9/24 - Blake PTO Meeting
SEPAC Meeting
9/25 - Dusti Bowling Author Visit (see details below)
9/30 - Rosh Hashanah - No School
10/1 - #MedfieldChat - 8 p.m. (see below)
10/8 - MMA meeting - 7 p.m.
10/9 - Yom Kippur - No School
10/14 - Columbus Day - No School
10/15 - 1/2 Day for Students
Professional Afternoon for Staff
10/21 - Blake Picture Retake Day
10/24 - 8th Grade to Tri-County
10/22-10/25 - Nature’s Classroom for 7th Grade
10/31 - Happy Halloween
Topic/Question for the Dinner Table
To help encourage conversations and dialogue about solving problems and learning, our topic/question(s) for the dinner table is/are: What problem(s) do you want to solve? What do you need to learn to help solve this problem? Be specific. Sharing and Realizing Ideas (Week of 9/22/19) (This is an anonymous Google Form)
Advisory Update for Blake
Advisories did an awesome job decorating rocks about what courage means to them. Be sure to check out their creations outside of Blake! This week in Advisory, the focus will be on team-building. Advisories will be doing different activities that work best for their group. This will help to continue to build a strong foundation to do some great work as a group. We encourage you to check out the Advisory website to stay apprised and connected with what is taking place at Blake!
Blake Wednesday Advisory Website
#MedfieldChat Twitter Chat on 9/25/19
Our next district-wide Twitter chat is Wednesday, 9/25/19 at 8 p.m. Our continued intent is to bring the five schools together (staff and administration) at periodic times to discuss pertinent topics in education, initiatives, and ideas to collaborate and share. I encourage you to follow the hashtag #MedfieldChat during the chat and to participate!
This is a reminder for parents that a student's absence or tardiness must be reported by a written note or a parental telephone call to the school absence line (508-242-8501) by 8 a.m.
Special Education Focus Group Input
Thank you to everyone that attended the focus groups for the special education department thus far. These groups were held as a part of the Medfield 2021 Strategic Plan which called for focus groups to gather to support the development of a mission statement and to assess the current administrative structure for the special education department.
For anyone that was unable to attend these sessions, Chris Martes will be collecting feedback and information that you may wish to share via email at [email protected]. He will continue to collect feedback until the end of the day 9/25.
October is Inktober Month!
Every October, artists all over the world take on the Inktober drawing challenge by doing one ink drawing a day the entire month. Inktober was created in 2009 as a challenge to improve drawing skills and develop positive creative habits. It has since grown into a worldwide endeavor with thousands of artists taking on the challenge every year. This year, Blake will be participating in this creative social media challenge by posting our artwork on twitter and instagram. Look for flyers posted around the school for the daily prompts and additional info. ANYONE CAN DO INKTOBER, JUST PICK UP A PEN AND START DRAWING!
The prompt for OCT 1ST is RING! What does that mean to you? Draw a picture in your sketchbook and submit it to the INKTOBER google classroom. See your art teacher if you have any questions.
inktober.com for more info
School Hours and Supervision Reminder for All Families
We have noticed that some students are being dropped off early at Blake and I want to remind parents/guardians of the expectations and guidelines. The Blake office hours are 7 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., and these are the time parameters for students to be at school. Students who arrive before 7:30 a.m. will report to the gymnasium (sixth and seventh grade) or cafeteria (eighth grade). Supervision in these designated locations starts at 7:10 a.m., so students should not be dropped off prior to 7:10 a.m. unless they have a pre-arranged appointment with a teacher or are attending an announced extra help session. These extra-help sessions do not begin until 7 a.m., so students who are dropped off prior to that time should report to the main office. By the same token, students who are staying after school need to be with a teacher for extra help or in the library doing homework. They should be picked up promptly after their sessions are over, as they will not be supervised at that point. All students need to be picked up by 3:30 p.m. as that is the time that the Blake secretaries leave. We need to make sure that all students are safe and supervised at all times. Thank you for your understanding, help, and cooperation.
Blake’s ADL
Kara Gelormini and Meghan Thress are this year's advisors for Blake's ADL, Anti-Defamation League, and they will be holding an informational meeting for all interested 7th and 8th graders this coming Tuesday, September 24th at 2:15 in Ms. Thress's room, room 505. Any student interested in learning more about ADL is welcome to attend. The purpose of Blake's ADL is to:
- Promote positive social change at Blake.
- Learn about bias-related issues.
- Encourage a greater sense of social responsibility for a more respectful and inclusive community.
- Explore how students can become an ally for their peers.
- Develop student leadership.
Blake’s GSA
This year is off to a great start for Blake's Gay-Straight Alliance club, with two well-attended meetings under our belts and plans for our first school-wide spirit day. In the coming weeks, we will share information about the Go Purple Spirit Day, a national event sponsored by GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation). On Friday, October 18, we encourage students to wear purple to show support for LGBTQ+ youth and take a stand against bullying. GSA meets every Wednesday from 2:15-3:00 in Ms. Malone's room. All are welcome!
Blake Parent/Guardian Information Nights - Fall 2019
For your reference and information, here are the links from our Parent Information Nights…
Grade 6 Fall 2019 PIN Presentation for Blog
Nature's Classroom Fall 2019 PIN Presentation
Grade 7 Fall PIN 2019 Presentation for Blog
Grade 8 Fall 2019 PIN Presentation for Blog
Memorials, Monuments, and Museums Presentation Fall 2019
Parent/Guardian Sign-Offs
All families should have received (or will be receiving soon) an e-mail from '[email protected]' with 'Emergency Contact Information' in the subject line. All families were asked to complete this digital sign-off for most of the beginning-of-year forms by Monday, 9/16.
