9/25 - Blake PTO Meeting - 7 p.m. (see details below)
9/26 - Stripes Canoe Trip
#MedfieldChat Twitter Chat - 8 p.m. (see details below)
9/27-9/28 - Eagles Canoe Trip
10/1 - Blake Site Council Meeting (3:30 p.m.)
10/2 - Stars Canoe Trip (Rescheduled)
10/5 - Half Day for Students
Professional Afternoon for Staff
10/8 - Columbus Day (No School)
10/12 - Blake Picture Retake Day
10/23-10/26 - Nature's Classroom for 7th Grade
10/31 - Halloween
Topic/Question for the Summer Dinner Table
To help encourage conversations and dialogue about the roles we all can play and responsibilities we have in improving our learning environment, our topic/question for the dinner table is: What is one step you can take this year to better support student learning? Active Steps (Week of 9/23/18) (This is an anonymous Google Form)
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.
#MedfieldChat Twitter Chat on 9/26/18
Our next district-wide Twitter chat is Monday, 9/26/18 at 8 p.m. Our continued intent is to bring the five schools together (staff and administration) at periodic times. The goal of these chats is to bring the five schools together (staff and administration) to discuss pertinent topics in education, initiatives, and ideas to collaborate around and share. I encourage you to follow the hashtag #MedfieldChat during the chat and to participate…
8th Grade Trip packets went home with Grade 8 students on Wednesday, Sept. 12. The trip deposit and signed permission slip are due to your child's Advisory teacher by October 1. On-line registration with our tour company, Worldstrides, is to be completed by October 31. Please see trip packet for details and instructions. For your reference and for more information, here is a link to the 8th grade trip presentation…
Memorials, Monuments, and Museums Presentation Fall 2018
8th Grade American Mathematics Contest
The 8th Grade American Mathematics Contest (AMC 8) is a multiple choice examination in middle school mathematics designed to promote the development and enhancement of problem-solving skills. It is sponsored by the Mathematical Association of America. The contest is held yearly in November. Students from all over the country participate in this contest both individually and on a school-wide basis. In the past, students in 8th grade Algebra I accelerated have participated. We will continue this tradition, but would like to extend the opportunity to participate in the AMC8 Contest to all 8th grade math students this year.
The exam will be given during E period on November 13th. Students who do not have math during this time slot will be excused from their class. Although the test is challenging, it certainly allows for a variety of learners to meet success and experience a high level of mathematical thinking. Below are several links that will allow you to explore this contest. All students in Algebra I Accelerated math classes have been registered. If your child is in Math 8 and you are interested in having your child participate in this test, please complete this Google form to sign up. Please note: If your child is in Algebra I Accelerated, they have already been registered.
For information about the AMC 8 Contest, click here.
For sample test questions, click here.
It is important to register by Wednesday October 17, 2018. As always, please do not hesitate to contact your child's math teacher or Susan Bycoff at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Blake Student Council
Thank you to all Blake students who ran for Student Council and congratulations to this year's elected representatives. A list of representatives can be found on the Student Council website and our first meeting is Wednesday, 9/26 at 2:10 p.m. in room 303!
Parent/Guardian Sign-Offs
All families should have received an e-mail from '[email protected]' with 'Emergency Contact Information' in the subject line. We are asking all families to complete this digital sign-off for most of the beginning-of-year forms...
- Student Responsible Use Guidelines/Acceptable Use Policy
- School Handbook (and Addendum, where appropriate)
- Free and Reduced Lunch
- Your child's emergency contact information (all students) and additional contact/authorizations (Grades 1 through 5 only).
- Photo release form
#MedfieldProjectHappiness
Thank you to everyone for supporting #MedfieldProjectHappiness - a few notes for your reference...
- The daily inspiration from Project Happiness is included in the morning announcements to staff and students.
- To subscribe: https://www.projecthappiness.org
- To follow on Twitter: @happyblakers #MedfieldProjectHappiness
Blake Fall Intramurals
The 2018 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].
Media Notification
In order to promote some of the exciting programs and events in the Medfield Public Schools, we plan to continue the use of student photos on our district/school websites, teacher websites, blogs, and district approved Twitter accounts. In addition, there are times when we will have coverage in the local newspaper or on local TV. Please note, your child’s image or name may still appear within the school for classroom projects, hallway postings, in-school presentations, newsletters, yearbooks, and other in-school media. Please contact Nat Vaughn if you have any additional questions.
Box Top Collections
Box top collection runs 9/24-10/29. The cluster with the most box tops wins a prize. Homerooms will collect the box tops and they will be brought to the office weekly.
Seventh Grade Trip to Nature's Classroom
The seventh grade will be leaving at 6:30 am on Tuesday, October 23 for the annual trip to Nature's Classroom on Lake George. Students should arrive between 6:10 and 6:20 am and report directly to their bus. You will be contacted if you have any outstanding paperwork or money due. On Friday, 8/31 we went over the roommate process with the students during science class. Students will not begin signing up for roommates until after the parent presentation on 9/11. We also handed out a sheet outlining final details and a packing list for the trip. The sheet will also be shared digitally with students next week and can be found by clicking here. If you have any questions, please contact Judy Silva, [email protected]. In addition, please be sure to contact Tricia Williams regarding any medical needs, allergies, or health concerns ([email protected] or 508-242-8554). We are looking forward to the trip!
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.)
Bird Seed Request
With the new school year upon us, Mr. Gow is looking to replenish his bird seed supply for the Exploration classes that he teaches. The most needed bird food is "black oiled sunflower seed." Please contact him at [email protected] or drop off a bag at the front office.
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 2018-2019 school year. Stay tuned for more information and we hope you can join in these discussions!
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". 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 PTO News
The first Blake PTO meeting of the year will be held on September 25 at 7:00 pm in the LMC- come learn what the PTO is all about! All are welcome!
Volunteers needed! We are in need of a Hospitality Chair or Co-Chairs, who help coordinate 3-4 teacher luncheons a year. It's a great way to get involved and appreciate the wonderful staff at our school! Also, there are few other positions available. Please visit the PTO volunteer page to find out how you can get involved. Below is the link to the volunteer form. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScVH6fbiK1-cVI5r7yu42e6szW5bnuT2EUO9qk3CLc-l9A8UQ/viewform
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