1/13 - Lip Sync Information Mtg - 2:15 p.m.
Royal Pizza Night for Blake
1/14 - Geography Bee Finals
1/15 - Blake Ski Club
1/16 - 1/2 Day for Students
CSA Meeting
Professional Afternoon for Staff
1/19 - MLK, Jr. Day (No School)
Day of Service at Blake (see details below)
1/22 - Blake Ski Club
1/28 - Twitter Workshop for Parents (see details below)
1/29 - Blake Ski Club
1/30 - Term 2 Interim Reports go home
BMS Play
1/31 - BMS Play
2/2 - Blake Site Council (3:15 p.m. in Blake LMC)
2/3 - Nadine Briggs Parent Presentation (see details below)
2/5 - Blake Ski Club
2/25 - Incoming 6th Grade PIN (6:30 p.m.)
3/5 - Incoming 8th Grade PIN (6:30 p.m.)
3/12 - Incoming 7th Grade PIN (6:30 p.m.)
Topic/Question for the Dinner Table
To help encourage and foster conversations and dialogue about how 'unlearning' is critical for learning, our topic/question of the week is: One of the best things about encouraging others to try something in a new way is that by doing so, you remind yourself to follow your own advice.
Parent Information Nights - Mark Your Calendars!
2/25 - Incoming 6th Grade Parent Night at 6:30 p.m.
This night is for all parents/guardians of incoming sixth grade (current fifth grade) students. We will be presenting information about the 6th grade program of studies and curriculum, previewing the students' experience that they will have next year along with an overview of the middle school. A more detailed presentation about the logistics of the 2015-2016 academic year's iPad Initiative will take place during this evening as well.
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3/5 - Incoming 8th Grade Parent Night at 6:30 p.m.
This night is for all parents/guardians of incoming eighth grade (current seventh grade) students. We will be presenting information about the 8th grade program of studies and curriculum, previewing the students' experience that they will have next year. A more detailed presentation about the logistics of the 2015-2016 academic year's iPad Initiative will take place during this evening as well.
3/12 - Incoming 7th Grade Parent Night at 6:30 p.m.
This night is for all parents/guardians of incoming seventh grade (current sixth grade) students. We will be sharing information about the 7th grade program of studies and curriculum, previewing the students' experience that they will have next year. We will also be presenting information about the 7th grade's field trip to Nature's Classroom. A more detailed presentation about the logistics of the 2015-2016 academic year's iPad Initiative will take place during this evening as well.
Thank You to Annie Garofalo
This past week we were fortunate to have former Blake student and Medfield High School alum Annie Garofalo give grade-level presentations to all of our students. Annie was born with one hand and she shared her own experiences under the umbrella of our school-wide theme, Acceptance. We look forward to carrying her message forward as a community.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend - No Homework Weekend for Blake
In a continued effort to provide down time for students, staff, and families, the weekend of Martin Luther King, Jr. will be a 'No Homework Weekend' for all of Blake. No work will be due on Tuesday, January 20 and tests, quizzes, and projects will not be due or given on January 20-21. Thank you to all of the staff for their support and help in making this happen. If you have any questions or concerns, let us know.
Twitter??? Tweets are for kids!! (And adults…)
1/28 at 8:30 a.m.
We are thrilled to offer this workshop again for all parents!
Come explore the Twitterverse with Jason Heim (@jasonj1507), Diane Horvath (@techmonstah) and Nat Vaughn (@nat_vaughn)! This workshop is for all parents (both social media fans and those with 'socialmediaphobia' - learn about tweets, hashtags, following, and being followed. We hope to share lessons about Twitter and highlight how the educators at Blake are building professional learning networks and using the tool to enhance the learning environment at Blake. Feel free to bring your own device, an established Twitter account (we can help with that), and a willingness to learn! Please RSVP via our Google Form: Twitter Workshop for Parents 1-28-15.
