10/23-10/26 - Nature's Classroom for 7th Grade
10/24 - Superintendent’s Advisory Council Meeting
10/25 - 8th Grade to Tri-County
10/29 - Blake Site Council Meeting (3:30 p.m.)
10/31 - Halloween
11/2-11/4 - Blake Middle School Play
11/5 - Winter Athletics Meeting (see details below)
11/7 - Guidance Coffee/Chat (see details below)
11/12 - No School
11/13 - AMC 8th Grade Math Test (see details below)
11/16 - MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey (see details below)
11/19 - SEL Task Force Meeting
11/20 - SEPAC Meeting - 7 p.m. (Blake LMC)
11/21 - Half Day for Students and Staff
11/22 - Happy Thanksgiving!
11/23 - No School
Topic/Question for the Summer Dinner Table
To help encourage conversations and dialogue about the ways we actively develop ourselves as learners, our topic/question for the dinner table is: How do conversations help us learn? Starting With Conversations (Week of 10/21/18) (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.
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, 2018
Blake Parent Coffee - 11/7/18
Please join our counselors as they chat and answer questions regarding the challenges and stressors that today’s middle school students face. We will meet in room 206. I will be a Q&A format where we will be discussing topics such as social media, balancing schedules-school and activities, managing stress and peer relationships. Please join us on Wednesday, November 7th from 7:45-9am. To RSVP please complete the Google Form below…
Blake Parent Coffee - Fall 2018
Professional Day Wrap-Up
We had a productive professional afternoon at Blake on October 5, 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 pilot various methods and alternatives for homework, assessments, and progress reporting as we look towards a standards-based system of feedback and assessment. We are looking forward to this work.
Veterans Day Weekend - No Homework Weekend for Blake
In a continued effort to provide down time for students, staff, and families, Veterans Day Weekend will be a 'No Homework Weekend' for all of Blake. No assignments will be given with a due date of 11/13 and tests, quizzes, and projects will not be due or given on November 13 or 14. 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.
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 Ms. Allen (6th), Mrs. Dondero (7th), or Mr. Marenghi (8th).
Blake Blood Drive Information
Blake is about to begin work on the 5th annual MLK day blood drive. Each year has been a larger success than the last, thanks to dedicated students and a supportive Medfield community. Right now, we are recruiting students to become part of the blood drive committee. These students are in charge of building a donor recruitment campaign, recruiting donors, and supporting the Red Cross in running the blood drive the day of. We will hold our very first committee meeting, Tuesday, November 6th in Mrs. McClelland’s room 118 right after school until 3 p.m. From there we will meet every Tuesday, including the Tuesday right after the event which will be Monday, January 21st. Please mark your calendars - the students will love to see you supporting their blood drive.
Tri-County/Norfolk Aggie Trip and Information
All 8th graders will be taking a field trip to Tri-County Regional Vocational High School on Thursday, October 25 as well as attend a presentation by Norfolk Aggie on Monday, October 29 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 Matt Marenghi ([email protected]).
Yearbook Pics - 8th Grade!
Yearbook is now in full swing and we are 100% digital. We are collecting 8th Grade baby/childhood pictures for a special layout planned for our “graduating” kids and need your help to complete the project!
Families, we need you to provide:
Your child’s most adorable baby/childhood picture
~Please e-mail a high resolution photo (at least 300dpi) to Kristin Buley at [email protected]
~Include your child’s full name in the subject line.
~Please have these in no later than November 16th
If you are unable to e-mail it, you can send an original photo in with your child.
This project will be a lot of fun for the kids; thank you for your help!
If you should have any questions, please contact Kristin Buley at [email protected]
Thank you!
Kristin Buley & Kristin Manning
Yearbook Advisors
Dracula is Coming!
Tickets for Blake Theater's Dracula: A Comic Thriller Starring Shirley Holmes and Jennie Watson go on sale Halloween Day. They will be available at the door or at itsnottooscary.brownpapertickets.com. Performances are November 2 @ 7pm, November 3 @ 7pm and November 4 @ 1pm.
Grade 6 Food Drive - October
Grade 6 advisories are having a friendly competition - See this link for details!
Cradles to Crayons Drive
Do you want to help make a difference in your community? Then donate to Cradles to Crayons! Cradles to Crayons is an organization that helps children in need thrive by supplying them with basic items. They serve children from birth to age 12. And you can help! Bring new or gently used clothes, shoes, or books into school, and drop them off at the collection bin in front of the middle school library! The drive will run from November 5th - November 16th. We thank you for your support!
8th Grade Trip Information
8th Grade Trip packets went home with Grade 8 students on Wednesday, Sept. 12. The trip deposit and signed permission slip were due to your child's Advisory teacher by October 1. On-line registration with our tour company, Worldstrides, is to be completed by October 31. 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 Presentation Fall 2018
8th Grade American Mathematics Contest
The 8th Grade American Mathematics Contest (AMC 8) is a multiple choice examination in middle school mathematics designed to promote the development and enhancement of problem-solving skills. It is sponsored by the Mathematical Association of America. The contest is held yearly in November. Students from all over the country participate in this contest both individually and on a school-wide basis. In the past, students in 8th grade Algebra I accelerated have participated. We will continue this tradition, but would like to extend the opportunity to participate in the AMC8 Contest to all 8th grade math students this year.
The exam will be given during E period on November 13th. Students who do not have math during this time slot will be excused from their class. Although the test is challenging, it certainly allows for a variety of learners to meet success and experience a high level of mathematical thinking. Below are several links that will allow you to explore this contest. All students in Algebra I Accelerated math classes have been registered. If your child is in Math 8 and you are interested in having your child participate in this test, please complete this Google form to sign up. Please note: If your child is in Algebra I Accelerated, they have already been registered.
