Curley science teacher Ms. Felicetti currently has a crowd-funding donation campaign on donorschoose.org called Science Sleuths Need Technology in Order to Excel! She hopes to raise funds for computer equipment to support her students’ science and math work.

Here’s the thing: donate by end of day today, January 14, and the Disney Corporation will match that donation up to $100, essentially doubling the gift.

Just enter the code DISNEY on the payment page and you’ll be matched dollar for dollar (up to $100).

Here’s the link:
http://www.donorschoose.org/project/science-sleuths-need-technology-in-order/1162625/

Ms. Felicetti writes:

Most, but not all, of our students have families severely affected by the current economy. These are students who have no computer at home to help with their school work and no printer to help with presentations. For these children, the classroom offers their only access to this sort of technology.

Our classroom has one desktop computer, and no working printer.

Having access to a printer would allow all of my students to see their work in print, and add graphs and pictures to their classwork and projects. Their work and presentations will shine!

I believe that these materials will improve the learning in my classroom. The projector will assist my students with increased understanding of our lessons and materials. The document camera will allow us to showcase quality classwork. The printer will help us with presenting work in a high-quality fashion.

These tools will help to boost students’ self-esteem and assist with motivation. How, you ask? When your hard work is presented in a professional manner, it can only lead to pride.

Thanks for your help!

Last Wednesday morning, we had about 20 parents attend a School Parent Council meeting.  There was lively discussion that covered a broad number of topics. Detailed minutes of the meeting can be viewed here.

The SPC’s most urgent order of business is the Playing Field Campaign. Now is the time that we need to ask members of our own school community to give if you haven’t yet had a chance. We need to raise $85,000 by March 1st in order for the project to go to bid for this year. Donate today at and spread the word.

It is a very busy time at the Curley and we ask that you stay tuned for upcoming SPC events:

Today! Tuesday, January 14: 5:30pm – 7:00pm
Special Budget meeting of the School Site Council (SSC)

Thursday, January 16: 9 a.m. (8:30 a.m. SPC reception)
K-5th Grade Winter Music Concert

Friday, January 24: 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Museum of Science Night

Tuesday, March 25, 6pm – 9pm – SAVE THE DATE
7th Annual Silent Auction Night at Canary Square
Email: heidibrooks@yahoo.com if you want to help plan this fun adult-only event that raises much of the SPC general budget (supporting the music program, art supplies, field trips and much more).

What can a Circle practice do for our community, and what do we want it to look like?

Have you ever tried to get your grade-school child to eat breakfast when they are still upset that they broke their favorite toy? Get your middle school student to concentrate on homework when they are fuming over an altercation with a peer? Most of us parents and teachers have learned that we must acknowledge what they are feeling before we can successfully move on to anything else. Tending to our children’s emotional and social health is not just sound parenting or teaching, but it even creates more room for academic growth.

“In schools, the use of restorative practices (including Circles) has been shown to reliably reduce misbehavior, bullying, violence and crime among students and improve the overall climate for learning. Everyone who finds themselves in positions of authority — from parents, teachers and police to administrators and government officials — can benefit from learning about restorative practices.” from The International Institute for Restorative Practices website (www.iirp.edu)

Responsive Classroom? Restorative Justice? Circles? While the language of Restorative Practices may be somewhat new and foreign to many of us; ancient and indigenous cultures all over the world have employed Circle practices for many thousands of years. At home and in the classroom, Circle practices can create more resilient kids and communities. Preparing students to become more conscientious members of the Curley community and ultimately citizens of the world.

Interested in learning more about Circle practices? Share feedback from past experiences with restorative practices? Helping to figure out what it might look like for our school in 2014 and beyond? Please come to our first meeting of other interested parents, teachers, and staff THIS Friday, January 17th at 11:30 AM in the school library. Interested students will be invited to future meetings. Can’t make the meeting? Contact Curley teacher Linda Solomon-Key.

Announcing the 7th Annual Curley K-8 Night at the Museum of Science on January 24th from 5:00pm – 9:00pm. This event is hosted by the Curley K-8 School Science Department and School Parent Council.

The $20.00 entrance fee
 admits up to 4 children and 2 adults per family group. 
This is a deeply discounted admission price, we encourage everyone to attend.

This fun filled, community-building evening includes:

• Access to all Exhibit Halls including the new exhibit Hall of Human Life currently on display in the Green Wing
• No Parking Fees
• Free tickets to the IMAX Movie: Journey to South Pacific: 5:00pm or 7:00pm showtime

Show your Curley Pride by wearing your Curley t-Shirt!

