2/8-2/12 - Term 2 Family Outreach Period
2/11 - School Committee Meeting
2/15-2/19 - February Vacation
3/4 - Incoming 6th Grade Information Night (see info below)
3/9 - Incoming 7th/8th Grade Information Night (see info below)
3/10 - Blake PTO Meeting (7 p.m.)
3/11 - School Committee Meeting
3/26 - Teacher Professional Day
No School for Students
Question of the Week
To help encourage conversations and dialogue about the ways we intentionally make use of the time we have, our question of the week is: What are you looking forward to doing or hoping to do over the vacation week? Taking the Time (Week of 2/7/21) (This is an anonymous Google Form)
Black History Month Update
The Black History Month planning team has met to formalize plans to celebrate and honor Black History Month at Blake. Black History Month is a month dedicated to recognizing, honoring, and celebrating the countless contributions Black Americans have made to society. We are looking forward to honoring Black History Month again through some shared learning experiences. We have held grade-level assemblies and asking each advisory to decorate their classroom doors by spotlighting a Black American who has made a significant contribution to our society.
Check out the Blake MERJ February Newsletter!
Incoming Information Nights - Mark Your Calendars!
3/4 - Incoming 6th Grade Information Night at 6:30 p.m.
This night is for all parents/guardians of incoming sixth grade (current fifth grade) students. We will be presenting information about the 6th grade program of studies and curriculum, previewing the students' experience that they will have next year along with an overview of the middle school. A more detailed presentation about the logistics of the 2020-2021 academic year’s mobile learning Initiative will take place during this evening as well.
3/9 - Incoming 7th/8th Grade Information Night at 6:30 p.m.
This night is for all parents/guardians of incoming seventh and eighth grade (current sixth and seventh grade) students. We will be sharing information about the 7th and 8th grade program of studies and curriculum, previewing the students' experience that they will have next year.
Building Aides Needed at Blake!
Are you or is someone that you know interested in working at Blake Middle School? We are looking for four building aides for the 2020-2021 school year. If you are available Monday-Tuesday or Thursday-Friday to align with your family’s Cohort schedules, that would work as well. Please contact Kelly Campbell ([email protected]) if you are interested or would like more information.
Upcoming Fundraiser Event for Blake PTO
Below please find a link with information regarding an upcoming fundraiser for the Blake PTO on March 6, 2021.
Save the Date - Blake PTO Virtual Cooking Class Fundraiser
Chinese New Year
2021 Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival 春节 (chūn jié). It marks the beginning of the new lunar year. For this year, Chinese New Year falls on Friday, February 12th, and it is the year of the Ox.
The celebration goes on for 15 days, which includes having reunion dinner on the Chinese New Year Eve, exchanging gifts, giving red envelope,
setting off firecrackers, watching Chinese New Year Gala and dragon dance.
You can use the following link to read more about Chinese New Year!
https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/special-report/chinese-new-year/
Wish you all
新 年 快 乐 (xīn nián kuài lè): Happy New Year!
心 想 事 成 (xīn xiǎng shì chéng): May all your wishes come true!
Go Block Changes and Reminders
- Remote GO Block for Cohorts A,B, and C (7:50-8:05 a.m.) will no longer take place at Blake.
- Students are encouraged to use this time at home to get settled and set up for their day prior to zooming in to their first class of the day. Please take a moment to review the details of your child's schedule with them to be sure that they know what time their first class will be starting each day.
- In-Person GO Block will continue to be an important part of our day at Blake.
- Families are reminded that students should arrive at Blake by 7:40, allowing plenty of time to walk to their GO Block classroom and arrive on time for the start of school at 7:50 a.m.
- The start time of school on Wednesdays for all students is 8:00 a.m. (students should arrive by 7:50 a.m.).
- If you travel by car, please allow plenty of time, especially as it seems many students are being driven on these increasingly cold mornings and we are seeing an increase in tardiness to school.
- All Cohort D students will continue to be expected to attend GO Block with Mr. Gagne and Mr. Sullivan each morning.
(Hint: While most portals are displayed in windows of downtown businesses, don’t forget to check outside the Medfield schools too! Each portal will be marked with the logo above.)
