Important Dates
9/24-10/16 - Meadow Farms Fall Fundraiser (see details below)
10/5-10/8 - Nature's Classroom for 7th Grade
10/6 - Standards-Based Reporting Info Session (see details below)
MCPE Subway Night (see details below)
10/9 - Teacher Professional Day (No School for Students)
10/9-10/12 - No Homework Weekend
10/12 - Columbus Day (No School)
10/13 - Blake Site Council Mtg (3:15 p.m.)
10/14 - Twitter Workshop for Parents (see details below)
10/15 - Girl Talk Meeting (see details below)
10/19 - Magazine Drive Kick-Off
10/21 - Grade 6 Parent Coffee (8:30 a.m.) - see details below
Picture Retake Day
10/23 - Term 1 Interim Reports go home
7th/8th Grade Dance (7-9 p.m.)
10/28 - Grade 8 Parent Coffee (9:00 a.m.) - see details below
10/29 - 8th Grade Salem Field Trip
10/31 - Happy Halloween!
11/3-11/6 - Theater Auditions (see details below)
11/4 - Grade 7 Parent Coffee (10 a.m.) - see details below
Topic/Question for the Dinner Table
To help encourage conversations about the importance of fostering connections amongst educators, the topic/question for the dinner table is a pair of two questions...
Having a Choice
If you could choose between following or perhaps contributing to a twitter account created by one teacher, or following or perhaps contributing to a twitter account created by a team of teachers, which would you choose?
One teacher or A team of teachers
Tweetdeck
On a scale of one to five, five being the most, how familiar are you with Tweetdeck?
Please see link to Google Form to share your responses: Collaborate Online (This is an anonymous Google Form)
#blake@nc
We are very excited to embark on our trip to Nature's Classroom in Silver Bay, NY with 7th graders on Monday, October 5th. Please follow us on Twitter with the hashtag #blake@nc. You can also follow Kelly Campbell at @kmcsoup. She will be sharing photos and updates on Twitter in addition to a daily email to all parents with a general update.
Columbus 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 10/13 and tests, quizzes, and projects will not be due or given on October 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.
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 October 21 at 9:30 a.m. (Grade 8), 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.
Twitter??? Tweets are for kids!! (And adults…)
10/16/15 at 10:00 a.m.
We are thrilled to offer this workshop for all parents/guardians! Come explore the Twitterverse with Jason Heim (@jasonj1507), 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 (10/16/15)
Blake Ledger
The newspaper club has been working hard on their first issue of The Blake Ledger. To check out some our students' showcased hard work, please go to https://sites.google.com/a/email.medfield.net/the-blake-ledger/
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 23, 2015
- Friday, December 4, 2015
- and Friday, May 13, 2016
Theater Update
Auditions for both Trumpet of the Swan and Beauty and the Beast will take place Nov 3-6. To sign up to audition and/or do tech or stage crew, please fill out this form no later than October 26 -
https://docs.google.com/a/email.medfield.net/forms/d/18NiqwgKJr5yZQDg2E1mP3TXa8dwsO0ur_k3ffvFYIZQ/viewform?usp=send_form
The mandatory info session is October 29th at 2:15. If you can not make it, please make sure you fill out the form and email Ms. Allen.
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!
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.
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.
Girl Talk
Middle School Girls: Join MHS Senior Paiton Marshall on Thursday, October 15 at 2:15 in room 104 ( the health room) to learn more about Blake Middle School’s Girl Talk chapter. Girl Talk is a national mentor organization for middle school girls to receive advice from and bond with high school girls. We will be meeting every other Thursday to discuss a variety of topics relevant to teen life such as friendships, self esteem, health, community service and much more! Email [email protected] with any questions.
