Low Cost Internet Access

The Curley Technology Committee wants to make all families aware of a great opportunity to get a hot spot for wireless internet access from anywhere for only $10/mo. Tech Goes Home mission is to get all Boston residents online. They have partnered with providers for low-cost internet options.

You may have heard about the Comcast offer; however, Comcast’s offer is for a wired modem and can be difficult to obtain.

We recommend Mobile Beacon, which is $10/mo with a $29 set up fee. It offers unlimited data on a 4G network. There is no income test for this service. It is available solely based on zip code.

Directions:

• Go to the website: ConnectingBoston.org
• Click on “Click Here for Low Cost Internet Options”.
• Type in your zip code.
• Select “Yes, my child receives free price school meals” (Everyone in BPS does now) and click on View Offers.
• We recommend Mobile Beacon for a wireless hot spot on a 4G network with unlimited data. Click on “Enroll Online” under Mobile Beacon.

School Meals App

A reminder for next year – BPS has an app to keep track of the what is available for lunch for your student. Called the Nutrislice App, more information may be found on the school meals page.

For information about the low cost internet Access, the Nutrislice App, or the Curley’s ongoing technology work, please contact parent Sunny Schwarz.

The Hyde Square Task Force ( http://www.hydesquare.org ) and Boston Makers ( http://bostonmakers.org ) will join forces to offer summer maker workshops for children, teens, and adults. Starting on Tuesday, July 1st and running through Tuesday, August 12th, these fun, hands-on evening workshops will combine electronics with everyday crafts and require no previous experience with electronics.
The workshops are free and open to the public and will take place at the Youth Community Development Center which is behind the Blessed Sacrament Church and located at 361 Centre Street in Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 ( https://goo.gl/maps/q7dP5 ).

Advance sign-up is recommended to ensure a seat. Register for free at http://bit.ly/SM14Makers All minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times.

The workshops offered are:

Make an Electronic Summer Hat: Impress your friends and family with a hat that lights up, sparkles, and glows in different colors! Participants will create a design for the hat in the first workshop and learn how to sew washable microcontroller into it in the second workshop. Workshop participants need to bring any kind of summer hat they would like to decorate. This workshop requires two sessions to complete the project and will be run on Tuesdays July 1st & July 8th from 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Electronic Greeting Cards: Surprise someone by giving them a card that you created yourself that lights up! You will brainstorm a design for a personal greeting card in the first workshop and then create it using conductive paint and an electric battery in the second. All materials will be supplied. This workshop requires two sessions to complete the project and will run on Tuesdays July 15th & July 22nd from 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Experimenting with MaKey MaKey: MaKey MaKey ( http://www.makeymakey.com ) is easy to use microcontroller that can be used to replace a computer keyboard so things like bananas and twizzlers can be used to create music when you hook it up to a computer. You will experiment with different materials that can be used to create music with the Makey Makey. All materials will be supplied. This one session workshop will run on Tuesday July 29th from 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Drums Electric: You will create 2-3 drums of different sizes and shapes and embed LED lights into so that they light up when you play! All materials will be supplied.
This workshop requires two sessions to complete the project and will run on Tuesdays August 5th & August 12th from 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

What is a maker? Makerspaces ( http://makerspace.com ) are community-operated workspaces where people with common interests can create or be “makers” together. This includes people working in 3D printing, art, bicycle building and repair, CNC router, computer-aided design, electronics, electrical fabrication, fashion and textiles, jewelry, lampworking, laser cutting, machinery, metalworking, painting, photography, precision metal machining, publishing or printing, robotics, screen-printing, sculpture, software development, stained glass, sewing & fiber arts, video, welding, woodworking, and many other activities.

There are now makerspaces around the world (http://makerspace.com/makerspace-directory). Greater Boston already has some amazing ones, including Somerville’s Artisan Asylum ( http://www.artisansasylum.com ). So far, there are no makerspaces open to the general public in Boston, so a group of Bostonians in Jamaica Plain are working on opening one in the near future. To find out more or to get involved, sign up for their email list at http://bostonmakers.org.

About Hyde Square Task Force
The mission of Hyde Square Task Force is to develop the skills of youth and their families so they are empowered to enhance their own lives and build a strong and vibrant urban community. For more information, visit http://www.hydesquare.org .

About Boston Makers
Boston Makers serves a diverse community of adults, teens, and children by providing a safe, affordable and collaborative environment, access to mentors, peers, classes, tools and other resources that support the making of things that meld art, technology and culture in new ways.

For more information visit:

HOME

This school year, parents of the Curley community once again gave generously of their time to assist teachers in the classroom. As we heard on this website earlier in the year from new parent Dana Willeke, helping teachers out has been a big win-win for many who are able to help in this way.

Many thanks to you parents who showed up ready to do pretty much anything when you helped out: coach students individually with reading, math or other work; accompany classes on field trips; support our recent field day; brave the photocopiers with verve; read aloud to kids; do special classroom presentations; and much more.

