9/9 - School Committee Meeting
9/13 - Blake Battles Bias Info Meeting (details below)
9/15 - Blake Student Council Info Meeting (details below)
9/16 - Yom Kippur - No School
9/20 - Blake Picture Day
9/23 - DEI Task Force Meeting
10/11 - No School
10/29 - Half-Day for Students
Professional Afternoon for Staff
Question of the Week
To encourage dialogue and reflection about learning and growth, our question for the week is: What are you hoping to learn this year? A Learning Community (Week of 9/6/21) (This is an anonymous Google Form)
Message from Medfield Nurses
The nurses are thrilled to welcome back our students! We just want to share a few updates from the spring.
*VERY IMPORTANT: Please complete the Student Emergency Health Form. This electronic form replaces the former blue paper emergency sheet.
The new protocols are attached but here are a few highlights:
1. The list of potential COVID 19 symptoms, which we ask that you assess your children for each day before sending them to school, now looks at combinations of symptoms requiring testing. For example, a sore throat alone no longer requires testing but a sore throat in combination with a stuffy nose or cough would require a test. There are also fewer symptoms that require a test if the individual is vaccinated.
2. Individuals who are fully vaccinated may still be identified as close contacts (defined as within 6' for greater than 15 minutes while indoors) to a person testing positive for COVID 19 so that they are aware to get a test if they develop symptoms but are not required to test or quarantine if asymptomatic.
3.Unvaccinated individuals who are identified as close contacts at school may continue to come to school as long as they wear a mask and test negative each school day for 5 days. Antigen Rapid Testing will be provided at school with parent permission. This Test and Stay Program does not apply to close contacts identified outside of school.
4. To adequately space students while they have their masks off while eating, students will be eating in additional areas besides the cafeteria, sometimes further away from the nurse and Epinephrine medications. We ask that parents continue to be mindful of not sending Nuts/Peanuts/Peanutbutter into school. Please let the school nurse know if that is an issue for your child.
5. If your child has an allergy to or is unable to use hand sanitizer, please let the school nurse know.
6. Consent for Pooled testing, also referred to as Routine COVID Safety Checks, in K-12 will be sent home next week.
COVID by the Numbers
Traffic Patterns and Safety Concerns
The safety and well-being of our students and families is of utmost importance. Some important notes and reminders...
- Please be mindful of all individuals (students, adults, bikers) when dropping off and picking up students.
- The driveway on the auditorium side of Medfield High School is for buses only from 7-8 a.m. and 2-3 p.m.
- All drivers need to drive slowly and carefully, adhering to proper speed limits.
- Please be sure to yield at crosswalks and come to a complete stop at the stop signs.
- For those families with students who are biking to and from school, please remind your students to wear helmets and to be mindful of both walkers and the traffic flow. Bikers should remain on sidewalks at all times while on campus - we have observed students biking through the traffic circles and the staff parking lots.
This is a reminder to all Blake families to email [email protected] in order to notify us of an early dismissal needed due to an appointment or other reasons. Your email will serve as written permission for your child to be dismissed. If you have a last minute dismissal that your student is not aware of, please call the main office in addition to providing the written notice in order to assure that we get it in time.
Arts in Education Week (9/12-9/18)
Next week (9/12-9/18) is Arts in Education Week. I have shared this with our art and music departments.
National Arts in Education Week | Americans for the Arts
Blake Student Council
Attention all Blakers! There will be an informational meeting about Student Council on Wednesday September 15th in room 506- Mrs. Ruminski's room in the 6th grade wing. If you think you may be interested in joining or want to see what Student Council is all about, then we hope to see you there! If you can't make the meeting but you still might be interested or have any questions, please contact Mrs. Ruminski or Mrs. Shaw. Hope to see you there
Blake Intramurals
Mr. Marenghi will be connecting with all Blake students this week to see what types of intramurals they are interested in - so far, a couple requests for Dungeons and Dragons. We hope to have the offering available the week of September 13th.
Message from the Blake LMC
The Blake Library is open! Check out our website for all info & resources
Blake Battles Bias
There will be an informational meeting for those interested in Blake Battles Bias on Monday, September 13th after school in Ms. Thress' room, 505. BBB is a group of 7th and 8th Grade student leaders who are united in the purpose of educating themselves and others about different kinds of bias. We invite any interested 6th graders to join us in the spring. BBB students promote inclusion and being an ally: understanding, respecting, being interested in people’s differences, recognizing bias, and standing up for others. We look forward to seeing our members from last year and welcoming new members! If you have any questions please see Ms. Thress or Mrs. Gelormini.
Reminder - Family Inventories - Thanks!
Thanks to all who have completed the Family Learning Surveys for their students. If you have not yet had a chance, please take a few minutes as the information shared will help us support both students and families...
Blake Student Learning Survey 2021-2022
(This link has been sent to students and they can only access this link via their Medfield e-mail accounts.)