Blake Poetry Club
Grace Sowyrda, a High School Senior and Honors English student is in the process of completing her Girl Scout Gold Award on Poetry. She's running a poetry after school program at the the Middle School which will begin on Tuesday October 13th from 2:15 to 3:15. It will be a four week program held on Tuesdays from October 13th to November 3rd. This is a fun intramural for anyone interested in exploring creative writing. During the program, students will learn about different types of poetry, play games, experiment with words and connect with others. They will even learn to share or publish their work if they desire. It will be a stress free atmosphere filled with food, laughter, creativity and of course poetry. The google signup is below. Grace is looking for about 10 to 15 students. Of course it would be great for students to attend all four weeks, but students may also drop in for a session or two.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uCCHaLJZc8wu1a8N7l2cF-hexdq_rKB5oUwIq-wdHQE/edit
If you have any questions just contact Grace Sowyrda at [email protected]
Cross Country
The Blake Boys Cross Country team had a nice win against Medway at home on Thursday. Thevgirls team had their best showing yet with Medway out scoring them by only one point.vvThe team traveled, to Holliston on Monday, 10/5 and to the Kennedy Middle School in Natick on Wednesday, 10/7 (not Thurs. as stated on the original schedule). Practices will be on Tuesday and Thursday.
Angel Run
Angel Run anyone? Don't forget to sign up for the 2015 MFi Angel Run online atmedfieldfoundation.org. Join our virtual training group by participating in the 10 week training plan. This is week 2. Your assignment: do six cycles of 2 minutes of running followed by 3 minutes of walking. There are nine weeks remaining to train, but only 4 to register by the October 31st deadline for early bird pricing and the famous Angel Run t-shirt.
K-8 PTO News
Meadow Farms Fall Fundraiser-
September 24 through October 16
Our Fall Fundraiser for grades 6th - 8th with Meadow Farms is well underway. Please remember the profits from this Fundraiser benefit Blake students by funding activities, events, outside speakers and more … your efforts will go a long way! Along with the prizes provided by Meadow Farms, the overall top 3 sellers in the school will receive a gift card as a thank you for all their effort.
ATTN: Parents of 8th Graders and 8thGrade Students
Meadow Farms Fundraiser can help fund your DC Trip!
The more you sell, the more you save!
25% of the profit of your Meadow Farms sales will be applied to the cost of your DC Trip. So, the more you sell, the more you save on your trip.
Here is an example of what you could earn towards your trip (please note this is an example and only estimates the profit amount):
Total Sales: $500
Profit of Sales: $200
25% of Profit Applied to DC trip: $50
8th Grade Students – this is a great way to take part in helping your parents with the cost of the DC trip!
If you have any questions, please contact Kim Lipsy at [email protected] or 508 423 9765.
Open Volunteer Position-
This Fall we are looking for a 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.
Halloween Trasher Dash: This fundraiser honors the memory and spirit of the beloved former Memorial School teacher and principal, Andrea Trasher who passed away last October. The fun-filled family event will take place in the athletic fields between Memorial and Dale St. School from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. on Halloween Day. We are currently looking for volunteers to help make this event a success! We need help with planning concessions, decorations, and are hoping to find people or groups willing to "captain" the activities along the way. It is a great opportunity for Dale St. School, Blake Middle School students and service groups to help out and earn community service! Money raised will be split between the K-8 PTO and the Andrea Trasher Scholarship Fund. If you are interested in helping out with the event - either in the planning or volunteering on that day - please contact Jill Herrick at [email protected].
PTO Dues-
Thanks to all who have sent in their PTO dues! If you haven’t yet sent in your dues, please do so. You can send them to any school and Blake will get our share through the Townwide PTO.
Bay State Textiles-
The Bay State Textile Fundraiser for Town Wide PTO continues to be a great success! Just a reminder as you clean out your closets for fall 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 October 22nd at 9:00 AM.
MCPE News
MCPE’s Community Trivia Night is almost sold out, and sign ups continue for the Student Trivia Challenge.These events promise to be fast-paced and humor-filled, testing your knowledge in geography, sports, music, science and history. The Community Trivia Night (21 and over) is set for Friday, November 13th, and the Student Trivia Challenge will take place on Tuesday, November 10th. Don’t delay! Click here to register: MedfieldCoalition.org.
This Tuesday is MCPE Subway Day! MCPE has partnered with Subway of Medfield, and TWENTY PERCENT of all proceeds will be donated to MCPE. Last year, this fundraiser generated over $1300 for curriculum enrichment in Medfield. Don’t cook on Tuesday — come to Subway of Medfield for dinner and to support MCPE!