April 23 - Subway Night for Blake
April 25 - Energy Conservation Assembly
April 26 - Medfield Jazz Night (see details below)
May 1 - Superintendent Advisory Council Mtg (8:45 a.m. at MHS)
May 2 - Peabody Essex Museum Field Trip (Otters)
May 3 - Peabody Essex Museum Field Trip (Sea Turtles)
May 6-10 - Teacher Appreciation Week
May 6 - 6th Grade Math MCAS
Blake Site Council Mtg (3:15 p.m. in Blake LMC)
May 7 - 6th Grade Math MCAS
May 8 - 8th Grade Math MCAS
Peabody Essex Museum Field Trip (Koalas)
School Nurse Day
May 9 - 8th Grade Math MCAS
Junior District Jazz Festival
May 10 - 1/2 Day for Students (Professional Afternoon)
May 13 - 7th Grade Math MCAS
May 14 - 7th Grade Math MCAS
May 15 - 8th Grade Sci/Tech MCAS
May 16 - 8th Grade Sci/Tech MCAS
May 17 - CSA Meeting (9:30 a.m.)
7th/8th Grade Dance (7-9 p.m.)
May 21-24 - 8th Grade Trip to Washington, D.C.
May 21 - SEPAC Mtg
May 23 - Grades 4-6 Orchestra Concert
May 27 - Memorial Day (No School)
May 28 - Blake Art Show and Reception
May 29 - 7th Grade Boston Field Trip
May 31 - Six Flags Music Field Trip
'Topic/Question for the Dinner Table'
Given the events of this past week I am not putting forth a specific topic to be discussed this week. I encourage families to spend time listening and simply finding time to connect with their children. Time spent together is an important form of healing and processing for children and adults alike. If discussions and questions continue from your children, a potential focus area that can be fruitful is to talk about the themes of resiliency, perseverance, and community that were demonstrated over the last week.
Curriculum Highlights - Art and Science
In our continued efforts to keep families informed and updated about the curriculum at Blake, each week we will be 'highlighting' curriculum updates from two different departments. This week's updates come from the Art and Science departments...
Art
Zullo Exhibit:
In case you haven't yet visited the Zullo Gallery this month, you still have one more opportunity to view the 18th Annual Zullo Gallery Student-Faculty Art Exhibit. This weekend, April 27th & 28th will be your last chance to see student artwork from across our Fine Arts Curriculum, K-12.
What's going on in the Art studios?
Mrs. Delaney's 6th Grade Art students are spending this week finishing up their Watercolor paintings.
Also, Mrs. Delaney's 7th Grade Art classes are in the process of creating a Tessellation landscape, while Mr. Cousens' 7th Graders are working on Monochromatic paintings.
And in 8th Grade Art, Mrs. Delaney's classes are working on Block Printing… more specifically, the inking stage. Mr. Cousens' 8th Grade Art students are currently working on their Acrylic Landscapes.
As for our Art Plus classes… 8th Grade Art Plus will also be working with acrylics, but the surface is a bit different. You'll have to ask them about it. And the 6th Grade Art Plus classes are working on a Scratchboard image.
Busy Month of May for the Fine Arts Department.
As we look ahead to the month of May, each of our buildings will be hosting their Annual Art Shows. The Blake Middle School Art Show will take place May 28th-31st in the Blake LMC and the Principal's Hallway. We look forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday the 28th from 6:00-7:30 for our Artists' Reception.
Science
8th grade
The results from the BSCE Westpoint Bridge Building competition are in and our Blake teams did quite well. Clayton Kincaid and Christian Newton's team placed first in the state! The top teams in each age category are publicly acknowledged and presented with their awards at a join dinner with professional engineers of the Infrastructure Group of the Boston Society of Civil Engineers.
7th grade
Many thanks to the Boston Chapter of Trout unlimited and CSA for their support of our trout rearing and release program. The trout measuring approximately 10 cm on average were recently released into the Charles river. The 7th grade would also like to thank CSA for their support in the purchase of the new software which resulted in excellent student generated mitosis animations. As an example, here are links for Mr. Bowles's classes...
