We need YOUR help with the event setup, raffle ticket sales, door donations and clean up!

If you are coming to the event, please take a moment to sign-up on the following doodle poll:
http://www.doodle.com/s76cbynmmqy9aa24

Event Details:
5th Annual Silent Auction + Raffle
Tuesday March 13, 2012 from 6p-9pm
Canary Square
(435 South Huntington Ave, Jamaica Plain)
Complimentary hors d’oeuvres will be served and dinner & drinks will be available for purchase. Tell your friends and neighbors!!

Items to bid on include: sports (Red Sox!!) and theater tickets, restaurant gift certificates, portrait sittings, museum memberships, jewelry, artwork, and many goods and services donated by local businesses!

Opportunities to win One of Three amazing raffle baskets!

All money raised goes to support Music and Art programming at the Curley.

Suggested donation $15 per person
Book your sitter and come to this exciting community event.

Thank you for making the 5th Annual Silent Auction an amazing success!!!

-The Silent Auction Core Planning Team

No one knows as much about our school as the people who teach and learn there every day. A new video starring students, parents, teachers, and staff, is below. It was created by three very talented Curley parents. In this video they talk in their own words about why they love the Curley, and what kind of impact the budget cuts have already had on our school.

They’re asking Superintendent Johnson, the School Committee, the Mayor, and our elected officials to reverse this year’s proposed cuts and to restore our funding. Please watch it and then email it to all the people mentioned above. It’s easy, just click on the button below.

English version:

Spanish version:

The video is the creation of Curley parents Kelly Lawman, Dave Demerjian and Rebecca Nieto. A big thanks to all three of them, and a big hand too to all the students, teachers, staff and parents who took part.

If your email program drops the link in the email, please paste the following link into your email:
http://www.curleyk8.com/parent-involvement/school-parent-council/the-enough-no-more-video/

To learn more, please contact Lindsey Weeramuni or Carrie Fletcher.

Social media, and Twitter in particular, is fast becoming an important tool in the world of education. Teachers are using it to connect with other professionals around the world to enhance their learning and break down the walls of their classrooms. Administrators are using it to enhance their leadership skills and connect with parents and other members of the school community.

Stay up-to-date on the latest happenings at the Curley! Follow Mr. Slater on Twitter @CurleyPrincipal.

While your there, follow the Curley K-8 School Parent Council too – @curleyk8.

Testimony was given by Kieran Fitzgibbon (right), whose statement was delivered in Spanish by fellow K2 parent Ingrid Escobar (left).

Prior to February vacation Curley parents again attended the School Committee meeting, the third such Committee meeting of the year. Testimony was given by K2 parent Kieran Fitzgibbon, who spoke passionately in particular about the state of our libraries. Translation into Spanish was provided by fellow K2 parent Ingrid Escobar. City Councilor Matt O’Malley also attended and gave testimony in support of our school, proudly wearing a Curley shirt.

City Councilor Matt O'Malley speaking on behalf of the Curley

In an unexpected development, we were invited to a side conference room immediately after Kieran and Ingrid’s testimony for a brief meeting with Seth Racine, Deputy Chief Financial Officer for BPS. He told us of Dr. Carol Johnson’s decision to recognize two-site schools less than one mile apart, including the Curley. Due to the unique needs of such schools, the decision was made to add $50,000 to our foundation budgets, bringing the total amount to $250,000. Mr. Racine offered to come to the Curley to discuss our questions and concerns in the near future. Information about when this meeting is scheduled will be shared here.

Though this was welcome news, we still believe there are needs that cannot be met under the current proposed budget even with the additional $50,000. We will therefore continue to attend School Committee meetings to give our testimony and communicate how the budget crisis is impacting the teaching and learning taking place within our school on a daily basis.

The video from the meeting is below:

http://www.cityofboston.gov/cable/video_library.asp?id=2434

• Councilor O’Malley delivers his remarks around the 57 minute mark.
• Kieran Fitzgibbon and Ingrid Escobar appear at the 1:01 mark.

