May
31

Curley Girls Volleyball Team Wins Township Championship Game!

Heshan Berents-Weeramuni

To cap off a great year of teamwork, our girls volleyball team finished the season by winning the Township Championship Game

Congratulations to the Curley Girls Volleyball team who, on top of a great year of hard work and good teamwork, won the Township Championship Game on Wednesday, May 29th!

PACE K0/K1 teacher and volleyball coach Ashley Ricciardi (pictured above, far right) summed up the year thus:

“I am honored to say that this was my second season coaching the Curley Girl’s Volleyball team! I have to say that Boston Public Schools Athletics and Play Ball (a non profit organization that provides uniforms, officials, and transportation) were outstanding in implementing good sportsmanship and team work. The ladies on the team were hardworking and committed to both practices and games. They worked hard and showed respect to both myself as their coach and their teammates! Coaching this season was not just about winning but teaching these girls what is means to be a student athlete on and off the court. It has been a great learning experience and I am thankful for the opportunity to coach at the Curley!”

The team roster is below:

2 – Ruth Martinez
3 – Krista Troncozo
4 – Gilda Pena
5 – Rachel Brooks
6 – Shakeila Fisher
8 – Natalie Gutierrez
10 – Kathryn Litonjua
11 – Raven Riggs
13 – Camila Rodriguez
14 – Paola Sepulveda
19 – RaeJonay Arsler
20 – Rosely

For more information about the team, contact coach Ashley Ricciardi.

May
31

Elections, dinner, and fun: it’s the year end meeting of the SPC

Curley K-8 SPC

Hello Curley community –

Just a friendly reminder that the final meeting of the 2012-2013 Curley School Parent Council will happen this coming Wednesday, June 5, at 6pm. We’ll start with dinner (it’s potluck, so bring something delicious), and then hold elections for School Site Council seats and School Parent Council officer positions. We’ll also be talking about the many other  ways to get involved with the Curley community. You can find out more by downloading the Curley Engagement 411 Volunteer Guide (.pdf).

Meeting takes place in the lower school gym. Enter through the the lower school side entrance. As always, child care and Spanish language interpretation available. Have questions or need more info? Your SPC co-chairs are standing by. Just email Genevieve Day or Dave Demerjian.

See you Wednesday!

May
30

Sole Train Runners Run 5 Mile and Half Marathon Races

Heshan Berents-Weeramuni

Sixth grader Naim Laird and teacher/Sole Train coach Alissa Ferro, after they finished the half marathon!

Last Saturday, we reported on the preparations the Curley students, teachers, staff and parents were making to take on this weekend’s Race to Remember 5 mile and half marathon races. We are happy to say all turned in great performances, well done everyone! Below is Alissa Ferro’s recap of this past Sunday’s event:

We did it!

Sole Train finished Boston’s Run to Remember this morning, and it was incredible!! Although it was cold and somewhat rainy during the race, the sun began to peek through as runners began crossing the finish line. Every Curley runner finished their race and had a great time.  It was amazing to hear the “Go Sole Train!” cheers all along the course from runners and spectators alike– made the 10,000-person event feel a lot more like a community! We had tons of Curley families out to cheer us on.  It was really a great day.

Sixth grade student, Carlos Roche, with his mother and sister, who came out to cheer for Carlos and for Sole Train.

Students who ran the half marathon:  Brandon DeSilva (8th grade) and Naim Laird (6th grade) ran the half marathon. Teacher Tim Smith and myself ran with Brandon and Naim.

Students who ran the 5 mile: Rachel Silverman, Maya Das-O’Toole, Nathan Power, Carlos Roche, Tayvian DePina, Daquan Cater, Julian Wise, Gabriel Sugerman (all 6th grade) and Lily Coplen (7th grade).  They were joined by various Sole Train high school-aged and adult mentors.

– Alissa Ferro

May
30

Big Thanks Everyone for Taking Part in Boston Cares Day and Playing Field Campaign Launch!

Julie Smith-Bartoloni

Over 100 volunteers descended on the Curley on Saturday, May 18th, as part of the Boston Cares corporate day of service.  The Curley was chosen as one of three sites in the entire city.

Many Curley families joined the volunteers to clean and freshen the Curley inside and out.

Projects included weeding and cleaning the Outdoor Classroom and garden beds, repainting outdoor lines (e.g. world and U.S. maps, basketball court and baseball diamond), repairing and painting front doors of school, refreshing paint in upper school gymnasium and connector hallway, planting flowers and plants, constructing benches for gateway seating, general cleaning and trash pick-up.