B period - http://edcvs.co/10ZmS5E
C period - http://edcvs.co/WMQDVK
F period - http://edcvs.co/1581W9l
G period - http://edcvs.co/13YnXLF
6th grade
Field trip before vacation was a great success where students acting as Geology - CSI's were provided the opportunity to use their knowledge and skills to determine the agents of erosion on Medfield landmarks. Data was collected and will be examined after break when the culprits or agents of erosion will be identified for all to see.
April is Autism Awareness Month
In order to highlight the growing need for concern and awareness about autism, the Autism Society has been celebrating National Autism Awareness Month since the 1970s. The United States recognizes April as a special opportunity for everyone to educate the public about autism and issues within the autism community. For more information from the 'Autism Society', please click on the following link: http://www.autism-society.org/about-us/national-autism-awareness-month/
School Dress Guidelines
Prior to vacation, Kelly Campbell met with all female students by grade level to review expectations for appropriate school dress as we transition into Spring. These guidelines have been included below (in italics) and can also be found in the student handbook section of the Blake agenda book. Please consider keeping them handy as you are doing spring clothing shopping. It can be challenging to find the latest fashions in lengths that are school appropriate, but check out Old Navy, Land's End, Delia's, and Aeropostale where we have been told that good options have been spotted recently. Open dialogue and discretion are important when dealing with issues related to dress -- I encourage you to reach out to Kelly Campbell ([email protected]) with any questions or concerns at all. When in doubt, we encourage students to ask for clarification or bring a back up outfit to school just in case.
The responsibility for student dress and attire rests with both the student and the parent/guardian. We are confident that good judgment on the part of students and parents will result in the wearing of clothing which will contribute to a respectful academic environment and educational atmosphere. At Blake Middle School, we endeavor to remove as many distractions from the day as possible so that students are able to focus on the most important of their day - learning. Each student will abide by the guidelines of decency, cleanliness and safety at all times. In accordance with our expectations for school dress, students are required to wear clothing that does not show the 4 B's: boxers, breasts, buttocks, and belly buttons. We do ask students not to wear hats, short shorts, midriff shirts, or clothing that displays obscene language, violence, lewd or vulgar pictures, alcohol or drug references, sexual innuendoes, racial/ethnic/religiously offensive materials, or any graphic that may interfere with the educational process. Some guidelines that have been shared with students follow:
• Clothing needs to cover your body so that you and others can participate in and focus on learning.
• A general guideline for appropriate length of skirts and shorts is for them to be as long as your fingertips when extended at your side, with shoulders relaxed. This applies to the front and back.
• Undergarments should not be showing. Cleavage should be covered.
• Off the shoulder shirts are not appropriate.
If a staff member believes that a student's attire may be inappropriate, the student will be referred to one of the guidance counselors or administration. If the clothing is deemed inappropriate for school, the parents/guardians will be contacted. The school administration reserves the right at all times to determine what is or is not appropriate school attire. We encourage you to consult your parents if you are concerned about an item of clothing that you may be considering wearing to school.
iPad Program Information for Incoming 8th Graders
As you know we are expanding upon the current 8th grade iPad pilot and implementing a 1:1 iPad program for the entire 8th grade for the 2013-2014 academic year, with students purchasing their own iPads or taking part in a 'Lease to Own' program through the school. For your reference, I have posted copies of the documents that have been distributed/posted about our initiative/program (General Information, FAQ's, and 'Lease to Own' Information). The details of the 'Lease to Own' are tentative and still being finalized, as we are looking to find the most cost-effective program for families. As part of our program, we will have a system in place for families with demonstrated financial need. To help us plan our efforts, we are asking all current 7th grade parents/guardians (incoming 8th grade parents/guardians for the 2013-2014 academic year) to let us know your plans for your student ('Providing iPad' or 'Participating in Lease to Own Program') for next year, by completing this brief survey by Wednesday, April 25: Incoming 8th Grade iPad Inventory Survey.
This decision is not binding and we recognize that your plans may change, but the initial feedback will help us with our planning. We currently anticipate asking for 'final decisions' mid- to late May, 2013. I sincerely appreciate your taking the time to complete this brief survey and am hoping for 100% participation. I have also copied the link to the iPad site (iPad Blog) and I encourage you to visit it to gain a greater understanding of the work that has taken place. We are excited about this initiative and look forward to our work together to enhance our students' education.