This is a first come, first serve opportunity as seating is limited. Late seating is not allowed.

IMAX tickets are sponsored entirely by The Math Works. If you can, please consider donating more than the $20 fee to defray the costs to the school and offer the event to more families.

Also, if you are a MOS member, you can visit the museum that night using your membership card (without filling 
out this registration form) but you won’t be able to see the IMAX Movie or get the free parking.

Please complete the attached registration form and return it with payment to your child’s homeroom teacher no later than Friday, January 17th. No late registration forms will be accepted.

Curley night at MOS 2014 – Registration Form (English)

If you have questions about this event please contact Ms. Monteiro-Roby or call 617-756-3667.

__________________

La Escuela Curley K-8 Anuncia el septimo Aňo de la actividad Museum of Science. Patrocinado por el Departamento de Ciencias y el Consejo Escolar de Padres de la escuela Curley K-8.

El viernes, 24 de enero del 2014
5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Costo de entrada $20.00 – Admisión para 4 niños y 2 adultos por un grupo o familia.

Este es un precio reducido por la admisión , motivamos a todas las familias para que participen. Demuestren su orgullo por la escuela! usen las camisetas escolares.

Este evento es divertido y promueve el crecimiento en nuestra comunidad incluye:

• Acceso a todas las exhibiciones incluyendo a a la exhibicion de La Vida Humana. Tambien estaremos abriendo una nueva exhibición Nuestra Cocina, Mundaila: Comida, naturaleza cultura se estará
• No se cobrará por el estacionamiento
• Boletos gratis para la pelicula de IMAX Viaje Por el Sur del Pacifco teatro tiene espacio para 300 personas, las primeras que lleguen, a las 5:00pm o 7:00pm en punto.

Si Ud. puede hacer una donacion que exceda los $20.00 dolares del pago de la registración, la escuela ofrecer esta oportunidad a ótras familias de nuestra escuela. Nosotros agradecemos por su generosidad.

Por favor complete la registracion que esta adjunta a este volante y devuelvela con su hijo/hija a la maestro de salon hogar para El viernes, 17 de enero del 2014. NO SE ACEPTARAN REGISTRACIONES DESPUES DEL viernes, 24 de enero del 2014.

Curley night at MOS 2014 – Registration Form (Spanish)

Para mas información ponerse en contacto con Betty Villalba-Alvarado, al 617-304-6771.

Need Homework Help?

Come to the library’s free homework help program.

High school students help children in grades K – 8, Monday through Thursday from 3:30 – 5:30 p.m.

A Boston Public School teacher provides homework help on Mondays from 4 – 6 p.m.

No registration is necessary.

Many thanks to parent Sylvia Velez for the information!

**************

¿Necesitas Ayuda Con Tus Tareas?

Ven al programa de ayuda escolar gratis.

Estudiantes de escuela superior ayudan a los niños en los  grados K–8, lunes a jueves, 3:30 – 5:30 p.m.

Una maestra de las escuelas públicas de Boston provee ayuda los lunes, 4 – 6 p.m.

No necesitas registrarte.

Connolly Branch of the Boston Public Library
433 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain
Tel. 617.522.1960
www.bpl.org

– Sylvia Velez

This week’s Paw Prints from Principal Katie Grassa:

• Snow: Families we are asking that you keep your children off the lawn and away from the snow during arrival and dismissal each day. This will assure the safety of all students as they enter and exit the building during these slippery winter months. We appreciate your support in holding all Curley community members accountable to this as well.
• School Showcase: Thank you to all the families who volunteered for our School Showcase events. We had one of the largest turnouts in the city and were proud to show off the great teaching at the Curley K-8. A special thank you to Kristin Jurkoic, who coordinated the volunteers for each event.
• School Site Council: Please join us for our SSC meeting on Tuesday, January 14th from 5:30pm-7:00pm in the Upper School Library.
• K-5 Open House (Parent Conferences): On Thursday, January 16th from 5pm-7pm Curley Lower School staff will offer an evening time for parent conference. Please be sure to schedule a time with your child’s teacher if you have not already had a conference with them this fall. The middle school (grades 6-8) will have a similar event on Thursday, January 30th from 5-7pm.
• Support the Curley K-8: There are several opportunities for families to help support the Curley K-8 School.
• We have less then 50 days to go to finish our fundraising for the school playing field. If we do not meet this deadline the building of the playing field will be delayed for an entire year. Please help us to meet our goal so that the start of SY2014-2015 we will have a brand new playing field. For more information about the field and fundraising campaign, visit playingfield.curleyk8.com.
• We also have to Curley representatives running the 2014 Boston Marathon. Dan Barcan, parent, is running to support the playing field, if you are interested in donating to his race please visit dbboston2014.squarespace.com.
• Alisa Ferro, Curley 6th grade ELA teacher, is also running the Boston Marathon to raise money for Tenacity. Tenacity is a FREE afterschool program for our middle school students that focus on literacy and tennis. Ms. Ferro’s fundraising efforts will help us to continue this program in the upcoming years.
  http://www.razoo.com/story/Running-The-Boston-Marathon-For-My-Students.