Knowledge Quest participants will also have the opportunity to win a gift card to Park Street Books. For more details and to sign up for the Knowledge Quest, visit https://www.medfieldtogether.com/bhkq.
ATTN: 8th Grade Students & Parents!
Please visit this website for information from the high school. https://sites.google.com/email.medfield.net/welcome-class-of-2025/home
Here is the link to the high school program of studies. If you have questions about the placement process, the names and e-mail addresses of the respective department chairs are below…
- Science
Orla Berry - [email protected] - English
Gail Duffy - [email protected] - Mathematics
Jess Safer - [email protected] - Social Studies
Kathleen Emerson - [email protected] - Mathematics
Jess Safer - [email protected] - World Language
Ellen Toubman - [email protected]
- February 22 - March 3 - Teachers make recommendations in Aspen
- Thursday, March 4th @2:00pm - Aspen will be “Live” for 8th grade students
- March 5 - March 12 - Students make their Course Selections
- March 15 - 25 - HS Guidance Counselors meet with students and go through their student course selections
Synchronous Learning Reminders from Blake
Blake Synchronous Learning Letter - January 15, 2021
As always, thank you for your support, flexibility, grace, and understanding as we walk this path together as a community.
- 6th Grade students are required to attend their English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies classes on their remote learning days.
- 7th and 8th Grade students are required to attend their English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and World Language/Reading classes on remote learning days.
- Our expectation is that students maintain the norms and routines that have been set for remote participation in classes, including appropriate usage of the chat feature and respect for all students and staff - Blake's Netiquette Guidelines 2020-2021
- All students should arrive on time and be prepared for their Zoom classes with fully charged devices, materials, and headphones/earbuds.
- All students are expected to have the video enabled, and camera ON during Zoom sessions. If you have any concerns about this, please contact your teacher or guidance counselor.
Term 2 Family Outreach Period - 2/8-2/12
The week of 2/8-2/12 is the Term 2 Family Outreach week for Blake Middle School. During this week, teachers will send an e-mail to families to notify them if their student is consistently not meeting the standard in an area OR if they do not have sufficient data to assess their student at that point in the term due to absence or missing work. If students are meeting the standards, families will not receive an e-mail from teachers. No news is good news. Please know that you may reach out to teachers or your child's guidance counselor if you have questions or concerns about their progress.
Challenge Success Update
- On Thursday Feb. 4th, Medfield Talks presented "WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR CHILD NEEDS HELP" featuring Christi Barney of B&W Hospital, Kathy McDonald of Medfield Outreach and David Worthley of Medfield Schools. The discussion on navigating a crisis provided details on when to seek help and from whom (pediatrician, therapist, school, etc). Future events by Medfield Talks will be announced soon.
- Medfield's Challenge Success group, comprised of students, teachers, administrators and parents, had a coaching session with Challenge Success mentors on Monday, February 8th (rescheduled from Feb. 1st). Stay tuned for a recap!
- As always, if you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to reach out to Kristen Careau at [email protected]
Start With Hello
Start With Hello presented to all Blake Middle School students over the last week via virtual assemblies. Start With Hello teaches students the skills they need to reach out and include those who may be dealing with chronic social isolation and create a culture of inclusion and connectedness within our classrooms and school. Following the assemblies, students had the opportunity to discuss and reflect the presentation with classmates and their advisors. Our Student Council will be involved in brainstorming and implementing ideas for students and our community.
For further information, please visit: https://www.sandyhookpromise.org/our-programs/start-with-hello/. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s Guidance Counselor.
Blake MERJ Update
The focus for this month is Black History Month - Check out the Blake MERJ February Newsletter!
Here is the mission statement for the district-wide MERJ group...
Medfield Educators for Racial Justice seeks to promote racial justice and equity within the Medfield Public Schools and the larger Medfield community through staff development and education, curriculum review, design, and implementation, and community outreach and partnership. Through reflection, discussion, and action, we seek to promote an antiracist and anti-bias education in order to better prepare our students, staff, and community members to engage in meaningful dialogue and to ultimately make our schools a more equitable, just, and inclusive learning community.
Summer Reading Input?