Statements made at the School Committee meetings so far:

• February 15, 2012 statement to the Boston School Committee (bilingual)
• February 1, 2012 statement to the Boston School Committee
  (English version)
• February 1, 2012 statement to the Boston School Committee
  (Spanish version)
  
• January 18, 2012 statement to the Boston School Committee
  (English version)
• January 18, 2012 statement to the Boston School Committee
  (Spanish version)

The next School Committee meeting is a budget hearing on Tuesday, February 28 at 6:00 pm. This will take place at the Lilla G. Frederick Middle School at 270 Columbia Road in Dorchester – directions to the Frederick, which is a 10-15 minute drive away, are the Curley.

We look forward to another great parent turnout in support of our parents Andres Barraza and Katie Fitch who will speak in support of our children, and the teachers and staff of the Curley.

REMINDER: This Wednesday, February 29, 8-9:30 a.m. will be another opportunity to drop off book donations for the Curley Book Sale. Please bring your books to the Centre Street entrance. Someone will be at the door to receive your donation.

There is plenty of parking right in front of school on Centre Street so dropping off books is easy. So clean off those shelves and leap on over! There will be two more drop off days on March 14 and 28. If you have a donation, but are unable to make these dates, please contact Jill Lazer and we can make other arrangements. Thank you!

Please join other parents once again at the School Committee meeting this week on Wednesday, February 15, at 26 Court Street. The public portion of the meeting will begin at 5:30 pm. Please note the earlier start time. You do not have to arrive exactly at 5:30 pm, but PLEASE NOTE: the public comment period will begin promptly at 6:30 pm. The Committee will be in private, executive session from 5 pm to 5:30 pm.

This time, Kieran Fitzgibbon, parent of a K2 student, will deliver a statement on behalf of the Curley parents during the public comment period.  The rest of us (in our Curley shirts) will stand in solidarity behind him as he raises concerns about the impact of the proposed budget cuts on all of our children. We will be joined on Wednesday by our City Councillor Matt O’Malley. Scores of parents have already gone to the two previous meetings, one on January 18, and the second on February 15. Please come – we really want to fill the room and demonstrate the strength of our parent community.

New Rules for Public Comment and Conduct were approved at the last school committee meeting, which included this change to the start time of the public comment period.

If you need a Curley shirt, one may be available for purchase at the meeting.

We look forward to seeing you and having another strong turnout this week. Our presence is being noted well outside of the walls of Winter Chambers at Court Street. Let’s keep raising our voices as committed advocates for our children and school!

Time to clean your book shelves!

The SPC will be hosting our first annual used book sale on Thursday, April 12 at 6 p.m., the same night as the Art Show.

The money we raise will help fund our Arts, Music and Science programs.

We need your books:  Books for adults, books for kids. picture books, board books, chapter books, books in Spanish. We want them all! (But, please no damaged books.)

The first drop off date for donations is next Wednesday, February 15. Books can be dropped off at the main entrance on Centre Street from 8-9:30 a.m. and 2-2:45 p.m.

Volunteers will be needed to receive donations, sort books and man the sale. If you are interested in helping, please contact Jill Lazer.

Curley parents and guardians are cordially invited to our monthly Principal’s Breakfast on Wednesday, February 15, 2012, 8:45 a.m. in the Upper School Library.

Breakfast will be followed by a presentation on how to help your child with:

• Math homework
• Test taking strategies to help students to be more successful on their MCAS.

Presented by Laurie Speranzo, Math Coach. Ms. Leida Arroyo, Curley teacher will be available to work with parents in Spanish

PADRES DE LA ESCUELA CURLEY

Estan cordialmente invitados a nuestro desayuno mensual con el Principal. Después del desayuno habrá una presentación sobre cómo ayudar a su hijo/hija con:

• Las asignaciones de Matemáticas
• Les enseňaran estrategías para ayudar a los estudiantes para que tengan éxito tomando los examenes del MCAS

Presentado por:
Laurie Speranzo, Entrenadora de Matematica de Maestros
La Sra. Leida Arroyo, maestro de la escuela Curley estara disponible para trabajar con los padres que hablan español

Miércoles, 15 de febrero, 2012
8:45 a.m.
En la Biblioteca de la Escuela Intermedia

We can give books to our school by simply reading online!

