May 28 - Grades 4-6 Orchestra Concert
Art Show Reception at Blake
CSA Meeting (7 p.m.)
May 30 - Six Flags Music Trip
June 2 - Site Council Mtg (3:15 p.m. in Blake LMC)
Grades 7/8 Orchestra/Band Concert
June 3 - Grades 6-8 Chorus Concert
June 10 - Royal Pizza Night for Blake
June 16 - 7th Grade Creature Feature Field Trip
June 17 - 8th Grade Math Final
Subway Night for Blake
June 18 - 8th Grade Math Final
June 19 - 6th Grade Rock-n-Bowl Field Trip
June 20 - 7th Grade Boston Field Trip
June 23 - 7th Grade Boston Field Trip Rain Date
June 24 - Transition Day
8th Grade Picnic
8th Grade Graduation
June 25 - Last Day of School
Report Cards go home
Topic/Question(s) for the Dinner Table
To encourage conversations about reflection, our Topic/Question for the Dinner Table this week is: Everyone has his/her own best way of reflecting, but it works better when you try out new ways now and again.
Memorial Day Weekend - No Homework Weekend for Blake
Thank you to all of the staff for their support and help in making our 'No Homework Weekend' for Blake this past weekend a reality. This effort was part of our continued work to provide down time for students, staff, and families.
Chorus Updates
Students in the 7th and 8th grade Chorus will be attending Great East Music Festival this coming Friday along with a trip to Six Flags New England. We are all very excited about this trip.
All Blake Chorus students will perform in a spring concert on Tuesday, June 3 at 7pm in the High School auditorium. The Blake Jazz Choir will sing as well. We hope to see you at the concert!
Washington, D.C. Trip - #blakeindc
I encourage the entire Blake community to check out the hashtag #blakeindc to view the pictures and 'online journal' of our excursion last week. In addition, you can 'follow me' on Twitter (@nat_vaughn), as I am using this account as a communication and resource tool for the Blake community - tweeting up-to-date information, Blake happenings, links to sites, and articles on a daily or more frequent basis. You can also follow the hashtag #bmsed for Blake-related announcements and items of interest.
Thank you for all of the 'cooler' donations. They can be picked up this week at the Blake office. Mrs. Williams has also asked that medication from the trip can be picked up at Blake this week. Please contact her with any questions that you have ([email protected]).
Community Service Club Update
As part of the sixth grade social studies curriculum, students learned about famine and poverty. In an effort to teach kids solutions to problems such as these, teachers used Heifer International as a platform for teaching. Helping in this effort was the Community Service Club of Blake. Dedicated students created locker magnets to sell as a fundraising activity. These magnets show images of the animals donated by Heifer International. Through their efforts, the club raised $400. Club members then decided upon options of animals to purchase. Afterwards, they created a 15 minute presentation for sixth grade advisories where upon students voted on a selection of animals. The Community Service Club of Blake is proud to announce that the $400 of donated money will go towards the purchase of ...
- 1 goat
- a flock of chickens
- 1 water buffalo
- a share of a pig
Our 8th grade closing ceremony and goodbye evening will be on Tuesday, June 24 at 7 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 in the cafeteria following the ceremony.
ADL Peer Training Program
We are thrilled to share that we have over 80 applicants for the ADL Peer Training program. Our selection process is underway and we hope to announce our cohort of 25-30 peer trainers in early June. Thank you for your support of the program and for encouraging students to apply. Students who are not selected this year will have opportunities to support this program during their years at Blake.
Blake Marathon - Run for Leukemia & Lymphoma
We are so excited to announce that the 2nd Annual Blake Marathon - Run for Leukemia & Lymphoma is scheduled for Thursday, May 29, 2014 - beginning at 8:30am. Students will be bringing home Registration forms to be signed and returned in homerooms. Last year's race was an amazing event that really demonstrated the strength and spirit of our Blake Community. We were able to raise over $3,000 for The One Fund, sending much needed aid to help those in our greater Boston community. This year’s donation to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society will also be made in the spirit of community, in honor of those in our own Blake Community whose lives have been impacted by Leukemia and Lymphoma. Registration forms contain details to donate a Registration "fee," 100% of which goes to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
PARENTS & FAMILIES:
We are hoping to make this a big community event once again this year. With that in mind, we would LOVE to have support from Blake families! There are a number of roles with which parents can assist:
- Runner check-in – starting at 8:15am the morning of the race on the Blake Gymnasium
- Recording running times (top 5 boys and 5 girls from each grade) – during the race
- Runner water stations/ recovery zone set-up & clean up
- Dropping off a case of water to the main office Tuesday, May 27 or Wednesday, May 28. (WE NEED WATER!!!)
