9/24-10/30 - Meadow Farms Fall Fundraiser (see details below)
10/28 - 8th Grade to Tri-County
Grade 6 Parent Coffee (9:00 a.m.) - see details below
Volunteer Service Mtg (see details below)
10/29 - 8th Grade Salem Field Trip
Divide and Conquer Presentation (9:30 a.m.) - see details below
Girl Talk Meeting (2:15 p.m.)
10/30 - Costume Day at Blake (see details below)
10/31 - Happy Halloween!
11/2 - Magazine Drive Kick-Off (see details below)
Blake Site Council Mtg - 3:30 p.m.
Divide and Conquer Presentation (6:30 p.m.) - see details below
11/3-11/6 - Theater Auditions (see details below)
11/4 - Grade 7 Parent Coffee (10 a.m.) - see details below
11/5 - Staff vs Student Basketball Game - see details below
11/10 - MCPE Student Trivia (see details below)
11/11 - Veterans Day - No School
11/13 - Grade 7 Pyramids and Pharoahs Presentation
MCPE Trivia Night Event
11/19 - Moxie Strings Concert
Topic/Question for the Dinner Table
The Next Step
To help encourage conversations about reflection and an openness to new or unanticipated directions, the topic/question for the dinner table is...How often should a teacher ask the class "so what can we do with this information we learned?"
- during/after every class
- during/after certain lessons
- randomly
- wait for the students to ask
- often
- on occasion
- when colleagues ask
Term 1 Interim Reports
All outstanding interim report signature sheets must be turned into the advisory teachers.
Get Ready Get Set and Code! This year’s Technovation Team is getting ready to push the RUN button!
What is Technovation? Technovation is a global competition for girls in grades 6-8 who work as a team to take on the challenge of developing a mobile app (yes, an actually app for your iPhone!) that solves a problem in our own community. We will also attend fun workshops at Microsoft, MIT, and Google and compete against other teams around the world! Girls do not need to have computer programming experience to participate! To learn more…please attend the informational meeting next Tuesday, Oct. 26th after school in Mrs. Heim’s room! Or talk to Ms. Horvath or Mrs. Heim!
NPH Visits 7th Grade
The entire 7th grade was extremely fortunate this past week to attend a lively and engaging performance by a group of Mexican students who come from a home in Miacatlan, Mexico called NPH (Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos). The 10 students performed many traditional songs and dances from both eastern and western regions of Mexico for the entire grade. Then they were paired with ten Blake students who brought them to lunch, advisory and several Spanish classes. Our Blake students were wonderful hosts and, slowly but surely, they gained enough confidence to start to use their Spanish to tell about life in Medfield and to ask the students about their lives in Mexico. Our Blake students were amazed by how well they did communicating en español!
Community Service Club
To learn more about the Community Service Club, click on the website link to see the latest updates from the students of the CSC.
Community Service Club of Blake Middle School
Girl Talk
Girl Talk meets in Room 104 on Thursday, 10/29. All are welcome.
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 8th grade coffee took place last week and the other two coffees take place October 28 at 9 a.m. (Grade 6), and November 4 at 10 a.m. (Grade 7). To RSVP, please go to this link -Parent Coffee Signup Form.
Divide and Conquer (Mathematics, Frameworks/Assessments, and Mindsets)
Please join Nat Vaughn and Susan Bycoff (Math Content Specialist, gr. 6-12) for their annual 'Divide & Conquer' parent presentation/workshop. This workshop series shares information about mathematics, how students learn math, the role mindsets play in the learning of math, and initiatives that are taking place. This year, parents and community members will hear about new math programming at the middle school and high school beginning in the fall of 2016. Time will also be devoted to discuss state assessments and initiatives such as MCAS, PARCC, Common Core State Standards and Massachusetts Math Curriculum Frameworks. The day workshop will take place Thursday, October 29 at 9:30 a.m., and the evening workshop will be Monday, November 2 at 6:30 p.m. Please RSVP via this Google Form: Divide and Conquer Parent Workshop Fall 2015.
