1/18 - Blake PTO Meeting (7 p.m.)
1/19 - 7th/8th Grade Dance (7-9 p.m.)
1/30 - Medfield Choral Extravaganza
2/1 - Tri-County Interviews
1/2 Day for Students
Professional Afternoon for Staff
2/5 - Blake Site Council Meeting (3:30 p.m.)
2/7 - Stars to Worcester Art Museum
2/8 - Stripes to Worcester Art Museum
2/9 - Eagles to Worcester Art Museum
2/13 - SEL Task Force Meeting
2/16 - Blake Volleyball Tournament
2/19-2/23 - February Vacation
Topic/Question for the Dinner Table
To help encourage conversations and dialogue about finding meaning through connections, our topic/question of the week is: What do you wish others knew about you as a learner? Finding Meaning Through Connections (Week of 1/14/18) (This is an anonymous Google Form)
Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend - No Homework Weekend for Blake
Thank you to all of the Blake staff for their support and help in making our 'No Homework Weekend' this past weekend a reality. This effort was part of our continued work to provide down time for students, staff, and families.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
Thank you to Cynthia McClelland for spearheading and organizing the 'Day of Service' and Blood Drive at Blake. It was a wonderful scene on Monday, as student and staff volunteers worked together, and we are thrilled that this has become a tradition for our community.
Update from ADL
We were thrilled that some of our ADL Peer Leaders were able to attend 15th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Conference at Framingham State University on Saturday, January 13th. They participated in team building and workshops with other youth from the MetroWest area.
Geography Bee Wrap-Up
The 2018 Blake Geo Bee was a big success. Students had a lot of fun answering geography questions in their Social Studies classes on the first couple days back from Winter Break. Winners from each class received a nifty green National Geographic bracelet and a chance to compete against their peers on stage in the auditorium during the grade-level competitions. The winners of each grade level met after school in the LMC for a final face-off. Answering two out of the three final championship questions was 7th grader Jack O'Sullivan, who took home the vaunted School Champion Medal and will have an opportunity to compete in the Massachusetts State Bee. We are delighted to announce that Jack will advance to the next level of competition, a qualifying test to determine state competitors. All school champions are eligible to win the national championship and its first prize, a $50,000 college scholarship, at the national championship in Washington, D.C. The runners-up were 6th grader Roman Schoenfeld and 8th grader William Fernandes. Congratulations to all the participants in this year's Geo Bee!
School Survey
The Blake Site Council has taken time to review the data collected from last year's survey and an Executive Summary will be distributed to families in the coming weeks. Focus areas on the survey centered on the topics of school culture, academic workloads, stress, and habits. Our intent is to distribute the 2016-2017 survey in early February in the hopes of gathering the data by February vacation. Stay tuned!
Tri-County Interview Information for 8th Grade Families
On February 1, Tri-County will be hosting their interviews for applicants. The interviews are approximately 15-20 minutes. Sample questions can be found here http://www.tri-county.us/node/271. The purpose of the interview is to clarify the student’s reason for attending Tri-County, choice of program areas, career goals, interests and motivation. In the case of student absence on the interview day, or in the case of a late applicant, the interview schedule will be mutually agreed upon between the Director of Guidance and the student’s counselor and/or parent(s)/guardian.
Parent Information Nights - Mark Your Calendars!
2/28 - Incoming 6th Grade Parent Night at 6:30 p.m.
This night is for all parents/guardians of incoming sixth grade (current fifth grade) students. We will be presenting information about the 6th grade program of studies and curriculum, previewing the students' experience that they will have next year along with an overview of the middle school. A more detailed presentation about the logistics of the 2018-2019 academic year's iPad Initiative will take place during this evening as well.
3/8 - Incoming 7th Grade Parent Night at 6:30 p.m.
This night is for all parents/guardians of incoming seventh grade (current sixth grade) students. We will be sharing information about the 7th grade program of studies and curriculum, previewing the students' experience that they will have next year. We will also be presenting information about the 7th grade's field trip to Nature's Classroom.
3/15 - Incoming 8th Grade Parent Night at 6:30 p.m.
This night is for all parents/guardians of incoming eighth grade (current seventh grade) students. We will be presenting information about the 8th grade program of studies and curriculum, previewing the students' experience that they will have next year.
Technovation Challenge - Androids Needed!
