Blake High School PTSA

Proceeds from Blake’s Silent Auction help us support our school’s outstanding academic environment, which includes a Signature Program in Fine Arts and Humanities. These funds help us enhance technology programs, such as our interactive Promethean Boards, and student programs, which may support areas like the National Award Winning student newspaper, the Blake Beat, or one of our Nationally Recognized musical theatre productions, like Les Miserables.

Here is how you can help:
• Contribute an Item or Service to be auctioned individually or bundled in a themed basket;
• Contribute an In-Kind Donation, such as food, beverage, or decorative items for the dinner;
• If you’re a business or organization, consider a Sponsorship of an Auction Table or Festival Hall.

Any item donated is a tax deductible contribution!

To make a donation to the 2010 Blake Silent Auction, please print the Auction Donation/Sponsorship Form, available on this web page. (See attached for mailing address).

Questions? Contact auction@blakeptsa.org.

Please remember to send in your Blake Blue Note articles for February and March by Jan. 23rd!  Please send the submittals to blakebluenote@yahoo.com/.

The Blake Counseling Department and Hospice Caring Inc. will be beginning our annual “Good Grief Group” this spring for students grieving a loss.  The primary purpose of the group is to provide a safe place where grief and loss can be expressed, and coping tools can be learned and practiced. Note – this is not a psychotherapy group, rather, it is a peer-support group.  Through listening to other group member’s stories, students discover they are not alone.   Grief and loss support groups provide an opportunity for adolescents to gain mastery that will benefit them now, and for the rest of their lives.
If your son or daughter has lost a close family member or friend recently, or even years ago and might be interested in participating, please reply directly to Christina_R_Gelb@mcpsmd.org.  Students will be interviewed to determine whether the group is appropriate or needed.  A parent/guardian letter and permission form will be sent home with the student.  This 7-week group will be co-lead by Ms. Gelb and a facilitator from Hospice Caring.
Thanks for your referrals!  Feel free to email me with any questions.

Welcome to our web site and to the 2009-2010 school year!  We welcome your feedback on this web page—please email Beth Blevins (vp@blakeptsa.org) if you have suggestions or comments, or announcements to add to this site.

–Robina Barlow, PTSA President (president@blakeptsa.org)

This Thursday, 7:30 pm, in the Black Box Theater, the Stage Company will host a performance by the Harvard DINS, an a cappella singing group from Harvard. Alum Justin Pereira is a member.

The program will last about 90 minutes and tickets will sell for $10 for all attending. In addition, the DINS will have their very own CD to sell.

This is a bit last minute, but we are very happy to establish something that is “alum-oriented” and hope to plan future “events” involving our graduates. Read more »

The James Hubert Blake High School chapter of the National Honor Society welcomes 42 new members. The formal induction took place on Monday, December 7, 2009.  Candidates for the National Honor Society are evaluated on four criteria:  leadership, scholarship, character, and service.  Members must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or weighted 4.0.  Ms. Beth Shepherd and Ms. Katie Kodan are the NHS advisors. 

The new members are:  Alexandra Abell, Daniel Arias, Nicholas Arnold-Medabalimi, Sarah Aylor, Lauren Barlow, Isabela Barriga, Adrienne Bush, Cynthia Cheng, Maia Chicherio, Git-Yee Chu, Aron Crews, Delaney Cruickshank, Somala Diby, Leanna Diggs, Rainier Gomez, Amy Gottlieb, Kelly Hanlon, Bridget Hawvermale, Ashley Haymaker, Blaire Hoffman, Lily Hua, Julie Huleis, Nicholas Hung, Dylan Hysen, Aimee Kohorst, Corinne Konoza, Sara Kushner, Jennifer Lien, Julia Maas, Quynh-Nhu Nguyen, Leena Owen, Joshua Paunil, Nicole Pontious, Linda Powers, Mariel Shilling, Gillian Spolarich, Britney Stuart, Sophia Venero, Shannon Wade, Kira Williams, Patrick Xiao

OLD SLR CAMERAS NEEDED

Do you have an old SLR camera, (35mm SLR cameras are film cameras that have a removable lens on the front), that you do not need anymore? They must be in working order. The Art Department is in immediate need of these. The lack of cameras is really impacting student performance.  Right now, there are several students whose cameras are broken that do not have access to other cameras. Old digital cameras are needed too.

Please drop them off in the Main Office or in E163.  If you have questions, please contact the front office, at 301-879-1300, or write to Ms. Hartenstine, Sara_Hartenstine@mcpsmd.org. Your donation will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for supporting the students at Blake.

Articles and announcements for the Blake Blue Note (the PTSA newsletter),  are due to the editors by Friday, November 20, for inclusion in the December/January issue.  Articles should be sent to blakebluenote@yahoo.com.

Montgomery County’s Health and Human Services, in cooperation with Shady Grove and Washington Adventist Hospital, will offer an injectable H1N1 vaccine (thimerosal-free) clinic for PREGNANT WOMEN by appointment only on Wednesday, November 4. Appointments can be made on Monday, November 2 between 3 and 5 p.m. by calling 240-777-4040. There is currently NO other vaccine available at this time (no nasal spray and no injectable) .

The clinics originally scheduled for November 4, 11 and 18 at Northwood, Rockville and Northwest High Schools are CANCELLED.

Health officials recommend that everyone consider receiving an H1N1 vaccination when supplies are available. Clinics for Montgomery County residents NOT in the target groups will be held at a later date. Dates and locations for clinics will be posted as soon as information is available. In addition to local health departments, retail locations and some private physicians will be receiving the H1N1 vaccine, as well. Montgomery County’s flu hotline — 240-777-4200 — is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Please check this website frequently for updated information about vaccine availability and clinic schedules: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgtmpl.asp?url=/content/exec/swine_flu/index.asp