Dear Friends,

The Curley Playing Field Dream is ALMOST realized… but we need your help! Act now and make our new field a reality.

We’ve hit $175,000 – and have just $85,000 to raise by March 1.

Donate now to double your impact through a limited-time $10,000 matching grant.

Will you help us meet this 50-day countdown challenge?

Be a part of transforming our derelict 14,000 square-foot asphalt lot into a dynamic sports field and running track.

Donate today at http://playingfield.curleyk8.com.

******************

Queridos amigos,

¡El sueño de un Campo de Juego en la Curley esta CASI por realizarse… pero necesitamos tu ayuda! Actúa ahora y haga que nuestro nuevo campo se haga una realidad.

Hemos alcanzado $175,000 – y solo falta recaudar $85,000 para el 1 de marzo.

Haga una donación ahora y duplique su impacto a través de $10,000 dólares de donaciones de contrapartida  por tiempo limitado.

¿Va a ayudarnos a cumplir este reto de cuenta regresiva de 50 días?

Sea parte de la transformación de nuestras ruinas de 14,000 pies cuadrados en un lote de asfalto a un campo de deportes dinámico y pista de carreras.

Haga su donación hoy en http://playingfield.curleyk8.com.

_________

Many thanks to Cristina Diaz for her quick translation – ed.

Many important things coming up in January, plus one household reminder:

Coat Drive

If your household got a lot of new coats during this holiday season, why not donate your (gently used and freshly laundered) coats to the Curley? Contact Sue Trotz, Betty Villalba-Alvarado or Maria Monteiro-Roby for more details.

Upcoming January Events

• Health and Wellness Meeting:
  Tuesday, January  14th, 3 pm – 4:15 pm, Guidance Office
  1. End the selling of snacks in the cafeteria
  2. Re-start the Salad Bar
  3. Expand our health and wellness activities to parents
• Budget meeting of the School Site Council (SSC):
  Tuesday, January  14th, 5:30 pm – 7 pm, Upper School Library
• Winter music concert for K-5th grades:
  Thursday, January 16th at 9:00am in the auditorium. Reception for parents sponsored by the SPC at 8:30 am in the Auditorium lobby
• Progress report night for students in grades K-5:
  Thursday, January 16th from 5-7 pm.
• Grade 6 thru 8 progress report night:
  Thursday, January 30th.
• Curley Night at the Museum of Science:
  Friday, January 24th from 5-9 pm.
• Principal Breakfast:
  Friday, January 31st at 8:45 am in the school library.

K-5th grade families and friends are warmly invited to attend a winter musical celebration:

Thursday, January 16, 2014
9:00 am in the Auditorium

Parents are also invited to a reception sponsored by the SPC at 8:30 am in the Auditorium lobby.

The Curley Music Program is organized and funded through a joint effort of the Curley School Parent Council, the Community Music Center of Boston and the Boston Public Schools.

– Music specialists Jay Gates, Patrice Monahan, and Liza Kitchell

************

Grados K-5 familiares y amigos están cordialmente invitados a asistir a una celebración musical.

Jueves, 16 de enero del 2014
9:00 am en el Auditorio

Los padres están invitados a una recepción patrocinada por el SPC a las 8:30 AM en el vestíbulo del auditorio.

El Programa de Música de la Curley está organizado y financiado a través del esfuerzo conjunto del consejo de padres de la escuela Curley, el Centro de Música Comunitaria de Boston y las Escuelas Publicas de Boston.

