10/22-10/25 - 7th Grade to Nature’s Classroom
10/22 - SEL Task Force Meeting - 3:30 p.m. at MHS
10/24 - 8th Grade to Tri-County and Norfolk Aggie Visit
10/22-10/25 - Nature’s Classroom for 7th Grade
10/28 - Youth in Sports - Challenge Success Parent Group Event - 7 p.m.
10/31 - Happy Halloween
11/1 - 7th/8th Grade Dance (7-9 p.m.)
11/11 - Veterans Day - No School
11/12 - SOS Parent/Guardian Presentation - 6:30 p.m. (see info below)
11/14 - SOS Student Presentations
11/19 - SEPAC Mtg - 7 p.m.
11/20 - Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Council - 9:30 a.m.
SEL Task Force Meeting - 3:30 p.m. at MHS
11/22-11/24 - Blake Fall Musical
11/27 - 1/2 Day for Students/Staff
11/28 - Thanksgiving - No School
11/29 - No School
Topic/Question for the Dinner Table
To help encourage conversations and dialogue about our taking time to share successes, positives, and growth, our topic/question for the dinner table is: What is going well so far for you in school this year? Naming the Positives (Week of 10/20/19) (This is an anonymous Google Form)
Term 1 Interim Reports
This past Friday students will be bringing home their interim reports for the first term. The interim report is a mid-term progress update on students' effort and work based on the first five weeks of school. It is not a report card and the expectation is that students will follow up on any suggestions that teachers provide in the interim report. Time will be spent in advisory reflecting upon the work they have accomplished, as well as setting healthy goals for the second half of the term. The signature sheet that accompanies the report should be returned to advisory teachers. If you have any questions about your child's work on the reports, please start by having a conversation with your own child. If questions still exist, you should contact the teacher directly to gain more insight.
Seventh Grade Trip to Nature's Classroom
Follow us at NC! Follow #blakeatnc and @kmcsoup for photos and updates throughout the week. Daily email updates will be sent each day as well.
8th Grade to Tri-County and Norfolk Aggie Visits
The 8th grade will be traveling to Tri County on Thursday October 24th. Students will explore the "shops" and learn about the opportunities available at Tri County. Students should pack a bag lunch. We will also be having an afternoon presentation from the Norfolk Aggie at 1pm. Permission slips will be sent home the week of October 15th. 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 Matt Marenghi ([email protected]).
Standards Based Reporting Information Sessions
Thank you to all Blake parents/guardians who were able to come to our Standards Based Reporting information sessions last week. As promised, here is the link to the presentation…
SBR Information Sessions October, 2019
Professional Day Wrap-Up
We had a productive professional afternoon at Blake on October 15, taking time as a staff to examine our practices in an effort to make progress towards our overarching goals for the year. The structure of the day allowed for reflection, planning of goals, and time to work as departments. I have encouraged our staff to closely examine and implement various methods and alternatives for homework, assessments, and progress reporting as we continue work refining a more meaningful standards-based system of feedback and assessment. We are looking forward to this work.
Advisory Update for Blake
This week we moved our Wednesday's advisory activity to Monday because 7th grade is traveling to Lake George! Students will be reflecting on their interim report they received on Friday. Students will be taking a closer look at what they were happy about, what surprised them, and a possible disappointment. Students will be setting a goal for their first report card and also writing down two things they can do to accomplish that goal.
Blake Wednesday Advisory Website
Private School Applications
For those families looking to apply to private school for next year, please make sure all materials (all teacher recommendation forms, transcript request, an 8x11 envelope and 4 stamps per envelope) are to the guidance office at least 3 weeks prior to the application due date. We want to make sure the teachers have sufficient time to provide thoughtful letters for all students applying. If the forms will be sent electronically to the teachers, please e-mail Mrs. Avery and your student's guidance counselor to inform them. Mrs. Avery tracks all applications and makes sure they get out in time. Any questions, please contact or Mr. Marenghi (6th), Ms. Allen (7th), or Mrs. Dondero (8th).