Upcoming Author Visit for Sixth Grade
Acclaimed author, Dusti Bowling, will be speaking to sixth graders on Wednesday, September 25 about her book, Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus. The story’s protagonist, Aven Green, loves to tell people that she lost her arms in an alligator wrestling match, or a wildfire in Tanzania, but the truth is she was born without them. And when her parents take a job running Stagecoach Pass, a rundown western theme park in Arizona, Aven moves with them across the country knowing that she’ll have to answer the question over and over again.
Her new life takes an unexpected turn when she bonds with Connor, a classmate who also feels isolated because of his own disability, and they discover a room at Stagecoach Pass that holds bigger secrets than Aven ever could have imagined. It’s hard to solve a mystery, help a friend, and face your worst fears. But Aven’s about to discover she can do it all . . . even without arms.
Students will also have an opportunity to take part in an author workshop with Dusti.
Blake Fall Intramurals Update
The 2019 Fall Intramural offerings are now available at: http://blakemsintramurals.weebly.com/ Please check them out at the following link and let Matt Marenghi (Intramural Director) know if you have any questions or concerns: [email protected].
Theme of Courage for 2019-2020
Our theme for this 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]).
A Message from Blake Student Council
Student council is excited to begin our new year! Congratulations to our new council!
Blake Magazine Drive Info
The annual Blake Magazine drive is off to a great start - great values, prizes for students, the Thanksgiving Assembly Pig Race and a large portion of profits going to Blake! Ask your students about making a purchase! As always, thank you for your support! Students brought home packets last week with information. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Jon Haycock ([email protected]).
Hidden in Plain Sight Display - Message from MCAP
The Medfield Cares About Prevention substance misuse prevention coalition would like to share some information about an upcoming event that may be interesting and relevant to parents in our community. The Hidden in Plain Sight exhibit is coming to the Natick Mall this month, from September 10th through September 26th. This initiative helps parents and other adults spot signs of risky behaviors using an interactive display of a teen bedroom. Volunteer “tour guides” from MetroWest community coalitions will walk participants through the display, providing education about adolescent development and common signs of substance use. The exhibit is co-sponsored by community substance misuse prevention coalitions from the MetroWest region, including our own Medfield Cares About Prevention coalition.
Challenge Success Parent Evening - 10/16/19
Dover-Sherborn has graciously opened up a parent education night to our community...
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
6:30 - 8:30 pm
Mudge Auditorium, Dover-Sherborn High School
Challenge Success School Program Director, Jon Kleiman, visits the Dover-Sherborn community to facilitate an engaging, interactive presentation of The Well-Balanced Student for K-12 parents and caregivers. When we are intensely focused on grades and performance, we mortgage our children's childhood for the sake of academics, denying our children the time and energy they need to tackle the demanding work of growing up.
Jon will contextualize his remarks based on input from last spring's Challenge Success parent survey and Jon will also share recent research on college admissions and provide tools for parents to better support students through this process.
In this engaging presentation, parents and caregivers will see the data and hear the solutions to effectively:
- Establish a healthier, balanced home environment for school-aged children
- Dial down academic stress without sacrificing achievement, and
- Support student’s overall resilience, well-being and readiness for life in college and beyond.
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 http://www.medfield.net/o/medfield-public-schools/page/employment-opportunites--7 and find applications under the tab "employment opportunities". Please contact Kelly Campbell at [email protected] with any questions.
Substitute Nurses
As with our teaching positions, from time to time our nurse, Tricia Williams, will be out of the building and we need a substitute nurse for these days. We are fortunate that we have several substitute nurses in the district who are able to work on those days. If you are a registered nurse and have an interest in potentially serving as a substitute throughout the year, please let us know. You can contact me ([email protected]) or Tricia Williams ([email protected]). By the same token, if you have friends in the area who would have an interest in serving as a substitute, please let them know that they can contact us as well. The safety and well-being of our students is always our top priority, and we would appreciate your interest in one of these roles.
Blake Site Council Book Discussion Group
Over the last two years the Blake Site Council has read several books and we will continue this practice during the 2019-2020 school year. Stay tuned for more information and we hope you can join in these discussions!
Message from MCPE
Tickets for MCPE’s Fall Fest went on sale this past Sunday at 8 a.m.! Event will be held on November 15th at the Boylston Shul Vernin Germany American Club in Walpole. There will be great food, music and an auction! Link to the ticket sales will be up on our website medfieldcoalition.org -don’t miss this fun night out!
Message from MMA (Medfield Music Association)
The first regular MMA meeting will take place on Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. in the MHS band room. All music parents welcome at this meeting during which we'll discuss the year's initiatives with members of the music staff.
Blake PTO Update
Volunteers Needed for Blake! In particular, we are in need of a Hospitality Chair or Co-Chairs, which helps coordinates 3-4 teacher luncheons a year. It's a great way to get involved and appreciate the wonderful staff at our school! Please click on the link to the volunteer form below. Thank you!! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScVH6fbiK1-cVI5r7yu42e6szW5bnuT2EUO9qk3CLc-l9A8UQ/viewform
Also, our first meeting of the year will be held on September 24th at 7:00 in the LMC.
Message from SEPAC
The first SEPAC (Special Education Parent Advisory Council) meeting is on Tuesday, September 24th in the Blake LMC from 7:00-9:00 pm.