Blake Family Learning Survey 2021-2022
** Here is a list of the questions students were asked…
- Last Name, First Name
- 'What is your preferred name in school?' (For example, Mr. Vaughn's first name is Nathaniel, but he goes by 'Nat'; or if you 'go by' your middle name rather than your first name)
- What cluster are you on this year?
- What are your interests and hobbies?
- How do you learn best (e.g., watching videos, reading articles, listening to podcasts)?
- I like working (individually, in groups, both individually and in groups)
- What skills/strengths do you bring to group work?
- What type of projects do you like to do to demonstrate your learning (e.g., making movies, recording a podcast, quizzes/tests, writing an essay, building a diagram, etc.)?
- "I am comfortable independently completing the assignments my teachers give me to do without help from others (my teachers, parents, siblings, etc.)." (1-5 scale of strongly disagree to strongly agree)
- "I am comfortable creating a plan or schedule independently to organize the work I need to complete without help from others (my teachers, parents, siblings, etc.)." (1-5 scale of strongly disagree to strongly agree)
- I am comfortable asking my teachers for help when I need it with my assignments. (1-5 scale of strongly disagree to strongly agree)
- I am comfortable using technology for my schoolwork. (1-5 scale of strongly disagree to strongly agree)
- Parts of school and learning that I feel successful with are ...
- Parts of school and learning that I am nervous or unsure about are ...
- Teachers can help me with my learning by...
- What question(s) do you have about school this year?
- Please share anything else that you feel would be helpful for your teachers to know that will help you with your learning and comfort in school.
Similar to last year, our Information Nights will be structured and shared via a virtual, asynchronous format with recordings/videos of presentations from staff shared with families and posted on the Blake Website. Although it is certainly not the same as seeing Blake families in person, we hope that you find this information/format meaningful and helpful. Our hope is to have these videos/presentations available by the end of the month. Stay tuned for more information!
Theme of Imagination for 2021-2022
Our theme for the next academic year at Blake is one of Imagination. 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, Happiness, Curiosity, and Imagination. 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]).
Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand. - Albert Einstein
Creativity doesn’t happen without day dreaming. - Lin Manuel-Miranda
Demanding proof stalls creativity. New ideas need room to breathe, and a good imagination will always be ahead of the best evidence. - Adam Grant
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 Public Schools - Employment Opportunities and look under ‘Substitute Teaching’. Please contact Kelly Campbell at [email protected] with any questions.
From Medfield’s Coalition for Suicide Prevention and Medfield Outreach
Wednesday, 9/29 at 7 p.m.
WHEN:
Wednesday, September 29, 2021, 7:00 pm
WHERE:
Medfield High School Auditorium
WHAT/WHY:
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. In order to raise awareness and reduce the stigma of talking about mental health and suicide, the Medfield Coalition for Suicide Prevention (MCSP), a Medfield Foundation initiative, is hosting a screening of the film "My Ascension", which documents the true story of a young woman who survived a suicide attempt. A panel discussion of mental health professionals will follow the film.
SYNOPSIS:
A suicide attempt left 16-year-old varsity cheerleader, Emma Benoit, paralyzed, but propelled her on a mission to use her painful experience to help others find hope and shine more light on the fact that 20 young people die every day by suicide in the in the United States. My Ascension is a feature-length documentary that chronicles Emma's inspiring journey and quest to walk again, as she works to bring Hope Squad, a school-based suicide prevention program, to Louisiana. The film also highlights the stories of two remarkable young people who tragically did not survive their attempts, and we learn first-hand from their families, friends, school
officials, and suicide prevention experts about the devastating effects of suicide and what can be done to prevent it.
COST:
We kindly request donations to MCSP (see donation links below) if resources permit. No one will be denied participation based on inability to donate.
Questions?
Contact Medfield Outreach at [email protected] or at (508) 359-7121
For more information about the event and the Medfield Coalition for Suicide Prevention, please visit https://www.medfieldcsp.org/
Yoga on the Turf
9/26 at 12 p.m.
When: Sunday, September 26, 12 pm to 1 pm
What: As part of Suicide Prevention Month, we are offering a FREE Yoga on the Turf class on Sunday, September 26th! Tracy Buckley from Medfield Yoga Studio will lead an hour-long class outside at the Medfield High School turf. Come join us and nurture your mental and physical health!
All ages and levels are welcome. Please bring your own yoga mat and towel.
Challenge Success Update
Challenge Success Medfield Parent Group is working on identifying initiatives for the 2021-2022 school year across all grade levels (PreK-12). If you have an idea or you are interested in being on one of the planning or implementation committees, please reach out to Eric Baacke (HS), Kristen Careau (MS and upper elementary), and Nicole Hall (lower elementary). Challenge Success is always open to new ideas and new faces!
Medfield Outreach
Medfield Outreach is available for consultation appointments. E-mail [email protected] to sign up for a free confidential specific time slot via telehealth.