- 3 tailgate-type canopy tents (for the finish line)
Blake Summer Reading
The Blake Summer Reading sale is in full swing through Friday, June 6. All students are required to read a minimum of three books: our all-school Wizard of Oz, one grade level required book and one book from the grade level optional list. Of course, we hope your child will read a few more that the minimum. Toward that end, we off an exciting and varied list for consideration. Book descriptions and order sheets can be found at http://www.medfield.net/blake/summer-reading.html. Students who read a total of 20 books from their grade’s book list will get to spend the final three periods of a school day during the fall having a pizza party, followed by a walk to Park Street Books, where they’ll get to pick a free book. Students who read a total of 10 books from their list will get to attend a pizza lunch party in the Blake library.
Special Summer Reading Bonding Opportunity for Parents and Students
Have you thought about reading The Wizard of Oz with your son or daughter this summer? You could have a great time comparing your childhood memories of the movie with the very different book. Our summer reading guest speaker, Michael Patrick Hearn, the world's leading Oz scholar, will be appearing at Blake to speak with parents on Thursday night, September 11th and with students on the 12th. He’s written The Annotated Wizard of Oz, which not only reacquaints readers with the Tin Woodman, Scarecrow, and Cowardly Lion, but also illuminates the colorful background of this treasured American classic. The book explores numerous contemporary references, provides character sources, and explains the actual meaning of the word "Oz." More importantly, Michael will once and for all clarify whether or not listening to Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon matches visually with The Wizard of Oz movie. Please consider reading this great keepsake (available for purchase from the summer reading sale but you don’t have to buy it to see Michael though!).
All profits from the sale go to the Blake library for the purchase of new fiction. Thanks to Park Street Books, the Blake CSA, and to Diana Mileszko for organizing the sale. Please contact Jon Haycock with any questions ([email protected]).
iPad Planning Inventory Information for Incoming 6th-8th Grade
As you know we are expanding upon the current 8th grade iPad Initiative and implementing a 1:1 iPad program for the entire 6th-8th grade for the 2014-2015 academic year, with students purchasing their own iPads or taking part in a 'Lease to Own' program through the school. The details of the 'Lease to Own' are tentative and still being finalized, as we are looking to find the most cost-effective program for families. As part of our program, we will have a system in place for families with demonstrated financial need. To help us plan our efforts, we are asking all current 5th-7th grade parents/guardians (incoming 6th-8th grade parents/guardians for the 2014-2015 academic year) to let us know your plans for your student ('Providing iPad' or 'Participating in Lease to Own Program') for next year, by completing this brief survey by Thursday, April 17:]iPad Planning Inventory at Blake for 2014-2015. I sincerely appreciate your taking the time to complete this brief survey and am hoping for 100% participation. This decision is not binding and we recognize that your plans may change, but the initial feedback will help us with our planning. We currently anticipate asking for 'final decisions' mid- to late May, 2014.
Please read the link below to a letter regarding our planning for the iPad Initiative...
iPad Planning Inventory Letter to Blake Families 4-2-14
For your reference I have posted links below to documents about our initiative/program...
Mobile Learning Update from Blake 3-26-14
iPad FAQs 3-31-14
iPad Initiative Estimated Lease-to-Own Program 3-31-14
I continue to encourage you to peruse our mobile learning blog
(Mobile Learning in Medfield) to gain a greater understanding of the work that has taken place. We are excited about the prospects that lie ahead as we work to provide your students with the opportunity to learn with the new technology and are hopeful that we can foster and promote a positive learning experience.
iPad and Mobile Learning Resources
For those who were unable to attend our iPad Information Sessions last week, here is the link to our Google presentation: iPad Info Sessions April 2014. As we have shared one of our ongoing goals with the iPad Initiative is to share resources for parents/guardians as well as students. With this in mind I have listed links below that I hope will help you to better support and monitor your students at home...
How to Share a Google Doc or Folder
This resource will allow you to access your student's work in their Google drive account.
Understanding Restrictions (Parental Controls) for iOS
This resource provides directions from Apple for enabling parent restrictions. Options include, but are not limited to, turning off installing and deleting apps and restricting access to the iTunes Store.
If you have any questions regarding the iPads or the initiative, do not hesitate to contact me directly ([email protected]) or our help e-mail address ([email protected]).
Parent Information Nights
Thank you to all who came out for parent information nights. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out. For your reference and information, here are the links to the presentations for the other grades...
Incoming 6th PIN 2014
Incoming 7th PIN 2014
Incoming 8th PIN 2014
Blake Site Council Survey
The Blake Site Council this year has been working on the development of a survey to be distributed to the Blake community. The survey was administered the last two years and we are committed to having parents and students take it annually as part of our continual efforts to examine our programming. 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. Please complete the survey for each child you have at Blake, and base your responses on your student's experiences this year. The questionnaire 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. 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: 2013-2014 Blake Middle School Survey
Curriculum Highlights - Mathematics and Wellness
This week's curriculum updates come from the mathematics (Susan Bycoff, Content Specialist) and wellness (Susan Cowell, Content Specialist) departments...