Blake Magazine Drive Information
The Blake Magazine Drive - our important fall fundraiser - kicks off on Monday, November 2nd. The Magazine Drive raises needed funds for annual author visits, field trips and other special student activities and events. This year our goal is to raise $10,000. In addition, 30% of the profits from the 8th grade sales offset the cost of the Washington, DC trip. Many students pay for a large part of their trip through their subscription sales. New this year is a Entertainment savings app for your phone. This app lets you save money at hundreds of stores, restaurants, attractions and travel locally and nationwide. All orders count towards our sales goal. Please consider ordering a new subscription, or renewing an existing one and help raise funds for activities that enrich our students’ lives. As the holiday season approaches, keep in mind, that magazine subscriptions make easy and thoughtful gifts.
Important Dates:
Monday, November 2: Magazine Drive Kick-off
Wednesday ,November 4 : Turn-in day for postcard booklets
Friday, November 6 : First turn-in day for magazine orders
Wednesday, November 18: Second turn-in day for magazine orders. Magazine drive ends -did we reach our goal?! Prizes distributed to students.
6th Annual Student/Staff Charity Basketball Game
The 6th Annual Student/Staff Charity Basketball game will take place Thursday, November 5, from 2:30-3:30 p.m. in the Middle School gym. Tickets cost $3 each. All money raised goes to benefit Christmas in the City, a non-profit organization which receives donations each year to throw a Christmas Party for homeless children in Boston. This year, 8th grade students and teachers will spend two days helping to set up the party and purchase gifts for homeless children. Students can purchase tickets during advisory or at the door the day of the event. Any additional donations are welcome.
Digital Citizenry Update at Blake
As we continue to increase the use of technology in our classrooms, we are working as a staff to raise good citizens in the digital world. Our students started the year getting tips on how to be a more responsibile learner in the digital age, exploring ways to get organized and stay focused with the possible distractions that an iPad might offer. Students also spent some time reflecting on how technology could improve and increase their learning. This month, in continuation of our focus on Digital Citizenship, students will be learning how to better spot "Phishing Schemes" in order to keep their personal accounts (email, bank, social security, etc.) safe from identity theft. A quick video resource for your information can be found at this blog explaining "Phishing Schemes in Plain English". We will also continue our series of student panels, moderated by Ms. Horvath and Mr. Haycock, where students hear from their peers about their own experiences with technology. Ask your kids about some tips how to best navigate the hundreds of emails that you may receive on a weekly basis.
Parent iPad Survey Fall 2015
As you know we are continually working on assessing our programs and are looking to gain insight from our students and parents to provide feedback. We have developed a survey that is being distributed electronically to all 6th-8th grade students and parents as part of a data collection assessment for the iPad Initiative. The questions will hopefully serve as a pre-assessment (beginning of year) tool and we will be administering similar surveys mid-year and at the end of the year as well. The questions have to do with organizational skills, executive functioning, and comfort with technology. Questions are being sent to all three grades. The survey is not an evaluative tool of the teachers or the students; rather, it is a tool that we believe will help us gain insight about the initiative, our programming, and technology. The questionnaire is anonymous, and your identity can not and will not be discovered through the completion of this survey. Please take the time to complete a unique survey for each student you have at Blake Middle School. You will see that the survey is for both students and parents, and students will be given time in school to complete it. It is important we only get one response per student. We sincerely appreciate your honest responses and are hoping for 100% participation from the student body and parents. The survey should take no more than 10 minutes of your time. Your sincere responses are essential to our information-gathering vision and mission. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Link to the survey: Student/Parent iPad Survey Fall 2015
Blake Ski Club Update
With the hope that it will be helpful in planning your child's activities for this winter, we are providing this information about the Blake Ski Club. Due to the various commitments of our staff, we do not have the structures in place to safely run this program for our students and are not able to offer the Blake Ski Club for our students this year. We are grateful to the parents and chaperones who helped over the past few years to support the ski club. As with all of our endeavors, we review all of our programs (both in school and out of school) on an annual basis and may be able to run this program again in future years. Thank you for your understanding.