Playing Field Capital Campaign Launch

The day of service was followed by an official launch of our $250,000 capital campaign to build a playing field behind the school.

Councilor Matt O'Malley with some members of the Playing Field Capital Campaign Committee

Councilor Matt O’Malley, Julianne Doherty from Mayor Menino’s office, a representative from Jeffrey Sanchez’s office and our landscape architect John Ryther participated in a well-attended ceremony. The Curley community was represented by members of the Schoolyard Committee, Eddie Neal of the Curley administration and the two student voices of 6th grader Naim Laird and 3rd grader Willa Davis.

Parents offered buttons and opportunities to donate, and $725 was raised in just 30 minutes!

For more information about the Playing Field Campaign or to get involved, please see our website http://playingfield.curleyk8.com/

May
29

2nd Annual Midway Cafe Art & Music Benefit Show – June 14th

Molly Brigham

Come to our final fundraiser of the school year!

The 2nd Annual Curley Art & Music Benefit Show at the Midway Cafe is just around the corner.

Featuring parents and staff from the Curley playing LIVE MUSIC right in JP!

We packed the Midway last year and it was a lot of fun…bands, raffles, used records, tshirts, cash bar. Tell your friends, bring your neighbors! Don’t miss this unique event and call you babysitter now for Friday June 14th!

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

ROCKMONITOR 2nd ANNUAL CURLEY ART & MUSIC BENEFIT SHOW

Friday June 14th

$10 / 21+

Music starts at 8pm

Midway Cafe, 3469 Washington Street in Jamaica Plain.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Who’s Playing?

  • The Rod Stewart Tribute
    (featuring Curley music teacher Jay Gates! http://www.firstclassfool.com/First_Class_Fool/HOME.html)
  • Seamstress
    (Curley mom Molly Mariano)
  • Taj
    (Curley dad Joe Wardwell)
  • Deadbeat Daddies
    (Curley dads Tom Stenquist of Lars Vegas & Dominic Burdick)
  • Bunce-Opolis
    (Daryn & Spiro Bunce-Stylianopoulos and featuring Lindsey Weeramuni)

Interested in performing or helping out night of?
Email mollymariano@gmail.com

May
29

Drum roll please………We Have a New Principal!/Redoble de ambores por favor ……… tenemos un principal nuevo!

Noreen Power

The Principal Search Committee is pleased to announce that we have a new principal!

Katherine Grassa, our new principal, is coming to us from the Dever-McCormick K-8 Middle School in Dorchester.

Please see the attached letter from Superintendent Carol Johnson for more information.

We all look forward to welcoming Katie as the new leader of our school and we are very thankful to Mirna Vega-Wilson for stepping in to help us in our time of need.

El Comité de Selección Principal tiene el placer de anunciar que tenemos un nuevo director!

Katherine Grassa, nuestro nuevo director, que viene a nosotros desde el K-8 Escuela Secundaria Dever-McCormick en Dorchester.

Por favor vea la carta adjunta de Superintendente Carol Johnson para más información.

Todos esperamos dar la bienvenida a Katie como el nuevo líder de nuestra escuela y estamos muy agradecidos a Mirna Vega-Wilson por intervenir para ayudarnos en nuestro tiempo de necesidad.

Dan

Georgina

Heshan

Noreen

Otis

New Curley Principal Letter (English)

La neuva principal de la escuela Curley carta (Español)

May
27

Curley Wins USDA National Award for Being a Healthier School

Heshan Berents-Weeramuni

The Curley K-8 has been recently awarded the US Department of Agriculture’s HealthierUS School Challenge (HUSSC) Bronze award. The Curley is one of only three schools in all of BPS to be recognized in this way, and joins a select group of only 5% of all American schools certified as a HUSSC school. Excel High School and New Mission Hill High School are the other two district schools to receive this award.

The USDA explains that the HUSSC awards are a way “to recognize schools that have created healthier school environments through improvements in the quality of food while providing both nutrition and physical education to promote healthy lifestyles.”

The award carries a prize of $500 for each school’s food service account. Congratulations to all those who have had a hand in achieving this honor at the Curley, Excel High School, and New Mission Hill High School. Well done also to the School Food Authority director Michael Peck and his staff.

