11/9 - First turn-in day for Magazine Drive (see details below)
Grade 7 Parent Coffee (10:15 a.m.)
Grade 7 SOS Parent Info Session (6:30 p.m.) - see details below
11/10 - Divide and Conquer Parent Info Session (see details below)
Student-Staff Basketball Game Fundraiser (see details below)
11/11 - Veterans Day (No School)
11/11-11/13 - No Homework Weekend for Blake
11/14 - Blake Site Council Mtg (3:30 p.m.)
11/15 - AMC 8 Math Competition
SOS Program for Grade 7 (see details below)
11/16 - Second turn-in day for Magazine Drive (see details below)
#MedfieldPS Chat (8 p.m.) - see details below
11/18 - Magazine Drive Ends
MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey (see details below)
11/23 - 1/2 Day for Students and Staff
8th Grade Turkey Bowl
Celebration of Voice Assembly
11/24 - Happy Thanksgiving!
11/25 - No School
12/7 - 1/2 Day for Students
Professional Afternoon for Staff
12/9 - Term 1 Report Cards go Home
12/12 - Blake Site Council Mtg (3:30 p.m.)
Topic/Question for the Dinner Table
To help encourage conversations and dialogue about fostering a happy and healthy learning environment, our topic/question for the dinner table is: How can we make learning a happy experience? Please see link to Google Form to share your responses: Happy Learning Environments (Week of 11/7/16) (This is an anonymous Google Form)
7th Annual Student/Staff Charity Basketball Game
The 7th Annual Student/Staff Charity Basketball game will take place Thursday, November 10, 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 one day 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.
SOS Program for all 7th Grade Students
At Blake Middle School, the Guidance Counselors believe it is important to focus on the whole student, paying close attention to the emotions that are often associated with the teen years. As of 2013, the CDC ranks suicide as the 3rd leading cause of death for ages 10-14 and the 2nd leading cause of death for youth ages 15-24. Unfortunately, not many youth know what to do or who to turn to when they are in need of help either for themselves or a friend. On Tuesday, November 15, 2016, the Blake Middle School Guidance Department will be presenting the SOS Signs of Suicide Prevention Program to all 7th grade students. This is the only school-based suicide prevention program selected by The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for its National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices that addresses suicide risk and depression, while reducing suicide attempts. In addition, all parents are invited to a presentation on Wednesday, November 9, 2016 at 6:30pm in the Blake Auditorium. Lauren Gablinske, Manager of Community Education and Outreach at Samaritans, who is a certified suicide prevention educator, will be providing a free training around Suicide Prevention. In this presentation, you will learn how to recognize risk factors and warning signs in your child as well as learn how to talk to your child who may be feeling depressed or suicidal and basic steps in getting help. Parents will also have the opportunity to view the SOS video at the end of Lauren’s presentation. We hope you can join us on November 9th.
Veterans 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 11/14 and tests, quizzes, and projects will not be due or given on November 14 or 15. 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.
Veterans Day Recognition
Building off of the our Vietnam Veterans Memorial assembly a few years ago, we took time as a Blake community over this past week to honor and recognize our local veterans. In 6th grade the veterans are spending time in Advisory on Thursday, sharing their experiences and answering questions. We are then holding a luncheon for them in the library with our student council representatives. Continuing the tradition that has been in place for several years, students in the 8th grade spent time last week writing 'thank you' letters to veterans in town. They were mailed at the end of last week in the hopes that the veterans received them on Saturday before the actual holiday. I encourage all families to discuss these experiences with our students.
Divide and Conquer (MCAS, PARCC and Standards Based Reporting in Math)
Please join Nat Vaughn and Susan Bycoff (Math Content Specialist, gr. 6-12) for their annual 'Divide & Conquer' presentation/workshop. This workshop series shares information about mathematics, how students learn math,
assessments in math, and initiatives that are taking place. This year, time will also be devoted to the discussion of state assessments including MCAS and PARCC. Additionally, we will present parents and community members with information about our work surrounding new methods of reporting on both Math content standards and student learning skills. The night workshop took place Monday November 7, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. and the day workshop will be on Thursday November 10, 2016 at 9:30 a.m. Please RSVP via this Google Form:
Divide and Conquer Math Parent Workshop, November 2016
Bonjour Blake!
