6/11 - MHS Athletics Info Night (see details below)
6/12 - 8th Grade Activities/Afternoon
6/13 - Transition Day
8th Grade Cookout
8th Grade Closing Celebration - 6:30 p.m.
6/14 - Last Day of School!
8/26-8/27 - Teacher Professional Days
8/28 - Welcome back!
Delayed Start for 7th/8th Grade
8/30 - 1/2 Day for Students and Staff
9/2 - Labor Day - No School
9/30 - Rosh Hashanah - No School
10/9 - Yom Kippur - No School
10/14 - Columbus Day - No School
10/15 - 1/2 Day for Students
Professional Afternoon for Staff
Topic/Question for the Dinner Table
To help encourage conversations and dialogue about reflection and this past year of learning, our topic/question for the dinner table is: How/why was this a good year for you as a learner? Time for Reflection (Week of 6/19/19) (This is an anonymous Google Form)
8th Grade Closing Celebration
Our 8th grade closing ceremony and goodbye evening will be on Thursday, June 13 at 6:30 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, including allergen-free treats, in the cafeteria following the ceremony. Students typically like to dress up a bit but cool clothing makes sense-- collared shirts and nice shorts, dresses, or pants are common choices -- students and families should dress for a potentially warm gym. Seating for families is available in the bleachers and chairs on a first come, first served basis. We are hoping for a 'cool weather' evening.
Blake Mini-Marathon Follow Up
Thanks to the Blake community for a great Blake Mini-Marathon. Together we raised $1,233 for The Ocean Conservancy.
Teacher Luncheon Help - Thank You!
The Blake PTO could use your help with one last Teacher Luncheon for the 2018-2019 school year. To sign-up, please visit the link below.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050d49aaad23a75-blake2
Many thanks, in advance, for your time and generosity.
Cluster/Advisory Placement Letters
Tentative cluster and advisory assignments will be shared with students/families via a letter that students will receive at the end of the school day on Wednesday, June 12. Transition Day is Thursday, June 14 and on that day students will get the opportunity to meet their teachers and get a preview of next year's curriculum and grade level events. Clusters and advisories are always subject to change based on budget, staffing, and curricular needs, as well as the possible influx of new students.
Blake Site Council Survey - Please Complete
The Blake Site Council has been working on the development of our annual survey to students and parents. A similar survey has been administered the last six years and we are committed to having parents and students take it each year as part of our continual efforts to examine our programming. Please complete the Blake Site Council survey for each child you have at Blake, and base your responses on your student's experiences this year. The survey should take about 10 minutes of your time. The questionnaire is anonymous, and your identity can not and will not be discovered through the completion of this survey. Focus areas include the topics of school culture, academic workloads, stress, and habits. The results will help us to gather information and examine our current practices to better meet the needs of our students and assess progress towards our mission. We sincerely appreciate your honest responses and are hoping for 100% participation from the Blake community. If you have any questions or have difficulty accessing the survey, please do not hesitate to contact me directly ([email protected]).
Link to the survey: Blake Middle School Parent Survey - June 2019
2019-2020 iPad Planning Inventory
As you know we are continuing with our mobile learning program at Blake for the entire 6th-8th grade for the 2019-2020 academic year. To help us effectively plan for next year, we are asking all current 5th-7th grade parents/guardians (incoming 6th-8th grade parents/guardians for the 2019-2020 academic year) to let us know your plans for your student (Lease-to-Own, Bring an iPad from home, Borrow) for next year, by completing this brief survey by Monday, June 10: iPad Planning Inventory at Blake Middle School for 2019-2020. Please fill out this inventory for each child that will be attending Blake next year. This decision is not binding and we recognize that your plans may change - confirmation and final decisions will be made by mid-late June, 2019. I sincerely appreciate your taking the time to complete this brief inventory and am hoping for 100% participation.
We have outlined the Blake Mobile Learning Initiative Participation Options (Lease-to-Own, Bring an iPad from home, Borrow) for Blake students for this program. We are committed to providing an equitable learning experience for our students and appreciate the shared commitment and investment in the education of our students. As such we have a system in place for families who choose to borrow the devices from the district.
The device selected by the students/families will suffice for the students' needs in school as long as Apple continues to update the OS (operating system) on that device. If your family intends to purchase a new device this year, these are all models that Apple has identified for continual OS updates: iPad mini 2, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 4, iPad Air, iPad Air 2, iPad 5th Gen, iPad Pro, iPad Pro 2, and iPad 6th Gen. We are committed to making the experience meaningful and viable for all of our students, troubleshooting challenges that arise in a thoughtful and inclusive manner. Our work over the last five years has provided a foundation as our teachers and staff continue to thoughtfully implement and review the effectiveness of this initiative. It is important to keep in mind that teachers and students will be following the same curriculum frameworks and the common core Blake curriculum.