Health and Wellness Committee

Much of the credit for achieving this recognition goes to the ongoing work of the Curley’s Health and Wellness Committee. Made up of teachers, staff and parents, the Committee is the place where nutrition, exercise, sanitation and other health-related issues are addressed. Meeting on the last Tuesday of every month at 7:30 am, May’s meeting is in in fact tomorrow, May 28th, in the Guidance Office.

Appropriately, tomorrow’s meeting is centered around brainstorming ideas to encourage healthy food choices:

  • What we want for breakfasts;
  • What we want for lunches;
  • How to encourage healthy eating in school and home;
  • Fun activities to promote healthy eating.

For more information, contact Sue Trotz or Stephanie Selznick.

May
25

Curley Sole Train Runners Gear Up For Tomorrow’s Half Marathon and 5 Mile Races

Heshan Berents-Weeramuni

Ms. Alissa Ferro, with four of her 6th grade homeroom students. All are members of the Curley's Sole Train Running Club.

“We’ve worked really, really hard training together, and our last race was so much fun,” shared Nathan Power, a 6th grader in Ms. Beaudrault’s homeroom. “So I’m really looking forward to running in a big group with everyone else tomorrow.”

By “tomorrow,” Nathan means gathering at 6:00 in the morning to get ready to run the 7 a.m. Race To Remember through downtown Boston and Cambridge.

By “in a big group,” he means the Curley’s wildy enthusiastic Sole Train running group made up of 6th, 7th and 8th graders, teachers, staff, and parents who’ve all been bitten by the running bug.

Training every Monday and Wednesday after school since October of 2012, the Curley Sole Train, is organized by Sole Train, a free Boston running based mentoring program organized by the Trinity Boston Foundation. The Curley is lucky to call upon the coaching expertise of Sole Train’s Jess Leffler and Katherine Castañeda Macdonald. Founded in 2009, Sole Train: Boston Runs Together, aims “to inspire the city’s youth to realize their full potential and accomplish goals they never thought possible.”

Tomorrow, the Curley’ team of 6th, 7th and 8th graders will be joined by teachers and staff including Alissa Ferro (pictured above), Maria Monteiro-Roby, Erika Mercado, and Tim Smith. Many will aim to complete the 5 mile race course. Starting at 7 a.m., Alissa Ferro expected the Curley runners to cross the finish line around 8 a.m. to 9:30 am. Starting at the World Trade Center, the runners will run through the waterfront to Government Center, then on to the foot of the Longfellow Bridge before heading through the Common and Public Garden, then track back to Post Office Square and back to the finish line on the waterfront. Wow!

Others Curley runners, including Ms. Ferro, will join some students in running even longer. They include Brandon Desilva and Naim Laird, who will take on the longer 13.1 half marathon course. Starting again at the World Trade Center, they too will head through Government Center to the Longfellow. They will then run over the bridge and continue on Memorial Drive, past MIT and will only make the turn back home at Harvard University. Heading back again, they will rejoin the 5 mile course at the foot of the Longfellow and retrace the rest of the course back to the World Trade Center. Again, wow! If you are not familiar with the course because you don’t often drive through the calm and courteous streets of Boston and Cambridge, here’s the course map.

Alissa Ferro also echoes Nathan’s sense of the camaraderie of the group. “We wore our Sole Train shirts to school yesterday as a team pride celebration before the big race Sunday.” Looking forward to tomorrow, she notes,” We are pumped for our big race… I just hope I can actually make it 13 miles!”

Curley Sole Train’s first race together was the Common Man Marathon at the end of April on the Boston Common, a race that takes it’s name from the witty placement of the decimal point. Not 26.2 miles which is the distance of a normal marathon (if the word “normal” is even appropriate given the task), but a more, erm, “common” 2.62 miles.

Reporting on the race, the Boston Globe featured many members of the Curley Sole Train (beware, you may hit the Globe’s paywall if you click on the link). You’ll know you’ve made it to the Globe when you see Lance Laird (looking rather spritely), Charlie Harper, Theresa Brennan, and Daquan Cater at full stretch nearing the finish line.

Oh, and Brandon Desilva, who along with Naim will be running the half marathon tomorrow? He finished 3rd in the Common Man. It was his first race.

Good luck to all the runners tomorrow, and congratulations on all the hard work this year. If you want to join in on the fun Nathan and his team has been having, contact coach Alissa Ferro.

May
23

Annual Uniform Survey – PLEASE RESPOND by Friday, May 31

Curley K-8 SPC

Dear Curley Parents, Guardians & Staff,

Each year, our school must decide whether to continue our uniform policy for the next year.  Please share your input by Friday, May 31 via this quick online survey.

