This week’s Paw Prints from Principal Katie Grassa:

• Extended Learning Time: Many of you have seen the proposal around extending the school day for K-8 Schools in Boston. Our School Site Council (SSC) voted unanimously to apply to begin as part of cohort 1 in September. This week we will submit an application. This does not mean that we have been chosen and once we know the outcome we will notify all families. If we are chosen we will form a committee that involves families, staff and administration in the planning process.
• Community Music Center Performance: Please join us for the Community Music Center Winter Concert on Thursday, January 22nd, at 9AM in the Upper School Auditorium. Grades K2, 1, 3, 4, 5, PACE and SIFE will participate. The School Parent Council (SPC) will provide refreshments before the concert. All are welcome to attend! The CMCB schedule will change next week and the grades that don’t currently have music will have it for the remainder of the school year. There will be a spring concert where they are able to perform.

  The Curley K-8 music program is entirely funded by donations from the Curley school parent community (SPC/School Parent Council) and grants from the Community Music Center of Boston.

• ACCESS Testing: All of our English Language Learners (ELLs) are required to participate in the ACCESS test. This involves a written exam as well as a speaking test. All students will be tested over the next three to four weeks. The results of this test will help to decide the student English Language Development Level (ELD).
• Support for the Patriots: The Patriots are headed to the Super Bowl! To show our support for the home team we will ask students and staff to wear Patriots gear or red, white and blue on Friday, January 30th.
• Book Drive: Teachers have expressed a need for certain books for their classrooms, which we’ve compiled as an Amazon school wish list. School lists work just like a wedding registry or a baby registry – you simply select the books and the quantity you’d like to purchase from the registry and have them shipped to the school.

  Here is the link:
  http://amzn.com/sl/2KEE815C2ZYC8

  If you are already shopping from Amazon but don’t have the link handy, just look under School Lists and select the Curley K-8 School to access the wish list. On behalf of the teachers, thank you for your contributions! To learn more, please email Inci Kaya at incikaya34@hotmail.com or call her at 617-794-8579.

• Snow: During this winter we would like to ask all families to talk with their children to be careful around snow. We want all students to be safe as they enter and exit school and we are asking that all adults and students leave the snow on the ground during those times. We are also asking that families and students use the shoveled spaces to walk and do not walk through the snowy yard. This is to help assure that no one falls and gets hurt. Thank you!
• Social Media: If you are on Twitter be sure to follow me @principalgrassa. This is a great way to share up to date information about the Curley.