10/12 - Yom Kippur (No School)
10/17 - Picture Retake Day
Blake Site Council Mtg (3:30 p.m.)
The End of Average Book Discussion - See details below
10/18 - Grade 8 Parent Coffee (10:15 a.m.)
10/20 - Standards Based Reporting Info Session - 6:30 p.m. (see details below)
10/21 - Breast Cancer Awareness Day at Blake
Twitter Workshop for Parents/Guardians (see details below)
Term 1 Interim Reports go home
7th/8th Grade Dance (7-9 p.m.)
10/26 - Grade 8 to Tri-County
Medfield Talks - Michael Thompson (see details below)
10/27 - Grade 6 Parent Coffee (10:15 a.m.)
10/31 - Happy Halloween!
Blake Costume Day
11/1 - Magazine Drive Kick-Off
11/9 - Grade 7 Parent Coffee (10:15 a.m.)
11/11 - Veterans Day (No School)
11/11-11/13 - No Homework Weekend for Blake
11/14 - Blake Site Council Mtg (3:30 p.m.)
Topic/Question for the Dinner Table
To help encourage conversations and dialogue about traditions in our lives and learning, our topic/question for the dinner table is: What is one tradition in our schools that you believe we should re-examine? Please see link to Google Form to share your responses: Examining Traditions (Week of 10/9/16) (This is an anonymous Google Form)
Grade 6 Standards Based Reporting Information Session
This year the 6th grade science team is continuing their work with Standards Based Reporting. All 6th grade parents/guardians are invited to attend an information session to learn more about the philosophy and how feedback will be reported to families. The information session will take place...
Thursday, October 20 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Information will also be shared about how to participate in a parent focus group. This time will be an opportunity for parents to share meaningful input. Please RSVP via our Google Form: Standards Based Reporting Information Session 10-20-16
Dash and Dot Robot Challenge
Come meet our Dash and Dot robots and take on the Coding Challenges to earn your BlakerMaker Badges!
This will take place in the LMC on Tuesday & Thursday right after school and will end at 3:00 sharp!
Please download these apps beforehand:
Blockly
Tickle
Wonder
(For 6th Graders with school-enrolled iPads, these apps will be pushed out to download from the Self-Service app tomorrow-Tuesday)
Let me know if you have any questions!
Ms. Horvath
MIT Comes to Blake
Over the past few years we have been working closely with Justin Reich, the executive director of the Teaching Systems Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and research scientist in the MIT Office of Digital Learning, to effectively implement and explore educational technology at Blake Middle School. As part of their work, the TSL (Teaching Systems Lab) is developing two edX courses (online learning platforms) - Launching Innovation in Schools and Design Thinking for Leading and Learning. We were honored that Blake was selected to be filmed for the purpose of contributing to these courses. Last week they came to observe classes and interview teachers, students, and administration - it was a great experience for all!
Veterans Day Weekend - No Homework Weekend for Blake
In a continued effort to provide down time for students, staff, and families, Columbus Day Weekend will be a 'No Homework Weekend' for all of Blake. No assignments will be given with a due date of 11/14 and tests, quizzes, and projects will not be due or given on November 14 or 15. 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.
Community Service Club Message
If any family of a middle school student has the desire and the means to help shovel snow this winter for some of our elderly residents in Medfield, please contact Mr. Gow, co Adviser of the Community Service Club of Blake at [email protected].
Twitter??? Tweets are for kids!! (And adults…)
10/21/16 at 11:20 a.m.
We are thrilled to offer this workshop for all parents/guardians! Come explore the Twitterverse with Jason Heim (@jasonjheim), 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 (10/21/16)
Student Council Updates
Student Council would like to invite members of the Blake community to wear pink in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month on Friday, October 21.
On Monday, October 31st, Blake is invited to participate in a costume day. We are asking students not to:
- wear masks or face paint
- wear fake blood
- bring fake weapons to school
More information will be shared with students in Advisory.
Tri-County/Norfolk Aggie Trip and Information
All 8th graders will be taking a field trip to Tri-County Regional Vocational High School on Wednesday, October 26th as well as attend a presentation by Norfolk Aggie in order to explore options for high school that are publicly funded. Tri-County’s mission is to provide an excellent comprehensive technical and academic education to regional high school students. State-of-the-art technical skills and knowledge are enriched and complemented by a solid foundation of academic skills. Norfolk Aggie provides for a hands-on education, with caring and involved teachers in an atmosphere of acceptance and understanding. Students are united in their interests and attend vocational and academic classes every day. If you have any questions, please reach out to Jen Dondero ([email protected] or 508-359-2396 ext 2003).