For your reference I am sharing links below to documents about our initiative/program...
Blake Mobile Learning General Information (has articles, background information, and philosophy)
Blake Mobile Learning FAQs 19-20
Blake Mobile Learning Initiative Participation Options
iPad Program Estimated Lease-to-Own Pricing Structure 19-20
In the fall we will be planning an iPad/Mobile Learning/Innovation Highlights and Information Session for all Blake families. Our hope is for the entire Blake community of parents and guardians to hear and see highlights from teachers and students, answer questions, and gain an understanding of the work that is taking place. Stay tuned for more information!
We are excited about the prospects that lie ahead as we work to provide your students with the opportunity to learn with meaningful technology and are hopeful that we can foster and promote a positive and relevant learning experience. As always, please do not hesitate to contact me directly ([email protected]) with any questions, concerns, or thoughts that you may have.
Theme of Courage for 2019-2020
Our theme for the next academic year at Blake is one of Courage. We believe that this theme will extend the work we have done over the last seven years with our themes of Community, Perseverance, Creativity, Acceptance, Collaboration, Empathy, Diversity, and Happiness. As a staff we have begun brainstorming ideas and I encourage all families to join us in the brainstorming process as well. As ideas and thoughts come to mind, do not hesitate to e-mail me ([email protected]) or Kelly C. ([email protected]).
Lost and Found Items
The number of items in our Lost and Found has certainly increased! We will be clearing out the Lost and Found after school gets out - I encourage all students and parents/guardians to come take a look.
Library Reminder
This is a reminder for all families that all library books are now due back in the Blake Library. Students with checked out items were notified last week. Please encourage your child to return any library books promptly so that we can get the Library back in order before the end of the year. If the Library books are not returned, we will unfortunately have to ask for payment. Thanks for your help.
8th Grade Activities - 6/12
The 8th grade cookout will take place Wednesday, June 12. Students will be outside and should be prepared with sunscreen and hats.
Medfield High School Athletics Info Night - 6/11
On Tuesday, June 11, at 6:00pm, there will be a meeting held in the gymnasium at the Medfield High School for all athletes and a parent(s) interested in playing high school athletics this coming fall season at Medfield High School (grades 9-12). This meeting is very important and will cover many questions and concerns you may have, as well as introductions to all high school coaches and staff. Immediately following this meeting, coaches will meet with their respective sports to speak about the season and answer any questions you may have.
*Sports offered for the fall season are:
Cross Country (Boy’s and Girl’s)
Soccer (Boy’s and Girl’s)
Volleyball (Girl’s)
Field Hockey (Girl’s)
Football (Boy’s)
Golf (Co-ed)
Summer Reading Info for Incoming 6th-8th Grade Families
Each summer we ask Blake Middle School Students to read a minimum of two books. Students should read one book from their grade level Core Book Reading list and also choose a minimum of one book from their Suggested List as well. Students also have the option to read another age-appropriate book, that they haven’t read before, instead.
Blake Summer Reading 2019
Summer Supply Lists
All students should refer to the School Supply Lists located on the Guidance webpage.
Eighth Grade Canoe and Swim Test Information
As part of the eighth grade Charles River Community Awareness Unit offered in the fall, each eighth grade student is required to pass a swimming test during the summer. Each student is required to tread water for five minutes and swim a distance of seventy-five yards. A qualified swim instructor is required to administer the test and sign the form: Swim Test Form. Completed swim tests may be dropped off at the main office of the Middle School Monday through Friday between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. throughout the summer. All swim tests must be completed and returned to the student’s new advisory teacher by the first day of school. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. The Charles River Community Awareness Unit is an exciting way for students to begin their eighth grade experience! (FYI: In the past, students have been certified at Hinkley Pond, YMCA and
local swim clubs.)
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.
Blake PTO Update
THANK YOU for those who contributed to our annual appeal this year! If you didn't get to send in your contribution yet, don't worry, there's still time! Donate here http://www.medfieldk8pto.com/blake.html or you can mail a check to Blake Middle School (24 Pound St Medfield MA 02052) or send it in with your child. Checks should be made out to Blake Middle School PTO. Your contributions allow our students and teachers to benefit over the next year, as the students and teachers did before them. We thank you in advance for your financial support of the Blake PTO.
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