Mathematics
Baseball's opening day has arrived in the 6th grade wing at Blake Middle School. Students are utilizing their rates, ratios and percent skills while immersing themselves in America's favorite pastime. Play ball!
7th graders are finishing their work with measurement by creating their annual Creature project. Students will calculate area and volume of a wide variety of geometric figures and creating works of art at the same time.
Our 8th graders either experienced a world of math in Washington DC or close to home in Massachusetts. Students are ending their 3rd year of math at Blake by putting their final touches on solving algebraic equations skills. Whether linear, quadratic or rational, our 8th graders are ready for high school math.
Interested in hearing the latest math announcements for Medfield 6-12? Follow us on Twitter, @Medfield_Math.
Wellness
Physical Education: In Grades 6 and 8, students are currently in Badminton and Softball Units and Grade 7 students are in Badminton and Archery. Coming up next week on Thursday, May 29th is our annual "Blake Mini-Marathon" where students can participate by either running, walking or cheering to raise money for Leukemia and Lymphoma. We are looking forward to this great event!
Health: Coming soon in Grades 6 will be a unit on Adolescent Growth & Development, Grade 7 will begin a unit on Human Sexuality and lastly, Grade 8 will be finishing the year with a unit on Healthy Relationships, Sexually Transmitted Infections, H.I.V. and A.I.D.S.
Students in the last rotation of Consumer Science classes are becoming very proficient chefs! Students in all grades have demonstrated they can accurately measure ingredients, follow a recipe, and safely operate all kitchen appliances. 7th and 8th graders have safely used chef's knives to prepare and eat dinner entrees including a wide variety of nutritious vegetables. After 3 years of Consumer Science, your 8th graders should be able to prepare freshly made breakfast, lunch, and dinner for four! Please encourage them to do so for you!
Blake Track
With the 8th graders in Washington last week, the 6th and 7th graders had an enjoyable “bye week” of practice. Regular program resumes this week with practice on Tuesday, a home meet with Needham on Wednesday, a day off on Thursday, and our final regular season meet at North Attleboro high school on Friday.
State Meet: Qualifying members of the track team will have an opportunity to participate in the middle school state track meet being held at Fitchburg State College on Saturday, June 7. Post-season middle school athletic events are not supported by the Medfield Athletic Department so transportation to the meet will have to be arranged by family members. The middle school will, however, register participating students and pay their fees. If your child has qualified and would like to attend, he or she will receive a Participant Waiver Release Form on Tuesday. Please sign the form and have your son or daughter return it to Coach Haycock by the end of the school day on Friday, May 30. Qualifying standards are as follows: long jump (boys 14’6”, girls 12’7”), high jump (boys 4’8”, girls 4’2”), shot put (boys 28’, girls 23’), 100 dash (boys 13.9, girls 14.8), 100 hurdles (boys 20.0, girls 21.0) 200 dash (boys 29.0, girls 31.0), 400 dash (boys 1:07, girls 1:17), 800 run (boys 2:39, girls 2:58), mile (boys 5:45, girls 6:26), 4 x 100 relay (boys 58.0, girls 66.0), 4 x 400 relay (boys 4:54, girls 5:22). Blake coaches will meet students at the event. Please contact Jon Haycock with any questions ([email protected]). The meet begins at 10:00 A.M. For directions and order of events etc. go to http://ezmeetentry.com/outdoor/masschamps/default.aspx.
CSA News
Clip and send in your box tops. Collection box in the office.
Please join us for the last CSA meeting of the year on Wed. May 28 the at 7:00 PM
MCPE News
Blue Ribbon Program for Showing Appreciation
Are you looking for a way to let your child’s teacher, a school staff member or an administrator know just how much you appreciated them this past year? Consider MCPE’s Blue Ribbon Program. This program is an easy and thoughtful way to thank a member of our school community at the end of the school year while making a donation to the Medfield Coalition for Public Education. Each person recognized with a donation will receive a personalized card. To learn more and to make a donation in someone’s name, simply go online to http://www.medfieldcoalition.org, select "Events & Programs" and then select the tab "Blue Ribbon Program".
Green & Clear Cleaners Partners with MCPE
Medfield Coalition for Public Education is pleased to announce a partnership with Green & Clear Cleaners to raise money for the Medfield Public Schools. It's very easy to get involved. Here's how it works: mention MCPE and get 10% off your personal cleaning order for that visit. For every subsequent visit, Green and Clear Cleaners will donate 10% of the total order to MCPE. (Please note, business shirts, specialty items and alterations are not included in the 10% donation.) What a great way to be eco friendly and help support MCPE!