June 11 - Ben Speaks Presentation for Parents (see details below)
Royal Pizza Night for Blake
June 15 - Vietnam Memorial Unveiling (10 a.m. at 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 Ceremony (7 p.m.)
June 27 - Last Day of School for Students/Staff
'Topic/Question for the Dinner Table'
To help bring the idea of the importance of 'breaks and physical activity' into the conversations this week, our Topic/Question for the Dinner Table this week is: When you need a break from the mental grind, does a period of physical activity help you bolster your mental focus and stamina?
Cybersafety Update
To follow up on the e-mail sent to parents this past week, we strongly encourage parents/guardians to make themselves aware of ASK.FM, a social networking site where members can send and receive anonymous questions and comments. Through conversations with both students and parents this week, it is clear that many of our students are using this site and have been involved in or are aware of mean behavior and cyberbullying. Due to the anonymous nature of the site, it is nearly impossible to determine who is commenting or responding to a question, leading to speculation and hurt feelings when comments are not favorable or kind. For more information, please check out the following links to articles about this site:
http://www.youth4u.co.uk/en/news/askfm-the-hidden-dangers/11224.html
http://what-is-privacy.com/2013/05/what-social-media-apps-and-sites-are-popular-with-kids-these-days/
We have received responses from parents to the e-mail sent last week indicating that Blake students are experiencing cruel and disturbing anonymous postings to their ASKFM accounts. If you decide that it is not a good choice for your child, you must unsubscribe in order to stop receiving the notifications linked to an account. As always, the physical and emotional safety of our students is of utmost importance. We value your partnership in this endeavor and encourage you to reach out to a member of the guidance department, Kelly Campbell or Nat Vaughn with any questions or concerns.
Unveiling of Vietnam Memorial
As the culmination of a yearlong effort, the Medfield High School Vietnam Memorial will be unveiled this Saturday, June 15 at 10:00 a.m. at Blake Middle School. I have posted the press release on the Forms and Documents tab of this blog - thank you to the entire community for the support of this initiative.
8th Grade Closing Ceremony
Our 8th grade closing ceremony and goodbye evening will be on Wednesday, June 26 at 7 p.m. This evening will be our opportunity to thank and recognize our 8th graders for their years at Blake and wish them well as they head off to high school. Families are welcome, and there will be a reception with refreshments in the cafeteria following the ceremony.
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]).
Blake Mini-Marathon
A belated THANK YOU to the entire Blake community (staff, students, & families) for your support and enthusiasm to make our first annual Blake mini Marathon a smashing hit!
Student runners...............................over 400
Staff participants.............................over 20
Parent volunteers............................over 25
Waters donated................................400
Student & staff supporters...............over 200
Miles run.........................................1.9
Temperature on race day.................73 degrees F
Money raised for The One Fund.....$3300
An event that brought our entire community together...PRICELESS
Curriculum Highlights - Social Studies and World Language
This week's curriculum updates come from the Social Studies (Kathleen Emerson, Content Specialist) and World Language (Ellen Toubman, Content Specialist) departments...
Social Studies
6th Grade
Many sixth grade students recently completed their design of Japanese apartments. Working in partnerships, students designed two rooms of an apartment based upon their investigation of actual Tokyo apartments. Students then designed and constructed an apartment tower to which the apartments were attached. At year's end, classes will simulate an earthquake to see what happens to the apartment complex.
7th grade
The Roman Empire and the glory of the Pax Romana is the final unit under study in Ancient Civilizations. Students are focused on the many achievements of the Romans as well as the difficulty involved in governing an Empire so big. The decline of Rome did not happen overnight and the students will be examining the many issues that arise which weaken the Empire. Lastly, students will be asked to make connections between the 2000 year old Roman civilization and modern American society. They will be able to examine these connections more closely on the upcoming field trip to Boston. Students will examine the architecture of Boston for Roman innovations and will translate Roman numerals found on statues on Boston Common and on cornerstones of buildings.
8th grade
8th graders are in the midst of their East Asia unit which encompasses a study of the histories of China, Korea and Japan. Students have created an illustrated haiku, studied the role of the ancient Samurai including debunking current misconceptions and learned about the controversial ancient Chinese practice of footbinding. These are just a few of the many lessons and activities under study in World History I.
World Language
7th Grade French
The students have been working hard the past two weeks reviewing the grammar and vocabulary learned this year in anticipation of their final exam. The year will culminate with a skit in which they discuss their summer plans, as well as an "interview" one-on-one with me in the target language. I'm very proud of their progress!
7th Grade Spanish
The students have been working hard the past two weeks reviewing the grammar and vocabulary learned this year in anticipation of their final exam. The year will culminate with a skit in which they discuss their summer plans, as well as an "interview" one-on-one with me in the target language. I'm very proud of their progress!
¡Qué divertido!
Thanks to the generous support of the community, our 8th grade students were treated to a live concert on Friday! Grupo Fantasia welcomed our students and invited them to try out all the instruments. Then this lively band took us on a melodic trip, tracing the origins of modern Latin music from its' African plantation roots, while encouraging great audience participation! The robust finish had students dancing in the aisles!
SUMMER READING SALE EXTENDED!
The Blake summer reading book sale has been extended through Wednesday, June 12. Order forms should be turned into Advisory teachers. Additional forms are available for printout on the Blake Library Media website through the Summer Reading link. All profits from the sale go to our library's new fiction fund. Thanks to Julie Stikeleather of the Blake CSA and Jim James of Park Street Books for all of their help.
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.
MCPE News
Is there a special teacher or school staff person that you would like to recognize for making a difference in your child's life this year? MCPE's Blue Ribbon program helps you acknowledge that outstanding service simply and easily. All entries are due by Friday, June 21st. Please see the flyer in the Thursday packet or visit www.medfieldcoalition.org for additional information about the program.