7th Grade Parents: please save the date!
On Tuesday, November 12, 2019 at 6:30pm in the Blake LMC, Samaritans, Inc. will present a workshop for parents on suicide prevention. More details will be emailed to all parents/guardians in the upcoming weeks.
Blake’s ADL
Mrs. Gelormini and Ms. Thress are already impressed by the students' thoughtfulness and dedication in supporting kindness, inclusiveness, and positive social awareness and change in our community. For any interested 7th or 8th grade student, there is still time to join. The next meeting will be Tuesday, October 22nd. The purpose of Blake's ADL is to:
- Promote positive social change at Blake.
- Learn about bias-related issues.
- Encourage a greater sense of social responsibility for a more respectful and inclusive community.
- Explore how students can become an ally for their peers.
- Develop student leadership.
7th/8th Grade Dance - 11/1/19
Attention families of 7th & 8th graders. The first School Dance will be Friday, November 1, from 7:00-9:00pm in the Blake Gym. Details can be found on the contract students bring home this week. Please sign and return by Thursday 10/31/19.
Help Your Young Athlete Win the Race: Finding Balance in Youth Sports
Monday, October 28th at 7 PM
Blake Middle School Library
Parents in grades K-12 are invited to join Medfield’s Challenge Success Parent Group and a panel of experts from our community as we discuss finding balance in youth sports. Playing sports can offer kids innumerable benefits that last a lifetime, but in today's climate, many parents are wondering how to best support their young athletes. How much is too much? How can we maintain family time and down time? Is specialization necessary? What is the risk of overuse injuries? Please join us for this important discussion. We will open with a screening of the TEDTalk, "The Race to Nowhere in Youth Sports", followed by brief presentations and a discussion with a panel of local experts, including:
Mimi Borkan – MHS ’13, soccer and ice hockey goalie; UNH ’17 Division 1 soccer goalie; Providence College Athletic Department Championships Assistant
Carl Gustafson - Medfield parent; Youth Soccer Coach; Physical Therapist; Certified Licensed Athletic Trainer; and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
Kristine Lilly - Medfield parent; Youth Soccer Coach; Author; 2x World Cup Champion; 2x Olympic Gold Medalist; Cofounder, Team First Soccer Academy
Janel Jorgensen McArdle – Medfield parent; Swim Across America Board Member; Silver Medalist Swimmer in the 1988 Olympic Games; 4x American Record Holder; 2x Pan American Games Gold Medalist; 2x Goodwill Games Champion; Stanford University Hall of Fame
David Worthley – Director of Social Emotional Learning (RISE) at Medfield High School – moderator
RSVP here
See the flyer here…
Youth Sports Panel Flyer - 10/28/19
Blake is Social - Any Submissions?
Hello Families Blake is Social is looking for fall themed submissions. This could be pictures of someone playing their fall sport, fall art, INKTOBER work, fall photos, or fall themed tick tok. Folders will be comming soon to help collect any work that may be handed into you personally. Work can be emailed to [email protected] or [email protected]
October is Inktober Month!
Every October, artists all over the world take on the Inktober drawing challenge by doing one ink drawing a day the entire month. Inktober was created in 2009 as a challenge to improve drawing skills and develop positive creative habits. It has since grown into a worldwide endeavor with thousands of artists taking on the challenge every year. This year, Blake will be participating in this creative social media challenge by posting our artwork on twitter and instagram. Look for flyers posted around the school for the daily prompts and additional info. ANYONE CAN DO INKTOBER, JUST PICK UP A PEN AND START DRAWING!
Draw a picture in your sketchbook and submit it to the INKTOBER google classroom. See your art teacher if you have any questions. Check out inktober.com for more information!
Registration for Blake Middle School Winter 2019-2020 Athletics (Boys and Girls 8th grade basketball) is now open!