Medfield Jazz Night
Jazz Night is 7 p.m., Friday, April 26, and tickets are still available. Tickets are $10 for adults, and $5 for senior citizens, students and children. The night features guest artist Jim Snidero on saxophone; the Medfield High School Jazz Band and Jazz Choir; and the Blake Middle School Jazz Band 1 & 2. The Jazz Band will be performing its repertoire of American jazz, and pieces composed by two Asian artists, Alan Chan and Yang Ying. Needham Bank is presenting sponsor once again of this year’s Jazz Night, and is selling tickets at its Medfield branch. Tickets are also available at Park Street Books; online using the link below (surcharges apply); and at the door the night of the event. Proceeds from Jazz Night go to the Medfield Music Association to benefit the entire Medfield Music Program across all grades and ensembles. In addition to a night of music, attendees will have a chance to learn about the Jazz Band’s trip to China. Online ticket link:
http://medfieldmusicassociation.givezooks.com/events/jazz-night-2013-presented-by needham-bank.
Blake Ledger
Our first edition is online www.blakeledger.weebly.com . If anyone wants to join, members are always welcome! We meet at 2:15 every Thursday. It's free to join and all grades are welcome.
18th Annual Student-Faculty Art Exhibit
The Medfield Public School's K-12 Visual Arts Faculty is once again pleased to announce The 18th Annual Student-Faculty Art Exhibit, presented at Medfield's very own Zullo Gallery, 456 Main Street, Medfield, MA 02052.
The Student-Faculty Art Exhibit is an exciting opportunity for a selected group of student artists from grades K-12 to display and view their work in a professional gallery setting, alongside the work of our Visual Arts faculty. Each year approximately eighty pieces of exemplary student art work are shown during this exhibit at the Zullo Gallery. This year's Art Exhibit will be up until April 28th, and is available for viewing on Saturdays and Sundays from 12 noon until 5:00 PM.
This exhibit is an event designed to give special attention to the artistic accomplishments of our students from all grades, within the context of our K-12 Visual Arts Curriculum. We look forward to another very successful exhibit this year. It should be noted that this exhibit does not take the place of our individual School Art Shows that happen in the spring, in which the work of all our students is displayed in their respective schools.
Course Selection Forms
Reminder to all 6th and 7th grade parents that course selection forms for the 2013-2014 academic year need to be turned in asap.
Spring Intramurals
Intramurals start this week. Sign-ups for programming have been extended through the day the the intramural begins. Check out the intramural page on the Blake website for sign-up forms and a description of this spring's offerings. Please contact Brian Gavaghan ([email protected]) with any questions.
Spring Track
We just finished our first two weeks of track and field. The coaches have seen great participation and lots of energy out on the track. Please encourage our young athletes to continue running over vacation so that they are ready for our first meet on Wed. April 24 against Westwood.
Baseball
The 7th and 8th grade baseball team played their season opener against Millis on Thursday. 8th grader James Voss and 7th grader Stuart Whitla pitched some great innings, though the team lost in the end. The whole team is looking forward to working together to prepare for the home opener on Monday, April 22 against Bellingham.
Softball
We won!!! 17-5 against Millis Alli Carlin pitched the entire game. All players played both a great offensive and defensive game. We have a small team of 10 girls and every single one of them played a part in the win!!!
Washington, D.C. Medical Forms
All medical forms for the Washington, D.C. trip need to be returned asap.
Blake Drama Production
Our Night of Seuss is coming soon - May 3rd and 4th at 7pm. An email with the expectations for the next two weeks, costume information, and makeup needs was sent before vacation. Please let Ms. Allen know ASAP if you did not receive it. Ticket information was included in this letter as well. Tickets will be on sale for performers and cast members during this week (week of April 22nd). On April 29th, tickets will open to the general public. Tickets are $10 each.
MCPE News
We are thrilled to report that the on line auction of “Fun& Favorite Things” was a huge success! We would like to thank all the teachers and staff who made generous donations of their time and the families who supported us through their participation in the auction.
CSA News
Subway night tonight!!! Cathy Chung be selling scrip from 5:30-7. Please come to support this fundraiser!!!