8/30-8/31 - Teacher Professional Days
9/1 - Welcome back!
Delayed Start for 7th/8th Grade
9/3 - Half-Day for Students and Staff
9/6 - Labor Day - No School
9/7 - Rosh Hashanah - No School
9/16 - Yom Kippur - No School
10/11 - No School
10/29 - Half-Day for Students
Professional Afternoon for Staff
Question for Early Summer
To help encourage dialogue and reflection about summertime, our question for early summer is: What are your hopes for Summer 2021? Some Early Summer Reflections (July 5, 2021) (This is an anonymous Google Form)
Theme of Imagination for 2020-2021
Our theme for the next academic year at Blake is one of Imagination. We believe that this theme will extend the work we have done over the last seven years with our themes of Community, Perseverance, Creativity, Acceptance, Collaboration, Empathy, Diversity, Happiness, Curiosity, and Imagination. As a staff we have begun brainstorming ideas and I encourage all families to join us in the brainstorming process as well. As ideas and thoughts come to mind, do not hesitate to e-mail me ([email protected]) or Kelly C. ([email protected]).
Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand. - Albert Einstein
Creativity doesn’t happen without day dreaming. - Lin Manuel-Miranda
Demanding proof stalls creativity. New ideas need room to breathe, and a good imagination will always be ahead of the best evidence. - Adam Grant
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.net and find applications under the tab "employment opportunities", the. Professional Staff Openings. Please contact Kelly Campbell at [email protected] with any questions.
Information from our Nurses
We would like to express our sincere appreciation for your support throughout the past year as we all worked together as a community to navigate the COVID-19 health pandemic. It has truly been a community effort to keep our school open for in person learning while ensuring the health and safety of our students and staff. We are so grateful for your support and understanding!
- If your student is entering 7th grade this fall and we have not yet received an updated physical for their school health file, then you would have received an email from us last week requesting a current physical. Please make sure to send us their physical as soon as possible this summer.
- If your student will be participating in school athletics during the coming year, a current physical must be on file in our office. Physicals expire 13 months from the date of the physical.
We wish you and your family a very enjoyable and healthy summer. Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions or concerns. Best wishes to our 8th grade students as they enter high school in the fall.
Sincerely,
Tricia & Arlene
Tricia Williams, RN, NCSN
Arlene O’Donovan Driscoll, RN, MSN
Blake Summer Reading Info!
Find ALL Blake Summer Reading information HERE for incoming grade 6/7/8 students. Park Street Books is once again partnering with Blake Middle School to offer 20% back to Blake library/ reading programs with every purchase. Use this LINK to order online. Be sure to enter the discount code 'BLAKEREADS2021' to guarantee the 20% donation. Shopping in-store? Mention the special code at checkout!
Summer Supply Lists
All students should refer to the School Supply Lists located on the Guidance webpage.
Athletics Information for Fall 2021
Below please find the following information regarding Fall 2021 athletics (timeline, registration, important information etc). If you have any questions, please contact Eric Scott ([email protected]).
Athletics Registration:
Registration Link
Teams and Schedules:
https://www.arbiterlive.com/School/14340
Presentations:
Fall 2021 Athletics Meeting for Blake MS and Medfield HS
ArbiterLive (new schedule system) overview
A Message from the Blake Battles Bias Peer Leader Program (BBB)
Dear Blake Community,
The Blake Battles Bias (BBB) Peer Leader program's primary goals are to learn about bias related issues in order to help educate ourselves and our community to promote positive social change. We would like to share with you some resources you might find helpful when thinking about bias and discrimination or talking about it with your family. This by no means is a complete list, but the following can offer ways to begin and continue the conversation.
Organizations and websites which offer a lot of information and resources:
Medfield Public School's Cultural Proficiency Resources - videos, articles, and other resources
Medfield Public Library's Anti-Racism Resources - videos, articles, podcasts, book lists, social media to follow
Redefy- a world wide social justice organization created and run by teens!
Also, be sure to check out all of the diverse voices in Blake's Summer Reading Lists. There are so many "own" voice stories to choose from!
For those incoming seventh and eighth grade students who would like to join us, we would love to hear your voice.
Thank you,
BBB Peer Leader Program
Medfield Outreach
Medfield Outreach is available for consultation appointments. E-mail [email protected] to sign up for a free confidential specific time slot via telehealth.
Webinars of Interest
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 and VP for our Board next year! Contact Mary Kelly ([email protected]) for more information!