. Students gathered one large bag of trash and another filled with recycled material. Many thanks to them.
Thank You to Charles O'Neill
Please join us this week in wishing Charles O'Neill well on his future endeavors. He is a beloved substitute teacher at Blake who has helped us out many times over the years. His last day will be May 31st as he and his wife have plans to relocate.
Spirit Week!
Student Council's theme for May is ENTHUSIASM!! We will be holding a spirit week the week of May 28th-31st.
TUESDAY - Trivia Tuesday (kids compete to earn tokens to win their homeroom a pizza party by answering trivia questions throughout the school day)
TUESDAY - ...also Bruins spirit Day
WEDNESDAY - Wild Wednesday (animal print)
THURSDAY - Twisted Thursday (dress inside out/backwards/how you usually wouldn't)
FRIDAY - Flashback Friday (dress in clothing from another decade)
Rock 'N Bowl
The eighth annual Grade 6 Rock N Bowl Event will be held this year on Friday, June 7, 2013. Our students and teacher chaperones travel by busses to and from North Bowl Lanes in North Attleboro after school where they enjoy cosmic bowling, all request dj music, disco lights, concessions, and an arcade. The venue is closed to the public during our event and it is a safe, fun, age appropriate and memorable event enjoyed by all. Connie Doolan coordinates the event each year and she is happy to answer questions you may have. Please feel free to email Connie if needed at [email protected].
One Fund Support
The members of iTeam (Impacting Tomorrow Especially Around Medfield) would like to thank you for participating in the t-shirt sale to raise money for the One Fund Boston. In all we raised $874.39! The purchase of a t-shirt was very helpful in making sure the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing get the help they need.
- Francis Brooke, Cole Brunelli, Lukas Donner, Michael Farinacci, Michael Hawley, James Kirk, Will Maritan, Michael O'Leary, Jack Pucci, Joey Vachon
Ben Speaks
MCPE in conjunction with a Blake Destination Imagination team, are pleased to present Ben Speaks (flyer posted on Forms and Documents tab), a presentation about fostering resilience and compassion in our teens. Judy Giovangelo is a local parent who lost her son, Ben, to suicide. She speaks with parents and students across Greater Boston about themes of empowerment, resilience, and compassion. We are pleased to offer this uplifting presentation to parents on June 11th at 7:00 p.m. at Blake Middle School followed by three grade level presentations for Blake students on Friday, June 14th. Students will be previewing the presentation in wellness classes the week prior to the presentations as well as spending time discussing it in class the week following it. Please feel free to contact Kelly Campbell ([email protected]) with any questions.
Blake Mini-Marathon
Blake is in the process of planning our first annual Blake Mini Marathon - This year's race is titled "Run for One." It will take place on Wednesday, June 5, 2013 (Rain Date - Wednesday, June 12, 2013). The event is designed to bring the Blake Community (students, staff, & families) together around a common purpose. About a 1.3 mile course will weave students (& staff who choose to run) around the Blake & High School campus. It is our hope that ALL staff and students participate in some role (registration, water stations, cheering support, walking/running) - parents are welcome to volunteer as well. Registration and goal setting will take place in PE classes, with the hope of 100% participation (within various roles). This year, there will be a suggested registration "fee" (donation) of $5.00 to The One Fund. More details coming soon!
First Aid Supply Drive
The Blake Middle School will be hosting a drive to raise First Aid supplies. These supplies will be going to the families at The Medway Family Shelter. The Medway Family Shelter is located in Medway, Ma, and houses up to 10 families at a time, last year the shelter was able to support around 40 families through their community services. However the shelter is in desperate need of First Aid supplies, for instance the shelter only have 3 thermometers to share amongst 10 families. Please help by donate items on the flyer to help out these local families in need.
MCPE News
At its recent annual meeting MCPE presented the Thomas A. Reis award to the "Project Moves...Accept Me" grant. The award which was established in 1995 to honor former Superintendent Reis, annually recognizes the grant which promotes cooperation among schools, develops new programs of study and highlights creativity and innovation. The "Project Moves...Accept Me" performance was a multi-media dance program which delivered a message of tolerance and acceptance to a capacity crowd at the high school auditorium on February 28th of this year. MCPE is grateful to Kelly Campbell, Kelly Dengos and Jeff Sperling from the high school for their efforts to make the Project Moves performance a huge success.