Reminder About Prompt Arrival to School
As a general reminder to all students and parents/guardians, we have copied the information about tardiness from our student handbook...
Students are responsible for being in school on time each day in order to prepare for the day and maximize learning time. Students arriving after 7:40 A.M. must report to the office to get a tardy pass. Students should have a note from home explaining their tardiness. The office logs all tardies as ‘excused’ or ‘unexcused.’ Examples of excused tardies are medical appointments, illness, and unavoidable events. Examples of unexcused tardies are traffic and oversleeping. After the third ‘unexcused’ is registered, the parent will receive a letter, and the student will be assigned a detention for each subsequent ‘unexcused’ tardy. Morning, afternoon or lunchtime detentions may be given for unexcused tardiness. After six tardies, excused or unexcused, Mrs. Campbell will meet with the student and contact the parents. In order to have an organized and comfortable start to the day and arrive to class by 7:40 a.m., it is best to arrive at school no later than 7:30 each day.
Update on Student-run Fundraisers and Drives
As a community, we are trying to be respectful of the generosity that is always shown during fundraisers and drives and therefore are creating a more formal process for organization of in-school projects. In addition, we would like to model for students how to plan a thoughtful and successful event.
In order for students to seek approval of their project the following steps need to be taken:
1) Fill out this google form ( https://docs.google.com/a/email.medfield.net/forms/d/1ZWiFkGjgc4waH-New_6OJRL6mAfI25ibavn9L68oktU/viewform?usp=send_form) by the first day of the month that you'd like your project to take place. For example, if you wanted to gather people to stock shelves at the Food Cupboard in November, this google form would need to be filled out by November 1st. It is okay to fill it out earlier!
In the event that multiple students or groups are asking to do a similar project, every effort will be made to encourage collaboration.
2) Once approved, your completed promotional materials (2 minute video, posters, etc.) would need to be reviewed by Mrs. Campbell by the 15th of the month. If the materials are not ready by the 15th of that month, your project will not run at the end of the month.
3) After your project has been completed, you will be asked to write a reflection on the experience, and report back to our school community via a note of gratitude to those who supported your project (family, a morning announcement, helpful staff) as well as your next steps with the either the money (fundraising) or collection items (drive).
Nature's Classroom - Medication Pick Up
Medications from the Nature's Classroom trip is available for PARENT pick up in the nurse's office. Any medication not picked up by Friday, November 6 will be discarded.
Pumpkin decorating
Each advisory will be decorating a pumpkin for our annual contest! Pumpkins are due in the library by 3:00pm Thursday, October 29. Teachers will vote in the library on Friday, October 30- prize to the winning homeroom!
Costume Spirit Day 10/30/15
Friday, October 30, Student Council invites staff and students to join in wearing costumes to school. No full face masks or paint, and no weapons (real or fake). We are offering people the opportunity to donate (optional) to the Heather Abbott Foundation in order to wear a costume - There will be a cauldron to collect money in the main office!
Grade 6 Standards Based Reporting Pilot and Focus Group
Thank you to all sixth grade parents/guardians who were able to come to one of our Standards Based Reporting information sessions. As promised, here is the link to the presentation...
Standards Based Reporting Presentation Fall 2015
We are also looking for parents/guardians to be part of our parent focus group. This group will be comprised of the 6th grade science teachers, administration, and parents and will meet throughout the year (Fridays at 8:30 a.m.) to discuss the work that is taking place and provide feedback. The dates that have been set for these meetings are: 11/13, 1/8, 2/26, 4/1, and 6/3. If you are interested, please complete the form below...
Standards Based Reporting Focus Group Sign-Up
Theater Update
The Blake theater program is expanding this year, and you can be a part of it! The Blake Stage Hands, a group of parents helping with the theater projects, will be helping organize some wonderful team-building opportunities including our first "team" dinner of Nov 16. Coordinated by Wendy Ayer, Kim Price and Laura Mulready, this parent group is open to anyone interested in lending a Stage Hand to our program. Feel free to reach out to one of them for more information, and look for more updates from the Blake Stage Hands and the Blake Theater throughout the year. Here is a link to a letter for your perusal: Theater Welcome Letter 2015
Book Discussion Group for Parents - Stay Tuned!