– Especialistas en música Jay Gates, Patrice Monahan, y Liza Kitchell

A horrific accident on East Boston’s Meridian Street bridge this past New Year’s Eve has left a 16 year old and her 4 year old brother without Aura Beatriz Garcia, their mother. Aura was a single mother of modest means.

This tragic event has also left members of our own Curley community devastated. Aura Beatriz was an aunt of our very own Curley parent Evelyn Alicea.

Though as a community we frequently ask one another to help, and that can be difficult in times like these, I urge you all to try to contribute something if at all possible to help the kids left behind.

A page has been set up for donations by the Eagle Hill Civic Association here:
http://igg.me/at/helpgarciakids.

You may also contact Evelyn at ealicea617@comcast.net.

This week’s Paw Prints from Principal Katie Grassa:

• New Year: We wish all the Curley K-8 families and community members a happy and healthy 2014! Please remember that students should return to school tomorrow, Monday, January 6th. It is important that our students are on time (8:30am at the latest) and therefore they are able to receive the maximum amount of learning time.
• Snow: Families we are asking that you keep your children off the lawn and away from the snow during arrival and dismissal each day. This will assure the safety of all students as they enter and exit the building during these slippery winter months. We appreciate your support in holding all Curley Community Members accountable to this as well.
• School Showcase: There will be one more School Showcase event for perspective Curley families. If you are interested in volunteering for the date below, please contact Kristin Jurkoic at kjurkoic@yahoo.com or sign up here: http://doodle.com/yg4vb69dsyppn6dn.
  • Tuesday, January 7th, 10:00am – 11:30am
• School Parent Council Meeting: The SPC will meet on Wednesday, January 8th from 8:45am-10:45am in the Upper School Library. All families are encouraged to attend.
• School Site Council: Please join us for our SSC meeting on Tuesday, January 14th from 5:30pm-7:00pm in the Upper School Library.
• Tenacity Mid-Year Ceremony: Just a reminder to all families the Tenacity Mid-Year Ceremony has been rescheduled for Thursday, January 9th from 5:30pm-7:30pm.
• Playing Field Capital Campaign: Last week, we received word from a corporate friend who wishes to remain anonymous of their company’s $50,000 contribution to our Playing Field efforts! Having received this gift, the Playing Field Committee is delighted to announce that we have raised $175k to date!! We now have 3 more months to reach the $260k goal needed for this important effort. For more information or to contribute, please visit http://playingfield.curleyk8.com.

Happy new year everyone!

You have probably already heard, but if not, there will be no school tomorrow, Friday, January 3rd, because of the ongoing snow storm. Schools are expected to re-open this coming Monday instead.

Staff professional development and other daytime activities planned for today will proceed as normal – hello in there!

Child Care Options

If you need help with child care, the Boston Center for Youth and Families will operate four community centers from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday for children ages 7 and older. Parents/guardians will need to fill out a short intake form at drop-off. The centers are:

• BCYF Curtis Hall Community Center, 20 South Street, Jamaica Plain
• BCYF Tobin Community Center, 1481 Tremont Street, Mission Hill
• BCYF Paris Street Community Center, 112 Paris Street, East Boston
• BCYF Hyde Park Community Center, 1179 River Street, Hyde Park

At this time, Boston public libraries are set to be open today and tomorrow during normal opening hours as well, though this may change over time. Click here for more details.

For more information, please call the Mayor’s 24-Hour Hotline at (617) 635-4500.

K-5th grade families and friends are warmly invited to attend a winter musical celebration:

Thursday, January 16, 2014
9:00 am in the Auditorium

Parents are also invited to a reception sponsored by the SPC at 8:30 am in the Auditorium lobby.

The Curley Music Program is organized and funded through a joint effort of the Curley School Parent Council, the Community Music Center of Boston and the Boston Public Schools.

– Music specialists Jay Gates, Patrice Monahan, and Liza Kitchell

************

Grados K-5 familiares y amigos están cordialmente invitados a asistir a una celebración musical.

Jueves, 16 de enero del 2014
9:00 am en el Auditorio

Los padres están invitados a una recepción patrocinada por el SPC a las 8:30 AM en el vestíbulo del auditorio.

El Programa de Música de la Curley está organizado y financiado a través del esfuerzo conjunto del consejo de padres de la escuela Curley, el Centro de Música Comunitaria de Boston y las Escuelas Publicas de Boston.

– Especialistas en música Jay Gates, Patrice Monahan, y Liza Kitchell