It's summer at Blake! The summer reading team will meet in early February to begin looking at titles for this summer's reading choices. Have a book you would like to recommend? Please share with Kerry Cowell ([email protected]) and Kara Gelormini ([email protected]). Happy Reading!
Blake Intramurals
Please go to the website for a list of offerings and registration info. If you have any questions, please contact Matt Marenghi ([email protected]).
ZoomProv!
ZoomProv! (virtual improv comedy club) will meet every Monday at 2:45 beginning next week. Open to all Blake students who would like to play some improv games and embrace their silly side. No experience necessary. Head to the Blake Intramural page to sign up and check out other club offerings as well. If you have any questions, contact Kara Gelormini ([email protected]).
Blake is Social
Blake is Social would love any and all work from students. We love to show off what makes Blake special. We meet every Monday via zoom, if interested please reach out to Mrs. McClelland at [email protected]
Cold Weather Attire
Please remind students to be sure that they dress in layers and bring hats, gloves, and coats to school. We will certainly be mindful of outdoor lunches but will hopefully be having outdoor mask breaks as much as possible.
Blake Battles Bias
Is your 7th or 8th grade student interested in matters of racial justice and other forms of bias? BBB (Blake Battles Bias) meets every other Wednesday from 12-12:30. New members are always welcome. Any interested 7th or 8th grader should reach out to Mrs. Gelormini [email protected]
Blake’s GSA
Come and join our zoom, Thursday from 2:30-3:00. Need the zoom link? Reach out to [email protected] Please feel free to contact Mrs. McClelland, Mrs. Dondero, or Mr. Marenghi with any questions.
Medfield Outreach
Medfield Outreach is offering WEEKLY MENTAL HEALTH DROP IN HOURS. Are you a Medfield parent or student who is feeling extra stressed, down or anxious? Want to talk to someone but you're not sure who or if what you're going through warrants ongoing therapy? We are availble to listen and help! Medfield Outreach is now offering Weekly Drop-In Mental Health Open Hours for STUDENTS on: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 - 3:30pm and ADULTS on: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10-11:30am. Email [email protected] to sign up for a free confidential specific time slot via telehealth.
Racial Trauma: The Psychological Consequences Of Racism Across The Lifespan
Thursday, 2/18 at 7 p.m.
Experiences of racism and racial discrimination have been found to significantly predict racial stress and trauma (e.g., Carter et al., 2013). Despite both the prevalence of racial discrimination (e.g., between 50 and 75% of Black, Hispanic, and Asians reporting experiences of racial discrimination; Lee et al., 2019) and its consistent association with racial stress and trauma, most mental health providers and supports lack the necessary training to assess and treat racial trauma in therapeutic settings (Hemmings & Evans, 2018). As such, this program uses recent and relevant research to facilitate mental health clinicians’ understanding of racial trauma and its sequelae, across the lifespan. The virtual presentation will provide an overview of the history of racial trauma and its proposed recommendations for treatment. Conceptualization of racial trauma as a form of psychological distress arising from experiences of racism and racial discrimination yet, distinct from the traditional trauma framework will be highlighted. Finally, strategies for effective assessment and treatment of racial trauma will be discussed.
Learning Objectives:
- Define racial trauma in the context of mental health assessment and treatment.
- Identify the mental and physical health symptoms correlated with significant experiences of racial discrimination and its mental health consequences and integrate clinical tools for assessing the mental health impact of racial discrimination and racial trauma in therapeutic contexts.
- Apply an understanding of the conceptual models of racial socialization and racial identity development to the assessment and treatment planning of racial trauma.
Dr. Jernigan-Noesi brings almost two decades of experience as a health professional. As a clinical-researcher, Dr. Jernigan-Noesi’s contributions to the field of behavioral health have earned recognition from numerous organizations including the Ford Foundation and the American Psychological Association. She is Director of the Intersections Research Lab.
Building Partnerships Inside and Outside the Classroom
Friday, 2/19 at 1 p.m.
CASEL CARES is an initiative for anyone who supports young people to connect to experts in social and emotional learning on key topics during these challenging times.
