May 14 - 7th Grade Math MCAS
Royal Pizza Night for Blake
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 - Subway Night for Blake
May 29 - Blake Art Show and Reception
May 31 - Six Flags Music Field Trip
June 3 - 6th-8th Band Concert/7th-8th Orchestra Concert
June 5 - Blake Mini-Marathon (see details below)
June 6 - 6th-8th Chorus Concert
June 7 - Grupo Fantasia Concert for 8th Grade
June 11 - Ben Speaks Presentation for Parents (see details below)
Royal Pizza Night for Blake
June 19 - 7th Grade Creature Feature Field Trip
June 21 - 7th Grade Field Trip to Boston
June 25 - Subway Night for Blake
June 26 - Transition Day
8th Grade Closing Assembly (7 p.m.)
June 27 - Last Day of School for Students/Staff
'Topic/Question for the Dinner Table'
To help bring the theme of balance into our conversations this week, our Topic/Question for the Dinner Table this week is: After you learn how something is done in a different way than you are used to, can you balance the familiar way with the new way? I have posted an article of interest that relates to this question: 'Have American Parents Got it all Backwards?'
iPad Program Selection Inventory for Incoming 8th Graders
Thank you to everyone for completing the iPad Inventory Survey last month as the information we gathered has helped in our planning. As the next step in our planning process, we are asking all current 7th grade parents/guardians to indicate your plans for your student ('Providing iPad' or 'Participating in Lease to Own Program') for next year, by completing this brief survey asap: Incoming 8th Grade iPad Program Selection. Even if your decision has not changed since the last correspondence, we are asking all families to complete this survey as well. As part of our program, we have a system in place for families with demonstrated financial need. If you are in need of financial assistance, please contact me directly ([email protected]). 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. As always, do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns ([email protected]).
MCAS Information
Round 2 of MCAS testing continues this week. Please find the May MCAS schedule listed above. While we do not want to foster undue anxiety or pressure for students, a good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast will ensure that they come to school prepared to do their best. Please be sure that students arrive at school on time. If your student is sick on the day of a scheduled test date, it is best for your child to get some rest and take it on a make-up day. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact Kelly Campbell ([email protected]) or your child's guidance counselor.
Curriculum Highlights - Social Studies and World Language
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 Social Studies (Kathleen Emerson, Content Specialist) and World Language (Ellen Toubman, Content Specialist) departments...
Social Studies
Grade 6 is currently studying Asia, with a focus on Global Trade and culture. Students learned about The Silk Road, then moved on to trade today, zeroing in on container ships and trade routes. Along with this theme of trade, students brought in products made throughout the world and quickly realized that the vast majority were imported from Asia. Over the past week, all clusters have visited the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem. The students were able to walk through a 200 year old house that was dissembled in China and shipped to Salem. They came away with a greater understanding of daily life in a rural province of China. In addition, students learned about the varied physical features of China as well as the locations of many Asian countries.
Grade 7 is currently studying the Ancient Romans. They have been comparing the government structure of the Roman Republic with that of the USA and learning about the Punic Wars. In the coming weeks, they will be looking at the numerous reasons for the rise and fall of the Roman Empire as well as studying their legacy to the world today.
Grade 8 is completing a unit on Islam and will be moving on to China. Students will get a snap shot look at each of the dynasties until 1912 when a republic is born. Using this information, students will create a timeline where they will add pictures and details for each of the dynasties. Eighth graders will then “travel” the Silk Road, and compare and contrast three main philosophies (Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism) which developed in China. Finally, the students will look at the Tang and Song dynasties, where major inventions including the movable type printing press, clock, and compass were invented.
World Language
Grade 6:
Grade six Spanish and French classes have covered a variety of topics this year, and students recently completed a unit on animals. They enjoyed creating hand puppets of their chosen animals and bringing the characters to life performing skits with them to make introductions and talk about habitats. The theme of family will be the final unit of study for this year. It will include a variety of activities to learn how describe family members, including Voicethread practice, and creating a family photo album.
Mandarin students have also learned many interesting lessons this past year, including various types of greetings and introductions, numbers, family habits, understanding Chinese expressions for the parts of the body and asking and answering simple questions. To augment the learning experience, a website was developed for the students. Please visit http://medfieldchinese.weebly.com/lesson-10-this-is-a-school.html to visit their new play. As part of the play, the students have to say in Chinese where they want to eat and invite someone to join them. The students had so much fun using their Chinese language proficiency to express their favorite food.
This has been a great first year of World Language for our 6th grade students and we look forward to the many new topics we will study in the seventh grade!
Grade 7:
The 7th grade French classes recently finished up their food and beverage unit, culminating with some very creative café skits and a VoiceThread assignment to show their meals during the course of the day. Next, they will learn two new irregular verbs and discuss their week-end plans, something they love to talk about!
Our 7th grade Spanish students have been learning to talk about their daily activities. Students have been challenged to speak as much Spanish as possible in class with "conversaciones en círculo". In the next few weeks, they will be creating on-line story books, with voice overs and animation!