For the past 3 years, Blake has had teams compete in the Technovation Challenge. It is a global competition for middle and high school girls to learn to identify a problem in their community and create a mobile app solution to address that problem, and then learn how to communicate these ideas and translate them into a fully launched business. In the process, they learn how to code their own app using MIT App Inventor, which at the moment only works on Android devices. We are looking for donations of old android phones to test and present their apps at the competition's pitch night. Here’s a list of compatible phones:
* Google: Nexus One, Nexus S * Motorola: Droid, Droid X, Droid Incredible * T-Mobile: G1 * HTC: Incredible, Hero, Desire Any help is greatly appreciated!
National Geography Bee at Blake
The grade level winners will be competing after school in the LMC at 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday, January 10th to determine our school representative.
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", the. Professional Staff Openings. Please contact Kelly Campbell at [email protected] with any questions.
8th Grade Families - Save the Date!
March 1, 2018 at 6:00 p.m.
High School Auditorium
Please join members of the high school faculty as they present an overview of the Medfield High School academic curriculum. Additional information will be sent home as the date becomes closer. If you have any questions prior to the event, please contact Heather Mandosa, Assistant Principal at [email protected] or Stephanie Worthley, Guidance Content Specialist at [email protected] or call the high school at (508) 359-4367.
BMS Science Fair - 3/2/18
The third annual BMS Science Fair will be held at 4:00 pm on Friday March 2, 2018. All BMS students are invited to participate as individuals or in groups (single or multi grade) and show their passion for or interest in answering some question or learning more about a particular topic. More information will be forthcoming in the New Year. Check out this resource for some ideas on - How to get kids to love science!
Reminder about Locks
All Blake students are required to be using a combination lock to lock their hallway lockers. As this is the time of year when students can begin to be lax about using their locks and keeping them locked during the day, we appreciate your reminders at home as well. A photo of locks that fit on Blake lockers can be found on the school supply list page (School Supply Lists).
Reminder about Bus Notes
All students who would like to ride a different bus may do so for childcare purposes only and need permission from Central Offices. Students should bring a note from home that gives permission to ride another bus, along with the bus number. That note will be sent to Central Offices and approval is granted based on available space on the bus. It is best to have the notes dropped off before the school day starts so that we can get back to students promptly in case they need to make other arrangements. A back up plan is always good to have in case permission is not granted. If you have any questions, please contact Phyllis Montillo at Central Offices ([email protected]).
Recess Reminder for All Parents/Guardians
This is a gentle reminder to families that students are going outside for recess and should bring weather-appropriate clothing like winter jackets and gloves so that they will be warm outdoors.
Blake is on Facebook!
Blake is adding Facebook to our social media repertoire! You can now follow our page for the latest announcements, sharing of our school life, glimpses into special events and learning with FB Live and more...
Click this Link: www.facebook.com/BlakeMiddleSchool/ or search for @BlakeMiddleSchool
Update from Blake PTO
THE NEXT BLAKE PTO MEETING WILL BE HELD ON JANUARY 18TH AT 7:00 PM AT BLAKE LMC.
GET YOUR MEDFIELD WARRIOR SIGNS, COASTERS, TRAYS, ETC! Rustic Marlin Designs has designed a line of wood-based Medfield Warrior products (signs, coasters, flags, trays, blocks, etc.) that will be carried exclusively at Be Charmed, a new store in town! Be Charmed is located at 70 North Street. 75% of the profits from the sale of the Warrior line will go to both the PTO and MCPE! It’s a great way to get Warrior merchandise while supporting a new local shop and raising money for our schools! GET YOURS TODAY!
ONGOING BLAKE APPEAL - We need your help so we can continuing funding enrichment programs and future initiatives for the 2017 - 2018 school year. We are requesting a contribution of $50/child this year. This is a suggested amount but we will gratefully accept any amount you can contribute. Making a donation is easy. Simply click on the link http://www.medfieldk8pto.com/blake.html and scroll down to the end of the page or send a check made payable to Blake Middle School PTO to Blake at 24 Pound St. Medfield, MA 02052. Thank you in advance for your support of the Blake PTO. Please feel free to contact Claudia Rosen [email protected] or Keven Gallagher [email protected] with any questions.
STAY IN TOUCH Please 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
Update from MCPE
Please save the date and get ready to bid! Our annual Treasured Experiences Auction is around the corner. We have over 130 items for your child to enjoy treasured time with a favorite educator, specialist or administrator! Bidding opens on Thursday, January 25 at 9am and closes on Friday, February 2 at 8pm. Keep an eye out for more details in the coming weeks and also our ad in the Hometown Weekly.