2/5 - Blake Affinity Group Meeting - 2:15 p.m.
2/6 - 1/2 Day for Students
Tri-County Interviews (see info below)
Jessica Minahan Presentation for Parents (see info below)
Professional Afternoon for Staff
2/12 - SEPAC Meeting - 7 p.m.
2/13 - Stripes to Worcester Art Museum
2/14 - Happy Valentine’s Day!
Eagles to Worcester Art Museum
2/15 - Blake Volleyball Tourney
2/18-2/22 - February Vacation
2/26 - Well-Balanced Student Presentation (see details below)
2/27 - Stars to Worcester Art Museum
Incoming 6th Parent Info Night - 6:30 p.m.
2/28 - MHS Program of Studies Night
3/6 - Blake STEAMERS Showcase (see details below)
3/7 - Incoming 7th/8th Parent Night - 6:30 p.m.
3/11 - Blake Site Council Meeting - 3:30 p.m. (Blake LMC)
3/12 - Harlem Wizards at MHS
3/13 - 1/2 day for Students
Professional Afternoon for Staff
Topic/Question for the Summer Dinner Table
To help encourage conversations and dialogue about focus points, dreams, and vision,
our topic/question of the week is: What helps you stay focused on your goals and dreams? Refining (Redefining?) the Vision (Week of 2/3/19) (This is an anonymous Google Form)
Term 2 Interim Reports and Reflection
On Monday in advisory students received their interim reports for Term 2. After receiving their interim reports all students took some time to reflect on their work thus far via a Google Form. Over the next two weeks advisors will be taking time in advisory to conference with advisees. Our hope is that this reflection will help students identify areas of success as well as areas for growth, and to foster more connections with staff and trusted adults. I have outlined the questions below and encourage you to have conversations this week to help bridge the connections between home and school...
- When looking at your interim report, what are you proud of?
- Looking at your interim report, what was not a surprise to you? Why was it not a surprise?
- Finish this sentence: I want to keep working on...
- What surprised you on this interim report? Was this a positive or negative surprise? Explain.
- In addition to your advisor, would you like to check in with one of your teachers?
- If you answered yes to the previous question, which teacher would you like to speak with and about what?
- If you had time to learn about anything you want this year, what would it be?
Physical Education - Volleyball Tournament
All grades are currently participating in a Sport Education Volleyball unit and each student has been assigned to a team that they will be with for the entire unit. The unit is broken down into a pre-season (developing skills and team camaraderie), a regular season, and a postseason playoff tournament. Students signed up for an individual role/job that they will perform throughout the season. The jobs include: Team Captain/Coach, Statistician, Fitness Leader, Equipment Manager and Camaraderie/Spirit Captain. Students have practiced the skills of the forearm pass, the set and underhand serve. There continues to be a strong emphasis on communication and teamwork.
The regular season has wrapped up and playoffs are off to a great start. All teams make the playoffs for a chance to play in a grade-level tournament on Friday morning, 2/15. Each grade will have a championship team that gets to play against an excited staff team in front of their grade. There is definitely excitement in the air leading to February break. We are very proud of all the spirit, camaraderie, teamwork and skill building we have seen this unit. We hope everyone has a restful and relaxing break.
The Medfield Challenge Success Parent Committee presents its inaugural event:
The Well-Balanced Student K-8
Tuesday, February 26th
7-9 PM in the Blake LMC
When we are too focused on grades and performance, we deny our children the time and energy they need to tackle the demanding work of growing up. In this interactive video presentation with Challenge Success Co-Founder Denise Pope, you’ll learn how you can establish a healthier home environment for your school-aged child, reduce academic stress without sacrificing achievement, and increase your child’s resilience, creativity, and well-being. After viewing the video, we’ll break into small groups for age-specific discussions.