Mandarin students in the 7th grade have finished a great unit learning all about the Chinese New Year! They researched and collaborated with peers in creating group presentations to celebrate early this spring. Next, they will be learning about household pets, creating their own zoo and including their favorite animals.
Grade 8:
Spring in eighth grade Spanish is full of emotions, body parts and sickness, culminating in creative skits portraying visits to the doctor. In Mandarin, students are studying different foods and the culture around eating. In French, we've taken time to make greeting cards and to say "Merci" to all our Moms. Merci Maman! Bonne Fête des Mères!
Term 3 Interim Reports
Last Friday students brought home their interim reports for the third term. They spent time in their advisories reflecting upon the work they have accomplished thus far, and setting healthy/measured goals for the end of the year. Our hope is that this communication tool will give you an update on the progress your child is making in school. 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.
Gettysburg Address Winner
Will Spaeth has been chosen to represent the 7th grade at the Medfield Memorial Day Celebration on May 27. He will read the Gettysburg Address at the town wide ceremony honoring the soldiers from Medfield that have given their lives in the service of their country. Will was chosen from a large group of interested 7th graders after he delivered a well rehearsed and flawlessly delivered speech at the audition.
Washington, D.C. Medical Forms
All medical forms for the Washington, D.C. trip need to be returned asap.
A Night of Seuss
Thank you once again to the makeup moms who got up very, very early to make sure the kids were ready to perform for the school last Friday. We could not have done it without you. If your student brought home their costume, please make sure it is brought back to school by Friday, May 17th to Ms. Allen's office. (If it can be washed, that would be even better!) Any students who contributed items to either performance, can collect their items on Wednesday after school.
One Fund Fundraiser
We have all been deeply saddened and affected by the events at the recent Boston Marathon. A group of sixth grade boys have formed a community service group and would like to do something positive for the people who were injured, so they will be participating in a t-shirt sale to help contribute to the One Fund Boston. The logo on the t-shirt was designed by Jack Bourdon, a 9th grader at Medfield High School. The fundraiser will begin on Monday May 13 and t-shirts will be available to purchase before school each day in the cafeteria and outside the gym. T-shirts are $15.00. Please consider contributing to this very worthy cause.
Ben Speaks
MCPE in conjunction with a Blake Destination Imagination team, are pleased to present Ben Speaks (flyer posted on Forms and Documents tab), a presentation about fostering resilience and compassion in our teens. Judy Giovangelo is a local parent who lost her son, Ben, to suicide. She speaks with parents and students across Greater Boston about themes of empowerment, resilience, and compassion. We are pleased to offer this uplifting presentation to parents on June 11th at 7:00 p.m. at Blake Middle School followed by three grade level presentations for Blake students on Friday, June 14th. Students will be previewing the presentation in wellness classes the week prior to the presentations as well as spending time discussing it in class the week following it. Please feel free to contact Kelly Campbell ([email protected]) with any questions.
Blake Mini-Marathon
Blake is in the process of planning our first annual Blake Mini Marathon - This year's race is titled "Run for One." It will take place on Wednesday, June 5, 2013 (Rain Date - Wednesday, June 12, 2013). The event is designed to bring the Blake Community (students, staff, & families) together around a common purpose. About a 1.3 mile course will weave students (& staff who choose to run) around the Blake & High School campus. It is our hope that ALL staff and students participate in some role (registration, water stations, cheering support, walking/running) - parents are welcome to volunteer as well. Registration and goal setting will take place in PE classes, with the hope of 100% participation (within various roles). This year, there will be a suggested registration "fee" (donation) of $5.00 to The One Fund. More details coming soon!
Spring Track at Blake
KING PHILIP AND ASHLAND 5/8/13
On Wednesday the Girls Track Team came out strong for our first home meet against KP and Ashland. In the running events, Annie Phipps took second place in the 100 Meter Hurdles. Also placing in the hurdles was Diana Fedak taking fourth and Sophie Lussier placing fifth. In the Mile Breanna Morgan placed first with a stunning time of 6:08. Remy Larson came in third and Grace Terry took fifth. Meg Zona scored in the 100 Meter taking fifth place and in the 800 Meter, Ali Clower took second place. In the 400 Meter Julie Letai scored second, Kathleen Lanzilla fourth, and Naomi Lau fifth. Camille Kerwin took second place in the 200 Meter with Kathryn Giordano placing fourth and Rebecca Shames taking fifth. The 4x100 Meter Relay team of Lelia Stansberry, Meg Zona, Ally Beck, and Lauren Ferrier finished in first place with a lightning fast pace of under a minute. In the field events, Medfield had a near sweep in the High Jump. Karris Carpenter took first place, Eden Ravech third, Abi Todd fourth, and Ally Beck fifth. In the Long Jump Abi Todd placed third with Kathleen Lanzilla placed fifth. A strong showing in the Shot Put with Jacqui Shortsleeve placing first, and Macey Musto taking second.
Final Tally, Medfield 117.3, Ashland 80.2 and KP 42.5.