This week is National French Week 2016 and Blake will celebrate from November 4-10. Students will notice many posters hanging throughout the school with a variety of themes and topics relevant to French culture, crafted by their fellow French classmates. We hope you will also enjoy the sounds of French musique played during passing time between classes, as well as announcements in French each morning! Parlez-vous français?
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.
MWAHS Information
The administration of the MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey for all Blake students is scheduled for Friday, November 18 (MWAHS Letter 2016). If you have any questions regarding the survey, please contact Susan Cowell, Wellness Content Specialist, at [email protected].
Parent Coffee for Grade 7
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...
11/9 at 10:15 a.m. (Grade 7)
Grade 6 and 8 meetings took place over the last two weeks.
To RSVP, please go to this link...
Blake Guidance Parent Coffee RSVP Form Fall 2016
Grade 6 Standards Based Reporting Information Session
Thank you to all sixth grade parents/guardians who were able to come to our Standards Based Reporting information session two weeks ago. As promised, here is the link to the presentation...
Standards Based Reporting Presentation Fall 2016
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 (Thursdays) to discuss the work that is taking place and provide feedback. The dates that have been set for these meetings are: 12/15, 2/9, and 5/18 at 8:30 a.m. We will also meet 3/30 at 1:20 p.m. If you are interested, please complete the form below...
Standards Based Reporting Focus Group Sign-Up 2016-2017
#MedfieldPS Twitter Chat - 11/16/16
Our next district-wide Twitter chat is Wednesday, 11/16 at 8 p.m. with a focus on #DLDMedfield 2017. Our continued intent is to bring the five schools together (staff and administration) at periodic times. The goal of these chats is to bring the five schools together (staff and administration) to discuss pertinent topics in education, initiatives, and ideas to collaborate around and share. I encourage you to follow the hashtag #MedfieldPS during the chat and to participate!
Blake Magazine Drive Update
Wednesday, November 9th is the First Turn-In Day for Blake Magazine Drive orders. This important fall fundraiser helps us raise needed funds for annual author visits, cultural programs, field trips and other special student activities that are specific to Blake.. This year our goal is to raise $14,000. As always, 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. Please start looking around for magazines in your home that need renewing. Or consider ordering new subscriptions. The catalogs and online store offer even more - choose from over 1600 unique and fun gifts, including holiday gifts and personalized items.
Important Dates:
Wednesday, November 9: First turn-in day for magazine orders
Wednesday, November 16: Second turn-in day for magazine orders.
Friday, November 18: Magazine drive ends. Did we reach our goal?! Prizes distributed to students.
Wednesday, November 23: the ever-popular Big Pig Race
As always, thanks for your generous support!
Parent iPad Survey Fall 2016
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 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 2016
Turkey Bowl - 8th Grade
8th Graders will once again take to the gridiron this year in an attempt to raise food for the Medfield Food Cupboard and raise student awareness that there are local families in need. The annual event is called the Turkey Bowl and this year it will take place Wednesday, November 23. Students are asked to sign-up, in teams of four, with their Physical Education Teachers. As an entry fee, students will be required to bring in one non-perishable food item per player. This is an exciting and fun event and we are hoping to get every 8th grader to play.
8th Grade Salem Trip
On Thursday, October 27 the 8th grade went on a field trip to Salem, MA in connection with our reading of The Crucible. Arthur Miller's play is about the Salem Witch Trials which took place in 1692. While in Salem, students visited The Witch Dungeon, where they saw a reenactment of an actual trial and then had a chance to tour the recreated dungeons of where the witches were kept. We also visited the Salem Witch Museum which gave a more comprehensive view of how the witch trials started. Here, students were able to see the changing ideas of witches over the centuries. Both the Witch Museum and the With Dungeon directly connect to the play, The Crucible. Students were able to see how it was in real life in comparison to the play and how Miller changed facts to suit his story. At the Dungeon museum, students were able to see a reenactment of a trial of Elizabeth Proctor, one of the characters from the play. Lastly, students were able to take part in an interactive performance of Cry Innocent! which allowed them to see what a witch trial might have been like. Students were able to ask questions of the accused woman as well as witnesses and judges; they then voted on the guilt or innocence of the accused! Overall, it was an exciting day spent in historical Salem.
Blake Open Studios
The Blake Art room will be open after school on Thursdays, until 3 pm. All students are welcome to participate in studio activities of their own choice- choose from drawing, painting, printmaking, and sculpture. Ms. Deveno and Ms. Jones will be on hand to provide materials and informal instruction.