RSVP: The Well-Balanced Student K-8
For more information about Challenge Success and links to parent resources, please visit our website:
Medfield Challenge Success
Latin Day MMXIX
On Tuesday, February 12th, the MHS Latin III and IV classes will take students from Blake on a journey to ancient Rome in the MHS library. The Latin classes will stage a historical reenactment of various Roman crafts and activities for visitors to observe. These include weaving, pottery, mosaics, cooking, fashion and gladiators. All 7th grade history classes and some 8th grade foreign language classes will attend. This will be a nice opportunity for students from Blake to interact and learn from friends in the high school and to observe the high school Latin program.
Recess Donations
At the midpoint of the year we are looking to build up our 'supplies' for indoor recess. We are looking for donations from families to provide options for students during this time: table tennis, table football, board games, etc. Any donations are welcome and can be dropped off in the main office - thank you in advance for your help!
Blood Drive Summary
The Blake Middle School Blood Drive Committee would like to extend our sincerest thanks to the entire Medfield community. Due to the weather, getting out to the middle school was not an easy task, and yet many in our community were able to attend the event. This year we collected sixty-one units of blood at a time where the Red Cross only had three days of blood supply left. This was also the first year that student members of the original Blood Drive Committee were old enough to donate themselves!
For those who participated - or those who plan to participate next year - I want you to be aware of the impact your participation has on our students. Many students who work on the committee are positively impacted by watching all of you give blood. They often speak about donating blood in the future. One student reported that "they were overwhelmed by the realization that they truly made a difference by getting out there and being a part of something." To me, the greatest lesson and gift we can give our students is the awareness about the impact one person can have on another person's life. Thank you to all of you who helped. You were a part of an amazing learning moment.
Thank you to everyone who played a part in making this year’s blood drive and day of MLK service a success!
Black History Month
February 1st marked the beginning of Black History Month. Listen to and read the morning announcements for information about contributions made by African American people throughout history and today. Check out the displays and activities in the library, signs and bulletin boards outside the gym and in the main lobby. For more info about how Black History Month came to be and why it is celebrated, check out this link: https://bestlifeonline.com/this-is-why-black-history-month-is-celebrated-in-february.
Worcester Art Museum Visit - 8th Grade
As part of the 8th grade Social Studies curriculum the 8th graders will be visiting the Worcester Art Museum in February. The Stripes will visit the Worcester Art Museum on February 13th, the Eagles will visit on February 14th and the Stars will visit on February 27th. As part of the visit the students will enjoy a guided tour of the Museum's Medieval galleries, students will also create their own "illuminated letter" as part of a workshop activity and, in addition, students will enjoy a demonstration of Medieval Armor conducted by Medieval Historian Neal Bourbeau. Students and teachers are excited about the experiential learning opportunities provided by this field trip and look forward to a great visit!
Bowl Creation Dates (@Medfield High School):
-Tuesday 2/12 5:30-7pm
-Wednesday 2/13 2:10-3:45pm
-Glaze Date: 2/27 5:30-7pm
Dinner Date (@Blake Middle School Cafeteria):
-Thursday 3/21 6-8pm
Sign up here to reserve a ticket or email [email protected] with any questions.
School Connectedness at Blake
Last Thursday during advisory, students were asked to take a short survey on school connectedness via email. It is our hope that each Blake student can identify one trusted adult at school with whom they feel comfortable if they are in need of help with a small or large problem. Although we acknowledge how important friends and family members are, we ask students to share only names of people who work at Blake in order to get a sense of students' comfort and connectedness at school. This year, we added one additional question to get a sense of whether students have at least one trusted friend at Blake but we did not ask for any specific names. Guidance counselors will be reviewing the data over the weeks ahead. As always, please reach out to your child's grade level guidance counselor with any concerns or questions about how they are feeling at school.
Parent Ed Workshop Follow Up
Metaphors, Multiplication, and Microscopes - Exploring Student Learning
This past month Nat Vaughn, Orla Berry (Science Department Chair, 6-12), Susan Bycoff (Mathematics Department Chair, 6-12), and Gail Duffy (English Department Chair, 6-12) held parent education workshops about English, Mathematics, and Science, healthy student learning, meaningful feedback, and classroom and state assessments. If you were unable to make the presentation, please check out the slides…
Metaphors, Multiplication & Microscopes - Winter 2019
If you have any questions, please let us know.