Thank you teachers and Curley staff, for your willingness to welcome parents into your rooms and create partnerships for the sake of students’ learning. Thanks too for your patience as we try to improve the on-ramps to getting parents involved throughout the campus, from K0-8th grade. We’re hopeful that long term, more parents can get plugged in at the upper school level as well as the lower. Keep an eye out for a “volunteering wish list” questionnaire to survey your needs for this coming fall.

All parents: This week, if you have 30-60 minutes to help out Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday please email, call or text Leah Barcan. Each year the parent community tries to help the teachers with their end-of-year pack up. It’s a great way to make a difference and show the teachers our support. This year, a number of teachers are also changing rooms, so this really helps them out. Here is Leah’s contact info: Lbarcan@gmail.com.

This week’s Paw Prints from Principal Katie Grassa:

• End of the Year: The last day of school for ALL students is on Wednesday, June 25th. Also on Tuesday, June 24th and Wednesday, June 25th students will have a ½ day and be dismissed at 12:30pm.
• BPS Transportation: Below is a message from Transportation Director Carl Allen. I strongly recommend that the Curley K-8 community gets involved.
  

  This is a personal plea from me to get your students (grades 5 and up), your staff, your parents — and YOU registered for Community 
PlanIt and taking part in this really important community discussion.
 Register at communityplanit.org/bpsdot. It starts on Monday!!

  This is a great opportunity to use technology, talk
 about civic engagement, train students on responsible use of social media,
 and actually engage in a meaningful way on a policy matter that directly
 impacts THEM! 

I think this community conversation will be a good experience in its
 own right for those that take part — and clearly getting your
 community and kids talking and learning about it is important because
 riding the MBTA is going to be a bigger part of your school’s culture
 and that of BPS as a whole with the changes we’ve made.

  Please help me get folks signed up and in the game!! communityplanit.org/bpsdot

• Rockmonitor Midway Café Show: Thank you to all the families who joined us at the 3rd Annual Rockmonitor Midway Café Show. It was a wonderful evening and a fantastic showing of support from our community.
• CASP: The last day of CASP for this academic year will be Monday, June 23rd, 2014.
• Next Year Announcement: We are excited to announce that we will be hosting a team of City Year Corps Members next year! This is an important partnership, which will have a positive impact on our school climate and academic outcomes. We look forward to working closely with City Year over the summer to plan around the best interests for our school community!
• Thank You: I would personally like to thank all the Curley K-8 families for your continued support as I navigated my first year as a principal. I have appreciated your patience, feedback and participation in support of our school! I wish you all an enjoyable and restful summer and I look forward to further successes in SY 2014-2015. Please be sure to read with your child this summer and mark your calendars for the first day of school on Thursday, September 4, 2014 for all students in grades 1-8 and Monday, September 8, 2014 for all students in K1 and K2.

Curley music teacher and headliner Jay Gates in the middle of his amazing Rod Stewart Tribute performance

It’s THIS Friday: THE funnest Curley event of the year!

The 3rd Annual RockMonitor Show is on Friday, June 20th. Music starts at 9pm the Midway Cafe at 3496 Washington St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130.

BUT COME AT 8PM! “Rod Stewart” aka Mr. Gates, plays right at 9pm, so come at 8pm and not be left out on the sidewalk.

For those of you who missed it last year, read the recap full of the awesomeness that was one of the best evenings of last year.

This year’s bands, made up in the main of Curley parents are as follows, though our headliner again is the one and only Mr. Jay Gates, our music teacher, with The Rod Stewart Tribute who leads off the evening at 9pm:

• The Rod Stewart Tribute
• deadbeat daddies
• shop rat
• Bel Biv Duo
• Bounce-opoulos

Suggested donation $20

Tickets can be purchased at the door night of …or here:
http://midwaycafe.com/our/details?id=100910

This is an adults-only 21+ venue, so book your sitters now!

For more information, please contact Molly, Katie, or Joe.

Curley After School Program (CASP) Director Torri Canada wants to announce that the CASP Summer Program will take place as planned at the Curley rather than at the Hennigan as some of you may have heard. The CASP Summer Program will be held in the lower school rather than the upper school because of the planned construction of the new playing field. Please enter through the 40 Pershing Road entrance. For more information, visit the CASP page.

She and her entire CASP team also want to add a few words of thanks for another successful year. She writes:

As CASP we would like to take the opportunity to thank all the CASP parents for helping us throughout this academic year!  It has been an amazing experience for all of us!  Thank you for all your continuous love and support!  We had an awesome time!!!

‘’The Casp Rocks’’ cake is an example of a donation from a CASP parent!

Thank you,
CASP

This week’s Paw Prints from Principal Katie Grassa:

• June 17th: There will be no school for students tomorrow, Tuesday, June 17th in observance of Bunker Hill Day.
• End of the Year: The last day of school for ALL students is on Wednesday, June 25th. Also on Tuesday, June 24th and Wednesday, June 25th students will have a ½ day and be dismissed at 12:30pm.
• BPS Transportation: Below is a message from Transportation Director Carl Allen. I strongly recommend that the Curley K-8 community gets involved.
  