There will be no formal registration, it is on a first come, first served basis and limited to 15 students. We are looking forward to seeing you in the Art studio, room 208!
Book Discussion Group for Parents
The next Blake Site Council/Blake community book will be The Gardener and the Carpenter: What the New Science of Child Development Tells Us About the Relationship Between Parents and Children by Alison Gopnik. Stay tuned for more information!
Ski Club for Middle School Students
Medfield Parks and Recreation would like to invite students from Blake Middle School to two exciting events in 2017. The first is the Nashoba Valley Ski Club, which will run on SIX Thursdays in January and February. Registration is available for the ski club, but space is extremely limited. To register, go here. The second event is the annual Snow Tubing trip to Nashoba Valley, which will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 7. This annual event always sells out! This is a half school day in Medfield, so take full advantage with a fun trip to go tubing with friends! Registration for this event just went live, and you can signup here. Some of you may need to create an account before registering if you have not done an activity with Parks & Rec over the past few years since we upgraded to a new software program. That process should take no more than 5 minutes. To register an account on our Web site simply go to create an account. Any questions, or to volunteer for either program (CHAPERONES ARE NEEDED FOR BOTH TO RUN!!!), please email Kevin Ryder, Director of Parks & Recreation, at [email protected].
Angel Run
It is week #7 in your Angel Run training program. Only 3 weeks to go. Your assignment: 15 minutes of running followed by 1 minute of walking and another 15 running. You are so close to being race day ready! Join the 1,200+ registered runners. You can sign up on race day if you missed the online registration
BLAKE PTO UPDATE:
GRANT FUNDED - 6 moveable tables and 12 chairs for the Blake LMC. This will complete the set for the LMC and create a new space to learn.
BLAKE PTO MEETING MINUTES - Take a look at the 10/20/16 PTO meeting minutes to see what we have been up to. http://medfieldpto.weebly.com/blake-meeting-minutes.html
BLAKE TEACHER & STAFF THANK YOU FUND - Has a teacher or staff member at Blake done something special for your child? Something above and beyond what is expected? Or do you simply want to just say thank you for all you do each and every day? NOW IS YOUR CHANCE! Anyone may contribute a financial gift to a teacher or staff member at any time. The teacher/staff member can use these funds to purchase books, apps, games, supplies and other items for their classroom as needed. This is a great way to say thank you and give your child’s teacher a little extra something that will benefit both the teacher and the children in their class. This is all you have to do:
1. Write a check made payable to BLAKE PTO with a note in the memo line (or separate note) indicating which teacher’s or staff member’s fund you are contributing to (one check can be distributed to multiple funds).
2. Send the check (and note for the recipient if you would like) to school in an envelope with your child and include Erika Clarke, Blake PTO Treasurer on the envelope.
A note and certificate will be sent on your behalf to the teacher/staff member letting them know that you have contributed to their fund. Please contact Kim Price mailto:[email protected] with any questions.
BOX TOPS - NEW APP AVAILABLE! Download the new Box Tops Bonus App – School Fundraising to your phone and start earning DOUBLE points for your school. Simply create an account, select your school and start scanning with your shopping receipts. It is that easy! You can still drop your Box Tops in the main office’s Box Tops basket, but try the new app as well and help us earn double points. Thank you for your support!
ONGOING BAY STATE TEXTILE FUNDRAISER - Donate unwanted textiles to one of the bins located at the schools, transfer station or Hinkley Pond. For more information, go to our website and visit Bay State Textiles.
PTO MEETING - Please join us for our next PTO meeting on December 13th @ 9:00 am in the Blake LMC.
DON’T MISS OUR IMPORTANT POSTS SENT THROUGHOUT THE WEEK - Like us on Facebook Medfield K-8 PTO, follow us on Twitter @MedfieldK8PTO
MCPE News
The E4E (Entertaining for Education) tradition in Medfield is alive and well. Haven't heard of it yet or new to town? It's pretty simple- throw a party or an event, charge an admission price ($25/head or $25/family is the minimum suggested) and donate the proceeds to the MCPE in support of the Medfield Public Schools. We've seen Halloween parties, nights in with friends, comedy events, wine tastings, multivendor markets... The only limit is your creativity. Need more information or ideas? Email [email protected]