Parent Information Nights - Mark Your Calendars!
2/27 - 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 2019-2020 academic year's iPad Initiative will take place during this evening as well.
3/7 - Incoming 7th/8th 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 and 8th grade program of studies and curriculum, previewing the students' experience that they will have next year.
8th Grade Families - Save the Date!
February 28, 2019 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.
Blake Middle School Site Council 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 2018-2019 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 6, 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.
Save the Date - Miss Amazing!
Save the date! Massachusetts Miss Amazing is coming to Medfield High School for its sixth annual event! Miss Amazing’s mission statement declares that “Miss Amazing provides opportunities for girls and women with disabilities to build confidence and self-esteem in a supportive environment.” Join us in supporting this goal and give these girls and young women an opportunity to shine. The event is March 30th, 2019 and will be held in the Medfield High School Auditorium at 6 PM. Ticket sales are open to the public beginning on March 16th at ma.missamazing.org. If you want to donate, visit https://missamazing.org/donate/. If you want to volunteer with the event, you can sign up to be a buddy, half day volunteer (helping hand), or a right hand man online at https://missamazing.org/volunteer/. If you know a girl or young woman who might want to participate in this event, refer them to the Miss Amazing website so they can learn more! Sign up a participant at https://missamazing.org/participate/. See you there!
Blake STEAMers Showcase - 3/6/19
Our fourth annual celebration of our students and STEM - The Blake STEAMers Showcase - will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday March 6, 2019. 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 - including but not limited to - recent genius hour projects, maker space projects or personal interest projects or investigations. A brief student information session will be held this Thursday, Jan 31st, at 2:15 p.m. in Mrs. Buley’s classroom (#213).
Please see this link for information regarding our Blake STEAMers showcase on Wednesday, March 6, 2019. All Blake students are encouraged to attend and to participate in this event!!
Should you have any questions please contact your child’s science teacher or email me at - [email protected]
#MedfieldProjectHappiness Update
This week in Project Happiness students are going to relate their character strengths to positive experiences in their lives. They are going to record their top 3 character strengths and brainstorm a few positive experiences that are connected to that strength. Hopefully this list will continue to grow! Be sure to ask your child about it! A few notes for your reference...
- The daily inspiration from Project Happiness is included in the morning announcements to staff and students.
- To subscribe: https://www.projecthappiness.org
- To follow on Twitter: @happyblakers #MedfieldProjectHappiness
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.
iPad Case Reminder
This is a gentle reminder that all students should have cases on their iPads at all times. Three websites that we have found to be useful, as they detail the various covers, rates them, and describes why covers are needed, are:
Recommended by Apple: STM Dux Case
Griffin Survivor Case
Top 5 Rugged iPad Cases
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).
Standards Based Reporting Information Sessions
Thank you to all Blake parents/guardians who were able to come to our Standards Based Reporting information sessions this past fall. If you were unable to make the presentation, please check out the slides...
SBR Information Sessions October, 2018
If you have any questions, please let us know.
Blake Site Council Book Discussion Group
Blake’s Site Council book is What School Could Be by Ted Dintersmith. We hope you can join in by reading this book - stay tuned for discussion times!
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". Please contact Kelly Campbell at [email protected] with any questions.
Blake PTO Update
Want to get involved? There are many positions available for the next school year, including co-President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary! Contact Keven Gallagher ([email protected]) for more information! Don’t forget to 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
SEPAC Update
Our next business meeting will take place on Tuesday, February 12th at 7pm in the Blake Library. The focus of this meeting will be to discuss board roles, learn to navigate our Google Suite, and hear subcommittee updates. Please consider attending if you have any interest in pursuing a leadership position next year. And mark your calendars! March 4th from 7-9pm we will be hosting an Assistive Technology evening for parents and guardians. To learn about SEPAC, please visit our website: https://sites.google.com/mail.medfield.k12.ma.us/sepac/