As shared at the end of the 14-15 year and in the summer blog update, I am hoping to initiate a book discussion group for parents for this year. The book will be HOW TO RAISE AN ADULT: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success by Julie Lythcott-Haims. Reading it has been centering and thought-provoking - as I have said before, I am not sure I agree with everything, but it certainly has sparked reflection and introspection. Stay tuned - more information will be coming later this week!
Does Your Student Enjoy Volunteer Service?
Hello! My name is Zoë Smith and I am a Medfield High School Senior and Girl Scout. For the past year, as part of my Gold Award, I have been working with a group of Blake Middle School students to help them contribute volunteer hours in the community. Each school year brings new students and new volunteer opportunities. If your student is interested in joining this initiative and/or you have any questions, feel free to email me at [email protected]. I will be holding an information session on Wednesday October 28th at 2:15 in the health room. Even if your student participated last year he/she is still welcome to come. Many positive changes have been made to my project, which includes new opportunities that they may want to learn about.
Miss Amazing Pageant
Planning for the 3rd annual Miss Amazing celebration is underway! We are looking for volunteers and participants. If you or someone you know would like to be part of this year’s event, please go to www.missamazingpageant.com and click “Get Involved” to sign up. The event will be held on Saturday, February 27th, 2016 at Medfield High School. If you or your business would like to donate or become a sponsor, please email us at:[email protected] for more information.
The IAM Strong Foundation presents...
Confessions of a Depressed Comic...An Evening with Kevin Breel followed by a panel discussion
“Personal Reflections...living with teenagers struggling with mental health issues”
Sponsored by Westwood-Mansfield Pediatric Associates with the support of The Norwood Theatre
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
The Norwood Theatre
109 Central St, Norwood MA
7:30pm (doors open at 7:00)
Free to the Public
We will be accepting donations of new socks and underwear for adults and teens in need who are currently receiving inpatient psychiatric care.
www.iamstrongfoundation.org
3v3 Basketball Tournament Registration NOW OPEN FOR 4th - 7th GRADE BOYS AND GIRLS!
The Big Blue Basketball team is hosting a 3v3 tournament for Boys and Girls in 4th - 7th grade on Wednesday, November 11th. This is a holiday for the Medfield Public Schools. Registration forms can be found and printed from the Medfield Youth Basketball website at www.medfieldbasketball.org. REGISTRATION AND PAYMENT MUST BE RECEIVED BY OCTOBER 30th! $25 per player. Multiple games guaranteed, prizes awarded for 1st place in their division and Most Spirit award. Schedules of team playtime will be sent out by November 9th. Contact Jack Madej at 508-359-4629 or email at [email protected] with any questions.
PLEASE NOTE: 6th and 7th Grade may only have 2 travel players per team. Please see FAQ and Rules for more information or email [email protected]. Registration and Payment are due no later than October 30th. Schedules will be finalized, posted and communicated to Team Captain by November 9th.
Thank you for your support
Evan Howell, Jack Madej, John Williams
Big Blue Captains
Angel Run
Important Angel Run Update: This is the final week to register. Be part of the 10th Anniversary MFi Angel Run. Your presence at the race is a gift to others. You have until 10/31 to register at the early bird rate and receive the t-shirt to wear proudly on December 6th.
For Virtual Trainees: This marks the halfway point in the training program. Here is your routine to do 3 times this week. Three cycles of 8 minutes of running followed by 2 minutes of walking. Register at MedfieldFoundation.org
K-8 PTO News
IMPORTANT INFORMATION - Meadow Farms Fundraiser
We need your help! Sales for this Fundraiser are at an all-time low.
Please check in with your child/ren to make sure they received the Meadow Farms Packet … if not, extra Packets are available in the School Office, please stop by the office to grab one.