Webinars of Interest
Game Changer Series: A Conversation with Kapono Ciotti, Executive Director of What School Could Be
Wednesday, 9/8 at 4:00 p.m.
We are beyond thrilled to announce that Kapono Ciotti has joined What School Could Be as our new, and very dynamic, Executive Director. In this conversation, we'll learn about this remarkable educator, the experiences that shaped his world view, and his plans for taking the What School Could Be initiative forward in ways that support innovative educators all around the globe.
Featuring:
Kapono Ciotti is passionate about the science of teaching and learning and has put this practice to work as Director / Head of School at The American International School in Egypt. Kapono is an international trainer and professional development coach, teacher, and a culture and place-based curriculum writer, focusing on culturally appropriate pedagogy. With the Pacific American foundation, he has written for the Kai E’e, Malama Kaho’olawe and Aloha ‘Aina curriculums and facilitated numerous trainings for Department of Education, Charter, Independent and International Schools. He has over 12 years of classroom teaching before moving into senior administration in non-profit, high school and elementary school. He now leads one of the region’s most influential K-12 institutions, AISE. Kapono spent 15 years as a facilitator for the National Association of Independent Schools specializing in issues of diversity in education, and a contributor to national movements in project-based, and 21st century learning.
Kapono Ciotti earned a PhD in International education in 2018 from Northcentral University, holds a Masters degree in Social Change and Development from the University of Newcastle, Australia and a Bachelors in Language and Cultural Studies from The Evergreen State College, Washington.
Hosted by Ted Dintersmith (author, film producer, innovation expert, 2018 recipient of NEA’s Friend of Education Award) and guest co-host Tony Wagner (Senior Research Fellow, Learning Policy Institute, author of Learning By Heart and many other great books)!
It's Not Enough to Do Equity, You Must Be Equity: A Discussion on Equity Mindset Teaching and Learning
Thursday, 9/9 at 3 p.m.
The hottest topic in education today is equity. At its core, equity means "meeting youngsters where they are, as they are." In his latest book, The Equity & Social Justice Education 50, Principal Kafele argues that this requires a teacher who possesses an equity mindset. If equity is all about meeting the individual needs of all of the learners in the classroom, he asserts, then equity can’t solely be something that you do. It must, emphatically, be who you are. Join him for a robust discussion of his latest book and the importance of the equity mindset.
Healing, Community, and Humanity: How Students and Teachers Want to Reinvent Schools After the Pandemic
Thursday, 9/16 at 3 p.m.
Join Justin Reich, Jal Mehta, and Neema Avashia for the release of a new report about pandemic schooling: Healing, Community, and Humanity: How Students and Teachers Want to Reinvent Schools After the Pandemic (https://edarxiv.org/nd52b/)
Understanding the experiences of students and teachers during pandemic schooling is vital to educational recovery and building back better. In the spring of 2021, we conducted three research exercises: 1) we invited 200 teachers to interview their students about the past year and share their findings, 2) we interviewed 50 classroom teachers, and 3) we conducted ten multistakeholder design charrettes with students, teachers, school leaders, and family members to begin planning for the 2021-2022 recovery year. Together our findings form a "view from the ground" during pandemic schooling.
The primary themes in our interviews, focus groups, and design charrettes were an emphasis on healing, community, and humane reinvention. Students and teachers told us that the best things about the pandemic year were when it created opportunities to slow down and build real relationships between teachers and students and their families and when students were given more independence to be in charge of their learning, their bodies, and their development. When we asked them about what problems they hoped policymakers would address about schooling next year, students and teachers talked less about COVID and more about long-standing problems with schools: buildings and classrooms that are uncomfortable to learn in, overstuffed curriculum that limited opportunities for human connection and interest-based exploration, overzealous policing of bodies and behavior, early start times that are out of sync with adolescent biology, and more.
How to Navigate Re-entry Stress
Hosted by SPARK Kindness
Wednesday, 10/20 at 7 p.m.
During the pandemic, many families delighted in a slower, more intentional way of life and are now overwhelmed by the demands and pressures of re-entry. Author (Minimalist Parenting) + podcaster (Edit Your Life) Christine Koh will share practical advice for how to navigate re-entry stress, including tactics to manage calendar creep, maintain boundaries, protect time for yourself and with your family, and continue to tap into the things you and your family truly care about.
About our Presenter
Christine Koh is a music and brain scientist turned multimedia creative. She is a fierce believer in the power of humans, small moments and actions, and vulnerable, authentic storytelling. She communicates on these beliefs through her work as a writer (she is a regular contributor at the Washington Post, Boston Globe Magazine, and CNN; co-author of Minimalist Parenting; and founder of the award-winning blog Boston Mamas), podcaster (Edit Your Life, Hello Relationships), designer (Brave New World Designs), and creative director (Geben Communication). You can find her at @drchristinekoh on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.