Blake Open Studios
The Blake Art room will be open after school on Thursdays, until 3pm. All students are welcome to participate in studio activities of their own choice- choose from drawing, painting, printmaking, and sculpture. Ms. Deveno and Ms. Jones will be on hand to provide materials and informal instruction.
There will be no formal registration, it is on a first come, first served basis and limited to 15 students. We are looking forward to seeing you in the Art studio, room 208!
Parent Coffees
Are you feeling like you had just mastered your child's last grade's norms and now you have a new set of expectations to adjust to? Maybe your student is in a whole new building with even greater expectations. The Blake guidance counselors would like to help put your mind at ease by talking about what each grade level looks like and answering your questions. The coffees will take place...
10/18 at 10:15 a.m. (Grade 8)
10/27 at 10:15 a.m. (Grade 6)
11/9 at 10:15 a.m. (Grade 7)
To RSVP, please go to this link...
Blake Guidance Parent Coffee RSVP Form Fall 2016
Recess Donations
This year we are continuing with recess as part of our Advisory structure. A great deal of research evidence shows that students are more productive and intellectually engaged when a physical and or mental 'break' is provided in the middle of the day. We are looking for donations from families to provide options for students during this time: frisbees, wiffle balls/bats, kickballs, tennis balls, single and double jump ropes, volleyballs, foam footballs, soccer balls, and hula hoops. If you have done some 'fall cleaning' and have extra items that could be donated, have students drop them off in the main office. Thank you in advance for your help.
Connected Educator Month - Twitter Account (@nat_vaughn and @BlakeOffice)
As noted in the weekly blog update, October is Connected Educator Month and I am encouraging both staff and students to explore the world of Twitter. For the past year I have used this technology as a communication and resource tool for both the Blake community and my own learning network. If you are interested in exploring with me, my account is @nat_vaughn and Blake's office account is @BlakeOffice. In addition to the weekly blog to our community, I plan on continuing tweeting up-to-date information, Blake happenings, links to sites, and articles of interest on a daily or more frequent basis. We have established the hashtag (#bmsed) for education-related tweets of interest and Blake events and (#bmstech) for technology tweets of interest at Blake, so be sure to check them out! This is by no means an expectation for anyone, but I thought you may find it of interest - I have found the 'dialogue and network' via Twitter to be relevant, engaging, tangible, and simply put - useful.
7th/8th Grade Dances
7th and 8th grade dances this year will be held:
Friday, October 21st, 2016
Friday, January 20th, 2017
Friday May 19th, 2017
All dances are held from 7:00-9:00 pm in the Blake Gym. Students in 7th and 8th grade will soon receive Dance Contracts that must be completed by students and parents/guardians in order for students to attend! Thank you to the PTO who will be providing water for students at all the dances this year.
Theater Update
You can never get ready for theater too early. This week students received this google form. https://goo.gl/forms/ysKDZiSajWcPuSth2 When they fill it out, they are letting me know their interest in crew and/or auditioning. I've attached the information from my previous announcement so everyone knows the dates of the shows. Students who are auditioning must be available for the tech week (the week leading into the shows) and all performance days. Because of the slight shift, the show selection will be slightly adjusted as well. We will be performing Yearbook and a show that is being written specifically for us during the weekend of Jan 27-29. The musical Shrek will be performed April 7-9. Auditions will be October 25-28. Cast announcements will be sent out Nov 1 and a read-through for Yearbook will take place the following day. The untitled play cast members will meet Nov 3 and crew members will meet Nov 4 after school. Audition / crew sign-up forms will come out in mid-October. You may not choose whether you are in the musical or the plays and you will not be cast in two shows. You are welcome to do crew for one show and be in the cast of the other. Please let me know if you have any questions - Tracy Allen ([email protected])
8th Grade Trip Information
8th Grade Trip packets went home with Grade 8 students on Monday, Sept. 12. Trip deposit and signed permission slip were due to your child's Advisory teacher by October 4th. On-line registration with our tour company, Worldstrides, is to be completed by October 28. Please see trip packet for details and instructions. For your reference and for more information, here is a link to the 8th grade trip presentation...
Memorials, Monuments, and Museums Fall 2016 Presentation
Book Discussion Group for Parents
The Blake Site Council summer book was The End of Average: How We Succeed in a World that Values Sameness by Todd Rose, and we will be discussing the book on Monday, October 17 at 4:30 p.m. in the Blake LMC, following our Site Council meeting. For more information about this book, you might find these of interest...