This Fundraiser officially ends on Friday, October 16th , however, we have been able to extend the online ordering until October 30th. Ordering online is easy and products ship directly to your home … visit www.meadowfarms.com and follow these simple instructions – PLEASE NOTE you will need the order form located inside the Packet:
Once on the site, click on REGISTER CHILD Enter our School ID: 1032048, click SUBMIT When you see Blake Middle School, hit CONTINUE Enter 7-digit number found on the bottom left corner of your order form [located in the packet] Click SUBMIT Follow instructions for information and ordering.
PLEASE NOTE: In lieu of purchasing product(s), you may make a monetary donation directly to Blake Middle School which will go towards special activities, events, outside speakers and more that the Meadow Farms fundraiser helps to fund.
PLEASE REMEMBER
… Proceeds from this Fundraiser benefit all Blake students by funding special activities, events, outside speakers and more … your efforts will go a long way!
… 8th Graders – 25% of the profit of your sales will be applied to the cost of your DC Trip, so the more you sell, the more you save on your trip!
… Top 3 sellers in the school will receive a gift card as a thank you for their efforts.
If you have any questions, please contact Kim Lipsy at [email protected] or 508 423 9765.
Grant Funded-
A $505 grant requested by Tracy Allen was approved and funded to purchase Wallums for the Blake auditorium. They will include a variety of arts, inspirational quotes and robots that are in line with Blake, Blake arts programming and the hope that kids go for their dreams. Make sure you check out the decorations next time you come in!
Box Tops-
Easy fundraiser - Please cut out your Box Tops and have your child bring them to the Blake office or their advisory. Visit http://www.boxtops4education.com/coupons for coupons on participating Box Tops products! We will be revealing our exciting Box Tops collection challenge soon.
Spirit Wear-
Have you been looking for Medfield Spirit Wear??? It is coming soon! More information to follow in the next month.
Open Volunteer Position-
We really need your help! If we do not find a volunteer for this position, this fundraiser will go away! Local Business Coordinator - This is the liaison that works with Subway, Go Fresh and La Groceria for Blake dinner nights. Please contact Maura Gerardi at [email protected] if you are interested in this position.
Bay State Textiles-
Just a reminder that the bins accept clothing, shoes, pocketbooks, linens, accessories, and stuffed animals are as long as they are in clean and dry condition. This helps the PTO fundraise, helps the town save on disposal fees and helps the environment! Last year we raised $3,000 for our schools! Please keep those donations coming! If the bin at your school is full, please feel free to drop off at any school or at the bin at the Transfer Station.
PTO Meeting-
The next Blake PTO meeting will be Monday, December 14th @ 7:00 pm in the LMC.
Social Media-
Please like us on Facebook Medfield K-8 PTO , follow us on Twitter MedfieldK8PTO and check out our website http://medfieldpto.weebly.com
MCPE News
Are your kids smarter than their teachers? Have them find out at the second annual MCPE Student Trivia Challenge! This great event, open to students in grades 6-12, is back and will take place on Tuesday, November 10th. Teams of teachers will increase the challenge and add to the fun! Held in the high school cafeteria, teams will compete for prizes in either the Blake or MHS division. The cost is $40 per team of four players. The Blake event runs from 2:40-4:00 PM. MHS challenge runs from 4:00-5:15 PM. Spectators are welcome. Concessions will be available for purchase. Don’t delay, seating is limited, and the event is filling up. Click here for more information and to register: MedfieldCoalition.org.
Don’t Miss Our Community Trivia Night Raffle! (Valued at over $500.) Enter for your chance to win a fabulous Gourmet Wine and Dine Gift Basket, which includes: 3 bottles of exceptional wine handpicked by Matt at Medfield Wine Shoppe, $100 gift card to Zebra's Bistro, plus a cheeseboard and stemless wine glasses. Buy your tickets at MedfieldCoalition.org. $5 each or five tickets for $20. Winner need not be present to win.
Mark your calendars for the the fabulous teacher auction: November 30-December 4th.
Please click here for Thursday Packet Information.