1/9 - SEL Task Force Meeting (3:30 p.m. - MHS)
Medfield Talks - Sarah Ward (see info below)
1/10 - Geography Bee - School Finals
1/15 - MLK, Jr. Day
Day of Service at Blake Middle School (see details below)
Blood Drive at Blake (see details below)
No School for Students
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
Topic/Question for the Dinner Table
To help encourage conversations and dialogue about having a specific focus for improvement and growth, our topic/question of the week is: What is one thing you want to focus on improving this month? A Concerted Focus (Week of 1/7/18) (This is an anonymous Google Form)
Medfield Talks 1/9/18 - Sarah Ward (7-9 p.m.)
Come hear Sarah Ward's presentation, sponsored by SEPAC & MCPE as part of the Medfield Talks Speaker Series - 'Practical Strategies to Develop Independent Executive Function Skills in Students'. See the flyer below for more information.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a man whose goal was to make our country a better place for everyone. While his life was cut short due to assassination, MLK's goal to make our country a better place is still very much alive. On November 2, 1983 President Reagan made January 15th ( MLK Jr'.s birthday) a federal holiday, a day off for all. But a day off to support a man who gave his life to the betterment of our country did not really seem like a fitting honor so on August 23, 1994 President Bill Clinton signed a bill that moved the date of the holiday from MLK, Jr's birthday to the Monday after that day. The bill also stated that it was meant to be a day of service. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a not a day off, but a day on. To honor this day of service Blake Middle School will open its doors from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. to give students an opportunity to serve their community. Some of the activity students will be doing during this day of service will be: beautifying the school, making Valentine's day cards, book marks and paper flowers, for soldiers and those living in the nursing home. Students will also be making bracelets, which we will give to Children's Hospital for ill children. We are always open to new ideas for how we can serve the community and support making Monday, January 15th a day on! If you have any questions or suggestions, please e-mail Cynthia McClelland at cmcclelland@email.medfield.net.
Blake Community Blood Drive
This month we are kicking off our annual Martin Luther King Jr. blood drive. Currently we are putting together a committee of students who will work to promote, organize and then run the blood drive. Please consider donating blood, or if you cannot, help find another who may be able to. It is important this blood drive receive high support from the community for us to continue to hold it on a holiday. Hosted by the American Red Cross this blood drive offers an incredible opportunity, so please come out, and donate blood. The drive will be held in the middle school gym Monday, January 15th, from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. Please complete the Google Form if you are able to donate: Blake Community Blood Drive 1/15/18
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!
8th Grade AMC Results
The 8th Grade American Mathematics Contest (AMC 8) is a multiple choice examination in middle school mathematics designed to promote the development and enhancement of problem-solving skills and sponsored by the Mathematical Association of America. The contest is held yearly in November. Students from all over the country participate in this contest both individually and on a school-wide basis. This year, over 80 of our 8th grade Blake students elected to participate in the exam. This year, there are new scoring categories for section winners within the school. We are proud of all students who participated. The following students have earned special recognition for their top performance within Blake Middle School:
Kathryn Merck, first place school-wide winner plus first place school-wide section winner. Awarded Honors designation for scoring in top 5% nationally
John Schroter, second place school-wide winner plus second place school-wide section winner. Awarded Honors designation for scoring in top 5% nationally
Thomas Shurtleff, third place school-wide winner plus first place school-wide section winner
Additional recognitions for school-wide section winners:
Rachel Parry, first place school-wide section winner
Tyler Shu, second place school-wide section winner
Abrielle Silva, second place school-wide section winner
Vasilios Apazidis, third place school-wide section winner
Sarah DeSisto, third place school-wide section winner
Daniel Gaudet, third place school-wide section winner
Andre Leger, third place school-wide section winner
Jani Passas, third place school-wide section winner
Alison Reddy, third place school-wide section winner
Morgan Reilly, third place school-wide section winner
Adrian Sheehy, third place school-wide section winner
Andrew Stanton, third place school-wide section winner
Jake McWhiney, third place school-wide section winner
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.
Project 351
I am thrilled to announce that Sophia Slesar, one of our eighth grade students, has been selected as Medfield's ambassador for Project 351. Project 351 is a statewide community service project that brings an eighth grader from all 351 cities and towns in the commonwealth together on one single day to perform a service project. Ambassadors should embody the ethic of service and associated values -- humility, integrity, compassion, commitment, and generosity of spirit. In essence, Project 351 celebrates and encourages students' leadership and commitment to others. We are proud and honored that Sophia will be representing Blake and the community of Medfield.
Blake Yearbooks Are On Sale!
Yearbook Sales have begun. All yearbook orders are due by Friday, January 12. The Yearbook costs $30. Checks should be made out to "Blake Middle School". Your child needs to submit the order to their Advisory teacher. Please order today because books ARE NOT available to order in June.
Blake Winter Intramurals
Our winter intramurals have begun - if you have any questions, please contact Matt Marenghi ([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 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]).
Community Service Club Information - Coat Drive
The Community Service Club of Blake is holding its annual coat drive right now. The drive will conclude in early January. Please donate new or gently used WINTER coats. The donation box can be found at the front of the school. All coats that are donated will be delivered to Medfield's Anton Cleaners who sponsors the drive.
Girl Talk
Girl Talk is a national program where high school girls mentor middle schoolers. Ainsley Marshall and Morgan Caro have come together to continue Girl Talk at Blake Middle school. Their goal is to help you deal with the triumphs and trials of the early teen years. Anyone is welcome! We encourage you to follow our instagram account: https://instagram.com/p/BcIr4LoFzXu/
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.
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