Authentic school-community partnerships help create and support positive student experiences both in school and out of school. But how do you align in-school and out-of-school work on social and emotional learning? That’s what the Partnerships for Social Emotional Learning Initiative (PSELI) sought to uncover in a multiyear project across six school district communities. (Learn more: http://bit.ly/3qkceEq)
Join CASEL, the Wallace Foundation, and district and community leaders from Palm Beach County as they share findings about how school and out-of-school time partners can work together to align and implement SEL. Recommended for district leaders, school leaders, and community partners, attendees will gain insights about how to support the adults in the community, improve school climate, and create seamless experiences for students.
A New Way Forward - Leaning into a Learner-Centered Mindset in 2021
Thursday, 2/25 at 3 p.m.
What possibilities did the chaos of 2020 expose us to?
2020 is (finally) in the history books, which means we’ve now spent ten months navigating this strange, COVID-19 world—putting our best foot forward to continue providing learner-centered experiences for our young people.
What have we learned since March 2020? What are the bright spots learner-centered education leaders and practitioners have found while navigating this new world? These questions will be driving our third A New Way Forward summit February 25th (3:00pm-5:00pm EST).
By attending this summit, you will gain FREE access to the keynote and workshops hosted by learner-centered leaders who have found success in their learning communities in spite of the many challenges the pandemic has thrown everyone’s way.
Stretch and Movement Break for Students and Families
The Blake Wellness Staff is providing 2 minute "Movement Break" videos for all students and staff to utilize throughout their school day. Whether you are in person learning or remote, you have access to these videos at your grade-level Blake Hybrid Learning Website. You can also visit our Blake Wellness Website for more resources!
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.
Google Classroom Tips for Families
Resharing a resource for families:
Blake Middle School - Google Classroom Tips
‘Go to Site’ for Hybrid Learning at Blake
Please bookmark and utilize our Hybrid Learning site - this is the ‘go to’ resource for students and families - thanks to Diane Horvath, our Technology Integration Specialist, for her work in establishing this resource…
Blake Middle School Hybrid Learning Website - 2020-2021
Resources for Families
CASEL CARES: Permission To Feel for Kids with Dr. Marc Brackett
(57:11)
Blake ‘EdChats’ - Adapting and Learning
We are trying out some ‘edchats’ with Blake teachers/staff as a way to connect and share what we are thinking and talking about as a community of learners. Each chat will have a particular focus and we will take some time to talk through a few questions. Check out our chats…
Adapting and Learning - EdChat # 2 (Learning)
(Maura Batts, Tom Woods, Seth Hellerstein, Marjorie Heim, Michael Gow)
Adapting and Learning - EdChat # 1(Learning)
(Jason Heim, Orla Berry, Brian Gavaghan, Susan Bycoff, Marissa Gumas, and Diane Horvath)
Blake PTO Update
The Medfield K-8 PTO is looking for a publicist to join the board! The role involves promoting PTO’s events and fundraising efforts through the weekly school newsflashes, blogs and on social media. If you are interested or for more information, please contact Nicole Drummond ([email protected])
Virtual Class @ Home Cooking New York
Saturday, March 6, 2021 5 PM to 6:30 PM.
The Blake PTO is hosting a pizza party! We will learn how to make homemade dough, sauce, and the sky's the limit on topping choices. All proceeds will go towards the students and staff of Blake Middle School. The cost is $50 per household and we have a max of 60 households that can attend. Details and signups will be coming soon. You'll make: Quick Pizza Dough, Classic Tomato Sauce, Sheet Pan Pizzas.
HOW THESE VIRTUAL CLASS WILL WORK:
1) After registering, you will be sent a link to log into the class at the appointed date/time along with the list of ingredients that you will need to have on hand.
2) One day before the class you will be sent a copy of the recipes we'll be making, so you can cook from them again after the class!
MCPE Update
MAKE A DIFFERENCE. BE PART OF OUR TEAM! MCPE is looking for new board members-men and women from the Medfield community with various skill sets and interests who want to have a voice in the improvements that reach our classrooms! Board members do not need to have kids currently in the school system—just a desire to support and enrich the Medfield Schools. Board members will serve a 3-year term and attend meetings one evening a month during the school year. The time commitment required to join the Board can be organized to fit the schedules of both stay-at-home and working parents. Interested? We’d love to hear from you! Apply here by March 8th: https://www.medfieldcoalition.org/volunteer-application-form #OneMedfield