ONE RESPONSE PER FAMILY: this survey will also be conducted by an automatic telephone call AND will be sent home in paper form. Each family or staff member may vote ONE TIME:  online OR by phone OR by paper.  Please do not vote more than once and please do not vote if you are not a Curley parent, guardian, teacher, or administrator.

The proposed Curley uniform will consist of the following:

Navy, black, or khaki bottoms (pants, shorts, skirt, or jumper); and

Black Curley t-shirts or collared shirts (light blue, plain white, or white with Curley logo)

Thank you!

Curley School Site Council

May
22

School Site Council Meeting – May 28 at 5:30pm

Curley K-8 SPC

The next School Site Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 28 at 5:30 p.m. in the Upper School library. Parents interested in being a representative on the SSC next year are encouraged to attend.  All parents are welcome. Elections for the parent reps will take place at the next SPC meeting on June 5. Hope to see you there.

The School Site Council (SSC) is the governing board of the school.  It is made up of parents and teacher representatives, the Principal and associate members.  Curley families elect the parent representatives for one-year terms.  The SSC makes decisions that directly affect school programs, budgeting, school activities, and personnel.

May
22

Multi-Cultural Celebration and Performance is next week

Heshan Berents-Weeramuni

Next week’s Curley K-8 Multi-Cultural Festival is a week long celebration of our community’s diverse heritage. This will be a whole school event, with students in K-8 and CASP programs participating. The week will include classroom exhibits, projects and performances.

The week-long celebration will conclude with an evening performances featuring students, staff and parents, which will be held on Thursday, May 30th at 6pm in the Auditorium.

Come enjoy delicious food and baked goods from all over the world prepared by our community. All proceeds raised benefits student activities.

CASP brings together different children from our community to enjoy all kinds of activities with a common goal to enrich the children, and encourage growth and a positive outlook on sharing the same earth with so many others.

For information about this event please contact Maria Monteiro-Roby at 617-756-3667, Kim Taylor-Knight at storyinabox@gmail.com, or Torri Canada at 617-777-9330.

May
21

Summer CASP Program Announces Class List

Heshan Berents-Weeramuni

The CASP Summer Program has announced it’s class activities list for its upcoming program. See below:

  • Sports with Mr. Righini
    Activities will include archery, golf, basketball, bowling, walking, and hiking.
  • Hip Hop Dance with Mr. Crowe
    Children will participate in dance movement, self discipline, self-control, and self-esteem.
  • Healthy Food with Ms. Faulkner
    Children will learn how to prepare healthy snacks.
  • Theatre/Drama with Trisha Zembrusky
    Children will participate in acting out plays and painting props.
  • Arts and Crafts with Ms. Cruz and Ms. Faulkner
    Activities will include paper mache, making silhouettes, mobiles, kites, etc.
  • Water Day
    Water activities include sprinklers, super soaker, and a car wash.
  • Field trips
    Wednesday and Thursday will include trips to Jamaica Pond for fishing, boating, and picnics, JPlicks, The fire house, Franklin Park Zoo, Curtis Hall, Connolly Library,  Science Museum, and the Boston Commons.
  • Special Guests
    Tenacity – Tennis lessons
    Canine Division – Dog presentation
    MSPC – Animal Hospital
  • CASP Summer Celebration
    We will have an end of summer barbecue with a moonwalk.

The above Summer Program class description for 2013 is here (2013 Summer descripción de la clase Program).

Applications are still open, there is NO deadline, but acceptance into the program is on a first come/first served basis.

Applications, program dates and fee information can be found on the CASP page. Contact Torri Canada, the CASP Director for more details.

May
15

REMINDERS: Community Cleanup & Playing Field Launch, Music Concert, Principal’s Breakfast

Heshan Berents-Weeramuni

Lots of things going on at the Curley – four big things to participate in are this Saturday, and then next Wednesday and Thursday:

Community Cleanup with Boston Cares

Saturday, May 18th, 10 am – 2 pm

Show your Curley Pride this Saturday, May 18th at 10 am! Join Boston Cares and over 100 volunteers for our semi-annual community clean-up.

Playing Field Capital Campaign Launch

Saturday, May 18th, 2 pm, Centre Street Entrance

Following the Community Cleanup, join other Curley community members for the official launch of our Playing Field Capital Campaign at 2 pm! Please use the Center Street entrance.