We Give Books’ Read for My School is our chance to highlight the importance of supporting our schools and the essential role that reading and school libraries play in the lives of our children.

Read for My School starts February 14, 2012! Register now at www.wegivebooks.org

1. Visit the site and sign up to read on behalf of the Read for My School Campaign.
2. Enter Curley K-8 School on the registration form so that they can track the number of books our school earns.
3. Chose a great children’s book and read!  Be sure to click “Give a Book” at the end of the story to be counted toward our school’s reading total.
4. Spread the word!

Contact K-1 teacher Laura Shea if you have more questions.

LEA PARA NUESTRA ESCUELA
RESERVE LA FECHA: 14 DE FEBRERO, 2012

DONE LIBROS PARA NUESRA ESCUELA SIMPLEMENTE LEYENDO POR MEDIO DEL INTERNET

NOSOTROS DAMOS LIBROS. Leyendo para nuestra Escuela tenemos que demonstrar la importancia de apoyar nuestras escuelas sobre la importancia que tiene la lectura y la bibliotecas en la vida de nuesstros niňos.

Juntos, leeremos de NOSOTROS DAMOS LIBROS, BIBLIOTECA DIGITAL de libros clasicos para niños y contribuya con una donación sobre 150,000 libros a las escuelas elementarias a travás de de la nación incluyendo nuestra escuela.

Leyendo para nuestra Escuela empiez el 14 DE FEBRERO, 2012. Registrese ahora al www.wegivebooks.org.

Póngase en contacto K-1 maestra Laura Shea si usted tiene más preguntas.

A reminder that another SPC budget planning meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 6:00 pm in the upper school library. Please enter via the side CASP entrance on Centre Street by Spring Park Avenue. Matt O’Malley, City Councilor for District 6, will be attending. NOTE: This is not a regular SPC meeting. There will be NO childcare or dinner provided. 

A large number of Curley community members again attended the Boston School Committee meeting for a second time this year on Wednesday, February 1st. Parents had spoken at the previous meeting on January 18th as well. Among the items presented during the meeting included the preliminary 2012-2013 budget overview by the BPS CFO John McDonough.

Once again, the Curley contingent, all wearing their distinctive black, yellow and green T-shirts stood in silence as one parent, Heshan Berents-Weeramuni, read a prepared statement during the general public comment period. They stood in silent solidarity a second time while Mather Elementary parents Sherman Zemmler Wu and Andy Berg spoke. The Mather is also facing budget cuts.

The video of last night’s meeting is available for you to watch here:
http://www.cityofboston.gov/cable/video_library.asp?id=2418

Some highlights of the above video:

• Preliminary budget overview presentation by John McDonough, CFO of BPS – 1 hour 28 minute mark
• School Committee member John Barros’ favorable statement on the Curley’s use of signs and general demeanor at the last meeting – 1 hour 25 minute mark
• Curley parent Heshan Berents-Weeramuni’s statement on the proposed budget on the Curley K-8 – 3 hour 3 minute mark
• Mather parent Sherman Zemler Wu’s statement of proposed budget on the Mather – 3 hour 7 minute mark

Statements made at the School Committee meetings so far:

• February 1, 2012 statement to the Boston School Committee
  (English version)
• February 1, 2012 statement to the Boston School Committee
  (Spanish version)
  
• January 18, 2012 statement to the Boston School Committee
  (English version)
• January 18, 2012 statement to the Boston School Committee
  (Spanish version)
  

To learn more and get involved in the continuing efforts, please see our outreach packet and contact information sheet below:

• Outreach Packet for calls, emails and letters (English and Spanish)
• Contact Information for Mayor, City Councillors, BPS Officials and School Committee

If you are nteresting in speaking at future School Committee meetings, or want more information, please contact Lindsey Weeramuni or Carrie Fletcher.