  This is a personal plea from me to get your students (grades 5 and up), your staff, your parents — and YOU registered for Community 
PlanIt and taking part in this really important community discussion.
 Register at communityplanit.org/bpsdot. It starts on Monday!!

  This is a great opportunity to use technology, talk
 about civic engagement, train students on responsible use of social media,
 and actually engage in a meaningful way on a policy matter that directly
 impacts THEM! 

I think this community conversation will be a good experience in its
 own right for those that take part — and clearly getting your
 community and kids talking and learning about it is important because
 riding the MBTA is going to be a bigger part of your school’s culture
 and that of BPS as a whole with the changes we’ve made.

  Please help me get folks signed up and in the game!! communityplanit.org/bpsdot

• Families Notice: We know that dismissing almost 900 students at the end of each day can be hectic and cause traffic, but we are asking families to please not park in the staff lots during dismissal. There have been a few close calls over the last week where students filing to buses were almost hit by cars. We must assure the safety of all students during arrival and dismissal. Also please do not dismiss your child after 2pm. There is a growing pattern of early dismissals after 2pm and it is disruptive to the work going on in the classrooms.
• Rockmonitor Midway Café Show: Please join us on Friday, June 20th for the 3rd Annual Rockmonitor Midway Café Show. The event is for adults only and goes from 8pm-11pm and all proceeds go toward the arts and science programming at the Curley. All performances are by Curley Community members and all families are welcomed!
• CASP: The last day of CASP for this academic year will be Monday, June 23rd, 2014.

  The CASP Field Day for the students, the parents and the CASP staff is going to be on Wednesday, June 18th from 3:00pm-5:30pm (Rain Date – Friday, June 20th). Activities will be similar to activities that will happen during the regular school day. We are in need of parents’ volunteers to help with games and assist with refreshments. Please contact Ms. Canada for further information at 617-777-9330 or at tcanada@bostonpublicschools.org.

• Next Year Announcement: We are excited to announce that we will be hosting a team of City Year Corps Members next year! This is an important partnership, which will have a positive impact on our school climate and academic outcomes. We look forward to working closely with City Year over the summer to plan around the best interests for our school community!

Curley music teacher and headliner Jay Gates in the middle of his amazing Rod Stewart Tribute performance

Book your sitters now for THE funnest Curley event of the year!

The 3rd Annual RockMonitor Show is on Friday, June 20th. Music starts at 9pm the Midway Cafe at 3496 Washington St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, but get there early – we sold out last year!

For those of you who missed it last year, read the recap full of the awesomeness that was one of the best evenings of last year.

This year’s bands, made up in the main of Curley parents are as follows, though our headliner again is the one and only Mr. Jay Gates, our music teacher, with The Rod Stewart Tribute:

The Rod Stewart Tribute
deadbeat daddies
shop rat
Bel Biv Duo
Bounce-opoulos

Suggested donation $20

Tickets can be purchased at the door night of …or here:
http://midwaycafe.com/our/details?id=100910

This is an adults only venue, so book your sitters now!

For more information, please contact Molly, Katie, or Joe.

A reminder that tomorrow, Tuesday June 9th will be the day for both the last Health and Wellness, and School Site Council meetings of the year. Below are details for both meetings. All are welcome to attend.

Health and Wellness Committee

Tuesday, June 9, 3:30pm
School Library

For more information, please contact Katie Fitch or Sue Trotz.

____________________

School Site Council (SSC)

Tuesday, June 10th, 5:30pm – 7pm
School Library

Draft Agenda

1. Passing minutes from the May meeting (1 minute)
2. Announcements (1 minute)
3. Public Comment Period
4. Principal’s Comments – Katie
   1. SY13-14 Quality Schools Plan Review – assessment of Plan and outline of action steps for next year – (20 minutes)
   2. Budget update on FY14-15 numbers, staffing changes (10 minutes)
   3. Comments at the Principal’s discretion (2 minutes)
5. Standing and Ad-hoc Committee Report
   1. Personnel Committee/Hiring report (5 minutes) – Katie
   2. Health & Wellness report (5 minutes) – Sue
   3. ILT report (5 minutes) – Katie
   4. Parent Involvement report/Latino parent involvement (10 minutes) – Maria, Betty, Leah
   5. School Climate (10 minutes) – Katie
6. Old Business
   1. AWC curricular and climate changes (10 minutes) – Leah
   2. Summer programming/planning (5 minutes) – Katie
   3. Introduce new parent SSC members (2 minutes) – Maria
7. New Business – topics placed on agenda for discussion for next meeting (2 minutes)
8. Other Business (2 minutes)
9. Motion to adjoun

For more information, including the SSC’s scope and responsibilities, it’s members, past minutes and agendas, please click here, or contact parent co-chair Heshan Berents-Weeramuni.