K-5 Music Concert

Wednesday, May 22nd, 9 am, Auditorium

On Wednesday, May 22nd, Community Music of Boston and School Parent Council warmly invite you to the Spring Concert for students in grades K-5 at 9 am in the auditorium. There is a reception for parents at 8:30 am in the corridor outside the Auditorium.

Principal Breakfast

Interim Principal Mirna Vega-Wilson

On Thursday, May 23rd at 9:00am in the upper school library, there will be a Principal Breakfast. Ms. Vega-Wilson will provide an update on Principal screening process.

______________________

Les queremos recordar que tendremos los siguientes eventos.

Limpieza de la comunidad

Sabado 18 de mayo a las 10 am a 2 pm

Únete a más de 100 voluntarios de Cuidados Boston y otras familias Curley de 10 am – 2 pm a nuestra Curley semestral K-8 limpieza de la comunidad para hacer brillar nuestra escuela!

Ser parte de para empezar la campaňa de recaudacion de fondos para el campo de juegos

Sábad, 18 de mayo, a las 2pm, entrada por el frente de la escuela en la calle Centre

Demuestre con orgullo ser parte de la Curley este sabado 18 de mayo a las 10 am a 2 pm entrada por el frente de la escuela en la calle Centre para empezar la campaňa de recaudacion de fondos para el campo de juegos.

Community Music of Boston y del Concejo escolar de Padres

Miercoles 22 de mayo, las 9 am en el Auditorio

El miercoles 22 de mayo Habra una presentacion de  “Community Music of Boston y del Concejo escolar de Padres” tienen el placer the invitarlos al concierto de primavera para los grados Kindergarten al Quinto grado A las 9 am en el Auditorio. Habra una recepcion para Padres a las 8.30 a.m. en el corredor cerca del auditorio.

Desayuno con la Principal

El Jueves, 23 de mayo, 9 am, Biblioteca de la Escuela Superior

El Jueves, 23 de mayo estan invitados para el Desayuno con la Principal, Sra. Mirna Vega-Wilson, estaremos hablando del proceso de entrevistas de los candidatos para escoger el Principal de nuestra escuela.

May
12

Show your Curley Pride – this Saturday 5/18

Julie Smith-Bartoloni

Come rally at the Curley at 2:00 pm on Saturday, May 18 (main entrance) for the official launch of our Playing Field Capital Campaign!

Plus, join over 100 volunteers from Boston Cares and other Curley families from 10:00am-2:00pm at our semi-annual Curley K-8 community clean-up to make our school shine! We’ll be gardening, painting, raking, planting, building benches and more. All ages welcome. Come for a little or a lot. Bring your gardening gloves and good humor to lend a hand in making a visible difference.

Background

The Community Initiatives Committee is comprised of parents, teachers and community organizations. The Committee organizes a community clean-up of the schoolyard each semester and undertakes general improvement projects both outside and inside the school. Together with Earthworks, we steward our orchard on Centre Street with the aim of maintaining, harvesting, preserving and donating the fruit of our labor. For the past three Januarys, the Curley has hosted Boston Cares’ day of service in which more than 600 volunteers chose to take “a day on” rather than a day off.

In 2008, the Curley K-8 was the recipient of a $300,000 grant from the Boston Schoolyard Initiative (BSI) to design and build an improved schoolyard and an outdoor classroom for all our students! The ribbon cutting ceremony took place on October 8, 2009, opening the schoolyard after Phase 1 of the project was completed. A new mural was completed in Summer 2010 in conjunction with Mayor Menino’s mural crew. We are currently fundraising in order to bring Phase 2 of the project to a successful conclusion (namely, a gateway seating area at the Centre Street entrance and a playing field with perimeter track behind the school.) At 2:00 pm on Saturday, May 18, we will celebrate the successful beginning of our $250,000 Capital Campaign and spread the word to the community at large. Read more online.

To get involved or to join the Community Initiatives team as a volunteer, community partner or funder, please contact Principal Mirna Vega-Wilson, Guidance Counselor Susan Trotz, or any of the following Curley parents: Doug Rand, Kieran Fitzgerald (Playing Field Co-Chairs), Julie Smith-Bartoloni, Liza Stearns, Rebecca Nieto, Genevieve Day, Susan Elsbree, Heshan Berents-Weeramuni, Flo Zimmerman (orchard) or Asa Runefelt (outdoor classroom).

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