For information about the AMC 8 Contest, click here.
For sample test questions, click here.
It is important to register by Wednesday October 17, 2018. As always, please do not hesitate to contact your child's math teacher or Susan Bycoff at [email protected] if you have any questions.
MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey - 11/16/18
To make sure we give the best possible education and support to children in Medfield, we want to learn about their attitudes and behaviors with regard to a variety of health issues. In order to accomplish this, students at Blake Middle School are being asked to participate in our 7th biennial survey, the MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey. The survey questions cover many topics including alcohol, tobacco and other drug use; violence and safety; nutrition and physical activity; online behaviors; and mental health.This project will help our district develop and enhance its health education and prevention services. We will be giving this survey to grades 6-8 on Friday, November 2, 2018. The survey is anonymous and voluntary. A letter will be emailed to all families on or by October 19th, notifying parents and guardians about the survey, indicating a place where parents may come to school to preview the survey, and information about how to opt their child out of the survey, if desired. High school students will also take the survey on the same day, but their survey has additional questions not asked on the middle school survey (for example, questions related to sexual behaviors and driving.) If you have any questions, please contact Susan Cowell ([email protected]).
Here are a few ways that students' participation in the MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey has benefited our community: Regular updates to the health education curriculum to address emerging local health behaviors and attitudes identified by students, the hiring of a school adjustment counselor for grades 6-12, the development of RISE, our transition program for students in grades 6-12, the hiring of addition of guidance counselors at the elementary schools, social emotional learning needs identified and listed as priorities in Superintendent Marsden's Strategic Plan, the creation of the district-wide staff, parent, student Social Emotional Learning Task Force, new school-wide programs such as Medfield Project Happiness at Blake and Mindful Minutes each morning at Dale, the reorganization of the high school wellness classes, efforts to provide a more inclusive environment for marginalized students, an opportunity for staff and the community to discuss the results of each survey over the past 14 years to gain a greater understanding of issues facing teens in Medfield, and many parent programs focused on pertinent needs identified by students on this survey.
Education Event at Wellesley College - 11/1/18
Save the date! I want to highlight a free event at Wellesley College on Thursday, 11/1 - Yong Zhao, Foundation Distinguished Professor in the School of Education at the University of Kansas, will be giving a lecture entitled, What Works May Hurt: Side Effects in Education. This is part of the Diane Ravitch Lecture Series.
Winter Athletics Meeting
On Monday, November 5, at 6:30pm, there will be a meeting held in the gymnasium at the Medfield High School for all athletes and a parent(s) interested in playing high school athletics this coming winter season at Medfield HS and Blake MS. This meeting is very important and will cover many questions and concerns you may have, as well as introductions to all high school coaches and staff. Immediately following this meeting, coaches will meet with their respective sports to speak about the season and answer any questions you may have. If you have any questions, please contact Eric Scott ([email protected]).
*Sports offered for the winter season are:
Medfield High School:
Indoor Track (Boy’s and Girl’s)
Basketball (Boy’s and Girl’s)
Ice Hockey (Boys and Girl’s)
Gymnastics (Girl’s)
Swim and Dive (Co-ed)
*Alpine Ski (co-op through Ashland HS). Meeting TBD @ AHS (stay tuned @MedfieldAD for update)
Blake Middle School:
Basketball (Boys and Girls 8th Grade)
Parent/Guardian Sign-Offs
All families should have received an e-mail from '[email protected]' with 'Emergency Contact Information' in the subject line. We are asking all families to complete this digital sign-off for most of the beginning-of-year forms...
- Student Responsible Use Guidelines/Acceptable Use Policy
- School Handbook (and Addendum, where appropriate)
- Free and Reduced Lunch
- Your child's emergency contact information (all students) and additional contact/authorizations (Grades 1 through 5 only).
- Photo release form
#MedfieldProjectHappiness
Thank you to everyone for supporting #MedfieldProjectHappiness - a few notes for your reference...
- The daily inspiration from Project Happiness is included in the morning announcements to staff and students.
- To subscribe: https://www.projecthappiness.org
- To follow on Twitter: @happyblakers #MedfieldProjectHappiness
Media Notification
In order to promote some of the exciting programs and events in the Medfield Public Schools, we plan to continue the use of student photos on our district/school websites, teacher websites, blogs, and district approved Twitter accounts. In addition, there are times when we will have coverage in the local newspaper or on local TV. Please note, your child’s image or name may still appear within the school for classroom projects, hallway postings, in-school presentations, newsletters, yearbooks, and other in-school media. Please contact Nat Vaughn if you have any additional questions.
Box Top Collections
Box top collection runs 9/24-10/29. The cluster with the most box tops wins a prize. Homerooms will collect the box tops and they will be brought to the office weekly.
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 2018-2019 school year. Stay tuned for more information and we hope you can join in these discussions!
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". 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.
SEPAC Update
The next Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) meeting will be held Tuesday, November 20th at 7pm in the Blake library. Please visit our website at https://sites.google.com/mail.medfield.k12.ma.us/sepac/ to learn more about SEPAC meetings, events, and resources.
Blake PTO News
There are still plenty of opportunities to get involved! For more information, please visit our website and sign up using the volunteer form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScVH6fbiK1-cVI5r7yu42e6szW5bnuT2EUO9qk3CLc-l9A8UQ/viewform
Don’t forget to like us on Facebook (Medfield K-8 PTO) and follow us on Twitter (@MedfieldK8PTO). And for more information and calendar of events, please check out our website medfieldk8pto.com