Despite wind and rainy conditions, the boys track team ran strong meets yesterday in a tri-meet with King Philip and Ashland. The boys dominance began in the high jump with a 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 place sweep in the order of Matt Keady, Andrew Garfiels, Tim Graham, Liam McNulty, and Noah Garfield. Justin Newman, Will Shames and Griffin Murphy finished in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th places respectively in the shot put. Jack Morrill was the lone Blake man in the long jump, taking 5th place. Chris Donnelly opened the running events with a fast 2nd place finish in the 100 meter hurdles in his first ever attempt at the event. Jack Morrill also ran strong race, taking 5th. Dan Whelan, running his first mile of the season, took 3rd with 6th grader Justin Fuglestad taking 4th. The sprinting power team of Andrew Garfield and Justin Newman continued their victory streak with another 1 – 2 finish in the 100 meter dash. The middle distance crew stepped up its game with a sweep in the 800, Liam McNulty, Matt Gorag, Steve Loranger, Tim Graham, and Dan Whelan doing the honors. The 400 hundred meter boys were also dominant taking 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th places in the order of Kyle Heaney, Mike Cantonese, Dylan Hogan, and Nathan Parry. The sprinting power duo of Andrew Garfield and Justin Newman closed out the day’s wining with a 1-2 finish in the 200 meter, with Eric Plumb taking 4th. The final score: Medfield 139, King Philip 90, Ashland 25. The team record is now 5-1 on the season.
WESTWOOD – 5/10/13
The Girls Track Team sought to revenge our previous defeat to Westwood at our home meet on Friday. Annie Phipps was dominant in the 100 Meter Hurdles taking first place while Megan Hawley placed second. Breanna Morgan placed second in the Mile with a lightning fast speed of 6:06! Medfield Girls swept in the 100 Meter. Karris Carpenter placed first, Jamie Hirschfeld second and Annie Phipps third. In the 400 Meter, Julie Letai took first and Sophie Stebbins placed third. Karris Carpenter scored first in the 200 Meter and Kathryn Giordano placed second. In the field events, Karris Carpenter continued her dominance in the High Jump with a first place finish. Medfield swept the event with Makayla D”Amore placing second and Abi Todd with third. Abi Todd also placed second in the Long Jump and Kathryn Giordano third. In the Shot Putt Macey Musto took first and Naomi Lau third.
After being defeated by Westwood in our first meet of the season, Medfield came back strong on Friday. Final Tally Medfield 57, Westwood 29. A shorthanded boys’ track team endured a tough meet vs. Westwood last Friday. Andrew Garfield took first in the high-jump with Matt Keady taking second. Austin Summral took third place in the long jump and Justin Newman and Will Shames took second and third places in the shot put. In the running events, Tim Girard took third place in the hurdles. Andrew Garfield tool another first place, this time in the 100 meter dash, with Justin Newman taking third. Kyle Heaney took third place in the 400 and Andrew Garfield took his third first place finish of the day in the 200. The final score: Westwood 62, Medfield 25.
IMPORTANT SCHEDULE UPDATE
PRACTICE AND MEET SCHEDULE FOR REMAINDER OF SEASON:
Tuesday, 5/14 - meet @ Medway High School
Wednesday, 5/15 - off
Thursday, 5/16 - field event practice
Friday, 5/17 - home meet vs. Dedham and Ursuline
Monday, 5/20 - meet @ North Attleboro High School
Please note that the North Attleboro meet had originally been scheduled for Thursday, 5/23 but was changed so the 8th graders can participate before leaving for their Washington trip.
Blake Baseball
The middle school baseball team enjoyed a great win in their home game against Dedham on Friday afternoon. The Warriors were able to put together seven strong innings with solid pitching by both Addison Chung and James Voss. Troy Barone snagged two hard hit line drives out of the air at first base, matched by athletic defensive plays by Ryan Higgins in the outfield and Ben Caughlin behind the plate. Offensively, Oscar Diaz scored three times and Connor Dowling and Michael Kennely contributed quick feet, stealing critical bases. Tommy O'Connor, Stuart Whitla, and James Cawley provided their bats, consistent hustle, and enviable sportsmanship to an all around satisfying win. Let's try to keep it going!
Blake Softball
Our current record is 4 wins, 5 losses. We continue to work hard and improve as a team, especially when it comes to offense. The girls are becoming a force to reckon with when it comes to aggressive base running and hitting. Each girl comes to the plate ready to swing and swing hard! The most notable bat from our last game against Dedham was 8th grader Elizabeth Cousins who hit an in park home run (it barely stayed in park it was hit so hard).
MCPE News
MCPE has invested over $71,000 in Medfield's five schools so far this year through 18 grants that cover initiatives not covered by school budgets. We thank all who have contributed so far to the special 25th Anniversary Appeal, which has raised over $81,000 to date (including proceeds from our recent online auction) -- we are getting closer to our goal of raising $100,000 for future school enrichment initiatives! Please see our website for more information about the grants and upcoming activities (www.medfieldcoalition.org) and join us for our annual meeting on May 22nd, 7:00pm, at the Zullo Gallery.
CSA News
Please support Blake Middle School and go to Royal Pizza tonight!!
Please join the CSA for the final meeting of the school year on Friday, May 17th at 9:30 am. We are looking for a vice president and co-secretary for next year please contact Laura Kirk at [email protected] if you are interested in joining the 2013-14 board.