December 19 - Radio Disney Cyberbullying Assembly for Grade 6
December 20 - Grade 7 to A Christmas Carol
December 24-January 1 - Holiday Vacation
January 2 - School Resumes
Ski Club Meeting (2:15 p.m.)
January 2-3 - Geography Bee in S.S. Classes
January 4 - Geography Bee - Grade Level Final Rounds
January 7 - Site Council Mtg (3:15 p.m. in Blake LMC)
January 10 - Geography Bee - Championship Round
Grades 5/6 Chorus/Orchestra Winter Concert
January 15 - SEPAC Mtg (7:00 p.m.)
January 18 - CSA Meeting (9:30 a.m.)
January 21 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - No School
January 25 - Lip Sync Performance
Term 1 Report Cards
This week students will bring home their report cards for the first term. Time has been spent in advisory with students reflecting upon the work they accomplished, as well as setting healthy goals for the second term. If you have any questions about your child's work or the reports, please start by having a conversation with your own child. If questions still exist, you should contact the teacher directly to gain more insight.
'Topic/Question for the Dinner Table'
As we all continue to struggle finding the words to share with our children, I am not offering a specific topic to be discussed this week. I believe the important piece to remember is that the value of sharing a meal, having a conversation, or taking a walk with our children - time spent together - is an important form of healing and processing for all of us. If discussions and questions continue from your children, a potential focus area is to remember the roles that heroes - those who put others before themselves - play during difficult times.
School Day Hours Reminder for All Families
We have noticed that some students are being dropped off early at Blake and I want to remind parents/guardians of the expectations and guidelines. The Blake office hours are 7 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., and these are the time parameters for students to be at school. Students who arrive before 7:30 a.m. will report to the gymnasium (sixth and seventh grade) or cafeteria (eighth grade). Supervision in these designated locations starts at 7:10 a.m., so students should not be dropped off prior to 7:10 a.m. unless they have a pre-arranged appointment with a teacher or are attending an announced extra help session. These extra-help sessions do not begin until 7 a.m., so students who are dropped off prior to that time should report to the main office. By the same token, students who are staying after school need to be with a teacher for extra help or in the library doing homework. They should be picked up promptly after their sessions are over, as they will not be supervised at that point. All students need to be picked up by 3:30 p.m. as that is the time that the Blake secretaries leave. We need to make sure that all students are safe and supervised at all times. Thank you for your understanding, help, and cooperation.
Seasonal Reminder for all Blake Students and Families
This is a reminder that as a school we will not be orchestrating 'Secret Santa' type activities for students in which gifts are being purchased and/or given. For a number of reasons, school is not the proper forum for the exchange of gifts, and we appreciate your understanding and support. During this holiday season we will continue to do our best to keep in mind the diverse faiths of our community and student body. The season/culture in our society is certainly predominantly geared towards Christmas, and we all need to keep this in mind when creating activities for our students.
Music in the Halls at Blake - Donations Welcome
As you may know we are fortunate to use music rather than bells for 'passing time' at Blake. Rather than trying to tune into the radio, we have been using an old iPod Touch to listen to different genres throughout the week - 60's, 80's rock, oldies, swing, salsa, etc. Unfortunately, our iPod Touch is dying, and if any family is willing to donate an old iPod Touch after an upgrade, we would greatly appreciate it. Thanks in advance!
Intramurals Update
The fall intramurals are winding down. Look for winter sign-up information when we return from the holiday vacation.
Blake Drama Production
The preliminary information about this year's play/musical production is up (thanks to Tracy Allen), and I encourage you to check it out: http://wallwisher.com/wall/611ejx2h8v.
Coats for Kids
SIPS is running its annual coat drive sponsored by Anton's Cleaners. Over the past 8 years, SIPS has collected nearly 800 coats which have helped needy families across neighborhoods of Massachusetts. Parents and students are encouraged to donate "gently used" coats from Wednesday, 12/12 until Friday, 1/11. A donation box will be located at the main entrance of the school. Thank you in advance.
Nashoba Valley Ski/Snowboard Club
January 2, 2013- There will be a mandatory meeting from 2:15 - 2:45 after school in the auditorium for all students attending ski club. Important information and bus assignments will be given.
CHAPERONES NEEDED - The program is in need of parent chaperones. All chaperones receive a free lift ticket to Nashoba. Non-skiers and non-snowboarders are welcome. There is a lovely lodge with wifi. Buses leave Blake Middle School at 2:15 and return around 7:45/8. If you are interested in chaperoning one or more trips, please contact Eileen Hurley ([email protected]) for more information.
Lip Sync Contest
Due to the number of performing acts, we will have one night of the Lip Sync on January 25th at 7pm. The performance will likely run 2.5 hours. Performers should around between 6 and 6:15. Stage crew and tech should arrive between 5:45 and 6pm. We will also only hold one dress rehearsal on Wednesday, January 16th from 2:15-6. It may take less time but we allot that amount of time to run through the acts and work out any issues with sound and lighting. Please note all performers must attend the dress rehearsal and stay through the entire rehearsal. Students can bring homework to work on during the dress rehearsal while the other acts are performing. Tickets will go on sale on January 14th during lunches for performers. Performers can purchase 2 tickets each during the week of January 14th. If your child is performing, please mark your calendar and send in either send a check made out to Blake Middle school or cash. Tickets will be $5 each. Tickets will go on sale to the public on Tuesday, January 22. There are a limited number of seats in the auditorium and we always sell out! Its bound to be a GREAT Performance!!! Please contact Jen Dondero at [email protected] with any questions.
MCPE News
As the Medfield Coalition for Public Education’s 25th Anniversary Appeal continues toward its goal of raising $100,000 through on-line donations and mailed in contributions, grant funding has kept an equally rigorous pace. At the November meeting MCPE’s Board of Directors approved four grants totaling $33,000 bringing funding so far this school year to $62,000. To make your tax deductible donation before year end, please visit out website (www.medfieldcoalition.org).
CSA News
The Blake CSA wishes you happy holidays!