11/12 - SOS Parent/Guardian Presentation - 6:30 p.m. (see info below)
11/14 - SOS Student Presentations
Student-Staff Basketball Game - 2:30 p.m. (see details below)
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
Turkey Bowl for 8th Grade (see details below)
11/28 - Thanksgiving - No School
11/29 - No School
12/9 - SEL Task Force Meeting - 3:30 p.m. at MHS
Topic/Question for the Dinner Table
To help encourage conversations and dialogue about the benefits of ‘taking a break’, our topic/question for the dinner table is: How does ‘taking a break’ help with the process of learning? Taking a Break (Week of 11/10/19) (This is an anonymous Google Form)
7th Grade Parents: Suicide Prevention Workshop - 11/12 at 6:30 p.m.
Please save the date! We hope you will join us on Tuesday, November 12, 2019 at 6:30pm in the Blake Library for a Suicide Prevention Workshop presented by Samaritans, Inc. No one wants to think about their child dealing with thoughts of suicide, however, suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for youth ages 10-24 years old. This workshop on the 12th will give parents foundational knowledge and practical tools to talk with their children. Led by Samaritans, Inc., topics covered in this workshop will include:
- Suicide risk factors and warning signs
- Coping skills and resiliency building
- Facts, figures, and myth-busting
- Best practices for talking to and helping someone who may be suicidal
- School and community resources
- To help our students understand that depression is a treatable illness, and help them assess whether or not they may have symptoms consistent with depression.
- To explain that suicide is a preventable tragedy that can occur as a result of untreated depression.
- To provide students training in how to identify serious depression and potential suicidality in a friend.
- To impress upon our students that they can help themselves or a friend by taking a simple step of talking to a responsible adult about their concerns.
We hope you can join us on November 12th. Please reach out to either Stephanie Worthley ([email protected]) or Tracy Allen ([email protected]) with any questions.
Veterans Day Weekend - Blake No Homework Weekend
Thank you to all of the staff for supporting the 'No Homework Weekend' at Blake. We have planned 'No Homework Weekends' for Martin Luther King, Jr. and Memorial Day as well.
Turkey Bowl for 8th Grade Students
On Wednesday, November 27th, Blake Middle School will once again be hosting the 8th grade Turkey Bowl. The Turkey Bowl is a four on four touch football tournament designed to raise awareness and supplies for the Medfield Food Cupboard. Students will create their own four player teams and register at the Blake Middle School PE office in the gym. Participants are encouraged to bring in at least one non-perishable food item and place it in the donation box by the PE office. We are hoping for a high level of participation again this year, as it is always a great event.
Advisory Update for Blake
In Wednesday Advisory this week, students will be continuing their work on stress. Last week was an introduction to stress. This week we will be focusing on stressors and responses. Students will see examples of positive and negative responses to stress. Next, they will be given several stressful situations and write down how they would react. Then, they will decide if that is a positive or a negative response. The goal would be to help them find positive ways to respond to stressful situations.
Blake Wednesday Advisory Website
Blake’s ADL - Application Form
We welcomed some new students to ADL this week. We look forward to getting to know our peer leaders and to the work ahead. You can make a difference - join ADL! Meetings take place Tuesday afternoon in Room 505. The goals of the ADL Peer Training Program are 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 to become an ally for one’s peers.
- Develop student leadership.
26 Days of Kindness
The seven year anniversary of the tragic events in Newtown will be upon us shortly. At Blake, we will be continuing a tradition started six years ago by honoring those who died that day by asking everyone in the Blake community to participate in 26 Days of Kindness. On the document, you will see the acts of kindness are not 'big', nor are they complicated, yet each can make an impact on someone, including each of us. On Friday of each week you will see that the acts are a little 'bigger' in nature. We encourage you to print out the document and post it in a public spot (i.e. refrigerator) for your entire family to reference during the next month. We are going to document these days and put them together in a way that we can refer back to easily and remind ourselves that kindness is something we all can practice every day. I encourage you to check out the links for 26 Days of Kindness on Mrs. Gumas's website - mrsgumas.com.
Reminder for all Families
As the weather is turning a bit cooler, I am writing with a reminder about after school supervision at Blake. Students are welcome to stay after school with a teacher, in the library, in the fitness center, or to be part of an intramural activity. Supervision of students ends at 3:15 p.m. as that is when our front office staff leaves, library closes, and activities generally conclude. Exceptions may include the theatre program or sports. Students should plan for transportation home by 3:15 and are welcome to wait for rides outside in the area by the circle or in the lobby of the school but should not be wandering around the building, playing in the gym without adult supervision, or hanging out in unsupervised areas. Student safety is our priority so we ask that students be in a supervised activity or make plans to head home.
8th Grade Community Service Endeavors - Thanks for the Support!
It is time for the annual 8th Grade Community Service Student-Staff Basketball Game Proceeds from the game will go to benefit various 8th grade community service events including Christmas in the City and the Tilen Village Dinner. Christmas in the City is an annual event held in the city of Boston for homeless children and families, where all children in attendance receive a gift from their wish list. Here at Blake, we help out in several ways, including taking the 8th grade into the city to help set up this great event, and donating money to help purchase gifts for children. The Tilden Village dinner is an annual dinner put on by 8th grade students, involving dinner, dessert, and music! The game will take place during Thursday, November 14th from 2:30-3:30 in the middle school gym, and the price per ticket is $3. Additional donations are welcome.
Community Service Club
After purchasing a new winter coat for any family member, please consider donating your old, gently used coat - of any size or type - to the Blake Community Service Coat Drive. More details to come about the end of November/December sixth, seventh, and eighth grade coat donation competition.
Blake is Social - Any Submissions?
Blake is social is well underway and is now celebrating having reached 200 followers!!! We are always looking for material. Please send in any art, and or pictures our way!Work can be emailed to [email protected] or [email protected]
Blake Blood Drive Information
Tues, Nov 12 will be our first blood drive committee meeting where students will begin to work hard at recruiting donors, like you!! Please mark your calendars, the blood drive will be held MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 2020. Thank you.
Blake Site Council Book Discussion Group - Middle School Matters
This year the Blake Site Council’s first book is Middle School Matters by Phyllis Fagell. Stay tuned for more information and we hope you can join in these discussions!
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
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
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).
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.
'Inhaling the Facts' - Panel Discussion on 11/19
Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School is hosting 'Inhaling the Facts: A Panel of Experts on the Vaping Epidemic' on Tuesday, 11/19 at 6:00 p.m. The panelists for this event are: · Dr. Lester Hartman of Westwood-Mansfield Pediatrics
· State Representative Shawn Dooley for the 9th Norfolk District
· Officer Paul Guarino of Franklin Police Department
· Mary Ellen Bronner, LICSW from Tri-County RVTHS.
This event is free and open to the public and will include a Q&A session. It is being hosted by sophomore students in the Legal and Protective Services shop at Tri-County RVTHS, and is free and open to the public. See flyer below...
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 closes on November 14! Don't miss out 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. Go to medfieldcoalition.org. And then Friday, November 15th is our Fall Fest at the Walpole German Club from 7:00 pm-11:00 pm! The event is being held in the outdoor covered and heated pavillion-casual attire is appropriate. Thank you to all of our donors and sponsors for their amazing generosity and support of the MCPE.
Message from MMA (Medfield Music Association)
Deadline for ordering wreaths from the MMA is TODAY, November 12! 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