Please visit the following to register:
https://www.familyid.com/organizations/medfield-athletics
Theme of Courage for 2019-2020
Our theme for this academic year at Blake is one of Courage. 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, and Happiness. 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]).
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 http://www.medfield.net/o/medfield-public-schools/page/employment-opportunites--7 and find applications under the tab "employment opportunities". Please contact Kelly Campbell at [email protected] with any questions.
Substitute Nurses
As with our teaching positions, from time to time our nurse, Tricia Williams, will be out of the building and we need a substitute nurse for these days. We are fortunate that we have several substitute nurses in the district who are able to work on those days. If you are a registered nurse and have an interest in potentially serving as a substitute throughout the year, please let us know. You can contact me ([email protected]) or Tricia Williams ([email protected]). By the same token, if you have friends in the area who would have an interest in serving as a substitute, please let them know that they can contact us as well. The safety and well-being of our students is always our top priority, and we would appreciate your interest in one of these roles.
Blake Site Council Book Discussion Group
Over the last two years the Blake Site Council has read several books and we will continue this practice during the 2019-2020 school year. Stay tuned for more information and we hope you can join in these discussions!
Medfield High School Theatre Society Presents:
The Curious Savage by John Patrick. The Curious Savage is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York.
TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW - $12 Purchase Tickets Here
NOVEMBER 15th - 17th
Friday, November 15th @ 7:00 pm
Saturday, November 16th @ 1:00 pm & 7:00 pm
Sunday, November 17th @ 1:00 pm
Following her husband’s death, Ethel Savage inherited $10 million. Ethel’s goal is to use the family fortune to fulfill strangers’ ill-advised dreams. Her stepchildren’s goal is to reclaim theSavage legacy.
In their efforts to bring Ethel to her senses, the Savage children have her committed to a sanitorium: The Cloisters. Among the Cloisters’ residents, Mrs. Savage discovers a level of authenticity she found lacking in the outside world.
Commit yourself to The Curious Savage: a story of greed, loyalty, and those who challenge traditional conventions.
Please note that this show is double-cast meaning there are two sets of actors performing. One group will perform Friday evening & Saturday afternoon. The other group will perform Saturday evening & Sunday afternoon. If you are hoping to see a particular actor, please double check when they will perform.
The list can be found here.
Medfield Angel Run
Each year the Medfield Foundation Inc (MFi) donates over $35,000 yearly to Medfield families in need, plus supports a variety of other initiatives like the Camp Fund throughout the town. At the high school, MFi sponsors and supports the MFi Youth Leadership to help students develop as philanthropists. You can find more information at
https://www.medfieldfoundation.org/mfi-angel-run
Message from MCPE
The MCPE 2019 Fall Fest online auction will be open to the entire Medfield community from Friday November 1 - Thursday November 14. Bid on a wide array of items, including group experiences (wine tastings, cooking classes, etc.), Medfield branded swag, home interior services, sports memorabilia, photo packages, and much, much more. Don't miss your chance to secure some great holiday gifts and support our K-12 schools at the same time. You do not have to attend the Fall Fest event on November 15th to bid! Go to http://www.medfieldcoalition.org. Thank you to all of our donors and sponsors for their amazing generosity and support of the MCPE.
Message from MMA (Medfield Music Association)
MMA's beautiful seasonal wreaths are available for sale! We have updated this year's wreath design to incorporate Noble Fir greens, mixed with Incense Cedar, Juniper, and Ponderosa Cone accents. To view the wreath and for order details, visit https://www. medfieldmusicassociation.com/ purchase-wreath
Blake PTO Update
Volunteers Needed for Blake! In particular, we are in need of a Hospitality Chair or Co-Chairs, which helps coordinates 3-4 teacher luncheons a year. It's a great way to get involved and appreciate the wonderful staff at our school! Please click on the link to the volunteer form below. Thank you!! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScVH6fbiK1-cVI5r7yu42e6szW5bnuT2EUO9qk3CLc-l9A8UQ/viewform