Divide and Conquer (Mathematics, MCAS, and Mindsets) Parent Workshop Follow Up
Thank you to everyone who was able to come to our 'Divide and Conquer' parent workshops. We have published the link to the presentation (Mathematics, MCAS, and Mindsets). If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact Susan Bycoff ([email protected], @Medfield_Math) or Nat Vaughn ([email protected], @nat_vaughn). We look forward to future workshops and collaborative opportunities with parents.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a man whose goal was to make our country a better place for everyone. While his life was cut short due to assassination, MLK's goal to make our country a better place is still very much alive. On November 2, 1983 President Reagan made January 15th ( MLK Jr'.s birthday) a federal holiday, a day off for all. But a day off to support a man who gave his life to the betterment of our country did not really seem like a fitting honor so on August 23, 1994 President Bill Clinton signed a bill that moved the date of the holiday from MLK, Jr's birthday to the Monday after that day. The bill also stated that it was meant to be a day of service. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a not a day off, but a day on. To honor this day of service Blake Middle School will open its doors from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. to give students an opportunity to serve their community. Some of the activity students will be doing during this day of service will be: beautifying the school, making Valentine's day cards, book marks and paper flowers, for soldiers and those living in the nursing home. Students will also be making bracelets, which we will give to Children's Hospital for ill children. We are always open to new ideas for how we can serve the community and support making Monday, January 19th a day on! If you have any questions or suggestions, please e-mail Cynthia McClelland at cmcclelland@email.medfield.net.
Blake Middle School Sponsoring Blood Drive for American Red Cross
This year, during the MLK day of service Blake Middle School will extend its service to the community by holding its first American Red Cross blood drive on Monday, January 19 from 9-2. Students will form a committee where they will learn the importance of giving blood, and how they can help recruit those old enough to give blood. The committee will meet every Thursday until the MLK day of service on January 19th. Check out the Prezi below that is being shared with students in advisory...
Blake Blood Drive Prezi
Mark Your Calendars - MCAS Dates for Sessions 1 and 2
Session 1
3/23/15 - Grade 6 ELA
3/24/15 - Grade 7 Long Composition
3/26 - Grade 7 ELA
3/27 - Grade 6 ELA
3/30- Grade 8 ELA
3/31 - Grade 8 ELA
4/1 - Grade 7 ELA
4/2 - Grade 7 Long Composition Make-Up
Session 2
5/4 and 5/5 - Grade 6 Mathematics
5/6 and 5/7 - Grade 8 Mathematics
5/11 and 5/12 - Grade 8 Science and Tech
5/13 and 5/14 - Grade 7 Mathematics
Blake Lip Sync
This is a reminder that there is a mandatory meeting for all Lip Sync participants on Tuesday, January 13 at 2:15 p.m.
Career Day Planning
The 2015 Career Day for the 8th grade will take place on our half day, March 17th. For this program, we enlist community members and parent volunteers who are interested in sharing about their occupation with our students. We have 3 sessions and each one is about 35 minutes long. Each participant would have the option to speak at one, two or three of the sessions, depending on the individual's schedule. To make this a success, we will need 20 volunteers. If you are interested and available to participate, please contact Debbie Avery ([email protected]) for more information. We welcome past presenters and new volunteers alike.
Theater Update
Rehearsals for Darcy will take place Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 2:15-3:45. Please make sure your students have their scripts and their rides are there on time for pick up. Presale ticket information will be emailed to students and parents next week. Tickets will go on sale to the public Monday, January 19th. Cast and crew members of both Darcy and Peter Pan should have picked up a commitment letter. That letter and the $60 activity fee should be in to Mrs. Caprio by Friday, January 16. Also, cast and crew members of both shows should go to the theater website - http://padlet.com/tallen/611ejx2h8v - to fill out forms for both t-shirts and program biographies.
Ted Talk Club
The TED Talk school club met this Friday to continue the process of creating a talk about something they are interested in talking about. During last week's session, the club members began their notes on what they want to say in the beginning, middle and end of their presentation. This week, they worked on gathering research, along with outlining and framing their idea. Here is a list of ideas that club members are interested in presenting:
Why do certain words and phrases spark certain reactions?