Review: In ‘The End of Average,’ Cheers for Individual Complexity
Standards, Grades And Tests Are Wildly Outdated, Argues 'End Of Average'
Medfield Talks
Medfield Talks, a new committee comprised of Dr. Marsden, MCPE, K-8 and High School PTOs, SEPAC, MMA and Medfield Foundation will kick off a new speaker series on October 26th with Michael G. Thompson, Ph.D. According to his website, "Michael G. Thompson, Ph.D. is a consultant, author and psychologist specializing in children and families. He is the supervising psychologist for the Belmont Hill School and has worked at more than seven hundred schools across the United States, as well as international schools in Central America, Europe, Africa and Asia." In 2004, Dr. Thompson published The Pressured Child: Helping Your Child Achieve Success in School and Life which has helped parents navigate and mitigate the pressures faced by our children as they progress from their kindergarten through high school years. Through an MCPE sponsored grant, Medfield is privileged to host Dr. Thompson, who will speak to middle and high schoolers during the day and parents in the evening. Please join us on October 26th for this important event. Free tickets and additional information will be available in September.
Medfield Soccer Event
This year Medfield Boys and Girls soccer teams have a once in a lifetime / unique opportunity to play soccer at Gillettestadium. In an effort to increase attendance at the Rev's games, as well as support high school athletics, we have a ticket package to include the following:
- Ticket (Tier One - "Great Seats") for the New England Revolution Game on Sunday, October 23rd (4pm game vs. Montreal Impact), AND...
- Admission to the Girls (5pm) and Boys (7pm) Varsity Soccer Games vs. Medway HS (with an exhibition game for both JV games at the half of the Boys/Girls Varsity games).
Go Warriors!
Please use the following link to purchase your ticket to this once-in-a-lifetime event!
Here are some of the details for the game at Gillette stadium on October 17th and how to order your tickets.
Times
5PM: Girls Varsity vs. Medway
Halftime (5:45ish): Girls JV vs. Medway
7 PM: Boys Varsity vs. Medway
Halftime (7:45ish): Boys JV vs. Medway
Price: Tickets are $25 per person.
Payment: Checks made payable to "Town of Medfield". Checks can be mailed or dropped off at Medfield High School (88R South St, Medfield, MA 02052)
To resister and purchase tickets click HERE
Angel Run News
It is week #3 in your Angel Run training program. Your assignment: 5 cycles of 3 minutes running followed by 3 minutes of walking. There are already over 200 registered for the Dec. 4th event. Are you? Medfieldfoundation.org is the place and Nov 1st is the deadline.
BLAKE PTO UPDATE
Please join us for our next PTO meeting on Thursday, October 20th @ 7:00 pm in the Blake LMC.
VOLUNTEER NEEDED
We are looking for a coordinator for the 7th Grade Ice Cream Social - Spring timeframe. Please sign up here if you are interested. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScVH6fbiK1-cVI5r7yu42e6szW5bnuT2EUO9qk3CLc-l9A8UQ/viewform
ONGOING BAY STATE TEXTILE FUNDRAISER
Donate unwanted textiles to one of the bins located at the schools, transfer station or Hinkley Pond. For more information, go to our website and visit Bay State Textiles.
BOX TOPS
Don't forget to clip your Box Tops and send them to the main office.
DON’T MISS OUR IMPORTANT POSTS SENT THROUGHOUT THE WEEK
Like us on Facebook Medfield K-8 PTO, follow us on Twitter @MedfieldK8PTO For more information and calendar of events, please check out our website medfieldpto.weebly.com.
MCPE News
Medfield Talks, a new committee comprised of Dr. Marsden, MCPE, K-8 and High School PTOs SEPAC, MMA and the Medfield Foundation, presents its inaugural speaker, Michael Thompson, Ph.D., on Wednesday October 26th at 7:00 p.m. in the Medfield High School Auditorium. Dr Thompson, author of The Pressured Child, will meet with students from BMS and MHS during the day, and then present his observations to the community in the evening. (http://michaelthompson-phd.com) The event, free and open to the public, is sponsored by a grant from the MCPE. Tickets may be reserved at www.medfieldcoalition.org.
The E4E (Entertaining for Education) tradition in Medfield is alive and well. Haven't heard of it yet or new to town? It's pretty simple- throw a party or an event, charge an admission price ($25/head or $25/family is the minimum suggested) and donate the proceeds to the MCPE in support of the Medfield Public Schools. We've seen Halloween parties, nights in with friends, comedy events, wine tastings, multivendor markets... The only limit is your creativity. Need more information or ideas? Email [email protected]