How can knowledge help or hinder us?
What was the universe like before the Big Bang?
What is the thought process involving language development?
Why are labels placed on people without their approval?
What is the value of iPads in school?
How did Harry Potter influence my life?
May I tell you about project 351?
This is just a sample of the talks that club members are working to make into a reality. Stay tuned for more about these talks and more talks.
Coat Drive
Our annual coat drive has proven to be one of our biggest ever. With the help of our Blake community, we donated 126 coats to Anton's Cleaners. Thank you all for helping make this one of the best coat drives for Blake Middle School and helping needy families stay warm during cold winter months.
Blake Ski Club
A reminder that our first ski trip is this Thursday, January 15th. The make-up date for last week's ski trip will beThursday, February 26th. Please refer to the Blake Ski Club website for a packing list, calendar of dates, and helpful reminder: http://blakeskiclub.weebly.com
Blake Intramurals
Sign-ups for the winter session of intramurals will began on Monday and continue through Friday, 1/16. Offerings can be found on the intramural page of the Blake website. If you have any questions, contact Brian Gavaghan ([email protected]).
Staycation
Looking for a way to break up your student's vacation week? Blake is offering a 3-day February Staycation ProgramFebruary 18-20. Kids will join friends and Blake staff in activities in and out of the school building. The cost is $25 day and space is limited. Please see the flier for more info and sign up - https://www.smore.com/2zx05. Contact Tracy Allen ([email protected]) with any questions.
Medfield SEPAC Parent Presentation
Winning Over Worries: Parenting the Anxious Child
Tuesday, February 3rd from 7-9 p.m.
Blake Middle School Auditorium
RSVP by January 27 to Una Smith [email protected]
This seminar will discuss what kids worry about, how to teach kids what worrying is and how to manage those strong feelings. Parents can play a huge role in helping kids manage anxiety. Learn many strategies on how you can help in as little as 5 minutes a day. Roundtable discussion included to discuss your personal situation. Nadine Briggs, Director of Simply Social Kids, is an accomplished social educator. Nadine has expertise and certifications in bullying and cyberbullying prevention and sibling relationships (Sibshops). She is trained in social thinking methods, uses collaborative problem solving to teach children conflict resolution and has been trained by
the Child Anxiety Network at Boston University. She has dual graduate certifications in Coaching Children & Teens and Coaching Children & Teens with ADHD.
Medfield Food Cupboard Drive
Medfield Food Cupboard needs your support!! Please bring in any non-perishable, unopened, unexpired food items from January 20th-23rd. Bins will be placed outside the Blake library. This food drive is sponsored by the iTeam (impacting tomorrow especially around Medfield) an eighth grade service group. For more information about the Medfield Food Cupboard click here.
CSA News
Royal Pizza night on the Tuesday the 13th! Thank you Royal for supporting Blake by donating 20% of all proceeds
from 4-9. Thank you Royal Pizza!!
The January Blake Volunteer Form will be coming out this week. Please look it over, there's plenty of great volunteer opportunities to sign up for. The CSA thanks you!"
The Blake CSA meeting will be held this Friday at 9:00 AM in the Blake Library. All are welcome to attend.
MCPE News
Entertaining for Education (E4E) is a Fun Way to Support the Medfield Public Schools
Thank you to everyone who has hosted or attended an E4E party in the fall. Twenty-five parties were held with just over $12,000 raised. However, with over $35,000 funded in grants so far this school year, we still need additional funds to help us continue this level of giving. With the start of the new year, we are kicking off the E4E fundraiser for 2015! Pick a date, have a party, invite your friends, asking them to make a donation to MCPE as their "ticket" to the event. All hosts will receive an MCPE "party pack" to help with the party planning. Register your party at www.MedfieldCoalition.org. For questions, contact Megan Infantino (508-359-9928), Kim Price (508-246-8335), or email [email protected]. Thank you for supporting MCPE and making the success of our schools a community effort!